Chapter 103: The Challenge of the Wine Money
What a sum three million goblets would come up to!
As a notable general of his time, it was socially unacceptable for Tie Zheng to provide wine that cost only a dozen copper coins per catty for his wedding. He would need the kind of liquor that came at a heftier price of ten silver taels and more per catty or even the more expensive ones.
However, even with the cheapest wine at ten taels per catty which could serve three goblets with each catty, the estimated consumption of wine was at least one million catties. In other words, even without including the other costs for his wedding, he would need at least ten million silver taels for the wine alone!
With Tie Zheng’s salary as it was, he could not afford this sum even if he paid for it for over ten lifetimes.
However, he was a man of his word, and he intended to go through with it, no matter the cost.
…
Tie Zheng charged along to his destination. This time, however, he found that his state of mind allowed him to experience a huge difference from the time when he was setting off to war. Each man he encountered in the Empire of Yutang seemed so much more affable and friendly!
He had lost count of the number of people who had come forth to send him money on his way.
“Here you go! Mere gold and silver taels to spend for the marshal’s wedding!”
“Marshal, please honor this wish and accept it!”
Tie Zheng refused them all. He knew his promise was rash, foolish even; his brothers were all probably worried for him now. He would rather die poor than to take these brothers’ money and be in debt forever!
It’s my own prerogative to invite all of you for a goblet of wine for my wedding! Can I still call myself Tie Zheng if I spent your money to hold the wedding and buy wine?
“When I get back, I will sell off the two manors His Majesty bestowed upon me; I can get about three million taels for those. I can also get another two million taels after selling whatever jade and gems we still have at home and all the rewards I’ve accumulated over all these years…”
“My savings and the smuggled goods from the war that I… ahem… didn’t report… should be worth about three hundred to four hundred thousand taels. Selling my land title could get me about two hundred and seventy thousand taels. I’d then have eight million taels.”
Tie Zheng added up all the sources of income in his head.
“I would still need about three million taels. I can borrow that sum from Old Marshal Qiu and Marshal Leng, gather some from the generals in the Board of War. That should be enough!”
“No matter what it takes, whether they are alive or have perished in the war, I must let my brothers share this goblet of wedding wine with me!
“This is the wine that I, Tie Zheng, owe everyone! This is the wine all my brothers ought to drink!”
“I will not allow His Majesty to pay for the this. The treasury is already empty, the remaining fortune left should be given as pension to my brothers. I can’t take that money to drink.”
“I, Tie Zheng, can still afford wine for my own wedding!”
The thirty-six loyal guards by his side were also discussing among themselves.
“How much can you get your hands on?”
“Less than ten thousand. I’ll think of ways to make it ten thousand, there shouldn’t be a problem to reach ten thousand.”
“My family’s rather well off. I can get a hundred thousand, a hundred and twenty thousand if I try hard enough. I shall endeavor to make it that number.”
“I am… ashamed. I’ve spent them all through these years. I only have a hundred taels on me. Let me think of something, borrow from people. I’ll gather five thousand taels, would that be alright?”
“F*cking hell, Wu Ol’second, you actually didn’t save up for this critical period?”
“I’m actually poorer than Wu Ol’second…”
After a round of arithmetics, it was discovered that twenty-seven of the thirty-six guards were poor as paupers. They had the heart but not the capability. The brothers shared a look of exasperation.
The leader lamented loudly in frustration, “You rascals, I see all of you spending lavishly like the f*cking rich folks… How can all of you be so pathetic when it comes to serious matters?”
The faces of all twenty-seven of them fell. It was true – a man without money is no man at all. It was a saying that would hold true always.
“It’s mainly because we’re always going to war. The twenty-seven of us don’t have spouses and children, our parents have passed on and we don’t have any family left. What’s the use of money to us? It’s best if we spend them all in the afternoon right after we get the money in the morning. What a waste it would be if we died one day but our money’s not spent!”
“I didn’t simply spend them all though… Once I got them, I gave them all to the families of our fallen brothers. Who knew this would happen!”
The men exchanged looks with a deep sigh.
“Whatever it is, the marshal is getting married. This wedding must be perfect! Glamorous!” The team leader was slowly losing his mind. “Can’t you fellows go rob the rich and help the poor?”
He was really at his wit’s end, to actually talk about robbing the rich and helping the poor.
“None of you go!” Tie Zheng’s voice was layered with an edge. “Each of you picked your life from the battlefield arduously, are you fellows so impatient to meet death right after the war? Not one of you is to speak anything more! Your father is rich! The wedding wine won’t make your father poor!”
“Keep your money! Those without wives, find a woman and leave your lineage!” Tie Zheng’s expression was dark. “What is the use of spending it all on your father? Even if your father is in debt everywhere, I’m still the one with a wife! All you single people, don’t follow me blindly!”
Those who were familiar with each other would know each other well; how could the thirty-six janissaries not know the background of their general? All of them were glum and in low spirits.
“What pitiful look are all of you trying to sport? Tiantang City is right in front of us!” Tie Zheng warned with a low voice, “We are all meritorious officials! We are heroes. Show me the spirit of a hero! Look at your pathetic faces now…”
All thirty-six of them hummed, rubbing their faces at once to look ruddy and spirited. They tidied their attire too, brushing their warhorses once before mounting the steeds and charging vivaciously.
Just as they passed a forest, the wind suddenly blew as leaves in front of the squad were rolled into a long line.
“Hush!” Tie Zheng stopped his steed, as thirty-six riders behind him followed suit.
A voice came from the forest, “Marshal Tie, since you’ve come, why not come meet me in the forest?”
The voice was soft and elegant.
Tie Zheng replied, “Who are you? If you intend to meet me, why do you hide in the trees?”
The voice answered, “Don’t worry, we are friends!”
“Friends?” Tie Zheng scoffed, “Why don’t I remember having such a reclusive friend?”
As he spoke, his hand had already gone to the grip of his sword.
Behind him, all thirty-six riders had their swords in hand as well, even as they held their bows and arrows ready.
The person in the forest kept quiet for a bit and said, “It’s all right if you refuse to come in.”
Suddenly, a package landed in front of him with a thud. The elegant voice said, “Marshal Tie, this is my lord’s congratulatory gift for Marshal Tie’s marriage!”
Before the voice could fade from the air, the silhouette on the other side had already vanished.
Tie Zheng looked at the red-clothed package in front of him with a suspicious gaze. Urging his steed forward, he carefully flipped the package over with his twenty-five-foot long spear.
Instantly, Tie Zheng’s face flushed as his body trembled. Springing up, he shouted, “Honorable one! Please hold up! Brother! Brother… hold up!”
However, there was no answer.
Tie Zheng catapulted into the forest, not caring if there was an ambush inside. He made a few rounds, eventually finding a rock that was clean as if someone had sat on it.
Walking over anxiously, he saw a note pressed onto the rock. There were words written on it, “Congratulations on Brother Tie’s marriage. Wishing you a harmonious union lasting a hundred years and may both of you be blessed with a son soon. The wedding wine shall be on me.”
The message was short but it was signed off with a motif resembling a ball of flame.
A burning flame in the middle, surrounded by nine stars!
Tie Zheng was trembling then, words could not describe the remorse he felt. Why had he not entered earlier? Why had he been so suspicious?
“Marshal!” The leader finally caught up with him. “Marshal… there is twelve million taels worth of banknotes in the package!”
He was excited, but deep down, he heaved a sigh.
He knew his marshal well. With the marshal’s temper, he would not accept the money, especially when it had come out of nowhere.
“Keep it!” Tie Zhen exclaimed with a sigh.
“Yes, I shall send it right back… I beg your pardon?” The leader’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets in shock. “Keep it?”
F*ck me. Did the marshal say it wrong or did I hear it wrong? We brothers were gathering the sum so sincerely for him and the marshal has rejected us all. How can he just accept the money now? What about being family, being brothers? Are we no longer brothers now?
“This is a congratulatory gift from the nine sirs! He said that the wedding wine would be on him.” Tie Zheng smiled humorlessly. “I can reject the world, reject His Majesty even… but I can’t reject the nine sirs’ money, I can’t say no!”
His words made the janissaries leader shake with agitation. “Nine – nine sirs?”
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