"To be honest, I really don't know who my ancestors were. My mother didn't leave behind a family tree," Qin Mu said with a wry smile.
"Genealogies are usually kept by the direct line, so it's normal that married-out daughters don't have them. But judging from the collection of books, Jia Liangdao is very likely an ancestor of the Qin brothers. However, after two or three hundred years of war, many families were affected, and the clansmen were scattered, so it's not surprising that their ancestors are untraceable."
"What you say makes sense, Daoist Master," Qin Mu nodded.
Looking back, writing was done on bamboo slips, and most things were passed down orally. Therefore, it is quite normal for things to be lost. From the end of the Han Dynasty to the Three Kingdoms period, and through the wars of the Jin Dynasty, it was rare for families of all sizes to be able to maintain their traditions.
"It's dawn, we should take our leave!" Qin Mu said, bowing as he saw Wang Ma and Uncle Zhong leading their horses over.
The bamboo scroll contained only a few dozen characters, which Li Chunfeng quickly read through. He handed it back with both hands, saying, "Brother Huaidao, you must visit Chang'an when you have time."
"must!"
"treasure!"
After saying goodbye, Qin Mu and his two companions continued their journey to Youzhou.
Nothing else happened along the way, and two days later, they arrived at Youzhou City.
Youzhou City is seven li from east to west and nine li from north to south. It is a heavily fortified city with walls over four zhang high and a moat two zhang wide. The moat is flowing, so you can imagine how difficult it is to attack.
Filled with curiosity, I surveyed the city walls and followed the people coming and going into Youzhou. Surprisingly, there was no scrutiny or exploitation as I had imagined. The guards didn't even stop me. Thinking about it, it made sense; ordinary people couldn't be exploited anyway, and those with money were usually people of status in the city.
Of course, Qin Mu didn't know that the guards also conducted checks, but that was for merchants transporting goods; those were the ones who were taxed. The taxes had to be handed over and then distributed by their superiors, which was essentially the guards' wages, since soldiers didn't have fixed salaries in those days.
Soldiers' wages were paid based on their performance in their jobs, while clerks' wages were paid by their superiors.
Luo Yi's residence was easy to find out; just ask around and you'd know it was the Yan Prince's Mansion! The gates were closed, and six guards stood watch on the steps.
Beside the steps, there was a large stone on each side. Qin Mu knew that the one on the left was called the dismounting stone, which was used to tie horses for temporary visitors, and the one on the right was called the mounting stone. It is said that the mounting stone was invented by Wang Mang because he was not tall and it was inconvenient for him to mount his horse. Therefore, he had a stone placed next to his door as a step.
Qin Mu straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and bowed to the guards who were watching him, saying, "Please go and announce that Qin Yi's grandson has come to pay his respects to the Duke of Yan."
Qin Mu spoke according to his mother's dying wish. It seems that his mother did not know that Luo Yi had become a prince after living in seclusion for many years.
Seeing that Qin Mu looked like a scholar and introduced himself, the guards did not make things difficult for the three of them because of their ordinary clothes. They immediately opened a crack in the door and ran inside.
Qin Mu wasn't in a hurry and waited patiently. In reality, there weren't that many truly foolish things happening, especially among wealthy and powerful families. Even if they didn't like someone, they would still receive poor relatives. Otherwise, word would get out, and people would gossip. After all, this was an era with few scandals; a small matter could be enough for gossipy relatives to talk about for days. Moreover, in a city only a few miles in size, it wouldn't take more than a few days for the entire city to know.
"Please come in, young master!"
"Wang Ma, please wait a moment," Qin Mu instructed.
On the way, Wang Ma took care of Qin Mu and handled many things. However, there was nothing she could do about this. Fortunately, Qin Mu was not afraid, even though he had previously disliked socializing due to his illness.
"Don't worry, Dalang!"
Qin Mu nodded and followed the guards into the palace. He walked straight along the bluestone path and saw several people standing in the distance.
"Your Highness, the person has been brought here!" the guard said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. Without waiting for a reply, he stepped aside.
Qin Mu sized up the imposing man with tiger-like eyes and sword-like eyebrows before him, and his breath hitched slightly. He felt pressure, an invisible aura that made his body tense.
"Are you Qin Yi's grandson?"
Hearing the calm question, Qin Mu felt relieved, bowed and replied, "Indeed! Junior Qin Mu greets Master!"
As he spoke, Qin Mu handed over a letter.
Luo Yi took the letter, opened it, and was overjoyed. He had been very curious about Qin Mu's arrival, even thinking he had encountered a swindler. Since Qin Yi's death, the two families had lost contact, and Qin Yi only had one son, Qin Qiong. It seemed very strange that Qin Mu would suddenly visit him in the name of his grandfather, especially since Qin Mu was dressed like an ordinary commoner.
After reading the letter, he realized that this was Qin Qiong's long-lost son, who was unaware that his father was already a Duke. He had only come to find his relatives because he had been living in Youzhou.
As for the letter mentioning staying there and helping to find Qin Qiong's whereabouts, that's completely unrelated. Qin Mu would easily find out if he inquired.
Luo Yi was secretly relieved that Qin Mu had come to find him as soon as he left the village, and also relieved that they weren't too far apart. Luo Yi was currently in a very conflicted situation; he had always believed he had excellent judgment, except for this incident.
And indeed, that was the case. By following the Northern Qi, they obtained a noble title, and seeing that the Northern Qi was on the verge of collapse, they wisely protected themselves and survived unscathed. On the contrary, the Qin Yi family, who were loyal to the Northern Qi, almost lost their lineage.
During the Sui Dynasty, his rank rose further, and he dominated Youzhou. During the Tang Dynasty, he favored Crown Prince Li Jiancheng. Little did he know that Li Jiancheng, who held an absolute advantage, played his winning hand terribly and inexplicably came to an end.
Although Li Shimin bestowed upon him a higher title, granting him the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments, which was tantamount to allowing Youzhou to become independent, he was still uneasy.
Offending Li Shimin is no small matter; no one can guarantee that he won't seek revenge later.
Luo Yi harbored thoughts of rebellion, but knew he wasn't cut out for it; otherwise, he would have started something many years ago. Qin Mu's arrival offered him a glimmer of hope for a peaceful resolution, after all, Qin Qiong was Li Shimin's trusted and beloved general. If Qin Qiong could help him navigate the situation, things would be much easier.
The reason we hadn't considered taking this path before was because the two families had parted ways since the events with the Northern Qi, proving that those with different paths cannot work together. Therefore, when Qin Qiong was young, the Qin family never thought of seeking refuge with him.
"I understand the situation. Now that you're here, please settle in comfortably," Luo Yi said with a smile.
"Thank you so much, sir!"
"We're family, no need for formalities. I'll have someone prepare accommodations for you." Luo Yi pulled Qin Mu along, looking him over with satisfaction and a smile.
"There's also a wet nurse and an old servant outside the mansion..."
"It's alright, I'll have someone arrange it. You can have a good chat with your uncle," Luo Yi said, waving his hand.
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