Volume Three: The Tempest of the Xuanwu Gate Chapter Sixty-One: The Young Man from the East of Chang’an (Part Two)

Just now, the mere threatening expression of the fearsome beast had almost frightened Old Zhou Liu to the point of wetting his pants. Seeing the beast scolded into submission by the young man, Old Zhou Liu wiped the cold sweat off his brow, cleared his throat, folded his arms across his chest, and politely inquired, “Greetings, young sir. Are you seeking to enter the city?”

The youth responded with a hearty laugh, “Indeed, I am here to enter the city and look for my relatives.”

In his heart, Old Zhou Liu was certain this was no ordinary family’s son. The scions of such noble houses were the most difficult to deal with—Longan City’s famously powerful elite. So he became even more cautious in his manner, replying, “Young sir, my apologies, but as a city guard, there are some questions I must ask. Please don’t take offense at my prattling.” With that, he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.

The young man was surprised and asked, “Oh? Am I not allowed to enter the city? Is there something amiss?”

“Ah… well, it’s like this,” Old Zhou Liu stammered, all smiles as he gestured toward the black beast, “You as a young lord are free to enter the city to visit your kin, but as for this… this… uh…”

He stammered for a while, pointing at the black beast, but could not find a suitable word.

The youth interjected, “He’s called Little Black, a tiger—my brother!”

Old Zhou Liu thought to himself, Well, nobles do love their eccentricities—calling wild beasts their brothers. But his smile only grew wider as he said, “Indeed, a black tiger like this is truly a rare sight. Old Zhou has seen something new today. Young sir, by your bearing and manner, you are clearly someone distinguished. Please don’t take offense at us lowly gatekeepers. I’m merely doing my duty, not deliberately making things difficult for you. While you are welcome to enter, even if you threaten to strike me down, I couldn’t possibly allow this black tiger into the city.”

The young man frowned slightly, but he was well-mannered and didn’t wish to argue with a mere gatekeeper. He simply asked, “And why is my Little Black not permitted to enter?”

Cold sweat poured down Old Zhou Liu’s back as he hurried to explain, bowing repeatedly and speaking with even greater deference, “Please forgive me, young sir. You see, there’s a constant flow of people at the city gates, and your tiger is a fierce beast. Before even stepping into the city, it’s already caused chaos among the townsfolk. If it were to enter, wouldn’t there be even greater havoc?”

The youth found this reasonable, but he was not about to leave Little Black outside the city on his own. He countered, “There are so many noble households in Chang’an, and many keep fierce beasts. Why is it only my Little Black that’s not allowed in? Are you taking advantage of me?”

Seeing that this young man was reasonable and unpretentious, Old Zhou Liu relaxed a bit and replied, “You have a point, young sir. However, those nobles always travel with an entourage, with servants to manage their horses and hawks, and keep their beasts in check. You, young sir, are alone, and your black tiger appears quite formidable. If it were to harm someone, it would reflect poorly on you. Even if it doesn’t, if it startles livestock or horses, your reputation could suffer. How about this: if you could tell us the name of your distinguished relatives, we can send word for you and have your family come fetch you. That way, you won’t have to walk so far yourself. What do you think?”

The youth considered this, then nodded, “Very well, that will have to do.” With that, he removed a jade pendant from his waist and handed it over, saying, “Please deliver this to the Prince of Qin’s residence, and inform them that Mingyu, his nephew, has come to join his uncle.”

Old Zhou Liu’s heart nearly stopped—so, this was the Prince of Qin’s household. At present, the Prince of Qin was at the height of imperial favor, his influence unparalleled, a figure renowned throughout Chang’an. Just look, this young man casually hands over a valuable jade token just to deliver a message—truly the style of a grand noble.

And his conduct was far superior to the spoiled young masters of other prominent families. No wonder—the Prince of Qin was a hero, after all, and worthy of owning such a magnificent beast.

Recalling the battle at Hulao Pass a few years prior, when the Prince of Qin defeated two rival kings and pacified the Central Plains, the whole world was shaken. Upon his triumphant return to the capital, Chang’an erupted in celebration; the crown prince, accompanied by officials both civil and military, rode out ten miles to greet him, and crowds lined the roads in welcome. The emperor, overjoyed, bestowed title after title: Grand Marshal of Heavenly Strategy, Grand Minister of Works, Chief Inspector of Shaanxi and Eastern Circuits—positions above princes, earning him the title of First Prince Under Heaven, with an estate of thirty thousand households. This was all public knowledge, and as a local of Chang’an, Old Zhou Liu naturally knew.

It was said that the emperor later decreed the Prince of Qin’s estate to establish its own administrative offices and a literary academy, recruiting talented men from all corners—combining civil and military excellence, as if a court within the court.

Having learned the youth’s extraordinary identity, Old Zhou Liu’s attitude grew even more respectful. He cupped his hands and said, “So the young sir is a noble of the Prince of Qin’s household. Please wait here a moment while we brothers hurry to inform the residence and have carriage and escort sent for you.”

This young man, of course, was Li Mingyu.

It was now four years since the battle at Hulao Pass, and Li Mingyu had grown to eleven, though his rapid development made him appear thirteen or fourteen. On this occasion, he had come to Chang’an at the behest of his master, Li Xuanba, having completed his studies, to join Li Shimin.

Li Mingyu, with Little Black by his side, rode the great stallion Telunsu and set out early for the city. But just as he reached the gate, he was stopped. Understanding the gatekeeper’s reasoning, Li Mingyu chose not to make things difficult and, after handing over his token, waited patiently for Li Shimin’s people to collect him.

Old Zhou Liu proved himself a tactful man, grinning broadly as he ushered Li Mingyu, “This way, young sir, out of the wind.” He fetched a stool, wiped it clean with his sleeve, and invited Li Mingyu to sit. Then he busied the guards with their duties, ordering, “Xiao Sanzi, go to Hu’s Tavern at the east end and fetch a jug of hot wine to warm the young lord. The weather’s bitter cold—we mustn’t let a noble fall ill.”

Li Mingyu found Old Zhou Liu’s attentiveness almost embarrassing. Little Black sprawled behind him, and Li Mingyu leaned back against the great, warm, furry “sofa.” He waved a hand to let Old Zhou Liu return to his duties, assuring him that he was content to wait.

Seeing Little Black so docile, Old Zhou Liu’s fear subsided, and he relaxed his manner. He set the guards back to work and stayed by Li Mingyu’s side, making conversation.

As they chatted, Li Mingyu, curious about the Prince of Qin’s reputation among the people, steered the discussion in that direction. Old Zhou Liu raised a thumb in praise, “The Prince of Qin is truly a hero. The princess is a wise teacher, and all who come from their household are courteous and understanding. They show consideration to humble folk like us, unlike the arrogant sons of other families, who look down on us as if we were beneath notice.”

Li Mingyu smiled to himself—so Li Shimin hadn’t even reached thirty and was already spoken of as “the venerable lord.” Having come from the modern world, Li Mingyu had little patience for such rigid notions of class, but he found Old Zhou Liu’s words both straightforward and amusing. As a city gatekeeper, Old Zhou Liu was a fountain of local news and gossip, and Li Mingyu was happy to hear his stories about Chang’an.

Old Zhou Liu, though just a humble guard, knew the young man before him was a noble of the Prince of Qin’s house and was eager to ingratiate himself, holding nothing back.

Their conversation was pleasant enough. Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the city gate, shouts and curses echoing through the air as order gave way to chaos once more.

Li Mingyu frowned, about to ask what was happening, when Old Zhou Liu sighed, “Ah, which fool has gone and offended that lot again? In the end, it’s always us who clean up the mess!” He cast Li Mingyu an apologetic smile before hurrying off to deal with the disturbance.

Curiosity is only human. With nothing else to do, Li Mingyu decided to go see for himself. He instructed Little Black to wait and made his way toward the gathering crowd.