Chapter 199

Dew dries on the eaves and tiles, morning light is lush.

Today, the Wang house was exceptionally quiet, with only Wang Yang left in the large residence.

Wang Yang stood in a stance, practiced boxing, practiced calligraphy, and read books, just like any other day.

After reading half a volume of "Qiao Zi Fa Xun," Wang Yang put away the book, changed into a black robe embroidered with curved gold patterns, tied a black-bottomed gold-stamped belt, tied his hair with a black gold hairpin, brought the roast duck A-Wu had packed in advance and a folding fan, came to the horse shed in the front courtyard, put the roast duck into the saddlebag, and then got on his horse. His robe hem hung down like ink clouds, and he rode out of the courtyard slowly, leisurely and carefree.

Just as he rode out of the alley, a minor official came to greet him and handed Wang Yang a letter. Wang Yang opened and read it on horseback:

"To Young Master Wang of Langya,

I have long heard of your illustrious name, but official duties are heavy, and we have not been able to meet, which is a great pity.

I am hosting a small banquet today and would like to invite the young master to share a cup and talk,

I wonder if it can be fulfilled?

Looking forward to it.

Wishing you summer peace.

Liu Yin."

Wang Yang asked: "Are we going now?"

The minor official bowed and replied: "Yes. Lord Liu is waiting for the young master."

"It's not that I'm complaining, but your master is not very sincere in inviting guests; who invites guests on the same day they send the invitation?"

The minor official apologized with a smile: "Young master, please allow me to explain. My master has long had the intention of inviting you, but there are many complicated matters in the province, and my master works day and night, truly unable to spare the time. Today, he finally found some free time, and fearing that delaying any longer would mean missing the opportunity to gather with you, he immediately ordered me to send the letter."

"You are quite good at speaking."

The minor official smiled flatteringly, lowered his body again, and said: "The young master praises me too much; I am just speaking the truth."

Wang Yang asked curiously: "What if I don't go?"

The minor official was sincere: "My master has been looking forward to it in the mansion since early morning, and his intention to invite you is very sincere. However, my master also knows that today's invitation is indeed a bit rushed. If the young master can spare the time, my master will certainly be overjoyed! If the young master has no time to move, my master will wait for a day when you are free to set up a formal banquet to apologize for today's rush."

"You speak better than what your master wrote in the letter. Liu Yin's invitation is dry and boring; it really doesn't look like he's inviting me with sincerity."

The minor official was terrified: "Young master, you praise me too much! What I said is all in accordance with my master's intention. My master is usually busy with official business, and his writing has always been simple and convenient; today is the first time he has written so many words to invite someone! Although his words are few, his intention is sincere; when you and my master meet, you will know!"

Wang Yang looked at the minor official, found it quite interesting, and asked: "What is your name?"

"My surname is Zhang, and my humble name is Fu."

"Have you read books?"

"How dare I claim to have read books in front of the young master? I've just been looking at them blindly."

Wang Yang smiled: "The gourd leaves are lush, pick them and cook them."

The minor official thought for a while and said happily: "The gentleman has wine, pour it and taste it. My master has already prepared fine wine, waiting for the young master to taste it. This way, please, young master!"

In a small vegetable patch in the backyard of the Assistant Governor's Mansion, Liu Yin was wearing a brown robe, with a wet towel around his neck, holding a hoe, and weeding. Two guards stood outside the vegetable patch, one scooping water into a bucket, the other squatting and picking vegetables.

"Master, Young Master Wang has arrived."

Liu Yin was a little surprised, straightened his waist, turned around, and saw a black-robed youth with a bright smile. Within his restrained nobility, there was a bit of dashing talent, so he nodded to the other party.

Wang Yang also nodded in acknowledgment.

Liu Yin walked out of the vegetable patch and handed the hoe and towel to the guards.

Wang Yang bowed: "Assistant Governor, you have a good hobby."

Liu Yin returned the bow: "Young master, you laugh at me. I'm usually busy, and have few opportunities to see the sun; I'm also a clerk by background, don't read much, so when I'm free, I grow some vegetables, sun myself, and move my muscles and bones. I just picked a few vegetables I grew myself; I'll put them on the table in a moment, young master, have a taste."

"Alright, I brought a roast duck from Liuheju to add a dish."

"Just right, I heard the roast duck at Liuheju is good, but I haven't tasted it yet. Young master, please wait a moment, I'll change my clothes and come."

"Please do as you wish, Master."

"Zhang Fu, invite Young Master Wang into the room and serve tea."

The two were talking, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. In fact, the other party's image, appearance, and attitude were different from what they had expected in their hearts.

Liu Yin didn't expect Wang Yang to be so natural and composed. Although he was of a humble background, he was now the Assistant Governor of Jingzhou and the Administrator of Nanyang, holding great power, and had disciplined him. And this was the Assistant Governor's Mansion, his own territory; according to his assumption, the possibility of Wang Yang coming was not high.

But not only did he come, he wasn't constrained, wasn't afraid, and didn't put on airs. As for hostility, there wasn't even a trace of it. And he didn't even come empty-handed.

Although Wang Yang had received "intelligence" from Xie Xinghan and knew Liu Yin's background, even among the humble, he belonged to the lower class. He started as a minor county official, his starting point was low, and his family background wasn't very good, but now he was the Assistant Governor of a province, holding a high position. He didn't expect him to grow vegetables himself, and as soon as he came up, he said he was a clerk and didn't read books.

Wang Yang sat down and saw that the furnishings in the room were simple and dull, and the tea was the most ordinary Jingzhou old tea, with green onions, ginger, and dried tangerine peel added. Wang Yang just glanced at it and didn't drink it.

Liu Yin changed his clothes and returned quickly, apologizing:

"There is no good tea to entertain you; are you not used to drinking it? The banquet will take a while to start; what tea do you usually like to drink, young master? I'll have someone go buy it."

As soon as Liu Yin entered the room, Zhang Fu quietly retreated, leaving only Liu Yin and Wang Yang in the room.

Wang Yang said: "No need, this tea is quite good; it's just that I'm prone to insomnia, so I don't dare to drink too much."

"Insomnia is indeed not suitable for drinking this. This tea is cheap tea in the market; scholar-officials despise it, and it can't even enter the residences of high-ranking families, but it is very effective for refreshing the mind. I am a vulgar person, I can't live without it for a day, making you laugh, young master."

Although he hadn't said many words to Liu Yin, Liu Yin's quality of self-distancing from the scholar-official families was very obvious. As soon as he came up, he said he was a clerk by background and didn't read books; now he said he drank cheap tea and was vulgar. Others might think this was humbly lowering his status, but Wang Yang felt it wasn't.

"Since tea is used for its function, there is no distinction between noble and lowly. Usefulness is the ultimate Dao. As for not being able to live without it for a day, it is also a kind of elegance. My clan's sage, Ziyou, loved bamboo and once said, 'How can one live without this gentleman for a day?' Now that Assistant Governor Liu cannot leave tea for a day, it is the same."

"Young Master Wang's family learning is profound, and your words are like a treatise, which is admirable."

"Assistant Governor, your writing is strict and your actions are like thunder, which is also admirable."

Liu Yin was silent for a moment and said: "Young master, you are a smart person, so I will speak directly."

Wang Yang smiled: "Speaking directly is good, I like speaking directly."

"I invited you here this time because I want to turn enemies into friends."

Wang Yang's smile grew wider: "For friendship, I like being friends."

Liu Yin looked at Wang Yang, his gaze deep: "Friendship requires sincerity."

Wang Yang looked at Liu Yin, meaningfully: "So what is Assistant Governor Liu's sincerity?"

"Regarding Liu Cheng's case, as for the part concerning you, I have already closed it. It has nothing to do with you."

"It had nothing to do with me in the first place."

"Whether it has anything to do with you is not for you to say, young master. It is I who chose not to pursue this case."

Wang Yang laughed: "It's not that you chose not to pursue this case, but that you tried to pursue it, but didn't succeed."

A rare smile appeared on Liu Yin's pale and rigid face:

"Young master, you are an interesting person. I am actually very willing to talk to interesting people, but I am a boring person, so I usually don't meet interesting people. When I do, it's in prison. But when interesting people arrive in prison, they become boring. To be honest, I feel very regretful."

Wang Yang laughed: "Actually, interesting people will be interesting wherever they are. If they become boring when they arrive in prison, then perhaps they weren't truly interesting."

"I dare not agree. Interesting people go to prison, are tortured, and either cry and howl or curse and scold, and can no longer say interesting things. I have been in charge of prisons for many years, and there has never been an exception."

"Even the most interesting people are still human; when people are tortured, of course they will curse and howl; this has nothing to do with being interesting or boring."

"Young master, you clearly haven't been to prison. Prison is a very magical place; it can turn nobility into baseness, virtue into shamelessness, beauty into ugliness, and, furthermore, turn interesting into boring."

Liu Yin looked deeply at Wang Yang, his sunken eye sockets appearing even darker at this moment, and then he slowly revealed a strange smile: "So, being able to chat with Young Master Wang outside of prison like this, I feel, is very joyful."

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Note: "Guangya" says: "In Jing and Ba, leaves are picked to make cakes; if the leaves are old, when the cake is made, rice paste is used to bring it out. If you want to boil tea to drink, first roast it until it is red, pound it into powder and put it in a porcelain vessel, pour boiling water over it, and add green onions, ginger, and tangerine peel. This drink sobers you up and keeps you awake." ("Classic of Tea, Seven Matters")