Chapter 037: Unafraid of Trouble

Seeing Li Bi behaving mysteriously, Li Zaixing said nothing, simply following him outside. They did not stop to admire any murals; instead, Li Zaixing led Li Bi straight up to the bell tower.

“This place is secluded, perfect for conversation.”

Li Bi was pleased. He gazed down at Li Linfu’s estate, spent a moment in silent gratitude, then suddenly said, “Brother, weren’t you eager to join the army? I’ve found a way for you.”

“What way?”

“The Dragon Martial Army is currently recruiting new soldiers.” Li Bi smiled. “With your martial skills, passing the examination should be no trouble.”

Li Zaixing was familiar with the Dragon Martial Army from Li Bi’s prior descriptions. Unlike the Sixteen Guards, the Dragon Martial Army was subordinate to the Imperial Feathered Forest Army. Its origins lay with the Hundred Riders Guard established by Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin; it grew to a thousand, then ten thousand, and in the twenty-sixth year of the Kaiyuan era, it was officially named the Dragon Martial Army. This unit formed the backbone of the imperial guard and was currently its strongest contingent.

Of course, “strongest” was only relative to the Sixteen Guards of the southern palace, whose reputation had long since faded. The imperial guards were mostly sons of bureaucrats, with some recruited from the streets—excellent at brawling, but likely a mess on the battlefield. With elite troops stationed at the borders, the imperial guards served primarily as the emperor’s ceremonial entourage, rarely seeing combat. Thus, there was little risk of deployment, yet proximity to the throne and connections with noble families were assured. The pay was generous; from any perspective, joining the Dragon Martial Army was an excellent choice. Without Li Bi’s proactive offer, someone like Li Zaixing—of uncertain background—would have had no chance, or even knowledge, of such an opportunity.

Suddenly, Li Zaixing thought of Xie Dalang, who was stranded and forced to wander the rivers and lakes. “Could there be another spot?”

Li Bi was puzzled. Li Zaixing explained Xie Dalang’s situation, and Li Bi, with some regret, replied, “It shouldn’t be a problem, but his origins are unclear—could that cause trouble?”

“Even if there’s trouble, he’s a man of principle,” Li Zaixing said with a smile. “Though he’s taken up the life of a wanderer, he still adheres to a code—‘even thieves have principles.’ I believe he has stronger boundaries than most.”

Seeing Li Zaixing’s insistence, Li Bi agreed to make arrangements and asked Li Zaixing to inform Xie Dalang to prepare for the examination. He then inquired about Li Zaixing’s recent activities. Upon hearing that Li Zaixing had competed in pitch-pot with Wang Zhun and forced Wang Zhun to imitate a dog’s bark, Li Bi’s expression became complicated.

“Do you know who Wang Zhun is?”

“I don’t know his identity, but he was clearly arrogant.”

“Since you knew he was arrogant, why provoke him?” Li Bi’s smile grew bitter. “Wang Zhun’s father is Wang Hong, of the Taiyuan Wang clan—ruthless, unscrupulous for power. To be promoted, he followed Li Linfu’s orders and destroyed his cousin and friend Yang Shenjin’s family. To please the emperor, he extorts and exploits without restraint.”

“If I’m not mistaken, the Eleventh Young Lord should be Wang Xun. His father, Wang You, is of the same clan. His mother is Princess Anding, daughter of the late Emperor Zhongzong, of noble birth, while Wang Hong’s mother was of humble origins. Thus, the two aren’t close. After Wang Hong gained power, he humiliated Wang You repeatedly. Wang You married Princess Yongmu, eldest daughter of the current emperor; both are virtuous, but have long suffered bullying from Wang Hong and his son. Wang You passed away last year, and Princess Yongmu requested to become a nun, turning her residence into a temple.”

Li Bi moved to the southwest corner of the bell tower, pointing to an estate in the southwest of Pingkang Ward. “That’s Princess Yongmu’s residence, now called Wan’an Temple. She gave up worldly life for peace, but even so, Wang Hong and his son won’t leave her alone, constantly stirring trouble. Why provoke people like them?”

“So arrogant?” Li Zaixing was shocked. To bully one’s own kin was already heartless; to bully a princess was brazen, surpassing his understanding. Weren’t princesses supposed to be domineering? Why was Princess Yongmu so gentle? Thinking back to Wang Xun’s refined demeanor at yesterday’s banquet, Li Zaixing was left speechless.

“Now that you know, is it too late?”

“Not at all. In fact, you’re right on time.” Li Zaixing smiled. “I specialize in handling people like him.”

Li Bi immediately regretted his words. He had forgotten that the person before him never feared trouble—only that trouble wasn’t big enough.

...

After Li Bi left, Li Zaixing lingered on the bell tower for some time. He felt things were growing complicated. Li Bi’s enthusiasm for getting him into the Dragon Martial Army seemed more than just helping him find a path. Though he’d always claimed he wanted to join the army, he’d never asked Li Bi for help, since his real purpose in coming to Chang’an was to uncover the truth of his origins; joining the army was only a pretext. Even if Li Bi believed him, this arrangement made little sense—the imperial guard would never see combat, advancement by merit was impossible, and everything hinged on family connections. Why would Li Bi want him in the imperial guard?

Unable to puzzle out Li Bi’s motives, Li Zaixing decided to stop thinking about it. Descending the tower, he found Chongniang already awake, eating breakfast with Du Zongwen. The meal was simple, mostly vegetarian, with boiled eggs as the most nutritious item. But Chongniang was cheerful, playing with Du Zongwen as she ate, her cheeks flushed, blue eyes shining.

Yang watched quietly from the side, smiling gently, though tinged with worry.

“I’m going out for a while. Stay home and don’t wander,” Li Zaixing said.

Before he could finish, Chongniang put down her bowl, ran over, and clung to his leg, shaking it desperately. “No, I want to go out with you. Staying home is so boring—I want to go out!”

Li Zaixing was helpless. The child must have been cooped up too long; whenever a chance to go outside arose, she refused to stay home. He had no choice but to ask Yang to loosen her hair and tie it in a boyish style, then dress her in Du Zongwen’s clothes—her own rainbow-feathered dress was far too conspicuous—transforming her into a delicate, jade-carved little boy. Her eyes couldn’t be disguised, so they adjusted her makeup, following Aier Meidi’s advice: adding eye shadow to make her face more angular, resembling a foreign child. Only then did he take her out.

Chongniang was likely venturing out for the first time, utterly excited; her eyes darted everywhere—left, right, front, back. When Li Zaixing brought her to the liveliest part of Pingkang Lane, where the famed courtesans, freshly dressed, leaned out their windows to exchange glances with passing youths, she nearly jumped off her horse.

“So many beautiful sisters!” Chongniang clapped her hands, exclaiming in delight.

“No talking.” Li Zaixing urged Lu Hu, “Go find out where Zhang Wan is, but don’t alert anyone else.”

Lu Hu understood perfectly. Yesterday, Li Zaixing had chased after Xie Dalang, missing the final argument between the Yang and Zheng families, but Lu Hu had witnessed everything. Yang Miaor and Zheng Juju had both fainted, and Li Zaixing’s departure, radiating a chilling aura, had become legendary gossip among the idle courtesans, spreading rapidly.

Though Li Zaixing hoped to slip quietly into the lane, his famous Teler horse drew attention; he was quickly recognized, and the chatter began.

“Isn’t that Li Lang who wrote ‘I cannot see Mount Lu’s true face’ yesterday?”

“Yes, yes, that’s the Teler horse—I recognize it.”

“Oh, so it’s him! He’s truly handsome—no wonder Yang Miaor and Zheng Juju both fainted fighting over him. If only he’d write a poem for me, I’d probably swoon as well.”

“In my opinion, ‘I cannot see Mount Lu’s true face’ is good, but ‘Heavy or light makeup suits her well’ is even better. Zheng Juju must have some luck to be so praised—how enviable!”

“No way, I’ll invite this young lord in and win the top prize…”

“Top prize? With that little foreign boy sitting on his horse, it seems Li Lang isn’t interested in women, but prefers boys. No wonder Yang Miaor and Zheng Juju both lost out yesterday.”

“...”

Hearing the women grow ever more brazen and outrageous, Li Zaixing struggled to keep his composure and urged Lu Hu to hurry away. Lu Hu, sensing trouble brewing, quickly found Zhang Wan’s residence, grabbed the horse, and dashed off.

Only Chongniang was reluctant to leave, pouting and mumbling.

Zhang Wan lived east of the Third Alley, behind Yanghua Temple, in the lowest and dampest part of Pingkang Ward. The winding lanes here were nothing like the wide, orderly main streets; low houses, narrow roads, chamber pots on either side, disheveled women, children in rags or barefoot running wild—a true slum. Who would have guessed that Li Linfu’s mansion stood barely a hundred paces away?

Zhang Wan’s home was at the corner, a shabby hut. The door was so low that Li Zaixing had to dismount with Chongniang in his arms to avoid bumping his head.

Seeing Li Zaixing, Zhang Wan grew nervous but refused to lose face, forcing himself to say, “What brings you here?”

Li Zaixing was surprised. “Didn’t Xie Dalang tell you? Pingkang Ward is mine now.”

Zhang Wan was shocked and angry. “You… beat Xie Dalang?”

“Is that so surprising?” Li Zaixing shrugged calmly, surveying Zhang Wan’s dilapidated home. “Will you follow me, or stick with Xie Dalang? If you’re with me, things are simple—just keep working as before, but take orders from me. If you’d rather stay loyal to Xie Dalang, that’s fine, but from now on, walk lightly in Pingkang Ward and don’t stir up trouble. Otherwise, every time I see you, I’ll beat you.”

Zhang Wan frowned, asking again, “You really beat Xie Dalang?”

“Don’t believe it?” Li Zaixing was a bit annoyed. “Can you walk? Let’s go to Qujiang Pool and ask Xie Dalang to clarify.”

“Alright.” Zhang Wan’s eyes held doubts. He tidied himself, then followed Li Zaixing out. Passing Pingkang Ward’s east gate, Li Zaixing suddenly had a thought, pointing to the northeast corner of Li Linfu’s mansion. “Does Xie Dalang often come here?”