readsfreenovel Chapter 115 The Land of Ouyue
Chapter 115 The Land of Ouyue
After leaving Nanyue, Fusu instructed his soldiers to first separate the grain they had bought from Nanyue and load it onto the ships, and then arranged for some soldiers to escort the grain back to Daqin.
This way, the people of Qin would have enough food, and Fusu could focus on other matters. After doing all this, Fusu led the remaining troops quietly towards the land of Ouyue.
This time, Fusu no longer disguised himself as a merchant. He understood that his experiences in Nanyue had given him a deeper understanding of this vast southern land. While disguising himself as a merchant could conceal his identity to some extent, it also had many inconveniences. Now, he decided to delve deeper into Ouyue in a more direct way, to explore the secrets of this mysterious land.
Fusu led his team cautiously, avoiding the main roads and choosing less traveled paths. Along the way, the dense forests and the sounds of birds and insects created a sense of isolation from the world. However, Fusu remained vigilant, knowing that the situation in the Ouyue region was complex, involving not only local tribal forces but also other unknown dangers.
He had to be extremely careful; it would be troublesome if the Ouyue leader discovered their whereabouts. Therefore, Fusu remained highly vigilant throughout the journey, closely monitoring his surroundings and trying to avoid direct conflict with the Ouyue tribe's army.
And so, after a long journey, Fusu and his entourage finally arrived near the land of Ouyue. Looking at this unfamiliar place, Fusu recalled his limited knowledge of Ouyue: Dong'ou was founded by Ouyang Ti, the second son of King Wujiang of Yue. After King Goujian of Yue became a hegemon, the state of Yue was powerful, but with the rise of the other six states, Yue gradually declined. Later, the state of Chu defeated Yue, Wujiang was killed, and Yue disintegrated. Wujiang's second son, Ouyang Ti, led his people to retreat to this land and established a state there, called "Dong'ou."
Aside from this, Fusu knew nothing more about Ouyue. When he left Qin, he had no specific destination in mind, only intending to go to Nanyue. However, he hadn't expected Nanyue to be embroiled in war, leaving him with no choice but to head to Ouyue. Yet, his lack of understanding of Ouyue made him very uneasy. After all, the unknown always brings fear and uncertainty.
After entering Ouyue territory, Fusu and his men carefully concealed themselves and observed the situation. After several days of observation, they discovered a bandit hideout. This discovery delighted Fusu, as these bandits undoubtedly knew many of Ouyue's secrets. Through careful observation and investigation, Fusu determined that these bandits had no powerful background and were merely a group of ordinary mountain bandits. Therefore, he decided to lead his men to raid the bandits' lair and obtain more intelligence about Ouyue.
On a dark and windy night, Fusu led his elite troops and stealthily infiltrated the bandits' lair. They carefully avoided sentries and traps, gradually approaching the location of the bandit leader. When they finally reached their destination, Fusu gave the order, and the soldiers swiftly stormed into the room, wiping out the bandits who were still asleep.
In this operation, Fusu took the lead and successfully captured the bandit leader. However, Fusu was completely bewildered by the bandit leader's incoherent speech, unable to understand a word he was saying. He turned to look at his men, only to find them all looking at each other in confusion, none of them able to comprehend the unfamiliar language.
Just as Fusu was troubled by this, a guard rushed in to report that they had captured someone who could understand. Fusu was overjoyed and immediately ordered that the person be brought to him. Before long, the person who claimed to be able to understand was brought before Fusu.
Fusu carefully examined the person before him. He noticed the man was short in stature, but his skin was unusually fair and delicate, clearly different from the Baiyue people. A sense of curiosity arose in Fusu's heart, and he asked, "You're not a Baiyue person?"
The man nodded repeatedly, replying with trepidation, "Young master is right. I am a man from Qi, named Lu Chuan. I originally came to this land of Ouyue because I was fleeing from war, but later I had no choice but to follow this group of people and become a bandit."
Fusu nodded slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes, and then decisively said, "In that case, you will act as the translator. Translate what we are saying to your leader." With that, he gestured to the people beside him to bring the bandit leader forward.
Through Lu Chuan's translator's relay, Fusu obtained a wealth of information about Ouyue. It turned out that Ouyue was an alliance of multiple tribes, each with its own unique culture and traditions. Furthermore, Ouyue possessed some mysterious places, said to hold vast treasures.
Fusu had no interest in these treasures; he was more concerned with the local customs and culture of Ouyue, which was the foundation for his foothold there. Thus, Fusu occupied the mountain stronghold and began to recuperate and rebuild his life there.
After several days of observation, Fusu discovered that the local customs and culture were completely different from those of Nanyue. Although both were part of the Baiyue region, they had many differences.
Located on the southeastern coast, the people of Ouyue were mostly fishermen and hunters, and skilled in navigation. Their daily lives were rich in maritime knowledge. Moreover, Ouyue's architecture was unique, mostly using wooden structures, emphasizing ventilation and moisture control. Compared to Nanyue (Southern Vietnam), Ouyue was indeed more humid and hot.
The Nanyue people, located in the Lingnan region, were primarily agriculturalists, skilled in rice cultivation. Their culture was heavily influenced by the Central Plains, emphasizing etiquette and tradition. Their architecture was mostly brick and stone, sturdy and practical, much like that of the Central Plains.
In terms of customs and traditions, the Ouyue people love singing and dancing, with bright and lively music and agile and nimble dance movements. The Nanyue people, on the other hand, place more emphasis on sacrifices and ancestor worship, and have a rich array of religious rituals.
The most important thing is that the languages of Ouyue and Nanyue are different. Although many words in Nanyue have strange tones, they can still be understood. However, the language of Ouyue is completely incomprehensible. Every time Fusu listens to them speak, he feels as if he is listening to a book written in heaven.
Having been in Ouyue for over half a month, and with Lu Chuan's full assistance, Fusu and his group were finally able to understand the Ouyue language. Moreover, the relationship between Fusu and his companions and the bandits was gradually becoming more harmonious, and everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
But who would have thought that a rainstorm would shatter this peace? Rain is not unusual, but this rain had been falling for several days without any sign of stopping, which greatly upset Fusu. After inquiring with Lu Chuan, Fusu learned that continuous rain for months on end was commonplace in the Ouyue region, which made him even more disheartened.
The Ouyue region is mountainous with a humid climate. Several days of continuous rain had made the roads muddy and extremely difficult to traverse. Furthermore, the mountains and forests were teeming with various venomous insects and wild beasts; mosquito bites were a daily occurrence, and these wild animals could attack at any moment. Faced with this situation, Fusu had to increase the team's security measures, assigning specific personnel to guard the area and ensure everyone's safety.