On his deathbed, Lu Feng had given his son a box.
"Son, these are the earnings I've worked hard for all my life. Now, I'm handing them over to you. Take care of the Lu family."
Placing it carefully in Lu Yu's hand, the Chancellor had died with a serene smile on his face at age 36. It wasn't until days later when the casket had been closed that Lu Yu found that the box contained nothing but a stack of IOUs. The tears he prepared to shed at the funeral immediately shriveled up.
Since then, Lu Yu had been particularly sensitive to the topic of money. Luxury goods? Nope, too broke. A meal on my tab? 5 bowls of rice and some chili sauce will do. One can only imagine the look on his face when he first learned about his tuition costs.
Standing in the crowd, he watched as the scene unfolded before him. The sullen expression on the scholar's face, the nervousness of the guard and his superior, and the impressive synchronization of their performance.
If Old Shen ever taught him one thing, it would be what extortion looked like. Lu Yu couldn't just stand by and watch as someone's hard-earned silver aimlessly entered the pockets of these corrupt guards.
While Xiao Zhihao stood in silent embarrassment, Xiaowan squeezed through the packed crowd with Lu Yu's identification placard.
"Young Master, I got it."
"Thanks," he nodded. Lu Yu dangled the jade ornament at eye level, spinning it around to see both sides.
"Hey kid, what are you gonna do with that? You better not lose it, or-" Concerned, Shen Pei's eyes never left the delicate jade stone.
"Hey, Uncle Shen, do you recognize that man?" Lu Yu pointed at Officer Ban with the threaded end of the ornament.
"Him? He's so young his beard hasn't even grown full! How am I supposed to know him?" Shen Pei exclaimed unreservedly. The crowd, who had been simmering with speculation, all turned their attention to him.
The interruption came like a saving grace to Xiao Zhihao who had been silenced by Officer Ban's vicious but factual words. The man in question furrowed his brows at the inappropriate comment. Meanwhile, Shen Pei stared blankly back at the crowd, undisturbed by the scrutiny. What he said was true, after all, the Liang-Wei wars were fought 20 years ago. Officer Ban looked about old enough to be his son. 'Son... on second thought,' Shen Pei looked closely at his features.
"You must be Ban Ergou's* son?" Lu Yu grimaced at the crude name, but Uncle Shen didn't seem to notice. Turning to Xiao Zhihao, he continued,
"Your father must be Little Xiao then!"
'Little?' The crowd sweatdropped. 'Xiao Jing, a first-rank general, the Marquis of Dingyuan, and you address him so wantonly?'
Xiao Zhihao sputtered with indignance, unable to form an argument, but Officer Ban reacted quickly.
"You are?" he asked skeptically. Shen Pei didn't have an aura that commanded any particular presence. Though tall and bulky, a rounded belly protruded at his abdomen, much like most other men getting on their age. His once rippling pectorals sagged, and his posture fell forward as a result. He might have been a glorious general 20 years ago, but now, he seemed no more impressive than the average farmer.
Lu Yu stepped through the crowd, placing himself in front of his bodyguard. Folding his hands before him, he greeted,
"Mister Officer, this man is my personal guard. If there was any offense, I'll apologize on his behalf." His tone was repentant, but his back held straight as a rod.
This child can't be any older than Xiao Zhihao, but his smile reminded Officer Ban of his wily old father. Maintaining his graces, the officer replied,
"Just a few words, how could there be any offense?"
At the side, Xiao Zhihao bounced on his feet, seemingly to have something to say but held back by better judgment. Ignoring both Officer Ban and Xiao Zhihao, Lu Yu stepped to the scholar.
"You said you were Mu Zhonghuai? A Juren?" Surprised at the question suddenly directed at him, Mu Zhonghuai stood there without answering. Lu Yu didn't mind, continuing,
"I'm also here for the imperial exams, what a coincidence! Since you're coming from outside the city, you must have been taught by a wandering scholar. May I have the name of this tutor?" Like a child meeting a classmate, Lu Yu seemed very excited. Only Shen Pei and Xiaowan recognized that his tone held a breath of impatience.
"Ah, yes I come from Hangzhou, but my teacher isn't anyone famous. You might have heard of my grandmaster though, Master Yang of Pingzhou?"
Bingo! 'Who would've thought? This man who's years older than me would be my student-nephew?' A flash of complacency crossed Lu Yu's mind, but his expression stayed polite.
"Indeed, I have heard of him."
'It'd be a wonder if I didn't know my own master.' Lu Yu thought to himself.
Not only did Lu Yu know Master Yang, even the two muscle-heads Officer Ban and Xiao Zhihao were familiar with the name. Growing up, Xiao Zhihao had been threatened with the notion of being placed in his class. Officer Ban had been constantly tormented by his students who'd become his superiors. Neither had a good impression of the old man.
With Master Yang's name hanging in the air, Mu Zhonghuai made things a lot easier for himself. Turning back to Officer Ban, Lu Yu tilted his head.
"Now that things are cleared up, will this officer consider returning the passage fee to Brother Mu? After all, he will be attending the imperial exams and facing the emperor. If his majesty notices his poverty, things would become..." he paused to emphasize his warning,
"complicated."
Officer Ban signaled to the guard with a glance. The man sighed, throwing the pouch back to Mu Zhonghuai, snickering when he struggled to catch it. Shen Pei shook his head at the guard's childishness.
"Alright, alright. Everyone mind your own business. Nothing to see anymore, nothing to see" Officer Ban waved the crowd off, making sure that the line kept moving. If he caused a major buildup at the Southern Gates, he'd be fired. Then he'll be the laughingstock of the capital.
Mu Zhonghuai left for the city after the crowd parted, leading his donkey with one hand, and gripping his belongings tightly with the other. His steps were hurried, as if trying to run away before the guards could catch up to him. Straddling his horse, Xiao Zhihao didn't wait for his posse as he headed back into the city, riding off at a much slower speed. He was no longer in the mood for hunting.
With a slow sigh, Lu Yu surveyed the dispersed crowd. Most were in twos or threes, still whispering about the show they witnessed. Shaking his head, returned to his carriage where the rest of his servants were waiting.
"Xiaowan, take these coins. Tell them to wipe Mu Zhonghuai's name out of the story." Lu Yu handed his trusted aid the hefty pouch with a grimace. Then with a wave of his sleeves, the youth settled down in the carriage, waiting for his turn at the gate.