Chapter 294: Deception Is Always Effective

Zhao Xin thought for a moment before suddenly realizing that Yang Wang was none other than the son of Yang Xian. As a member of the powerful Yang family in Chang’an, what could he possibly want from him?
Not daring to neglect him, Zhao Xin quickly stepped outside and bowed, saying, “Ah, Envoy Yang. I’m not sure what brings you to see me.”
Yang Wang glanced at Zhao Xin—tall and thin, with a small nose and eyes, his face marked by hard labor and wrinkles, which made Yang Wang look down on him slightly.
“Nothing much. I’d like to invite Commissioner Zhao for a drink. I have a small favor to ask—please do me this favor and show some courtesy!”
Both of them held the title of commissioner, but Zhao Xin was in the upper rank of the eighth grade, while Yang Wang was in the lower rank of the seventh grade. In terms of official rank, Yang Wang was actually one level higher than Zhao Xin. But that wasn’t the real difference. The real difference was that Yang Wang was a descendant of the most powerful family in the court, only 26 years old with a bright future ahead, whereas Zhao Xin came from a poor family, already 54 years old with no hope of promotion.
Zhao Xin truly didn’t understand why Yang Wang would come to see him. But since Yang Wang had asked for courtesy, refusing would indeed be disrespectful.
“Very well! I’m willing to accompany Envoy Yang.”
It was already time after court, and the small taverns around the imperial city were packed with officials who came to drink after work. This was a tradition among officials in Chang’an—instead of rushing home, they would first go to a tavern with their colleagues to have a few drinks. Some local officials would invite court officials to drink in exchange for favors. Higher-ranking officials would go to more upscale taverns, while those of lower rank would go to cheaper ones.
Yang Wang and Zhao Xin arrived at a small tavern called Baqiao Qiuyue, located in Wuben Fang. Yang Wang was a regular there, and as soon as the staff saw him, they quickly led him inside.
As soon as they entered the tavern, the noisy atmosphere hit them. The small space was filled with drinkers. An aging Persian woman carried a wine jug, selling drinks in the main hall—ten coins per cup. Of course, the customers could also take liberties with her.
“Master Yang! Your seat is ready. No one else is allowed to sit there.”
“No, thank you. I’d like a private room today. Do you have one?”
“I’m sorry, Master Yang. There aren’t any available.”
“Then fine. My usual seat then.”
With no choice, Yang Wang led Zhao Xin to a seat by the window. At that moment, another person followed them—young, energetic, and very tall. This person sat down not far from them.
Yang Wang ordered seven or eight dishes and two pots of wine. He poured a cup of wine for Zhao Xin and said with a smile, “I heard Commissioner Zhao hasn’t gone out to drink in a long time, right?”

Zhao Xin didn’t have time to reply. He picked up his wine cup and downed it in one gulp with a “squeak!” He narrowed his eyes and smacked his lips—what fine wine! He hadn’t drunk alcohol for a whole year now. His wife was in poor health and constantly on medicine, while his younger son was worthless, addicted to gambling and wine. Since his wife needed medicine, he had to abstain from drinking. The rich flavor of this wine filled him with long-awaited longing.

Zhao Xin drank three cups in a row before finally forcing a wry smile and saying, “To be honest with you, Lord Yang, my family is in dire straits. I haven’t drunk alcohol for a year.”

Yang Wang picked up his wine cup and raised an eyebrow. “As a eighth-rank official in the capital, how come Zhao is in such a poor state?”

“Sigh!” Zhao Xin let out a long sigh and shook his head silently. Seeing this, Yang Wang laughed and said, “Come on! Let’s not talk about such depressing things. Let’s eat and drink!”

The two drank a few more cups and ate some dishes. Only then did Zhao Xin remember that he knew nothing about the Yang family. Why had they invited him to drink? They said they had a request—what could it be?

“Lord Yang, you said you needed to talk to me. What is it?”

Yang Wang smiled and said, “Actually, I wanted to ask Zhao to help me obtain some weapons.”

“Obtain weapons!” Zhao Xin exclaimed.

“Shh!” Yang Wang hissed and glanced around. Everyone else was drinking and chatting; no one was paying attention to them. There was a young man behind them, but he was also drinking hard and didn’t notice what they were saying at all.

Yang Wang quickly whispered, “Speak more quietly.”

Zhao Xin nodded and whispered back, “All the weapon blueprints are recorded in detail. It’s not possible now. I can replace them with better ones once damaged weapons are brought in. It won’t be until the end of the month at the earliest.”

Yang Wang smiled and said, “Actually, I don’t need the weapons themselves. I want the blueprints for making weapons. I know Zhao has a complete set here. If I could borrow it for two days, I’d copy it and return it to you—no one would ever notice the difference.”

Zhao Xin remained silent, sipping his wine. He did have a complete set of weapon-making blueprints in his warehouse, but one of his duties was to ensure their safety—no borrowing, no copying. This was a military secret of the Tang Dynasty, not to be easily disclosed. Now, Yang Wang’s sudden request put him in a difficult position.

Yang Wang wanted not only blueprints for making crossbows and armor but also those for creating fire bombs. But the Persians couldn’t explain what those were. Yang Wang was also confused, so he could only borrow all the blueprints to copy them and let the Persians figure it out on their own.

Seeing that Zhao Xin remained silent, he took out a gold ingot weighing 25 taels from his pocket, placed it on the table in front of Zhao Xin, and said with a smile, “These 25 taels of gold are only half of the payment. If Director Zhao hands them all over to me, I’ll give you the other half.”

Zhao Xin stared blankly at the gold ingot before him, pain evident in his eyes. Didn’t he want it? No! He did want it—desperately. 25 taels of gold was worth 280 guan on the black market. In fact, with just 30 guan, he could marry off his younger son. With 280 guan, he could not only arrange a proper marriage for his younger son but also pay off his debts and buy houses for his other two sons. And this was only half—the other half would allow him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Yet, lending the blueprints privately was a serious dereliction of duty. Zhao Xin had worked at the Armory Bureau for nearly 30 years, rising from a lowly position to director. He had never committed any major negligence, though he had engaged in minor misconduct, such as selling damaged weapons. But lending the blueprints for weapon production was something he had never done before.

The conflict between the pressures of life and his sense of professional duty caused him deep anguish. Yang Wang thought he was just dissatisfied with the amount of money and said with a smile, “Director Zhao, don’t worry! The buyer of these blueprints is a wealthy man. If you get them for me, I promise to double the payment I’ve offered you.”

Doubling it meant 100 taels of gold, which was equivalent to 1,000 guan. Yang Wang knew about Zhao Xin’s financial difficulties and his urgent need for money. He should be unable to refuse. He moved the gold ingot closer to Zhao Xin and said with a smile, “Director Zhao, agree! As long as you agree, this gold is yours, and all your troubles will be solved.”

Zhao Xin took a deep breath and said, “Then tell me first—who wants these blueprints?”

“Well…” Yang Wang hesitated. He didn’t want to say, but he was also afraid that Zhao Xin would investigate and reveal the matter. So he whispered, “It’s the people from Da Shi who want them!”

“What!” Zhao Xin’s eyes widened in shock. “You mean the people from Da Shi?”

“Don’t make such a fuss. Da Shi is 108,000 li away from us! It’s no problem.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Zhao Xin stood up and shook his head. “Da Shi is our enemy. Giving them these blueprints is like trading the lives of Tang soldiers for wealth. Envoy Yang, I can’t do this.”

Yang Wang grew annoyed and angry. He growled, “Don’t be ungrateful!”

“No! I won’t do it!”

Zhao Xin’s voice suddenly grew louder, drawing everyone in the tavern’s attention. With firm determination, he said, “I’m sorry, Governor Yang! Though I need money desperately, I am an official of the Tang Dynasty. I cannot betray it or lose even this basic sense of integrity as an official. Goodbye!”
Zhao Xin turned and left the tavern. Whispers filled the air, while Yang Wang glared fiercely at his retreating figure, his eyes seemingly spewing fire. With a “bang!”, he slammed his fist on the table.
…
Zhao Xin went to a small tavern by himself and drank a few cups of liquor. He thought of Yang Wang’s shiny gold ingot and the twenty-some guan in gifts he needed to prepare the day after tomorrow. Yet he had nowhere to borrow money, and regret crept in again. Overwhelmed with frustration, he drank a few more cups until he was slightly drunk. He tossed a few coins on the table and staggered home.
Zhao Xin’s home was in Changle Fang, an old house left by his father. There were seven or eight dilapidated rooms that couldn’t be repaired due to lack of money; half of them leaked. His two sons couldn’t afford to buy their own homes, so they lived together with him. His first wife had given birth to a grandson, and his second wife was also pregnant. With the rainy season approaching, the house couldn’t be lived in any longer if not repaired.
Without money to hire a cart, it took him nearly an hour to walk home. It was already dark. His house was in a dark alley, and from afar, his drunken singing could be heard: “Late in midsummer, the grass in the Hu lands grows tall. Horses race faster than birds; the sky seems to stretch beyond the setting sun…”
As he reached the entrance of the alley, someone suddenly rushed out from the darkness and hugged him around the waist. “Old Zhao, it’s time you paid back the money you borrowed from me!”
“Brother Luo, I really don’t have any money. Feel—there are only two coins left on me.”
“I don’t care. You have money to marry off your younger son, but not to repay me? It’s been two years already. How about this? I’ll reduce the interest by half. Pay me back tonight—twelve guan in total, principal and interest.”
“Ah! Brother Luo, it’s not that I don’t want to pay you. I’m still an official after all. How about this? Come to my house and take whatever is valuable.”
“Nonsense! You’ve already sold all the valuable things in your house. That most valuable cabinet in your house was something I refused to give you. You’re not trying to use it to pay off your debt again, are you?”
“Brother Luo, please be patient for a few more days. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll persuade my son to sell the Yongye fields to repay you. Is that okay?”
“Alright. I’ll come back in two days.”
After the creditor left, Zhao Xin dragged his aching legs to his doorstep and weakly knocked on the door. “Wife, open the door. I’m… back!”

The door creaked open, and his wife hurried out to support him. “Why did you come back so late? You drank again!”
“I had just two drinks. What’s wrong? Won’t you let me drink?”
“No! Someone at home is waiting for you.”
“Who? More debt collectors?” Zhao Xin waved his hand angrily. “Tell them I have no money!”
“No, it’s an officer, a rather high-ranking one. Go and see quickly! They’ve been waiting for you for a while.”
Zhao Xin was stunned for a moment before entering the house in confusion. Only a broken oil lamp was lit inside, its dim flame flickering, casting intermittent light across the room. Although the main hall was spacious, it was completely empty, with not a single piece of furniture. Dozens of soldiers stood there, filling the room, looking eerie in the dim light. In front of them sat an officer, whose face couldn’t be seen clearly in the darkness.
“Are you Zhao Xin, the head of the Armaments Bureau?”
The sitting officer spoke, his voice deep and carrying an invisible sense of authority.
“I am Zhao Xin. May I ask who you are?” Zhao Xin felt uneasy.
“I am Li Qing’an, the military governor of Anxi.”
“Ah!” Zhao Xin was shocked, his mind going blank. Without thinking, he stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Your humble servant pays respects to the great general!”
“There’s no need for formalities, Zhao. It’s my fault for coming uninvited and disturbing you.”
Li Qing’an gave a signal to his bodyguard, who immediately laid out a mat and said with a smile, “Please sit!”
Zhao Xin sat down nervously, at a loss as to what to do with his hands.
Li Qing’an smiled gently. “Don’t be nervous, Zhao. I’m here to reward you.”
“Great general, I really don’t understand what you mean!”
“You should understand. Didn’t you drink with Yang Wang at an inn called Baqiao Qiuyue this afternoon?”
Zhao Xin stood up in fright. How did Li Qing’an know? He began to suspect something—Yang Wang had said he would sell the catalog to the Arabs, and weren’t the Arabs related to the Anxi army?
Li Qing’an waved his hand and smiled. “Don’t be afraid, Zhao. Please sit down!”
Zhao Xin sat down hesitantly, deeply worried about what this matter might bring him.

Li Qing’an pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “What I’m referring to is the matter of those man-eaters trying to steal military secrets from our Tang Dynasty. I’ve been keeping an eye on this matter. Yang Wang is willing to sell military secrets for money—his actions are despicable. But I admire even more Governor Zhao for his integrity; he wasn’t swayed by money, especially considering his difficult family circumstances. However, I must make it clear to you: if you agree to Yang Wang’s demands today, I’ll kill you tonight.”

Seeing Zhao Xin’s extreme nervousness, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “But you didn’t do that, so I want to reward you!”

“No! I don’t want any reward.”

Zhao Xin spoke without any confidence, murmuring, “Actually, I don’t have the integrity the general mentioned. I just refused on impulse, and I regretted it later.”

“That’s human nature. After all, the twenty-five taels of gold Yang Wang offered you was a great help in difficult times. I can understand your feelings.”

Zhao Xin was even more terrified when he realized Li Qing’an knew the exact amount of gold. How could he know? At that moment, one of Li Qing’an’s bodyguards smiled at him. In the dim light, Zhao Xin immediately recognized him—it was the young man who had been drinking behind him and Yang Wang. He suddenly understood that Li Qing’an had been watching them all along. He felt a wave of fear; luckily he had refused, otherwise he would not only have lost his life but also suffered a ruined reputation.

Li Qing’an smiled and nodded at the bodyguard, who placed a guan of money in front of him.

“This is your reward!”

Just one guan! Zhao Xin’s mouth twitched involuntarily. Li Qing’an, knowing his thoughts, smiled again and said, “Governor Zhao, take another look carefully.”

Zhao Xin noticed that this guan of money seemed different from ordinary coins. Upon closer inspection, he saw that each coin was gleaming with gold—it was actually gold coins. He was stunned. One guan of gold coins! One gold coin was worth one guan, so one guan of gold coins meant a thousand guan in total.

Zhao Xin was dizzy. When in his life had he ever had so much money?

“This… this…” He couldn’t speak for a long time.

Li Qing’an smiled and said, “I know you lost the chance to get a hundred taels of gold by refusing Yang Wang, so I want to compensate you. In addition, you need to do one more thing for me.”

The dizziness in Zhao Xin’s head gradually faded. Controlling his excitement, he bowed and said, “Please give your orders, General!”

Li Qingan took out a booklet and handed it to him, saying, “This is the formula and illustrations for fire thunder that the Great Eaters have long dreamed of. You can sell it to Yang Wang. Tell him that this formula is the highest secret of the Tang Dynasty. Don’t sell it too cheaply; the other crossbows and armor aren’t worth much.”