Chapter Seventy-Six: The Mighty Uncle Wang

Guoyuan, who had nearly lost his life to the maw of the Black Eagle, cursed the Tian family bitterly upon learning it was the death of Tian Rangju that had brought calamity upon him.

“It’s true that the Guo and Gao clans have often suppressed the Tian family, fearing their rise, but Tian Rangju, stripped of his position as Grand Marshal, no longer posed a threat. Why then would Guo and Gao go so far as to strike again? Tian Rangju was already wary, yet still fell victim to poison. This must have been the work of an insider!”

At these words, the elderly Wang Bo, whose beard and brows were as white as frost, turned with a look of furious indignation.

“This old servant was once a notorious pirate of the East Sea, later subdued and brought into service by my master. When news of my master’s sudden death reached Langya, I disregarded all prohibitions and hurried back to Linzi. After some investigation, I discovered my master had been poisoned. Now, for you to accuse and slander without evidence—what is your true intent?”

Meng Yi and Su’er exchanged glances, and the latter spoke gently, “Uncle Wang, the young master’s words align with my husband’s suspicions. Tian Chang has repeatedly sought my husband’s aid, offering two thousand acres of salt fields as bait to buy his assistance just once.”

Wang Bo pondered, “Does your husband know who Tian Chang intended to target?”

Knowing Wang Bo and Su’er shared a master-servant bond, Meng Yi had already decided to win him over and thus concealed nothing.

“Tian Chang told me he had a rival who had stolen a shipment and wanted to rely on the strength of the merchant caravan to reclaim it.”

Wang Bo gave a cold laugh, “The Tian family is a great clan of Qi. What enemy could they not overcome, that they would need the help of a mere merchant caravan?”

Grateful to Meng Yi for saving his life, Guoyuan was naturally willing to lend his support.

“For Tian Chang to offer such a hefty price—two thousand acres of salt fields—it could not be a decision made by a mere son. There must be deeper entanglements, hence the need to seek someone unrelated to Qi’s power, under Tian Chang’s personal name.”

Wang Bo’s eyes glimmered with understanding, and he cast Guoyuan a meaningful glance.

“From what your husband says, Tian Chang’s words were not entirely truthful; it may well involve disputes among several great clans. I observe your caravan operates with discipline and precision—if I am not mistaken, it is a military unit in disguise.”

Hearing Wang Bo expose Meng Yi’s true identity in front of Guoyuan, Su’er, who had no idea, could not help but cover her mouth in surprise.

“Uncle Wang, have you seen my caravan?”

Meng Yi remained outwardly calm, though inwardly dismayed: If even Wang Bo, a former pirate, could see through him, how could Tian Qi fail to notice?

“Tian Chang told me that due to the sudden defection of a distant branch of the Tian family in Langya, previous agreements had to be abandoned, but the promised trade route would still be granted. Receiving reward without merit—there must be something suspicious here.”

Guoyuan’s gaze sharpened, “Did he tell you which trade route?”

Though salt production was not exclusive to Qi among the feudal states, only Qi’s sea salt boasted both high yield and quality. Thus, salt became Qi’s main resource, always in demand by other states.

Because the sea weather was unpredictable and perilous, to ensure safe transport, Qi had opened several land routes for salt trade in addition to sea routes.

If Tian Qi offered a salt trade route, it would affect the interests of several great clans, and Guoyuan could not ignore that.

“I wish to go to Yan to trade horses. Now that relations between Qi and Yan are strained, not only is trading horses risky, but even returning safely is uncertain. Tian Chang offered me the trade route to Yan, and I could not refuse.”

Meng Yi’s latter words were directed at Wang Bo, an old retainer of Tian Rangju; Meng Yi did not wish to sow discord between him and Su’er because of himself.

“After the defeat of Jin, assassins were sent repeatedly, but this old servant foiled them all. Tian Qi covets his master’s military treatise, hoping to use it to curry favor with Gao Zhang and secure his own advancement.”

Upon learning Tian Qi also intended to eliminate Wang Bo and seize the “Sima Method,” Guoyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt wary of the Tian father and son.

Meng Yi, however, was considering something else: If Tian Chang gifted the trade route to Yan and Meng Yi used it to transport horses, any mishap would ultimately be blamed on Yan.

“Tian Qi wishes to use me to remove Tian Rangju’s old servant, then send men disguised as Yan bandits to ambush us on the trade route—what a brilliant scheme to kill two birds with one stone!”

If a merchant caravan was wiped out on the route to Yan, it might not cause much stir. However, Wang Bo had already stated that Meng Yi’s caravan was actually a disguised military unit, which complicated the matter.

“I heard Uncle Wang say that General Meng’s caravan is actually a military disguise. May I ask, which state’s army do you lead?”

Before Meng Yi could answer, Su’er replied eagerly, “My husband is a Grandee of Lu; naturally, he leads the Lu state’s army!”

Guoyuan had heard that the moat of Lu’s capital, Qufu, was formed by diverting the Zhu River, and its towering walls of rammed earth and brick were patrolled by armed guards—a splendid city of the Central Plains.

Because of the foolishness of the Tian father and son, Qi had nearly provoked a potential enemy. If Lu used this as a pretext to ally with Yan, the possible consequences made Guoyuan break out in cold sweat.

“I heard that Gongshan Bu Niu was defeated at Feiyi, and the peculiar situation where the Three Huan monopolized Lu, and their retainers dominated the Three Huan, has thus collapsed. Is that so?”

Yang Hu and Gongshan Bu Niu had joined forces to expel Ji Sun Si’s confidant Zhong Liang Huai, and confined the young lord Ji Sun Si, seizing control of the family. As agreed, Yang Hu handled state affairs while Gongshan Bu Niu governed Feiyi.

Now that Guoyuan, even in Qi’s capital, knew of Gongshan Bu Niu’s defeat at Feiyi and was probing Meng Yi, Meng Yi had to respond cautiously.

“The Three Huan rise and fall together. Even a retainer like Yang Hu, though he might seize an opportunity, could hardly overturn the dominance of the Three Huan over Lu in haste. Gongshan Bu Niu’s defeat at Feiyi is proof enough.”

Considering the danger he and Su’er faced in Qi, Meng Yi decided to wave the tiger’s banner, making the great clans of Qi wary of him as a Grandee of Lu.

“General Meng, so young yet already a Grandee—may I ask which of the Three Huan families you serve?”

Everyone knew that Lu was either controlled by the Three Huan, or by retainers like Yang Hu; certainly not by the Duke of Lu.

If Meng Yi claimed allegiance to the Duke of Lu, even with Wang Bo, an old retainer of Tian Rangju, as his protector, Guoyuan would not risk offending the Tian father and son for him.

“Yang Hu and Gongshan Bu Niu fought to help my husband seize Feiyi. So, surely, it is clear which of the Three Huan families my husband serves?”

Su’er’s retort shocked Guoyuan—he had not expected Meng Yi’s status in Lu to rival that of Yang Hu.

With Meng Yi now aided by Tian Rangju’s descendants, it seemed that neither Guoyuan’s father nor the Tian father and son could hope to seize the “Sima Method.”