Chapter Five: The Glory of the Great Tang!

"Come and see, come and see, the great camels from Persia! Tall, strong, young and robust, each can bear six to seven hundred catties of goods and travel a thousand miles. Only thirty strings of cash apiece!"

"Finest mutton-fat jade from the kingdom of Gaochang in the Western Regions, pure in color, delicate in texture. Stroke it gently with your hand and it is as smooth as a beauty’s back. Come, take a look, the highest bidder wins!"

...

On Vermilion Bird Avenue within Chang’an, taverns and shops stood side by side, the clamor of peddlers rising and falling, and merchants and travelers moved in throngs—among them not only Han people, but also many foreigners.

There were Sogdians, renowned for their golden hair, blue eyes, and shrewd business acumen; Tibetans, with ruddy faces from the highlands, still dressed in furs despite the summer heat; and short but stout Turks. People from every corner of the world gathered in Chang’an, to pay homage to the Emperor of Great Tang and witness the splendor of its flourishing age.

Yet, when the moon is full, it begins to wane; when the water brims, it overflows. After the golden age comes decline.

In the imperial court, the emperor and his nobles were gradually losing their drive, sinking into indulgence in fine wines and beautiful women.

In the northeast, a fat barbarian general was rising, drilling his troops and biding his time!

The drums of rebellion in Yuyang would soon shake the earth, shattering the dance of Rainbow Garments and Feathered Coats.

As a transmigrant, Li Zhao knew full well that in a little over a decade, a cataclysmic rebellion would erupt. The prosperous, wealthy city of Chang’an, the equally magnificent Luoyang, and the entire Central Plain would become battlefields—farms laid waste, the common folk perishing. The Tang Empire would never recover, falling into the long night of warlordism and division, until its final demise.

When that day came, what should he do?

Should he quietly save up enough money, and take Aunt Qing, White Bun, Old Cai and the rest to hide away in Bashu, living out a peaceful, uneventful life?

Or should he do what he could for the people of the world?

...

“Ouch—thud!”

“Master, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, it was my own carelessness. I should—should—um, wait, what did you say?”

Li Zhao had been lost too deeply in thought, and as a result, he collided headlong with a passerby, stepping on the man’s foot, and both of them tumbled to the ground.

It was his own fault, so he intended to apologize. But upon seeing the situation clearly, he was taken aback.

The other was an adult, yet extremely short—barely reaching most people’s armpits. He had a shiny, broad forehead, bulging frog-like eyes, a flat nose, a catfish mouth… and two bow-legs. He wore black skirt-pants and wooden clogs on his feet.

He was a Japanese—or, more properly, a person from the Land of Wa.

“Baka! Are you blind? Why don’t you apologize—smack! smack!”

A dozen or so of his companions, all wearing samurai swords, quickly surrounded them, each one ablaze with anger. One, the highest ranking among them, swung his palm and struck—not Li Zhao, but the Japanese who’d collided with him!

Again and again, more than a dozen slaps, drawing blood from the corners of the man’s mouth. Yet the one being beaten dared not resist in the slightest, but stood at attention and bowed repeatedly to Li Zhao, apologizing: “Hai! I am terribly sorry, most terribly sorry, please forgive me!”

“It’s alright, it was my carelessness. I didn’t injure you, did I?”

“No, it was all my fault, I, Fujiwara Kojiro, am to blame. My foot offended your boot. I deeply apologize, please forgive me!”

The one who caused the collision was unharmed, while the one who was struck kept apologizing. Li Zhao found this very strange and couldn’t make sense of it.

In his own memory, people from the Land of Wa were always arrogant and overbearing, never admitting fault even when they were in the wrong. When had they grown so polite?

The collision drew the attention of passersby, and a few curious onlookers gathered around…

“What a good-tempered young man! If it were me, I’d have broken both of that stunted Wa dwarf’s bow legs. To cause trouble in Chang’an—he must be tired of living!”

“Hey, don’t say that. Our Great Tang is a land of propriety—how could you just break someone’s legs? If you ask me, a small punishment suffices—one leg is enough, give them a chance to mend their ways!”

“Mmm, you’re right, brother. We, the people of Tang, should have a bit of magnanimity!”

...

The crowd discussed the matter animatedly, but whether Han or foreigner, all agreed that Li Zhao was in the right.

Listening to their chatter, and recalling history, Li Zhao soon found the answer. It wasn’t that the people of Wa had become enlightened of their own accord—it was the Tang Empire that had taught them manners, though the method was rather special: through beatings.

In the early Tang, the Korean Peninsula was home to three states—Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla—bitter rivals, constantly at war. Yet all three bowed to the Tang as their suzerain.

As the overlord, the Tang Empire pursued a policy of balance: if one state grew weak, it was propped up; if another became too strong, it received a slap, ensuring a tripartite equilibrium. None could devour the others, and all were compelled to call the Tang their father.

At the same time, the Land of Wa, having studied the laws of Sui and Tang, established a fairly complete centralized system. With its newfound strength, it was like a pauper who’d finally had a few full meals—giddy, forgetting its own place, and began meddling in the affairs of the Korean Peninsula, seeking to challenge the Tang Empire!

In the third year of Longshuo under Emperor Gaozong of Tang, the armies of the two nations clashed in fierce battle at Baijiangkou on the Korean Peninsula. The numbers:

The Wa army—forty-two thousand strong, with over a thousand warships.

The Tang army—thirteen thousand, with only 170 warships.

The result: every Wa warship burned, tens of thousands of Wa soldiers slain or drowned, their forces utterly destroyed, while the Tang suffered negligible losses.

That battle was like a resounding slap that jolted the Wa people sober. Immediately, they joined Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla in calling the Tang their father, sending numerous envoys to Tang to study its civilization, and undertaking wholesale sinicization at home.

For the people of Wa, the Tang was the Celestial Empire, its people the children of heaven—noble and inviolate. To merely step on their foot was an honor; to receive a slap from them was to be shown face.

If they slapped you, it meant they still regarded you as human; if you were a mere dog, they’d just kick you.

“All right, it’s nothing. You may go.”

“Thank you, thank you! Your magnanimity is truly great!”

The group of Japanese departed, still bowing deeply even after they’d gone a long way, displaying an almost excessive sense of propriety.

At the same time, Li Zhao felt a profound pride in being a son of Tang. This—this was the meaning of a flourishing age, this was what it meant to have all nations come to pay tribute.

To preserve this glory and pride, to let the Tang’s golden age endure—he, too, must give his all.

“White Bun, I’ve made up my mind. From now on, wherever we go, we’ll stay in Chang’an. We’ll live here, and live well.”

“Ah? What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“Haha, no need to understand. Come, let’s go.”

After that small commotion, Li Zhao and his group continued their tour of Chang’an, taking in the splendors of the Great Tang, unaware that eyes were already fixed upon them.

...

In a lavish carriage by the roadside, two plump young men surreptitiously lifted the curtain, their gaze locked on Li Zhao, eyes full of hatred.

“Big brother, is that him?”

“No mistake, it’s him—I’d know him even if he turned to ash. When I saw his name on the Ministry of Personnel’s list of candidates, I thought it was just a namesake. Who would have thought it really is that brat? He’s come to take the selection exam too; truly, enemies are bound to cross paths!”

“Big brother, that brat has caused us so much suffering. We must take our revenge!”

“Indeed—revenge, to the death!”

The pair in the carriage were none other than Li Chong and Li Fei. Half a year ago, they had come to Chang’an with the Zheng family and soon found their birth father.

Though they had never met him before, blood was thicker than water. The two brothers were accepted and began living in luxury. Their father even pulled strings so they could be candidates in the selection exam, hoping to secure them an official post.

But Li Chong and Li Fei were incorrigible. Instead of studying at home, they sneaked out to visit brothels. By chance, they spotted Li Zhao and his group, and were instantly consumed by rage—livid to the point of bursting, grinding their teeth with hatred, yearning to leap out and bite Li Zhao like mad dogs.

Alas—they dared not!

The bitter lessons of the past had left them both hating and fearing Li Zhao. Even though their status had changed, they still dared not confront him openly.

If they couldn’t oppose him directly, then they would plot in secret!

“Big brother, what should we do?”

“Hmph, that brat must have been recommended by Duke Qi of Qi, Cui Zongzhi. All we have to do is this… and then that… and he’ll be ruined, forced to slink back to Wu’an County in disgrace. When we brothers become high officials and ride fine horses, we’ll settle the score with him then—ha!”

“Excellent idea, let’s do it… You there! Follow those people and find out where they’re lodging.”

“At your command!”

To chew on bitterness is to mature quickly—a law that applied to Li Chong and Li Fei as well.

After a brief discussion, a new conspiracy was born…