Chapter Eighty-Eight: Bringing Trouble Upon Himself

The former prime minister had just died, and the old retainers of the Han court had glimpsed what they called hope. A few days earlier, when I entered the city of Xiangyang, the soldiers at the gate had stopped each passerby one by one and searched them.

Jiang Wen fell silent for a moment, then said, “It is precisely at such a time that the Son of Heaven and those old ministers have begun to stir. They mean to bring harm to Bo Fu.”

Lu Meng nodded. “I immediately had Lu Min write for me. But since you already know of this, why did you not tell Bo Fu yourself?”

“There is some estrangement between us. I feared he would not even read a letter from me.” Jiang Wen stood up. “I should take my leave of you as well, Zi Ming. My household may already be in order by now. While I am away in Fu Chun, I hope you can help keep watch over my residence.”

“That goes without saying. Tomorrow I will send a few of my personal guards over. If anyone dares lay a hand on the Jiang estate, I’ll split their skull open!”

“Take care.”

Lu Meng bowed solemnly to Jiang Wen.

At the gate of the Jiang residence, a carriage was already waiting by the roadside. Jiang Wen’s second uncle was injured, and most of the servants in the household were elderly, so Jiang Wen left his second uncle behind in Xiangyang.

Though he had been stripped of office, the Jiang household still stood.

The escort consisted of the personal guards Sun Jian had once granted him, ten men in all. Each was sturdy and strong; though they could not compare with fierce generals, they were more than enough to handle ordinary bandits.

“Master, everything is ready!” Tao’er leaned out from the carriage, waving with a bright smile.

“Miss, hurry!” Xiao Shu ran to the front of the residence and waved inward. “Greetings, Father!”

Diao Chan emerged from the estate wearing a veiled hat, looking somewhat uneasy as she gazed at Jiang Wen. “Master, this concubine did not know...”

“If everything is packed, then mount up.” Jiang Wen said, swinging onto a horse beside him.

“Thank you, Master!” Diao Chan was secretly delighted, and climbed into the carriage as well.

“Will you not inform your foster father?”

With a smile, Diao Chan bowed. “This concubine already belongs to Master. It is Master who should be informed of everything, not this concubine’s foster father.”

Watching Diao Chan enter the carriage, Jiang Wen thought that even if she had not gone, he would have insisted she accompany him. After all, staying in Fu Chun was far better than remaining in Xiangyang.

“Set out!”

The group made their way out of Xiangyang City.

“You there, stop!”

Just as Jiang Wen reached the city gate, he was halted. The soldiers raised their weapons, and Li Le stepped out to look at him. “County magistrate, get down here.”

Jiang Wen dismounted and bowed. “May I ask what urgent matter requires the general’s attention?”

“What is your name?”

“My humble name is Jiang Wen, courtesy name Chang Su.”

Li Le glared, then said irritably, “Damn it, no wonder I couldn’t find you yesterday. You are not allowed out of the city. Go back the way you came!”

Jiang Wen replied unhurriedly, “I bear an official order from the prime minister and must travel to take up office in Fu Chun County. How could the general block my passage?”

“Go back if I tell you to go back. What all this damn nonsense? The Son of Heaven has ordered that for now, people may enter the city but not leave it!”

“Master, is something wrong?” Tao’er stepped down from the carriage. Her cheeks were rosy, her figure slender, and there was a lively charm to her, like the girl next door.

When Li Le saw this delicate beauty, his eyes could not help but gleam. “So a little petty official like you actually has such a pretty wife.”

He was about to step forward when Jiang Wen’s ten guards moved to block him. Yang Wu stepped out from the ranks and said with a stern, imposing face, “This is my lady. I ask the general to conduct himself with restraint.”

“What happened, Miss?” Diao Chan lifted the curtain and asked Xiao Shu.

“Someone seems to be making trouble for the master. Miss, please just stay inside the carriage.”

“Yang Wu, stand down.” Jiang Wen came before Li Le and bowed. “General, I carry the order of the prime minister, and the matter brooks no delay. I beg the general to allow me through.”

“A tiny county magistrate, and no delay?” Li Le laughed abruptly, licking his lips as he said, “Fine. Leave your wife here, and I’ll let you pass.”

Jiang Wen’s expression remained calm. “General, words once spoken invite disaster. I ask that you cherish yourself.”

“Disaster from words? You, a mere county magistrate, dare speak to me of that? Come now, I’m right here. Take a swing at me. Don’t stand there bleating like a weakling!”

“You are courting death!” Yang Wu stepped forward, drawing his sword. The other guards all unsheathed their blades as well.

“Don’t move, none of you move!” The city guards leveled their weapons at Yang Wu and the others, and more soldiers were gathering from all sides.

Jiang Wen went to Tao’er’s side. “Go back into the carriage.”

Tao’er nodded and returned to the compartment.

“How insolent!” Jiang Wen turned to his own guards and barked, “Put your swords away!”

Then he looked to Li Le and bowed again. “May I ask the general’s name?”

“Your grandfather’s called Li Le!”

Jiang Wen nodded, then turned and continued scolding his men. “I’ve spoiled you too much in ordinary times. How could you draw swords against General Li Le? Do you even know whether this general might be a pillar of the court? If he were hurt, would that not be neglecting the court and failing the Son of Heaven?!”

“Besides, take a good look at yourselves. Can your builds even compare with the general’s? And don’t be fooled by the general’s rather simple appearance—if he should happen to have even a little sense, and take you down on charges of rebellion, what would you do then?”

“You little county dog, you’re asking for it!”

Li Le seized his sword and glared furiously as he moved behind Jiang Wen. Jiang Wen spun around at once, wearing an apologetic smile. “General, I was only disciplining my household servants. Did I say something wrong?”

“You said your grandfather has no brains!”

Jiang Wen laughed. “The general is so imposing in appearance, one might indeed think him lacking in wit. But in truth, I can tell the general is wise beyond appearance, merely pretending to be foolish in order to bide his time and hide his light.”

“The general’s wisdom could be as vast as rivers and seas, yet at present he uses only a drop of it. Once he unleashes his full intellect, there will be no one in this world who can match him.”

Li Le’s expression eased a little. “You do know how to speak like a human being. Fine, I won’t make trouble for you. Hurry back where you came from, lest I have men escort you and make a scene of it.”

“Pfft.”

In the carriage, Diao Chan gave a soft laugh, bright and sweet to the ear.

The people around her were all suppressing smiles. Li Le looked around in confusion, then suddenly understood. Humiliated and enraged, he shouted, “You little county dog, you’ve angered your grandfather! Today I’m going to take your flesh to go with my wine!”

“I’d like to see whether you’ll be drinking with my brother, or whether I’ll be the one hanging you up for a beating.”

A warhorse stopped beside Jiang Wen and Li Le. Lu Meng leapt down from the saddle and hurled a furious punch, striking Li Le straight to the ground.

“You’re courting death!” Li Le propped himself up and lunged forward in a bear hug around Lu Meng’s waist. Lu Meng disdainfully swept out a leg, slamming a fierce kick into the bone of the other’s leg with such force that Li Le was sent flying and crashed hard onto the ground.

Li Le tried to rise, but another kick landed on his body, sending him rolling several times before he finally stopped.

“Did I tell you to get up? Weren’t you pretty arrogant just now?”

The soldiers around them stood where they were and chose to watch the spectacle.