Chapter 59

In front of a crowd of students and literati, displaying quick wit and composing poetry, if one receives praise and favor, they can spread their name and become well-known among scholars, while also forming connections with promising literati, building their own network. If fortunate enough to gain the approval of the school’s chief examiner and the invited literati officials, and if they are favored, it could open up more opportunities for recommendations. The best outcome would be to be recommended by the chief examiner to the Imperial College for further studies, which is a great opportunity. This is why the students and literati all value this poetry gathering so much.

Xia Hongsheng is different; he has no interest in these things. He purely wants to appreciate the grand gathering of literati he has longed for in his later life, to witness the scene of flowing cups and poetry composition. Without seeing it, he naturally has no interest. These scholars are too pragmatic, lacking the transcendent and carefree spirit.

This is not to blame the students. Who doesn’t want a bright future? Under the prevailing values, they can only act this way. It’s not that they particularly enjoy showcasing themselves in front of so many people, hoping to win others’ favor; it’s just that they have no choice but to do so.

Xia Hongsheng and Wang Zike left the school together, laughing and chatting as they walked toward Yixiangju. Wang Zike doesn’t seem to have much interest in poetry either; instead, he is very interested in national affairs. On the way, he kept asking Xia Hongsheng about the country’s decisions. Xia Hongsheng thus became even more convinced that Wang Zike must be the son of a high-ranking official, otherwise, he wouldn’t know so much about the court’s decisions, even knowing that Li Shimin was preparing to attack Liang Shidu.

"Brother Zike, whether you heard these words from somewhere else or not, you shouldn’t say them. The court’s plan to attack Liang Shidu is certain, but when and how to attack is the court’s strategy. If the news leaks and Liang Shidu prepares, the effectiveness of the strategy will be greatly reduced." Xia Hongsheng looked around, lowered his voice, and said to Wang Zike, "I think Brother Zike’s family must be from a prominent official family in the capital. You should keep these things in mind and not mention them to others."

"Brother Jingshi, you are right. I will remember." Wang Zike smiled and bowed, but his tone suggested he didn’t take it to heart. He said, "Now that the four seas are peaceful, only Liang Shidu remains stubborn and refuses to surrender. It is common knowledge that the court will attack him. Moreover, with our Tang Dynasty’s current strength, destroying Liang Shidu is as easy as turning over one’s hand. Even if he knows, what harm can it do?"

Xia Hongsheng shook his head and said, "Brother Zike, you are mistaken. The highest form of warfare is to attack the enemy’s strategy, the next is to attack their alliances, the next is to attack their army, and the lowest is to attack their city. Why must it come to a direct confrontation? If we know the court will attack Liang Shidu, think about it, will his soldiers not know? The court and Liang Shidu, the strong and the weak are clear. Will those soldiers willingly die for a stubborn Liang Shidu? Therefore, this is the time when the court is least eager to send troops. Brother Zike, do you believe that the emperor is waiting for Liang Shidu’s soldiers to rebel against him? I can assure you that the emperor has already planted countless spies in Liang Shidu’s army. It’s just a matter of time before they turn the soldiers. When the time comes, the emperor only needs to send a small force to pretend to attack, and Liang Shidu’s soldiers will kill him and surrender."

Turning his head, he saw Wang Zike looking at him in surprise, sizing him up. He sighed, "Brother Jingshi is truly a young talent. Your words are exactly the same as what my father said. I am truly convinced! Ha, indeed, being able to befriend Brother Jingshi is a great fortune for me!"

Xia Hongsheng casually bowed, but inwardly he smiled, thinking that this young man in white was quite clever and knew how to test him.

As they were talking, they heard the sound of galloping horses and shouts from behind. The pedestrians on the street quickly moved to the sides. A group of cavalry charged forward, and behind them was a prison cart, inside which were the Turks who had caused a disturbance in Yixiangju the previous day. Xia Hongsheng turned to look at Wang Zike, who had a faint smile on his face, seemingly unshocked, only finding it interesting. The soldiers stopped their horses at the market entrance and shouted to the crowd, "Yesterday, some Turks caused a disturbance while drunk, beating innocent civilians and harassing virtuous women. We have been ordered to arrest them. By the order of the general, they will be flogged two hundred times at the market entrance as a warning to others!"

The crowd immediately cheered. The soldiers dismounted and dragged the Turks out of the cart. The Turks struggled and cursed, but their bodies were tightly bound. A soldier kicked them in the legs, and they fell to their knees, causing another round of cheers from the crowd.

The soldiers tore the Turks’ clothes, exposing their backs. Another soldier held a whip and, with a crisp sound, struck the Turks’ spines hard.

The Turks immediately screamed in pain, cursing even more. The more they cursed, the harder the soldiers whipped them. Eventually, the Turks stopped cursing, unable to bear the pain, and began to beg for mercy.

The soldiers showed no mercy, and the two hundred lashes were all delivered to the Turks’ backs, leaving them bloodied and lying on the ground, unable to even groan.

"Everyone listen, whether you are Han, Turk, or anyone else, once you are in Luoyang, behave properly! If anyone causes trouble, they will be punished with our whips!" After flogging the Turks, the soldiers shouted to the crowd.

After speaking, the soldiers mounted their horses and rode away, leaving the Turks groaning on the ground.

"Ha, that was refreshing!" Wang Zike laughed. "General Jiang is fair and just. Since he was ordered to guard Luoyang, the city has truly taken on a new look!"

"General Jiang?" Xia Hongsheng scratched his head.

Wang Zike smiled and explained, "General Jiang is General Qu Tongsu, the governor of Luozhou, who was ordered to guard Luoyang. He is upright and fair, with appropriate rewards and punishments. It is said that during the chaos of the previous dynasty, only the soldiers under General Jiang did not plunder the people, showing his strict military discipline."

The crowd continued to watch the beaten Turks, while Xia Hongsheng and Wang Zike bypassed the crowd and entered the South Market. It was already noon, and the two arrived at a private room upstairs in Yixiangju. The manager recognized them and politely invited them to sit down.

"Yesterday, the two of you were truly impressive, making those Turks tremble and rescuing our shop. The crowd was agitated, and there were many customers, so I couldn’t find you. Today, I didn’t expect you to visit Yixiangju again. This meal should be on the house, please don’t refuse!" The manager bowed deeply after inviting Xia Hongsheng and Wang Zike into the private room.

The two did not refuse, sat down, and soon the manager personally served them dishes.

Wang Zike sat gracefully at the table, while Xia Hongsheng, unused to kneeling, sat cross-legged on the mat.

"I was originally planning to travel to Chang’an, but my horse’s hoof was injured, so I had to stay for a few days. Unexpectedly, I met Brother Jingshi, which is truly a blessing in disguise. The ancients were not wrong!" Wang Zike filled Xia Hongsheng’s cup and raised his own, saying, "Come, Brother Jingshi, let’s have a drink!"

"Thinking you are from a high-ranking family in Chang’an, how can your family let you travel alone at such a young age?" Xia Hongsheng said, picking up a cold dish and putting it in his mouth. Hmm, not bad, even better than what I can make. Indeed, professional restaurants are different.

Wang Zike shook his head and said, "Of course, I have attendants and guards, but in Luoyang, I don’t expect any trouble, so I let them stay behind. My horse’s hooves have worn out several times on the journey, and by the time we reached Luoyang, they were completely cracked. I had to cut them off and wait for them to grow back. This horse was a gift from an elder, and I like it very much. I plan to wait a few days until it can travel, then take it back to Chang’an for rest and recovery. The Luoyang poetry gathering and the flower contest are coming up, so I decided to stay in Luoyang for a while. After the flower contest, I will continue to Chang’an. Luoyang has always been prosperous, and with the start of the flower contest, the city will surely be lively. I want to enjoy it to the fullest before leaving."

Hearing Wang Zike mention that his horse’s hooves had worn out several times and were now completely cracked, Xia Hongsheng suddenly remembered the old horse that pulled the cart at Xu Qixian’s house, which also had a limp. He had a question: don’t horses have iron shoes? How can they wear out so easily?

Curious, he asked, "Brother Zike, don’t horses have horseshoes? How can they wear out so easily?"

"Horseshoes? What are those?" Wang Zike looked at Xia Hongsheng with a puzzled expression.

Xia Hongsheng narrowed his eyes. No horseshoes in the Tang Dynasty? A country that relies heavily on cavalry doesn’t use horseshoes? When did horseshoes start being used in China? They had iron smelting technology so early...