Chapter 129: Stunned Silence (Part I)

"What a freezing day!" Yang Yaozong stepped out of the room, which was heated by a stove, and shivered as the icy autumn wind bit into him. After the storms of the past two days, the sky had cleared, but the temperature in the capital had plummeted significantly.

"I'm afraid you'll have to settle for being my attendant today, my lord," Zhang Lie said with a laugh. The two were currently preparing to attend a banquet hosted by the Prince of Qin.

Although the experience of eavesdropping through the wall at the Red Dust Drunkenness brothel had been quite thrilling, the information they had obtained from Jiang Hao had left them with no desire for idle fantasies. When they left the private room, the rain was already pouring outside. Mother Jiang had prepared two rooms for them to stay the night, but they had politely declined. On the carriage ride back to Zhang Lie’s residence, Yang Yaozong revealed the existence of the Secret Investigation Bureau and his role as its Commissioner. Zhang Lie was naturally astonished, and even before Yang Yaozong could invite him to join, Zhang Lie had volunteered. Yang Yaozong could see that Zhang Lie genuinely wanted to do something substantial and possessed both a keen interest and a talent for intelligence work, so he gladly accepted. On the way, passing a wonton stall, Yang Yaozong donned a mask and, sharing an umbrella with Zhang Lie, stepped out of the carriage to lead him to that clandestine meeting spot.

To Yang Yaozong's surprise, the person waiting to meet him was Eagle Eye. After introducing Zhang Lie to Eagle Eye, Yang Yaozong learned that the Prince of Qin had tightened security around the new Prince's residence. Eagle Eye and Eagle Tail had been reassigned to patrol the outer perimeter, and having already made contact with Eagle Beak, they had learned of this meeting location. It was only because Eagle Tail was covering for him that he could slip away to meet Yang Yaozong. He also learned that the army at the Tongzhou Garrison was ready to head south at any moment; while the exact timing remained uncertain, it was unlikely to be delayed for long.

After parting ways with Eagle Eye, the two returned to Zhang Lie’s home to synthesize the intelligence. They speculated that the Prince of Qin’s decision to act now, disregarding the lives of the two princes in the capital, likely stemmed from an agreement made with the Turks, and that the situation on the frontier was bound to become critical.

Upon arriving at the Prince of Qin's mansion, they were ushered into the banquet hall. Zhang Lie was seated below the Prefect of the Capital, while Yang Yaozong was placed in a seat in the back row near the door, surrounded by decorative potted plants. Yang Yaozong did not mind, remaining as composed as ever.

As he entered the hall, Yang Yaozong spotted Ayi and Jie Zhilue. Ayi was seated below Jie Zhilue, once again disguised as a man. On the day they arrived in the capital, after Ayi and Jie Zhilue had dropped them off, they had sent people to investigate Zhang Lie, so they were already aware he was the Assistant Prefect of the Capital. They were not surprised by his presence, but were quite taken aback by Yang Yaozong's appearance. Judging by his seating arrangement, they correctly deduced that he had come as Zhang Lie's subordinate and was not highly regarded by the Prince of Qin.

Yang Yaozong also noticed Zhishi Sili and the stout foreigner sitting to the Prince of Qin’s left. Ayi and Jie Zhilue were seated below them. From the seating arrangement, it was clear to Yang Yaozong that the Prince of Qin favored the Eastern Turks.

Zhishi Sili and the stout foreigner naturally saw Yang Yaozong as well. Zhishi Sili gave him a meaningful look before ignoring him, but the stout foreigner stared at Yang Yaozong and sneered for a long time.

As the banquet began, Yang Yaozong amused himself by watching the song and dance performances while keeping an eye on the Prince of Qin’s words and actions. Whenever Ayi cast a complex glance his way, he responded with a smile.

When the performances ended, those who knew Zhang Lie began to challenge him. As a genuine top scholar of the Great Zhou, Zhang Lie responded to those who deliberately tried to embarrass him with grace and composure. Seeing Zhang Lie defuse every question with ease, Yang Yaozong’s admiration for him only grew.

"You! It’s you!"

Just as Yang Yaozong was enjoying the wine and food, watching the sycophants and the windbags in the hall, he heard a boisterous shout from the foreigner. The lively atmosphere in the hall instantly fell silent. Everyone turned to look at the rude and ignorant foreigner. It was none other than the stout foreigner, who appeared to be somewhat drunk. Zhishi Sili, sitting beside him, made no move to stop his insolence, instead turning his gaze toward the direction the stout foreigner was pointing.

Seeing the Prince of Qin and everyone else looking at him, Yang Yaozong could only offer a faint smile toward the stout foreigner, while inwardly sneering.

"What is your name?"

"I am Yang Guo."

"Yang Guo! Do you dare to test your fists and feet against me?"

Everyone in the hall, save for Zhishi Sili, frowned at the stout foreigner. Even the Prince of Qin furrowed his brow. It was plain to see that the foreigner was a brute, and for a brute to challenge a scholar to a physical fight was truly bullying. Even if he won, it would be no honor; he might even be mocked for it.

Yang Yaozong smiled and said, "If you dare to compete with me in composing poetry, then I shall dare to compete with you in feats of strength." He had no intention of brawling with a brute and sought a pretext to refuse. He had come today to observe the Prince of Qin; he was quite interested in this prince who harbored ambitions of rebellion.

The stout foreigner burst into loud, mocking laughter, looking at Yang Yaozong with contempt. "The Great Zhou is exactly the way it is because of useless scholars like you! What use is it to know how to write a few lines of doggerel? On the battlefield, you can't even lift a sword—you're only fit to wait for death!" He continued to laugh boisterously. Zhishi Sili neither reined in the foreigner’s rudeness nor cared for the indignant glares of the crowd, simply sitting in his seat, drinking leisurely.

Zhang Lie also drank unconcernedly, as if he either considered the man’s words no better than flatulence, or he had such absolute confidence that Yang Yaozong would not let the man remain so arrogant.

Ayi frowned and shot a cold look at the stout foreigner, then looked craftily at Yang Yaozong, anticipating his response.

Jie Zhilue, after having the situation translated by Ayi, also just drank his wine and watched from the sidelines.

Yang Yaozong smiled. "Your Excellency speaks with great reason. Perhaps we scholars with brains are indeed not as useful on the battlefield as brainless warriors like yourself. But if that’s the case, why haven’t your millions of brawny, brainless foreigners been able to breach the passes after months of hovering outside? It is because the warriors of our Great Zhou possess both courage and strategy."

The stout foreigner retorted angrily, "That is because we never intended—"

Before he could finish, Zhishi Sili stopped him. Zhishi Sili stared deeply at Yang Yaozong. "Brother Yang Guo, since you dared to propose a poetry contest, you must be confident in your literary talent. While I cannot compose poetry, I am a fair judge of it, and I deeply appreciate the poetry of your Great Zhou. Since coming here, I have yet to see how the scholars of your land compose their works. Everyone present is a learned man appreciated by the Prince of Qin; why don't you recite a poem now for everyone to appreciate? If the poem is good, perhaps the Prince will look upon you with favor. After all, you came to this banquet hoping for his recognition, did you not?"

Every eye in the hall turned toward Yang Yaozong, who sat amidst the floral decorations.

The Prince of Qin smiled. "Yang Guo, Zhishi Sili is a distinguished guest of mine. Since he wishes to see your talent, you may compose a poem now. I, too, would like to witness it."

Yang Yaozong bowed to the Prince. "My meager learning cannot compare to the scholars here or the many talents of the Great Zhou. I may even fall short of the common people. But since the Prince has commanded, I dare not refuse. I shall recite a poem, and I hope everyone will not laugh at my clumsiness. I have suddenly felt a spark of inspiration—would you all care to see me perform a few sword flourishes as I recite?"

No sooner had Yang Yaozong finished speaking than Ayi said, "I want to see it!" Her eyes were burning as she stared at him.

Seeing that the Turkish guest desired it, the Prince of Qin signaled for a servant to bring Yang Yaozong a sword.

Yang Yaozong placed the sword on the table in front of him, picked up the flagon, filled his cup, and took a small sip, closing his eyes as if savoring the flavor. Then, he slowly parted his lips and began: "A pot of wine among the flowers..."