Chapter Eleven: The Mo Family Village's Hidden Strategy

The scene froze in an instant. The people of Mo Family Village gripped their fishing tools tightly, glaring fiercely at Chi Zhiyong. The moment Mo Dun gave the order, these villagers would slaughter his lackeys without leaving a trace behind.

Mo Family Village had only just begun to enjoy a better life, and they had no desire to return to their former poverty. For the sake of these hard-won good days, they were willing to risk their lives.

For a moment, the southern gate of Chang’an was tense as drawn swords. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Mo Dun. Would he resist, or would he give in? The fate of all present rested on the shoulders of this young man.

Mo Dun took a deep breath, looked intently at Chi Zhiyong, and then turned and shouted, “Open the water carts and let the dutiful General Chi carry out his inspection!”

Everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed Mo Family Village had chosen to compromise. Even the city guards felt a sense of relief welling up inside them. Mo Dun was a founding county lord, while they were mere foot soldiers without backing. If things turned ugly, Mo Dun might escape unscathed, but they would not be so lucky.

A smug smile appeared on Chi Zhiyong’s face. Once the water carts were opened for his inspection, the secret of Mo Family Village would be laid bare before him.

Yet he failed to notice the subtle hand signal Mo Dun made. Li Yi understood instantly and struck the gong in his hand with a sudden, urgent rhythm.

The guards accompanying each water cart, upon hearing the signal, immediately yanked a hidden latch and rolled their carts forward five paces.

With a harsh, grating sound, the wheels bit into the ground. Realization dawned on Chi Zhiyong, and his face turned pale.

“What have you done?” Chi Zhiyong roared, lunging forward with his spear leveled at Li Yi. “Move aside at once!”

Li Yi burst out laughing and, this time, did not block the way. He stepped aside, revealing a heap of shattered wood on the ground.

“It’s destroyed!” A wave of shock swept through the crowd. No one had anticipated Mo Family Village would have such a contingency. Clearly, these wood shards were the secret to keeping their fish alive, now all reduced to splinters.

What they didn't know was that Mo Family Village had recently endured all manner of trials. The once-impoverished village had suddenly found a path to prosperity, and word of this had caused a sensation for miles around. People from neighboring villages found every excuse to visit, all trying to learn the secret of keeping fish alive.

Long-lost relatives suddenly arrived bearing gifts to rekindle family ties. Matchmakers, who had never before set foot in the village, now flocked to Mo Family Village, but instead of evaluating young men, they slyly inquired about the method for keeping fish fresh.

The headman of Liu Family Manor in the neighboring village even resorted to sending his daughter as a honey trap, but Old Zhang’s eldest son cleverly saw through the scheme. Not only did the plan fail, but his daughter ended up engaged instead. Now, the two are simply waiting for the village to be less busy before they wed.

In a moment of crisis, Mo Dun convened a village-wide assembly and stressed the essential need for secrecy, devising various methods to prevent their secret from leaking out.

Now, anyone claiming family ties was refused entry, and matchmaking was only permitted in specified circumstances and never in connection with the fish-selling caravans.

The pile of wood splinters on the ground was an extra layer of protection. Old Zhang had installed a mechanism in the oxygenators so that, after pressing a hidden switch and moving the cart a few steps, the weight of the wheels would crush the oxygenator to dust, thus minimizing the risk of the secret leaking out.

Everyone looked at Chi Zhiyong, who seemed utterly defeated, with sympathy in their eyes. A moment ago, he was triumphant; now, he had fallen from heaven to hell.

“How dare you!” Chi Zhiyong glared at the villagers of Mo Family Village.

“What do you mean?” Mo Dun replied with a cheerful grin. “The water carts of the Mo family are well-sealed, thanks to special construction. But when you open them, you have to move a few steps, which wastes some timber. Surely General Chi doesn’t think these wood chips are hiding some wanted criminal of the empire, does he?”

Mo Dun continued with a mocking smile, “Well, aren’t you going to open the water carts and let General Chi have a good look? That way, we can clear the name of Mo Family Village.”

“Yes, young master!” the villagers answered in unison, their voices resounding through Chang’an.

Bang, bang, bang—the water carts were opened one after another, and the strong smell of fresh fish filled the city gate. From time to time, the sound of live fish splashing against water could be heard.

“They’re all alive!” someone in the crowd, sharp-eyed, saw that the carts were packed with wriggling fish—none had turned belly-up.

“What a pity! The secret of Mo Family Village’s live fish is destroyed.” Regretful voices rose from the crowd.

“What’s there to pity? Didn’t you see it’s just wood chips? Don’t forget, the Mo family are craftsmen—they can always make more. They haven’t lost anything at all. The only one to pity is our General Chi: he went fishing with a bamboo basket and came up empty-handed, and now he’s offended a noble,” someone scoffed.

Chi Zhiyong’s face flushed, then paled. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked up to Mo Dun and said ingratiatingly, “It’s all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. General Mo Lie is a hero of the army, whom I’ve long admired. I was merely following routine procedure—how could I ever suspect Mo Family Village?”

“Let them pass, let them pass!” Chi Zhiyong shouted at the soldiers. “Are you blind? Don’t you see Lord Mo Dun’s caravan is waiting to go through? Use your heads!”

The soldiers were full of resentment. It had been Chi himself who stirred up trouble, and now he was shifting the blame onto them.

A roar of cheers erupted from the Mo Family Village caravan.

“Pick up everything on the ground, and then let's move out!” Li Yi shouted.

Chi Zhiyong’s lips twitched. Mo Family Village truly left nothing to chance. If any wood chips had been left behind, he would have gathered them up to have skilled craftsmen try to reassemble them, perhaps uncovering the village’s secret. That was also why he immediately gave the order to let them pass.

But now, all hope was lost. Mo Family Village had gone to extraordinary lengths to protect their livelihood. Now, not only had he failed in his mission, but he had also offended a founding county lord. Chi Zhiyong felt his world turning bleak—now it depended on whether Mo Dun would pursue the matter further.

“My lord, please forgive me—I was blind and foolish. I have offended your lordship; I beg your pardon,” Chi Zhiyong said, bowing in contrition.

“I know exactly what you were after. Everyone knows what you were after. As a city gate official of the empire, you bear responsibility for the security of the capital. Instead of fulfilling your duty, you abused your power for personal gain. Even if I forgive you, do you think the court will? Today you tried to exploit your position for the secret of Mo Family Village. If a bandit offered you enough reward, who’s to say you wouldn’t do the same, even if it endangered Chang’an itself?” Mo Dun’s voice was calm, but his words cut straight to the heart.

“I know you all wish to learn the secret of Mo Family Village’s live fish. Well, I can tell you right now,” Mo Dun declared, his voice still rough from adolescence, yet it stunned everyone present.

“What? You’ll tell us…the secret of the live fish?” The crowd was filled with confusion and disbelief.