Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 105 (Part 2)
Translated by Pure
Chapter 105.2 Ensnaring Sir Li Four
Over yonder, a few guests, having savored the song, ordered more food and wine, each embracing a courtesan as they commenced their revelry.
"With the war up north... I wonder if we’ll still be able to enjoy such peace and comfort in the future."
"Pfft—don’t worry about it."
The one who had been worrying said, "I heard the northern troops are quite formidable."
"What if they are? Haven’t you heard? Prince of Zhao is ill. Why did they assassinate the Emperor if not for that position? That vassal king is quite old now, and with this illness—"
"I hadn’t heard that the Prince of Zhao was ill."
"You’ve been too preoccupied with your new concubine, it’d be more surprising if you knew."
Laughter erupted among the group.
Li Yù pondered for a moment, feeling uneasy. He decided to move to another establishment with his two chamberlains, and there, he again heard the ‘Famous Courtesan of the North’ song and confirmed the news about his father’s illness.
Unable to wait any longer, Li Yù summoned the singer to a private room to sing the song for him slowly and in full.
"Who taught you this song? It seems to be about a friend of mine."
"The lyrics were taught to me by two young men," the courtesan replied with a smile. "They said their lady yearned for her beloved so ardently that she dispatched individuals to the capital to look for him."
The courtesan, recognizing that the so-called ‘friend’ was likely the gentleman himself. Looking at the frail figure before her, she felt quite disappointed; she had expected a more refined gentleman. She mused that while these literary fellows enjoy their poetry and songs, they shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Li Yù furrowed his brow and asked, "Did they mention where they are staying?"
"They said they are staying at Qingyun Monastery in Changxing Lane."
Li Yù nodded and smiled, instructing his chamberlain to give the courtesan some silver. With his hands behind his back, he walked out.
The courtesan, holding the silver, recalled his smile, demeanor, and gait. Despite the oddity of the situation, she found his presence somewhat charming. Used to encountering all sorts of strange things and people in her line of work, she shrugged it off, pocketed the money, and continued with her songs.
When Li Yù returned to his lodgings, Ren Feng was anxiously waiting. Seeing him back, Ren Feng sighed in relief, but before he could offer any advice, Li Yù asked, "Why didn’t you tell me that my father is ill?"
Ren Feng smiled apologetically. "The news isn’t confirmed yet. If I told you, Sir Four, it would only cause you unnecessary worry."
Li Yù scrutinized Ren Feng’s oily face, suddenly suspecting he might be affiliated with his third brother. As long as he remained here… He quickly dismissed the thought, reminding himself that Old Qiao was entirely focused on his father’s safety, so Sir Three and Qiao Hai… were unlikely.
Li Yù softened his expression and recounted the day’s events to Ren Feng.
Ren Feng frowned. "Then why haven’t they contacted us?" He quickly realized that Prince of Zhao’s residence had already been thoroughly searched by the Imperial Guards. This place was his private domain. While the Imperial Guards couldn’t find them, neither could Prince of Zhao’s people.
Ren Feng, having heard Li Yù’s words, was similarly moved but also skeptical.
After a moment of thought, Ren Feng said to Li Yù, "Sir Four, fret not. I shall personally investigate this monastery and make a decision."
Li Yù smiled in approval. "Then I’ll leave it to you, Adjutant Ren."
Ren Feng smiled obsequiously, recognizing how hard it was to earn Sir Four’s favor.
…
The following day, Ren Feng ventured out to investigate the Qingyun Monastery himself. It wasn't until the sun had nearly set that he finally returned.
"How was it?" Li Yù asked urgently. Seeing Ren Feng’s troubled expression, his heart sank.
"It was indeed a trap," Ren Feng replied. "There were undercover Imperial Guards stationed there in disguise. Fortunately, I managed to escape in time."
Li Yù frowned at him.
"Rest assured, sir," Ren Feng continued. "I wandered around for a bit and even went to the East Market before returning. No one followed me."
Li Yù was both relieved and disappointed, still wondering how the Imperial Guards had learned of his affairs.
Suddenly, the sounds of clashing weapons were heard from outside. The occupants of the room were alarmed, and before they could react, both the windows and doors were smashed open, and a group of Imperial Guards burst into the room.
Ren Feng and his men were about to protect Li Yù and fight their way out, but Li Yù, through the broken window, had already seen the archers on the walls outside.
With a wave of his hand, Li Yù surrendered to the inevitable, knowing it was all over.
Qin Xiang entered with a smile. "Sir Four, allow this subject to accompany you into the palace."
As Li Yù was taken away, Qin Xiang let out a sigh of relief. While it was true that the strategy devised by Deputy Magistrate Lin had been effective, the imperial guards also played their part well. Tracking an intelligence gatherer for half a day without losing him or revealing their presence was no small feat—besides the imperial guards, no one else possessed such skill.
Lin Yan shared his thoughts with Shen Shaoguang about how they had used the information gathered from the Northern Capital and Shen Shaoguang’s "comfort zone" theory to set a trap in Pingkang Alley. He described their strategy to create a diversion at the Taoist monastery and the Imperial Guards’ pursuit, praising them, "The Imperial Guards’ tracking skills are truly remarkable; Jingzhao cannot compare." His tone carried a hint of admiration.
Lin Yan shared this sentiment. He articulated to Shen Shaoguang how to harness the information gleaned from the northern capital, alongside her insights in regards to ‘comfort zones’, to meticulously orchestrate a ruse in Pingkang Lane. As they executed the tactic of ‘beating the grass to scare the snake[1]’ at the Taoist monastery, coupled with the intricacies of the pursuit, he extolled, "The tracking prowess of the imperial guards is truly unparalleled; the government repository cannot rival it." A trace of envy colored his expression.
Shen Shaoguang handed him a bowl of spinach egg drop soup with a wry smile, saying, "The government repository has its own merits. For instance, that song—it must have been quite touching to have managed to deceive Li Yù."
Lin Yan curled his lips into a smile.
Shen Shaoguang waited expectantly for him to elaborate.
Lin Yan licked his lips and recited the verses for her.
Shen Shaoguang's expression grew increasingly displeased. To produce such sultry verses...
Noticing her pouting lips and slightly widened almond-shaped eyes, Lin Yan found her utterly adorable.
"Deputy Magistrate Lin—"
Lin Yan gently touched her temple, his voice soft as he said, "You’ve never been jealous of me before. This feeling… is quite delightful…"
Shen Shaoguang tilted her head to avoid his hand, still somewhat annoyed, and gave his arm a pinch.
Lin Yan chuckled. "It wasn’t written by me; I barely have time to write such things. It was composed by a Court Scribe of the government repository, surnamed Qian." That individual certainly has a bit of—flair.
Shen Shaoguang’s expression softened a little, but she warned, "You must remember, after marrying me, there shall be no concubines, chambermaids, maidservants, song girls, or courtesans. Even when attending banquets, you must maintain decorum. Otherwise—"
Before she could finish her stern words, Lin Yan replied with a smile, "Before I encountered you, no one had ever captured my attention; after meeting you, no one else remains in my sight."
With a solemn expression, Lin Yan added, "A’Ji, there will be no ‘otherwise’."
Shen Shaoguang couldn’t help but narrow her eyes and smile. She added another spoonful of soup to his bowl. "The spinach is very tender. Please have some more, sir."
Lin Yan’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Shen Shaoguang regarded him with suspicion. "Are you perhaps a picky eater? I can't shake the feeling that you harbor a certain prejudice against spinach."
.
.
.
The author has something to say: "Before I encountered you, no one had ever captured my attention; after meeting you, no one else remains in my sight." — A tribute to the words Mr. Qian Zhongshu wrote to Mrs. Yang Jiang.
—
T/N: Those two people mentioned above are pretty major authors, and yeah, they are married to each other.
Yang Jiang (杨绛) was a Chinese playwright, author, and translator. She wrote several successful comedies, and was the first Chinese person to produce a complete Chinese version of Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quixote.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Jiang
Qian Zhongshu was a renowned 20th century Chinese literary scholar and writer, known for his wit and erudition. He is best known for his satirical novel Fortress Besieged. His works of nonfiction are characterized by a large amount of quotations in both Chinese and Western languages such as English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. He also played an important role in digitizing Chinese classics late in his life.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qian_Zhongshu
—
Footnote:
[1] beating the grass to scare the snake (打草惊蛇) - an idiom, which means to take action in a way that unintentionally alerts an enemy or an adversary to one’s presence or plans. The imagery suggests that if you disturb the grass (the hiding place of the snake), the snake will become aware of your presence and escape.
