Chapter 56: Drinking to the Brim (6)

Dawn was just breaking. In the lobby of Jiyuan Restaurant in the Western Market, Nan Jiyun sat sprawled on a bench, pushing a bowl of strong liquor toward Li Kuo.
“Elder Nan, I really can’t drink any more. Last night at the Lady of Guo’s residence, I was already thoroughly drunk!”
Li Kuo waved his hands repeatedly, refusing Nan Jiyun’s offer.
Nan Jiyun narrowed his eyes and snapped, “What? Just because you became a captain, do you forget your elder Nan? If you can drink Lady of Guo’s liquor, why can’t you drink yours?”
“No, that’s not it!”
The young man was flustered by Nan Jiyun’s teasing and kept apologizing.
Nan Jiyun placed the bowl of liquor in front of him firmly and insisted, “If it’s not that, then drink it! Be a man!”
“Sigh, sigh.”
Reluctantly, Li Kuo picked up the bowl and downed it in a few gulps. The liquor was extremely strong; it made him choke immediately. Four-fifths of it spilled down his chin, a great waste.
Patting the young man’s back gently, Nan Jiyun said concerningly, “Drink slowly. No one’s competing with you. The faster you drink, the more it irritates your stomach. At your young age, you shouldn’t harm your health.”
“Ugh.”
Letting out a sigh, Li Kuo smiled bitterly, “If it weren’t for you forcing me to drink, I wouldn’t have rushed it like this!”
Tapping the table lightly, Nan Jiyun smiled mysteriously, “I called you here for a reason—there’s surely good news. I heard you were promoted to captain as soon as you joined the Shence Army. Your future must be bright. As your elder Nan, I need to please you too so I can secure a good position for myself in the future!”
“Elder Nan!”
Li Kuo protested loudly, his face turning red up to his neck.
“Look at you—where’s the bearing of a captain?”
Nan Jiyun patted the young man’s thin shoulders cheerfully, his face kind. “The Shence Army is destined to go to Longxi. The army isn’t like Chang’an; there are many rules and restrictions. You’re still young, and though you have some experience, you lack connections in the court, so you might face envy. I may not be very capable, but I do have some connections in the army. When working in the army, keep quiet and do more—don’t interfere in matters that aren’t your concern, or you might ruin your chances for success!”
“Sigh, sigh.”
The young man agreed repeatedly. His elder Nan treated him like a brother, sharing his life experience with him without reservation—how could he not be moved?

“Your Majesty established the Shence Army, likely intending to use it in military campaigns in the west. As members of the Shence Army, you probably won’t be sent to the front lines. But having more friends means more options; having an elder by your side to guide you is always better than acting recklessly on your own. Once you arrive in Wuwei, look for a guard leader named Xue Feng. He travels along the border all year long and knows many people in both legitimate and underworld circles!”
“Oh.”
Li Kuo nodded slightly, silently memorizing Xue Feng’s name. Brother Nan had been a wandering hero in the martial world in his early years and had made many friends there. Although these friends lacked political connections, most of them valued loyalty deeply—once they became friends sincerely, it was a bond for life!
“Do you know why I brought you to Jiyuan Restaurant? Although this restaurant opens every day to serve guests, it also deals in leather goods from time to time. Every spring, they transport silk and tea bricks from Chang’an to the northern deserts, buy raw hides and silverware at low prices from the grasslands, and return to Guanzhong before winter sets in. With these round trips, they can make ten times the profit!”
Nan Jiyun waved his fingers to illustrate: “There are mainly two routes into the border regions. One is to head north directly from Hedong via Mayi, crossing the Great Wall to enter the vast grasslands. The other is to go through the Hexi Corridor, via Wuwei and Liangzhou. Since the Tang Dynasty was established, the Four Garrison Cities in Anxi were built, and the Silk Road was reopened. As a result, the northern route gradually fell into disuse, and many merchant caravans chose the more prosperous and secure western route.”
Li Kuo listened quietly. Though he didn’t understand why Brother Nan was telling him these things, he still listened humbly and respectfully to his instructions.
“I’m not exaggerating—ninety percent of Jiyuan Restaurant’s income comes from trading goods. Making one trip to the border regions could equal half a year’s worth of the restaurant’s revenue!”
Nan Jiyun took a sip of strong liquor and continued, “In a few days, they’re going on a short trip to Wuwei. You can go with them as a bodyguard!”
“Ah!”
Li Kuo jumped in surprise. He never expected Brother Nan to ask him to act as a bodyguard for a merchant caravan. Not to mention there was no precedent of the military protecting merchants, even if there were, how could he explain this to General Geshu Han?
“Brother Nan, I’m now part of the Hexi Army, and all my actions are governed by rules and regulations. I’m afraid…”
“Sigh!”
Waving his hand to cut off the young man’s words, Nan Jiyun said, “Rules are made by people anyway. Besides, this is also Your Majesty’s wish.”
“Your Majesty!”
Li Kuo’s face turned pale. He really couldn’t understand why such a small merchant caravan could lead to so much trouble.

Looking around, seeing no one else but the two of them, Nan Jiyun lowered his voice and said, “Actually, Brother Nan, I too am a hermit! I’m telling you this because you have passed the assessment and officially become a hermit now.”
Boom! The boy’s mind went blank. Brother Nan, a hermit? I’ve also become a hermit?
Seeing the boy’s surprised expression, Nan Jiyun shrugged, “What’s so surprising about that? Hermits are the emperor’s voice—they’re everywhere. To be honest, the owner of this building is also a hermit of our Tang Dynasty. It’s just that everyone has different public identities and responsibilities!”
“So, I’ve become a hermit? This escort mission is the emperor’s order?”
The boy shook his head vigorously, trying to clear his mind.
“Yes, you’ve become a hermit. During the one-month assessment in the military camp, you performed exceptionally well, and the emperor is very satisfied! Keep this operation quiet. Jieshu Han is set to return to Hexi in a few days to handle urgent military affairs, leaving the capital with only a few hundred personal guards.”
Nan Jiyun glanced at the boy with an unreadable smile.
The boy tried hard to calm his shock and pieced together the clues. It seems the assessment started with the polo match! The title conferred during the polo match, the command training in the Divine Strategy Army, and becoming famous through the actual combat exercise—all were part of the assessment. It turned out he had been under the emperor’s watchful eye the whole time!
“To avoid drawing attention, only your Zhuque Group will be escorting them this time. That means you have complete control over whatever happens on the road!”
After thinking for a while, Nan Jiyun finally shared his concerns.
“But, but I told my mother and A Tian that we’d set off for Hexi next year. How am I supposed to explain this?” the boy argued urgently.
“Why worry about such trivial things? Being favored by the emperor is a fortune you’d need several lifetimes to earn. This escort mission is just a cover—you need to find out the origin of that rhyme!” Nan Jiyun grabbed the boy’s neck and snapped.
“The Luo Shu Rhyme?”
Li Kuo asked doubtfully. This happened too suddenly; he wasn’t prepared at all.
“Mm. Recently, a children’s rhyme called the Luo Shu Rhyme has spread from Longyou and Hexi regions.”
After pondering for a moment, Nan Jiyun recited softly, “When the Luo Shu appears, the Central Plains suffer; when the Buddha begins his fasting, the two capitals fall. Five bushels of rice go to Shambhala, and war breaks out, changing the fate of the land!” (Note 2)
Li Kuo frowned and said unhappily, “That rhyme is so arrogant!”
“Haven’t you noticed there are many Tibetan Buddhist monks in Chang’an these days?”

Nan Jiyun tapped his fingers, his gaze growing sharper: “Don’t idle away your time these days either. Investigate more about the origins of these Tibetan Buddhist monks. Pretending to be mysterious and using supernatural tactics—I simply don’t believe there are any spells or prophecies that can deceive ignorant believers with such nonsense!”
Tibetan monks, Longyou Hexi, Wudoumi, Shambhala… What exactly does this series of terms represent together? What astonishing secrets lie hidden behind the Luo Shu? Li Kuo felt the burden on his shoulders growing increasingly heavy.
Note 1: Wuwei: Wuwei was the capital of Hexi during the Tang Dynasty. Located at the throat of the Hexi Corridor and a vital route on the Silk Road, Wuwei was extremely prosperous during the Tang era. As a poem goes, “In Liangzhou, seven li spans a hundred thousand homes; half the people there can play the pipa,” which gives an idea of its prosperity.
Note 2: Luo Shu: Also known as the Turtle Script, it is said that a divine turtle emerged from the Luo River, with this pattern on its shell. It is believed that when the Luo Shu appears, great changes will occur in the world.