Chapter 60 News

Now that everyone had gathered, the next order of business was to find a place for drinks.

With Yuan Lang tagging along, it seemed like a good arrangement, but it also presented a slight problem.

The rough-hewn men from the commandery headquarters treated him with a subtle, involuntary respect, practically viewing him as some young master of a noble house, which made it awkward to pick just any rundown tavern.

They all deferred to Li Po, invoking the polite custom of letting the guest dictate the arrangements.

Damn it all, Li Po had only strolled around the city a few times—where was he supposed to find a decent spot?

So Li Po simply said straight out that this younger brother's purse was somewhat light, and he begged his older brothers to show some mercy.

Such a straightforward admission proved much more pleasing to the ears of these fierce, unpolished men than any coyness or concealment.

In the end, it was Yuchi who led the group to a familiar tavern in the southern district of the city.

Upon arrival, the dozen or so men swarmed inside, practically booking the entire small establishment.

The innkeeper was somewhat terrified at first, but seeing Yuchi among them set his mind largely at ease, and he bustled about attending to them with the utmost diligence.

Li Po, Yuchi, Cheng Zhijie, Yuan Lang, and Luo San crowded around one table, while the rest scattered and took seats nearby.

The reality of social hierarchy was present almost everywhere, requiring no unnecessary words.

Dishes of meat and jars of wine were brought out one after another. Li Po picked up a large bowl, stood up without a trace of false modesty, and said in a loud voice, "I am truly overjoyed to make the acquaintance of you all today. I, Big Brother Li, shall drain this first bowl as a toast to you!"

With that, he gulped down the entire bowl of wine in one continuous draught, looking thoroughly bold and unconstrained.

The men cheered in unison and raised their bowls in response, filling the tavern with the hearty sounds of frantic drinking.

As he drank, Yuchi cast sidelong glances at Li Po, mulling it over in his mind.

They always said that men from Guanzhong rose in the world fast, and mother of God, he was seeing it with his own eyes now. In just a few short months, Li Po had gone from a vagrant to an official at the commandery.

The same fellow who had been currying favor everywhere just days ago could now sit as an equal with him, and mingling with this group of friends, he showed not the slightest trace of awkwardness.

Li Po didn't care about all that, nor did he concern himself with what others might be thinking; he knew that when dealing with these rough and robust men, walking on eggshells would never work.

Therefore, as soon as that bowl was down, he poured another, first thanking Cheng Zhijie for recommending him to the commandery headquarters.

Cheng Zhijie instantly felt a surge of pride. In truth, he had been harboring his own doubts; everyone in the commandery knew that the old bastard in the stables was not someone to be trifled with.

When he first heard that Li Po had been sent to those stables, he had felt a twinge of guilt, feeling he had botched the assignment.

Yet after more than two months, just as he was nearly forgetting the matter, this fellow had popped back up, and he had even brought Yuan Lang along. One look at Yuan Lang's demeanor told him that the kid had been knocking about quite successfully in the stables, perhaps even striking up some familial ties with that old man?

Thus, much like Yuchi, he felt a deep sense of astonishment.

Laughing heartily, he drained a large bowl. When he saw Yuan Lang dutifully pouring wine for Li Po, he felt as though his fundamental worldview had been shattered—he simply couldn't make sense of this world anymore.

Next, Li Po toasted Yuchi, thanking him for his assistance at the city gates.

Yuchi felt somewhat awkward about it, which made his drinking all the more straightforward. He and Cheng Zhijie were completely different breeds of men; when he was in the wrong, he was in the wrong, and he would never invent excuses for himself. Consequently, he ended up drinking more rounds with Li Po than anyone else.

Luo San was much simpler to deal with; as long as this kid had wine to drink and meat to eat, he wouldn't overthink anything. Whether someone was a vagrant or an official in the commandery made very little difference in his eyes.

As for Yuan Lang, he was practically discounted; by now, Li Po's standing over at the stables was nearly equal to that of the old man, reducing Yuan Lang entirely to a junior figure.

After the round of toasts was complete, the noise inside the tavern swelled to a roar.

The military men shouted insults and oaths, their rowdy voices loud enough to lift the roof right off the building.

After a few more rounds of drinks, the faces of everyone at the table grew flushed.

There was no help for it; as men came over one by one to toast them, it was impossible to refuse, as if they were binding themselves in lifelong brotherhood. No matter how low the alcohol content might be, wine was still wine, and before long, Li Po began to feel as though even the broth of the wine tasting bitter on his tongue.

Yet northern men were simply built this way: the more they drank, the more amiable they became. By the time they were half-drunk, even Yuchi had grown talkative.

"I hear they're going to strike at Goguryeo. You two are at the commandery headquarters, have you heard anything?"

Cheng Zhijie spat out a breath laden with alcohol fumes. "We've heard about it long ago; grain is already being transported toward the border. Didn't you see the commandery magistrate going out to inspect the granaries? I also heard that quite a few people are going to find themselves in deep trouble this time; once the magistrate finishes his tour, there's no telling whose head might roll."

Yuchi nodded. "That's to be expected. Since we're going to war, grain and forage are naturally of paramount importance, and no one will be permitted to act recklessly."

Cheng Zhijie gave a raspy chuckle. "Whether they act recklessly or not, old Cheng wouldn't know, but I've heard that the wealthy clans in the city are all hoarding grain. Heh, when the fighting starts over there, the ones who suffer won't just be those in Mayi."

With that, he turned his head to look at Li Po. "You're at the side of the old master, haven't you heard anything? When does the fighting start? Will they be drafting men from Mayi?"

Li Po's eyes were hazy, as though he were already thoroughly drunk, but he just let out a foolish chuckle and said, "Whether we fight or not has precious little to do with me. What is it? Do you two older brothers want to head to Hebei?"

Cheng Zhijie burst into a loud laugh. "If it's Hebei, then Hebei it is! Sooner or later, we'll carve out a name for ourselves with saber and spear, and we might even drop by our old home in Shandong to check on my old mother along the way. It's just a pity I'm afraid we might miss out this time."

Yuchi slammed his wine bowl down onto the table and said, "Little Brother has quite a bold spirit! Still, staying in Mayi isn't necessarily a bad thing..."

"Big Brother Li, wouldn't you say so?"

Li Po rolled his eyes and thought for a long moment before he finally figured out what they were hinting at, cursing inwardly: *Damn it all, are these bastards still trying to probe my background?*

He paused in deep thought before chiming in, "Does Big Brother Yuchi mean to say that the Turks might take advantage of this to move south?"

Out of nowhere, Yuan Lang, who had been locked in a drinking contest with Luo San, barged into the conversation and blurted out boisterously, "The Turks won't be coming south! Qimin is dead, and the new Great Khan has his hands full. I heard he even petitioned to marry Princess Yicheng as his wife, and the Emperor has already issued an imperial decree granting permission..."

Before he could finish, Li Po reached out and slapped him across the back of the head, scolding, "Stop spouting nonsense."

Yuan Lang glanced left and right, then lowered his head in grievance to continue drinking.

Having thrown his weight around, Li Po turned back with a smile. "Don't listen to his wild bragging, my two brothers; what could he possibly know about emperors and princesses? Please don't let his words go any further. Come, come, let's drink!"

In truth, those few remarks had already said enough.

Cheng Zhijie roared with laughter, picked up his bowl, and clinked it against Li Po's.

Yuchi looked slightly disappointed, but then smiled genially and rejoined the fray, acting as if no one had just uttered those sensitive words.

Indeed, these very events had transpired around the close of the sixth year of the Daye era.

Following Turkic custom, the newly ascended Shibi Khan took the wife of his late father, Qimin Khan—the Great Sui Princess Yicheng—as his Khagan, which was to say, he had married his own father's widow.

Because the Sui Emperor was eager to launch a punitive campaign against Goguryeo, Emperor Yang Guang had readily issued a decree granting his approval.

This allowed the Turkic royal court to smoothly complete the initial consolidation of its power.

Immediately afterward, during the winter of the sixth year of the Daye era and the ensuing years, Shibi Khan launched successive campaigns to subdue those who refused submission, gradually squeezing the living space of the Western Turkic tribes and extending the reach of the Turkic Khaganate back into the Western Regions.