"In Those Youthful Days, Our Blue Robes Were Thin" - A Glib Tongue and Sharp Teeth, Who Cares If Ghosts Wail and Gods Rage?

Now, after suffering that calamity, Master Lü Chonghuang felt as though sacred nectar had been poured over his head: he suddenly saw the light and thoroughly mended his ways. Taking his cue from Cao Shen and Ji An, the governors who ruled through nonaction in the early Han, he concerned himself only with broad matters and seldom asked about trifles, leaving Poyang County's merchants and powerful families to handle local affairs. As for himself, he spent his days drinking in the magistrate's office, dressing up for outings with his wife, or visiting friends at the Water Lake Literary Society, enjoying himself immensely.

Unexpectedly, under this arrangement, Poyang County enjoyed favorable winds and timely rains year after year. Harvests flourished, the people prospered, and the county became a model of good government. No one ever mentioned his nickname, "Lü the Locust," again. The forgiving, kindly common folk knew only that Poyang County had a wise and broad-minded "Master Lü."

Yet the legend of Master Lü Chonghuang did not end there. After retiring in his old age, he stayed home with his wife to enjoy their remaining years. But then bandits really did occupy Great Solitary Mountain over by Poyang Lake, and the scourge of war spread through several villages. The magistrate of Poyang County at the time was a frail scholar. Faced with the bandits' strength, he panicked and could think of no plan. At someone's suggestion, he had no choice but to call upon his elderly predecessor, Master Lü, for advice.

Hearing of the bandits' atrocities, Master Lü rose in fury. Disregarding his advanced age, he climbed to a high place and issued a call, and people gathered in response like clouds. Thanks to the prestige and unsullied reputation of "Master Lü of Poyang," he assembled several hundred able-bodied men in only a few days. After drilling them for several more days, Lü Chonghuang, undeterred by his age and frailty, had his attendants carry him into battle in a litter to direct the militia's attacks. Moved by the sight of Master Lü taking the field in person, every man fought with all his strength, heedless of death. They won victory after victory, finally destroying the bandits of Great Solitary Mountain and taking many prisoners.

That Master Lü, at such an advanced age, had led a military campaign as a civil official and wiped out those vicious bandits immediately became a celebrated tale. The people of Poyang County were all grateful for his great kindness. Even the reigning emperor heard of his deeds and personally inscribed a gilded plaque reading "Fubo of the Age," which he bestowed upon him in commendation.

As for Constable Chen Kui, ever since that terrifying night aboard the bandits' boat, he had always felt a chill around his neck. From then on, he performed his duties with his hands and feet tied, finding no satisfaction in the work. Once the pain had passed, he pondered its lessons, and after a thorough review of his experience, Constable Chen finally decided he would feel safer being a bandit lurking in some dark corner. So he simply resigned and joined the ranks of brigands.

Who would have thought that Chen Kui, so unimpressive at his work in the magistrate's office, possessed an astonishing talent for banditry? In the end, he even became the second chief of the stronghold on Great Solitary Mountain. Unfortunately, fortune failed him. He had never imagined that the mighty bandit host would ultimately be wiped out by men led by Master Lü, an old fellow already halfway into his grave. And Chen Kui became his former superior's prisoner.

When he was brought into camp for trial as a bandit leader, Chen Kui saw his old master presiding and hurriedly invoked their former ties, hoping Master Lü would spare his life for old times' sake. Little did he know that this would instead cost him his life. A young scholar who had joined the elderly Lü Chonghuang's campaign heard this vicious bandit chief spouting nonsense and claiming friendship with the venerable Master Lü, whom he had always idolized. His anger surged until his hair nearly lifted his cap, and with a single stroke he cut off Chen Kui's fine head. This young scholar was famed for his swift blade; Master Lü had no time to stop him!

Anyone who knew the whole story could hardly help sighing over the fickleness of fate and the unerring hand of retribution.

Of course, all that lay in the future. The young man and woman who had single-handedly brought about these changes in the two men's destinies knew nothing of them. At present, they were floating toward Nanji Island in a little boat on Poyang Lake.

To celebrate the rescue of the father and daughter, Ju Ying had suggested treating Xing Yan to shad at the Waterside House on Nanji Island. Xing Yan was also in excellent spirits, and the prospect of completing his sampling of Poyang Lake's famous dishes won his instant agreement. They hired a small boat and leisurely headed for the Waterside House.

When they tasted the Waterside House's renowned Steamed Shad, even the well-traveled Ju Ying could not help exclaiming over its deliciousness. As for the farm boy, who seldom had any chance to enjoy fine food, eating it left his heart light and his spirits soaring. Truly, "beneath a great reputation, there is no empty talent." Blessed with perfect timing and location, the Waterside House cooked shad fresh from the water over a precisely controlled low flame, steaming the extraordinarily fresh fish until it was incomparably tender and smooth, with a delicate fragrance unfolding in the mouth. No wonder even a starving fiend for women like Constable Chen had first come to the Waterside House to satisfy his appetite.

After finishing their meal, the two were in fine spirits. The weather was mild and clear, and the boundless sky looked as though it had been washed in blue. They found a painted pleasure boat on Nanji Island and boarded it to tour the beautiful sights of Poyang Lake.

Beneath the clear sky, Poyang Lake possessed a different charm. Nearby, sunlight gleamed on the water, its ripples shining like scales, as though brilliant radiance were flowing softly across them. Farther away, the lake resembled clear glazed crystal, its surface bright and pure. Kites soared in the distance, their graceful shapes seeming part of a painting. At the limit of sight, clouds and mist still veiled the waters, leaving only a vast expanse of haze.

The autumn waters soaked the distant sky, each reflecting the other's clarity, until water and heaven merged into one misty hue.

Before this wondrous handiwork of creation, the two youngsters, Xing Yan and Ju Ying, forgot to speak, immersed in the light upon the water and the colors of the sky.

As the boat moved, the scenery changed. Before long, they came beside a towering rocky island. This was another famous sight of Poyang Lake: Star-Net Mountain. It lay beyond Poyang County's borders, in waters belonging to Xingzi County.

Star-Net Mountain was a small rocky island, several zhang high and a little over a hundred paces across, looking at first glance like a star floating on the water. The locals all said it had formed from a star fallen from heaven, hence its other name, "Falling Star Mound." There was also a local saying: "A stone in the lake today, a star in the sky long ago." Gazing into the distance from here, one could faintly make out the pale silhouettes of the peaks of the Lu range.

Most who could afford this expensive pleasure boat were sleek-haired, powdered young dandies. There were also quite a few wandering traders who carried sabers or swords and pursued businesses requiring no capital. Among the passengers, the rustic Xing Yan and Ju Ying, a girl just old enough to pin up her hair, seemed like oddities, quite out of place.

The peculiar appearance of Star-Net Mountain naturally stirred some passengers to poetry to enliven their outing. One handsome young fellow, seemingly elegant and refined, was particularly inspired by Ju Ying's presence. He straightened his silk robe and headgear, gently waved his feather fan, and imitated the bearing of Young Master Zhou in his feather fan and silk headcloth upon the Command Platform of old. After coughing to clear his throat, he prepared to recite a poem-apparently unaware that, in this crisp autumn weather, parading a feather fan looked rather like putting on a show.

Ju Ying inwardly disdained his posturing, but she was curious all the same and wanted to see what verse this "Little Young Master Zhou" could produce.

Seeing that he had successfully drawn everyone's attention, and especially the young girl's, the fellow secretly rejoiced. Under all those watching eyes, he finally began his recital:

"From afar this mountain looks black as soot, narrow at the top and broad at the foot;

If you turned this mountain upside down, narrow at the foot and broad at the crown!"

Having recited with measured rises and falls, the fellow gently waved his autumn fan and looked around, brimming with pride. Apart from Xing Yan and Ju Ying, the passengers either nodded in praise or assumed thoughtful expressions of appreciation, afraid anyone might discover that they could not tell one written character from another. Thus, Xing Yan's irrepressible burst of laughter rang out with particular clarity, grating upon the whole boat. Ju Ying's own stifled giggle, however, was drowned out by his laughter.

The self-satisfied poet, who had been looking down upon everyone, changed color at the sound. Turning to see what lofty expert was laughing, he found a thoroughly rustic boy in coarse clothes doubled over with mirth. This made the wealthy young man still angrier, and he shouted at Xing Yan:

"Boy! Are you saying my poem is no good?!"

Only upon hearing this challenge did the boy realize he had made trouble. He hurriedly replied with deference:

"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare! It was truly because your poem was so well composed, sir-so smooth and easy to read! Best of all, it was wonderfully witty and humorous. Carried away by such fine poetry, I lost my composure. Please, sir, be generous enough to overlook a little fellow's fault and forgive me!"

But although his words were respectful, the grin he had not yet managed to wipe from his face greatly undermined his humble manner. The fellow felt that he was speaking insincerely, and humiliation only inflamed his anger. In a sneering tone, he said:

"Oh? I hadn't realized this rustic little gentleman, dressed in such splendid finery, possessed such discernment. You must have a belly full of poetic talent! Why not let us all witness it today? Hahaha!"

With that, the fellow broke into a loud, unrestrained cackle.

At his mockery, all the spectators aboard burst into laughter. Amid the laughter filling the air, the boy himself, accustomed to being looked down upon, felt little discomfort. Ju Ying, however, flushed scarlet with anger and insisted that he compose a fine poem to show them what he could do!

At this, the laughter aboard grew even louder!

Seeing Ju Ying mocked on his account, even the good-tempered Xing Yan could not help feeling anger stir within him. Besides, at some point, he had unconsciously begun to dislike making a fool of himself before her. His brows rose sharply, and he declared:

"Very well! Then this humble boy will offer his own poor effort today!"

Xing Yan's indignant words rang out clear and resonant. The mocking laughter abruptly ceased. Everyone was astonished:

Eh? Who would have thought this grubby country boy had such a fine voice!

Ignoring them, the boy lifted his head proudly and tapped the pleasure boat's railing. Facing the vast sky and autumn waters, he began a clear, lingering recitation:

"Star-Net, a speck no larger than a fist."

Hearing this line, the passengers were about to scoff. Yet somehow, against the backdrop of the empty blue heavens and misty waters, this unremarkable boy possessed an indescribable presence. Their mouths worked for a long while, but the mocking words never emerged. His companion Ju Ying also watched in surprise, a complicated expression on her face as she gazed at the boy she had met only two days before.

Unaware of the reactions behind him, Xing Yan continued proudly:

"Star-Net, a speck no larger than a fist,

Shatters Poyang's sky beneath the waves.

Drunk, I lean beneath the moon on Young Master Zhou's platform;

A clear flute sends the cavern dragon into sleep!"

Those impassioned, expansive words seemed to carry a vast, upright breath of heaven and earth within their measured cadences, echoing across the boundless waters and sky before them!

As Xing Yan recited beside the railing, everyone stared intently at the back of his head, waiting for him to turn around so they could take a good look at this imposing young fellow. Earlier, they had been so busy jeering that no one had really noticed what the unremarkable boy in coarse clothes looked like.

At last, beneath everyone's gaze, the boy finished his recitation and slowly turned his head-

Only to reveal a face plastered with a grin. He looked ingratiatingly toward the wealthy young man with the feather fan and, smiling sheepishly, asked for his opinion.

Perhaps the contrast between this sight and their expectations was too great, for no one reacted at first. But Xing Yan's exceedingly deferential smile and his coarse clothes with their several patches soon restored these habitually arrogant passengers to their usual selves. They confidently believed that the imposing presence they had seen a moment earlier had merely been an illusion caused by sunlight flashing off the water and dazzling their eyes.

The gentleman with the autumn fan made a great show of nodding and shaking his head as he considered the poem, then delivered his verdict:

"Passable. The number of characters is right. Only a little inferior to mine, though it's already quite good!"

With the disturbance settled, Xing Yan returned to Ju Ying's side. The girl looked unhappy and wondered why he was so polite to these people. Xing Yan merely smiled calmly and told her there was no need to take issue with them; it would only spoil their outing. Hearing this, Ju Ying finally let the matter go.

There was actually another reason in the boy's heart that he did not tell her: he had long since grown accustomed to such deference. After all, he was only a poor country boy of humble standing. What right did he have to quarrel with wealthy young men of rank and status?

But the perceptive Xing Yan could see that this innocent girl took little notice of his lowly station. He therefore said no more, lest he stir up another disturbance.

Once a boat reached Star-Net Mountain, its passengers had generally seen all the principal sights of Poyang Lake. The pleasure boat therefore turned its rudder and slowly headed back toward Nanji Island.

When the lush green trees of Nanji Island came into distant view, Xing Yan thought again of the Waterside House's Steamed Shad, its fragrance seemingly still lingering between his lips and teeth. As he savored the memory, he remembered that there was a legend about the fish. Earlier, he had been so intent on the food that he had forgotten to tell Ju Ying. Now was a good time to share it and soften the unpleasantness at the rocky island. With renewed enthusiasm, the boy began recounting the legend to the girl beside him:

The shad of Poyang Lake had bellies thin as blades, large shining scales, and bodies white as silver, so in ancient times they had also been called "silver fish." Unlike shad elsewhere, those of Poyang Lake were found in every season, and upon their translucent foreheads was a crimson spot. Bright and clear, that spot was exceedingly beautiful.

It was said that in remote antiquity, the shad of Poyang Lake had been just like shad everywhere else, their foreheads smooth as mirrors, without any red mark. Later, when Yu the Great was taming the floods, a monster called Wu Zhiqi wreaked havoc near Poyang Lake along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. He blocked the waterways, causing tremendous floods in Poyang Lake that drowned many people and turned hundreds of li of surrounding country into a watery realm. Hearing of the monster's evil deeds, Yu the Great sought the aid of heavenly troops and generals. With a single stroke of his axe, a heavenly general cleaved open a passage through the blocked Yangtze River. The waters flowed freely again, and the floodwaters of Poyang Lake drained away.

Many years later, however, Wu Zhiqi rose again like dead ashes rekindled and returned to stir up wind and waves in Poyang Lake. Muddy billows surged skyward all day long, preventing fishermen from venturing onto the lake and depriving them of their livelihood. When the East Sea Dragon King learned of this, he sent his crown prince, the Little Dragon King, to subdue the monster and bring peace to the people. Possessing great magical power, the Little Dragon King succeeded as soon as he arrived. For his distinguished service, the heavenly court later appointed him the "Four Rivers Dragon God," placing him in charge of the four great waterways: the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Huai River, and the Ji River. The vast waters of Poyang, linked to the Yangtze River, also became the site of one of the Four Rivers Dragon God's cavern palaces.

From then on, during the fourth and fifth months of every year, the East Sea Old Dragon King sent a shad spirit to carry a family letter to the Little Dragon King. Once the letter arrived, the Little Dragon King of the Four Rivers would mark the shad's head with a vermilion brush as proof of its delivery.

Afterward, the messenger shad's descendants multiplied generation after generation in the waters of Poyang. Unlike shad in all the other lakes and rivers beneath heaven, these descendants in Poyang Lake all developed a bright red, round spot on their foreheads.

The whole account left Ju Ying utterly spellbound. When Xing Yan had guided her around Raozhou City, he had already shown an astonishing gift for words. Now, amid these refreshing views of lake and mountains, he unfolded the already moving and intricate legend with even greater eloquence, vividly depicting the monster's viciousness, the heavenly general's vast divine abilities, and the deep affection between the dragon king and his son. Ju Ying, raised in silk and fine food, had never heard such a winding, captivating tale. Still less had she imagined that the little shad of Poyang Lake could have such a mysterious and wonderful origin. For a time, she was so absorbed that she completely forgot where she was.

Just as the two young people were immersed in that beautiful, moving legend, a sneering voice suddenly intruded beside them at the most unwelcome moment:

"Dragon kings, monsters, fish heads, horse faces-what a load of nonsense! Under these clear heavens, where would all those strange creatures come from? You little brat, these lies of yours are fit only for fooling ignorant girls! Why don't you look at your shabby reflection in Poyang Lake? You really don't know your own limits!"

This jarring noise came from the very fellow who had composed "narrow at the foot and broad at the crown." Because he could recite a few crooked verses, he had always fancied himself a refined man of charm. With plenty of silver in his purse and a crowd of idlers to support him, he considered his talent eight bushels high and treated everyone else as beneath him. He was the very image of a dandy with a fat purse and lean talent.

So conceited about his gifts, he had never expected to be laughed at by a country boy beside the rocky Star-Net Mountain. When had he ever endured such an insult? Once he grasped what had happened, anger rose in his heart, and he began looking for a chance to vent it. Unfortunately, the country lad had since become so deferential that, like a rat stealing an egg with nowhere to sink its teeth, he could find no opening to start a quarrel.

With Nanji Island fast approaching, he grew frantic. If he failed to find a chance to erupt, the lump of resentment in his chest would surely fester into a lasting affliction!

While hovering nearby in restless indecision, he happened to hear the boy talking about strange powers and supernatural beings. Feeling as though he had found a treasure, he immediately seized upon the last words and launched into mockery. But after bottling up his anger for so long, he sounded distinctly flustered and furious, making his voice all the more clamorous and unpleasant.

Seeing that the two had not yet reacted, he grew still more pleased with himself. He gave his goose-feather fan a vigorous wave, turned to the passengers, and cried loudly:

"Everyone, come and look! There's no dragon king here, but there is a toad longing to feast on swan flesh!"

The other passengers were no kindly souls either. Having suffered a rebuff beside the rocky Star-Net Mountain, they felt thoroughly frustrated and were also looking for a chance to vent their feelings. They immediately caught his meaning and obligingly burst into laughter. Their jeers were mingled with all manner of sharp, spiteful taunts. Faced with such a rare chance to indulge themselves, even the boat owner and boatmen joined in, mocking the pair with all their might.

Xing Yan and Ju Ying were, after all, only two youngsters. How could they ever have encountered a scene like this? Amid the whole boat's jeering and ridicule, they were momentarily choked with anger, yet utterly at a loss, not knowing what to do.

Yet amid all the clamor aboard, no one noticed that in the boundless clear sky above their heads, a dark cloud, at first only the size of a copper coin, was slowly and silently spreading...