Chapter 10: South of the City (10)

After all these heartfelt expressions, everyone burst into laughter. Following the established procedure, it was now Li Kuo’s turn to compose a poem. Earlier, when he played the flute so well, Princess Yuzhen had already begun to see this young man in a different light. Now that it was his turn to write poetry, she was even more eager to see what talent he possessed.

Seeing everyone staring at him, Li Kuo’s cheeks instantly turned red. He quickly stood up and said, “I am but a humble and unlearned person. If there are any flaws in my work, I earnestly ask the elders for their guidance.”

He walked slowly, fists clenched, his lips sometimes tightly closed and sometimes slightly parted. His nervous demeanor made everyone present laugh even more.

Not wanting to be underestimated, Li Kuo cleared his throat twice, bit his lip firmly, and declared loudly, “Drinking lightly by the roadside, laughing among the mulberry trees; lying drunk in a paradise of rosy sleeves and delicious food. Waking up, the scent of wine lingers—drifting like a tumbleweed, seeking a laugh in wild abandon!” (Note 1)

Chang’an Xuan fell silent in an instant. If Li Kuo’s previous flute performance was merely excellent, his impromptu seven-character poem was truly stunning. After all, this young man before them was only in his twenties, a handsome youth raised in Chang’an with no trials or hardships yet faced.

Wang Wei stroked his beard thoughtfully and cast a teasing glance at Gao Shi, saying with a half-smile, “Da Fu, they say the waves behind drive on those before. I always thought you and I were still in the prime of our lives. But after hearing my nephew Kuo’s wonderful poem today, I realize we have both grown old. It’s time to hand over the literary world to these younger generations.”

Gao Shi waved his hand proudly and said, “Ah, at our age, it’s time to step back and give more opportunities to the younger generation. After all, life is short—if we can’t let go by old age, we’ll only end up a laughingstock to future generations.”

Princess Yuzhen shook her head and said, “Our Tang Dynasty is full of talented people, needless to say. Although there are many talented young men, they still need guidance from experienced scholars. Otherwise, if they get stuck in trivial verses, it would be a waste of their talents. My brother holds imperial examinations precisely to ensure that no talent goes untapped, so that young talents can serve the Tang Dynasty. Without the guidance of scholars like you, some lack composure and may end up indulging in frivolous pursuits. Though not entirely improper, it’s not the right path.”

Li Kuo quickly nodded in agreement. “Auntie is right. I will never indulge in trivial pursuits. From now on, I will study hard to pass the exams soon, to relieve the emperor’s worries and contribute to the Tang Dynasty!”

Spoken with such sincerity, Princess Yuzhen felt deeply relieved. She patted Li Kuo’s shoulder and said, “With your words, I’m at ease. Your talent is no less than that of the former Right Chancellor. As long as you put in the effort, you will surely grow into a pillar of our Tang Dynasty. By then, your grandfather will be pleased too.”

Li Kuo struggled to hold back his tears and said loudly, “Auntie, rest assured. I won’t disappoint my grandfather or you. I will surely restore our family’s honor and ensure my mother leads a good life.”

Princess Yuzhen was delighted to see Li Kuo’s resilience at such a young age. She comforted him, “Don’t push yourself too hard. Even if that man is domineering, he won’t trouble a child. Besides, with me backing you, who would dare to provoke you? Spend more time with your mother, and you’ll understand things gradually.”

Li Kuo nodded, glanced at Princess Yuzhen hesitantly, and said through gritted teeth, “Auntie, I didn’t want to trouble you, but there’s something that seems to require your intervention. I hope you can help!”

Princess Yuzhen glared at Li Kuo, pretending to be slightly angry, “I knew you rascal must have something to ask of me. Well, go ahead and tell me.”

Li Kuo smiled. “Auntie, please don’t be angry. One of my close friends was suddenly arrested by the governor of Jingzhao for some unknown reason. After thinking it over, I believe he didn’t do anything illegal, but as an insignificant person, I can’t think of a way to rescue him. If possible, I hope you can speak to the governor and clear this misunderstanding.”

Princess Yuzhen tapped Li Kuo’s forehead lightly. “At such a young age, you already know how to use others’ power to pressure them. You truly have the makings of a good official. Well, since it’s that Wang Xuan who’s causing trouble for your friend, even if he’s innocent, I’ll fight to restore his honor for you!”

Everyone was stunned. They didn’t understand why Princess Yuzhen, who was usually kind and gentle, was so furious with Wang Xuan and agreed to help Li Kuo in public.

Overjoyed, Li Kuo quickly bowed deeply to her. “Thank you, Auntie, for your help. If I ever need your assistance in the future, please give the order. I’ll do my utmost!”

Princess Yuzhen patted Li Kuo’s still youthful arm and handed him a jade token, smiling. “Take my jade token to the prison in Jingzhao Prefecture and bring your friend out. He must have suffered a lot these days. Convey my regards to him on my behalf. I doubt Wang Xuan would dare to disregard my authority. Go now—the sooner, the sooner he can be freed.”

Li Kuo took the jade plaque, put it away, nodded, and then bowed deeply to everyone. “It is truly my fortune to meet all of you, my elders, today. In the future, I will surely trouble you with my studies of classics and poetry. Please do not disdain my limited talents.”

Gao Shi patted Li Kuo’s forehead and said jokingly, “You brat, with a junior like you who has both virtue and talent, we old folks are more than happy—how could we get tired of you? Go now. Uncle Gao will drink with you again another day.”

“Ah.”

Having rarely received care from elders other than his mother, Li Kuo was momentarily at a loss. After bowing around, he turned and ran off.

After leaving Lanyue Tower, Li Kuo ran northward toward the city. He didn’t dare stop—everything felt so unreal. Just two hours earlier, he had been a poor boy from a declining family, despised by others. But after this banquet, he now had an uncle who was a chief secretary and a maternal aunt who was treated like a princess. Happiness had come so suddenly that he felt a bit lost. Well, things would get better over time. Once he passed the imperial examinations, he could secure a minor official position. If he was lucky, he might even get a real post outside the capital. Once he had a salary, he could buy a large courtyard to bring his mother there to live in comfort. Yes, he would hire four, no, eight maids to take good care of her. If he performed well in his duties, he might be transferred back to Chang’an as an official. Once he could speak before the emperor, he could clear his grandfather’s name. He wanted to be a man of integrity, just like his grandfather! The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, his feet light as he let sweat stream down his clothes.

“Brother Kuo, wait for me!”

Zhang Yanji ran up behind Li Kuo, panting heavily, with large beads of sweat dripping from his cheeks and soaking through his embroidered robe.

“Yanji! Slow down. Look how anxious I was that I forgot about you. Go slower—look at all that dust on your face; you look disheveled. Your grandfather will surely punish you when we get back.”

Seeing his friend, Li Kuo felt warm inside. From beginning to end, Zhang Yanji had never looked down on him because of his family’s decline. The two of them talked about almost everything and could be considered true friends. This kind of bond was different from that with Dezi and Jing Tian. The young man never gave up on his ambition to become an official, and spending time with Zhang Yanji helped him see more clearly the direction he needed to strive for in the future.

“It’s okay. My grandfather has only me as his son, so he won’t dare punish me. But Brother Dezi has been in prison for so long—we should rescue him as soon as possible!”

Zhang Yanji wiped the sweat from his face and laughed carefreely.

“Well, then let’s hurry.” With that, he set off toward the Jingzhao Prefecture together with Zhang Yanji. Perhaps because everyone was out in the suburbs enjoying the spring scenery, there weren’t many pedestrians on the streets. Preoccupied with their own matters, the two didn’t stop. After rushing along, they finally arrived in front of the main gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture before the Wei hour. Stepping forward quietly, Li Kuo bowed to the guards in front of the red-painted gate and said, “Dear gentlemen, thank you for your hard work. Please convey to the prefect that I have an urgent matter to discuss with him.” The lead guard, with a full beard, pointed at Li Kuo and laughed loudly, “You poor scholar, have you gone mad from studying? Don’t you see the plaque in front of you? This is the Jingzhao Prefecture—do you think it’s your backyard? Can you just see the prefect whenever you want? Do you have any introduction letter or business card? Since I’m in a good mood today, get lost quickly and stop blocking the way.” Li Kuo’s cheeks turned red instantly. He opened his mouth but closed it again, his fists clenched, not knowing what to do. Seeing this, Zhang Yanji rushed to Li Kuo’s side and bowed to the guard, saying, “Please forgive my brother’s haste; he forgot the rules in his urgency. Take this little silver to buy some wine and food for your colleagues. It’s my sincere gesture—please show some courtesy. If the prefect asks, just say that Zhang Yanji, the son of a vice minister of the Ministry of Works, came to visit him.” With that, he took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and handed it to the guard. Seeing the silver, the guard immediately smiled. He cleared his throat and said, “This can’t be right. Normally, we shouldn’t accept money for official duties. But since Young Master Zhang treats me as an elder, I’ll treat you as a friend. Wait here for now; I’ll convey your message for you.” With that, he gave a nod to the guard beside him and ran inside. Li Kuo sighed softly and reluctantly unclenched his fists. What could he do? In this world, the strong ruled. If he wanted his words to carry weight, the only way was to become stronger! After about half a incense burn time, the bearded guard rushed out, out of breath, and bowed deeply to the two of them, saying, “Please come in. My lord is already waiting for you in the reception hall!” Note 1: This poem was also written by Liuyun. Please read it as a makeshift version.