Chapter Eleven: Chao Ge (I)

Li Kuo and his companion were utterly confused by the official’s attitude. They couldn’t understand why the official, who had been arrogant just moments before, suddenly treated them with courtesy. Despite their doubts, they followed the official into the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Led by the official, they did not enter the main hall of the Jingzhao Prefecture but instead went out through a side door. Walking along a covered corridor and passing through two stone archways, they arrived at the inner residence of the Jingzhao Prefecture.

The inner residence was a large complex with three sections connecting to each other. A crescent-shaped pond lay quietly in the center of the courtyard. Lake stones transported from Taihu were arranged by skilled craftsmen from Guanzhong into various rockery shapes, with several streams flowing from the rockeries into the pond, creating ripples. Along the pond stood several pavilions, and in the center of each pavilion was a curved table. Next to the rockeries lay a guqin. Li Kuo was surprised to find that the governor of Jingzhao had such refined tastes, decorating his inner residence in a delicate and elegant style similar to those in the southern provinces. Before he could ponder further, the bearded official led them along a path paved with bluestone slabs. Walking slowly on the stones, they passed through a grove of bamboo and arrived in front of the governor’s reception hall, the “Jingwu Hall.”

After whispering something to the guards, the bearded official bowed to Li Kuo and his companion and said, “If you enter through this door, you will see the governor. I’ll take my leave now.” With that, he turned and left.

Li Kuo adjusted his clothes and tightened the black headband on his head to ensure he would not appear rude, then stepped into Jingwu Hall with steady steps. The hall was not large but was extremely exquisite. Its six doors were made of fine rosewood, with intricate carvings depicting vivid scenes from the Spring and Autumn period. Even the door handles were adorned with gilded mythical beasts, giving the hall an air of grandeur comparable to that of imperial relatives. In the center of the hall stood a silk screen with a painting of Wang Xizhi’s “Lanting Xu” on it. The skillful brushwork indicated that its creator was a man of refined taste. Around the screen, a middle-aged man in a dark green robe was leaning against a soft couch. He had a square face; though not particularly strikingly handsome, his expression carried a sharpness. A thick, dark moustache covered his handsome cheeks, showing that he paid great attention to his appearance.

This man was Wang Xuan, the governor of Jingzhao in the Tang Dynasty. In middle age, he gradually felt his youth slipping away. Ten years ago, he could work through piles of documents all night without feeling tired, but now even two hours at his desk left him with severe back pain and exhausted muscles. Yet he could not afford to falter—the rise and fall of the Wang family in Guanzhong depended on him. Although the Wang family was currently prominent, he had offended many powerful officials during his tenure as governor. Though these people dared not provoke the Wang family for now, the moment he resigned, someone would surely accuse them of harming the people of Chang’an. Hmph, these people were utterly duplicous; even Li Linfu, the right chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, likely used him merely for his own benefit. As a trusted subordinate promoted by Li Linfu, he knew this chancellor all too well. If he fell on hard times, this heartless chancellor would gladly discard him to clear himself. The vast city of Chang’an was like a chessboard, with officials of all ranks as pieces, and the only one who truly controlled the game was the one in the Daming Palace. To avoid being discarded, one had to strengthen their own power—only then would they earn the opponent’s respect. The strong ruled—this was Wang Xuan’s life creed. Since entering officialdom, he had trusted no one, not even his wife and children, as he sensed a strong ulterior motive in their eyes. This feeling lingered around him, preventing the father of many children from experiencing any joy in family life. Thus, over the years, he had handled everything personally, seizing any weakness in those who opposed him. The struggles in the court had sharpened his eyes like those of an eagle; he would catch any flaw and use it to deliver a fatal blow to his enemies.

Li Kuo, huh. This name had been haunting him these days. According to his informants, this young man named Li Kuo first used his eloquence to force his own son to flee in front of everyone, then claimed Gao Shi’s favorite retainer as his uncle. Later, by some twist of fate, he even became the godmother of Princess Yu Zhen of the Tang Dynasty. Now, he was using the princess’s jade token to demand someone’s release. If it weren’t for his spies in the Lan Yue Tower, he would still be in the dark. What a clever strategy of leveraging others’ strength—such tactics at such a young age meant he would surely achieve great things if given time.

Gently opening his eyes, Wang Xuan carefully examined the young man before him. Dressed in simple cotton and linen clothes with a black headscarf, his attire was extremely plain, yet it could not conceal his heroic presence. He resembled—no, he was exactly like Li Shizhi from years ago. Was this fate playing a trick? Was it now his son who had come to seek revenge?

Feeling somewhat uneasy under Wang Xuan’s gaze, Li Kuo quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply as a junior: “This humble one, Li Kuo, pays his respects to the governor of Jingzhao.”

Wang Xuan sat up slightly and waved his hand at Li Kuo, saying, “My dear nephew, there’s no need for such formalities. I often hear Zhaoer talk about you. Compared to my unfilial son, you truly stand out as a standout among the younger generation.”

After saying that, he picked up a cup of floral tea, took a sip, and gestured for Li Kuo to make himself at home.

Although he felt oppressed by Wang Xuan’s presence, Li Kuo forced a smile and said, “Uncle, you flatter me. Young Master Wang is truly outstanding and a pillar of the Tang Dynasty—how could I compare? I actually came to visit you today for a matter.”

“Oh, there’s no rush.”

Wang Xuan waved his hand and said, “Can’t you come to Jingzhao Prefecture just to ask me for a favor if you have nothing else to do? We should treat each other as uncle and nephew. This place is your home—please don’t be formal. Someone, bring my dear nephew Li Kuo a cup of plain tea.”

A quick-witted servant promptly brought a freshly brewed cup of floral tea. With no choice, Li Kuo took it with both hands and symbolically took a sip.

Zhang Yanji, who had long disapproved of Wang Xuan’s tendency to oppress others by taking advantage of his position, snatched the teacup from Li Kuo’s hands and drank it all in one gulp. “Ah, Uncle Wang. My brother Li Kuo is not good with words. Let me speak instead. One of his friends, Dezi, was arrested by Jingzhao Prefecture for some reason. I think it’s a misunderstanding. Even Princess Yuzhen was concerned about it. She personally gave my brother a jade token as a guarantor and asked you to intervene and release that young man.”

A shadow passed over Wang Xuan’s face before being replaced by a warm smile. “Haha, you little rascal, still so impatient. Look at your manners—where is there any trace of a son of a vice minister of the Ministry of Works?”

Gently scraping away the tea dregs, Wang Xuan said softly, “Indeed. These days, Jingzhao Prefecture has arrested quite a few people, most of whom are involved in a certain case. Your friend is indeed in Jingzhao Prefecture now, but since this matter is serious, I must proceed with caution. Now that Princess Yuzhen is acting as a guarantor, it must indeed be a misunderstanding. I’ll send someone to take the two of you to the prison to release that young man. Let’s make sure our family stays in good harmony.”

He deliberately emphasized the words “Princess Yuzhen,” as if hinting at something.

“Thank you, Uncle Wang, for your help!”

He didn’t expect Wang Chuan to agree so readily. Li Kuo was overjoyed and bowed deeply to express his gratitude. Wang Chuan helped Li Kuo up with one hand and said with a smile, “You’re just as polite as Shi Zhi was back then. Come to your uncle whenever you need anything. In Chang’an, I still have some influence.” Li Kuo took the token, thanked him again, then bid farewell to Wang Chuan along with Zhang Yanji and left the inner courtyard of Jingzhao Prefecture. Outside, officials escorted the two to the prison. With Wang Chuan’s token, everything became simple. After a brief conversation with the warden, they entered the prison smoothly. The prison in Jingzhao Prefecture housed mostly noble young men from prominent families, so it wasn’t as dark and damp as ordinary county prisons. Yet even so, Li Kuo shivered upon entering for the first time—the temperature inside was significantly lower than outside, and although there were torches lining the corridors, it was still dim. The two followed the prison guard closely, turning around two corners before reaching the prison section designated for serious criminals. The guard bowed to them and pointed to a single-cell prison on the diagonal right, saying, “Brother Dezi is in that cell. The other prisoners have treated him well these days. Please go ahead.” Li Kuo bowed in return, “Thank you, brother.” Since the prison section was for serious criminals, all cells were single. This was to prevent prisoners from colluding or escaping, and also because these prisoners came from powerful families, allowing the guards to extract substantial bribes. As Li Kuo approached Dezi’s cell, he looked around and saw a prisoner with a dirty face curled up on a straw bed in the corner, trembling uncontrollably. Seeing someone approaching, the prisoner curled back further and shouted, “Don’t come! I really don’t know anything! Stop hitting me! I know nothing! Please, I really know nothing!” “Dezi!” Li Kuo’s nose tightened as he called out, “It’s your brother Kuo! It’s okay now. It’s all over. Brother Kuo will take you home. Don’t be afraid, Dezi. Don’t be afraid.” “Brother Kuo? Are you really it?” Hearing this, the prisoner crawled a few steps forward. When he confirmed it was indeed Li Kuo, he rushed forward, hugged Li Kuo tightly against the prison bar, and cried bitterly, “Brother Kuo, I… I really thought I’d never see you again in this life!”