Volume Three: The Storm at the Gate of the Black Tortoise Chapter Seventy-Four: The Fifth Son of the Gao Family

Li Mingyu and his friends were engaged in lively conversation when suddenly an unwelcome intruder interrupted them, souring the mood considerably.

Yuchi Baolin cursed loudly, his tiger-like eyes flashing as he stood up, ready for a fight.

Changsun Chong looked carefully at the newcomer and quickly stopped Baolin, saying, "Hold on, he's one of our own." With that, he bowed to the man and said, "So it's you, Fifth Uncle. Greetings from your nephew."

The man, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, recognized Changsun Chong and drawled, "I wondered who it was—turns out it's a kid from the Changsun family. What's this? No studying today? You’re here to fool around?"

Changsun Chong was extremely respectful and replied, "My teacher took leave today, so I gathered here with some friends. We didn't expect our conversation to get so loud and disturb you, Fifth Uncle. I apologize. Please don't take offense."

The man was proud and barely glanced at him, answering with two dismissive snorts through his nose. He had come downstairs looking for trouble, but seeing a familiar face—a younger relative—he thought better of it and turned to head back upstairs. As he turned, he caught sight of Li Mingyu. He uttered a questioning grunt and asked Changsun Chong, "Who’s this boy? He looks unfamiliar."

Changsun Chong introduced him, "This is my cousin’s nephew, Li Mingyu, who just arrived in Chang’an yesterday."

He then turned to Li Mingyu and said, "Brother, this is my Fifth Uncle, Gao Shenxing, the fifth son of the Gao family."

Li Mingyu had already taken a dislike to the newcomer’s arrogant demeanor, but since Changsun Chong said he was family, he let him handle the exchange. Upon hearing the introduction, he realized this man was no ordinary figure and had some connection to himself.

The so-called Gao family was a venerable clan of a hundred years, its ancestors nobility of Northern Qi, and its current head was Gao Shilian. And who was Gao Shilian? During the Sui dynasty, he oversaw the Ministry of Rites, but was later demoted after being implicated in political turmoil. When the Tang dynasty was founded, he pledged allegiance to Tang and had been close to Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan since their youth. Now, he served as the Chief Administrator of Yongzhou.

The Chief Administrator was responsible for the security of Chang’an, and the governor of Yongzhou was Prince Qin, Li Shimin. But Li Shimin was busy with state affairs and political rivalries, so most Yongzhou matters were handled by Gao Shilian. Though the position was not particularly prestigious among the many noble families of Chang’an, it carried significant authority.

Moreover, Gao Shilian was also the maternal uncle of Empress Changsun and Changsun Wuji. After the Changsun siblings lost their parents early and their family fell on hard times, it was their uncle Gao Shilian who raised them as his own. Later, recognizing Li Shimin's exceptional talent and greatness, he arranged for Changsun to marry him. Changsun Chong was the son of Changsun Wuji, so by seniority, he naturally called Gao Shilian Fifth Uncle.

As Changsun’s uncle, Gao Shilian should have sided with Li Shimin, but at present, the Gao family's stance was ambiguous, neither openly supporting Prince Qin nor opposing him. Perhaps, relying on Gao Shilian’s deep ties with Li Yuan and his strong position at court, they sought to avoid offending anyone, watching from the sidelines.

From Changsun’s perspective, Li Mingyu and this Fifth Son of the Gao family were fairly close.

The Fifth Son, upon hearing Changsun Chong’s introduction, sized up Li Mingyu from head to toe, finally saying, "So you’re Li Mingyu. Quite the sensation—your name spread all over Chang’an yesterday. You don’t look the part, but your actions are ruthless enough."

Li Mingyu smiled and replied, "If others don’t trouble me, I won’t trouble them. But if they provoke me, they’d better be ready for the consequences."

"Ha! Bold words. I like that! Young and fearless—just arrived and already clashed with the Dugu family. That takes guts! How long has it been since Chang’an saw such a spectacle?" Fifth Son’s attitude was unpredictable, his tone gleeful and mischievous, clearly enjoying the drama and eager to stir things up.

Changsun Chong knew well what sort of character his Fifth Uncle was—a true scion of wealth, idle and unruly, always seeking excitement and making a fuss over the smallest matters, ensuring everyone knew about it. Fearing he might say something to upset Li Mingyu, Changsun spoke up, "Fifth Uncle, would you care to join us?"

Fifth Son waved him off, "No need. I have friends upstairs. Enjoy your drinks—put it all on my tab!"

Li Mingyu felt little warmth toward the man and politely declined, "No need to go to any trouble. We’ll handle it ourselves."

Fifth Son swept his hand dismissively, "I, Gao Shenxing, always mean what I say. If I say it’s on me, it’s on me. Are you trying to embarrass me? In fact, I owe you a bit of a favor. Those idiots who lost yesterday made a bet with me—who could hunt more foxes. With their feeble skills, they were no match for me. But thanks to you thrashing them yesterday, I won. Not that I wouldn’t win anyway, but I dislike owing favors. Consider this meal my thanks." With that, he didn’t wait for a reply and wobbled upstairs.

Halfway up, he suddenly remembered something and called out, "Changsun boy, since you call me uncle, let me give you some advice: stay away from this kid—he’ll bring trouble to your family. And you, Li Mingyu, don’t wander about these days. Dugu Jie and his lot are not easy foes. I hear they’ve hired some of the most notorious knights in Chang’an, offering a hefty reward for your head!"

Li Mingyu, emboldened by skill and drink, brushed them aside with a contemptuous smile, "If they want my head, they’re not up to the task!"

"Hahahaha! Interesting! What a wild kid! A real character! I like it!" Fifth Son laughed uproariously and went upstairs.

His disruption left the group with little appetite for further conversation. Li Mingyu, unwilling to owe Fifth Son a favor, beckoned the waiter.

The waiter hurried over, "Gentlemen, are you satisfied with the dishes?"

Li Mingyu nodded, "Not bad. Let’s settle the bill."

The waiter smiled, "The young master from the Gao family instructed us earlier—it’ll be added to his tab and settled together later."

Li Mingyu frowned, "He’s him, I’m me. If I ask you to settle the bill, just do it."

"Right away!" The waiter thought to himself, how odd—someone refusing a free meal.

Soon after, he returned, "Young master, the total comes to eight strings and three coins. Our manager says it’s your first visit, and hopes you’ll come again, so we’ll round it to eight strings."

"How much?" Li Mingyu, about to reach for his purse, was stunned by the sum. Damn, not enough money. Eight strings—he only had five. Suddenly, he regretted giving all his money to the old man yesterday, leaving himself in this awkward situation.

The waiter beamed, "You ordered twenty dishes and thirteen jars of wine, totaling eight strings."

Li Mingyu was secretly amazed. The Eastern Market was said to be expensive, but this was outrageous. One meal costing eight strings—considering that during the Wu De era, a bushel of rice cost only seven or eight coins, and a fine ox was three or four strings. This meal was worth two oxen? He had thought five strings was a fortune, enough to spend freely, but now realized he was nothing but a pauper.

In both his past and present lives, he had never worried about money. In his previous life, though not wealthy, he enjoyed financial freedom. In the mountains, villagers were mostly self-sufficient, with little need for cash. Later, at Tiger Gate, the army provided for all his needs. Only now did he truly understand the saying, "A single coin can trip a hero"—the feeling of being powerless without money.

Changsun Chong noticed Li Mingyu’s awkwardness and intentionally said, "Brother, let’s put it on the Gao family’s tab. If Fifth Uncle hears you paid, he’ll think you’re looking down on him and might take offense."

Li Mingyu silently gave Changsun Chong a big thumbs up, and yielded, "Very well, let’s accept his favor for today."