Chapter 51: Pouring Out the Cup (1)

After being appointed as a real military officer, Li Kuo took command of the Zhuque Regiment, which consisted of over 300 soldiers. General Zhang Shouyu and the chief clerk Gao Shi had previously taken care of the regiment’s affairs, ensuring that the best weapons and armor were provided for it. As a result, among the reorganized Shence Army, the Zhuque Regiment’s soldiers had the shiniest armor, the sharpest weapons, and the highest morale. Fearing that this young officer might not handle complex military tasks, General Zhang personally assigned several capable clerks to assist him.

Li Kuo entrusted these clerks with important duties. All official documents from the imperial court and crucial military records were placed in their care. Though these clerks were merely low-ranking officials below the eighth rank, they had never received such trust before. Overwhelmed with gratitude, they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to serving Officer Li, organizing the regiment’s documents with great efficiency.

After the siege drills, the soldiers of the Zhuque Regiment admired their officer deeply, swearing to follow him wholeheartedly. The members of the new three brigades, having experienced “actual combat” under his leadership, were highly respected within the regiment. Through their enthusiastic promotion, Officer Li was portrayed as a resolute, decisive, and capable commander. These soldiers vividly described various military tactics, from exhausting strategies of circling the city walls to daring surprise attacks. In their tales, the hero was always the wise and valiant Officer Li.

Of course, there were also those who spread rumors to create chaos. These were mostly old ruffians from the imperial guards, resentful that a young man like Li Kuo could lead an entire regiment. They spread rumors claiming he had obtained his position through connections. This statement angered the new soldiers of the Zhuque Regiment, who saw their officer as a noble and responsible man who would never tolerate such slander. Without needing Officer Li to intervene, his personal guard, led by Pu Da Chui, sneaked into the barracks of those spreading rumors and gave them a thorough beating in the dead of night. By morning, the beaten ruffians appeared in a sorry state. But lacking evidence, they could only swallow their anger. After this incident, those people realized just how formidable their officer was and dared no longer spread rumors to confuse others.

It was already September, and the scorching heat gradually faded, bringing a sense of calm to people’s hearts. After finishing the autumn harvest, the vast fields of Guanzhong were covered in golden straw, a truly pleasing sight. The farmers, who had toiled all year long, could finally take a breather—sitting idly in the fields on starry nights, chatting with their friends, or sitting cross-legged on the earthen bed, boasting about this year’s harvest with their wives. Each bushel of grain was crucial for the farmers’ livelihoods; the land of Guanzhong was so fertile—otherwise, why hadn’t the famines that plagued the Central Plains spread to this region? The emperor, after collecting the annual tax grain, still left enough for the farmers to survive the coming year, earning their heartfelt admiration for his wisdom and fairness. Farmers were especially grateful; whoever gave them a glimmer of hope in life would be remembered for generations.

With the farmers relieved, the officials also had some free time. It was again time for the clothing allowance in September, and the 15th brought a significant break. By the emperor’s decree, all officials, both inside and outside the palace, were granted a regular holiday. The Shence Army in the southern part of the imperial palace was no exception—General Geshu Han generously granted everyone a long vacation. Li Kuo, however, was in trouble. In his view, once one joined the army, one should focus on military strategy rather than worldly pleasures, aiming to serve the court. But Gao Shi refused to keep the young man confined to the military camp and quickly arranged an invitation for him. Lady Guo was hosting a banquet at her home, inviting famous scholars and officials from all over. Young Master Li’s outstanding performance in the court polo match had left a deep impression on her, and she wanted to meet him. After much hesitation, Li Kuo had no choice but to accept, and with the urging of his friends Zhang Yanji and Zhou Wucui, he ended up at Lady Guo’s banquet.

Since the banquet was held at her home, in addition to the famous scholars from Chang’an, the Yang family members were also present. Among them, Yang Zhao—Vice Minister of Rites, Deputy Minister of Revenue, and Censor—was the pillar of the Yang family in Chang’an. His every move was calm and composed, already showing the demeanor of a high-ranking official. Although his cousin Yang Xian also held a prominent position as Minister of Sacrifices, he always deferred to Yang Zhao’s decisions. The three Yang sisters, though all titled as noblewomen, were ultimately women and could not intervene in certain matters. Apart from Lady Guo, who often mediated on behalf of the Yang family’s political interests at banquets, the other two rarely got involved in family affairs. As a result, Yang Zhao became the representative of the Yang family, with his actions reflecting the family’s stance on various matters.

The residence of the Lady of Guo State was built at the western end of Xuanyang Fang. The entire estate was grand in scale and imposing, occupying nearly one-third of the square’s area. Today, the Lady of Guo State was holding a grand banquet in her mansion, and the busiest person among them was Yang Ping, the manager of the Yang family. Although Pingbo was already nearly fifty years old, he was still in good health. He stood at the red-painted entrance of the mansion, greeting guests with efficiency. It was indeed not easy to serve as a manager in such a wealthy family. Due to worldly interests, many low-ranking officials, as well as scholars coming to the capital to take exams, would come to pay respects to the family head. With such people, the manager had to avoid being either too eager or too indifferent. Being too eager would lower the family’s status and embarrass the head of the family, while being too indifferent would harm the family’s reputation for supporting the young—something not desirable in the Tang Dynasty, where people valued their lives highly. As the old saying goes, “Don’t underestimate the poor young man.” Who could predict that the poor scholar before your eyes might become a high-ranking official decades later? From a country bumpkin to a court official—such things were unpredictable in the Tang Dynasty. A manager needed to be eloquent and have a clever heart. He had to speak differently to different people, consider the family head’s intentions before acting, so that even if there were minor mistakes, the family head would not hold it against him given his hard work.

Yang Ping really admired his family head. Ever since he signed a contract of servitude at the age of sixteen and joined the Yang family, he had served two generations of family heads for thirty years. After the original head died, the eldest son of the Yang family drove out the current ladies of the family. At that time, Yang Ping, for some reason, left the mansion with the ladies. Fortunately, the fourth lady was later made a noble consort, and the other ladies were also granted the title of lady of the state. Suddenly, the entire Yang family prospered. Distant cousins and uncles who usually avoided the ladies now shamelessly approached them, claiming kinship. After scolding them, the third lady could only sigh and accept these shameless brothers. What else could she do? No matter how smart and capable the ladies were, they were still women. If the Yang family wanted to rise among the elite families and gain influence in the Tang Dynasty, it still relied on men. (Note 1) “Ah, Pingbo, Lord Zhang has arrived. Should you go greet him?” The gatekeeper, Yang Qiang, winked at Yang Ping and whispered the reminder.

“Ah!” Pingbo’s facial muscles twitched as he snapped out of his thoughts.

“Lord Zhang! If you could come at her invitation, she would be very happy.” Yang Ping stepped forward quickly, bowed, and offered a professional smile.

Zhang Zongzheng, the vice minister of Works, did not dare accept this courtesy. He quickly offered a perfunctory gesture as a way to save face for Yang Ping.
“Uncle Yang, what are you saying? It’s my good fortune that Lady Guo would take a liking to me, Zhang Zongzheng. How could I dare trouble you to come out and greet me?”
Zhang Zongzheng did not dare offend this manager at all. Although a ministerial official ranked seventh, this manager of Lady Guo’s household was actually the most powerful person in Yang’s household. Offending him would mean trouble—just a few words spoken about him in front of Lady Guo would be enough to get him into trouble. Even though he was a high-ranking official, a mere gesture from Lady Guo could send him to Lingnan to hunt elephants. (Note 5) Yang Ping silently accepted the gesture. Having been a manager for so many years, he understood well the mindset of these high-ranking officials in their red robes. The more you showed them respect, the more uneasy they became. It was better to accept their courtesy so that both sides could be at ease.
“Please come in quickly.”
After receiving the vice minister’s courtesy, Yang Ping felt greatly relieved. Yet he did not dare neglect such a distinguished guest and quickly invited Zhang Zongzheng through the red-painted gates.
“Yan Ji, isn’t that your grandfather?” Li Kuo joked, shrugging his shoulders.
“Chang’an is really small!” Zhang Xiaolangjun’s face turned red as he sighed deeply.
Note 1: According to the “Tang Liudian,” each army had one permanent record-keeping officer and one clerk. The clerk was in charge of keeping records, similar to a secretary today.
Note 2: Historical records show that by the seventh year of Tianbao, Yang Zhao held as many as fifteen positions, including Deputy Minister of Revenue and Censor-in-Chief, making him second only to Li Linfu in terms of real power.
Note 3: Lady Guo was also conferred her title in that year. According to the “Chang’an Zhi” and “Tang Liangjing Chengfang Kao,” Lady Guo’s residence was built in Xuanyang Fang, originally the old home of the Wei family.
Note 4: A brief introduction to the order of the Yang sisters: the eldest was Lady Han, the third was Lady Guo, the eighth was Lady Qin, with Yang Yuhuan being the youngest. Of course, this ranking includes their brothers as well.
Note 5: Lingnan refers to the area south of the Five Ridges in southern China, corresponding to present-day Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan, as well as parts of Hunan and Jiangxi. It also includes the Red River Delta region, which was once under Chinese rule. The Tang Dynasty was truly mighty, with such a vast territory.