Chapter 184

The morning dew had not yet dried, and the morning glow was just beginning to fade.

As soon as Wang Yang's group reached the city gate, they saw Director Liu Tan Tan bringing four black-clad swordsmen to meet them. He cupped his hands toward Wang Yang:

"Young Master Wang, may we dismount and talk?"

Before Wang Yang could speak, Xie Xinghan said: "Young Master Wang has been startled and has been traveling all the way. If Prince Liu has something to say, why not wait until he has had a rest before discussing it?"

"Fourth Young Lady, do not worry; I only wish to say a few words to Young Master Wang."

Wang Yang looked into Director Liu Tan Tan's eyes and said: "Very well."

Just as he was about to dismount, he was stopped by Xie Xinghan, who looked vigilantly at the four swordsmen.

Director Liu Tan Tan realized, waved his hand, and said: "You all step back, stand further away."

The four swordsmen cupped their hands, bowed, and retreated far away.

Wang Yang dismounted and went to the side of the road with Director Liu Tan Tan.

Chen Qingshan also wanted to dismount, but Xie Xinghan pulled her back and said: "No need." Then she looked back; the dozen or so riders behind her spread out to guard the surroundings, with eight riders specifically watching the direction of the swordsmen.

Xie and Chen both watched Wang Yang and Director Liu Tan Tan talking, and then both opened their eyes wide, because Director Liu Tan Tan was bowing to Wang Yang all the way to the ground!

Wang Yang helped Director Liu Tan Tan up: "What is the meaning of this, Lord Liu?"

"First, I must apologize to Young Master Wang on behalf of my younger brother. Wenshen is arrogant by nature and narrow-minded; he has provoked you repeatedly. I am grateful for Young Master Wang's magnanimity in not holding it against him, yet he did not know how to repent! He made mistake after mistake! It even reached the point of plotting revenge! This is all the dereliction of duty of me, his elder brother; I was lax in my teaching, which is why he ended up in this state today! Regarding today's events, my younger brother absolutely cannot escape involvement! But I can use the reputation of the Hedong Liu clan to guarantee to you, Young Master, that he absolutely, absolutely would not collude with the barbarians! On this point, I ask you to believe me."

Wang Yang did not deliberately pause to strike a pose, but said directly: "I believe you." At the same time, he calmly observed Director Liu Tan Tan's expression.

Director Liu Tan Tan's gaze became a bit clearer, and he nodded:

"Secondly, I want to explain to you, Young Master, that neither I nor my father hold any hostility toward you because of my younger brother's attitude, or because of matters like the County Academy or the Wang Guan Academy. This will not change. Especially this time, it was an unprovoked incident that caused you to be startled. Although the main responsibility lies with the Southern Barbarians, my younger brother was involved, and he would not have played a good role, so we only have apologies for you, Young Master, and no hostility. After my father learned of this, he would only blame my younger brother for his own improper conduct and would absolutely not vent his anger on you!"

Listening to these two paragraphs Director Liu Tan Tan said, Wang Yang already had some assessment in his heart: "I understand. If Lord Liu has anything to say, you might as well speak directly."

"Very well. I would like to ask you, Young Master, as an elder brother, to tell me what happened at that time."

"Did Lord Liu not see the case file? My statement in the case file is all true." Since Director Liu Tan Tan knew about the matter Seeing Liu Cheng plotted, he must have read the case file.

Director Liu Tan Tan stared into Wang Yang's eyes: "I do not believe the case file; I believe you."

Wang Yang realized this was a turning point.

At this moment, he had three choices: first, to be evasive; second, to tell everything; third, to only say the parts favorable to himself.

In the current situation, no matter which choice he made, it could lead to completely different consequences.

Confucius said: "Observe what a person does, examine the reasons for his actions, and see what he finds peace in. How can a person hide? How can a person hide?"

"What a person does" refers to the methods used. "The reasons for his actions" refers to the cause. "What he finds peace in" refers to his character and preferences. "Hide" is translated as conceal.

Confucius was talking about the method of observing people.

To observe a person, you must look at his methods, look at the reasons for his actions, and then look at what his heart finds peace in and what it does not, and then this person cannot hide. This is the meaning of "How can a person hide?"

Wang Yang observed his person, watched his expression, judged his heart, and combined it with Director Liu Tan Tan's character, personality, purpose, and the expected follow-up development of this matter, including the possibility of Seeing Liu Cheng's return. Wang Yang chose the second option, which was to tell everything. This is also called being frank.

But being frank also has its nuances. Sometimes, for the same event, different wording, different emphasis, and even different order can cause the listener to have two completely different feelings.

So Wang Yang first said: "Seeing Liu Cheng told the barbarians about my silk business and told them about my identity as a member of the Langya Wang clan, wanting the barbarians to keep me behind to trade for silk. I did not write this down in the case file."

Director Liu Tan Tan was moved, not because Seeing Liu Cheng harmed Wang Yang—he was not surprised by that, and besides, Wang Yang was not a pushover who would wait for people to harm him without fighting back. Furthermore, judging from the result, Wang Yang returned safely, while his younger brother was taken away by the barbarians. He did not believe that this matter was completely unrelated to Wang Yang. He was very curious to see if Wang Yang would admit it.

In addition, although he believed his younger brother did not collude with the barbarian tribes, once the details of this matter spread, his younger brother would inevitably be criticized by public opinion and might even be held accountable. Wang Yang withholding this point could be considered leaving his younger brother with some dignity. Now Tian Qi was dead, and the servant who had infiltrated the Le family also died in the forest, likely also killed by the barbarians. But there was still a Le family steward in this case; he did not know if he would implicate his younger brother.

Director Liu Tan Tan's lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something. Wang Yang continued: "Seeing Liu Cheng said he was the son of a Duke, and I went along with it, confirming his identity. While he was talking, I was fanning the flames, so he was taken away by the barbarians, and I also have responsibility for that."

Director Liu Tan Tan did not expect Wang Yang to be so frank!

He looked at Wang Yang, the expression on his face extremely complex. He settled his emotions, cupped his hands, and said slowly: "Many thanks for your frankness, Young Master Wang."

"What are Lord Liu's plans?" Wang Yang asked.

Director Liu Tan Tan stood there blankly and said numbly: "This matter cannot be blamed on you, Young Master."

"No, I am asking about the matter of saving people."

"The Qi Code forbids traffic with barbarians. If my family privately redeems someone, that is a violation of the law. If the amount they ask for is not large, or if the matter is not blown out of proportion, then even if it is a violation of the law, I can take it upon myself. But this matter is so shocking, and the amount of brocade they are demanding is so large—if it were transported over, to put it mildly, it is aiding the enemy; to put it grandly, it is colluding with barbarian tribes with ulterior motives. This is a matter that could bring disaster to my family; I cannot do that."

Director Liu Tan Tan's expression was dim, and he shook his head heavily: "And the imperial court would absolutely not allow being threatened and extorted, so..."

Director Liu Tan Tan's expression was somewhat out of control, and he did not continue.

He had already reported the news to his father; in fact, even if he hadn't, his father would know. But even with his father's status, what could he do?

Director Liu Tan Tan lowered his eyes, his heart feeling as if it were being cut by a knife.

Wang Yang said: "I have a way, perhaps I can save Seeing Liu Cheng."

Director Liu Tan Tan stiffened suddenly!

He looked up in disbelief, his voice even trembling: "If Young Master Wang can repay evil with kindness and save my younger brother, that would be a great favor to the Liu family! I, Director Liu Tan Tan, will surely engrave it in my heart and never forget it in this life!!!"

Director Liu Tan Tan's eyes turned red, feeling both joy and gratitude.

Wang Yang said: "Lord, do not be in such a hurry to thank me. Whether this method of mine can save him, I do not have absolute certainty; the chance of success is probably only sixty or seventy percent."

Director Liu Tan Tan said excitedly: "Good, good, good! Sixty or seventy percent is already very high! Even ten percent is worth a try! Whether it succeeds or not, I am deeply grateful..."

"In addition, I would like to ask Lord Liu for a favor. I will state beforehand that this favor has nothing to do with saving Seeing Liu Cheng; it is my own business."

"I will definitely do this favor! Young Master, please speak!"

While Wang Yang and Director Liu Tan Tan were whispering, Xie Xinghan was also talking to Chen Qingshan. After laying the groundwork with a few sentences, Xie Xinghan pretended to be casual and asked Chen Qingshan: "Miss Chen, your Young Master's belt is very good-looking. Where did you buy it? I would like to buy one too."

Xiao Shan thought for a moment and shook her head: "I don't know."

Xie Xinghan's starry eyes flashed: "So he didn't take you with him the day he bought the belt?"

Xiao Shan nodded.

"Did he come back with it tied around his waist that day, or did he change into it after he got home?"

"... I don't remember clearly."

Xie Xinghan looked at Wang Yang, frowning in thought.

In fact, if Xiao Han had turned her gaze to Xiao Shan's face at this moment, she would have discovered the flaw in her expression.

Because Xiao Shan was lying.

She remembered very clearly that the Young Master came back wearing a very magnificent new set of clothes that day, and she secretly took several extra looks.

The belt he was wearing now was a set with that new clothing, both having red silk trim. Perhaps he felt that the clothing was too eye-catching, so this time when the Young Master went to the Le family mountain villa, he only wore the belt and not the magnificent clothing.

As for why she didn't tell Xie Xinghan these things, it was because the Young Master's business could not be told to others casually. No one could be told.

Inside a room in the Wang residence, Kong Zhangyu was standing alone in the hall, reporting the progress of the event to someone behind a screen.

But his attention was now completely unable to focus, because a hair-raising sound was coming from behind the screen:

Bang! Bang! Bang!

This was the sound of a fist hitting a human face.

Each blow was like a heavy hammer, carrying a dull, brutal, and endless hostility, smashing fiercely into Kong Zhangyu's heart, shaking his scalp until it went numb.

At first, the Le family steward was still wailing, but now there was no sound at all. Fresh blood, like a winding venomous snake, slowly seeped out from under the screen. Kong Zhangyu felt that his mouth and nose were full of a fishy smell, and he almost vomited.

When he first saw this scene, he had really vomited; that time, there wasn't even a screen.

The Prince of Badong had smashed that face to pieces with his fists, one by one, right in front of him.

From then on, Kong Zhangyu never ate meat porridge again.

At this moment, the Prince of Badong walked out from behind the screen, drenched in sweat. While wiping the blood off his hands, he said: "Continue."

——————

Note: Regarding that sentence in the Analects, if you look closely at the meaning of the words, there are several different opinions in academia. My translation is a bit different from Mr. Yang Bojun's, but the overall meaning of the sentence is the same, which does not hinder understanding.

② When Wang Yang went to the Le family mountain villa, only the belt was new; he did not wear new clothes, because that clothing was a bit too flashy. Wang Yang was still not used to a dressing style that was too ostentatious, otherwise, what Xie Xinghan noticed at the time would not have been just the belt.