The King Duan had arranged to meet Jiang Yu at the Taibai Tavern. “Why haven’t you been visiting the imperial palace lately, cousin? My father was talking about you only yesterday.”
Jiang Yu said, “My whole family have terrible conscience about my father’s mistake, and I’m ashamed to go to the palace disturbing His Majesty.”
The King Duan sighed, “It was for your father’s own sake that my father had him stay at home introspecting about his faults. That was such a serious incident. All officials found guilty have been escorted into the capital city, and the principals are bound to be beheaded. But due to the many vacancies that have suddenly appeared in the yamen of Cangzhou, there’s been a lot of disputes in the imperial court over the past few days, which has been giving me headaches. The Prime Minister is always a resourceful man. Without him offering suggestions, everything’s in a muddle. I know because of your father’s case, it’s inconvenient for him to say anything in public, but it wouldn’t hurt to offer us some advice in private. May I ask if he’s got any ideas?”
Jiang Yu instantly came to understand what the King Duan was up to. Well sugar-coated as his remarks were, he was just trying to worm Jiang family’s intentions out of him.
“My grandfather never talks with me about state affairs. He thinks I’m still a child. Actually I indeed have little acquaintance with those things. How I wish I were as intelligent as you are, cousin,” said Jiang Yu, looking rather depressed.
Unable to get any information from Jiang Yu, the King Duan went somewhat displeased and casually made a few perfunctory remarks. After a while, he sudden said, “How’s everything in the Imperial College?”
Jiang Yu, confused as to why the King Duan was asking about this, gave him a reply in an offhand manner, for there were only a limited number of things students could do in the Imperial College anyway. Besides, he’d just spent a few days nursing his injuries caused by his horse not long ago, which the King Duan hadn’t even bothered to mention so far. Maybe he didn’t even have any knowledge of that event, but Jiang Yu was not inclined to remind him of it.
At this moment, something seemed to occur to the King Duan and he said, “Incidentally, a few days ago I heard that that Ling Zhang guy was pretty cocky in the Imperial College, that he also made trouble for you. You want me to teach him a lesson for you?”
Jiang Yu inwardly knitted his eyebrows. Ling Zhang? The King Duan was doing this because of none other than Ling Zhang?
“I’m much stronger than you give me credit for, cousin. That was just a minor disagreement. I got it settled some time ago. We haven’t laid eyes on each other for quite a few days, and I don’t give a damn about the likes of him. It’s totally unnecessary for you to go to any trouble on my account, cousin. He’s just not worth that,” said Jiang Yu disdainfully.
Jiang Yu didn’t know what the King Duan wanted to do, and neither did he care. He admired Yuwen Tong, but his father had lost his post after a single unsuccessful attempt of his to frame Ling Zhang. Though the reminder from his grandfather had been very veiled, he had got a shrewd idea of what had really happened. Yuwen Tong was such a ruthless man. Had there been any careless mistakes during the handling of that matter, it wouldn’t have been merely his position that his father had lost, and Jiang family would’ve taken a far heavier blow.
He had paid the price for his actions and at the same time come to see that Yuwen Tong was not someone he could afford to mess with. On top of that, he had his own dignity. How could he throw himself at Yuwen Tong again after being given such a dire warning?
Also, however embarrassed he was to admit, it was an indisputable fact that Ling Zhang saved his life on the Back Hill that day. With this being the case, he’d decided to wipe the slate clean and stay out of Ling Zhang’s way in the future.
The King Duan had thought that Jiang Yu would be very happy to hear these words of his and bursting to use him to deal with Ling Zhang, but unexpectedly, Jiang Yu had unconcernedly declined the offer.
The Jiang Yu he knew would never let Ling Zhang get away with the crowning humiliation he’d inflicted on him. Why was Jiang Yu giving him this kind of reaction? Was there anything else that had happened and was unknown to him?
After returning home, the King Duan who’d had his offer turned down by Jiang Yu instructed his men to find out what else had happened between Jiang Yu and Ling Zhang. Before long, he was informed of the incident of horses going wild on the Back Hill as well as Jiang Yu’s owing Ling Zhang his life.
Cold faced, the King Duan said, “It seems that I underestimated Ling Zhang.”
“Should we keep working on Childe Jiang, Your Highness?” his henchman asked.
The King Duan said, “That won’t be necessary. Jiang Shennian has been acting like a coward in the imperial court; Jiang Yu must’ve been given a word of warning of some sort; and now we’ve found out about this matter. Stop wasting time on him. Go talk to that person. Tell him to get ready. I’m going to hold a banquet in a few days, and Yuwen Tong will be among the guests.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
…
On this day, in the afternoon, Ling Zhang and his classmates, along with Jiang Yu and some others, were having an archery lesson in the Imperial College.
Ling Zhang didn’t give it much thought after seeing Jiang Yu, and he felt that Jiang Yu appeared to have no intention of having any dealings with him either. ‘Good. He finally began to see senses,’ thought Ling Zhang.
But unexpectedly, on this occasion Jiang Yu walked up to him on his own account. Though it seemed that the two of them had been coincidentally paired up to practice shooting arrows, Ling Zhang had an intuition that Jiang Yu had something to say to him.
Unsurprisingly, Jiang Yu sent all his cronies away, raised his bow, loaded it and asked Ling Zhang a question as he fired the arrow. “You and the King Duan have history?”
The King Duan? For a moment Ling Zhang’s mind was racing. “Why ask?”
Jiang Yu’s arrow hit the bull’s-eye. He turned around and said while walking away, “I just want to give you a word of warning. That’s all.”
Ling Zhang didn’t follow Jiang Yu’s receding back with his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face. In outsiders’ eyes, the two of them were ill-disposed towards each other and weren’t even on speaking terms.
The only plausible explanation for Jiang Yu’s suddenly bringing up the King Duan was that the latter was planning to do something to him. Ling Zhang gave a sneer. Back in Wu City, Peng Fang had tried to have him poisoned in order to cross over to the King Duan’s side. Though the King Duan had been quiet these days, the two of them had actually become enemies long ago. He was not at all surprised that the King Duan was going to take action. What he did find surprising was that it was Jiang Yu who’d come to warn him.
It seemed that his action of saving Jiang Yu’s life on the Back Hill that day was not totally fruitless.
At dusk, school was over. Ling Zhang returned home and mentioned this to Yuwen Tong.
Yuwen Tong raised his eyebrows, produced an invitation and handed it to Ling Zhang.
Ling Zhang took and opened it and ran an eye over it. “The King Duan invites you to a banquet?”
Yuwen Tong said, “I’ll find out what tricks he’s going to play.”
Originally he’d wanted to ignore it, but now he decided to go and see what the King Duan had got up his sleeve.
This invitation was for Yuwen Tong only. Clearly the host was trying to have Ling Zhang stay out of the banquet. Ling Zhang sneered.
The banquet was in three days. When the day arrived, Yuwen Tong set off for it.
The location of the banquet was a side yard of the King Duan’s, the layout of which was of great ingenuity. Apart from Yuwen Tong, there were a lot of others invited. Yuwen Tong’s status was the highest, so naturally he became the focus of attention on his arrival.
The King Duan personally went outside to welcome him and walked him to the frontmost guest seat. “Originally I had no intention of disturbing you, Marshal, because I know you need more time to nurse your wound, but it’s been so long since I last saw you, and I miss you very much. Thank you for coming.”
The King Duan’s touchy-feely words didn’t seem to bother the others. Yuwen Tong’s countenance remained unchanged and there wasn’t even the slightest movement of his eyebrows. He just regarded the King Duan’s words as fart.
“There’ll only be fruit wine at today’s banquet, which won’t have any negative effect on your injury, Marshal. You may drink a cup or two.” The King Duan seemed to be very considerate.
Fruit wine? It was not strong, and Yuwen Tong would never get drunk on it, but as wine had nothing to do with the trick, it must be something else. Yuwen Tong remained vigilant.
The moment the banquet began, the King Duan took the lead and started flattering Yuwen Tong, and all other guests followed suit. Yuwen Tong was merely half-listening. All flattering remarks went in one ear and out the other. These people’s flattery meant nothing, and he would be a fool if he believed a single word of theirs.
Foods and drinks were sumptuous, and there was also singing and dancing. It seemed a very normal banquet that was all about eating, drinking, mutually flattering and bullshitting.
Halfway through the banquet, the King Duan still hadn’t made any particular move. Yuwen Tong was in no hurry. He was quite confident that nobody could outdo him when it came to patience.
The King Duan had been secretly observing Yuwen Tong all along, and found that Yuwen Tong was very composed and didn’t take anybody’s flattery seriously. When people talked to him, he didn’t cold-shoulder them, but it was very clear that he was offhand with them, showing no interest whatsoever. He’d tried some of the dishes but hadn’t eaten much, as though they weren’t to his liking.
Feeling that the time was ripe, the King Duan finally put down his wine cup. The singing and dancing had also stopped at this moment. He said, “It’s a little boring to have only singing and dancing. I suggest we have someone play qin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither) for entertainment. This qin master of mine might not be consummate, but his tunes are of unique artistic conception. Would you care to give it a shot?”
All of them were the King Duan’s guests, so of course nobody raised any objections.
The King Duan specially looked at Yuwen Tong. “What do you think, Marshal?”
Yuwen Tong said, “Your banquet, your call.”
The King Duan clapped his hands and had someone call the qin master in. It was a man in light turquoise robes that fitted him perfectly, slender-figured, well-featured and of a cultured demeanor. With a qin in his arms, he walked inside and made a bow to pay his respects. He had well-shaped brows and beautiful eyes, but his standing position was rather arrogant.
At first Yuwen Tong merely flicked a nonchalant glance at him, but he suddenly paused and then looked at the man again. This person’s figure, features and temperament had struck him as a trifle familiar when he’d seen him out of the corner of his eye just now.
While introducing the qin master to his guests, the King Duan unnoticeably observed Yuwen Tong. As he noticed that Yuwen Tong had a different countenance for the first time since the beginning of the banquet, a flicker of complacency crossed his eyes.
“I remember that you excel at playing a tune called Commencement of War. Since the Marshal happens to be present, I want you to play it. Maybe the Marshal will offer you some advice after hearing it.”
The young qin master shifted his gaze to Yuwen Tong, a trace of admiration and longing on his face, but his bearing was still neither servile nor bumptious, and the look in his eyes seemed to be faintly suggesting that he was a little unconvinced. These were very contradictory but also very attractive.
A servant placed a qin table in the middle. The young qin master carrying his qin sat down behind it, carefully put the qin down onto the table and started playing the tune called Commencement of War adeptly. Sometimes the notes were rising and falling in cadence, and sometimes they were vehement and exciting, bringing guests’ mind to a battlefield around which the sound of war drums and bugles mixed with yelling were resounding.
The tune seemed to have last a long time, but it also felt like a mere instant. A lot of people were still in fascination when it ended.
“Terrific! You proved yourself worthy of the King Duan’s compliment. Your performance indeed displayed the unique artistic conception of this tune!”
“Marshal, did you find it enjoyable?”
Everybody moved their eyes to Yuwen Tong at the last remark.
Slowly turning the wine cup between his fingers, Yuwen Tong tossed a glance at the qin master, seeing the King Duan out of the corner of his eye. With an inscrutably calm countenance, he remarked, “How could a tune played by a student compare with the beats on war drums on a battleground?”
