Chapter 43: The Eloquence of Diplomatic Alliance

“To drive the oxen of Malaya till they’re unrecognizable; when will the muddy and the clear of Jing and Wei ever be divided?” Not far from the city of Chang’an, in Gaoling County, where the Jing and Wei rivers converge, stood the city’s largest waterborne freight wharf. Grain from the east arrived by canal, and goods from both banks converged here to be stored in warehouses before being transported onward to Chang’an. Goods leaving the city also departed from here, loaded onto boats and carried to distant lands. It was a chaotic, bustling, and prosperous place, teeming with all sorts.

Inside a large warehouse by the docks, two opposing groups stood in stark contrast—one dressed in blue, the other in yellow—glaring at one another. Behind each group, injured companions lay sprawled on the ground.

The men in blue were locals, laborers whose families had earned their living at the wharf for generations by hauling and unloading cargo. Opposite them, the men in yellow were itinerant workers and drifters from elsewhere who, drawn by opportunity, had stayed to claim a share of the work. Competition for jobs had led to countless open and covert clashes, plunging the wharf into frequent chaos and bloodshed.

This time, the Sihai Merchants Guild had issued an ultimatum: only one group would remain, and wages would be increased by twenty percent. Any who dared cause trouble would get nothing at all. Both sides scraped together small sums in a vain attempt to bribe the guild’s overseers, but their offerings were dismissed without a glance.

So, it was decided: each side would send eleven men to duel, with life and death left to fate. The victors would stay, and the defeated would leave the wharf to seek their fortune elsewhere.

Jiao Kun, leader of the Blue-clad Gang, was not yet thirty, but had led his men for five years. Now, seeing that four of his side were already down, he grew anxious. He glanced at his eager younger brother, Jiao Sheng, then closed his eyes and waved his hand, preparing to send him in to reclaim a round.

Jinhua, leader of the Yellow-clad Gang, was far more shrewd. He immediately sent out his best fighter, Er Mengzi.

“Bah! Watching these wild dogs fight for scraps is getting boring,” came a voice from atop a cargo crate in the warehouse. Luliuliao stood there, with Zhou Liuzi at his side, neither of whose arrival anyone had noticed. He shook his head in disapproval.

“What did you say?” Jiao Kun’s eyes reddened with rage as he glared at Luliuliao. His brothers were risking their lives for survival, only to be likened to wild dogs fighting over food by some sharp-tongued upstart. Jiao Kun was close to drawing blood himself.

“Am I wrong? Whenever those merchant boats and wagons arrive, they toss down a handful of coins, and you fight each other to the death for them. Now, with just a 20% wage increase, they have you risking your lives, turning on each other. If not wild dogs, what are you?” Luliuliao’s tone was cutting, and his face bore nothing but contempt.

“We laborers may be poor, but our livelihood comes from our own strength. Our lives may be cheap, but we will not be insulted. Boy, you’ll not walk out of here alive!” Jiao Kun said as he drew a sharp wrist dagger.

Luliuliao laughed heartily. “Not long ago, I left a temple in Chang’an feeling lost, convinced that everyone outside the imperial family was just a cur. But my companion here told me he always considered himself a man. That woke me up—no matter how others see us, we must see ourselves as men. Do you still think of yourselves as men?”

Slapping Zhou Liuzi on the shoulder, Luliuliao turned to the laborers, raising his voice.

“Of course we’re men! We don’t steal or rob, we earn our bread with our sweat—how could we be anything but?” The laborers on both sides shouted with fervor.

“If you consider yourselves men, why is it that others can toss you a few coins and leave like lords, while you toil and suffer? If anything is broken, you pay double. If you’re hurt, you bear it alone. Why must the Sihai Merchants Guild decide your fate, turning you against each other like this? If you die or are wounded, what becomes of your families?” Luliuliao gesticulated with passion, seeming angrier than the laborers themselves.

Eyes red, the laborers—especially the most vulnerable—began to sob quietly, even Jiao Kun stood there, dazed and bewildered.

Jinhua, ever quick-witted, ventured cautiously, “From your words, young hero, it seems you’ve come from that temple in Chang’an. Does that esteemed one truly care about us laborers?”

Luliuliao unsheathed his Autumnwater Sword and flashed its blade. “A few days ago, I used this sword to take three heads at the Nunnery outside Chang’an—Yi Tianchi of the Huazi Gang and his two close henchmen. I think you all know why. Having killed them, here I stand unharmed—do you think I do such things for sport?”

“What does the one from the temple wish us to do?” Jinhua was puzzled; why would someone so lofty concern themselves with affairs here?

“If you all see yourselves as men, then why should others decide your wages and which goods you carry?” Luliuliao no longer looked at Jinhua, but turned his attention to the assembled laborers, his words persuasive.

“That can’t work. If the guilds refuse to pay, what will our families eat?” someone muttered nervously.

“If they refuse, then let’s all walk off together. You might lose a few coins for missing a day’s work, but the merchant guilds would lose hundreds of thousands and, worse, their reputation. If it comes to that, who would blink first?” Luliuliao shouted, face flushed with emotion.

“It’s said since ancient times: commoners cannot fight the officials; the poor cannot fight the rich. What if they collude with the authorities and have us arrested?” Jin Liuzi fretted.

Luliuliao raised his Autumnwater Sword, showing off its phoenix engraving. “Do you know what this means? It stands for justice and fair dealing!”

“Damn it, after all these years of swallowing bitterness, I’ve had enough! Young hero, tell us what to do—I'll follow you!” Jiao Kun exclaimed, his face flushed with excitement.

But now, Luliuliao grew calm and smiled, waving his hand. “No rush. We need to establish some rules and think this over carefully. Besides, if there isn’t enough work here, those with free hands can always go to the Western Market—there’s plenty of hauling to be done there, isn’t there?”

This sweet prospect made the laborers hesitate. “There’s plenty of work in the Western Market, but what if the Huazi Gang or Qingyun Society come after us?”

“Qingyun Society only maintains order and mediates disputes; the Huazi Gang has other concerns and won’t interfere,” Luliuliao assured them with a smile.

In the main hall of the Long Wind Escort Agency, the heads of several nearby agencies sat listening to Luliuliao’s eloquence.

“The Sihai Merchants Guild has strong backing and a crack security force—none in the empire dare cross them. It’s no wonder some merchants want to cling to their coattails. But this way, every time the Sihai Guild moves, it forms a massive caravan, and if things go on like this, your escort businesses will only get harder.

So, you must band together and open a collective storefront in the Western Market, accepting commissions as a group. This will prevent cutthroat competition and wasted resources, consolidate your strength for better security, allow you to take on larger contracts, and make things more convenient for merchants—they won’t have to compare agencies one by one. With so many professional escort agencies united, how could you not surpass the Sihai Guild’s guards?”

Parched from speaking, Luliuliao gulped down his tea without concern for appearances.

“But the Sihai Guild’s guards are equipped with military-grade crossbows—not even common bandits dare approach them. If our agencies band together, could the temple’s master provide us with some, even if they’re old ones from the army?” asked Liu Changfeng, head of the Long Wind Escort Agency, with envy.

“I’ll have to consult with the temple, but I have a method to greatly strengthen your defenses. Usually, your caravans travel in long lines at night, and when bandits strike, you can’t protect both front and rear. From now on, form a circular wagon fort at night, keep everyone inside, and if bandits attack, your archers can hold the line. With strong crossbows, there’s nowhere in the realm you couldn't go.” As Luliuliao spoke, he arranged the teacups in a circle, causing the escort leaders’ eyes to brighten.

In a tooth dealer’s shop in the Western Market, Adili gazed reluctantly at the bustling streets where he’d spent nearly twenty years. Soon, he would leave, taking with him five thousand taels of silver and precious jewels gifted by the Sihai Guild’s chief steward, returning to the Western Regions to live as a wealthy man.

Looking at the warm, rotund foreign merchants and the hard-working translators, Adili knew he could no longer stand up for them, argue for them, bleed for them, or protect them. He would no longer be the respected and just Adili in the eyes of his brothers.

“What brings you here, my Tang friend?” Adili asked, bowing politely as Luliuliao entered with a smile.

“Nothing much. I simply wish to tell the just Mr. Adili a story, if you’ll indulge me,” Luliuliao replied, settling in comfortably.

Adili’s eyes flicked to the sword at Luliuliao’s side and the clear phoenix engraving. He smiled inscrutably. “I’m sure the story will be most interesting. I’m all ears.”

“Once upon a time, in the distant Western Regions, there were two brothers. Upon their father’s death, both inherited considerable wealth. The elder used his inheritance to buy land, cattle, and sheep, living prosperously and earning the respect of all. The younger was generous and fond of making friends, spending his wealth freely to help any brother in need.

One day, a powerful neighboring tribe invaded. The elder’s family was slaughtered, their land and livestock seized. The younger, however, raised his arm and called out; countless friends and brothers rallied to him. They drove off the invaders and even stormed the enemy’s camp, seizing their wealth. In the end, the younger brother founded a mighty empire and became its khan.”

As he spoke, Luliuliao gazed serenely at Adili.

After a moment’s thought, sweat beaded on Adili’s brow. “Your story is indeed interesting, my Tang friend. I believe I understand your meaning.”

A few days later, the reception hall of the Long Wind Escort Agency was crowded. Present were Hu Yun of the Qingyun Society, Guo Yan of the Huazi Gang, Jiao Kun and Jinhua of the laborers, Adili of the foreign tooth traders, and the heads of other escort agencies. All eyes were fixed on Yang, the elderly head of the Carriage and Horse Company.

Old Yang had not wanted to attend this gathering, but with all these factions acting in concert, he dared not refuse. Even with the Sihai Guild’s support, he couldn’t run his business without their cooperation.

“Old Yang, the Sihai Guild has granted you great benefits, and it’s no surprise you follow their lead. But do you really think your company could survive alone, without all these brothers?” Luliuliao said mildly, seated at the center.

“Strategist Lu, if my company doesn’t heed the Sihai Guild, how could we carry on our business?” Yang wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“What if I told you that, before long, the Sihai Guild itself will be in dire straits—would you believe me?” Luliuliao toyed with his teacup, exuding confidence.

Seeing the others’ mocking smiles, Old Yang steeled himself, “Strategist Lu, my company isn’t blind or deaf. They’ve all gotten their share of benefits—what about us?”

“Chang’an is vast, with its hundred and eight wards, each housing thousands. Since your company can run long-distance passenger transport, why not start passenger services within the city itself?” Luliuliao handed him a simple sketch as he spoke.

Old Yang studied the drawing for some time, his eyes lighting up as he looked intently at Luliuliao. “And the authorities?”

“Anything that benefits the nation and the people will have the authorities’ support,” Luliuliao replied, lifting his Autumnwater Sword.