Chapter 18: Jiang Taigong Goes Fishing

"So, little one, does this now suit your wishes?"

Long after they had left the shop, Zhu Hao was lost in his own thoughts when Mr. Lu suddenly stopped walking.

Zhu Hao met Mr. Lu’s scrutinizing gaze and feigned ignorance. "What do you mean by that, Mr. Lu?"

Mr. Lu remarked, "Do you think I cannot see through you? In truth, you know far more than just a few characters. You must have finished the *Thousand Character Classic* by now, haven't you? Is there some master guiding you in the shadows, someone your mother knows nothing about?"

A blatant probe!

Zhu Hao realized that this old man had likely harbored ulterior motives when he took him as a disciple yesterday. He put on a relaxed expression. "My background is decent enough, but that doesn't mean I’ve had the chance to study. As for some master in the shadows... I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Oh, by the way, weren't we going fishing? Where are the rods and the bait?"

"Jiang Taigong goes fishing..."

Mr. Lu started the phrase but trailed off, shaking his head repeatedly.

Zhu Hao laughed heartily. "Does Jiang Taigong fish without a rod? Or is it without bait? Do not try to bully me because of my youth by using nonexistent allusions to deceive me."

Mr. Lu sighed nonchalantly, "Jiang Taigong goes fishing, and the willing bite the hook. Since you don't even know that, it seems you truly haven't been exposed to any profound scholarship."

Is he trying to provoke me?

Fine, you’ve succeeded.

Zhu Hao nodded with feigned seriousness. "I have never been taught, so where would I have learned profound scholarship? Mr. Lu, aren't you here to teach me? Could it be that you are teaching me how to fish like Jiang Taigong? May I ask which fish you are hoping to catch? You aren't planning to fish at the river by the gate of the Prince of Xing's mansion, are you?"

Mr. Lu, who had been relaxed, saw his smile freeze instantly at this series of questions.

"Don't misunderstand, Mr. Lu, I was just speaking casually. It just so happens there is a river near the Prince's mansion..." Zhu Hao offered a forced explanation, much like someone trying to hide a stash of silver by burying it and posting a sign saying it wasn't there.

Mr. Lu’s expression turned cautious.

He had been wary of Zhu Hao from the start, and just as his guard had lowered, his nerves tightened again, fearing that the boy might truly understand the subtext of his words.

"Is there a river near the Prince of Xing's mansion? If so, let's go there and try our luck. We shall buy the fishing rods at the market—I will pay. You take one, I take one, and we, master and disciple, shall fish together."

Mr. Lu was quite generous, offering to buy Zhu Hao a rod on the spot.

In this day and age, buying a complete set of fishing gear at the market was no easy task. After asking around the flower and bird market for a long time, they finally bought hooks from an old blacksmith. Then, Zhu Hao found two dried bamboo stalks from a bamboo grove by the river to fashion into simple rods. Unable to find fishing line, they used ordinary silk thread instead.

After all that work, upon arriving at the riverside, they realized they had forgotten to buy bait.

Zhu Hao shook his head and sighed: "I didn't believe it before, but now it really is like Jiang Taigong fishing—we shall see if any foolish fish are willing to take the bait!"

...

...

So much for a lesson in reading and enlightenment.

It had turned into an old man and a young boy fishing.

Mr. Lu was in high spirits. He cast his hook into the river, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes, swaying his head back and forth while humming an unknown tune.

Zhu Hao sat beside him, brow slightly furrowed, worrying about how his grand plan to sell rabbits had been derailed.

"Fishing with an empty hook like this won't catch anything... Sigh, I’ll go dig up some earthworms for bait. If you don't want to get your hands dirty, Mr. Lu, I’ll do it."

As he spoke, Zhu Hao rolled up his sleeves, striking a pose as if to dig for worms by hand.

Mr. Lu glanced at him sideways. "There is no need for that. Fishing is all about one's state of mind; there is no use in being anxious. Whether or not one uses bait is not the key to success in fishing."

Hearing this, Zhu Hao set his rod aside, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If you want to be Jiang Taigong and fish for the Prince of Xing's catch, you might as well go inside the gate. There is a man-made river inside... wouldn't it be more pleasant to fish on the Golden Water Bridge than here?"

The layout of the Prince's mansion was much like any other; they all typically had an outer gate built in front of the main entrance, with a man-made river behind it and three bridges spanning it. It was not a real Golden Water River, but merely a symbol of good fortune—a miniature version of the Imperial Palace.

Mr. Lu chuckled. "I said you knew more than the average child, but even knowing about the Golden Water River? It seems someone really is teaching you in secret. Just wait, someone will be along shortly."

Someone is coming?

Zhu Hao was taken aback.

Coming to the stream by the Prince of Xing's mansion was his own impromptu suggestion. The old man hadn't sent anyone to notify others; could it be that someone was truly biting the hook?

...

...

They waited for a long time.

The hour of the Dragon passed, and two quarters into the hour of the Snake, the person Mr. Lu was waiting for finally appeared. He emerged from the side gate of the Prince of Xing's mansion, dressed in a scholar's robe, looking every bit the tutor.

What shocked Zhu Hao even more was that the man was accompanied by a young boy of seven or eight, about his own age.

Zhu Hao was filled with astonishment.

He had been planning to sell rabbits and try his luck, but he never expected that because of this mysterious old man, he would skip the whole "waiting for a rabbit to strike a tree" phase.

Is this a case of a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse?

"Brother, you are truly here."

The man was about the same age as Mr. Lu, but he did not address him by his surname or given name. Zhu Hao had hoped to learn Mr. Lu's background from this tutor, but the man was too worldly—he saw through everything but said nothing.

Mr. Lu stood up and brushed the dirt off his robes, greeting him with a smile. "Gongyan, have you been well?"

The other man seemed quite moved. The look in his eyes wasn't that of a friend, but rather...

Like someone who had discovered a treasure!

"It is a sin that I have neglected you, brother! Had I known you were coming to Anlu, I would have certainly swept the floor and prepared for your arrival... Why don't we go to my humble home to share a drink and discuss our thoughts on calligraphy and painting?"

This "Gongyan" was very enthusiastic.

So enthusiastic that Zhu Hao felt he must have ulterior motives. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Mr. Lu.

I hope you don't get swindled out of some treasure the moment you arrive.

But then he reconsidered: the old man had been reduced to sleeping on the streets in a foreign town; what could he possibly have that would be worth taking?

Mr. Lu smiled. "There is no need. I have been in Anlu for several days and have already visited many old friends. Perhaps I shall leave Huguang in a few more days."

Gongyan insisted, "You have come to my hometown. If I cannot fulfill the basic duties of a host, wouldn't I be branded with the reputation of neglecting a distinguished guest? Let us find a place; I shall be the host..."

The two chatted back and forth.

Meanwhile, Zhu Hao was observing the boy. He wore a bright brocade robe, a gold crown, his lips were red and his teeth white, and his face was as smooth as jade—a truly handsome young lad. He desperately wanted to know if this was the young Prince of Xing, Zhu Houcong.

It didn't look like it...

There was no way to tell, and heaven knows if it was him. He couldn't just ask directly.

But considering the boy had come out without a single attendant, the chances of him being Zhu Houcong were very low. Would the Prince of Xing be so careless as to let his son wander out with a tutor from the mansion?

The boy’s dark, liquid eyes were deep and profound. He looked like someone destined for greatness. When he noticed Zhu Hao observing him, he glared back as if issuing a warning.

"Brother, where are you staying?" Gongyan was very concerned about Mr. Lu's situation.

Mr. Lu replied, "I am staying at the Tianxiang Inn in the east of the city. I happened to meet this child, who shows great talent, so I intend to take him as a disciple."

The conversation finally shifted away from the polite pleasantries, and Zhu Hao finally felt a sense of presence.

Gongyan glanced at Zhu Hao and asked in surprise, "Brother, you wish to take a disciple? This boy has a dignified appearance; he certainly looks like someone who will not remain in the pond for long."

Damn you!

Can't you tell me his surname? Or just say his name? You keep calling him "Brother," you two know each other, but I don't! This man knows I am from a family of Imperial Guards and still wants to take me as his disciple. Even if it’s just a nominal title, his motives are suspicious. Could this be a conspiracy against me?

"Brother, there is something... I would like to discuss with you privately. Could we step aside for a moment?"

Perhaps Gongyan was truly afraid of leaking a secret, for he actually pulled Mr. Lu aside to talk.

Mr. Lu looked at Zhu Hao, gave a slight nod, and the two walked over to a nearby tea stall.

...

...

"Are you fishing?"

After Mr. Lu and the man called Gongyan had moved away, the boy grew bored. Looking around and finding nothing else to entertain him, he took the initiative to ask Zhu Hao.

His voice was youthful.

Zhu Hao struck the pose of a master fisherman, intentionally trying to pique the boy's curiosity. "Of course. There is a rod and a hook; does it need explaining?"

The boy curled his lip in disdain. "You have a rod and a hook, but no bait. How is that fishing?"

Zhu Hao replied, "Have you heard of Jiang Taigong? Jiang Taigong goes fishing, and the willing bite the hook. Fishing is all about one's state of mind; there is no use in being anxious. Bait is not the key to success in fishing."

This was essentially a copy of the pretentious nonsense Mr. Lu had spouted earlier.

"Pfft, and you think you're Jiang Taigong? I have never seen anyone catch a fish in this river... can there really be fish in such shallow water?"

Though his words were dismissive, the boy's eyes darted around, clearly concerned about whether there were truly fish in the man-made canal.

This was the playful nature a child should have.

Just as Zhu Hao was about to respond, someone approached. It wasn't Mr. Lu or Gongyan, but a guard from the Prince of Xing's mansion—tall, burly, and imposing.

"Young Master, why are you here? It is chaotic here; let us return to the mansion."

"It is fine. I am just out for a walk with Tutor Sui. It is of no consequence. You may return."

His tone was that of the young master of the Prince's mansion.

The guard looked at Zhu Hao with a wary eye. At this moment, "Gongyan" in the distance saw what was happening and hurried back with Mr. Lu. He bowed to the guard, then pulled him aside to talk.

It seems this man loved whispering in corners and never did anything in the open.

After Mr. Lu returned, he beamed at the young boy in the gold crown, who in turn stared at Mr. Lu with curious eyes.

After a while, the boy shook his head in disappointment. "The tutor says you are very brilliant, especially in poetry and painting, that you are the best of this generation. But looking at you, you seem quite ordinary."

The best in poetry and painting of this generation?

Zhu Hao's heart skipped a beat.

Children are always so straightforward, unlike the old man who was as cunning as a fox, spending so much time just saying "Brother" without revealing a shred of his identity.

There were many talented poets and painters in the world, but if one were to speak of the true number one of this generation... that would definitely be Tang Bohu.

That was a judgment from the future—a posthumous honor for the man named Tang. In the current day, even if he were famous, he wouldn't be called the "best of this generation."

Zhu Hao could not help but turn his gaze back to Mr. Lu.

Fragments of memory surfaced in his mind...

Mr. Lu had claimed he was going to Jiangxi and could only stay in Anlu for a short time. And in history, didn't Tang Yin go to Jiangxi in the ninth year of the Zhengde Emperor's reign to join the Prince of Ning, only to feign madness and flee the following year?

Mr. Lu smiled. "Your tutor exaggerates. I am but a mortal man, and as you said, I am quite ordinary."

Zhu Hao didn't think the old man was being humble. If he really were Tang Yin or a famous master of the day, how could he have fallen into such misery, sleeping drunk in a foreign land with no way home? And how did he happen to be found by my mother? Do you expect me to believe in such a coincidence? Moreover, Zhu Hao could find no record in his memories of the future of Tang Yin visiting Huguang.

Logically, someone as famous as Tang Yin, even in his downfall, would leave a name wherever he went, recorded in local chronicles or county histories, leaving behind a famous story. It would be impossible for him to visit a place like Anlu—the potential residence of a future Emperor—without causing a stir!

Before long, Gongyan finished sending off the guard and returned.

"Brother, let us do this: when I return, I will contact the local literati and scholars of Anlu, set a date, and hold a banquet to welcome you and perform my duties as a host... Please, just let your friend know where you are staying so we can visit."

Initially, Zhu Hao didn't think Mr. Lu could be anyone of status.

But seeing how cautious Gongyan was, he clearly regarded Mr. Lu as a great scholar of the age.

Mr. Lu, however, had no intention of engaging in the hypocritical etiquette of the social circle. He shook his head. "Today's meeting was merely accidental; there is no need for such a grand display. As for the banquet... I shall not attend. If Gongyan is interested, I shall wait at the inn. Just bring the brushes and ink when you come."