Chapter 127: The Myriad Facets of Life

Unable to find Master Du and left with nowhere to seek justice, Erhu and Uncle De were filled with anxiety; the future of the entire village rested upon their shoulders.

It was no coincidence that such an incredibly difficult task fell to them. Because they had traveled to Anping County several times and returned boasting about their connections with various officials, they had inadvertently become the village’s only hope.

Erhu leaned his back against the city wall, locking eyes with Uncle De, at a complete loss for what to do.

"Ever since Ah Luo and the others left," Erhu said, "so many things have happened in Anping County that they surely know nothing about."

"Zhang Jifeng has seized power," Uncle De replied, "tossing Li Buer into prison and making Shorty Huang the jailer. It is truly a cold-blooded move designed to crush one’s spirit."

"I don’t care how these people fight among themselves," Erhu muttered. "It has nothing to do with us. Whoever takes power, none of them will ever treat the common folk any better."

"That is just your youth talking," Uncle De sighed.

Erhu’s temper flared. "Then tell me, Uncle De, what other choice do we have!"

"One must act according to the times," Uncle De said calmly. "Zhang Jifeng holds the power now, and if we go to Magistrate Wang, he has nothing left to leverage."

"It’s all those local tyrants!" Erhu spat. "A bunch of greedy, pig-headed fools! To think they were bold enough to conspire with so many factions just to topple Wang Gemao."

"Indeed," Uncle De agreed. "Which is exactly why those are the very people we must seek out."

In Chang'an, the heavy snow had mostly melted. While the warmth of spring had not yet arrived, the skies were largely clear. Liu Buwen waited anxiously at home for the posting of the examination results, as they would determine the path of his future.

During his idle time, Liu Buwen had not spent his days in the pleasure houses, contrary to what his surname might imply. Instead, he wandered throughout the city of Chang'an, observing its market management, the conditions of the people, and its urban planning. By traversing the vast city inside and out, he had mentally mapped out a new town, witnessing the hardships of the populace and coming to understand the true significance of serving as an official for the people.

Finally, the officials arrived to post the results. Liu Buwen had made the list, selected to proceed to the second round of the Ministry of Personnel examinations. He let out a long breath of relief; after ten years of bitter study, he had finally taken a step forward.

The scholar was overjoyed and went everywhere searching for Juntao to share the good news. However, Juntao was out performing and not at the brothel. Overwhelmed with excitement and having no one to tell, Liu Buwen had a sudden thought: Luo Gan had secured the help of the Duke of Song, so surely he ought to pay a visit to thank his benefactor?

Upon stepping into the Duke of Song’s residence, Xiao Yu seemed indifferent, yet he still received Liu Buwen.

"Benefactor, it is only through your kind care that I was able to make the list. Liu Buwen is eternally grateful!"

"It has little to do with me," Xiao Yu replied. "I merely placed your name among the pool of candidates for the imperial selection."

Liu Buwen was deeply moved, his joy causing him to grow a bit presumptuous. "This way, my status as the descendant of a Sui Dynasty official can finally be legitimized."

Xiao Yu looked at the naive young man before him with dissatisfaction, suddenly finding him laughable. "Do you think there are few officials from the Sui Dynasty in the current court?"

"There are some, but surely they are not well-regarded," Liu Buwen ventured.

Xiao Yu walked over to Liu Buwen, allowing the young man to see his weary, aged face clearly. "Look at me. My sister was the Empress of Emperor Yang, yet I have not been slighted. The Duke of Zheng, Wei Zheng, was once a staffer for Li Jiancheng and even advised him to eliminate the current Sage Emperor. He was captured and spoke his mind without reservation. And look at where he stands now."

Liu Buwen was shocked. "So, the Duke of Zheng... he actually had such a background?"

Xiao Yu shook his head. "They say scholars only read their classics and ignore the world outside their windows. Surely you don’t truly believe your family background would have such an impact on the imperial examinations?"

A lump formed in Liu Buwen’s throat, leaving him unable to speak.

"You failed before because your talent was not yet enough," Xiao Yu continued. "You passed this time because it is now sufficient. That is all. However, I did hear that the Duke of Zheng participated in the review process this time."

Liu Buwen was astonished. Could it be that the Duke of Zheng, whom he had met only twice, had helped him at such a critical moment?

"Do not read too much into it," Xiao Yu warned. "Wei Zheng found your paper interesting and passed it to Liu Linfu to review. Both felt it was good, and that is why you were chosen. Once you become an official, you must think of the people. You are not to indulge in self-pity over your own minor affairs, nor are you to give up on yourself."

Liu Buwen bowed deeply. "I will take your teachings to heart, Duke of Song."

"There is one more examination. If you do not wish to waste everyone’s good intentions, you must perform well and eventually earn your success."

Back in Dingxiang, the snow had not yet finished falling. Luo Gan was anxious, longing to return to Chang'an to see Juntao and desperate to know if Liu Buwen had achieved his goal.

Despite this, unable to shake his inner restlessness, Luo Gan and Yanshan went out to find some amusement, while Xiaozhi remained at their lodging, tinkering with his wood carvings, claiming they were nearly finished.

"Brother Xiaozhi," Yanshan asked, "can those things really be of any use?"

"One must consider the long term," Luo Gan replied. "Quality works of art will always find their purpose."

Yanshan spotted a weapons shop, picked up a sword, and swung it through the air. "The President is certainly broad-minded. Don't you think wood carvings are far less useful than a long sword?"

"A sword will eventually rust," Luo Gan said, "but art can endure."

"I don't quite understand," Yanshan muttered. "Anyway, I still think weapons or even some good food and wine would be more practical."

Luo Gan smiled and pointed to a tavern, and the two walked inside.

A boisterous and cheerful Hu woman greeted them. "What will you have, travelers?"

Luo Gan looked around at what others were eating—mostly mutton, the grass-fed sheep raised by the Hu people—and figured it would be quite tasty.

"Two liang of mutton, please."

The Hu woman did not quite understand, gesturing with her hands. Luo Gan nodded and gestured back, helping her understand the approximate amount before she headed to the kitchen. Luo Gan noticed Yanshan’s gaze fixed on a nearby jar of wine.

"Yanshan, you were always talking about coming to the Turkic lands to see the Hu women. Why now that we are here, do you seem so uninterested?"

"It’s not that," Yanshan replied. "I just have things I need to do, and the women don't seem so important anymore."

The Hu woman returned with a few assistants, serving the roasted mutton. Yanshan and Luo Gan each took a bite, finding the flavor a bit too salty.

"The Hu people have such heavy palates," Yanshan noted.

"Perhaps because they live in the wilderness for so long," Luo Gan said, "the food is bland to them, so they no longer pay much attention to the culinary arts."

The two were famished. Fortunately, they had scraped together some travel funds from Empress Xiao to get by. Although one large piece of meat was enough for both of them, as they ate, they felt the harshness of life in Dingxiang.

"Compared to Chang'an," Yanshan remarked, "this is like the difference between heaven and earth."

"That is why people prefer to flock to the great cities," Luo Gan said. "The conditions are always better."

Tearing off another piece of mutton, the two drank the accompanying broth, finding its flavor surprisingly rich and fresh.