Chapter 38: Betrayed

Density is equal to mass divided by volume—this piece of middle school physics was something Yun Hao had learned thoroughly. He found a sturdy fellow to help place the millstone into the wooden barrel, and after another round of calculations that looked like cryptic scribbles on the ground, Yun Hao stood up and declared to Zhang Wenzhong, "Forty-three jin and eight liang!" His tone was rude, his manner arrogant.

Zhang Wenzhong and Wu Shihuo could hardly conceal their astonishment; seeing Yun Hao’s absolute confidence, they knew the weight couldn’t be far off. They had intended to find some excuse to settle the matter, but Wu Yuanshuang, ever the troublemaker, suddenly interjected, "You say forty-three jin and eight liang, and we should just take your word for it? Which neighbor has a scale? I have twenty wen for whoever brings one over!"

The moment there was word of money to be earned, the owner of the nearby rice shop immediately ordered his clerk to fetch the platform scale. Rice was bought and sold in bulk, so only their shop had a scale large enough for such a task.

Two clerks carried the millstone while the owner personally adjusted the weights. Once the true weight was determined, he looked at Yun Hao with new respect.

"This young man is truly something. I wonder, is he married? I still have a daughter at home, just turning—" Without even announcing the weight, he was already eager to snatch up a son-in-law. The onlookers, slow to react, burst into raucous laughter once they caught on.

At this point, Zhang Wenzhong and Wu Shihuo could hardly fail to grasp what was happening. Both men were filled with shock and awe. In an era like the Sui and Tang dynasties, when mathematics was barely developed, anyone who could handle multiplication and division, or solve classic problems like the "chickens and rabbits in one cage," was considered a scholar. Such talents were often recruited by great families, sometimes even married into them as sons-in-law. In these times, what did the great clans compete over? Talent!

Wu Shihuo and Zhang Wenzhong had seen their share of young prodigies—Wu Yuanshuang, for one, was among them. But this one before them—he was just too damned young! Judging from his appearance, he could not be more than ten years old. Who could have taught this boy? Was he perhaps the disciple of some reclusive sage like Master Guiguzi? In this era, all real learning was hoarded by the great families. If this boy was the child of a hidden master, he was not someone to be offended at any cost.

Wu Shihuo gave a wave, and two burly soldiers immediately dragged away the rice shop owner. Wu Shihuo and Zhang Wenzhong stepped forward and bowed to Yun Hao. "Young sir, you are truly a mathematical genius. May we ask, to whom do you owe your learning? I am Wu Shihuo, Captain of the Eagle Commandery in Jinyang. Should I have the honor of meeting a man of such talent, I must pay my respects as custom demands." His words were as courteous as could be, and Zhang Wenzhong followed suit with a respectful salute.

"I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed," Yun Hao replied. "I’ve only studied a few years at a village school. All these things, I figured out on my own. No one ever taught me!"

No one taught him, and yet he knows so much? Who would believe that! Wu Shihuo assumed Yun Hao simply didn’t want to reveal his teacher, and immediately concluded he was the child of a hidden sect. Encountering such a person was a stroke of fortune earned in a previous life. Not to curry favor would be entirely out of character for him.

In recent years, Wu Shihuo had left office to become a merchant and had developed a knack for ingratiating himself with others. Seeing Yun Hao and his mother travel-worn, Zhao still carrying a bundle on her back, he instantly realized they had just arrived in Jinyang and had yet to find a place to stay. A plan formed in his mind, and he said, "Madam, I am Wu Shihuo, Captain of the Eagle Commandery. Today my foolish son was rude and offended you and your boy; I am here to apologize. If you and your son have not yet settled anywhere, the Wu family does have some properties. If you do not mind, please make use of them. Consider this my way of making amends."

The title "Captain of the Eagle Commandery" was, to a country woman like Zhao, an imposing rank indeed. The highest official she had ever glimpsed was the county magistrate, and even then it had been from afar when he toured the countryside—she’d never even seen his face clearly. She had no idea whether this captain outranked the county magistrate or not.

The vast gulf in status left Zhao deeply anxious. She tried to speak for a long time, but not a word came out. She instinctively shrank behind Yun Hao, her earlier mother-hen bravado completely forgotten.

"And what about my silver?" As the pillar of the Yun family, Yun Hao naturally stepped forth to shield his mother. He could tell these two men were not to be trusted—if they were scheming against his mother, that would be disastrous! Yun Hao had no desire to become big brother to Wu Zetian—far too dangerous for his taste.

"Haha! Even if you hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t have forgotten. Here are the ten taels of silver you won—take it." Wu Shihuo, delighted by the boy’s talent, wasted no time. He took a silver ingot from his attendant, weighed it in his hand—it was at least ten taels if not more—and handed it to Yun Hao.

Yun Hao accepted the silver with satisfaction, but caught a hint of mockery in Wu Shihuo’s eyes. Sensing something was amiss, he soon noticed several tattooed thugs standing nearby, arms crossed, eyeing his silver with greedy intent.

Damn, I’ve been had—this old fox set me up. A woman and her child walking around with a ten-tael silver ingot was the perfect target for a robbery. For now, the presence of Wu Shihuo’s soldiers kept the thugs at bay, but once Wu Shihuo left, wouldn’t they be in danger? Yun Hao wondered if his little banner from Shan Xiongxin would be of any use here—but these small-time thugs would have no connection to a big shot like Shan. Most likely, it would do no good at all.

In these days, a dou of rice cost only a few dozen wen; ten taels of silver could keep a family well-fed and clothed for a year, with plenty left over. How could the local ruffians not be tempted? Wu Shihuo had counted on this, which is why he so ostentatiously gave Yun Hao such a large piece of silver in public.

That damned old fox—without realizing it, he’d fallen into the trap. Yun Hao glanced at Wu Shihuo with resignation. "Since Lord Wu is so hospitable, my mother and I may have to trouble you for a place to stay. But we do prefer peace and quiet—could you arrange for us to have a separate courtyard?"

"No trouble at all! The Wu family has several courtyards—" Wu Shihuo began to agree, but Zhang Wenzhong suddenly interjected, "It might not be safe for the two of them to live alone. There’s a courtyard next to the pharmacy, usually occupied by a few clerks; we can have them move out so this young man can stay there. That way, if anything happens, there’ll be someone nearby to help."

Zhang Wenzhong had also noticed the greedy glances of the tattooed thugs, and knew at once that trouble was brewing.