Chapter 3: South of the City (3)

Who was this Yang Zhao? Wang Zhao knew very well. As the arch-enemy of Li Linfu, the Right Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, this minister who had risen to power through nepotism had always been suppressed by the Right Chancellor. As a core member of Li Linfu’s faction, his own father naturally got along poorly with Yang Zhao. If Yang Zhao caught him carrying a military crossbow secretly and used it as an excuse, it would surely bring disaster upon the Wang family and the Right Chancellor…

Thinking of this, Wang Zhao temporarily suppressed his urge to fight. But if he gave in like this, the reputation of the eldest son of the Wang family would be utterly ruined. Yet his servants had already been subdued by those ruffians, and he wasn’t confident enough to compete with them. Just as he was pondering, a group of constables armed with iron chains and wooden sticks rushed to the scene of the fight, out of breath. He recognized the leader, Constable Sun—short in stature with a grim face and a fake, disgusting smile typical of officials. Suppressing his disgust, Wang Zhao cleared his throat and said sternly, “Constable Sun, you’ve arrived just in time. This young master was almost injured by these thieves, yet you and your men were too busy drinking cold tea and singing vulgar songs in front of the market stalls. If my father finds out, even County Magistrate Zhang won’t be able to cover for this.”

Hearing Wang Zhao’s harsh words, Constable Sun cursed inwardly at this spoiled brat for causing trouble for no reason, but he had to force a smile. “Young Master Wang, what are you saying? My men and I were patrolling near Yalu Street in Tongshan Fang when we heard you were kidnapped by villains. We rushed here immediately to Qujiang Fang. We don’t seek credit, only hope not to disappoint the kindness shown to us by the governor.”

His words were clearly flattering. Even though Wang Zhao was thick-skinned, his cheeks still flushed slightly. He really had no patience for these two-faced officials. Not to mention that Constable Sun had once shown him favor before, he couldn’t stoop to argue with a mere official just because he was the eldest son of the Wang family in Jingzhao.

Chang’an was full of powerful people; it was possible that someone sitting across from you in a restaurant could be a high-ranking official. Thus, these officials had long adopted their own strategy—the time-wasting tactic that had always worked. They would wait until everyone had fought, then step in as mediators, avoiding offending either side. They didn’t seek to excel but only to stay out of trouble and enjoy peace.

Seeing that Wang Zhao had no intention of pursuing his own faults, Head Constable Sun hurriedly tried to win him over, saying, “Young Master Wang is truly outstanding among the talents of our Tang Dynasty. I don’t know which scoundrel bumped into your carriage today. Let me lock him up in the court and restore justice for you!”

Nan Jiyun, who had been observing coldly from the side, was furious at Head Constable Sun’s distortion of the truth. He stepped forward and said sternly, “How dare you be so shameless? It was clearly he who first hurt people by riding his horse and then used a military crossbow secretly. How can it be that it’s Nan who bumped into him?”

Head Constable Sun frowned slightly, thinking to himself that this man was utterly ungrateful. The Wang family had extensive connections in Chang’an, and even the Crown Prince treated Wang Zhao with respect. If he publicly pointed out Wang Zhao’s crime of hiding a military crossbow, what would become of him?

Just as he was pondering, a somewhat youthful voice came from the crowd, “I wonder if Head Constable Sun would listen to what this humble person has to say?”

Head Constable Sun, already at his wits’ end, was about to scold this ignorant youth when he looked up and met the boy’s kind gaze. With a bitter smile, he nodded and gestured for the boy to continue.

This boy was none other than Li Kuo. Head Constable Sun couldn’t bear to be harsh on him. Years ago, he had received a favor from the boy’s mother. Even if he couldn’t secure a good position for the boy, he certainly couldn’t repay that kindness by humiliating him in public.

Seeing that Head Constable Sun had given his consent, Li Kuo spoke up loudly, “It’s obvious to everyone that Young Master Wang first hurt people by riding his horse. No one can deny that fact. Hero Nan simply intervened when he saw injustice and taught a lesson to his evil servant, and he did so in a measured way without causing any harm. On the other hand, in his anger, Young Master Wang tried to shoot Hero Nan with a military crossbow. According to the laws of our Tang Dynasty, both hiding a military crossbow and deliberately harming others are serious crimes. I doubt even the governor of Jingzhao can deny this fact.”

Seeing that no one spoke, Li Kuo continued, “Everything boils down to reason. Even if Young Master Wang has extensive connections and can try to settle this matter, someone else might seize on it to exploit him, which would only lead to trouble. It would be better for both sides to step back and handle this discreetly—it’s beneficial for everyone!”

Head Constable Sun found this reasonable, but Wang Zhao was certainly not the kind to give up easily. If he insisted on holding onto his claims, things might get difficult.

Seeing that the other party was considering his words, Li Kuo added, “Besides, Princess Yuzhen is holding a banquet in Qujiang Fang today to entertain scholars and students from all over. If such a trivial matter spoils her enjoyment, I’m afraid Young Master Wang won’t be able to bear the consequences!”

These words awakened Head Constable Sun. The main reason he had been reluctant to patrol Qujiang Fang before was because Princess Yuzhen was holding a banquet there. As a lowly official, he saw no point in scrambling to witness such a spectacle. What did it matter to him whether it was the princess or the crown prince? Where there are people, there are disputes, and the fights among these immortals were beyond the capacity of mere mortals like him to handle. The best way to protect himself was to stay far away, waiting until the immortals finished fighting before coming out to cheer for the winner—after all, who in power wouldn’t need constables to patrol the streets and catch thieves?

After thinking this through, Head Constable Sun began to calculate his next move. He tiptoed over to Wang Zhao, bent slightly, and said, “Young Master Wang, it’s not that I refuse to handle this fairly. But if this matter gets out, it could harm your reputation. How about we stop here? After all, that scoundrel has already received his due punishment!”

Nan Jiyun was furious upon hearing this and was about to lash out when Li Kuo grabbed his sleeve, forcing him to hold back. Yet he glared at Head Constable Sun with his round eyes, showing his displeasure.

Head Constable Sun, feeling intimidated, lost confidence even more, and his gaze toward Wang Zhao even carried a hint of pleading.

Whether it was because of Li Kuo’s words or out of fear of Nan Jiyun’s strength, the usually arrogant Young Master Wang angrily waved his sleeve and said, “Let this scoundrel consider himself lucky. I’m in a hurry to see my master, so I won’t bother with this country bumpkin. Wang Lu, let’s go!” With that, he mounted his horse and rode away without looking back.

Seeing his master leave, Wang Lu, the steward, hurried after him.

The vile servants who had been knocked to the ground by Nan Jiyun had hoped to take revenge using their master’s authority. But instead, their master turned out to be a coward, leaving them to suffer in vain! They helped each other up, cursing and complaining, before finally fleeing in shame under the guidance of others.

With the culprit gone, the surrounding people, after cursing the Wang family for generations, grew bored and dispersed.

Seeing that the powerful Nan Jiyun had left, Head Constable Sun finally breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed to Nan Jiyun as an apology.

Nan Jiyun merely snorted and turned away, unwilling to look at such a fawning wretch any longer.

Seeing this, Li Kuo immediately stepped in as a peacemaker. He bowed to Nan Jiyun and said with a smile, “Please forgive me, Hero Nan. It’s tough for Uncle Sun to deal with these spoiled brats every day, but I can guarantee he’s never done anything to harm the people of Chang’an!”

Nan Jiyun was very grateful for Li Kuo’s loyal words of advice. Seeing that he intended to mediate, Nan Jiyun didn’t want to disappoint the young man, so he cleared his throat and said, “I owe you a great deal for your help earlier. Nan Ba bows to you. Since you vouch for him, this official surely isn’t the kind to oppress the common people. Let’s drop this matter here. If you ever need my help in the future, just come to Xuanyang Fang to find me. I’m not very talented, but I work under Zhang Xun, the magistrate of Qinghe County. If anyone asks, just say I’m your friend, Nan Ba!”
Seeing Nan Jiyun’s generosity, Li Kuo felt inspired as well. He bowed to Nan Jiyun and said with a smile, “In that case, I must call you Big Brother Nan!”
Hearing this, Nan Jiyun slapped Li Kuo lightly on the back of the head and laughed, “You little rascal! How quickly you want to become my brother! You’re really slick! Alright, I’ll acknowledge you as my younger brother. I still need to report back to Magistrate Zhang, so I won’t stay any longer. One day, Big Brother will definitely have a drink with you—don’t refuse!”
With that, he mounted his horse and headed straight north.
After Nan Jiyun left, Head Constable Sun glared at Li Kuo and said, “Why did you come to Qujiang Fang to make a fuss? It’s fine to be here, but don’t be so eager to take charge. If something goes wrong, how will I explain it to your sister-in-law?”
Hearing Head Constable Sun’s concern for him, Li Kuo felt warm inside and said with a smile, “But you’re here, right? Besides, nobles like those probably wouldn’t even look at someone as humble as me!”
“Hey, isn’t that Uncle Sun? The Chen’s Skin-Nourishing Ointment you promised to buy for me last time—A Tian is waiting for it anxiously!”
Du Jingtian ran over to Head Constable Sun, shaking his arm and cooing.
Only then did Head Constable Sun notice Du Jingtian was there too. He scratched her nose and sighed lightly, “I owe you one from my past life. I’ll have Xiao Cui deliver it to you another day. Is that okay?”
Getting his promise, Du Jingtian was overjoyed. Leaning against Head Constable Sun, she said sweetly, “Uncle Sun still loves me the most.”
Head Constable Sun shook his head helplessly, a wry smile on his lips.
Suddenly slapping his forehead, he said urgently to Li Kuo, “Look at my memory! Before I went on patrol, I visited your house. Your mother’s condition seems to have worsened—she keeps coughing nonstop. Go back and check on her quickly, before her condition gets worse!”
Note 1: Yang Zhao refers to Yang Guozhong. But at this time, in the late Tianbao era, this powerful minister was still just a vice minister.