Chapter 7: Section Six

As the slip of paper was pulled out, both Huang Shi and the merchant's faces changed drastically. Before Huang Shi could make a sound, the merchant shouted, "My lord, I know nothing — this wretch must be a spy."

The Later Jin soldiers at the city gate all closed in. Two men dragged the middle-aged man aside, while several others drew their waist swords and pressed them against Huang Shi's neck. An icy chill and pricks of stinging pain shot through where neck met shoulder. Huang Shi first felt a warmth spread through his crotch, then collapsed to his knees, mouth gaping as he gasped for air, his eyes frozen like a corpse's.

The Later Jin officer glanced with disgust at Huang Shi, who lay collapsed on the ground in a puddle of his own filth. He stepped back to examine the slip of paper, and upon seeing it was all in Chinese, handed it back to a Chinese officer. Their eyes fixed on Huang Shi like bloodthirsty beasts.

The Chinese officer's face changed color before he had even finished reading the slip. When he was done, he looked up at Huang Shi, saw the utter despair in the eyes of the man on the ground, then turned to look at the merchant trembling ceaselessly to the other side, his face filled with unconcealable shock.

The Chinese man leaned close to the Later Jin officer's ear and, waving the slip of paper, began speaking in a low voice. Huang Shi watched the Later Jin officer's expression shift and change, until finally it settled into something exceedingly complex.

The Later Jin officer walked up to Huang Shi, who had curled into a ball on the ground, and kicked him viciously, making him scramble up and kneel properly. Once Huang Shi had prostrated himself, trembling, the Later Jin officer began cursing with contempt: "Han dog, you've got the guts to do it but not the guts to own up — all that big frame for nothing, at first glance you even looked like you had some manliness about you."

At this point, the Later Jin officer couldn't help but cover his nose and back away again. He stared at Huang Shi a moment longer, then finally burst out laughing uncontrollably: "You there, Han dog — today your grandpa is in a good mood, so I'll spare your wretched life. Don't die here blocking the road. Get lost —"

Amid the Later Jin officer's roaring laughter, several soldiers also withdrew the weapons they had pointed at Huang Shi, then reversed them and, swinging and kicking, sent him rolling all over the ground. They only stopped once Huang Shi had scrambled and crawled his way over to the middle-aged merchant's side.

"Alright, alright." The Later Jin officer, having barely managed to stop laughing, now had a sinister glint in his eye. His gaze circled between Huang Shi and the merchant a few times, then he suddenly burst into laughter again, wiping away tears as he cursed with a grin: "Still not getting lost, Han dog? From now on, every time I see you, I'll beat you."

Huang Shi and the merchant kowtowed a few times to the officer, then fled on all fours for several dozen paces before daring to stand up and run off clutching their heads.

Once they were far away, just as the two were about to celebrate making it through safely, they heard a thunderous roar of laughter from the direction of the city gate. They glanced back — several Later Jin soldiers were still pointing and gesturing at their backs.

"You really are divinely cunning," the merchant praised from the heart.

Hearing this, Huang Shi gave the merchant an apologetic smile: "It's just that your reputation is ruined."

"Being called a cuckold is still better than having my head cut off — at least I've still got a head to wear the green hat." The merchant laughed too. "Come with me quickly, let's get home so you can change your clothes."

At these words, Huang Shi felt even more uncomfortable in his crotch. Before entering the city he had deliberately drunk a lot of water — apparently he had drunk far too much.

"Mm, anyway, it's just a love letter from a wife to her steward — it may not really have any substance. If it comes to it, you can always say you discovered it in time and drove me away."

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly, thinking that this fellow Huang Shi really was an incurably carefree sort. Gossip, once it started spreading, flew everywhere: "But your handwriting really is quite delicate — anyone can tell at a glance it wasn't written by a rough fellow like me."

"You flatter me." Having his Slender Gold script described as "delicate" made Huang Shi unable to suppress a smile.

After walking several streets, the merchant stopped before a large courtyard. Huang Shi looked up at the small building inside and couldn't help but praise it: "A truly wealthy household — it really makes one envious."

"Even with a fortune in gold and silver, I'm still just a dog living at the mercy of foreign barbarians."

After they entered and changed clothes, a maidservant brought in a tray bearing two tea bowls. The merchant picked up one first, then gestured to Huang Shi with an invitation to drink.

The girl moved over and knelt before Huang Shi's knees. Looking closely, this young maiden was about sixteen or seventeen, lightly made up with simple elegance, slender-limbed with a wasp waist, white teeth and vermilion lips, brows and eyes like a painting. Huang Shi silently praised her — what a lovely maid — and also picked up his tea bowl, lifting the lid with one hand and gently blowing on the tea. The girl still knelt quietly, her lips pressed together, the light rippling beneath her long lashes.

At the merchant's words — "You may go" — the girl rose, offered a curtsy, swayed her willowy waist lightly, and withdrew gracefully.

The merchant, who had been watching coldly from the side, saw that when Huang Shi looked up he merely glanced once, then, his eyes following his arm's motion, set the tea bowl down on the side table. He couldn't help but ask: "This maid of mine — what does Your Excellency think of her?"

"Quite beautiful," Huang Shi said, his tone indifferent.

The merchant pondered for a moment, then asked: "Your Excellency's identity is naturally something I cannot inquire into, nor would I dare. But from what I have observed, Your Excellency is probably not of military background, is he?"

Huang Shi did not answer. He simply picked up his tea bowl again and began blowing on it with a faint smile.

"I have spoken out of turn. But there are some words in my heart that I cannot hold back — I beg Your Excellency's magnanimous forgiveness."

Seeing Huang Shi's gesture that he should speak freely, the merchant instead hesitated a moment longer before opening his mouth: "I have heard that the Grand Coordinator of Liaodong advocates primarily for defense, and intends to abandon us, the people of Liaodong?"

"The Provincial Governor of Liaodong advocates for the offensive," Huang Shi replied, not answering the question directly.

"Then my lord must be someone who can speak before the Provincial Governor?" The merchant's form of address for Huang Shi shifted from "you" to "Your Excellency," and now from "Your Excellency" to "my lord."

"Sir, you overpraise me. My position is low and my words carry little weight — I fear they would never reach the honored ears of the Provincial Governor."

"My lord's literary grace is outstanding, his wisdom and foresight profound. To say he is some nameless nobody — this commoner would never believe it, no matter what." Seeing Huang Shi deftly begin playing tai chi with his words, the merchant grew anxious.

Huang Shi, sighing inwardly, set down his tea bowl and looked into the merchant's eyes until the other man averted his gaze. Only then did he say with a solemn expression: "If I could be employed in a position of importance by the imperial court, why would I have had to come and undertake such a mission?"

The merchant was speechless for a long while. Finally, he sighed and said: "Your Excellency's fine calligraphy, your words forming elegant compositions — I would say even the most learned scholars are no better than this. Faced with great beauty, your expression remained perfectly composed; when asked your impression afterward, you spoke your mind directly — truly the bearing of a distinguished gentleman. I have observed people for decades and pride myself on rarely being mistaken."

Hearing these words, Huang Shi's heart tightened, and his palms grew slightly damp. A thought suddenly struck him: if he had displayed this same bearing before Li Yongfang, his life would be in grave danger.

Seeing that Huang Shi did not respond, the merchant continued: "If Your Excellency should have the chance to see the Provincial Governor, I beg you, for the sake of the people of Liaodong, to speak a word on their behalf. Our longing for the imperial army is truly like a newborn's longing for its loving mother. Please, let the court dispatch a great army soon, to rescue the common people from fire and water."

By the time the merchant finished, Huang Shi could see the faint glimmer of tears in his eyes. His own heart stirred with sorrow, and he could only offer words of comfort: "Sir, please set your mind at ease. The Provincial Governor of Liaodong will surely march his troops on Liaoyang soon, and deliver the people from their hanging torment."

Upon hearing this, the merchant threw himself to his knees and said in a loud voice: "On behalf of the people of this city, I thank Your Excellency."

The moment he saw this gesture, Huang Shi had instinctively wanted to rise and help him up, but on second thought — without hope, how could these people go on living? So he calmly accepted the prostration, then said with a smile: "Then let that pretty maid thank me — have her attend to my daily needs tonight."

The next day, after rising, Huang Shi leisurely took his midday meal, then bid farewell to the merchant and went out. He walked to an official residence at the center of Liaoyang city.

He glanced up at the plaque above the mansion gate, confirmed it was correct, and presented his prepared visiting card to the guard:

"Please inform the household — someone requests an audience."

On the plaque above his head were five great characters gleaming with gold:

Fushun Imperial Son-in-Law's Mansion