Chapter 5: A Narrow Escape for Enemies

Li Yanqing hesitated, wondering if he should disturb the man, when a series of hurried footsteps approached. Li Daqi emerged from the moon gate in the adjacent corridor, muttering to himself, "Strange, where has everyone gone?"

"Qing'er, your Fourth Uncle is not here. Let us pay our respects first, and we can offer incense later!"

Li Daqi’s voice startled the middle-aged man inside the main hall. He hurriedly shoved a gourd into his robes and scrambled to return a wine pot to its original spot. With a creak of the heavy doors, Li Yanqing stepped inside.

Li Yanqing pretended he had seen nothing and turned to his father, saying, "Father, there is someone in the main hall."

"Haha, you startled me! So it is Qing'er. It has been a long time." The middle-aged man breathed a secret sigh of relief; it was only that foolish boy.

Li Daqi walked in, surprised and pleased. "I was looking everywhere for you. So you were in the main hall, Fourth Brother."

The man was Li Daguang, a cousin of Li Daqi. He was a scholar, known for being slick and well-connected within the clan. Although he was not from the main Lushan branch, the clan leader favored him and had entrusted him with the guardianship of the Li family ancestral hall.

Only now did Li Yanqing see him clearly. His features were actually quite young—at most thirty—but his hair and beard were already half-white, making him look like a man in his early fifties.

Despite the graying, his chin beard was a full foot long, flowing in a way that gave him an ethereal, scholarly air. He was tall and wore a snow-white robe of exquisite craftsmanship. Every gesture carried a refined, gentle grace, like a Taoist master refining elixirs in a secluded temple, standing in sharp contrast to the diminutive Li Daqi in his patched, ragged clothes.

Seeing that Li Yanqing did not kneel to pay his respects, Li Daguang felt slightly uncomfortable. He asked Li Daqi, "What brings you here today, Daqi?"

"Qing'er has fully recovered, so we came specifically to thank our ancestors for their protection."

"As you should!"

Li Daguang glanced at Li Yanqing, then pulled Li Daqi aside and asked with a smirk, "Perhaps I shouldn't ask, but Qing'er looks quite bright! Why does everyone call him 'The Second Fool'?"

Li Daqi gave a bitter laugh. "He was a bit slow before, but thanks to the ancestors' blessings, Qing'er has suddenly become enlightened."

"Oh! So that is how it is."

As his father and uncle huddled together whispering, Li Yanqing curiously surveyed the magnificent hall.

From the outside, the hall did not seem tall—three stories at most—but from the inside, it felt vast. It was an all-wood structure with long, flowing curtains hanging from a massive crossbeam. Dozens of tables were stacked near the north window, suggesting that banquets were often held within the shrine.

In the center stood the spirit pagoda, a two-story wooden niche that occupied most of the hall. It was densely packed with the spirit tablets of the four branches of the Li family, rising in tiers like a pagoda, numbering over a hundred.

Li Yanqing noticed something strange at the very top. Usually, there was only one spirit tablet at the apex, honoring the first ancestor of the clan. The Li family was no exception; there was indeed a tablet at the very top, placed in the center to signify its status.

However, above this ancestor was a larger, blank spirit tablet, seemingly made of precious red sandalwood. It was tucked away to the side. What puzzled Li Yanqing was that it bore no inscription at all, as if it were a superfluous spare. Yet, an intuition told him that this was the true ancestor of the Li family.

"What are you looking at, Qing'er?" Li Daqi asked, walking over.

"I am looking at the very top. Father, were our ancestors officials?"

Li Daqi realized this was the first time his son had visited the shrine since becoming "enlightened"—previously, he had only crawled under tables looking for food. It was rare for his son to ask about the ancestors. A strong sense of duty welled up within him; he felt it was necessary to recount their glorious history.

He pointed to the central tablet at the top. "See that? That is our earliest ancestor. During the reign of the Taizu Emperor of this dynasty, he served as a Great General of the Right Imperial Guard. His name was Congpu, though he was originally called Congqian. He had seven sons, and his third son from a concubine moved to Tangyin County in Xiangzhou during the Taizong era. He, in turn, had four sons, forming the four branches we have today."

Only then did Li Yanqing learn that his ancestor was a Great General of the Song Dynasty. He felt he recognized the name Li Congqian; after a moment of reflection, he remembered—Li Congqian was a poet and calligrapher of the early Song, and the younger brother of Li Yu, the Last Ruler of Tang.

"Then, whose is that blank tablet at the very top?" Li Yanqing asked, pointing to the obscured tablet.

Li Daqi finally noticed the blank tablet and was shocked. He asked urgently, "Fourth Brother, why is the Great Ancestor's tablet out?"

"Have you forgotten? The Lushan branch is holding an ancestral sacrifice the day after tomorrow, so the clan leader brought it out. It wasn't supposed to be out until tomorrow, but since tomorrow is an inauspicious day, they set it up today at noon. The clan leader specifically instructed me to sleep in the main hall these two nights to keep a close watch on it."

"That is absurd!"

Li Daqi said with great dissatisfaction, "According to clan rules, it should only be brought out during the decennial grand sacrifice. This is just a minor sacrifice for the Lushan branch. How could the clan leader..."

Li Daguang curled his lip, unimpressed. "I wouldn't know about that. Regardless, it is in the clan leader's hands. If he wants to hold a sacrifice, who is going to stop him?"

Li Yanqing asked curiously, "Father, whose tablet is that, really?"

Li Daqi looked conflicted. After a long pause, he said, "This... I will tell you when you are older. I cannot say right now."

"What is there that cannot be said?"

Li Daguang, displeased by Li Daqi’s criticism of the clan leader, crouched down and pointed at the blank tablet. "Qing'er, that is the true glory of our family. He was a person of supreme status. Do you understand?"

Li Yanqing was startled. "Supreme status"—didn't that mean the Emperor? His thoughts raced. Could it be Li Yu, the one who wrote "The small chamber last night, the east wind blew again"? Impossible; history recorded that Li Yu had no descendants. Besides, how could Li Yu's tablet be placed above Li Congqian's? Usually, it had to be a father.

Li Yanqing had already guessed who it was: Li Jing, the father of Li Yu and Li Congqian. He had just read some of his poetry in the books his father had borrowed. Li Yanqing blurted out, "So he is Li Jing, the one who wrote 'The small chamber blows through the cold of the jade flute'!"

Li Daguang sprang to his feet in shock and looked at Li Daqi. Li Daqi waved his hands frantically, terrified. "I never told him! How could I have blabbered about such a thing?"

Li Daguang crouched back down and asked cautiously, "Qing'er, who told you this?"

"Didn't you just tell me? He is Li Congqian's father and was once a man of supreme status. If not Li Jing, then who?"

Li Daguang and Li Daqi exchanged glances, completely stunned. After a long while, Li Daqi snapped out of it and scolded, "Qing'er, you must not speak the names of our ancestors so casually. It is disrespectful, do you understand?"

"Qing'er, how did you know his name?" Li Daguang asked, bewildered.

Li Yanqing smiled. "I just read a 'Huan Xi Sha' he wrote a few days ago: 'The fragrance of the lotus fades, the green leaves wither; the autumn wind stirs sorrow among the green ripples.' That is how I know him."

Li Daguang let out a long sigh and turned to Li Daqi. "Such a brilliant talent—it would truly be a pity not to send him to school."

Li Daqi’s face turned deathly pale.

...

"Qing'er, don't wander too far. I need to have a word with your Fourth Uncle," Li Daqi called out to his son in the courtyard.

"Understood!" came Li Yanqing's listless reply from the yard.

"Making him pay respects to the ancestors is like asking for his life. Some clansmen don't even have the privilege to do so; he doesn't know how lucky he is!"

Li Daqi grumbled at his son's retreating back. Under his father's coercion earlier, Li Yanqing had knelt with the utmost reluctance, refusing to perform a single kowtow.

Li Daguang, however, didn't care much about the etiquette; he was still ruminating on Li Yanqing’s genius.

"Daqi, you must find a way to get the boy into school! We can teach him a few poems, but without connections to the county academy, how will he participate in the county examinations in the future? And without the county exams, how can he be recommended by the magistrate for the provincial exams?"

"I know, but... sigh! I finally saved a little money and lost it all. What can I do without money? Perhaps you could lend me ten strings of cash, Fourth Brother?"

Li Daguang gave a bitter laugh. "I would like to help you, but you know I have a weakness for a drink. I currently owe the tavern three strings of cash myself. I am penniless. Why don't you try asking the clan leader? Theoretically, he should help the children of the clan get an education."

Li Daqi shook his head. "Borrowing from him is worse than borrowing from a pawnshop. Aside from not requiring collateral, his interest rates are even higher."

"Then why don't you try the bookstore in the county town again? Didn't Shopkeeper Luo ask you to come work for him?"

"But Steward Liu won't grant me leave!"

Li Daguang flew into a rage. "That piece-of-shit steward is worth nothing! You just go to the county. I will speak to the clan leader tomorrow. Let's see what that 'Liu Black Pig' dares to say!"

Li Daqi finally made up his mind. For the sake of his son's education, he had to go to the county town to copy books.

Furthermore, there was a more harrowing matter he dared not tell his son: he had signed a fifty-string debt note for medical expenses to Steward Liu. Ten strings had been extorted from him, leaving forty still owed. The man had given him a month to pay it off, and with only twenty days left, he had to find a way to borrow that money.

Steward Liu had made it clear: if he dared to default, he would go after his son.

...

Li Yanqing had long since run out of the shrine. He had placed the two-ounce fish he caught by the creek inside a small mud enclosure he had fashioned.

Tired of waiting for his father, he began flipping over rocks in the creek. His luck was good; he caught three loaches. Having nowhere to store them, he smashed their heads with a stone—a delicious loach and fish soup for tonight.

Thinking of the stir-fried loaches he used to eat, his mouth began to water.

Just then, he saw three children emerge from the woods—the same three bullies who had pelted his father with mud and stones the other day. Led by Steward Liu’s son, their sneaky demeanor signaled nothing good. Li Yanqing quickly ducked behind a large cypress tree.

"Li Er, I told you, the offerings aren't set out until tomorrow. You didn't believe me. My father is the head steward; do you think he doesn't know how things are arranged?"

"I was just worried, in case. Didn't you hear those brats from the Lushan branch are also eyeing the white jade cakes? We have to beat them to it."

"Fu-ge, are the white jade cakes really that good?"

"Of course! They are soft and fine, melting the moment they touch your tongue, sweet enough to reach your heart. You can't even buy them in the county town. My father said they are special provisions sent by the Second Master from the capital, meant for the upper crust. One costs a string of cash. We won't steal many—just one each to taste."

The three peered into the shrine entrance for a moment. Liu Fu kicked Li Er. "I told you they weren't set out until tomorrow! A wasted trip!"

"Why, if it isn't Fu-ge? What are you all doing here?"

Li Daqi emerged from the shrine and came face-to-face with the three bullies who caused him such headaches.

Liu Fu gave a disdainful laugh and raised his voice for the Li brothers to hear. "Let me tell you something funny. A few days ago, a dog chased me, but it didn't even touch a hair on my head. I told my father I’d been bitten by a vicious dog. Guess what happened?"

Li Daqi’s face flushed red with rage. "So, my Blackie didn't bite you after all!"

Ignoring Li Daqi, Liu Fu continued triumphantly, "My father took his men and gave the dog's owner a brutal beating. I heard he even shat himself, and he sprayed my father with blood. The funniest part was when he knelt on the ground, imitating a dog, and crawled between the legs of four servants. My father was kind-hearted and only made him pay fifty strings of medical expenses!"

"Your father is indeed too kind. If it were me, I would have made him pay a hundred!"

"I think a thousand would be better!"

The three bullies laughed raucously and swaggered away. Li Daqi’s face turned from red to white with fury, but he dared not provoke them. Just then, he saw his son standing by the creek and was startled, quickly rushing to stop him, fearing his son might lose his temper and charge at them.

But Li Yanqing was strangely calm, showing no sign of anger, merely watching the three bullies fade into the distance.