Chapter 143: Duke Yang Su of Chu Kingdom

Hearing that it was someone from the Duke of Chu's estate, even Yuwen Huiji, who had been arrogant to the extreme, could not help but rein himself in. Duke of Chu Yang Su had been a friend of the reigning sovereign since their youth. Today, he was a grand councilor second only to the emperor and above tens of millions; let alone Yuwen Huiji, even Yuwen's own father would have to show him deferential respect.

"Is he Li Jing?" Yun Hao muttered to himself as he looked at the tall, stalwart, and effortlessly elegant figure. The man possessed a sparse beard of three strands, a broad forehead, and thick lips. His nose was straight, with the bridge flowing seamlessly up to the space between his eyebrows. Li Jing, the military prodigy of a generation, looked even more like a transcendent Daoist master if one dressed him in Daoist robes.

"Young Master Yuwen, the Duke of Chu is over there and wishes to see you. Please step this way for a moment!" Although Li Jing's tone was polite, it left no room for hesitation or refusal. It was a joke—if the Duke of Chu wished to see the Crown Prince himself, even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would have to step over for a conversation. Yuwen Huiji lacked even the courage of a tiger's gall to dare disobey.

"Oh, it has been some days since I last paid my respects to the Duke of Chu. Please lead the way; Huiji is eager to pay his respects to the Duke." Yuwen Huiji, who had just been as arrogant as a fighting bull, transformed in a split second into a Siberian husky. He was exceedingly courteous when speaking to Li Jing. He recognized Li Jing as the nephew of the renowned general Han Qinhu. Offending him would guarantee no pleasant outcome upon returning home.

"I am Chai Shao from the Duke of Tang's estate, paying my respects to Mr. Li." Seeing Li Jing, Chai Shao hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. Although both the Duke of Tang and the Duke of Chu held the rank of state dukes, their statuses were worlds apart. Regardless of power or prestige, Yang Su was a figure Li Yuan could only look up to.

"I am Qin Qiong, a banner officer from the Prince of Beiping's estate, paying my respects to Mr. Li." Since Chai Shao had bowed, Qin Qiong naturally had to follow suit.

"The two of you are here to offer birthday felicitations to the Duke of Chu, are you not? In that case, follow along! Ah, and this young friend must be the legendary Brother Hao. What a bright and perceptive child; come along as well!" Li Jing cupped his fists in return to the two men, then tossed out these casual words.

Chai Shao's pupils instantly shrank to the size of needle-eyes. How formidable the Duke of Chu was! Yun Hao was far away in Jinyang, yet Yang Su was able to gather information in Luoyang with such absolute clarity. The Duke of Tang's estate prided itself on being as secure as an iron gate-bolt, notoriously impenetrable. Yet, unexpectedly, Yang Su was fully aware of the news from Jinyang.

As for Yun Hao, he wore a look of utter bewilderment. The mere title of the Duke of Chu screamed "influential figure." Why on earth was this big shot looking for him? He prayed to the heavens it wasn't to treat an illness; if his half-baked medical skills ended up making things worse for such a person, even wishing for death would be a luxury.

"Oh! Since the Duke of Chu has summoned you, just go along, Brother Hao." Seeing Yun Hao dazed, Chai Shao tugged at his clothes. If the Duke of Chu summoned you, did you dare refuse? Were you tired of living?

Not far away stood a rather inconspicuous carriage. Ordinary though the carriage appeared, it was surrounded by rows of guards, and no one dared approach within half a step. Anyone who drew near without a summons would instantly meet a decapitated end.

Yang Su sat upright inside the carriage, closing his eyes to rest his mind. The current emperor was simply too impatient in his efforts to weaken the influence of the aristocratic clans. Back in the day, Yuwen Tai had pioneered the system of府兵 (regional military garrisons), organizing the empire's garrison troops into six armies. In the sixteenth year of the Datong era, there had even been the Eight Pillars of State, the Twelve Great Generals, and the Twenty-Four Regional Commandants. Yuwen Tai was effectively the commander-in-chief of the entire army, while Yuan Xin of the Northern Wei imperial clan held merely an empty title; the actual division and command of the garrison troops rested solely with the Six Pillars.

The Eight Pillars of State were bound together like branches of the same tree, linked through endless intermarriage. They had forged an unbreakable Guanzhong aristocratic clique. Whether it was the Northern Zhou or the current Great Sui, both were ultimately born from the military aristocracy of the Guanzhong Eight Pillars!

The nobility were originally of one body, yet the reigning emperor was determined to weaken the aristocratic clans to aggrandize imperial power. The first to suffer misfortune were the Duke of Pushan and the Duke of Tang. A mere prophetic ditty claiming that "eighteen sons shall rule the realm" had reduced two state dukes to trembling quails. Today, Li Mi wandered as an exile, while Li Yuan remained cautiously holed up in Jinyang, not daring to make the slightest unauthorized move.

Even so, the sovereign was still determined to pick a fight with Li Yuan. Yang Su refused to believe for a moment that Yuwen Huiji would have dared to provoke the Duke of Tang's estate without someone backing him up. The nobility were all of one clan—why must they slaughter one another so ruthlessly? Back then, the three states of Han, Zhao, and Wei had jointly destroyed the Zhi clan, but the one who ultimately conquered the realm was the descendant of the Ying lineage far away in the western frontier. It was the classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. If a powerful state of Jin had still existed, how could the men of Qin have ever conquered the empire?

Of the Eight Pillars of State, the only ones holding real power now were himself, the Duke of Chu, and the Duke of Bao. If Li Yuan fell, that sharp butcher's blade would soon descend upon the heads of the Yuwen and Yang families. Yuwen Shu, oh Yuwen Shu, have you truly forgotten the principle of the lips withering once the teeth are cold?

"Grandfather, Yuwen Huiji has arrived. Li Jing has also brought along someone named Chai Shao from the Duke of Tang's estate and a banner officer under the Prince of Beiping. They all say they have come to Luoyang to offer birthday greetings to you." Yang Su's grand-nephew, Yang Xiong, said respectfully from outside the carriage.

"What birthday greetings are these! Ah, human beings! In their youth, everyone is eager to celebrate their birthdays, but as they age, celebrating birthdays becomes the very thing they dread most. Unawares, I have reached the age where one hears a word and understands its truth. I am old! Good for nothing anymore!" Yang Su sighed heavily from inside the carriage, as if reminiscing about days gone by. Hearing him speak thus, both Chai Shao and Qin Qiong wore rather awkward expressions, not knowing how to respond to such a remark.

"Oh! Right, what was that child's name again...?" Yang Su's voice rang out abruptly once more. Yang Xiong hurriedly replied, "His name is Yun Hao!"

"Ah, yes! Yun Hao. Truly, I am getting old. Has he arrived?" Yang Su's voice sounded again.

"He's calling you!" Chai Shao hurriedly gave Yun Hao a push, his heart drumming incessantly. He had no idea what scheme Yang Su was plotting.

***

Meanwhile, Yuwen Huiji's body trembled visibly. He looked at Yun Hao and lowered his head deep into his chest. If his old man ever found out about today's business, he would likely be given a severe thrashing.

"This junior pays respects to the Duke of Chu!" Before becoming a big shot oneself, one must always respect the current big shots. Yun Hao bowed respectfully to Yang Su; even apart from the man's advanced age, his status alone warranted such a bow from him.

"Let him come up!" Yang Su's voice sounded once more. Aside from Chai Shao and Qin Qiong, no one else dared to make a sound. In their hearts, they were filled with wonder: just what manner of person was this boy that he could command the inquiries of the Duke of Chu? Furthermore, no matter how one looked at it, the child was not even ten years old—what kind of monstrous prodigy was he?

"Little brother, please!" Yang Xiong offered an invitation, yet he hoisted Yun Hao up and tossed him directly onto the carriage shafts. Left with no choice, Yun Hao steeled his nerves, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped inside!

The hazy sunlight failed to penetrate the silk of the carriage windows, yet it illuminated the interior brightly enough. Seated cross-legged opposite Yun Hao was an elderly man with grey-white hair and beard. His eyes were deeply socketed, a typical Western-featured gaze recessed within his brows. His forehead was somewhat narrow, but the bridge of his nose was straight. His skin was exceptionally fair, revealing that the old fellow possessed non-Han nomadic ancestry.

Following centuries of the Five Barbarians turmoil, the Han bloodline had been hopelessly blurred. Many of the Great Sui's nobility were precisely these sinicized nomadic peoples. Of course, there were also plenty of nomadized Han Chinese.

"You are Yun Hao?" Yang Su opened his eyes, and Yun Hao immediately felt as though those two gazes possessed physical substance, piercing into his heart like hooks. It felt as though any secret hidden in his mind would be completely penetrated by those eyes.

"This junior is indeed he!" Yun Hao hurriedly bowed once more. The person before him was an unalloyed titan—a figure in the Great Sui second only to the emperor and above millions.

"Truly a bright and perceptive child! Come here, come over!" Yang Su clearly favored Yun Hao, whose lips were red and teeth white. In truth, no one could possibly dislike a porcelain-doll-like child such as this.

Yun Hao was momentarily caught off guard, hesitating before taking a single step forward.

"Come here, child, I don't bite!" A smile touched the corners of Yang Su's eyes, and although his gaze remained sharp, a tiny sliver of goodwill seemed to ripple within it.

"Oh!" Yun Hao had no choice but to walk right up to Yang Su, sitting down properly in a seiza position upon the carriage floorboards.

"I hear you possess medical skills?"

"Mm!" Yun Hao nodded, though his heart was hammering. What if this old fellow asked him to diagnose an illness? How would he handle that?

"Rest assured, this old man knows his own body. You needn't be nervous; I haven't asked you here to treat me." Yang Su seemed to pierce straight through Yun Hao's anxious thoughts, fixing his eyes on the boy as he spoke.

Yun Hao felt as though he was about to be stripped bare by that gaze—no, those eyes could even pierce through his flesh and blood, seemingly able to see straight through his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. My good heavens, was that pair of eyes actually an X-ray machine?

"From whom did you learn medicine?"

"This junior learned from a barefoot doctor in my hometown." Yun Hao let out a deep sigh. One lie required countless more to cover it up. With no other choice, he would simply stick to the story he had told Li Yuan earlier.

"Ah, a barefoot doctor! Then your resurrection from the dead must certainly be thanks to that barefoot doctor's handiwork!" Yang Su's carriage was somehow heated to a cozy warmth, yet Yun Hao felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss. Good heavens, he had thought he concealed the matter well, but just how had this old man found out about his resurrection from the dead?

Since this old codger had already investigated him down to his roots, he might as well confess honestly. In this era, surely they wouldn't subject him to vivisection for research...? "This junior never actually died; it was merely a state of suspended animation. I simply recovered after a period of time. However, my clansmen coveted my family's land and stubbornly insisted on burning me to death. Because of this, my mother and I fled for our lives to the ends of the earth. Fortuitously, we received the compassion of the Duke of Tang, which is how we finally found a place to settle down."

"That boy Li Yuan struck gold; he is truly a fortunate fellow. When he was young, his mother took him mulberry-picking, and even the sunbeams begrudged shining on him. But you aren't lacking in popularity yourself, boy—someone like Shan Xiongxin actually holds you in high regard. Extraordinary, truly extraordinary! It seems having a handsome shell is still rather important after all." Yang Su chuckled and playfully pinched Yun Hao's cheek.

"Second Master Shan merely saw that this junior was helping Uncle Qin during a moment of crisis, so he extended a hand. It can hardly be called holding me in high regard; people of the jianghu value loyalty above all else. Second Master Shan simply wished to repay that favor on Uncle Qin's behalf!"

"Oho, you certainly have a sharp tongue! It has been many years since children your age dared to speak to me like this. One by one, they stand trembling, heads shaking and hands quaking like quails—all of them utterly useless. Who taught you how to read?"

"There was a private school in our village that taught a few characters, though I have read very few classical texts!" Yun Hao spoke the truth. Although literacy could be taught in this era, it was generally limited to introductory primers. Books were exceedingly rare commodities during these times, and scholarship was a monopoly tightly held by the great aristocratic families. The Guanzhong military nobility excelled in military strategy and martial arts, yet they were far inferior to the Shandong gentry when it came to learning. The two sides maintained a relative balance through their division of civil and military spheres.

"Alas...! Village schools mislead people! A bright and perceptive child like you ought to read more books. When you become a pillar of our Great Sui in the future, your talents won't be buried. Since you have read books, can you compose poetry?"

Everyone outside the carriage furrowed their brows. What kind of poetry could an eight-year-old child possibly compose?

"I cannot!" Yun Hao answered honestly. Poetry was far too profound an art; he had better refrain from showing off!

"Pfft...!" Outside the carriage, Yuwen Huiji could not help letting out a laugh. He had never understood why the Duke of Chu placed such high value on a mere child. Now, hearing the Duke test the boy on poetry, he had intended to listen attentively, only for Yun Hao to baldly reply that he couldn't.

"Who is giggling out there?" Yang Su asked in a deep voice.

"Replying to the Duke's words, this junior Yuwen Huiji pays respects to the Duke." Hearing Yang Su's inquiry, Yuwen Huiji hurriedly bowed and spoke.

"Oh, so it is Huiji! How is your father's health?"

"Replying to the Duke, my father's health is still considered hale and hearty. Thank you for your kind concern, Duke." Hearing Yang Su inquire after Yuwen Shu's health, Yuwen Huiji immediately adopted a respectful attitude to reply.

"Mm! Your old man's health is indeed better than that of an old codger like me. The fifteenth day of the first month is my birthday, and among the descendants of the Eight Pillars of State, he is the only one currently in Luoyang. Pass along a word to him for me: I invite him to share a cup of wine and enjoy some fellowship to renew our familial bonds." The families of the Eight Pillars of State were all intermarried; if one dug deep enough into the genealogy, they were all bound by some familial relation.

"Understood! This junior will definitely convey the Duke's words!" Yuwen Huiji failed to grasp Yang Su's deeper meaning and could only bow in assent.

Chai Shao's mouth twitched to the side. If Yuwen Huiji truly relayed those words to his old man upon returning home, his legs would likely be broken. Yang Su was using Yuwen Huiji's mouth to warn Yuwen Shu that if the descendants of the Eight Pillars continued slaughtering one another like this, the day when the Yuwen and Yang families were cast out of the Great Sui's center of power would not be far off. Failing to understand even this much, Yuwen Huiji truly was an utter blockhead.

"Mm! Be on your way!" Hearing Yuwen Huiji's assent, Yang Su dismissed the fellow.

"Child, you and I share a remarkable affinity. How about coming to study at the Yang family's private academy?" Before Chai Shao could even revel in his thoughts for a few seconds, a basin of freezing water was dumped straight over his head. Yang Su was poaching talent in broad daylight; in the struggles between aristocratic clans, nothing was more important than talent. No one could tell what kind of tree a sapling like Yun Hao would grow into, but planting him in one's own family nursery could never be wrong.

"This junior serves as a medical officer in the Jinyang garrison command, and the Duke of Tang provides quite generous remuneration. Besides, this junior has already started a family in Jinyang and doesn't particularly wish to live in Luoyang." Yun Hao's heart thumped anxiously, terrified that Yang Su might resort to coercion. Who the hell wanted to come to your Yang family? After your death, your son Yang Xuangans would rebel and drag your entire clan straight into their graves! Enjoying your family's prosperity and wealth now would only mean paying with his life down the road. Why on earth would defecting to the Yang family ever compare to the Li family, who were destined to claim the imperial throne in the future?

"Oh! Your answer catches this old man quite by surprise. Very well! A forced melon is never sweet; since the falling blossoms have no intent, one cannot blame the flowing stream for being heartless. Fare you well!" Having failed to win him over, Yang Su's tone chilled rapidly. Given his status and prestige as the Duke of Chu today, failing to recruit a mere child made Yang Su feel rather ashamed.