Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 189 Gao Yan Visits Qian Liu in the Snow

In the early spring of the sixth year of the Qianfu era, Gao Yan suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhu Wen in the mountains south of Quzhou.

After much painful reflection, Gao Yan came to the same conclusion as Zhu Wen.

The lack of infantry command ability caused Gao Yan to fail to withstand Zhu Wen's raid on the camp. If Gao Yan had not acted quickly and cleverly, setting fire to block Zhu Wen's pursuit and saving the Changwu Cavalry, which his uncle Gao Pian cherished, at the cost of thousands of barbarian lives, his career as a general would probably have been ruined.

Gao Yan would not belittle himself because of this. In his view, a commander's ability to command generals is more important than his ability to command soldiers.

Even so, in the mountainous south, Takahiko certainly needed a general who was better at commanding infantry to assist him.

The candidate was easy to find; the other side had already created considerable momentum. In the streets and alleys of Zhejiang and Jiangsu, one could often hear storytellers recounting tales of how troops were stationed for eight hundred li, scaring away Huang Chao's tens of thousands of troops.

Moreover, this person doesn't have the habit of putting on airs, so Gao Yan doesn't need to visit him three times.

When a cold snap blanketed Hangzhou, bringing rare spring snow to the south, Gao Yan, dressed in a loose-fitting fur coat, arrived uninvited, treading on the snow-covered ground.

When Qian Liu was born, he was almost thrown into a well by his father to drown because of his ugly appearance. He was saved because of his grandmother's love and pity, and was given the nickname Po Liu.

Gao Yan had already learned from Dong Chang, the general of Shijing Town, that Qian Liu was not good-looking, so he was relieved when he actually met him.

It wasn't as ugly as I imagined; it was just a wide face that looked like a flattened crab.

Moreover, Gao Yan had only spent half a cup of tea's time with him, but he found his face increasingly pleasing to the eye.

When Gao Yan entered, he was sweating profusely and had a dry mouth because he had been competing in archery with Dong Chang in the forest.

Even though he tried his best to appear as an elegant and leisurely young master from a noble family, Qian Liu still noticed the beads of sweat inside Gao Yan's collar.

Qian Liu was brewing tea at the time, but instead of giving the tea directly to Gao Yan, he filled a rough earthenware bowl with more than half a bowl of cold water. Gao Yan took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. His thirst was relieved, and he immediately felt a cool breeze under his armpits.

Next, Qian Liu changed to a white porcelain cup and poured in warm tea with a little salt added.

Gao Yan had already quenched his thirst; the warm tea warmed his spleen and lungs.

Qian Liu then served Gao Yan a small cup of fragrant tea. Gao Yan sipped it slowly, savoring the lingering aroma and finding it endlessly delightful.

"Ju-mei comes from a military background, so she brews excellent tea," Gao Yan remarked.

Qian Liu, courtesy name Jumei, was, much like Huo Qubing, a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, a son who embodied his parents' hopes and dreams.

"Not at all," Qian Liu laughed. "My tea-making skills are just average, far inferior to Senior Brother Yang Xingmi."

When he spoke, his expression was cheerful and he exuded a confident air that made even his unremarkable appearance seem more pleasing to the eye.

Gao Yan carefully observed Qian Liu's expression and found that the other man's smile was pure and there was not a trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Although Qian Liu came from a humble background, it was not surprising that he was a true disciple of the Hidden Sword Manor, knew some poetry and literature, and was good at making tea.

However, Qian Liu's tea-making skills were indeed mediocre, far from being his forte, and his words were not meant to be modest.

The reason why these three cups of tea tasted so wonderful was because Qian Liu had put his meticulous attention to detail into them.

Gao Yan was also an extremely intelligent person, so he naturally discovered the key to it.

But he asked knowingly, "Now that I've quenched my thirst, I'd like to know what's different about these three cups of tea? Why did Gu Mei serve three different cups of tea?"

Qian Liu readily replied, "When General Yanwei first entered, his skin was sweating. If I had given him hot tea, it would not have quenched his thirst but would have been too hot for him to handle. So I served him a bowl of cool water."

"The cold water is very thirst-quenching, but you should take care of your health after drinking it, as drinking more can easily harm your body. So I served you warm tea and carefully observed your reaction. Only when I saw that you had gradually adapted did I dare to serve you the freshly brewed tea."

"Hahaha... What a wonderful three-time tea ceremony! No wonder Dong Chang praised you as a talent fit for a king's advisor! He was right."

Qian Liu smiled nonchalantly: "General Dong treated me like a brother. In the past, he spent all his family fortune to raise troops and train soldiers to serve the country, and he took me, his unworthy younger brother, as his right-hand man. It is inevitable that he would use some flattery to praise me, his incompetent younger brother."

Gao Yan took a sip of tea and pondered for a moment: "Has Ju Mei heard the story of Ai Tai?"

Qian Liu replied, "How could I not have heard of the characters in the 'De Chong Fu' chapter of Zhuangzi?"

Even though Gao Yan's status was far higher than his own, Qian Liu was not always humble; he also occasionally showed his knowledge and confidence.

The name "Aitai" comes from a fable told by Zhuangzi.

Duke Ai of Lu asked Confucius, “There is a wicked man in Wei named Ai Tai Tuo. Men who associate with him yearn for him and cannot bear to leave; women who see him plead with their parents, saying, ‘I would rather be my husband’s concubine than his wife,’ and this goes on dozens of times. No one has ever heard him sing; he merely echoes others… I summoned him to see him, and indeed, his wickedness terrified the world. He lived with me for less than a month, yet I developed an interest in his character; less than a year, yet I trusted him. The state had no minister, yet I entrusted the kingdom to him. He responded only after a moment of bewilderment, his words flowing like a lament. I was ashamed, and finally gave him the kingdom. Not long after, he left me. I grieved as if I had lost something, as if I had no one to share joy with in this state. What kind of man is he!”

“If you’ve heard that, then things will be easier.” Gao Yan’s eyes suddenly revealed a mischievous glint: “Ju Mei’s words sound quite like Ai Tai’s. I suppose she’s just as lucky with women as Mr. Ai Tai.”

In Zhuangzi's story, because Ai Tai's voice was so pleasant to hear, many women, upon seeing him, would plead with their parents, "Rather than be someone else's wife, I'd rather be Ai Tai's concubine." This, of course, is merely Zhuangzi's allegorical description of the allure of a virtuous man, not dependent on appearance, and should not be equated with reality. "General, you jest," Qian Liu said self-deprecatingly, "How can I compare to the virtuous men in Zhuangzi's writings? I only have one fiancée. Ordinary women, upon seeing my appearance, would all flee in terror. Fortunately, I have such a good girl who has remained devoted to me."

Gao Yan had heard Dong Chang mention this girl before; she was the daughter of Wu Zhongxin, the judge of the Zhejiang West Circuit.

He clapped his hands and said, "I never expected Gu Mei to be such a devoted lover! But with Gu Mei's talent, it won't be difficult for her to rise to prominence in the future. At that time, in order to ensure 'a continuous line of descendants and prosperity,' she will inevitably have to take in many concubines. With a house full of beauties, can Gu Mei still maintain her original heart?"

This was a rather tricky question, and Qian Liu couldn't answer by saying that he would never take a concubine in his life. What if he couldn't keep that promise in the future? Wouldn't that become a laughing stock in other people's ears?

"The ancient sages established etiquette, distinguishing between wives and concubines. To favor a concubine over one's wife is impolite. No matter what, my beloved wife will always be the most beautiful flower in my heart. Even if other women enter the house, I will make them behave themselves and not let them disrupt the proper etiquette."

"A man can be passionate, but he's not promiscuous. Beyond true love, others are merely tools or playthings." Gao Yan patted Qian Liu on the shoulder: "Truly a fine man!"

Qian Liu's answer did indeed align with the moral and ethical views of a scion of a prominent family like Gao Yan.

Gao Yan added, "My words were merely a jest. Ju Mei, please don't take them to heart."

He knew perfectly well that Qian Liu was well-read and a top student of the Hidden Sword Manor, far superior to ordinary soldiers, yet he still referred to Qian Liu as "from a military background," a subtle but veiled insult. Qian Liu, however, remained composed and gentle, neither arrogant nor servile, leaving Gao Yan with no room for criticism.

Gao Yan didn't bother asking the last question and went straight to the point: "The bandits are about to plunder Lingnan. My uncle has already submitted a memorial to the court requesting that I, Gao, be the chief general to march south and join forces with Li Tiao and other garrisons in Guangzhou to quell the rebellion. Would you be willing to lend me a hand?"

The next moment, Gao Yan finally saw a flicker of joy in Qian Liu's eyes: "General Meng Yanwei has shown me favor, I would gladly die for him!"

Gao Yan laughed loudly: "You're too polite, Ju Mei. We're all serving the country. How could I treat this as a personal favor? If we work together, we'll bring down Huang Chao, Zhu Wen, and their gang of traitors to the Northern Capital. Then, fame and fortune will be within our grasp. That's what it means to live up to a man's lifelong ambition!"

After bidding farewell to Qian Liu that night, Gao Yan found Dong Chang, and the two drank together in the snow-covered courtyard.

Dong Chang came from a wealthy family and had considerable assets. He organized local militias when Wang Ying rebelled and was promoted by Pei Qu, the former military governor of Zhenhai. However, he was uneducated and spoke crudely, unlike Qian Liu, who had a basic understanding of classical Chinese texts.

Gao Yan didn't bother with any airs of a noble family to Dong Chang. He simply patted Dong Chang's shoulder forcefully and said loudly, "Young Master Qian Liu from the Dong family is truly a remarkable man! This campaign to defeat the bandits in the south deserves a lot of credit from you, General Dong."

"Brother Dong, there's no need to worry that Gao won't return the money. Gao borrowed Qian from Brother Qian only for this Lingnan campaign, and will return it intact afterward. Brother Qian has rendered meritorious service, and Brother Dong will also rise in rank. Isn't that a great thing?"

With that, Gao Yan grabbed a glass of wine and poured it into Dong Chang's mouth: "Let this jar of Shaoxing Huadiao wine be a toast to our meteoric rise to success and great achievements! Tonight, let's drink until we drop!"

Given Gao Yan's warm welcome, Dong Chang naturally couldn't say anything more.

The two drank until they were completely drunk, and then slept together, their pillows touching.

But a hint of cold light always lingered in Gao Yan's eyes.

Dong Chang was actually unwilling to let Gao Yan come to his door to borrow Qian Liu.

Qian Liu was, after all, a prodigy discovered by Dong Chang.

Qian Liu was ugly, but he had a calm and cheerful personality, without the slightest inferiority complex. He was also very tactful in his speech, making him a very likable person.

But Gao Yan had one last question he didn't ask Qian Liu.

"The story of Ai Tai in Zhuangzi's writings, who was entrusted with important state affairs by Duke Ai of Lu, abandoned Lu not long after. This is probably just Zhuangzi's Daoist fantasy. A gentleman cultivates virtue, isn't it for the purpose of governing the country and bringing peace to the world? How could he abandon his ruler?"

Qian Liu was resourceful, righteous, and tolerant. He did not hold grudges and remained calm even when insulted. He was filial to his parents, friendly to his brothers, and respectful to his teachers. He spoke fluently and pleasantly, was a good listener, and his responses were witty and insightful.

These advantages certainly make up for his ugly appearance.

Just as Gao Yan did not believe that Ai Tai, the creature described by Zhuangzi, could calmly relinquish his position as prime minister, Gao Yan also absolutely refused to believe that Qian Liu, who had cultivated so many virtues, was a purely virtuous person who would swallow insults.

Such people have great power and lofty ambitions; they either don't do anything at all, or they do it to the extreme.

Dong Chang believed that by obtaining Qian Liu, he would be guaranteed a life of wealth and honor.

In Gao Yan's view, Dong Chang was completely unable to control Qian Liu. If Qian Liu remained under Dong Chang's command, although Dong Chang could rise in rank, he would ultimately face the calamity of his clan's extermination.

Would this frighten Gao Yan, making him feel that Qian Liu was not a suitable person to employ?
Gao Yan recalled his ancestor, Emperor Shenwu of Northern Qi, Gao Huan, and Hou Jing, one of Gao Huan's generals who later wreaked havoc in the south.

Hou Jing was also a genius. Gao Huan gained power in Guandong by acquiring Hou Jing, while Xiao Yan of the Southern Liang Dynasty died and his country was destroyed by Hou Jing.

The talents that Dong Chang cannot control, I, Gao Yan, can.

The Tang dynasty was already in decline. Even if the court quelled the bandits, it would only allow local heroes to grow even stronger, pushing the world further into an era of warlordism.

It was also the era that people like Gao Yan and Shi Pu longed for the most.

Gao Yan was full of confidence for this southern expedition.

(End of this chapter)