Chapter One: The Sound of Autumn (Four Falls)

  The next morning, Wang Xuan arrived at the Chang Le Fang cockfighting arena with a belly full of questions. Who would have thought that Yuwen Zhi, who normally couldn't get enough of the cockfighting arena and would stay there for all twelve hours of the day, had suddenly changed his ways and was nowhere to be found?

  It was the Qin brothers, who rarely appeared, arrived early today. After exchanging greetings with Wang Xuan, they immediately instructed their servants to bring down a dozen or so black lacquer and gold-painted chicken coops from an open-top carriage behind them.

  Those cocks in the cage were tall and majestic, with shiny feathers, obviously a fine breed that had been carefully raised at great expense. Although it was said that friends should share their wealth, Wang Xuan still stepped forward and bowed his hands, smiling and thanking them: "You two brothers have spent a lot of money again! Actually, you two brothers didn't have to do this, in our arena, we have several 'generals' that are just as good!"

  "They were all gifts from friends, not worth much money! Keeping them at home would only make them more and more decadent. It's better to bring them to the arena to experience the trials earlier." Qin Guo Mo looked at him with a smile, giving a reason that sounded very pleasant to the ear.

  Qin Guo Zhen was two years younger than his brother, and his personality wasn't as steady as his brother's either. He waved his hand impatiently and said, "Second Brother, you're not making sense. We're also shareholders of the venue, aren't we? How can we just take our dividends year after year without doing anything, and then let you bear all the responsibility when something happens?"

  "Second Brother is too polite!" Wang Xun was speechless and could only thank him with a fist bump.

  It wasn't even opening time yet, and three people were already standing in the hall, supervising the apprentices as they cleaned up, while chatting idly. After casually chatting for a bit, Qin Guo Mo looked around and asked in surprise: "Why hasn't Zi Da arrived? According to usual, he should have been here long ago?"

  Zi Da is Yuwen's courtesy name. At this moment, when the Qin brothers mentioned it, Wang Xun couldn't help but let out a wry smile from his nostrils. "I'm also looking for that kid? Usually can't even chase him away, now he's gone who-knows-where! Did you two brothers go see Madame Guo last night, didn't she give you a hard time?"

  "No. We just chatted casually about family matters and she even asked my brother and me to stay for dinner. She's actually a kind-hearted person!" Qin Guo Mo thought for a moment before responding with a smile.

  "Madam Guo has invited you two brothers to stay for dinner! Good heavens, you actually had a banquet at Madam Guo's house!" Before Wang Xun could respond, Ma Fang suddenly darted in from outside the door, with a large band-aid on the bridge of his nose, but still unable to make his woman-like shrill voice any coarser.

  "It's just a casual meal!" Qin Guo Mo turned around, smiling as he explained, "Last year, one of my uncles from the same clan wanted to remarry, and it was still Madam Guo who personally tied the red thread. The new aunt is her distant cousin. So, according to our generation, I and Guo Zhen still have to call her 'Aunt'!"

  "Heavens! Heavens! Heavens!" Ma Fangzi didn't care about the underlying meaning in other people's words, he just hugged his head and shouted loudly, "You guys actually got to attend the dinner party at the residence of Madame Guo. And you didn't bring me along? You should know that throughout the capital city, those who want to pay their respects to Madame Guo's elegance would form a line from Guanghua Gate all the way to Qujiang Pavilion! How is it? Is Madame Guo really as...as...legend has it?"

  "Alright, you're everywhere." Seeing Ma Fangyue speaking more and more nonsense, Wang Xun had to step forward to interrupt, "Shouxian, was everything okay when you went home yesterday? Didn't your father scold or punish you?"

  "Yeah, we thought that Guard Straight would definitely be bedridden for at least half a month!" Knowing that Ma Fang was this kind of outspoken person, the two Qin brothers didn't bother to argue with him. Taking a few steps forward, their eyes scanned Ma Fang up and down.

  "Heh heh!" Ma Fang laughed complacently, revealing a row of neat teeth. "My old man was on duty at the Ministry of Revenue yesterday and didn't come home at all. Lately, things seem to be particularly busy in the imperial court, I reckon it'll be hard for him to find time to deal with me within ten days or half a month!"

  "No wonder you've been wagging your tail all day!" The crowd nodded in agreement, looking enlightened.

  "Yuwen Zida, isn't he here today?" As soon as he spoke, Ma Fang also realized that the atmosphere at the cockfighting arena was a bit duller than usual. He scanned the area with his eyes and quickly found the reason.

  "Who knows where he ran off to?" Wang Xuan laughed and shook his head.

  Unable to find Yuwen Zhi, Ma Fang's attention turned to other things. "Second brother, two brothers, didn't you catch that group of outsiders yesterday? Grandma, they beat me up so badly! When I got home, my butt couldn't even touch the bed, and I ended up sleeping on my stomach all night!"

  "We managed to catch up, but it was a draw!" Wang Xun smiled and nodded, then seemingly casually asked: "What happened yesterday? I don't think those outsiders were looking for trouble."

  "I didn't know!" Ma Fang's reply left everyone speechless. "I was watching the commotion in the small room, and Brother Zida had already started fighting with someone in the main hall. I saw he was at a disadvantage, so I rushed forward to help him out. Who would have thought that those outsiders looked like weak scholars but were actually ruthless?"

  Furrowing his brow, Wang Xun turned his gaze to the Qin brothers. The two brothers also shook their heads with wry smiles, "Don't look at us, we were also dragged in by Zida. When we heard the commotion, Shou was already on the ground. We're brothers after all, how can we just watch him get beaten..."

  "This is going to be a disaster!" Wang Xuan shook his head and sighed, more convinced that Yuwen Zhi was intentionally causing trouble, dragging everyone into it. But Yuwen Zhi wasn't usually the kind of person who would harm his friends, so why was he doing this? What could he possibly gain from it?

  Actually, it's not just him who is confused. The Qin brothers also felt that the battle yesterday was a mess when they returned home. So, they came over early today to investigate under the pretext of replenishing the fighting chickens. At this moment, unable to find Yuwen Zhi and seeing a hint of dark energy on Wang Xuan's forehead, they realized that the situation might be more complicated than they thought. They smiled and changed the subject.

  Only Ma Fang was oblivious, asking about the outcome of yesterday's other "battle", "How could it have ended in a draw? Er Lang, they were actually able to hold you to a draw? What kind of background do they have, to be so formidable?"

  "If your name is known to my uncle, I'm afraid you'll have to hide for another ten days or half a month, and you won't be able to escape a family punishment!" He looked at him and Wang Xun responded with a bitter smile, "The guy who fought me was called Li Bai. There were also Gao Shi and Cen Shen, all of whom were imperial scholars. How about it, are you satisfied now?"

  "Ah!" Ma Fang let out a loud belch, almost choking on his breath. His family was strict, with his father, an official in the Ministry of Revenue, holding up the great talents of the world as examples for him to follow every day. The poet Li Bai was one of them, and although he heard the names of Gao Shi and Cen Shen less often than Li Bai's, they were also people he strove to learn from. If Ma Fang's father found out that he wasn't making progress and had even abandoned his learning goals, his buttocks would probably be beaten until they were bruised beyond recognition.

  Ma Fang's face turned pale with fright, Qin Guo Zheng couldn't help but walk up and pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we've already turned our enemies into friends. Old Lei is hosting a banquet at Linfeng Tower tomorrow at noon, let's go and make peace with Li Bai and the others. Remember, tomorrow at noon. This time you're socializing with some of the most talented people, even if you drink too much, your uncle definitely won't scold you!"

  As soon as Ma Fang heard the name Lei Wanchun, he immediately became excited again. "Old Lei? Is it Lei Daxia? When did he come back to the capital? Why didn't he give us a heads up in advance? He still owes me for the Bohai Guo's curved knife!"

  Some people's names are just unforgettable. As soon as Ma Fang's voice fell, Lei Wanchun's tall figure squeezed in from the doorway. "Who's mentioning me? I said, since morning I've been sneezing nonstop. Alright, no need to mention it anymore, Old Lei is here!"

  After speaking, he threw a heavy package onto the counter where they exchanged tokens with a loud thud. "These are all gifts from friends I made while traveling the world. Everyone can pick a few to take home and show respect to their elders, it's also my intention. Xiao Ma Si, the curved knife you wanted is in the package too. Be careful, it's already been sharpened, don't cut your hand!"

  "Ah!" Ma Fang responded with a shout, rushing over like flying, and opening the package. Inside, in addition to two broad-bladed curved knives with scabbards, there were also several strands of pearls and several pieces of jade. They were all high-quality goods from outside the border, prized for their weight and size. The Qin brothers and Wang Chun knew that since Lei Wanchun had followed Zhang Xun, he had always been short on funds, so they quickly stepped forward to rewrap the package, bowing their hands in thanks: "How can we again trouble Brother Lei to spend money? You're just a county lieutenant, with only a few salaries!"

  "You think I'm too low-ranking?!" Lei Wanchun's face turned stern, his eyes bulging wide. "If you think I'm too low-ranking, I'll leave immediately and not dare disturb the esteemed gentlemen!"

  "Lei Dage, what are you talking about!" Everyone looked at each other and had to stop him, handing over the gifts in front of them. Lei Wanchun was finally pleased, stroking his whiskers, and said with a smile: "Is that right? If I really wanted to make money, my brother would resume his old business, and just by turning around in the capital, he would have some. It's just that recently I didn't want to add trouble to my family's elders. Originally, today my family's elder thought of visiting your homes, but I told him you definitely wouldn't be at home. So he went directly to the Ministry of Rites and sent me to make an appointment with you for a visit."

  "Zhang Hedo is really polite!" The crowd laughed and shook their heads. Zhang Xun, the superior whom Lei Wanchun followed, also had some connections with everyone. But compared to the unruly Lei Wanchun, Zhang Xun, who was always proper in his words and actions, would definitely find it harder to blend into the group.

  "My family's elders are just like that. They conduct themselves with integrity, and whether it's governing others or governing themselves, they're extremely strict!" Afraid that everyone would misunderstand Zhang Zhou, Lei Wanchun took the initiative to defend him, "But he is wholeheartedly willing to do practical things for the people, and is the only official I've seen who does so. Sorry, both uncles are not local officials, I haven't had dealings with them before, but they must also be honest and upright, daring to take responsibility and make requests in person!"

  After listening to others' flattery towards their own father, the Qin brothers and Ma Fang felt proud, so they didn't care whether these flattering words were appropriate or not. In fact, looking at the entire Tang Dynasty, there were probably fewer than ten people in the government who could be as clean and honest as Zhang Xun. It was precisely because he refused to accept bribes that Zhang Xun couldn't come up with enough money to bribe his superiors. Therefore, although he consistently received excellent evaluations as a county magistrate, he was never able to get promoted even half a step.

  "Where's Zida? Why hasn't he come?" After exchanging a few casual words, Lei Wanchun also noticed that an important figure was missing from the cockfighting arena and furrowed his brow, asking in a low voice.

  "Not clear!" Wang Xun smiled in response, "I reckon something unexpected came up at home, so he can't get away. Old Lei, you also know that his family has dozens of people relying on him to make a living!"

  "It's also true that Zidabing looks like he's always smiling and relaxed, but in reality, the burden on his shoulders is heavier than ours! Yesterday I was also momentarily angry and said some excessive words. Today I rushed over, originally wanting to apologize to him..."

  "Lei Ge's words are unfair. Yesterday, you were reasonable in your reprimand, and Zida is not someone who doesn't know what's good for him! If he dares to get angry, we'll drag him out and each of us will kick him twice, see if the air in his belly can be smoothed out!" Qin Guo Zheng smiled and quietly helped Yuwen Zhi save face.

  "It is!" Everyone laughed and changed the subject. They listened to Lei Wanchun chat about some interesting stories that happened to Zhang Zhou, and soon it was approaching 4 o'clock. The sound of "ding ding ding" came from the streets, and tea houses, wine shops, casinos, pawnshops, and many other stores opened their doors at the same time, preparing to welcome customers. The entire East City suddenly became lively, with people buying things, watching the excitement, looking for jobs everywhere, rubbing shoulders, and flowing endlessly.

  Wang Jun and others are considered to be people of status, so they can't gamble with ordinary guests in the main hall. Therefore, under Qin Guo Mo's proposal, they plan to go to a teahouse outside for a while. Before they could move, a young scholar who looked more refined than Ma Fang squeezed into the crowd at the entrance, took out dozens of copper coins and threw them onto the counter where chips were exchanged, and asked loudly: "Is Yuwen Zida here? Please ask him to come out and see me?"

  In front of several shareholders, the partners dared not to accept the red envelope. Immediately, with a smile, they pushed the copper coins back and responded in a low voice: "Master Yuwen is not here. He doesn't often come here. Do you have something to do with him? Can I take a message for him?"

  "Am I an old man?" The young scholar, who looked more refined than Ma Fang, nervously touched his face and slightly furrowed his brow. "I...I don't need you to speak for me, nor do I want you to patronize me. I know that this cockfighting arena has a silent shareholder..."

  Before he could finish speaking, his agile eyes had already scanned Wang Xuan and the others. He immediately turned around, quickly squeezed a few steps in this direction, "The front is indeed Lei Daxia, it can be said that I have found you. My master asked me to bring you a message..."

  Note 1: Guanghua Gate is in the northwest corner of Chang'an City, while Qujiang Fang is in the southeast corner.