Chapter 24: The Green Omen (6)

“Fame and fortune mean little—what matters is bringing peace and order. With a sword as cold as frost, we punish the wicked; with words as firm as metal and stone, we aid the common people.”
The burly man with the hammer bowed to the crowd and spoke loudly.
The two men he had thrown earlier also brushed off the dust from their clothes and jogged over, seemingly unharmed.
“Fellow villagers, our Green Guests Alliance has always fought against tyranny and protected the innocent, striving to eliminate all injustice in the world. If anyone here feels trapped, feel free to join us. I, Yuwen Feng, guarantee that as long as there’s any food, no one will go hungry.”
“Yes, what’s so great about the Tang Dynasty? Not only do we have to pay heavy taxes every year, but we also bear heavy corvée labor—they truly treat us like animals!”
added the burly man with the rope.
“Are nobles and officials born that way? Let’s take control of our own lives—rob the rich to help the poor, eat well, and drink to our heart’s content!”
Hearing this, Li Kuo felt a surge of anger. Having grown up in Chang’an, he had witnessed his family’s rise and fall, understanding well the complexities of life there. The struggles in the palace, the rivalries among noble families, the indifference of relatives. Once thinking the Tang Dynasty was a paradise on earth, he saw clearly after his family’s decline the corruption and extravagance behind its prosperity, as well as the selfishness and indifference beneath its strength. Indeed, the Tang Dynasty had its injustices and inequalities. But it was the place that gave birth to him and raised him—the old house in Chongren Fang, the Kelong Teahouse in Tongji Fang, the Imperial Academy in Wuben Fang… His grandfather, mother, Uncle Sun, A Tian, Yan Ji, Big Brother Nan… they were all inseparable from the Tang Dynasty. No matter how many injustices the Tang Dynasty had, it wasn’t the right of a foreigner to criticize it! It was like a rebellious youth—who, even if he had grievances against his parents, wouldn’t allow outsiders to speak ill of them!

The young man steadied himself, stepped forward, straightened his back, and spoke loudly to the three men, “You three gentlemen are mistaken. Since Emperor Gaozu established our Tang Dynasty, we have divided the land fairly and recruited scholars through examinations. From the Zhenguan era to the Tianbao era, the economy flourished, border battles were won one after another, and talents were put to good use. Although there were corrupt officials and villains, the state laws ensured justice. I am not familiar with other dynasties, but during the chaos of the previous Sui Dynasty, the land of Hebei was filled with starving corpses, wars raged, and people lived in misery; there were even tragic incidents of people exchanging their children for food. By the time our dynasty was established, seven out of ten people in the country had died. Indeed, even in years of disaster, there were migrations of displaced people in our Tang Dynasty, but compared to that, local officials were usually able to provide relief and grain in a timely manner, and no major plagues spread. People longed for peace. What are your intentions, gentlemen, in inciting the people of our Tang Dynasty like this? Moreover, I notice that your clothing is not in the style of our Tang Dynasty but resembles the garments of the Turks in the northern deserts. Our Tang Dynasty is a nation of propriety. How can the people of our land accept you wearing open chests, bare torsos, and with hair tied to the left? Our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents and should not be disrespected. You cover your bodies with tattoos and piercings—how can the people of our great Tang Dynasty accept that? Even if our Tang Dynasty has its flaws, we are still of the same ethnicity. Those who are not of our kind surely have different motives. If our Tang Dynasty cannot treat everyone well, will you Turks treat us as human beings?”
This last sentence awakened everyone present. Indeed, they were Turks—why should we follow them?
“We won’t follow those Turkic barbarians! We are Tang people!”
“They were all defeated by the Tang Dynasty—how could they stand up for us?”
“We are Tang people; we disdain associating with barbarians!”
“We’ll solve our own problems—no need for outsiders to interfere!”
A wave of outrage surged among them. The peasants, moved by Li Kuo’s passionate speech, waved their fists and loudly protested against the three men’s provocation.
“Drive them out of the village!”
“Catch them and take them to the authorities!”
“Go back to your grasslands! We don’t want your worthless money!”
The voices were varied, even a bit rough, but to Li Kuo, they sounded wonderful.
We are all Tang people! We all carry the blood of the ancestors of the Chinese people. We don’t live for individual families, but we will never allow any form of insult from any ethnicity, because we are Tang people!
Rotten eggs and cabbage were thrown at the three “heroes,” forcing them to retreat step by step.
“Sigh!”
The man with the hammer’s cheeks turned red with anger as he let out a long sigh and left in a huff.
“Go away! Go back to your grasslands!”
“How dare those Turks act so recklessly in Chang’an!”

Zhang Xun gently patted Li Kuo’s arm and gave him an approving look.
In the afternoon, with a gentle breeze…
In a farm at the eastern outskirts of Chang’an, Zhang Yanji was sitting sideways by a pond, lightly twisting fresh plums in his left hand while resting a fishing rod in his right. The breeze was refreshing—what a pleasant moment! Li Kuo and Zhang Xun, rarely wearing light clothes, sat cross-legged in front of a pile of wheat straw, concentrating on playing a casual game of chess. Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun, unable to stand such a leisurely pace, borrowed two fine horses from the farm owner and left to ride outside, repeatedly asking to be excused.
Picking up a bunch of purple Gaochang grapes, Zhang Yanji casually tossed them into his mouth and closed his eyes in contentment. It had been a long time since he’d felt this carefree. Back in Chang’an, his grandfather supervised and disciplined him, and at the imperial academy, teachers monitored and restricted him—where was there such freedom as here in his own farm? With misty willows and fragrant apricots, living as a wealthy man wasn’t bad after all!
“Elder Master, Elder Master? Please forgive my boldness, but you’ve been at the farm for half a day now. Has the master been informed?”
An old man dressed in a dark-colored brocade robe bowed to Zhang Yanji and spoke respectfully.
“Hmm?”
Unwillingly, Zhang Yanji opened his eyes. Upon seeing the person before him, he immediately felt a headache coming on. This man’s name was Zhang Yuan; he was said to have been Zhang Yanji’s study companion in his youth. After his grandfather became the head of the family, Zhang Yuan rose to become the chief steward. Though things were going smoothly for him, his honesty got him into trouble with his aunt, leading to his demotion to manage the Zhang family’s farm. Zhang Yuan was fine in every way except for being too stubborn. In his mind, above everything else was the master. Not to mention him, an elder master with no real power—even if his aunt herself came by, without his grandfather’s orders, he would immediately send someone to inform the Zhang family!
Springing to his feet, Zhang Yanji rushed over to Zhang Yuan in a few steps and whispered, “Zhang Yuan, I snuck out this time without telling my grandfather. Please don’t tell him, or he’ll kill me.”
“Well…”
Zhang Yuan looked at the willful elder master, unsure how to respond.
“Zhang Yuan, dear uncle…”
Holding Zhang Yuan’s hands, Zhang Yanji acted like a child, coquettishly saying, “Uncle, you’ve watched me grow up since I was little and are the one who loves me the most. These are my good friends. If you tell my grandfather, they definitely won’t be able to stay at the farm. Can you bear to see me lose face like this?”

Seeing Zhang Yuan’s expression relax, Zhang Yanji was overjoyed and hurriedly said, “Besides, Yanji didn’t come out for fun this time. He left the city to explore the surroundings with the talented scholar Zhang in order to gather materials for his ‘travel essay.’” He then winked at Zhang Xun, signaling him to agree with his statement. Although Zhang Xun was an honest man, he wasn’t rigid either. Seeing Zhang Yanji wink at him, he immediately understood. Stroking his beard, Zhang Xun laughed heartily and said, “You brat, you really want to drag me in as well. Indeed, I am Zhang Xun, the magistrate of Qinghe County. I thought this young man had potential, so I brought him out to collect materials for his ‘travel essay.’” Zhang Yuan was already inclined, and now that there was someone as talented and virtuous as the scholar Zhang to teach the young master Confucianism and philosophy, he thought even if his master questioned him later, he wouldn’t be too harshly blamed. He bowed deeply to Zhang Xun and said kindly, “What are you saying, Lord Zhang? With a scholar like you teaching the young master poetry, classics, and history, our master will surely be pleased. If you need anything, just send A Fu to let me know—I certainly won’t neglect such distinguished guests.” With that, Zhang Yuan bowed and stepped back. “Brother Yanji, I never thought the eldest son of the Zhang family could be so impressive!” Chen Xiaoliu praised loudly as he bit into a ripe, orange-yellow apricot. Glancing disdainfully at this “country bumpkin,” Zhang Yanji sneered and said, “Pfft, is this really impressive? The land in the eastern suburbs of Chang’an is very fertile because of the Longshou Canal running through it. Most noble families build their estates here to escape the heat in summer, enjoying music and festivities every night—it’s quite pleasant. My grandfather’s position isn’t exactly high, but it’s not low either. Although the Zhang family of Hedong is a renowned family for centuries, they still can’t compare to the Li family of Longxi and the Wei family of Jingzhao in the capital region. If you look at night, you’ll see officials from other provinces carrying lanterns to deliver gifts to their estates, forming a line from the east end all the way to Chunming Gate!” Seeing Xiaoliu’s face turn red, Li Kuo laughed and slapped Zhang Yanji on the head. “You brat, why try to show off to Xiaoliu? One can’t always live under the shadow of one’s ancestors; one must look forward. Take my grandfather for example—last night he was still the left chancellor of the Tang Dynasty, but the next day he lost his position and became an ordinary man.”

After going through so much, Li Kuo’s heart burdens had gradually eased, and he was no longer too reluctant to talk about his grandfather’s unjust case from years ago. After a brief pause, the young man continued, “It’s better to rely on oneself than on others. As the saying goes, rulers change, and so do their ministers. The blessings of one’s ancestors will eventually run out. By then, without real skills, even a vast family fortune can be taken away with just a few words.” (Note 1)
Zhang Xun applauded in approval and said, “It’s a blessing for our dynasty to have such talented youths. Yanji, you should learn more from Kuo.”
Zhang Yanji shrugged and replied helplessly.
Just as the atmosphere was filled with joy and harmony, Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun returned from their “horse ride.” Jumping off their fine horses and taking a few light steps, Nan Jiyun shouted at everyone, “The fish couldn’t wait any longer—it’s hooked!”
Note 1: This has always been my view—relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself. Even with the protection of one’s parents, you still need to be capable on your own.