Chapter 112: The Envoy to Chang'an
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Amid the uproar, Luo Gan, Xiao Zhi, and Yan Shan were led away. Escorted by the city guards, they walked along the streets of Chang’an without feeling the slightest shame. After all, whether they were being escorted or escorted under arrest made little difference to Luo Gan. Striding openly down the street, the three of them were the most eye-catching outsiders in the entire city.
Luo Gan instinctively checked his letter. Everything was intact and undamaged. He turned back to look at Jun Tao and Liu Bu Wen, who had come to see them off, and silently prayed that Liu Bu Wen’s selection for an official post would go smoothly. What worried him most was still Jun Tao. It was already dangerous enough for a scholar to become involved with a courtesan. Although Liu Bu Wen appeared to be a man of noble character, Luo Gan still felt uneasy about leaving the woman he cared for in someone else’s hands.
At parting, Luo Gan repeatedly confirmed all the arrangements for Jun Tao’s future: what she should do during the competition, whether there was anyone who could look after her, and whether, after the grand contest ended, she should return to Anping County or remain temporarily in Chang’an until Luo Gan and the others came back. For a moment, he found himself ridiculous. He sounded just as fussy and long-winded as he had when he once lavished attention on the goddess he was pursuing. Only after everything had been settled did Luo Gan finally agree to say goodbye.
“I have no idea what kind of good fortune you stumbled into. You were summoned by the Duke of Song, and now you’re accompanying the Duke of Ju on a diplomatic mission. You don’t look like noblemen, so where did you find such connections?” one of the guardsmen asked Luo Gan. His voice was thunderous; anyone in this line of work who spoke softly would soon be out of a job.
“What? The Duke of Ju? Who is that?”
The guardsman stared at Luo Gan in disbelief, sizing up the ignorant young pauper who clearly did not know the limits of heaven and earth.
“Well, aren’t you something? Did you all hear that?”
Several of the guardsmen burst into unrestrained laughter. Realizing that he might have offended quite a few people, Luo Gan could only laugh along awkwardly.
Winter had already turned Chang’an into a vast expanse of white. Heading toward the Turks would only bring greater cold, with no warmth to be found. The lands of the Turks were in utter turmoil, and it was already too late to wonder whether he should have prepared some weapon for self-defense.
When he looked up, he saw the residence of the Duke of Ju. The servants inside were running about in complete disorder. A man of extraordinary bearing emerged from the bedchamber. This was Tang Jian, the Duke of Ju. He was broad and easygoing, yet his stride was vigorous and imposing. Carrying several pieces of luggage, he noticed that the guards had brought a few people and walked over to take a look.
“I heard from the Duke of Song that you’re accompanying me on a diplomatic mission to the Turks?”
Luo Gan nodded and, following the usual custom, bowed. He made the angle of his bow slightly deeper, lest he leave a poor impression at their first meeting. Xiao Zhi and Yan Shan, meanwhile, had never encountered an official of such rank. Seeing one standing before them in the flesh, their legs went weak and they dropped straight to their knees. Only after seeing Luo Gan bow did they dare to rise and imitate him.
Tang Jian laughed heartily. “All these needless formalities, and you perform them so awkwardly. We’ll be setting out shortly.”
Luo Gan craned his neck toward the residence and saw that everyone inside was still rushing about, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. Cleverly, he asked, “Is there anything we can do to help Your Grace?”
Tang Jian followed Luo Gan’s gaze. Three or four servants carrying quilts had fallen down, piling on top of one another. The brand-new quilts were already covered with snow, and the servants were struggling to climb back to their feet.
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Tang Jian sighed. “It seems there is indeed.”
Several hours later, everyone had finally finished preparing. During that time, the imperial palace had sent people over repeatedly to urge them on.
After the latest messenger had left, Tang Jian could not help grumbling, “We’re already about to leave. What difference could a little more time make? Why is His Majesty in such a hurry?”
No one dared to answer. Luo Gan thought to himself that a duke of such high rank really ought to be more careful with his words.
There was one enormous carriage, accompanied by more than twenty people, including several servants from the Duke of Ju’s residence and a group of well-trained soldiers. They were there to prevent the envoys from being ambushed by disorderly troops before they even reached the Turks.
Xiao Zhi exclaimed, “What an impressive procession! This is truly magnificent!”
Tang Jian was accustomed to such displays. He snorted. “It’s perfectly normal. His Majesty fears that if something happens to the Tang envoys on the road, would that not bring shame upon the Great Tang?”
He then climbed into the carriage, drew the cloth curtain, and closed his eyes to rest, leaving Luo Gan and the others standing bewildered in the wind.
Nearby, a soldier named Qin Yang laughed, his armor clanking loudly.
“Don’t take it to heart. The Duke of Ju is simply a forthright man who pays little attention to ceremony. He meant nothing by it.”
Luo Gan looked Qin Yang over carefully. Though still young, the soldier wore his armor as if it weighed nothing. A saber hung at his waist, lending him a formidable air, while his handsome features would certainly have made him a marketable idol in the modern age.
Luo Gan said, “So that’s how it is. He certainly seems like a reliable man.”
Qin Yang only smiled without replying, and the party set out.
A bell was fastened to the front of the carriage. It rang as the horses’ hooves thundered against the road. Fortunately, Luo Gan had learned to ride during the journey from Anping County to Chang’an. Otherwise, he would have had no choice but to sit behind one of the other grown men, which would have made for quite a spectacle.
After only a short distance, they passed through several towns. Beyond the frontier, towering walls had been built to repel foreign enemies. Tang Jian climbed down from the carriage with an air of solemn righteousness. Luo Gan did not dare utter a word, waiting for him to issue his commands.
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Tang Jian looked left and right. Then he went over to a small stone by the roadside, pulled down his trousers, and relieved himself, giving everyone a needless fright.
Amid a cloud of warmth, Tang Jian noticed words carved into the stone and suddenly burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! What impoverished poet came all the way out here to compose verses? He certainly knows how to choose a place!”
Qin Yang and the other servants laughed along with him. Only after Tang Jian had finished relieving himself did the rest of them take the opportunity to do the same.
“‘Your robe is green, my heart is longing; because of you alone, I have brooded until now.’ And it’s actually a poem by Cao Cao!”
Tang Jian narrowed his eyes and examined the inscription closely.
It was naturally unlikely that Cao Cao had ever composed a poem in this place. At most, he might once have passed through it. Yet every place visited by those who came before left behind something for later generations to remember.
“If this truly is a poem by Emperor Wu of Wei, then the Duke of Ju must be an extraordinary man indeed, able to discover such an auspicious place in these remote borderlands! Our mission this time is sure to bring great fortune!”
Qin Yang surely understood that the likelihood of Emperor Wu of Wei ever having visited this place was infinitesimal. Nevertheless, his words greatly lifted the spirits of the entire party.
The Duke of Ju frowned slightly. He did not believe in auspicious omens or anything of the sort. When disaster was destined to strike, it would strike, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. But seeing how invigorated everyone around him had become, he decided that going along with the mood was the wiser choice.
Tang Jian clapped his hands and pointed in the direction ahead.
“May Emperor Wu brandish his whip and ensure that the realm of the Great Tang endures for countless generations!”
The members of the entourage fell to their knees and cried out, “Long live His Majesty!”
Luo Gan could not help thinking that they sounded like fanatical worshipers of the emperor, thanking him at every turn.
That was what he thought, but his body was rather more honest. His knees were already sliding across the floor.
They passed beyond the walls. In the distance rose steep mountains, while grasslands stretched in every direction.
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