Heroes Rise To Action In Qizhou City; The Duke Of Tang Encounters Bandits At Zhishu Ridge (3)

Let us leave Shubao’s escort mission aside and return to Li Yuan. When he saw that his memorial had been approved and he had been appointed to the administrative headquarters of the Hebei Circuit as Governor of Taiyuan Commandery, he felt as though he had received a pardon. He immediately ordered preparations for departure and began by making arrangements for his many retainers.

That day, outside the ceremonial gate, upon the raised terrace and the vermilion courtyard, men and women, great and small, crowded shoulder to shoulder, packed so tightly that they could scarcely move.

The Duke of Tang sat beneath the projecting eaves and looked upon the people who had served him. Thinking of their many years of faithful service, he was deeply moved. Tears welled in his eyes as he said:

“I had truly hoped to remain an official in Chang’an and support you throughout your lives. Unexpectedly, I have been forced by popular rumors to relinquish my office and return home. All of you who have served in my household need not accompany me.”

The Duke of Tang had always treated his people kindly. When they heard these words, they burst into loud weeping, each filled with grief.

Seeing their distress, the Duke of Tang’s own tears flowed still more freely. Wiping his face with his sleeve, he struggled to restrain them and said:

“You need not weep. Surely you do not imagine that, because I am leaving office today, I intend to drive all of you away? I have two arrangements to offer. Those who have received fields from me to cultivate, those who have shops or other businesses to support themselves, those who have obtained official positions through service in my household, and those who have relatives or friends here in Chang’an should remain behind. As for those who have neither fields to cultivate nor shops to conduct business, and who have no relatives or friends in Chang’an, remaining in the capital would serve no purpose. Let them accompany me to Taiyuan. Whether we fare well or poorly, we shall still find a way to live.”

Among the retainers, those willing to accompany him hurried to answer:

“We are willing to follow Your Lordship!”

There were so many people that it was impossible to determine who wished to go and who preferred to stay.

The Duke of Tang was a man of sound judgment. He instructed them:

“Divide yourselves into two groups. Those going to Taiyuan should stand in the eastern courtyard; those remaining in Chang’an should stand in the western courtyard. Once you have taken your places, I have more to say.”

As he issued these instructions, he privately thought:

“Surely there will not be many willing to go.”

Unexpectedly, nearly everyone who could free themselves from their obligations wished to follow him back to Taiyuan. Some who had initially stood in the western courtyard even crossed over to the eastern side. When they had finally taken their places, there were approximately equal numbers in the two courtyards.

The retainers below whispered among themselves. Those remaining in Chang’an could hardly bear to part from a lord who had recognized and favored them. Yet if they wished to leave, their relatives and acquaintances in the capital, their prospects for advancement, and their business commitments all prevented them from doing so. Thus, although they were all retainers of the same household, those on the western side envied those on the eastern side as though the latter were about to ascend to immortality.

The Duke of Tang asked those in the western courtyard:

“Are all of you remaining in Chang’an?”

Several officials came forward and expressed their gratitude.

“Through Your Lordship’s patronage, we have obtained prospects of advancement and the honor of wearing golden belts.”

Others said:

“We have received capital and houses from Your Lordship.”

Others reported:

“We have received fields from Your Lordship to cultivate. Each year, the rents and profits will be conveyed to Your Lordship’s residence for household expenses.”

After hearing them all, the Duke of Tang ordered the document chests brought out. Regardless of whether they were men or women, old or young, each person received two bolts of cotton cloth and one ingot of silver.

When the gifts had been distributed, he instructed them:

“Once I am no longer serving as an official in Chang’an, you must be still more careful in your conduct and observe the rules I have established. Remember this well!”

The assembled people kowtowed and departed.

The Duke of Tang then addressed those on the eastern side:

“All of you intend to accompany me?”

They came forward and replied:

“We and our families have served Your Lordship for generations. We are willing to follow you to Taiyuan.”

The Duke of Tang ordered a register of names to be prepared and travel provisions and silver to be distributed. He strictly forbade them to disturb the people in the districts through which they passed. Even the smallest goods must be bought and sold at fair prices. Anyone who forcibly took so much as a single coin from the common people would be punished without mercy.

Having given these instructions, he retired to the rear hall for a short rest.

His wife, Lady Dou, came forward and said:

“It is indeed fortunate that we can return to our native home today. However, I am pregnant, and the hardships of traveling overland by carriage and horse will be difficult for me to endure. Moreover, my confinement is approaching. Would it not be better to delay our departure for half a month?”

Li Yuan replied:

“My lady, His Majesty is exceedingly suspicious, and wicked men have spread slanders urging him to kill everyone surnamed Li. Every moment we remain here is like dwelling in a tiger’s den or a dragon’s pool. Now that we have fortunately obtained permission to leave, even if I must die, I would rather die in my homeland. Do you not know what happened to Li Hun? For his entire household, the prospect of returning home has become as unattainable as ascending to Heaven!”

Lady Dou said nothing more and went to prepare the baggage herself.

Meanwhile, Li Yuan took leave of his colleagues, relatives, and friends, and also bade farewell at court. He and Lady Dou, together with their sixteen-year-old daughter, traveled in comfortable sedan chairs. His younger clansman Daozong and his eldest son Jiancheng rode horses, accompanied by more than forty powerfully built household guards. All were sturdy men from the western passes, with their bows strung and their swords drawn. Thus escorted, they departed Chang’an.

Looking back, Chang’an receded farther each day;
Clouds crossed the road ahead, stirring alarm.
Endless dust rose behind the traveling horsemen;
In the wind, the marching banners fluttered.

It was the season of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Taking advantage of the clear weather, the Duke of Tang had set out early. Few people came to see him off, only several close acquaintances who offered farewell refreshments outside the city. The duke did not dare discuss affairs of state, but merely expressed his gratitude before taking leave and continuing the journey.

Their party was lightly equipped and their horses swift. Before long, they had traveled more than twenty li from the capital, and human habitation had become sparse.

Suddenly, a ridge rose steeply ahead, crowded with dense groves of dark trees. The place looked exceedingly dangerous.

A lofty ridge rises from the open plain;
Ancient trees cast shadows beneath the clouds.
Crimson leaves embroider the Weaver Maiden’s brocade;
Golden leaves flutter like treasures of the Buddha’s realm.
Deep in the forest, birds rejoice at leisure;
In the strong wind, leaves murmur without cease.
The desolate scene breathes the spirit of autumn;
Travelers can scarcely bear its melancholy.

This place was called Zhishu Ridge.

The Duke of Tang and his wife traveled in sedan chairs and made slow progress. Some thirty or forty household guards kept their horses at a gentle pace, surrounding them before and behind and on both sides, not daring to stray far.

Only Daozong and Jiancheng, accompanied by several guards sent ahead to prepare the next stopping place, had ridden on a li or two in advance.

Jiancheng wore a purple cap and a red brocade robe. Daozong wore a green headcloth and a dark robe embroidered with a large peony upon the breast. Around his shoulders was fastened an ornate golden belt with an ancient dragon design, and he wore black boots with pale soles.

They rode forward at a brisk pace and entered the forest.

Had these two not gone ahead, the Duke of Tang and his family would all have entered the woods together. Unprepared for an attack and obliged to protect both their baggage and their family members, they could not have attended to both, and would inevitably have fallen victim to Yuwen Shu’s scheme.

Fortunately, these men had gone ahead and were riding along when the danger arose.

Meanwhile, the men whom Yuwen Shu had sent disguised as mounted bandits had left the capital under cover of night and waited half a day. From afar, they saw a party entering the forest. One man wore a robe embroidered with a python and appeared to be an official; another was a young gentleman who looked like the son of a noble household. They concluded that these must be members of the Duke of Tang’s family.

With a great shout, they rushed out.

They all wore white cloth wrapped around their heads, their faces daubed with powder and black pigment. They were strong men mounted on sturdy horses and carried long spears and broad swords.

They shouted wildly:

“You beardless fellows! Hand over the toll money!”

Jiancheng was so startled by the sight that he immediately wheeled his horse around and fled.

Although Daozong was also taken aback, he was a courageous man. He cursed them:

“You scoundrels! Have you eaten a tiger’s heart and a lion’s gall? Even a jar has two ears! Do you not know that we belong to the Li household of Longxi? How dare you block our road?”

With that, he drew the saber at his waist and attacked. Several household guards joined him with their short swords.

Jiancheng, meanwhile, was so frightened that he lay low over his saddle and let his horse gallop back the way they had come. When he reached the Duke of Tang’s sedan chair, he hurriedly cried:

“Disaster! Disaster! There are bandits ahead! They have surrounded our uncle in the forest!”

Rejoicing at escaping the tiger’s den,
Who knew he would stumble into a dragon’s pool?

Hearing this, the Duke of Tang said:

“How can there be bandits so close to the imperial capital?”

He immediately jumped down from his sedan chair and gave orders:

“Half of the most capable household guards are to go forward and assist them! The other half must protect the family and carriages and retreat to a settled place behind us, where they are to make camp.”

He removed his formal official cap and replaced it with a close-fitting headcloth. Taking off his traveling robe, he put on a short jacket with tight sleeves suited for archery. He carried his bow on the left and his arrows on the right, and in his hand he held a painted-shaft fangtian ji, a square-bladed halberd.

Mounting his White Dragon Horse, he led more than twenty household guards into the forest.

From a distance, he saw forty or fifty brigands, all armed, surrounding Daozong. Daozong and his guards were armed only with short swords and were having great difficulty resisting.

The Duke of Tang wished to shoot his bow, but feared injuring his own men. He therefore urged his horse forward and charged toward the enemy, shouting in a mighty voice:

“Where do you brigands come from? Do you have no regard for your lives, that you dare obstruct the passage of an imperial official?”

The shout startled the bandits, and they drew aside in two directions.

Taking advantage of the opening, the Duke of Tang led his household guards straight through their ranks and joined Daozong.

At first, the brigands were alarmed to see reinforcements arriving. But when they discovered that the newcomers numbered only twenty or so, they grew bold again, trusting in their numerical superiority. Moreover, their original purpose had been to kill the Duke of Tang. Now that he had appeared before them, how could they retreat?

They once more raised their spears and staffs and closed in from every direction, surrounding the Duke of Tang and his household guards at the center.

As the verse says:

Before Jiuli Mountain, the battle lines were drawn;
War dust swirled until the sun grew dim.
Though King Xiang had strength enough to lift a cauldron,
Could he have escaped his doom beside the Wu River?

Whether the Duke of Tang could break free of this encirclement remains to be seen.