Chapter 6: The Long Corridor of Suishui Pavilion

  Liu Shanhe heard this and couldn't help but smile.

  "Heh heh, I did prepare a gift for you, but it's just that the thing is too heavy and not easy to carry. And since I was in a hurry to come congratulate you, I could only bring myself first. As for the gift, I'll have someone send it over later! Oh, if you have enough people here, you can also send some over to help carry it...” Liu Shanhe said in a jumbled mess to Xia Houyu, who kept pointing at his forehead with his finger.

  "Liu San, Liu San, they all say you're flashy but unreliable, not a single true word comes out of your mouth. Looks like it's really true! Fortunately, you're not a bad person, you have a sense of justice, you're willing to spend money, and for the sake of friendship, you'd rush into boiling water and get stabbed in the ribs. Otherwise, humph, I wouldn't bother with you!" Xia Houyan said with a sly smile.

  Two people, familiar with each other, spoke freely without much formality or restraint. Before long, they sat down, poured wine and dishes, and began chatting and laughing together...

  When the wine was half drunk, Liu Shanhe, taking advantage of his intoxication, said to Xia Houyan: "I say, Old Xia, I don't know if your swordsmanship has improved nowadays? How about we have a try?"

  Xia Houyi's swordsmanship was, of course, far beyond what Liu Shanhe could match. This point, Liu Shanhe also understood very clearly through historical records. It can be said that Xia Houyi's swordsmanship had almost reached the level of a grandmaster, while Liu Shanhe was at most just a low-level amateur. As soon as Liu Shanhe spoke, he received Xia Houyi's agreement, saying: "Alright, Third Brother, let's have a drunken sword match today! However, I must warn you, be careful, with your sword skills, it won't be easy to hurt me!"

  Xia Houyan's words were actually half-joking and half-serious. Because whether it was Liu Shanhe or Xia Houyan himself, they were both officials appointed by the imperial court. If one of them accidentally hurt the other and someone else saw it, things would get ugly. Even if you had a thousand mouths, you wouldn't be able to explain it clearly.

  However, Xia Houyan also relied on his own excellent swordsmanship. As long as he was careful to defend himself, there would naturally be no problem. Moreover, the two of them were particularly happy today, and dancing with swords to add to the excitement was unavoidable.

  Two people both held precious swords in Xia Houyan's courtyard, each displaying their magical powers. For a time, the small yard was filled with intersecting sword lights, flashing unceasingly. However, Xia Houyan clearly felt that Liu Shanhe's footsteps were disorderly and his movements were distorted, making Liu Shanhe, who was originally not very skilled, appear extremely comical when dancing with his sword, having truly become a "drunken sword".

  At the height of their dance, a sudden shout came from outside the door: "Xiahou brother, Xiahou brother, are you unharmed? Are you unharmed?" Originally, Xiahou Ying was still on guard against Liu Shanhe's accidental injury, but after hearing the shout outside the door, he suddenly became distracted. In that moment of distraction, Liu Shanhe unexpectedly couldn't hold back his hand and thrust forward with one sword, striking Xiahou Ying's left arm! For a time, blood flowed like a fountain from Xiahou Ying's left arm.

  It wasn't until then that Liu Shanhe suddenly sobered up and couldn't help but cry out "Oh my mother!", but it was already too late. At this point, whether it was Xia Houying or Liu Shanhe, or even Xia Houying's colleague who had just arrived in the courtyard, they were all stunned into silence for a long time, unable to utter a word. For a very, very long time.

  Luckily, Xia Houyi's adaptability was still good, and he hurriedly said with a smile: "Haha, haha! Sorry about that, Zhang Ming brother! This is Liu Bang from Shuizhentang. Come on, Third Brother, let me introduce you, this is my colleague Zhang Ming. Just now, Liu Bang was borrowing the wine excitement to dance with swords, but he accidentally got my arm! Hehe, hehe! But it's okay, it's just a scratch on the skin!" Xia Houyi hastily said to his colleague who had just entered the door.

  And what about his colleague? He didn't say anything else, but nodded towards the two of them, clasped his hands together and said: "You two continue, you two continue! I'll take my leave first! I'll take my leave first!"

  After witnessing this scene, Liu Shanhe was also thoroughly awakened. He shouted in his heart: "I'm in trouble, I'm in big trouble! This time, it's really bad!" Yes, Liu Shanhe was naturally very clear that intentionally hurting a Great Qin official would result in what kind of crime.

  The two of them were stunned for half a day, and then Xia Houyu finally came to his senses. He pulled Liu Shanhe into the house and said, "I'm telling you, Third Brother, this time you've gotten yourself into big trouble! Alas, what can we do now?"

  Liu Shanhe hung a bitter melon face, with a bewildered expression. Half a day later, he finally sighed and said: "Alas, this wine is really not good stuff! Although I've also heard that wine can make things happen, but it can also mess things up. But I don't know why, on my body, the times when it makes things happen are few, while the times when it causes trouble are many!"

  "Alas, don't mention those 'success or failure' theories to me again. As for that guy, from what I know of him, he's always been someone who revels in chaos and has always had many criticisms about your behavior. This time, when he goes back, he'll probably go and report you! According to the laws of Great Qin, not only will you lose your position as a small pavilion head, but you might even have to endure some suffering in prison!" Xia Houyi said with concern.

  Liu Shanhe just sighed and complained to himself. Fortunately, after a while, Xia Houyu suddenly lit up his eyes and said: "I've got it! I'll tell you, Third Brother, if we confront each other in the public hall, you just stick to your story and say you didn't hurt me at all! If they ask again, I'll also deny it firmly and say that I accidentally injured myself a bit. I'm sure no one will bother us about this. It's getting late, so I won't keep you any longer. You should go back early. In the future, if something happens, just follow what I said earlier, and nothing will happen for sure! Nothing will happen for sure!"

  Liu Shanhe sighed and said, "Alas, it seems that's the only way! It's the only way!" After saying this, he didn't say anything else, led out his white horse, mounted it with a flip of his body, and galloped away.

  According to Liu Shanhe's character, such a thing would naturally not be taken to heart. After returning to the Sishui Pavilion, it was soon forgotten by him. Still, day after day, he was either busy with his duties or leading his subordinates in and out of hotels. At first, Liu Shanhe just drank for pleasure and to pass the time. However, later on, his old habits of loving wine and women began to emerge again. His figure could often be seen in the brothels and courtesan houses of the city's red-light district.

  However, one day, several guards came to the county government office, all carrying weapons and with very stern faces, asking Liu Shanhe to go to the county government office for a visit. At that time, Liu Shanhe's heart was shocked, it was clear that this time was not like the last time when the county magistrate invited himself as a guest. It seemed that the incident where he accidentally injured Xia Houyu that day had been reported by that guy!

  "My goodness! Whether it's good fortune or bad, bad luck can't be avoided! Let's go, I'm not afraid of anything!" With that, Liu Shanhe mounted the white horse and followed the guards towards the county town.

  "How dare you, Liu Bang! What have you done to Xia Houyu? Don't you know that Xia Houyu is already a probationary county official?" The county magistrate's expression was very serious, unlike his previous friendly demeanor towards Liu Shanhe.

  "It's a grave injustice, Your Honor! I'm being framed! Almost everyone in Pei County knows about the close relationship between me and Xia Houyan. Since we're so close, how could I possibly harm him? This must be the work of some villain trying to harm me! You must do justice for me, Your Honor!" Liu Shanhe pleaded with a look of utmost grievance.

  "Hmph! You've always been good at speaking eloquently, Liu Bang. If I told you that someone witnessed you holding a precious sword and injuring Xia Houyan, how would you explain it?" The county magistrate said coldly.

  "Your Honor, please be aware! Your Honor, please be aware! As a humble commoner, I often speak carelessly and like to make jokes at others' expense. Consequently, I have offended some people with my words, which is inevitable. These individuals will harbor resentment and seek revenge when the opportunity arises. If Your Honor still doesn't believe me, then summon Xia Houyan to ask him about it." Liu Shanhe felt that if he didn't play his last trump card, it wouldn't work, so he brought out Xia Houyan.

  The county magistrate smiled slyly after hearing this and said, "Good! Then I'll do as you say. Come, go and call Xia Houyi for me!"

  Soon after, Xia Houyi was brought over. As he brushed past Liu Shanhe, their eyes met. Liu Shanhe saw that Xia Houyi merely nodded slightly, his eyes filled with confidence, determination, and a sense of justice. This gaze, Liu Shanhe would never forget. No matter whether he could achieve the same greatness as Liu Bang in the future, this gaze would be forever etched in his memory.

  "Magistrate, Xia Houyan has arrived!" The bailiff replied to the command.

  "Hmm, okay. Xia Houyi, I'll ask you this: someone has reported that the sword wound on your arm was inflicted by Liu Bang. Is there any truth to this?" The county magistrate asked coldly.

  "Replying to County Master, there really isn't such a thing." Xia Houyan looked at the county master calmly and replied slowly.

  "What? Nothing of the sort! Xia Houyan, I can tell you that if you conceal the truth and harbor a criminal, you will be guilty of an even greater crime! You must know this too, don't you?"

  "Yes, sir. I know that. However, the sword wound on my arm was not inflicted by Liu Bang, but rather it was an accident when I was practicing with a sword and had nothing to do with Liu Bang at all. Please, sir, investigate clearly." Xia Hou Ying said this word by word, and what he said sounded completely truthful.

  The county magistrate saw Xia Houyi die without revealing the truth, so he had no choice but to shout: "Bring in the witness!"

  Not long after, the man who had seen Liu Shanhe stab Xia Houyu with his sword that day came to the public hall with a smile and bowed to the county magistrate, saying: "Sir, I don't know what you want to ask me?"

  "Some people say that you personally saw Liu Bang use his treasured sword to injure Xia Houyi, is this true?" The county magistrate asked loudly, his voice sounding very authoritative.

  "I, a humble person, have indeed personally witnessed Liu Bang striking his sword on General Xiahou's shoulder. Moreover, that day, Liu Bang seemed to have drunk quite a bit of wine and was staggering as he walked. Sir, it is well-known that Liu Bang has a fondness for wine and women. At the time, I had intended to go congratulate General Xiahou, but instead saw this scene unfold. Afterwards, I didn't dare ask any more questions. Presumably, Liu Bang's drunken anger arose from his deep jealousy of General Xiahou's promotion, which is why he intentionally tried to harm General Xiahou."

  "County Master, can't you just listen to one side of the story? I'm the one involved in this matter, so naturally I should have the most say. Sir, do you believe his words or mine?" Xiahou Yan replied calmly.

  The county magistrate thought for a moment, then said: "Let's do it this way! Xiahou Yan, just like you said earlier, you are the party involved in this matter and should have the final say. However, our Great Qin law also has clear regulations, anyone who harms an official is guilty of a serious crime. Although you are now only a probationary county officer, you are already considered to be on the payroll. Therefore, whoever harmed you will be punished according to the law. But what you said earlier, that it was your own carelessness and self-inflicted injury, is too far-fetched! You were careless and used a sword to injure yourself, and it's so deep, is that possible?"

  The county magistrate sneered and continued: "I'm saying, Xiahou Yan, let's do this. If you tell us who the person is who harmed you, we will deal with them according to our Great Qin law. But if you really don't want to say, then I have no choice. However, our Great Qin law cannot be disobeyed. You can only take the blame yourself. How about it? Which option do you prefer?" The county magistrate still spoke coldly.

  Xiahou Yan listened to the county magistrate's words, and without a moment of hesitation, he said: "Hehehe, County Magistrate, you don't have to waste your mind anymore. The sword wound on my body is only clear in my heart, it was just an accident that I cut myself, and it has nothing to do with anyone else! Please take note, sir."

  The county magistrate listened to Xiahou Yan's words and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Alright, Xiahou Yan, I'll grant your wish. Guards, take Xiahou Yan away!" As soon as the words left his mouth, several bailiffs came over and dragged Xiahou Yan out of the hall. Just as Xiahou Yan was about to leave, he turned his head back and smiled at Liu Shanhe with a speed that was hard to detect. Liu Shanhe looked at Xiahou Yan's smile, his mouth agape, and his face showed an indescribable expression...

  Xia Houyi was dragged away, and Liu Shanhe felt extremely depressed. He thought he had wronged his friend too much. After retreating from the hall, Liu Shanhe went to Xiao He's place and asked for advice: "I say, Old Xiao, look at this mess! Alas, it's all because I drank too much that day, otherwise such a thing would never have happened! Alas, thinking about it now, I'm really filled with regret! I'm really filled with regret!"

  "Good grief! You're always so careless and reckless, I really don't know what to do with you!" Xiao He scolded Liu Shanhe while thinking for a moment, then said: "However, I think things haven't reached the point where they can't be resolved. Let's take some time off, I'll go with Cao Shen to the county magistrate's office to put in a good word for Xia Houyu. Hmm, it shouldn't be too difficult. Sigh... Liu San, I really admire you! It's strange, though - why did Xia Houyu, who was clearly injured by you, choose to take the fall himself rather than turn you in? Ha! This is really something, Liu San, really something!"

  That day, Liu Shanhe gathered his good brothers in his own Xishui Pavilion to drink and have fun. In the midst of the wine party, Liu Shanhe suddenly waved his hand at everyone and said: "The one I, Liu Shanhe, have respected the most over the years, do you all know who it is?"

  At this time, those guys who usually fought with Liu Shanhe were staring at each other with wide eyes, and surprisingly didn't know who the person was that Liu Shanhe was talking about. At this moment, Liu Shanhe let out a long sigh and said: "Alas, you've all followed me in vain. I remember often mentioning it to everyone. In my life, there aren't many people I admire, but the one person I most admire is actually Xiang Yu's former master, Xinling Jun. He was the young prince of Wei State, named Wuji. Now, let me tell you a story about him.

  One day, when Hou Ying was drinking with his guests, one of the guests said to him: "I heard that in the market, there is a very talented recluse named Hou Ying. Since you are so good at treating scholars with respect, why don't you invite that Hou Ying over?"

  "After hearing the guest's words, Prince Xinling was indeed very excited and immediately took a few people to Hou Ying's residence to invite him. At that time, Hou Ying was just an old gatekeeper. Seeing Prince Xinling coming to his home, he was also very surprised, but he quickly understood Prince Xinling's intention, which was to ask him to come out of retirement! So Hou Ying firmly said, 'I, Hou Ying, have decided not to care about worldly affairs anymore, so please don't waste your breath, I won't follow you.' Thus, Prince Xinling's first attempt to invite Hou Ying ended in failure."

  However, the Prince of Xinling was not an ordinary host. He was indeed a man who sought talents like a thirsty person. A few days later, the Prince of Xinling again had the intention to invite that certain Marquis to instruct him. This time, he also put his mind to it. First, he gathered many high-ranking guests and told them that today they would be receiving a very important person. At first, everyone was whispering to each other, guessing who the Prince of Xinling was going to receive today, and why so many upper-class guests had been stirred up.

  Later, the Prince of Xinling came to Hou's house for the second time, bringing very valuable gifts and inviting Hou to visit his home. The Prince said: I hope this time, sir, you will not refuse me again. Even if you don't come out of retirement, coming to my house for a cup of wine is acceptable, isn't it? You should give me this face, shouldn't you?

  "Hou Ying, naturally not an ordinary person, knew that things couldn't be done too absolutely, so he made a deep bow to Prince Xinling and said: 'Well, I'd rather obey than show respect.' With that, Hou Ying followed Prince Xinling onto the carriage."

  Generally speaking, the seats in a carriage are arranged with the left side being superior and the right side being inferior. However, Hou Ying, who was wearing tattered clothes, suddenly sat down on the left side of the carriage and didn't appear to be out of place at all. But when Hou Ying glanced at Prince Xinling with the corner of his eye, he didn't notice anything unusual about him, and he continued to chat and laugh as usual.

  "On the way, Hou Ying wanted to visit a friend, so he had Prince Xinling take a detour. And as for Prince Xinling? He still didn't show any signs of impatience, following Hou Ying's words and taking a detour into a bustling market. After getting off the carriage, Hou Ying went straight to find a butcher named Zhu Hai and kept talking to him, almost ignoring Prince Xinling. However, although the groomsmen felt like they couldn't bear it anymore, when they looked at Prince Xinling again, he was still chatting and laughing as if nothing was wrong..."

  Liu Shanhe actually learned about the story of Xinling Jun through historical materials. However, he also knew that Liu Bang had always admired Xinling Jun from the Warring States period, so today he borrowed the topic to elaborate on Xinling Jun's good story and share it with his brothers. Especially while drinking wine and talking about happy things, the taste was really not bad...

  That day, Liu Shanhe had nothing to do, so he came out and walked on the street. He saw a girl kneeling by the road. Liu Shanhe frowned upon seeing this, and also walked over. At this time, there were already many people surrounding the girl's side.

  At this time, a man who looked to be around forty was making moves on the girl, saying: "Heh heh, little girl, are you hungry? Come on, follow me home and I'll cook for you."

  As he spoke, he pulled the girl away. The girl also looked like she had no choice but to get up, and when she saw the fierce face of the person pulling her, she didn't dare resist anymore, so she obediently stood up and followed the ruffian.

  "Hey, slow down! In broad daylight, you're going to snatch people away like this? Don't you have any regard for the law?" A loud voice rang out. The burly man was taken aback and was about to lash out, but when he saw that the person speaking was Liu Shanhe, his face which had been dark with anger suddenly brightened up: "Ah, it's Third Brother! Haha, Third Brother, this kid is a fugitive from Hebei, she has no family left, I'm just trying to take pity on her and give her some food to eat. However, if Third Brother has any ideas, I'll naturally step aside." It was clear that the man called Laohei still feared Liu Shanhe's reputation.