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The waters of the great river surged and churned endlessly, rushing ever downwards.
Had he been a man of quick poetic talent, Fei Qian might have recited a line or two—something about the white sun vanishing behind the mountains, the long river meeting the round setting sun, the river flowing thirty thousand leagues eastward into the sea, or a solitary fortress standing amidst ten-thousand-ren peaks—but he simply could not squeeze any such verses out of his mind.
Poetic genius was not a cabbage to be sold by the catty or the tael.
Fei Qian glanced back once more at the river water beside him, then looked across to the mountains and gorges on the opposite bank. He remained silent for a moment, confirming to himself that he was indeed no seven-step prodigy of verse.
Right now, Fei Qian had run into a bit of trouble, and he merely wished to resolve it.
To travel to Jing Province and Xiangyang, of the several possible routes, the safest one was to follow the northern bank of the Yellow River.
On the southern bank, within Hongnong Commandery, there were still remnants of Dong Zhuo's Xiliang officers, holed up in Shan County and Mianchi. Although there were some gaps between their positions, the risk remained relatively high.
Fei Qian had originally conducted this march trying his utmost to avoid the commanderies and counties. Even when purchasing necessary supplies, he had only dispatched individual personnel to buy them, all with the aim of not drawing anyone's attention. But he had never expected that, while making camp in the mountains, he would still run into people...
It appeared to be a member of the gentry traveling or out hunting, and they had blundered straight into Fei Qian's military column. Although Fei Qian had done his best to have his soldiers steer clear, there was only that one mountain path. The two parties came straight at each other with no way to avoid one another.
The only option was to first round up the entire group and then decide what to do.
What was strange, however, was that when Huang Xu led his men to quietly surround the party, the leading gentry son very quickly chose to surrender...
Fei Qian studied the middle-aged man sitting across from him. He appeared to be around thirty years of age, with a square and upright face and two long, straight mustaches that were pointed and slightly upturned at the ends, like a pair of small blades—a very distinctive feature. He had a robust physique and thick, sturdy hands, suggesting some skill in martial arts and perhaps a certain degree of self-assurance. Otherwise, he would not have lingered in the mountain area as dusk approached without returning home.
"May I inquire after your honored name, good sir?" Fei Qian asked.
The middle-aged man cupped his hands in salute and replied, "I am Han Hao, styled Yuansi, of Wen County in Henei. I greet you, General."
Han Hao?
Fei Qian now desperately wished he had Google at his fingertips, so he could instantly search and find out just who this Han Hao was... Was he the one Zhao Yun killed at Changban Slope? There were simply too many figures from the Three Kingdoms era; without a search engine, it was truly impossible to remember them all. Even someone with some study of the period, when suddenly confronted with a random name, might not necessarily know who he was...
But Wen County...
That was rather impressive.
Hmm, aside from that future wretch from Wen County, one of his own subordinates also hailed from there...
"Has Yuansi ever met Bohuai?" Fei Qian asked.
Han Hao replied with pleasant surprise, "The General also knows Bohuai? How is he faring these days?"
"Heh, well enough," Fei Qian said with a slight smile. "I wonder, Yuansi, do you know where the Governor of Henei, His Excellency Wang, might currently be? Bohuai has prepared a gift and entrusted me to deliver it to him on his behalf..."
The Governor of Henei, His Excellency Wang, was Wang Kuang, the Grand Administrator of Henei.
Han Hao's smile faded. A gleam flickered in his eyes as he said, "A gift from Bohuai? Could it be a hidden dagger?"
Fei Qian's expression turned solemn. "This is no jest. It is merely two fine steeds."
"Two fine steeds?" Han Hao was silent for a moment, then suddenly broke into a laugh. "General, please do not test me further... Bohuai is a friend of mine; how could I not know of past events? Bohuai's uncle was unjustly thrown into prison, and his family nearly exterminated. How could he possibly send a gift to Wang of Henei?"
Considering the inconvenience of communications in the Han Dynasty and the closed nature of information transmission, knowing about this matter did not necessarily prove one was a close friend of Chang Lin, but it at the very least confirmed that Han Hao was indeed a member of the Wen County gentry.
Fei Qian gave Han Hao a deep, formal bow and said, "This matter is of great importance. I had no choice but to act thus. I beg Yuansi's forgiveness for my offense."
Han Hao gave a brief smile, waved his hand dismissively, and said nothing more.
Fei Qian invited him to sit, and they exchanged formal introductions anew. Only then did Fei Qian reveal his own name and inform him of Chang Lin's current circumstances.
Upon learning how Chang Lin was doing, Han Hao appeared genuinely pleased. They then chatted about various other matters. It was then that Han Hao suddenly seemed to recall something and could not help but ask, "Could it be that you, sir, are the Master Hidden Whale, famed alongside the Fledgling Phoenix?"
"Ah, that..." Fei Qian had very nearly forgotten he even possessed such a title. "...If it is the same as what Bohuai mentioned, then I am undeserving of such generous praise..."
Hearing this, Han Hao hastily rose once more to salute and declared, "What great fortune is mine today, to meet the Hidden Whale face to face! 'The Hidden Abyss groans, and the Vast Sea appears; the Whale strikes the waters, and the Dark Depths are transformed!' So spoke Master Water Mirror, and so it is indeed!"
Beaming broadly, Han Hao seized the opportunity of the formal greeting to stare fixedly at Fei Qian for a long moment. The expression on his face somewhat resembled that of a later-era fan coming face to face with a celebrity idol.
Fei Qian made a few modest, self-deprecating remarks, but then a thought suddenly struck him. He asked, "...Yuansi mentioned the Fledgling Phoenix just now. Have you also heard the appraisal given by Master Water Mirror?"
Han Hao nodded, and in a tone mixed with envy and admiration, recited, "'The Phoenix spreads its wings, brightening the slopes of Qi; the Fledgling's clear cry rings through the eight wildernesses!' Seeing you now, Master Hidden Whale, I can well imagine the unsurpassed grace and brilliance of the Fledgling Phoenix..."
Han Hao's words were surely spoken without ulterior motive, but in Fei Qian's heart, it was as if something had suddenly been struck with force.
Back when he first met Chang Lin and learned that Master Water Mirror had bestowed a title upon him, he had felt a certain smug satisfaction. That joyful feeling had left him rather self-pleased for a time, and coupled with the uncertain path that lay ahead of him then, he had not stopped to consider the matter from every angle...
But now, hearing his title mentioned once again, and furthermore...
This...
Fei Qian glanced at the sky and said with a smile, "Talking with Yuansi has been such a pleasure that I regret not having met you sooner. Time has flown by too swiftly. I have military duties at present and cannot tear myself away, unable to enjoy our conversation to the fullest. This is truly regrettable. May I ask where Yuansi's noble residence is? Once matters here are settled, I shall pay a visit to apologize for my lack of hospitality."
Han Hao was also straightforward. He laughed heartily and said, "I absolutely could not accept any apology. If you have the leisure, Master Hidden Whale, simply travel five leagues southwest of Wen County and ask for the Han family estate."
Fei Qian then brought over a spare warhorse, intending to gift it to Han Hao. Han Hao tried to decline but eventually accepted. Then, with his household servants and followers, he bid Fei Qian farewell and departed.
Watching Han Hao leave, Fei Qian turned and sat down. His heart surged and churned like the great river before him...
Although he felt he had met the Water Mirror, Sima Hui, a few times, he was not all that familiar with him. Why had he suddenly been granted such a title? He had always had some doubts about it, but had been so constantly busy with the endless stream of urgent matters, and no one had brought it up in particular, that he had nearly forgotten about it entirely.
Now, suddenly in Wen County, he had run into a person who brought the title up again. And what was more, there was not just the title now, but a corresponding verse of appraisal as well. This signified that Sima Hui had formally put his reputation on the line for Fei Qian...
Times had changed. During this period, Fei Qian had experienced much, and his mind had matured considerably. This was not something that could be numerically reflected as plus five or plus ten to some attribute—it was simply a kind of wisdom, including a deepening understanding of how the people of the Han Dynasty thought and behaved.
So, when looking at a matter, can one simply judge by its surface?
Can one draw a conclusion based only on a fleeting moment?
Turning the matter over in his mind and thinking carefully, Fei Qian's brows furrowed ever more tightly.
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