Chapter 143: Imperial Tailoring Service (Part Two)

The brawl involving Wang Hui did not actually cause much of a stir. Quance paid a visit to the former Magistrate of Luoyang, Wei Yuanzhong, and armed with his calling card, went to the Luoyang prefectural office. Wang Lu, the Luoyang Sima with whom he had previous dealings, treated him with great courtesy. Within a few moments, the paperwork was completed, and Wang Hui was successfully released on bail.

However, the other party involved in the brawl, Wang Tongjiao, did not manage to get off so easily.

Wang Hui had thrown punches at him because Wang Tongjiao had spoken recklessly. While dining at the Yuelai Inn, he had ranted wildly, continuously denouncing Quance's conduct as disgraceful. First, he criticized him for associating with sycophants; second, for acting like a ruthless inquisitor; and now, he accused him of selling himself to the powerful as a watchdog at their gates, utterly devoid of scholarly integrity, and putting his own renowned literary reputation to shame over the years.

Han Zhai, who was sharing a table with Wang Hui, immediately flew into a rage and challenged Wang Tongjiao to a duel in the arena. To everyone's surprise, Wang Tongjiao was utterly dismissive. With unyielding backbone, he proclaimed that truth could only emerge through debate, declaring that if Han Zhai could point out any flaws in his words, he would willingly submit to being beaten and cursed without a word of defense. But if Han Zhai could not find any flaws yet still disagreed with his views, he should stay far away from him.

Wang Hui, burning with fury and lacking a sharp tongue to argue back, simply strode forward in a few giant steps, shoved him to the ground, and rained heavy blows upon him. Although Wang Tongjiao was a scholar, he was not frail. Recovering his wits, he thrashed his arms about, throwing wild, clumsy punches, and the two men became locked in a wrestling ball of violence.

Quance himself did nothing, but quite a few people in the imperial court spoke up on his behalf, expressing deep concern over how Wang Tongjiao would be handled. In particular, Lou Shide, the Minister of the Xia Guan, let it be known that Young Master Quance had rendered meritorious service to the state and country, and must not be allowed to suffer slander and humiliation at the hands of the ignorant; justice must be served to uphold the discipline of the imperial court.

What should have been a straightforward matter was significantly delayed due to the intervention of these heavyweight figures. Following that, unseen forces stepped in behind the scenes, pushing the Luoyang prefectural office to blow the trivial incident out of proportion. They scrutinized Wang Tongjiao's background, family circumstances, words, and actions over and over again. Unexpectedly, apart from his unrestrained verbal attack on Quance this time, they failed to unearth a single piece of dirt or evidence of a crime against him. Moreover, Wang Tongjiao was not without backing, and the voices speaking up for him and pleading on his behalf gradually grew in number, creating a tangled struggle between two opposing factions.

After all, the Luoyang prefectural office was not the Censorate or the Lijing Gate; it lacked the institutional habit of framing people and killing indiscriminately. In the end, they smoothed things over by applying the maximum penalty for creating a disturbance in a busy market: twenty strokes of the heavy staff, with the option of redemption through a fine of three thousand strings of cash to settle the matter.

Even more surprisingly, his post as Palace Attendant Garment Bearer was not revoked as a result of this sudden upheaval. As soon as he reported back for duty after taking leave, he immediately joined Empress Wu's imperial procession on the journey to perform the Fengchan sacrifices at Mount Song.

Quance was also among the imperial entourage, riding his horse slowly within Princess Taiping's ceremonial guard. He carefully pondered the cause and effect of these recent events. Empress Wu had already ascended the supreme throne, holding absolute power in her hands. The greatest political vortex in the court was the battle over the succession, with the primary players still being the Li and Wu clans—though neither clan was a monolith, each having its own offshoots. The fact that Wang Tongjiao could escape unscathed with his future unimpeded suggested he had likely already aligned himself with one of those factions.

Just as his mind was drifting elsewhere, the steed Qianshushuang let out a sharp neigh, tossed its four hooves, and prepared to gallop off freely. Quance hurriedly reined in. Looking around, he felt a slight pang of astonishment. Not paying attention and letting the horse wander at will, Qianshushuang had actually carried him right into the middle of Empress Wu's ceremonial escort, where imperial horses were everywhere. No doubt, it had spotted some old friends and acquaintances.

"Young Master Quance, why have you come here?" A clear female voice rang out as Xie Yaohuan rode up to meet him. This woman was stubborn; ever since she took on the title of female general, she constantly and everywhere projected the demeanor of a military commander. Relying on this tenacity, she won the deep trust and appreciation of Empress Wu. After Hou Shizhi was transferred from the Eastern Capital Thousand-Bull Guard to become General of the Left Guard, the posts of General of the Eastern Capital Thousand-Bull Guard and General of the Thousand Cavalry were abolished and left unfilled, leaving Xie Yaohuan in sole command.

Quance gave a bitter smile. "General Xie, this official was momentarily careless, and Qianshushuang wandered over here. I was actually just about to ask it what it intended by coming here."

Xie Yaohuan chuckled, teasing, "Young Master Quance truly lives up to your reputation as a poet. Even when riding a horse, you manage to ride with such romance."

"Young Master Quance's poetry is not only filled with romance; it is also stained with quite a bit of blood." A young man clad in crimson official robes suddenly cut in from the side. He was about Quance's age, with red lips and white teeth, yet exuded a stern, chivalrous aura.

Xie Yaohuan's smile faded as she raised a hand to introduce him to Quance. "This is Wang Tongjiao, the Palace Attendant Garment Bearer."

Quance was no masochist. Since this man clearly did not look upon him with favor, Quance had no intention of offering him a pleasant expression either. He raised his hands and cupped them in a salute, showing formal respect for the fifth-rank official robes the man wore.

Wang Tongjiao did not return the salute. With a cold sneer, he fixed his gaze entirely on him. "Is Young Master Quance left speechless?"

The myriad emotions that had been churning and suppressed deep within Quance suddenly erupted. He pointed an accusatory finger at Wang Tongjiao and said in a fierce voice, "In life, things rarely go one's hundred percent way. To tuck in one's robes, maintain self-restraint, and admire one's own lofty purity—who would not wish for that? The Attendant Garment Bearer considers blood and gore to be defilement, but has he never heard the saying that the success of a single general is built upon ten thousand withered bones? This official looks up to the heavens and down at the earth without shame; as long as my conscience remains and my hot blood has not grown cold, even if slander fills the world, I shall simply regard it as a bloody romance. A person's life is walked alone!"

These words came straight from the depths of his soul, as profound as iron, righteous and awe-inspiring, overflowing with heroic spirit, fearless and unrepentant, possessing an overwhelming presence. For a moment, Wang Tongjiao's mind was completely captured, and he found himself unable to speak a single word.

"First Young Master is a loyal and devoted child of absolute sincerity. Wan'er hardly has enough time to admire him—how could she let you walk alone?"

Before they knew it, the imperial carriage had come to a halt, and Empress Wu was standing right behind them. The speaker was Shangguan Wan'er, an attendant at Empress Wu's side. Her plump face was set in a rigid expression, and as her eyes swept over Wang Tongjiao, a faint trace of severity lingered within them.

"Your ministers pay homage to Her Majesty." Quance and Wang Tongjiao dismounted simultaneously and bowed in unison. Both extraordinary and dashing, possessing magnificent bearing, they performed the exact same movements in a way that was pleasing to the eye.

"Rise," Empress Wu said indifferently. "It is merely a minor misunderstanding. Once spoken of openly, it is settled. You are both outstanding talents of our Great Zhou; are you going to put on a martial arts performance for us?"

"This minister obeys the imperial decree." The two men bowed their heads together to receive the command.

Empress Wu smoothed her sleeves, walked up to Quance, frowned, and adopted a slightly reprimanding tone. "You are hot-headed after all, lacking in self-cultivation. With your seven emotions written all over your face, where is even a shred of poise or depth to be found?"

With that, she gave a cold snort, boarded her palanquin, and ordered the procession to move on.

Quance had never agreed with Empress Wu so thoroughly before. Bursting out with such a flushed, defensive self-revelation was perhaps nothing less than a sign of inner insecurity and a lack of self-confidence. As the journey progressed and they moved further along, he began to look back from time to time, wondering whether his choice at the previous crossroads had been the right one.

"Young Master Quance dares to claim that he looks up and down with a clear conscience. I shall keep my eyes wide open and wait to see how it unfolds." With those parting words, Wang Tongjiao pulled his horse's reins and strode away.

"Young Master Quance need not lower himself to his level. He is merely a pedantic, empty-talking pedant," Xie Yaohuan said, having witnessed the entire scene, attempting to offer comfort.

"Thank you, General, for your kind words. In my view, although Wang Tongjiao possesses a certain chivalrous spirit, he firmly adheres to righteousness and principles without compromise. He is still an upright and honorable gentleman." Unexpectedly, Quance contradicted Xie Yaohuan.

Xie Yaohuan was not angry; instead, she pressed her lips into a smile, her eyes rippling with a deep, lingering sense of appreciation.

"Young Master Quance, Young Master Quance! Her Highness requests that you return immediately." The resolute and courageous Commandant of the Guard who led Princess Taiping's household troops rode over and conveyed the Princess's orders.

"Thank you, Commandant, I am going right now." Quance cupped his hands in farewell to Xie Yaohuan and urged his horse back the way they came. Halfway there, he looked back and saw Xie Yaohuan, clad in full armor and helmet, still standing alone in her spot.

The slanting rays of the evening sun poured down, edging her armor in gold, casting a long shadow on the ground that pointed straight in the direction where Quance had departed.