Volume Three: The Turmoil at the Gate of Black Tortoise Chapter Sixty-Seven: Seizing the Initiative, Lady Zhangsun Arrives in Person

Du Gujie was caught off guard by Little Black’s ambush and subdued in a single move. The rest of the wealthy retainers and guards immediately dared not make another move. Panic swept through the crowd; they all ceased fighting, but still did not dare let Mingyu go, instead surrounding him tightly.

Mingyu had already seen everything clearly in the heat of the fight. He leveled his spear and glared at the retainers and guards, declaring, “You know your place! If any of you so much as twitch, Du Gujie will die before your eyes!”

Subdued by Little Black, Du Gujie saw the massive tiger’s head looming before him, its maw full of razor-sharp fangs, exuding a feral stench that made him want to retch. The tiger’s eyes glinted with menace, its gaze lingering on his neck as though deciding where to bite first. Never before had he experienced anything like this; he was so terrified he lost control of his bladder, collapsing weakly and unable to even beg for mercy—he was too scared to speak at all.

The tiger’s paw was as heavy as a mountain, pressing down on his chest and belly so he could barely breathe. Du Gujie’s face turned purple, and all he could do was utter strangled noises, like a chicken having its throat cut.

Mingyu, his spear still in hand, slowly backed out of the encirclement, keeping his eyes on the retainers and guards. He gave a sharp whistle, and at his command, Little Black loosened his grip, allowing Du Gujie to gasp for breath and saving him from suffocation.

Having seized control of these dissolute scions, Mingyu now completely dominated the scene; the retainers and guards, fearing for their master, dared not make a move. Mingyu, too, felt a sense of relief—he had expended much energy in the earlier brawl. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly spotted another carriage convoy making its way from inside Chang’an toward the city gate.

Mingyu’s sharp eyes noticed one carriage in particular, lavishly decorated and guarded by eight robust riders clad in black, each with a sword at his waist. The horses trotted briskly forward. Mingyu’s lips curled into a slight smile—wasn’t this the very carriage Changsun had ridden before? Could it be that Changsun had come to fetch him personally?

With powerful backing on the way, Mingyu felt even more emboldened, though he quickly realized that causing trouble right upon arrival would surely earn him a stern scolding from Changsun. Still, the fault wasn’t his; they had gone too far in their bullying. Moreover, these great clans were not aligned with his second uncle, Li Shimin, and would ultimately become adversaries. There was little to worry about.

But now, would it appear that he was the one bullying the dissolute heirs? That would not do—it might give Changsun something to nag about. He needed a plan. An idea formed, and with a long whistle, he said to the dissolute youths, “We’ll leave it at that for today. You’ve been taught your lesson. Don’t you ever abuse your power to bully others again!”

At Mingyu’s command, Little Black released Du Gujie and the others, bounding back to Mingyu’s side in a flash.

Du Gujie, bewildered, wondered why this young man, despite having the upper hand, had so easily let the matter drop. Ah, it must be that he fears the power of the Du Gu family and wants to quit while he’s ahead. Not a chance! Looking down at his wet trousers, Du Gujie felt both humiliated and furious. Around him, the onlookers whispered, as though everyone was judging and ridiculing him.

The dissolute heirs valued their pride above all. To lose face so publicly was unbearable, and the more Du Gujie thought about it, the angrier he became. Rage twisted his features; all reason was gone. There was only one thought left in his mind: catch this wretch and make him pay! Du Gujie screamed maniacally, “To hell with you! You think it’s over because you say so? I’ll kill your whole family! I’ll send all your women to the filthiest brothel, to suffer a fate worse than death!”

Du Gujie had utterly lost his mind, his voice hoarse and shrill. Everyone near the city gate heard his words clearly.

Mingyu sneered with contempt. This Du Gujie was exactly the spoiled wastrel he’d guessed him to be—playing right into his hands. Soon enough, retribution would find him.

By then, the carriage convoy from Chang’an had reached the city gate, catching every word. Someone in the carriage gave quiet instructions, and the carriage turned towards Mingyu.

The eight burly riders, mounted on imposing warhorses, acknowledged their orders, then spurred their steeds toward the dissolute heirs. In a flash, they reached the group. The retainers and guards tried to intervene, but the riders did not slow; they unbuckled their swords, wielding them as clubs rather than drawing the blades. Using the momentum of their charge, they scattered the retainers with the flat of their swords. Those who reached out to stop them had their arms broken, those who blocked with their legs had them shattered, and any who dared speak were struck so hard their teeth were smashed.

Little Black could no longer contain himself, bounding over to the carriage, wagging his tail and circling it eagerly like a loyal dog awaiting his master’s return—gone was the earlier ferocity of the beast king.

The horses pulling the carriage were no ordinary animals: pure white, without a single blemish, broad of chest and sturdy of limb. Perhaps they were used to fierce beasts in Chang’an or had been extensively trained, for they showed little fear of Little Black. They simply snorted twice and stood their ground.

The coachman leapt down, lifted the curtain, and Changsun appeared, smiling. The first thing she saw, however, was Little Black’s enormous head. Changsun wrinkled her nose, raised an eyebrow, and snapped, “What are you so excited about? You haven’t even had a bath! You stink—get away from me!”

Remembering Changsun’s authority, Little Black slunk away, lying meekly on the ground with the docility of a household pet.

Mingyu, delighted to see Changsun after so many years, hurried over, beaming, to greet her.

Changsun reached out with slender fingers and tapped Mingyu on the forehead, scolding, “You rascal! You’ve barely arrived in Chang’an and you’re already stirring up trouble. Can’t you ever keep out of mischief?”

Mingyu grinned. “I was just standing up for those who were wronged. I can’t stand bullies. I saw injustice and had to act!”

Changsun rolled her eyes at him. “Well, aren’t you the little hero? Spouting proverbs about righting wrongs on the road—where did you learn all that? But this hero of ours is all action and no restraint. If I hadn’t arrived in time, you’d be in real trouble!”

She glanced over to where the dissolute heirs were being thrashed by the guards, and said, “Impressive, Sir Li—look at this: Du Gu family, Houmochen family, Liu family, Zheng family, Pei family—these are all the most prominent noble houses of Chang’an. Their combined power is enough to give even your second uncle pause. He’d be eager to win them over, and here you are making enemies of nearly all the Guanzhong aristocracy.”

Mingyu scratched his head. “But they were hurling vile insults at my elders. I lost my temper. Besides, we’re not really on the same side as these people. Sooner or later, we’ll be at odds.”

Changsun fixed him with a long, searching look, her bright eyes intent. At last, she said, “When the apprentice is so reckless, what can you expect of the master? Is that the sort of thing you should say to a child?”

Mingyu laughed awkwardly and did not reply, tacitly admitting the point.

For these past years, although Li Xuanba had lived in a mountain village, he had maintained correspondence with his second brother Li Shimin and was well aware of the shifting, treacherous currents in Chang’an.

Now, Li Jiancheng had been named Crown Prince, but his prestige was overshadowed by the series of great victories won by Prince Qin, Li Shimin, whose fame resounded everywhere. How could Li Jiancheng not feel anxious?

Furthermore, Li Yuan—whether by design to keep the Crown Prince in check, or due to his own indecisive nature—allowed the influence of the Prince Qin’s household to grow unchecked. Li Shimin now wielded considerable power at court, enough to stand as a rival to the Crown Prince.

Thus, two factions vied openly and in secret: the Crown Prince, unwilling to be outdone by his younger brother, united the old Guanzhong aristocracy against him, seeking to suppress his rise. The other side, not to be outdone, allied with minor nobles and declining families, striving for supremacy.

Meanwhile, the old generals who had founded the Tang dynasty remained neutral, so that the court now resembled a tripartite struggle. On the surface, all was calm, but beneath, hidden currents swirled.