Chapter 46: A Group Brawl
The porters fighting at the wharf was too common, it wasn’t a big deal, but Gu Yan still decided to go and see.
Exiting the second gate, Wang Gui came to meet him. Gu Yan didn’t stop, walking as he asked, “Did someone die?”
“We don’t know yet. I just heard the news, they said the fight was quite fierce. I thought, maybe someone would die, so…” Wang Gui cautiously glanced at Gu Yan.
“Hmm, good. You have some foresight. Let’s go take a look.” Gu Yan suddenly unfurled his folding fan.
“There’s a water route that’s very close. Using our fast boat, we can get there in half a quarter of an hour at most,” Wang Gui said, his heart at ease, suggesting with a smile.
“Then let’s take the boat.” Gu Yan turned and headed towards the small wharf nearby.
Several fast boats were prepared. Gu Yan boarded one, standing under the canopy, slowly fanning himself with his folding fan, watching the long corridors along the water recede rapidly on both sides.
All sorts of signboards hung out from under the long corridors. Inside the corridors, men and women bustled endlessly. Occasionally, porters carrying heavy goods would shout “Make way!” as they walked quickly.
No wonder Scholar Lu, after drinking his third cup, would always miss his hometown. The prosperity and beauty of this Jiangnan water town before him were indeed heartwarming and pleasing.
Lu Xiu, however, had never missed this Jiangnan water town.
Once, he invited Scholar Lu to drink in the back garden. Lu Xiu was serving nearby. When Scholar Lu spoke sentimentally of his hometown, he had asked Lu Xiu, and Lu Xiu replied: Those who are poor and hungry cannot see the scenery.
Gu Yan fell into deep thought.
This little A Nan now is truly extraordinary in her investigation of things. Lu Xiu was skilled in poetry and prose, possessing a captivating aura, but she didn’t understand investigation of things. For eggs, two cash for three, she would have to calculate two or three times to figure out how many eggs a hundred large coins could buy. This little A Nan now is definitely not the Lu Xiu by his side, nor is she Li Xiaonan before she was renamed Lu Xiu.
Gu Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of a smile appearing.
He and Lu Xiu had both turned to ashes in a cataclysmic event. He had returned. Lu Xiu might not have had such great fortune, but Lu Xiu’s previous self, Li Xiaonan, surely wouldn’t have been entirely without karmic connection or change.
The little A Nan now was both within his expectations and outside of them.
This little girl was bold and temperamental, completely lacking poetic sentiment but extremely skilled at calculations, and she was also very good at putting on an act.
The fast boat weaved through the corridor street at extreme speed. After passing an opera stage built on the water, the view opened up. The fast boat’s speed did not decrease as it passed through lines of large ships. From a distance, shouts, screams, and cries drifted over with the wind.
Gu Yan stood at the bow of the boat, gazing into the distance.
About ten fast boats quickly docked at the wharf. Wang Gui jumped off first, reaching out to steady Gu Yan. After Gu Yan stepped ashore, he turned and stood guard by Gu Yan’s side, heading towards the large area of chaos on the wharf.
The guards ran and walked, escorting Gu Yan on both sides. The attendants spread out, running quickly, searching for a place to get a clear view of the situation. The servants, directed by Shi Gun, dispersed to inquire everywhere.
Wherever there was a place to see the commotion, it was crowded with people. The attendants simply picked a good spot, slipped some large coins, and cleared a space for Gu Yan.
Shi Gun, having gathered some information, hurried over to report:
The reason for this fight was very simple: a group of outsiders were undercutting prices to snatch work, which angered the local porters, and so they started fighting.
Gu Yan stood on a stone drum that the attendants had bought with large coins, looking at a middle-aged man diagonally opposite.
The middle-aged man stood on the shoulders of a strong man, high above, constantly issuing commands. Groups of men were still gathering, joining the fray under the middle-aged man’s direction.
The scattered fights gradually converged into one area.
“Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Please, stop fighting!”
A woman’s piercing scream, coming from afar, rushed closer, heading towards the now-gathered battle group.
“Please! Please! Please!”
The woman’s cries were urgent and heartbreaking.
“Make them stop,” Gu Yan frowned.
“Stop!” “Stop!”
As soon as the attendants shouted, their voices were drowned out by the surrounding shouts, screams, chaos, and clamor.
“Find some stones,” Gu Yan turned and looked around.
“This one!” Wang Gui spotted a date vendor and lunged forward, snatching the date basket from the vendor’s arms.
“My dates…” the vendor had only just started to shout when an attendant slapped down a string of twenty large coins. The vendor counted, “Not enough…”
The attendant immediately slapped down two more strings of large coins.
The vendor’s face lit up with a smile.
Gu Yan grabbed a few big red dates, weighed them, and aimed at the middle-aged man standing on the strong man’s shoulders, throwing them.
The dates hit the middle-aged man’s face. He cried out in pain, and then a second large date hit his face. The middle-aged man lost his balance and fell.
Gu Yan then took a few more large dates and threw them at the porters who were fighting in a group.
“Everyone stop! The Prefectural Yamen is investigating! Stop!”
The attendants were sharp-witted. As Gu Yan threw the large dates, they all shouted in unison.
The fighting immediately faltered and hesitated.
Gu Yan jumped off the stone drum. Several guards pushed and kicked their way through the crowd in front, heading straight for the most intense part of the fight. Wang Gui, carrying the basket of big red dates, followed closely beside Gu Yan.
Pushing to the side of the battle group, the guards kicked away about ten people who were still fighting. Gu Yan raised his foot and kicked at every man who was throwing punches.
The core group was kicked and knocked down by Gu Yan and the guards, revealing a thin man surrounded in the middle. The thin man was covered in blood, his hands tightly gripping a wooden stick to protect his head and face.
“A Wu! A Wu!” The woman who had been crying hysterically scrambled forward, rushing towards the thin man.
The woman’s rush made the thin man stagger a few steps. He leaned on his stick, trembling all over, using all his strength to stay upright.
Gu Yan looked at the thin man with admiration.
“Who are you!” The middle-aged man, his face bruised and swollen from the dates, rushed forward, pointing at Gu Yan and roaring.
“Our master is the newly appointed Investigator of the Prefectural Yamen,” Shi Gun quickly poked his head out to answer.
The middle-aged man froze for a moment, then his brow furrowed.
Investigator of which Prefectural Yamen? This area was under the jurisdiction of the Pingjiang Prefectural Yamen. The Pingjiang Prefectural Yamen only had one Investigator, whom he had met not long ago, and he hadn’t heard of any changes.
“Who are you? What is your name? In broad daylight, gathering a crowd to fight each other, what place do you give to the laws of the court?” Gu Yan’s voice was stern and powerful.
“The Prefectural Yamen only has one Investigator Wang, who took office two years ago. Who are you?” The middle-aged man’s question of “Who are you?” was asked with a hint of deference.
The imposing presence of the person before him made him involuntarily feel constrained.
Gu Yan looked at Wang Gui.
“Someone has already been sent to summon Investigator Wang,” Wang Gui quickly bowed and replied.
“Good. Please send for a few doctors,” Gu Yan pointed at the thin man, and at the injured people lying everywhere.
“Yes,” Shi Gun agreed. Without him needing to give the order, several servants ran off to fetch doctors.
Seeing Gu Yan’s imposing demeanor, the middle-aged man dared not act rashly any further. He took two steps back, directing his own men to check on and help up his people, waiting for Investigator Wang to arrive.
