Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 77

She subtly inquired about the cost of a night in Pingkang Lane. The woman glanced at her sideways, secretly amused, but replied seriously, "That depends on the household. Southern, central, and wall-following lanes all have different prices. As my master has set, the cost for one lane is a length of brocade."

Qingluan was shocked upon hearing this—Mother, if listening to a single song costs a length of brocade, wouldn't spending the night be even more exorbitantly priced? If I hadn't been an official courtesan, but a private one, I would have been sleeping amidst mountains of gold and seas of silk by now!

Oh no, this is, after all, Chang'an City, Pingkang Ward. If this were elsewhere... even if I were famous throughout Longyou, I probably wouldn't earn a fraction of what I'd make...

Just as she was feeling anxious, she suddenly heard the courtyard gate open, followed by Li Ji's voice: "You've been sweating profusely today... Qingluan, quickly boil some water for me to bathe."

Chapter Two: No Feast is Good

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The day after Li Longji moved into Taiji Palace, a middle-aged man indeed came to report to the Zuo Yingwu Army. His report indicated that he was Qin Huan, the great-great-grandson of Qin Hugong, and wore the military rank of Zhenwei Deputy Commandant (lower sixth rank). Li Ji had already informed Dou Wenchang, and immediately appointed him as the captain of the first regiment of the secondary brigade, actually leading two hundred cavalry.

After the procedures were completed and everything was arranged, Li Ji did not summon Qin Huan in his capacity as an official. Instead, he took the initiative to visit Qin Huan, respectfully requesting that Qin Huan teach him mace techniques. Qin Huan readily agreed, adding, "My fifth father instructed me to teach Military Advisor Li with utmost care and not to hold anything back."

Li Ji thought to himself: You addressed Li Fuguo as "Fifth Father" to my face? Is this a deliberate attempt to reiterate that you have powerful backers? It seems this Qin Huan is not someone I can be too close to!

The Qin family's ancestral home was Licheng County, Shandong. Qin Qiong and Qin Shubao's grandfather and father both served in the Northern Qi Dynasty, but only reached mid-level positions and were not well-known. Shubao joined the army in his youth, serving under Lai Huer, Zhang Xutuo, and Pei Renji during the Sui Dynasty. Later, Pei Renji surrendered to Li Mi of Wagang, and Shubao also joined Wagang. After Li Mi was defeated by Wang Shichong, he fled east to the Tang Dynasty. Shubao was captured and surrendered to Wang Shichong, and was appointed as the Dragon General. Soon after, he voluntarily abandoned Wang and joined Li, serving in the Qin King's staff.

The Prince of Qin of the Tang Dynasty was none other than Emperor Taizong Li Shimin. With the backing of this powerful figure, Qin Shubao fought countless battles, and his reputation and official position rose steadily, eventually becoming the Left General of the Martial Guard, a third-rank official. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Governor of Xuzhou and Duke of Hu, with the posthumous name Zhuang, and was listed among the twenty-four meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion.

When the Tang Dynasty was founded, there were many famous generals, but most of them were gradually forgotten by the people. Of course, the court officials would not forget them. Of those who have always been remembered by the people, only four are probably Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin (Cheng Zhijie), Xu Maogong (Li Ji), and Yuchi Jingde (Yuchi Gong).

The Qin family possessed a family-inherited mace technique, originally not passed down to outsiders. However, over a century later, the family gradually declined, and now even the main branch has died out. Qin Huan has fallen into a low-ranking position, sitting on the sidelines of the Ministry of War for over a decade. Having finally managed to curry favor with Li Fuguo, a powerful figure, and with Li demanding he reveal his mace technique in exchange for a substantive post in the Imperial Guard, how could he possibly refuse?

As for whether he truly shared his knowledge as promised, Li Ji naturally didn't know. He learned mace techniques from Qin Huan and felt that it truly lived up to its reputation as a family-inherited skill; the moves were simple yet very practical, especially suitable for mounted combat—he felt he had struck gold. Oh, no, this was specially prepared for him by Li Fuguo…whatever, I'll take the sweet talk and return the cannonball.

As for Qin Huan himself, through Li Ji's study and combat demonstrations, it was clear that he had a very solid foundation—probably due to rigorous training from a young age under the supervision of his parents—but unfortunately, his talent was limited. In terms of physique and comprehension, he was only average, and it seemed that he had never truly experienced life-or-death combat; his skills were more showy than genuine. Li Ji, in turn, made choices, discarding the showy skills and retaining the genuine ones, practicing diligently every day in the government office.

The main reason is that, apart from public holidays, he had to get up at dawn every day to go to the government office—fortunately, his home was not far from the Daming Palace—so he had to give up his regular morning exercise routine in Longyou; at the same time, he could usually finish his official business in half a morning, leaving him with plenty of free time.

Also due to his special status, he held the second-highest position in Zuo Yingwu's army, and his superior, Dou Wenchang, would not find fault with him. Naturally, he could use his work time to hone his skills. Moreover, Li Ji also used this opportunity to get close to the soldiers in the army—he could ask them to spar with him—and gradually, just as Dou Wenchang had hoped, he gained control of the hearts and minds of Zuo Yingwu's army.

That afternoon, he summoned Qin Huan again for a sparring match, but it wasn't enough—given Qin Huan's skill level, unless he had some hidden trump card he wasn't willing to reveal, Li Ji could easily take on five men with a single mace—so he ordered ten strong soldiers to be selected, and they fought for a full half hour, using either swords or spears. To be honest, there were indeed strong men in the Yingwu Army, but unfortunately, they had been away from the battlefield for a long time, and gradually their skills had become rusty and they were too bulky… Li Ji didn't dare to use his full strength—he was worried about casualties—otherwise, these ten men probably wouldn't have lasted even half a quarter of an hour against him.

After working up a good sweat, he quickly found a shady, windless spot to rest for a while, then mounted his horse, left the government office, and returned home. As soon as the gate opened, Li Ji casually handed the reins to the gatekeeper and called out, "I've worked up a good sweat today... Qingluan, quickly boil some water for me to bathe."

Qingluan hurriedly jumped down from the corridor and rushed to greet him, saying, "A 'noble person' has sent a servant to invite Li Lang to have wine at 'Pingkang Lane' tonight." She deliberately emphasized two of the words.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback, then his gaze swept around and he saw the woman dressed as a man. The woman had just come down from the corridor, put on her boots, and bowed to Li Ji with her hands clasped in a gesture of respect from afar.

Li Ji asked in surprise, "How come it's you?"

Of course he recognized the woman; wasn't this Cui Qi?

"Young Master Cui, are you inviting me to drink because you want to save your own life?"

Cui Qi replied respectfully, "Indeed, my master has already prepared a banquet at Qu Lü Miaozhen's house in Pingkang Ward, and is waiting for Military Advisor Li to grace us with his presence."

Qingluan, standing to the side, was just biting her sleeve and pondering: What kind of cronies is this "Cui Shaobao"?

It's no wonder she misunderstood, because the first-ranking officials in the Eastern Palace were the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince, all of the first rank. Next were the Junior Tutor, Junior Preceptor, and Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, all of the second rank. But now the Eastern Palace was deserted, and the officials had been dispersed to receive additional titles; almost no one remembered those few still existed. Especially since her own husband was only an eighth-rank official, why would a second-rank official specifically send someone to invite him? Therefore, Qingluan simply assumed it was a name, surnamed Cui, called "Shaobao."

Upon hearing Cui Qi's words, Li Ji frowned: "Why is it Lü Miaozhen's family again... Why not hold a banquet at your residence?"

Cui Qi replied, "I am unaware of my master's orders."

Li Ji had no choice but to wave his hand and say, "I am covered in sweat and smell terrible, so I cannot go to see such an important person. You should rest for a while..." He then instructed Qingluan, "Boil some water for me to wash up."

Qingluan hurriedly replied, "We have hot water. I'll have someone fetch it right away..."

Li Ji didn't dare spend too much time bathing; he simply wiped himself with hot water, changed into a clean scholar's robe, and still had his double maces hanging at his waist. Qingluan helped him comb and tie his hair, put on his turban, and carefully asked, "Since you're going out for drinks, why are you carrying maces?"

Li Ji smiled slightly: "Haven't you heard the saying, 'There are no good gatherings, no good banquets'?"

Qingluan thought he was joking, gritted her teeth, dragged a rather heavy small wooden box from under the bed, and pushed it in front of Li Ji. Li Ji asked her in confusion, "What is this?" Qingluan said, "There are more than three thousand coins inside... I also put some of my jewelry and headdress in there."

Why give it to me?

“It’s difficult, is it possible to go to Pingkangfang for a drink… After all, you are an official, and you cannot be without a reward, lest you lose face in front of your friends.”

Li Ji laughed loudly, "Since someone else is treating me to drinks, why should I pay for it myself? Besides, how am I supposed to carry this whole box?"

"Order Ah Qi (the household servant) to borrow a carriage to accompany the young master..."

Li Ji raised his foot and kicked the wooden box back onto the bed—"No need. Your Li Lang can go out and eat for free with just this face. Who would dare to ask for a reward?" As he spoke, he turned and walked out of the house.

Qingluan followed behind and asked, "It seems we'll have to stay out tonight..."

Li Ji nodded: "We'll see. We've been drinking late, and we might not be back before curfew..." Then, as if finally realizing something, he turned around, took Qingluan's arm, and whispered with a smile in his concubine's ear: "Are you worried that I'll go out and sleep with other women? Don't worry, it's just drinking. I'll sleep when I'm drunk—I have a beautiful woman at home, why go looking for someone outside?"

Although Qingluan didn't understand the phrase "sleeping among flowers and willows," she roughly grasped its meaning and quickly said, "I dare not stop you, my lord. In officialdom... there are some rules that cannot be broken. But you have to go to work tomorrow, so please don't waste your energy..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "What the hell is this? It's become a common practice in officialdom? Smoking prostitutes has become a common practice?"

He hadn't planned to ride a horse—because Cui Qi had come on foot—but Cui Qi warned him, "If you need to get back before curfew, or if you need to go to the palace from Pingkang for duty tomorrow morning, it will be inconvenient for you to be without a mount." So he had to bring out his mount, but instead of riding it, he walked alongside Cui Qi.

Qingluan stared at the two figures as they walked away, filled with both surprise and doubt... Even if they were servants in the Prime Minister's household, they were still servants after all. Why were they not allowed to lead the horse in front of her, but to walk alongside it... Could this woman be the vixen from Pingkang Lane, Li Lang's old flame?! But looking at this woman's appearance, she was only average, and her figure was even more frail. How could she attract a man?

Looking down at his own ample bosom, he wondered if that woman might be a skilled musician or a talented poet. He'd heard that officials in the capital valued talent more than beauty…

Leaving aside her rambling thoughts, Li Ji and Cui Qi walked a few feet away, turned a corner, and Cui Qi turned her head to look back. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

Li Ji had been glancing sideways at Cui Qi, sensing that she seemed quite different from when they worked together in the Luoyang Imperial Palace… Actually, upon closer inspection, this girl wasn't ugly at all. She probably pretended to be silly and foolish in the Imperial Palace, her features stiff and her eyes glazed over, so a score of 6 out of 10 in looks was a failing grade. Now, she seemed to have more than 60% beauty. Could it be… that her slender figure was more suited to male disguise?

Well, in later generations, a girl with this kind of appearance and figure would indeed be better suited to more neutral clothing... So, what about a Lolita dress or a maid outfit...?

Upon seeing Cui Qi smile, which unexpectedly added a touch of charm, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "What are you smiling about?"

Cui Qi bit his lower lip, suppressing a laugh, and asked in return, "Where did you get such a concubine?"

"so what?"

"If you call her stupid, she could tell at a glance that I was a woman; if you call her shrewd, she seemed to think I was a maidservant from a brothel in Pingkang Lane..."

Li Ji couldn't help but say, "You used to be a maid in a brothel, didn't you?"

Cui Qi immediately glared at Li Ji and spat softly.

Li Ji couldn't help but laugh, and then asked, "Why did Junior Protector Cui invite me to drink today?"

"I do not know."

"Is it that you don't know, or that you can't say?" Li Ji asked. "Speaking of which, what does Cui Shaobao take you for? You were the one who infiltrated the inner palace, risking your life, and you were the one who invited me to drink—don't you understand the principle of using one's expertise for another?"

Cui Qi replied, "I am just a servant in the Cui household, raised at home since childhood. But I obey my master's orders, whether it means risking my life or inviting people to drink. What special skills do I have that require special attention?"

Li Ji clicked his tongue repeatedly, "What a pity, what a pity..." Then he asked, "How have you been these days? Where are you? Have you gone to Hebei with Cui Shaobao to fight against the rebels?"

Cui Qi naturally wouldn't say much about her mission, but Li Ji gleaned some clues through their conversation. She probably spent most of her time in Chang'an, helping Cui Guangyuan investigate the private lives of his colleagues and contacting the Cui clan and related factions; as for the battlefield, given her agile and nimble skills, she probably wouldn't be of much use.

They exited from the south gate of Anxingfang, then bypassed Shengyefang, entered Pingkangfang through the north gate, and finally arrived at Lü Miaozhen's house in Zhongqu. It seemed that Cui Guangyuan had booked the entire place today; servants greeted them, and the courtyard was quiet, a far cry from the scene of the dissolute youths gathering there in the past. Lü Miaozhen then came to greet them, but seemed not to recognize Li Ji, and without mentioning the previous situation, she only said, "Master Cui has been waiting for a long time in the main room. Please follow me inside, esteemed guest—this pair of maces is quite large, please put them down."

Li Ji casually took off the double maces. Cui Qi, standing beside him, naturally reached out and took them, but couldn't help but gasp: "So heavy, it must weigh over thirty pounds." But seeing her carrying the double maces with ease, Li Ji felt that if the little girl were to use these maces, she could probably swing them for seven or eight rounds—stronger than Qin Huan.

He removed his boots and stepped onto the veranda, entering the house. Besides Cui Guangyuan, he saw another guest present. Both were dressed casually, wearing black gauze hats with plain-colored robes and half-sleeved outer garments. Li Ji clasped his hands in greeting, and Cui Guangyuan smiled, saying, "You've finally arrived—no need for formalities, please come and sit down."

He then gestured to the accompanying guest: "This is Yan Jingzhi, the current Minister of Agriculture..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was greatly surprised—Damn, no wonder he looked so familiar! It was none other than Yan Zhuang, the traitorous prime minister whom he had once caught a glimpse of from afar in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang!

Yan Zhuang's appearance was just like his appearance; at first glance, he seemed like a hawk, the kind that feeds on carrion... But then he smiled slightly, and it seemed that he was not so repulsive, and strangers should stay away. Yan Zhuang said, "I have long heard of the name of Li Erlang, and I am fortunate to meet you today—I am Yan Zhuang, the eleventh in my clan, you may call me Eleventh Brother."

Li Ji hurriedly said he dared not, and then sat down in the guest seat.

Cui Guangyuan also said, "At today's private banquet, regardless of rank or age, we will call you Erlang, you can call him Shiyilang, and I will call you Wulang." He then smiled and said, "Of course, compared to that Wulang, I am far inferior."

Li Ji asked, "Lord Cui..."

"If you won't call that guy Goro, will you not call me Goro either?"

"Um...Goro, what brings you here today?"

Cui Guangyuan smiled and said, "We are not strangers. Can't we host a banquet if there is nothing wrong?" Then he pointed to Yan Zhuang and said, "Actually, Eleventh Brother has long heard of the reputation of Li Erlang, who broke through the enemy lines, and is eager to meet him. So he asked me to act as a go-between."

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Chapter Three: Cycle of Retribution

On the way, Li Ji asked Cui Qi what Cui Guangyuan had summoned him for today. Cui Qi remained tight-lipped and refused to answer—perhaps even she didn't know. Li Ji pondered this, wondering if Cui Guangyuan had found out that Li Fuguo wanted to turn from enemy to friend and was therefore trying to regain Li Fuguo's favor through him?

Surely not, I don't have that much power.

Even after meeting Yan Zhuang, Cui Guangyuan still said that the main purpose of today's banquet was to introduce him to Yan Zhuang, which made Li Ji even more confused.

Yan Zhuang defected and surrendered, and was appointed Minister of Agriculture. Based on the clues Li Ji had gathered from various sources these past few days, it seemed this fellow had always kept to himself, rarely interacting with people outside of official business, behaving very cautiously and honestly. Could it be that this schemer, used to his ways, has finally lost his temper and is ready to stir up trouble again?

To be honest, he didn't have a good impression of Yan Zhuang, because An Lushan's rebellion was largely instigated by Yan Zhuang. In Li Ji's view, An Lushan's three chief strategists—Gao Shang, Yan Zhuang, and Zhou Zhi—were all treacherous advisors who brought chaos to the world, just like Jia Xu and Jia Wenhe of the Later Han Dynasty.

Of course, whether those three guys had Jia Xu's abilities is another matter.

The key issue is Jia Xu's rebellion. From instigating Li Jue, Guo Si, and other military leaders in Guanzhong to rise in rebellion, to encouraging Zhang Xiu to surrender and then rebel again in Wancheng, his intentions are clear: he was essentially acting out of self-preservation, resorting to a desperate measure—as long as he could survive, the fate of the nation and the people was unimportant. Gao Shang, Yan Zhuang, and others, on the other hand, had no life-threatening danger, yet they instigated An Lushan solely to gain personal wealth and power; their character was even more despicable than Jia Wenhe's.

Furthermore, after Jia Xu joined Cao Cao, he remained honest and unassuming. "Considering he was not a former minister of Emperor Taizu (Cao Cao), yet possessed profound strategies, he feared arousing suspicion, so he kept to himself, avoided private relationships, and refrained from marrying into wealthy or powerful families. Thus, all those who discussed wisdom and strategy in the world flocked to him." If you, Yan Zhuang, truly regret your past actions—mainly misjudging An Lushan and believing him to be a worthy ruler—and sincerely serve the Tang Dynasty to atone for your past transgressions, then that would be fine. But now you dare to jump out and cause trouble? With me, Li Er, here, I will absolutely not let you have your way!

Just as I was pondering whether I should play dumb again to lull this guy into a false sense of security and find an opportunity to investigate his conspiracy, I heard Yan Zhuang say, "I've heard that Erlang once infiltrated the Luoyang Imperial Palace alone and rescued the Crown Prince's concubine, Shen, amidst the chaos. It's a pity we didn't get to meet that day. Today, however, he doesn't live up to his reputation. I never imagined Erlang would grow such a thick beard, making him seem like a brave warrior rather than a shrewd lone hero."

Li Ji thought to himself, "You're ruthless!"

It was obvious that their feigned ignorance had failed to fool Cui Qi, who naturally reported it to Cui Guangyuan, who had probably already spoken to Yan Zhuang—it was unclear what the relationship between the two was. Now, Yan Zhuang cut to the chase, setting the tone for the meeting: "I know you're not stupid, let's have a smart conversation."

Helpless, he could only manage a wry smile: "What do you mean by meticulous? Yan... Eleven Lang is too kind." Although it was just a usual polite remark, it was tantamount to his admission.

Because there's no point in denying it. Li Ji had met Cui Guangyuan once and knew that this man was very cunning and not easily fooled; as for Yan Zhuang, who was able to instigate An Lushan's rebellion and then assist An Qingxu in murdering his father, could he be a simple person? Since his own true colors had already been revealed, how could he possibly pretend in front of them?

Besides, he is currently just a guest at the banquet, and he doesn't know exactly why Cui Guangyuan and Yan Zhuang sought him out. Unless he becomes their confidant or henchman, he can't get any information by just pretending to be stupid.

Alright then, if you want smart people to have a conversation with smart people, then let's do it.

Just as he was about to ask and seize the initiative, he heard Lü Miaozhen's voice from outside the door: "Now that all the guests are here, shall we serve the dishes?"

Cui Guangyuan instructed, "Serve the dishes, and call your daughter over to play the zither to entertain the guests."

Lü Miaozhen agreed, and soon after, maids brought exquisite food and wine, arranging them in a flowing manner before the three of them. Once the three tables were almost full, the maids withdrew, and then a beautiful woman carrying a zither gracefully entered.

The woman wore her hair in a high bun, adorned with hairpins and a tortoiseshell comb in the front—one wondered if it was tiring to carry so many ornaments on her head. She wore a five-colored silk blouse with silver embroidery, a single-layered red silk shawl with silver embroidery, and an eight-panel yellow silk skirt with silver embroidery, exuding an air of wealth and elegance. Her face was a full moon, perfectly conforming to the aesthetics of the time, with delicately drawn eyebrows, bright red lips, and gold and yellow floral decorations… To be honest, Li Ji didn't find it appealing. The only redeeming feature on her round face was her pair of bright, clear, and lively eyes.

This must be Su Su, the prostitute listed at Lü Miaozhen's house. Li Ji thought to himself, "Last time I came, I didn't even get a glimpse of her face. But oh well, even if I did see her, I wouldn't want to stay here overnight."

After Su Su entered, she first curtsied to the three men. Cui Guangyuan beckoned to her, "Sit down next to Erlang." Then he asked, "Do you know this Li Erlang?"

Su Su shook her head slightly: "We've never met."

Cui Guangyuan laughed and said, "If I hadn't stopped you that day, Erlang would have been your lover too, hahaha." Yan Zhuang, who was standing next to him, also said, "Now Erlang is famous all over the world, but you missed out on this good match back then."

Su Su's beautiful eyes swept over Li Ji, her face showing surprise and delight: "Could it be that you are Li Erlang, who defeated the barbarians in Longyou?"

Cui Guangyuan said, "If it weren't for him, how could he be my honored guest?"

Su Su's eyes lit up, but unfortunately, her face was covered with too much makeup, so it was impossible to tell how surprised she was... She immediately wanted to sit down next to Li Ji, but Li Ji quickly waved his hand: "I was just about to listen to Miss Su Su's wonderful voice. If you are next to me, I can't see the finger movements clearly..." He raised his hand: "Please sit next to Wu Lang instead."

“Alright,” Cui Guangyuan observed Li Ji’s expression and then patted the person next to him, “Susu, come sit down. From here, you can get a good look at Li Erlang’s demeanor.”

The banquet began, and the three toasted each other, enjoying the delicacies. Su Su placed her zither on her lap and played to keep him company. To be honest, although Li Ji wasn't musically illiterate, he couldn't appreciate the zither music at all—it was too refined, and he didn't understand the meaning of the tinkling sounds. He preferred the more common, folksy kind of music. He simply ate his fill, indulging in the rich and greasy food, while chatting idly with Cui Guangyuan and Yan Zhuang.

Because it's a serious matter, you can't just chat with a prostitute like that—I bet Cui Guangyuan and the others need to have a few rounds of drinks first to create a warm atmosphere before getting down to business.

Naturally, the conversation turned to the matter of defending Longyou against the barbarians, and Li Ji gave a brief and essential account. Cui Guangyuan then said, "I heard some good news yesterday."

Before Li Ji could ask any questions, he immediately explained: "It is said that when the Prince of Fengjie entered the palace to respectfully inquire about the Emperor's health, he earnestly requested the Emperor to promote him and appoint Hun Shizhi as the Deputy Military Governor of Longyou."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji felt a slight surge of joy.

He knew that Hun Shizhi was originally a Tiele person who joined the Shuofang Army at a young age and rose through the ranks to become a third-rank military officer, highly regarded by Guo Ziyi. Although he didn't know the specifics of Hun Shizhi's deeds or what victories he had won, he was, after all, a veteran general of Shuofang, and surely more reliable than Gao Sheng, right? With such an assistant, Li Tan's chances of winning against the barbarians would definitely be much greater.

So they inquired about Hun Shizhi, but to their surprise, neither Cui Guangyuan nor Yan Zhuang knew much about him. Cui Guangyuan, however, quickly shifted the conversation to Hun Shizhi's son—"His son, Rijin, was only eleven years old in the fifth year of the Tianbao era. He accompanied his father on autumn defense duty. At that time, Zhang Qiqiu, the military governor of Shuofang, jokingly asked, 'Did you come with your wet nurse?' However, the following year, Hun Rijin distinguished himself with great merit, again participating in the army's defeat of the Helu tribe, the Battle of Shibao City, and the recapture of Longju Island, displaying unparalleled bravery. Later, he was ordered by An Sishun to lead a detachment deep into the Karluk territory, where he decisively defeated Abusi…"

"This year, he was only twenty-five years old, yet he had already risen to the rank of Grand Master of the Palace, standing shoulder to shoulder with his father. Among the young heroes of our Tang Dynasty, this son is truly the best... Hehe, only Erlang in Longyou managed to slightly overshadow him."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Wow, that's impressive... The Minister of the Imperial Stud is a third-rank official. 'Inspector' originally meant acting in a position, but now most officials have become honorary or honorary titles, one or two ranks lower than the regular position. But even so, he's still far superior to my own eighth-rank official! Come to think of it, that guy is only three or four years older than me..."

There was nothing he could do. The man came from a military family and had been on the battlefield with his father since he was eleven, while he, Li Erlang, was still playing in the mud with his father in Ji County when he was eleven...

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Su Su played three pieces on her zither and then asked the guests to compose poems. Li Ji panicked and hurriedly said, "I am a rough man and cannot write poetry!"

Yan Zhuang chuckled and said, "Li Erlang, who says 'every grain is hard-earned,' how come he can't write poetry?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "Even you've heard about this... I'll definitely find that guy who's spreading it around and give him a good beating when I have the chance!" He waved his hand and said, "It's just a rhyming phrase, vulgar words, not poetry..."

“How can it not be called poetry?” Yan Zhuang said solemnly. “Although those twenty characters are simple and unadorned, they have the charm of the Han Dynasty folk song ‘Green, green are the sunflowers in the garden’, and they are quite satirical and have a strong sense of irony. In my opinion, they are a rare masterpiece of our time!”

Li Ji remained modest—of course he had to be modest, after all, it wasn't his own work, it was plagiarism—and finally Cui Guangyuan said, "Never mind, actually neither Shiyilang nor I are particularly skilled in poetry." He then sighed, "When we were young, we could still compose poems, but since entering officialdom, our poetic inspiration has gradually faded, and we only manage two or three lines of fragments throughout the whole year." He smiled and said to Susu, "According to your family's rules, if there is no poetry, it can be compensated with money. So, in addition to today's banquet expenses, I will contribute ten bolts of brocade."

Su Su repeatedly said she dared not. She was used to dealing with such situations and was adept at reading people's expressions. She knew that the guests had gone too far in their conversation and that she could no longer eavesdrop. So, she excused herself to touch up her makeup and left. Immediately, Cui Guangyuan waved his hand, dismissed the serving maids, and ordered the door to be closed.