Chapter 19: That Man
Ran Min smiled affably, but the nobles only stared at him without a word.
Wang Hong clasped his hands together, looked at him and asked, “Ran Min? Are you perchance a descendant of Ran Yong, one of the twelve philosophers?” (1)
The ‘twelve philosophers’ refers to the twelve eminent disciples of Confucius
“That’s right,” Ran Min replied with a smile.
These two words caused the crowd to stir in whispering noises.
The weight of a prestigious family status had carved into the bone and marrow of the literati. The nobility in the Central Plains knew crystal clear which surname descended from which scholar. There were those who did not read much but had had lineages memorized. Wang Hong’s opener was the only thing the scholars needed to immediately know who was standing in front of them.
Their whispers were low, everyone suppressing his voice. They seemed to want to avoid provoking the man in front of them.
Wang Hong sighed in a murmur: “Sir, your roots are from the Central Plains. Your ancestor was also disciple to a sage.” Here, whatever he may be thinking, his tone changed to instead be full of dignity: “What is it that you want to do? Are you to gift us to Shi Hu? Or are you to take our properties to fund the army?”
His words were beginning to lose their courtesy.
This translation belongs to hamster428.
At this time, Wang Hong was still looking calm and sounding eloquent, but the nobles standing behind him had paled upon hearing ‘Shi Hu’. They migrated south because they were avoiding the barbarians; they never imagined they’d still fall into the barbarian’s hands though they had crossed the Yellow River!
Furthermore, they were falling to the hands of the most fearsome Shi Hu! This man had ordered that any nomadic tribesman could openly obtain from the Hans whatever he might be missing, be it clothes, properties, or women.
Wang Zhuo stood with a face as white as a parchment. Behind him were the trembling Wang children.
This time, they not only experienced despair but also remorse: That young lady from the Chen house is evidently a prophet! Why didn’t he listen to her advice? Why didn’t they wait another day or two and then cross the river after the scouts return to report their findings?
This regret and despair spread throughout the crowd in a short period of time. Many youngsters could not keep steady, and some were unable to suppress their sobbing.
Ran Min leaned against his tall red horse, his deeps eyes quietly sweeping across the crowd.
He only had to stand there to instill a soaring bloodlust in the air. Moreover, there was an intense flame in his eyes at this time. Wherever they went, people would shrink away.
Looking at these timid people, Ran Min slowly straightened up.
He was already very tall. When he stood straight, his towering build was even more striking. His fiery and fathomless eyes swept the crowd, and then suddenly he howled, “Do not cry!”
The crying came to a grinding halt.
Ran Min let go of the rein and took two steps forward. People involuntarily retreated with his movement. Only Wang Hong and other renowned scholars did not move, smiling and calmly looking at him instead.
Upon seeing this, Ran Min’s thin lips curved downward into somewhat of a frown.
How imposing was he? Only one wrinkled brow had sent dozens of noble children dropping to the ground in a series of thuds.
Ran Min’s frown worsened. He turned around and glared at the children, his clear voice ringing in a bellow: “Don’t be frightened so easily. Don’t forget you are men!”
The children continued to tremble nonstop, but a few scholars lit up, looking at one another.
At this time, Ran Min’s voice softened: “Don’t be afraid. You will not lose your lives. Nor will you lose your money and goods.”
All voices vanished. Even those who were crying had widened their teary eyes in surprise, hopefully looking at the rootless vagabond in front of them.
Ran Min smiled and turned back to the scholars, pointing a finger toward Luo’yang to say: “Gentlemen, please return to your carriages! I, untalented Ran Min, will escort you back.”
…
After the scholars looked at one another, Wang Hong stepped forward, raised his clasped hands toward Ran Min and audibly asked, “Lord Ran, your meaning?”
Ran Min grinned, flashing a penetrating coldness from his white teeth: “Nothing really. The Hans in the north have migrated to the south. After they heard of this news, the Hu have been waiting in nearby areas. I don’t want to let them get more provisions, so I’m blocking them.”
His words caused people to buzz in murmurs.
Wang Hong and his group looked up, their eyes observing Ran Min. A faint smile appeared on Ran Min’s face as he nonchalantly let them appraise him.
Of these people, only Chen Rong believed what this man said was true.
The murmurs grew louder. People continued to whisper, their eyes avoiding Ran Min while surprise and doubt surfaced their countenances.
At long last, Wang Hong suddenly turned around and searchingly surveyed the crowd.
He saw Chen Rong bowing docilely, as calm as a water surface. He picked up his pace and walked to her.
All eyes were on his actions. It should be said that Wang Hong was the most famous man in the cavalcade, he was everyone’s pillar.
Wang Hong came to Chen Rong’s side and, after nodding to Wang Zhuo and his group, turned to her, placed his hands together and asked, “Ah Rong, do you think what General Ran says is the truth?”
In front of so many people in such a time, he actually asked a little girl about an important affair.
All of a sudden, those who were stunned could not be counted.
Stunned, too, was Ran Min. He stared with interest toward Chen Rong and, ignoring everyone else, took big strides to her and Wang Hong.
He walked very briskly, and when everyone automatically gave way, he arrived behind Wang Hong in an instant.
All eyes were now gathered on Chen Rong.
“When he saw us,” she replied while bowing to Wang Hong, “the general claimed a Han surname. His words do not appear to be lies.”
Wang Hong regarded her for a second, nodded and murmured: “This man has no reputation for lies, that I have heard.” Here, he smiled wryly, thinking that they were meat on a chopping board anyway. Whether Ran Min wanted to cook them or mince them, there was nothing they could do. It was unnecessary to ask a lady like Chen Rong.
Then again, this young lady had been correct three times on their way here. Her words are credible.
At this moment, Ran Min’s laughter arose behind them: “I would never have thought that after all these years in my life, the one who understands me would be a beautiful damsel.”
And then he turned back amid his booming laughter, his dark purple robe flapping in the river wind. He leapt onto his red horse, waved his right hand, and shouted: “Let’s go –”
Chen Rong noted with clarity that although he said she ‘understood him’, his eyes were lucid and not the slightest trace of awareness a man might have for a woman’s beauty could be seen from his face.