Chapter Sixty-Nine: Rumors

In truth, Wei Renshi had assumed that folding fans already existed at this time. He vaguely recalled hearing that folding fans appeared during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, though some claimed they originated in the Five Dynasties period. Yet, neither assertion was supported by concrete evidence. The appearance of folding fans in the Northern Song, however, was clearly recorded.

Wei Renshi inquired about it, but none of those he asked had seen such an item or even heard of it. This convinced him that folding fans did not exist in this era.

He proceeded to draw a design, found a carpenter among the farmhands to craft several sets of fan ribs, and then sought out a paper-cutter to make the fan surfaces.

While the crowd was still discussing the elegant folding fan in the storyteller’s hand, the man on stage suddenly picked up the startling block and brought it down hard upon the table. The sharp “crack” startled the patrons into silence, all eyes turning toward the stage.

The storyteller snapped his folding fan shut with a flourish, and began:

“Splendor fades like drifting clouds; only great deeds ensure immortality. With bold strategies to uphold a falling sun, how could an ambitious heart join the ranks of mediocrities? In troubled times, heroes may bide their time, but when fortune turns, they swiftly ascend. No wonder history cannot contain their tales—they must be set down in vibrant words…”

His voice rose and fell in rhythm, and at first, the audience simply listened without understanding. But soon they realized he was about to tell a story, and so they listened more intently.

“Leaving aside the Lady of Qiao, let us begin in the third month of that year. The Prince of Jin, Liu Wangshao, was guarding Jiankang, commanding the army himself. With the Emperor of Chen and his royal consorts, ministers, and officials, he departed Jiankang. By the fourth month, they had arrived at Chang’an, where they presented captives in the ancestral temple. The Prince of Jin was made Grand Commander, honored with a ceremonial carriage and regalia, and bestowed with the black jade and white disc. Yang Su was ennobled as Duke of Yue; He Ruobi and Han Qingu were both promoted to Pillars of State. Ruobi became Duke of Song. Han Qingu, for his soldiers’ wanton acts in the Chen palace, was denied further honors. Gao Jiong was also raised to Pillar of State, and made Duke of Qi. Our dynasty’s founder was promoted to Deputy Minister of the Guards, but as he had displeased the Prince of Jin, his merits went unacknowledged, and he was even impeached—thus, his rewards were meager. Yet the founder did not mind. He rejoiced as the Prince of Jin was again tasked to govern Yangzhou by imperial command, sparing him further harm. Still, the Prince of Jin’s power and prestige grew daily, attracting many brilliant minds to his court. His ambitions burned all the fiercer!”

At this moment, the storyteller abruptly snapped his fan shut and, with another sharp crack of the block, brought the story to a halt.

The audience, fully absorbed in the tale, was jolted back to reality. The storyteller laid down his fan and intoned slowly:

“Four sages gathered to form his wings; how could such ambition age in office? Let beans weep in the pot—never mind that stalk and bean share a root! Within, Empress Dugu shields him; without, Yu Wen’s counsel guides him—how could his schemes fail? Yet what the Sui emperor truly thinks, we must await the next episode to learn.”

“What?” The crowd erupted in protest.

“He hasn’t finished the story!”

“Exactly, just as it was getting exciting—why stop now?”

“I was so enthralled—how could you cut off here? Hurry and continue!”

Sun Peng hastened forward, bowing and smiling, “Gentlemen, forgive us. This story was just a trial to see how well it would be received. We’ve only just finished writing this part—the rest is yet to come. Besides, after storytelling for so long, the gentleman must rest his voice, must he not? But rest assured, the next part will be ready soon—tonight, in fact, there will be another session with the next episode. If any of you are interested, do return this evening. From now on, there will be two sessions daily, at noon and in the evening.”

That night, as usual, Dream Pavilion was packed, but this time, after ordering their wine, the patrons did not rush to drink. Instead, they all clamored for the storyteller to begin at once.

Days slipped by, more than ten in the blink of an eye.

The storytelling sessions had been running for more than ten days.

The response, to Wei Renshi’s surprise, was overwhelming.

At first, only the patrons of Dream Pavilion listened, but as word spread, the venue could no longer accommodate the crowd. Extra tables were added, but still it was not enough; the entrance and street outside were soon packed with listeners.

Wei Renshi had chosen “The Romance of Sui and Tang.” Naturally, the content had been revised: any negative aspects regarding the Tang dynasty were omitted, the figures of the Li family and their associates were ennobled, and the founding generals of the dynasty were portrayed in a manner befitting the Tang people’s reverence for their legacy.

He had thought that, though it had been over a hundred and eighty years since the founding of the Tang, the legends of those early heroes were still widely known. People were familiar with the stories, and so would accept and connect with them quickly.

He had not anticipated such fervor.

It seemed that, as the Tang dynasty had long since lost the glory and might of its founding years, people felt that today’s officials no longer matched those of the past. Thus, the tales of the founding heroes were all the more beloved.

In truth, it was an expression of the people’s nostalgia and hope for the Golden Age of clarity in governance and military strength that followed the birth of the Tang.

In short, within just a month of opening, with the combined attraction of the new liquor and the storytelling, Dream Pavilion leapt to become one of the most popular taverns in Luoyang.

Seeing business stabilize, Wei Renshi began to think of returning to Changgu.

Sun Peng had managed matters well in the past month, so Wei Renshi felt secure in leaving things in his hands.

He planned to wait for Sun Peng to return, so he could give a few more instructions.

When noon had passed and the staff could rest for a while in the afternoon, Wei Renshi waited for Sun Peng in the rear courtyard. Soon, he saw Sun Peng walk in, his face dark with worry.

Seeing Wei Renshi in the courtyard, Sun Peng approached.

“Master, on my way out today, I heard some unpleasant rumors,” Sun Peng said in a low voice, his face grim.

“What is it?” Wei Renshi asked.

With a grave look, Sun Peng replied, “Someone out there is spreading word that we covet Spring Breeze Pavilion—that we deliberately put something filthy in their place to make it seem haunted, then bought it up cheap.”

Wei Renshi’s brows furrowed. He immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

What had originally been meant only to reassure his own staff had, through retelling, morphed into something far different—no, something was amiss!

It had been a month since the incident, and the rumors had only circulated for a few days at the time before being replaced by other gossip. Lately, nothing had been heard of it.

Why, then, had it suddenly resurfaced today?

Moreover, the matter of buying Spring Breeze Pavilion at a low price was not common knowledge—few would even think of it.

Clearly, someone was envious of Dream Pavilion’s success and had intentionally revived the rumor to stir trouble.

This could only have come from the other major taverns and eateries of Luoyang.

“Sun Peng, over the past month, Dream Pavilion has earned some profit. Go withdraw some funds and set up a congee stall outside the city, serving porridge for half a month,” Wei Renshi instructed. “Then find a few sharp-tongued staff, have them mingle among the crowd, and say the following…”

Sun Peng leaned in to listen. As Wei Renshi finished, his face lit up with delight. “Brilliant idea, Master! This way, our purchase of Spring Breeze Pavilion will seem a righteous act—and they’ll be the ones exposed for trying to exploit the situation.”