His clothes were simple, he wore no jade pendant, he had arrived without an ox cart, and he was not remotely fussy about his food, enjoying even a few plain dishes...
Liu Zhao had noticed all these details long ago.
Thus, even before Wang Yang borrowed three thousand coins, Liu Zhao had concluded that his family possessed very little wealth. When Wang Yang first hinted at borrowing money the previous evening, he had lent it without hesitation, hoping to help this gifted young man.
Yet only one night later, Wang Yang said he owed money again, and this time the sum was even greater-a full thirteen thousand coins!
He valued and even admired Wang Yang's talent, which was precisely why he worried that Wang Yang might have picked up some bad habit.
Chupu was a form of gambling popular at the time, from high ministers and nobles down to ordinary commoners. Playing a few rounds was no great offense to propriety, but there was a vast difference between an occasional game for pleasure and sinking deep into addiction.
"Of course not," Wang Yang said hurriedly.
Liu Zhao's expression grew even more solemn. "Then are you fond of courtesans and brothel pleasures?"
"Where-no! When? I've never even seen one!"
"Could it be that you take Five-Stone Powder, or study the art of refining elixirs?"
At the time, refining elixirs and taking such drugs were hobbies that truly "burned money." Some people even exhausted their entire family fortunes on them.
"Five-Stone Powder? I wouldn't take it even if someone gave it to me for free!" Seeing Liu Zhao's guesses grow increasingly wide of the mark, Wang Yang simply came clean. "I didn't borrow this money. I'm helping a friend."
Only after seeing that Wang Yang's expression seemed genuine did Liu Zhao relax. "Very well. I'll provide the money!"
Wang Yang was delighted. "Please still count it as a loan to me! I'll certainly repay you someday!"
"No need! So long as you finish Pointing Out Flaws, what would even a hundred thousand coins matter?"
Wang Yang bowed deeply to Liu Zhao. "I will repay the money! On behalf of my friend's family, I thank you, sir, for saving their lives!"
Liu Zhao also bowed deeply to Wang Yang. "Money is a small matter; scholarship is what truly matters. On behalf of all scholars under heaven, I thank you, Zhi Yan, for writing this work that will endure through the ages!"
The old man and the young man bowed to one another, each respecting and admiring the other, both feeling that meeting the other had been a tremendous blessing.
"Come," Liu Zhao said. "Let us continue and strive to finish the manuscript soon."
By rights, Wang Yang had absolutely no reason to refuse at this point.
Third Master Du had set the repayment date for three days later. In other words, Wang Yang still had the remaining half of today and all of tomorrow. Since Liu Zhao had agreed to lend him the money, there was no need to hurry.
But Wang Yang preferred to play things safe. First, with money in hand, there was no cause for alarm. Second, Black Han and A-Wu were still waiting anxiously at home; taking the money back sooner would put father and daughter at ease. Third, the book could be written anytime, and half a day or a day would make little difference, whereas repayment had a deadline. What if he delayed and something went wrong along the way?
So Wang Yang apologetically declined Liu Zhao's suggestion, saying that he wanted to deliver the money first and return afterward to write.
Liu Zhao could only suppress his eagerness and tell Yu Yuling to fetch the money for Wang Yang. Yu Yuling had long wanted to seek Wang Yang's guidance in scholarship, but had lacked an opportunity. Now, hearing that Wang Yang was going outside the city on business, he volunteered to accompany him.
Liu Zhao agreed at once. It was not that he feared Wang Yang would run off with the money; he wanted Yu Yuling to urge Wang Yang to return sooner. He also arranged for Wang Yang to ride in his own ox cart.
Ox carts were a distinctive feature of that era.
The gentry of the Six Dynasties favored ox carts, considering their unhurried movement, steadiness, and gentle pace more refined than horse-drawn carriages.
Sitting in the ox cart, Wang Yang discussed scholarship with Yu Yuling and took the opportunity to ask about Jingzhou's gentry, local customs, and way of life. Everything brimmed with the charm of antiquity, and he felt almost as though he were sightseeing.
When they reached the entrance to Eighth Camp Village, Wang Yang asked Yu Yuling to wait in the cart and carried the money bag toward Black Han's house. Before he even entered, he noticed something was wrong. The thatched hut's door stood wide open, and father and daughter's desperate, hoarse cries came from within.
"Let go of my daughter! Let go of my daughter!"
"You villains! The young master will be here any moment! He'll make you pay!"
"The young master? Fine, let him come! Now that you mention it, I really have been missing him."
"Who's been missing me?" Wang Yang stepped into the hut and saw three men pinning Black Han to the ground. His veins bulged and his face was blood-red as he struggled and shouted, "Young master! Save A-Wu!"
A burly man held little A-Wu in the air. Her little hands clawed wildly and her feet kicked furiously. She had been quite "fierce and brave," but the moment she saw Wang Yang, she burst into tears.
"Let go," Wang Yang said coldly.
The four men restraining them had all accompanied Third Master Du before. Last time, they had been terrified of Wang Yang, but now they turned a deaf ear to his words and looked at him with outright defiance.
Third Master Du sat in the main room and smiled. "Speak of someone, and there he is. I was just thinking of seeing you, and here you've delivered yourself right to my door."
Wang Yang looked at Third Master Du and said mockingly, "Du San'er, showing up before the agreed time? Seems there's something wrong with your character."
Hearing Wang Yang call him Du San'er, Third Master Du flew into a rage:
"You're at death's door, and you still dare play dumb with me! Let me tell you the truth: I already had someone investigate. Apart from Wang Tai, there isn't a second member of the Langya Wang in all of Jingzhou! Once you're in prison, I'll take my time playing with you!"
Then he shouted toward the door, "Patrol Chief Tong, arrest him!"
Three officers in black uniforms rushed inside. Seeing Wang Yang standing tall in a Folded-Corner Scarf and white robes, they could not help freezing for a moment. This man is dressed like a gentleman. That isn't what Third Master Du told us!
Third Master Du was seasoned enough to guess what the officers were thinking at once. "The swindler changed his clothes to put on a show. That's him!"
The man at their head steadied himself and said, "I am the patrol chief of the military-household villages in Jiangling County. Someone has accused you of impersonating a member of the gentry and perpetrating fraud. Come with us."
A patrol chief was a village-level peace officer in the Southern Dynasties, subordinate to the county magistrate. In peacetime, he maintained public order; in wartime, he levied able-bodied men. Though hardly a high-ranking official, he still wielded some real authority.
Patrol Chief Tong had actually intended to "clap him in irons at once," and the two men beside him had already prepared their shackles. But seeing Wang Yang's distinguished clothing and bearing, he unconsciously softened his tone.
It was time to put his acting skills to the test again!
Looking at Patrol Chief Tong, Wang Yang slowly broke into a smile, then finally laughed aloud, as though he had seen something utterly hilarious.
Everyone was rather bewildered. Patrol Chief Tong, in particular, found that laughter making him feel distinctly uneasy,
but if he had known
that the man laughing was even less sure of himself than he was, who knew what he would have thought?
Little A-Wu had a flash of inspiration and cried, "Don't you understand yet? My young master is laughing at how stupid you are!"
Hearing this, Patrol Chief Tong grew even more doubtful.
"What are you dawdling for? Arrest him!" Third Master Du was extremely impatient. Without sparing a thought for Patrol Chief Tong's dignity, he issued orders directly.
Not daring to defy Third Master Du, Patrol Chief Tong gritted his teeth and waved a hand. The two officers advanced on Wang Yang.
Seeing that there was no time left to set the stage, Wang Yang suddenly roared, "I am a son of the Langya Wang! You lowly, contemptible officials dare oppress the gentry? Have you truly tired of living?!"
Note: The reasons ox carts became fashionable among the gentry of the Six Dynasties were complex, rooted in institutions and economics as well as cultural attitudes. Liu Zenggui argued that the spiritual symbolism of "purity" represented by ox carts accorded with the "pure stream" of the Eastern Han. This is a very sound interpretation, but unfortunately it is often overlooked by commentators. For details, see Liu Zenggui's "The Carriage System Between the Han and Sui" and Sun Zhengjun's "Making a Scholar-Emperor: Ox Carts, White Gauze Caps, and Caps for Advancing the Worthy."
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