Chapter 6: Young Man, Good Fortune

Jin Qiyan was patrolling the edge of the camp. Although it appeared to be aimless wandering, in reality, he was on high alert. The Wang family was one of the renowned Five Great Clans, and as the younger brother of the family head, Wang Douxiang was certainly no powerless scholar. In the Tang Dynasty, “powerless scholar” was nearly synonymous with weakness. Even at the Imperial Academy, after the rise of metaphysics, pure literary scholars had vanished.

This assassination attempt was aimed at the young lady.

Jin Qiyan’s cheeks quivered slightly; even now, sweat poured down his back as he recalled the peril of that moment. If anything had happened to her, his life would not be enough to atone for his failure.

With these thoughts in mind, he watched as Yang Xuan emerged from the dense forest. His expression softened, and he asked, “What took you so long?”

Yang Xuan wanted to say he’d had a stomach upset, but when the words reached his lips, they changed to, “I went to search for the assassins.”

After this ordeal, Huang the Second’s attitude toward Yang Xuan took a significant turn. He couldn’t help but laugh, “The assassins were cunning, and had deathsworn covering their escape. Those deathsworn delayed us just long enough for the real assassin to make a clean getaway... Still, you tried.”

What Huang the Second truly wanted to say was, “If we couldn’t catch the assassin, what good would you do?” But since he was Yang Xuan’s tent-mate, his words softened before they left his mouth.

The guards exchanged amused glances; some were even openly mocking.

Jin Qiyan noticed their derision and thought, if it weren’t for Yang Xuan, these guards would all be dead today. Yet even now, some still rejected him.

He understood this wasn’t ingratitude, but that envy and resentment had overshadowed their sense of gratitude.

He cleared his throat, and the guards dropped their heads.

Jin Qiyan glanced at Yang Xuan, thinking, This boy comes from the countryside; how could he possibly understand the cunning hearts of men?

Yang Xuan picked up on some of this. He sniffed, wishing he could prove himself by killing assassins. But the reason he’d set out in the first place was to repay the Wang family for taking him in. If not for them, he’d be trekking to Chang’an on foot, and who knows how many years it would take to get there.

So, he didn’t mention that he’d already killed the four assassins. He felt some regret at missing out on the Wang family’s reward, but also a sense of relief, as if a burden had been lifted from his heart. He believed he’d done the right thing.

Yang Xuan blended into the crowd of guards, while Jin Qiyan and Huang the Second whispered their thoughts about him.

“This boy has a big heart. Sharing a tent with me, he fell asleep almost instantly the first night,” Huang the Second said, arms crossed, watching Yang Xuan joke and play with the other guards.

“A big heart?” Jin Qiyan nodded slightly. He knew Huang the Second was skilled at reading people. Though he seemed inconspicuous among the guards, he was always present at crucial moments. “No wonder...”

Huang the Second leaned in, sensing Jin Qiyan’s lingering guilt, and said gravely, “Who do you think those men were working for?”

Jin Qiyan was both guilty and relieved. He narrowed his eyes, hiding his murderous intent. “The Tang Dynasty doesn’t prohibit civilians from owning weapons, so forging arms is big business. But to forge weapons, you need iron mines. The Wang family controls many mines, but only cooperates with the Chunyu family, another of the Five Clans. The Wang family provides the iron, the Chunyu family forges the weapons. Together, they make a fortune every year... How many rivals must envy them?”

Huang the Second leaned closer, feeling he ought to speak up for the honest young man. In a low voice, he said, “Those great merchants are lawless. I’d wager they’d set the imperial city on fire for profit. They have plenty of skilled fighters under their command. We owe today’s safety to Yang Xuan. Our family isn’t short of wealth—why not speak to the young master and bring Yang Xuan into the Wang household?”

Jin Qiyan nodded approvingly, a smile tugging at his lips. “It was fate—he happened to save the young lady, a stroke of destiny. But he’s still too naïve. If someone else had saved her, they’d be hovering around the young master, trying to win favor. Wait! Those idiots are leading him away—are they planning to teach him a lesson? Huang the Second...”

Huang the Second had already noticed; two guards were grinning falsely as they herded Yang Xuan toward a tent at the edge of the camp.

Huang the Second scowled and was about to intervene when Jin Qiyan held him back. “He plans to go to Chang’an, a place like a vast pond where big fish devour little fish and little fish eat the likes of him. With his simple, honest nature, he’ll suffer greatly. Keep an eye on them, and step in only after they’ve made their move.”

It was a lesson intended for Yang Xuan, a kindness in its own way.

Huang the Second understood and quietly approached the tent.

Inside, the two guards’ expressions changed.

“You bumped into me earlier!” One guard barked, “Apologize!”

He was the young lady’s savior, so they didn’t dare attack him outright and had to find a pretext.

Yang Xuan instinctively backed away, only to find himself against the edge of the tent. The two guards grinned menacingly, and one shouted, “Yang Xuan started it!”

Outside, Huang the Second rolled his eyes, already planning to thrash the two idiots later to avenge Yang Xuan.

Bang!

A fight broke out inside.

In an instant, the sounds of fists and feet clashing filled the air.

Moments later, someone stepped out of the tent.

“Yang Xuan?” Huang the Second’s jaw dropped.

At that moment, Jin Qiyan was giving instructions, “Remember to leave an opening tonight. If any rats try to sneak in, kill them on the spot—eh?”

Both men turned, surprised to see Yang Xuan emerge.

Where were the two guards?

Jin Qiyan was puzzled. Did those two fools actually just talk to him?

He watched as Huang the Second entered the tent.

Inside, the two guards were curled on the ground, groaning, looking like a pair of boiled shrimp.

Huang the Second poked his head out, shaking it at Jin Qiyan with a wry smile.

“What a lad!” The Wang family’s guards were no pushovers, yet this honest-looking boy had managed to subdue two of them. His potential was obvious. Jin Qiyan went at once to find Wang Douxiang.

Wang Douxiang was reading while Wang Xian’er fidgeted beside him. “Second Uncle, let’s go outside and take a look.”

Wang Douxiang’s expression was calm. “Had you not ridden ahead today, those assassins wouldn’t have gotten the chance.”

Wang Xian’er sighed, “Second Uncle, that boy was watching out for me!”

Wang Douxiang was surprised. The Wang women had even been empresses—how could a country boy catch her eye? But his niece’s attitude was friendly. “He happened to save you, that’s all. Your uncle will assign proper guards for you in the future.”

Wang Xian’er recalled the moment she had been carried off her horse, and the unfamiliar gleam in Yang Xuan’s eyes. After much thought, she found the word—wildness.

Since childhood, she’d been cherished and served by all, surrounded by gentle looks. She’d never seen a wild boy like Yang Xuan.

She pouted, “I’m not interested in that wild boy. Second Uncle, let him feed my horses.”

Wang Douxiang chuckled just as Jin Qiyan arrived to request an audience.

“Come in.”

Wang Douxiang put down his book. Out in the wild, there was little need for formality. Wang Xian’er sat behind her uncle, and when Jin Qiyan entered, she stole a glance at him over her uncle’s shoulder, before looking back down at her jade-like hands, her thoughts drifting.

Jin Qiyan bowed. “Young Master, that boy is quite capable. I was wondering if, since his background is simple, he might be allowed to join the Wang household? I am willing to oversee his training myself.”

The Wang family was not one to ignore merit. Wang Douxiang replied mildly, “Very well.”

Jin Qiyan was quietly delighted and took his leave.

“Second Uncle, is that boy coming into our family? Then let him feed my horses!” Wang Xian’er grew excited at the thought of the wild yet honest boy, already planning to ask him about country life, what he ate, how he hunted...

Wang Douxiang picked up his book. “Jin Qiyan and the others failed in their duty today and will be held accountable. Pleading for the boy’s inclusion is their way of making amends. The Wang family is never short of talented people, but since he saved you, we must repay him. Ensuring a life of comfort for him is enough.”

Wang Xian’er sighed, “Second Uncle, he’ll have to bow respectfully whenever he sees me from now on.”

The thought of that wild youth bowing to her in the future made Wang Xian’er feel oddly disappointed.

Jin Qiyan went to find Yang Xuan.

Yang Xuan noticed his delight and wondered if Wang Douxiang was going to reward him. What should he ask for? Money was unreliable. He had no kin in Chang’an and needed money, but judging by the Wang family’s wealth, the reward would be generous. If he refused, he’d regret it, but if he accepted, how would he protect it in Chang’an?

He’d rarely had any private savings growing up, and after suffering in the Yang family, he’d learned to hide his little stash. He knew not to accumulate too much, lest it attract their attention.

Jin Qiyan cleared his throat, hands behind his back. “What are your plans in Chang’an?”

Of course... he didn’t know.

Yang Lue had meant to brief him about Chang’an, but then the assassins came. So now, Yang Xuan faced the city with hope, believing he would surely make something of himself.

He worried that saying “I don’t know” would arouse suspicion. He thought of a nonexistent relative and said, “I’m going to join a relative, and then...”

Then what would he do?

Yang Xuan figured he could go hunting—surely there were plenty of beasts around Chang’an. He’d hunt and sell his catch, make a fortune, and return home in glory, making the Yang family regret ever mistreating him.

He imagined showering the Yang family with money until they bowed and grinned obsequiously.

“Then I’ll study,” he added, remembering Yang Lue’s words: “A man who doesn’t study has lived in vain.”

He did not wish to live in vain, yet knew that studying was no easy path. In the county, only officials’ or wealthy families’ sons could study, and even merchant families struggled to secure a place in the academy.

He knew his chances were slim, but then he remembered the scroll. It was given to him by Yang Lue as a toy. Until he was eleven, he had no idea of its secrets. With little to amuse himself, he’d play with the scroll at night, and one evening, he accidentally unlocked a new world. The first time, he used it for over twenty days straight until it “automatically powered down.” After that, it could only be used for half an hour at a time, with intervals in between.

The girl in the scroll spoke pleasantly, and Yang Xuan learned much from her. He didn’t know exactly what use it would be, but he always felt it was something special.

In Chang’an, studying was incredibly difficult. You needed connections, and the odds for a commoner’s child were as slim as running into the emperor incognito while strolling the streets.

Jin Qiyan didn’t expose Yang Xuan’s lie, but smiled, “Let me tell you about the Wang family. We are one of the Five Great Clans, powerful beyond words. Joining us will secure your future: food, clothing, shelter, even marriage and children—all provided for by the Wang family. If you distinguish yourself, you’ll rise in rank and salary... Are you interested?”

Huang the Second grinned, thinking that if the Wang family ever openly recruited guards, the threshold would be worn smooth by hopefuls. Yet most Wang guards were selected internally, from simple backgrounds, ensuring loyalty. Such an opportunity rarely arose.

Boy, you have great luck!

Jin Qiyan and Huang the Second waited with expectant smiles for Yang Xuan’s reply.

“Thank you.” Yang Xuan looked up earnestly. “But I’ll have to decline.”

...

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Many thanks to Lybanana for the generous reward.