Chapter 37: The Rainbow Robe (IV)

Li Kuo stared at the court official in surprise, seemingly unable to believe that he himself had been granted the rank of military officer. The reward came too suddenly and at just the right time, causing the young man to feel deep fear. Human nature is truly strange—often, when one desperately pursues something and goes to great lengths to obtain it, once obtained, one fears handling it too carefully for fear of losing it again. This was evident in the young man’s sluggish movements; it was only when Zhang Yanji kept pulling at the hem of his clothes that he realized he should accept the decree and express his gratitude.

The young man stepped forward and bowed toward the emperor’s throne. “Your humble servant, a court official and guest of the crown prince, thanks Your Majesty for your generous grace.”

Li Longji was quite satisfied with the young man’s behavior. His surprise, panic, and gratitude perfectly satisfied the emperor’s sense of dignity. The officials in the capital were too slick, constantly surrounding the emperor, which had made them accustomed to guessing the emperor’s thoughts. Before doing anything, they would consider, “What would the emperor think? How should I respond to please him?” Such insincere flattery disgusted Li Longji; all he saw were uniform faces full of false kindness and deference. Their official smiles and monotone voices sent chills down his spine. Yet Li Kuo’s attitude reflected his truest and simplest thoughts.

A faint smile appeared on Li Longji’s lips as he said kindly, “Officer Li, there’s no need for excessive formalities. I respect your determination and courage, which is why I granted you this rank. You must strive to be a role model and not disappoint me!”

Grateful, the young man bowed and said, “Your Majesty, I shall not fail to live up to your high expectations.”

After a brief pause, Li Kuo clenched his teeth and said firmly, “However, this tactic was not the work of just me. The son of Vice Minister Zhang and a friend of mine also contributed to it. If I were to receive all the rewards alone, I would feel truly uneasy!”

Li Longji frowned slightly, annoyed yet amused. This young scholar was actually asking for more favor—did he really think that granting a rank was like a villager haggling over prices for goods? Just as Li Longji was about to react, Consort Yang giggled and said, “Your Majesty, it’s rare to see the young man from the Li family so loyal and righteous. Why not grant both scholars the rank as well?”

A hint of displeasure appeared on Li Longji’s face. Though he doted on Consort Yang immensely and almost always granted her requests, her behavior in public, interfering with his handling of state affairs, still made him feel embarrassed. Seeming to sense what her third brother was thinking, Consort Yang lightly swayed her silk robe and turned to him angrily, saying, “Your Majesty clearly promised to give a poem as a birthday gift if I lost the bet. Now you give me no explanation at all—it seems you don’t even care about me.”

Li Longji hadn’t expected Consort Yang to use such a tactic. His mind went blank, and he was momentarily at a loss. After regaining his composure, he gently turned Consort Yang around and said with a soothing smile, “My dear, what are you saying? How could I forget my promise to you? It’s just a poem—what’s the difficulty? I’ll write it right away.”

Consort Yang retorted, “No need. You only agreed after I mentioned it. If you truly cared for me, you would have granted Lieutenant Li’s request and given military positions to the other two as well.”

Li Longji had no choice but to yield to her wishes and change his decree, appointing Zhang Yanji and Zhou Wucui as Renyong Lieutenants, thus doing a favor for Li Kuo.

After the polo match came the emperor’s family banquet. Aside from some powerful figures like Geshu Han and Li Linfu, who were left to attend, everyone else was ordered to leave. Zhang Yanji half-supported Li Kuo as they slowly walked toward Chunming Gate, complaining along the way, “In my opinion, Your Majesty is too biased. Those scoundrels deliberately injured Brother Kuo, yet instead of punishing them, Your Majesty handed them over to Geshu Han. That old fox pretends to be horrified and acts selflessly on the surface, but I’m sure he’s secretly cursing you behind your back.”

“Speak carefully!”

Li Kuo quickly covered his friend’s mouth and sighed, “There’s no fairness in this situation anyway. After all, Geshu Han is the military governor of both Hexi and Longyou. Your Majesty still needs him, so he gets some face. In my view, Your Majesty has already been as kind and just as possible to us.”

As soon as they left Xingqing Palace, they saw Zhang Fu standing outside the palace gate.

“Young master, you’re back. The third master returned to Chang’an from Shu to report for duty and arrived just today. Master asked me to bring you back for the family banquet.”

Zhang Yanji was about to speak when he heard Chen Runzhi, Pei Xingchen, and others chasing after them. Pei Xingchen bowed to Li Kuo and said, “I was wrong before. I never accepted that you were given an official position as an exception. Everyone saw your actions during today’s polo match, Brother Kuo. If anyone dares to gossip again, I, Pei Xingchen, will be the first to deal with them!”

Li Kuo smiled faintly and returned the greeting with a bow, saying, “It’s fine. Brother Pei is far more learned and magnanimous than your humble brother. There’s no need to worry about such trivial matters. Just don’t forget me when there’s good wine and meat in the future.”
“Interesting, indeed. People say that truly remarkable people are hard to find. I’m fortunate to have met Brother Kuo.”
Chen Runzhi said, “It’s truly delightful that Brother Kuo has been personally appointed as a Xuanjie Xiaowei by the emperor today. What are your plans for the future, Brother Kuo?”
After a brief thought, Li Kuo replied, “Who can predict the future? But if possible, I’d like to serve in the army.”
“The army?”
Chen Runzhi frowned. In his view, military positions were certainly superior to those in agriculture, industry, or commerce, but they still lacked the elegance of civil service. Though he too longed for the thrill of fighting enemies on horseback and studying military strategies when off duty, the idea of being sent far to the frontier, surrounded by endless deserts and sunsets, seemed utterly impossible. Throughout history, soldiers had often been overvalued yet underutilized—there was logic to that.
“Yes, to be honest, I’ve never left Chang’an in my life. Now that I have the chance, I really want to go outside and change up my routine.”
“In that case, it seems our Tang Dynasty will produce its own Ban Zhongsheng.”
Chen Runzhi replied thus, not wanting to ruin the pleasant atmosphere.
“If that day comes, I wonder if anyone would be willing to be that Dou Duwei,” Li Kuo said with a light smile.
“Talking with Brother Kuo is truly amusing. At the noon banquet, everyone was focused on the game and had no mood. How about this—let me treat you all tonight at Pingkang Fang, so we can celebrate the victory Brother Kuo has brought us!” Chen Runzhi declared loudly.
“Celebrate the victory brought to us by Brother Kuo!” The noble youths cheered in unison.
Li Kuo frowned slightly, glanced at Zhang Yanji, who was overjoyed, and finally agreed, “In that case, I’d better comply.”
Zhang Yanji had been looking for an excuse to avoid the family banquet, so this was perfect for him. He said to Zhang Fu, “You heard that. Your master and his friends are going to a banquet. If Grandpa asks about the restaurant, just say it’s at Taibai Ju in the East Market!”
“Young master! Young master!”
Zhang Fu tried to say something else but found his master already lost in the bustling crowd in the streets of Chang’an.
The stars rotated in the sky, while curtains hung low on earth. Red candles illuminated the silk canopy, and a rainbow shone in the western corner of the small building. Leaning on the railing, they waited for the moon to rise.
The bright moon hung high, and the lanterns just came on. In Pingkang Fang of Chang’an, Li Kuo and Chen Runzhi along with other noble youths drank, played music, composed poems, and sipped tea.

Chang’an City was roughly divided into the North City, the City Center, and the South City based on its market and district layout. The North City was, of course, the location of the imperial palace, situated by the Wei River to absorb the vital energy of heaven and earth, offering a panoramic view of the entire capital and even the whole world from Longshouyuan… As for the prosperity among the common people, none in the South City could compare to Pingkangfang in the City Center.

Taking a sip of the clear tea, Chen Runzhi said, “Although my younger brother Kuo has grown up in Chang’an since childhood, he has devoted himself to studies and likely knows little about matters of love and romance. Our Chang’an is incredibly prosperous, with countless beautiful women. Yingchun Pavilion is one of the most famous towers in the City Center, and two of the three most beautiful ladies in Pingkangfang hail from this very pavilion.”

After saying this, he gave a slight nod to the servant standing by.

The red doors opened slightly, and two young ladies dressed in imperial robes stepped in slowly, their gauzy skirts trailing behind them. The one in front was about twenty-eight years old, wearing a goose-yellow skirt that reached the ground. Her delicate, graceful face, framed by arched eyebrows, made her even more charming and adorable. The one behind her was slightly older, dressed in a rich-colored, form-fitting pomegranate-patterned skirt that accentuated her stunning figure. Though unadorned with makeup, her natural beauty was undeniable.

The two ladies approached Chen Runzhi and bowed, saying, “I am Qin Lanqing, and this is Han Yunxi. We come to see Young Master Chen.”

Chen Runzhi, being an experienced man in matters of love and romance, merely smiled and said, “Lanqing, Yunxi, this is Young Master Li Kuo. My younger brother Kuo is one of the most outstanding members of the Li family from Longxi. You must serve him well.”

Han Yunxi, seemingly accustomed to such noble youths, gave Li Kuo a mere ceremonial bow without any sign of familiarity.

Li Kuo, however, was not annoyed. He smiled lightly and said, “They say a hero’s smile can win over beauties. At first, I didn’t take it seriously, but now that I’ve seen the beauty of these two ladies, I truly understand what it means to be breathtakingly beautiful.”

His gaze never left the two ladies, filled with admiration and approval.

Qin Lanqing, who seemed a few years older than Han Yunxi, bowed and said, “Seeing Young Master Li’s handsome face and elegant demeanor, I assume he is well-versed in the Six Arts. I wonder if Young Master Li would be willing to listen to a piece played by this humble girl?”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanji quickly interjected, clapping his hands and saying, “That’s wonderful! It is said that the Four Great Talents of Chang’an excel in their arts—Li Yuehua’s flute, Qin Lanqing’s guqin, Han Yunxi’s dance, and Helan Yunchu’s fragrance. Now that Miss Qin is willing to play a piece, it truly brings great joy to life!”

Note 2: Dou Duwei refers to Dou Gu, the Commander of the Imperial Chariots. He highly appreciated Ban Chao during the campaign against the Xiongnu and showed him great kindness and recognition.
Note 3: During the Tang Dynasty, there were four great artistic achievements: Li Bai’s poetry, Zhang Xu’s calligraphy, Wu Daozi’s paintings, and Gongsun Dainiang’s sword dance. The “Minor Four Great Achievements” were coined by Liu Yun.