Han Ji

Chapter 123 The Art of Gift Giving

Zhao Lü stared at Guan Yu, then suddenly laughed: "Fine! Let you search! But if you find nothing, I will certainly report you to the governor tomorrow and punish you for trespassing!"

"please."

Soldiers poured into the manor.

The cellar was located under the artificial hill in the backyard, with a hidden entrance. Guan Yu had his men pry open the stone slabs, revealing a dark, musty hole underneath.

Light the torches and go down.

The cellar was small, about ten feet square. In one corner huddled seven or eight women and children, all of them pale and thin, covering their eyes when exposed to light.

Hu Si's mother and sister were among them.

Guan Yu had them helped up.

Zhao Lu's face turned deathly pale.

"Zhao Gongcao," Guan Yu looked at him, "where did these people come from?"

"I...I don't know..." Zhao Lu stepped back. "It must have been a servant who did it without permission..."

"Servants?" Guan Yu waved his hand. "Tie them up and take them back to the Commandant's residence for questioning."

The manor guards tried to stop them, but were held back by soldiers with knives and guns.

Zhao Lu was tied up like a dumpling, his mouth was gagged, and he was dragged onto a horse.

Liu Bei arrived at this time.

He glanced at the people he had rescued from the cellar and said to Zhao Lu, "Zhao Gongcao, is there anything else you want to say?"

Zhao Lu stared wide-eyed, but couldn't utter a word.

"Take him back," Liu Bei said. "Lock him up, and don't let him see any outsiders."

That night, Zhao Lu was secretly imprisoned in a military camp jail.

The news was kept under wraps, and the prefectural government only knew that Zhao Lü had "suddenly fallen ill and was recuperating at home."

Upon hearing the news, Su Gu smashed a second teacup.

"Useless trash!" he cursed. "Good for nothing, more likely to ruin everything!"

Chen Lun lowered his head: "Prefect, what should we do now? Zhao Lü is in Liu Bei's hands; what if he reveals something..."

"He dares not confess," Su Gu said coldly. "His whole family lives in the city. If he confesses, his entire family will die."

"But if Liu Bei were to use torture..."

"Torture won't work." Su Gu sat down. "Lawyer Zhao knows the limits. The key now is... Xi Jian's side."

He looked at Chen Lun: "Have you prepared the gift?"

"It's all ready. Five hundred bolts of gold, one hundred bolts of Shu brocade, ten beautiful women, and three pieces of ancient jade."

"Add another piece," Su Gu said, """Add a piece of Zhang Zhi's cursive script, for Xi Jian has long admired his name."

"But that cursive script is one of your treasured possessions..."

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Su Gu waved his hand. "Go quickly."

Chen Lun withdrew.

Su Gu sat alone in the hall, the candlelight flickering.

He suddenly felt that his position as the governor of Hanzhong was a bit too hot to sit in.

On the tenth day of the eighth month, Xi Jian hosted a banquet at the prefect's residence.

The banquet was held in three brightly lit halls. The main hall was occupied by the governor's officials and key figures from the prefecture, while the side halls were for powerful families and wealthy merchants. Su Gu sat next to Xi Jian at the head of the table, while Liu Bei was seated third from the right, opposite Chen Lun.

After several rounds of drinks, Xi Jian put down his wine cup.

"Prefect Su." His voice was not loud, but the whole room fell silent. "I have been on my way to Hanzhong for more than a month and have seen that the people's livelihood is stable and the banditry is gradually disappearing. You have governed well."

Su Gu bowed and said, "It is all thanks to the prefect's virtue and power; I have only done my duty."

"It's my duty..." Xi Jian smiled, turning his gaze to Liu Bei, "Liu Commandant, aren't you also fulfilling your duty by suppressing bandits and pacifying the people?"

Liu Bei stood up: "Yes."

"I heard that you raided Wangjiazhuang last month and captured the bandit leader?" Xi Jian picked up his teacup, blew on the foam, and said, "But Wang Chun, the head of Wangjiazhuang, is a virtuous man in the county. How could he be involved with bandits?"

All eyes in the hall turned to Liu Bei.

Su Gu lowered his head to drink his tea, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Liu Bei bowed and said, "Your Excellency, the bandit leader Du Laosi led his men to attack the village with the intention of looting. I rushed to the rescue upon hearing the news, killed the bandits, and saved the village. The prince was frightened, but is unharmed. As for the rumors of an affair, they are probably just gossip."

"Rumors?" Xi Jian raised an eyebrow. "Where is Zhao Gongcao? I've been in Nanzheng for several days, why haven't I seen him?"

"Zhao Gongcao suddenly fell ill and stayed at home to recuperate."

"Your illness is quite opportune." Xi Jian put down his teacup. "Commander Liu, you are young and impetuous, and your eagerness to suppress bandits is a good thing. But the way of an official is to be prudent. If you harm the innocent or cause wrongful imprisonment due to recklessness, wouldn't that damage the reputation of the court?"

His words were barbed.

Liu Bei lowered his eyes and said, "I will remember the Governor's teachings."

Xi Jian waved his hand: "Enough, this is a joyous occasion, let's not talk about such things. Prefect Su, I am very pleased with the gift you prepared for me."

Su Gu smiled and said, "I'm glad the governor likes it. I've also prepared a piece of Zhang Zhi's cursive script for the governor to appreciate."

The waiter presented a long scroll.

Xi Jian unrolled the scroll, his eyes lighting up. Zhang Zhi's cursive script was priceless, and genuine works were extremely rare. He stroked the scroll and praised, "His brushstrokes flow like dragons and snakes; truly a master! Prefect Su has put in a lot of effort."

"It is fortunate that the governor likes it."

Xi Jian put away the scroll, and Su Gu looked at Liu Bei: "Commander Liu, are you prepared?"

There was a low laugh in the hall.

Everyone knows that Liu Bei came from a humble background and had just arrived in Hanzhong. What kind of gifts could he possibly prepare?

Liu Bei stood up and took the sandalwood box from Jian Yong.

The box was three feet long and one foot wide, and it was jet black and heavy. He personally carried it to Xi Jian's desk and opened it.

Inside was a scroll of silk, yellowed in color and slightly damaged at the edges. When unfolded, the clerical script was elegant, and the content was a section of the Xiping Stone Classics.

Xi Jian, who had been leaning back, sat up straight.

He leaned closer to examine it, his fingers hovering above the silk scroll, not daring to touch it.

"This is..." His voice trembled.

"A rubbing of Cai Zhonglang's 'Xiping Stone Classics'," Liu Bei said. "It was a gift from my teacher, Lord Lu. I know that the governor has a fondness for literature, so I specially present this scroll to express my respect."

Xi Jian stared at the rubbing for a long time, then let out a long sigh.

"An original?"

"An authentic work."

Xi Jian looked up at Liu Bei, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

He valued fame, but he also cherished antiquity. While Zhang Zhi's cursive script was valuable, Cai Yong's stone rubbings of the Classics were sacred objects coveted by scholars. This gift touched his heart deeply.

"Commander Liu..." Xi Jian slowly rolled up the silk scroll and carefully placed it back into the box. "This gift is too generous."

"A fine sword is given to a hero, and an ancient scroll to a kindred spirit." Liu Bei bowed. "Your Excellency is the most learned scholar in Shu. This scroll will not be disgraced if it remains in your hands."

That was a perfectly timed compliment.

Xi Jian laughed, and this time it was a genuine laugh.

"Very well, very well." He nodded. "Lieutenant Liu's kindness is appreciated."

Su Gu's expression changed slightly.

His five hundred taels of gold, one hundred bolts of Shu brocade, ten beautiful women, three pieces of ancient jade, plus Zhang Zhi's cursive calligraphy, were all outshone by a single rubbing.

The banquet continued, but the atmosphere was subtle.

Xi Jian's attitude towards Liu Bei softened considerably, and he asked a few questions about the details of the bandit suppression and the resettlement of displaced people. Liu Bei answered them one by one, his words few but sincere.

In the midst of their drinking, Xi Jian suddenly asked, "Commander Liu, do you have any skilled archers in your camp?"

Liu Bei was taken aback: "Yes."

"I intend to hunt in the Southern Mountains tomorrow. Could you send a few men to guard me?" Xi Jian paused, then added, "You too."

"Your humble servant obeys."

Su Gu's hand holding the cup had white knuckles.

When the banquet ended, it was nearly 9 PM.

Liu Bei left the mansion, where Jian Yong and Guan Yu were waiting.

"Brother, how is it?" Jian Yong asked.

"Xi Jian accepted the gift and will let me go hunting with him tomorrow." Liu Bei mounted his horse. "This is a signal."

"What signal?"

"He wants to find a balance between Su Gu and me." Liu Bei pulled on the reins. "We'll talk about it back at camp."

That night, in the back hall of the prefectural governor's mansion.

Su Gu was not asleep; Chen Lun and Wang Mo sat with him.

"Where did that rubbing come from?" Su Gu asked.

Chen Lun lowered his head: "I heard it was brought by Xun Cai from Luoyang and was personally presented by Cai Yong."

"The Xun family..." Su Gu gritted his teeth, "That Liu Bei, he married a good wife."