The Blue-Clad had a tightly structured organization—something ordinary underworld factions lacked. Perhaps it was because the Circuit Intendant Zeng Ling, who operated behind the scenes, had come from a military background and placed great emphasis on discipline. Or perhaps it was because the Blue-Clad had never intended to remain in the underworld business indefinitely.
Zeng Ling was not a man without ambition or purpose. His aspirations were incomparably greater than those of someone like the Prefecture Intendant Lian Gongming—though this era had dragged him down as well. In the currents of corruption, he was at least among the cleaner ones.
From that night onward, Li Diudiu could truly be said to have gotten to know Xiahou Zuo’s brothers. He had met a few of them before but never had much to do with them. After this night, Xiahou Zuo had formally introduced him to all of his brothers.
It had also been made clear: when Xiahou Zuo left Jizhou City the following year, these brothers would all be Li Chi’s men.
The gathering moved from the noodle shop to Li Chi’s new home. It was a large courtyard—five main rooms, with three additional side rooms on each flank. From the front room door to the courtyard gate was about ten zhang. The courtyard had two trees that, in summer, would cast shade over nearly the entire space.
Most delightful of all, the furniture was still in the house—and in fairly decent shape. The side rooms on the right appeared to have been uninhabited for some time and were stacked with miscellaneous items; the side rooms on the left housed a kitchen, well-equipped with everything needed for cooking.
In front of the main rooms was a raised stone platform about a zhang and a half wide. Set a table and a few chairs out there, and to drink quietly beneath the moonlight—that would be comfort beyond measure.
The breeze was mild, the moonlight just right—so “drinking quietly” was never going to happen. Every person there was happy: Daoist Changmei was happy because they finally had a house to call home; Li Diudiu was happy because his master was happy.
Xiahou Zuo’s happiness came from Li Diudiu being happy; Teacher Yan’s happiness also came from Li Diudiu being happy.
People—complicated when you say so, simple when you say so.
Everyone except Li Diudiu drank a bit more than they should have, and their tongues grew loose along with it, while Li Diudiu sat watching contentedly—laughing when others laughed, and laughing even more than the rest of them.
When the drinking wound down, Li Diudiu brewed tea and brought it out.
“Daoist.”
Yan Qingzhi looked at Li Diudiu with a smile. “To have such a fine disciple—I truly envy you.”
Daoist Changmei laughed and said, “Teacher Yan, why so formal? Little Diudiu is your disciple as well.”
Xiahou Zuo laughed. “Exactly—did Teacher Yan forget?”
Yan Qingzhi said, “I’m speaking with someone of Daoist’s generation. You and Li Chi share a generation—there’s no need for you to interrupt our elders’ conversation.”
Xiahou Zuo: “……”
Li Chi tugged at Xiahou Zuo’s sleeve and said quietly, “Let them talk—haven’t you noticed, when those two get going they can cover all of history? Just sit back and enjoy it.”
Xiahou Zuo smiled and said, “Right—the monthly exam rankings were posted. Did you see them?”
Li Diudiu shook his head. “Had no time—I’ve been standing outside since I got back……”
Xiahou Zuo said, “Sounds like you really had no idea, and you didn’t notice either—why over the last two days more people started showing up in the dining hall when you went to eat.”
Li Diudiu said, “I didn’t pay attention. I just figured they’d gotten used to things, and eventually they’d stop coming to stare at me. I just eat my food—the rest doesn’t concern me.”
Xiahou Zuo knocked him on the head. “You really are clueless. You don’t know—this month’s exam, you got first in the First Hall.”
Li Diudiu didn’t find this particularly strange. In his view, the material being taught in the First Hall was far too basic—even getting first place was just first among a bunch of children. Nothing to get excited about.
“Oh……first place.”
Li Diudiu shrugged. “So what?”
Xiahou Zuo looked at Li Diudiu as if he were looking at something alien. “Are you actually pretending you don’t care, or do you genuinely not care?”
Li Diudiu didn’t mind Xiahou Zuo’s alien stare—everyone looked at him like he was something out of the ordinary. Xiahou Zuo had been among the first batch, the trailblazer… not the trailblazer—the trail-post. Actually the trail-post.
“Is first place in the First Hall really worth getting worked up over?”
Li Diudiu said, “If I thought placing first in a group whose average age is twelve or thirteen was something to be proud of, I’d think pretty poorly of my own ambitions……”
Xiahou Zuo knocked him on the head again. “You are genuinely clueless—let me tell you. Getting first place becomes part of the Academy’s official records. When you eventually enter the civil service or pursue any path that involves the court or government, this will look exceptionally good on paper. Because the Four Pages Academy truly is exceptional, and your results—the Ministry of Personnel will have a copy.”
“Second: you’ve made an enemy.”
Xiahou Zuo looked Li Diudiu in the eye and said seriously, “Do you know—there’s a certain young master from the Xu family who is very unhappy that you placed first?”
Li Diudiu asked, “Xu who?”
Xiahou Zuo thought: you really are clueless, aren’t you.
“Xu Shengyu.”
Xiahou Zuo said, “Before you entered the First Hall, he was the one who always placed first on monthly exams. Without exception.”
Li Diudiu asked, “When Tang Pidi was still here, didn’t he always come second?”
Xiahou Zuo thought about it—that was true—and nodded. “Right.”
Li Diudiu said, “So why is he upset?”
Xiahou Zuo said, “Because he’s not used to it anymore.”
Li Diudiu said, “Then he ought to adapt faster than most people.”
Xiahou Zuo laughed heartily and slapped Li Diudiu on the shoulder. “That cocky attitude of yours is exactly what I like.”
Yan Qingzhi looked over and said, “Those are your words—if you don’t place first next month, I will punish you severely.”
Daoist Changmei, thick-tongued from the wine, said, “Punish him—he should be punished. This terrible child never listens. Teacher Yan, don’t hold back on my account. Treat him just like your own—scold him when he needs scolding, hit him when he needs hitting.”
Li Diudiu let out a sigh. “What a devoted father.”
Daoist Changmei laughed at first, then sat with those two words—*devoted father*—and a moment later became overwhelmed with sudden emotion.
Li Diudiu looked at his master’s overwhelmed expression and thought: his master really had no experience with these things.
Yan Qingzhi said, “Xu Shengyu is not one to accept defeat. He never accepted it from Tang Pidi—and he won’t accept it from you.”
Li Diudiu said, “I only care about placing first for my own sake. I’m not doing it to make him accept me. Whether he accepts it or not……has truly nothing to do with me.”
Yan Qingzhi was beginning to find Li Diudiu’s arrogance infectious.
—
Elsewhere, at that same hour—the Jizhou Prefecture Intendant’s Office.
Lian Gongming looked at the young man sitting before him. He had always felt this young man was unwell—not only in mind but apparently in body too, for his complexion was perpetually pale.
“You still haven’t completed the task I gave you.”
Lian Gongming looked the young man in the eye and said.
The young man nodded. “That’s correct. But I’m keeping the payment. Because I will complete it.”
Lian Gongming asked, “What was your name again?”
The young man answered, “Yao Wuhen.”
Lian Gongming said, “Whatever the name—it doesn’t matter. Your martial brother died outside Jizhou City, and died at the hands of the very man’s disciple that I tasked you with killing. So……”
Yao Wuhen said, “So you want me to kill that old Daoist? Or the old Daoist’s disciple?”
Lian Gongming frowned slightly, puzzled. “Your martial brother is dead. From what I understand, the three of you were the only disciples under your master—just the three of you. You should have been close. He’s dead—don’t you want revenge?”
Yao Wuhen said, “If you’d like to arrange for revenge on his behalf, we can discuss the price.”
Lian Gongming couldn’t help shaking his head. “As I expected—people in your trade are even more cold-blooded than I am.”
Yao Wuhen said nothing. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing to discuss here. His martial brother was dead—what did that have to do with him? Who his martial brother had been killed by—what did that have to do with him?
Some people never quite understood: the relationship between people is one thing; business is another. Mix business with personal feeling, and what business can you conduct properly?
Lian Gongming paused in silence, then continued, “I see you have talent. I’ve been thinking about keeping you on longer, on a permanent basis. Your martial brother was working for me consistently—now that he’s gone, you can fill his place.”
“Longer term?”
Yao Wuhen said, “I’ve never taken this kind of arrangement before. Do you mean monthly—or yearly?”
Lian Gongming thought: damn your mother—you package deal…
He sighed. If his roster of people weren’t so short right now, would someone of his rank and standing really be wasting his breath on a street thug like this?
So Lian Gongming maintained a pleasant expression and continued with a smile, “I don’t think you understood me. Your martial brother didn’t just earn silver from me—there was also a future. I was planning to place him in a post within the prefecture office. After that he wouldn’t have needed to risk his life killing people. You understand what I mean? Killing people in official robes is different from killing people in your night-black gear.”
Yao Wuhen asked, “Same pay?”
Lian Gongming thought: what sort of fool am I even talking to……
“That’s not what I mean.”
Lian Gongming said, “What I mean is: I can give you a legitimate official identity. With official standing, wearing official robes, when you kill someone it won’t be subject to Dachu’s laws—because the robes give you the authority to enforce the law. You in your night gear killing someone is a crime. You in official robes killing someone is law enforcement. Do you understand now?”
Yao Wuhen: “Same pay?”
Lian Gongming: “I……”
*Endure it. Endure it.*
He genuinely needed people—especially lately, when he’d felt that someone was moving against him. Prince Wu had given him half a month to gather fifty thousand shi of grain provisions—an impossible task. The Circuit Intendant had taken control of the granaries; not a single grain could be moved out. So where was he supposed to find fifty thousand shi?
If he failed, Prince Wu might move against him. He just wasn’t yet sure whether Prince Wu wanted him dead or merely wanted to put pressure on him.
But Lian Gongming had no desire to simply lose everything he had. A cornered dog leaps the wall; a desperate rabbit will bite. Since the other side apparently wanted his life anyway, why should he still care about rank and position?
Either submit to being squeezed and killed—or, if he refused to submit, never mind whether it was Prince Wu or Prince Yu, whether it was the Circuit Intendant or anyone else—he would just fight to the last, and take some of them down with him.
The worst outcome was death. If it came to death, why not drag some company along?
Lian Gongming knew perfectly well how formidable Yao Wuhen was in combat. What he needed most right now was someone like Yao Wuhen who could be at his disposal at any moment.
But Yao Wuhen didn’t see it that way.
Lian Gongming gave up trying to reason any further. He asked, “Then this: don’t leave Jizhou City for the time being, and don’t take jobs from anyone else. I’ll give you all my killing work—every time you kill someone, I pay you per person.”
Yao Wuhen thought about it and asked, “A lot of people?”
Lian Gongming said, “Many. Countless.”
Yao Wuhen finally brightened up and nodded. “Then you can tell me now—who gets killed first?”