Tang Dynasty Swordsman

Page 85

"I really don't know, what important matter could it be?"

The "major event" that Li Shi referred to was the change of commander at the front.

It's likely that Li Ji was away, and Yu Chaoen, wanting to deal with him but unable to catch him, was resentful. Therefore, he focused all his energy on slandering Guo Ziyi. Although Li Heng had already appointed Guo Ziyi as the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Capital, Shandong, and Hedong regions, effectively ceasing to pursue the responsibility for the defeat at Xiangzhou—

Because a scapegoat emerged on his own, Lu Jiong, the military governor of Huaixi, was the first to be defeated, and his defeated troops looted everywhere, causing great resentment among the people. Therefore, fearing slander and ridicule, Lu Jiong took the initiative to commit suicide by poisoning himself at the age of fifty-seven.

With Lu Jiong dead, the punishments for the other defeated generals could be lenient, serving as a minor deterrent. However, Yu Chaoen remained fixated on Guo Ziyi, so in the seventh month of autumn, Li Heng issued an edict summoning Guo Ziyi back to the capital and reappointing Li Guangbi as the military governor of Shuofang and the commander-in-chief of the army.

However, having learned from Guo Ziyi's experience, Li Guangbi dared not accept the position of marshal under any circumstances. He hurriedly submitted a memorial requesting that a prince lead the army, while he himself would serve as the deputy. Thus, Prince Zhao, Li Xi, was appointed as the marshal of all the armies, and Li Guangbi as the deputy marshal, in charge of all military commands and campaigns.

Upon hearing this news, Li Ji immediately jumped up and exclaimed, "While it is certainly a good thing to have a great general in charge of all the military commands, the rebels are about to invade from the south. How can we change commanders on the front lines?!"

Although Li Guangbi's rank was second only to Guo Ziyi, he was still considered one of the most capable generals in the Tang Dynasty. Sending either him or Guo Ziyi to guard Henan against Shi Siming's incursions would have been a very successful strategy. The problem is, if you're going to appoint Li Guangbi, you should have done it sooner. It's already autumn, and Shi Siming might launch a major attack any day now. Why change people now?

Even if Guo Ziyi's deployment is flawless, Li Guangbi, parachuted in, will still need time to integrate. In fact, the more effective Guo Ziyi's command of the armies, the longer the transition period for Li Guangbi will be. How can they possibly win battles under such circumstances?!

As expected, the emperor's intelligence knows no bounds; he was truly courting death...

Li Shi smiled wryly and said, "It's not just that. Just like Li Guang and Cheng Bushi of the Former Han Dynasty, although both generals were able to achieve great things, Guo Ziyi treated his subordinates leniently, while Li Guangbi was strict in managing them. Therefore, as far as I know, many soldiers in the Shuofang army were unwilling to obey Li Guangbi..."

Li Ji remained silent—the main force in Henan was originally the Shuofang troops commanded by Guo Ziyi. Now that they had suddenly changed to a commander with a completely different style of military administration, how long would it take for them to integrate? Shi Siming wouldn't wait for you!

Li Shi looked at Li Ji, then suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist: "Therefore, the situation in Henan is truly worrisome. Originally, I thought that with Guo Ziyi in charge, even if we couldn't win, we wouldn't suffer a major defeat, and Luoyang would certainly be safe. But now..."

Li Ji raised his head, glanced at the other person, and understood in his heart that Li Shi was worried about his mother, Shen, who was in Luoyang.

So he asked, "Would the Crown Prince... or the Emperor, permit Consort Shen to return to Chang'an?"

Li Shi didn't answer, but turned his face away, seemingly unwilling to let Li Ji see his expression. Li Ji understood and couldn't help but sigh, "What can be done in this situation?"

Li Shi then slowly turned his face back, and said sincerely to Li Ji, "The Emperor and the Crown Prince may not care, but I cannot turn a blind eye. I must save my mother from danger! Therefore, I have no choice but to ask the guards for help..."

Chapter Seventeen, Brother Li, Please Take Your Time

Li Shi suggested that Li Ji make another trip to Luoyang to bring Shen out, but without Li Yu's approval, they could not return to Chang'an and had to find a relatively safe place to settle down temporarily—for example, Shanxian.

After all, tens of thousands of Shence Army soldiers were stationed in Shanxian County. Even if Luoyang fell, they should be able to hold the city and buy some time. Of course, if news of Luoyang's fall really came, Li Shi would definitely bring Lady Shen back to the west of Tongguan.

The reason for asking Li Ji for help was that Li Ji was skilled in martial arts and had once saved Shen Shi, so they had a certain relationship. Li Shi himself naturally could not leave Chang'an City, so what if he sent someone else who was unreliable and caused trouble? Or what if Shen Shi was worried that leaving Luoyang without permission would result in punishment from Li Yu?

Now, the only person Li Shi can trust to appoint is probably Li Ji, and Li Ji is also very likely to persuade Shen to set off.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji hesitated somewhat: "I have just returned to Chang'an..." He paused, then changed his question to: "How is the palace?"

You transferred me back from Longyou under the pretext of letting me take control of a portion of the Imperial Guards to keep an eye on the palace and guard against any unusual actions by Empress Zhang, right? Why are you now sending me around like this? Do you even have a plan?

Li Shi lowered his head, avoiding Li Ji's gaze, and stammered, "With our beloved mother in trouble, who can care about the palace..."

This statement is half true and half false. It is true that Li Yu is now trapped in the Eastern Palace and has been estranged from Li Shi for a long time, so the father-son relationship is bound to be shaken. This is mainly because Li Yu has favored Dugu and forgotten about Shen, which makes Li Shi quite unhappy. On the contrary, Li Shi misses Shen even more.

"My father has so many sons and daughters. Even if I'm the eldest son, how much of his affection can I possibly receive? He's not even as close to me as my grandfather! But I only have one mother, and she only has me as her son. If I don't worry about my own mother, who else can I rely on? My father? Don't be ridiculous..."

But there was another reason: the struggle for the throne in the Tang Dynasty palace had not actually been put on the agenda yet. After all, Li Tong was still young and could not shake Li Yu's position as heir apparent for the time being. Li Yu and his son were in a hurry to recall Li Ji from Longyou, but this was just a prelude. In the real game, it was not yet time for this piece to be moved.

However, this piece cannot be left untouched; otherwise, it might be slipped into Li Tan's sleeve and completely stolen!

Li Shi naturally couldn't tell Li Ji directly: "Actually, there's no urgent matter in the palace. Why don't you help with some other tasks first?" Instead, he first expressed his deep affection for his mother and subtly revealed his dissatisfaction with his father. Only then did he raise his head, only to find that Li Ji didn't respond, but was just stroking his beard and pondering.

After a long silence, Li Ji finally asked, "How is Yu Chaoen?"

Li Shi knew he couldn't hide it from him, so he could only feign a long sigh: "Yu Chaoen has no intention of siding with the Empress, but... the Empress says every day before His Majesty that the war in Guandong cannot be separated from him, and he should be left to his own devices..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji frowned and said, "I would rather Yu Chaoen be in league with the Empress and remain in the palace. I will deal with him when I have the chance! If we release him to supervise the army outside the palace, it will be of great harm to the country and the nation!"

Li Shi smiled bitterly and said, "What difference does it make whether the parasite is on the surface or inside? If he were not in the palace and could frequently meet with the emperor to flatter and slander him, how could Guo Ziyi have been removed from his post?"

Li Ji remained silent—this is really terrible. Gold shines wherever it is, but dog shit stinks wherever it is.

He was by nature averse to being bossed around and ordered around all the time. However, now that he was in the system, he couldn't be too willful or capricious in many things. Besides, Li Shi was a friend of many years, and he had come all the way here to plead with him in a humble tone instead of giving orders directly. Li Ji couldn't possibly refuse outright without saving face.

—I don’t consider this kid to be some Prince of Fengjie or the emperor’s eldest grandson. He’s just a friend of mine. If a friend asks me to save his mother, how could I possibly ignore it?

So he finally nodded and said, "Since Your Highness has given the order, for the safety of Consort Shen, I will make another trip to the Eastern Capital."

Li Shishi immediately stood up and bowed deeply to the ground.

However, after sitting down, he discussed with Li Ji – can we not consider this an official business trip?

Ultimately, the matter of taking Lady Shen away from Luoyang was not ordered by Li Yu, and Li Shi could not possibly report it directly to the court and have the Council of State issue an edict—who would bother with such matters concerning the emperor's family? Besides, Lady Shen originally lived in Luoyang, but with a major battle imminent, she brazenly moved elsewhere. Did this mean that the Eastern Capital was definitely not going to be defended? It would certainly shake the morale of the army.

Therefore, it was impossible to go through official channels, and the matter could only be handled privately. Li Ji was asked to inform Shen that she could temporarily hide in Shanxian County under the pretext of going on a trip or visiting relatives.

"I will appoint my uncle as the magistrate of Shan County to accomplish this task."

The four Shen brothers—the eldest Shen Zhen, the younger Shen Yu, Shen Sun, and Shen Sui—were all relegated to low-ranking official positions. It's unclear which one Li Shi intended to appoint as magistrate of Shan County, so that the Shen family could leave Luoyang under the guise of visiting relatives and relocate to Shan County, but the young man certainly possessed that level of influence.

They were merely sixth or seventh-rank civil officials, not even holding important positions in the court. Let alone Li Shi, even any prominent member of the imperial family would be able to get a favor from the Ministry of Personnel. Besides, Li Shi needed to make a request, while Li Fuguo only needed to submit a sum of money. And now, these two Lis were in cahoots, making things much easier.

However, this means that Li Ji's trip to Luoyang could not be considered an official business. Li Shi said that Li Ji had just traveled a long way across the grasslands and deserts to escort Princess Ningguo back home, which was both meritorious and hard-earned. Therefore, it was reasonable and logical for Li Ji to request a leave of about a month. No one could refuse that request.

At worst, I'll just pass a message to Wang Jiahe privately.

Li Ji agreed, saying that he would go to the government office to ask for leave the day after tomorrow.

Li Shi hurriedly replied, "Don't worry, Chief Guard, I will certainly repay your hard work."

This wasn't just empty talk. Li Ji had already earned a promotion for his meritorious service in escorting Princess Ningguo back to the capital, but Li Shi probably took steps to ensure Li Ji's loyalty and dedication. The very next day, an imperial edict was issued, promoting Li Ji to the position of Military Advisor in the Jingzhou Grand General's Office.

In the early Tang Dynasty, governorships were established in strategically important locations. By the time of Emperor Ruizong, this number had increased to twenty-four, divided into three levels: large, medium, and small. These governorships oversaw the military affairs of several prefectures and also had some involvement in civil affairs. However, nowadays, the true power to control both military and political affairs in local areas rested with the military governors (Jiedushi), leaving the governorships largely in name only. Consequently, most governorships and their subordinates became nominal officials. Li Ji, the registrar of the Jingzhou governorship, was no exception.

In other words, Li Ji nominally held this title, and his salary and related benefits were calculated according to the rank of Registrar of the Grand General's Office, which was the upper rank of the seventh grade; however, his actual position was still Registrar of the Left Heroic Army. It was just that since his rank was high but his position was low, the word "acting" had to be added before it.

As a result, he changed his robes, from a blue robe to a green robe, and looked basically the same as Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming.

Of course, Li Ji didn't have time to wear his new robes to show off in the palace. Instead, after reluctantly parting with Qingluan, he dressed in plain clothes, carrying Li Shi's handwritten letter, hanging his double maces, mounted his horse, and hurriedly left Chang'an, heading towards Luoyang.

In fact, given his current status, he could easily bring one or two servants, or even use his position for personal gain by selecting a few soldiers from the Yingwu Army to serve him. Under normal circumstances, no one would object. However, firstly, it was best to keep the matter of taking Lady Shen away from Luoyang secret, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better. Secondly, Li Ji was not used to being served along the way.

Surely, he now has a family, a business, servants, and concubines, and indulges in comfort, gradually revealing his bureaucratic bad temper. But living at home is one thing, traveling is another. A journey can be lonely and boring; one would naturally want to find someone to chat with. But what do you have to say to servants and soldiers? How awkward! It's like taking a taxi in your past life; whether the driver is mute or a chatterbox, the journey is never comfortable.

Therefore, he politely declined Qingluan's suggestion that he bring his servant Aqi, and set off on his journey alone. He exited from Chunming Gate in the east of the city, and as he spurred his horse, he had just passed Changle Slope when he suddenly heard a voice calling from behind: "Brother Li, slow down, wait for me!"

Li Ji frowned slightly, then reined in his horse. The sound of hooves clattered, and a rider quickly caught up. The rider wore a black veiled hat, a round-necked robe, and riding boots, with a whip hanging from his left wrist. He bowed slightly and said:

“My surname is Cui, I am from Sichuan, my given name is Cuo, and my courtesy name is Buqi. I have met you, Brother Li.”

Li Ji couldn't help but chuckle and asked, "Why not just call him Cui Qi? It sounds like a man's name anyway."

The other person lowered their eyelids and said, "Actually, I don't like the word 'abandon'..."

The visitor was naturally Cui Guangyuan's maid, Cui Qi. She was an abandoned baby, found by Cui Guangyuan on his way to take up his post in Tang'an County, Shu Prefecture, and raised at home, hence the name "Qi" (meaning "abandoned"). But it's easy to imagine that the little girl would harbor resentment about her origins—who are my parents? What reason did you have to abandon me?—and dislike her own name, preferring to use the pseudonym she had in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang, calling herself Cui Cuo.

Furthermore, in order to reverse the meaning of "abandon," they simply adopted the pseudonym "not abandon."

Li Ji clicked his tongue: "Cui Buqi doesn't sound good... I'll call you Brother Cui."

He then asked, "Did Lord Cui send you here to assist me?"

Cui Guangyuan may not have connections to the highest levels of government, but he possesses extraordinary insight. He privately supports many extraordinary individuals from the martial arts world, and there is virtually nothing in the palace or the court that he doesn't know. Therefore, it's not surprising that he was able to discover Li Ji's mission in leaving the capital. Moreover, now that the Cui clan of Boling has actively aligned themselves with Li Shi, Li Shi might not need to hide this matter from Cui Guangyuan.

Back when Consort Shen was trapped in the inner palace of Luoyang, Li Shi didn't yet have the power he has today. He couldn't directly give orders to Li Ji, so he could only run to Li Heng and plead his case. Then, Li Fuguo, with ill intentions, appointed Li Ji as his general. But before that, Cui Guangyuan had already received the news and sent Cui Qi to Luoyang. Cui Qi was actually closer to Consort Shen in the Luoyang palace kitchen, so she was the only suitable candidate to escort Consort Shen away from the Eastern Capital.

But I doubt Li Shi would see it that way. Firstly, he might be biased towards men and not believe a young girl could have the courage and ability to shoulder such a heavy responsibility. Secondly, I'm familiar with Li Ji, so I trust him to go. And who is Cui Qi? She's neither my friend nor my subordinate. If things go well, I'll be grateful to Cui Guangyuan and accept his favor…

But Cui Guangyuan had sent Cui Qi away without notice back then, and this time he would definitely want to send the little girl out again to benefit from Li Ji's fame and share some of the credit—Li Ji understood this as soon as he heard Cui Qi calling from behind.

It couldn't be because of anything else. I've been back in Chang'an for three or five days now. If Cui Guangyuan had something important to do, why didn't he send Cui Qi to find me earlier?

He didn't beat around the bush and asked directly. Cui Qi nodded and said, "It was the head of the family who sent me to Luoyang to pick up Consort Shen."

Li Ji sighed softly, "You're destined for a life of toil too." He thought to himself that this wasn't so bad. As for Cui Qi, he and he could at least have something to talk about, so the journey wouldn't be too lonely or boring.

The two rode side by side. Cui Qi remained silent, so Li Ji had no choice but to speak first: "How has Lord Cui been these days?"

Cui Qi replied, "I have just been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of Jing and Xiang and the Military Commissioner of Shannan East Circuit. I will soon leave the capital to quell the rebellion in Jing and Xiang."

Li Ji was taken aback: "What happened to Jingzhou and Xiangyang?"

It is said that Kang Chuyuan and Zhang Jiayan, generals of Xiangzhou, rebelled, expelling Wang Zheng, the prefect of Xiangzhou. Kang Chuyuan then proclaimed himself "Hegemon-King of Southern Chu." The Tang court initially attempted to appease them, sending envoys to Xiangzhou to negotiate, agreeing to demote Wang Zheng to the position of Prefect of Raozhou and appoint Zhang Guangqi, the Vice Minister of Agriculture, as the prefect of Xiangzhou. However, Kang Chuyuan refused and ordered Zhang Jiayan to attack Jingzhou, causing Du Hongjian, the military governor of Jingnan, to abandon the city and flee.

Cui Guangyuan was unwilling to remain a mere figurehead as the Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, and dared not go to the eastern front to resist Shi Siming. He had been looking for an opportunity to be transferred to a relatively safe place to take command of the army. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he went through Li Fuguo's connections, offered generous gifts, and volunteered to quell the rebellion in Jing and Xiang.

Li Ji couldn't help but sigh, "The authority of the imperial court is declining day by day. It seems that even the most insignificant people dare to rebel."

Then I realized that I couldn't personally go into battle to kill generals and capture flags, and I had to run around and meddle in the Li family's domestic affairs... I'm really unlucky. Is this the result of making bad friends?

Then he asked Cui Qi, "And what about you?"

Without turning his head, Cui Qi retorted, "What can I do?"

"Are you going to spend your whole life toiling for Master Cui? You're not getting any younger, why don't you get married?"

"We will obey the patriarch's orders."

Li Ji thought to himself, "Who could Cui Guangyuan possibly give you to? Most likely, either a servant in his household or some江湖豪客 (jianghu haoke, a chivalrous figure from the martial arts world) that he's trying to win over. Wouldn't that be like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung?" He blurted out, "How about I ask Master Cui for you?"

Cui Qi coldly replied, "I do not wish to become someone's concubine."

Li Ji glanced at her sideways, thinking to himself, "This little girl really has a life as fragile as paper, yet her ambitions are higher than the sky..."

Chapter 18, Riding the Waves

Li Ji did indeed have a certain degree of affection for Cui Qi.

Firstly, he naturally prefers capable women and dislikes vain women, or the kind of women most commonly seen in this era who adhere to the three obediences and four virtues and only know how to be good wives and mothers. In fact, it was because Qingluan was good at cooking that she suited Li Ji's taste that he kept her by his side.

At home, he would often sneak into the kitchen, lean against the door, and watch Qingluan wield the knife and spoon, feeling quite relaxed and content. It's said that men are most charming when they're working seriously, but actually, the same applies to women; it's just that there aren't many men who are willing and able to appreciate it.

Of course, competence, in which field, and at which level are all matters of importance. For example, the courtesan assigned to him before Qingluan—whose name and appearance he had long forgotten—or Susu from Lü Miaozhen's family, who, while not without skills, could play the zither and compose poetry. What did that matter? Li Ji himself had no interest in such things, and his refined tastes in the Gengwu year were naturally difficult for him to appreciate.

To put it bluntly, he wanted the women around him to share common ground with him, rather than just being pleasing to the eye, a tool for procreation, or a housekeeper in the bedroom.

As for Cui Qi, she would definitely be able to share common ground with Li Ji—although the two haven't yet had much interaction or discussion about martial arts—so as long as they're not on opposing sides, Li Ji is unlikely to harbor any ill will towards the little girl, or even treat her like she's invisible. Besides, upon closer inspection, the little girl isn't actually ugly, especially in this men's clothing…

It's a pity that his body is too thin. If he were more robust... no, more plump would be better... However, in these days, many people at the bottom of society are malnourished and generally have similar small bodies. So, when Cui Qi dresses up as a man, he won't be too conspicuous.

But he had never thought of sleeping with this little girl before. When he blurted out, "I'll ask Lord Cui for you," it was probably out of pity. Can you imagine this little girl who can scale walls and leap over ridges and fly swords rolling up her sleeves to do laundry, cook, and nurse babies? Oh, back in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang, she did do laundry and cook... but that was just a pretense, she didn't really become a housewife.

However, Cui Qi said, "I do not wish to be a concubine." This completely extinguished any fleeting thought Li Ji had just entertained. After all, Li Ji came from the Zhao County Li clan and was currently an official. To marry a slave girl would be illegal and against the law. Even if Cui Guangyuan released Cui Qi as a commoner and allowed him to marry her as his principal wife, Li Bi would not approve. Moreover, a slave girl's background was no more noble than that of a courtesan; how could he allow her to sit above Qingluan? How could he go home and face Qingluan?

Upon hearing this, Li Ji felt a renewed respect for Cui Qi—it was rare indeed; a woman of such lowly status possessing such perseverance was undoubtedly a rarity in this day and age. He casually asked, "If you seek a principal wife, you can only marry a commoner or even a servant. Are you truly willing?"

Cui Qi replied expressionlessly, "Back then, the master of the family picked me up and entrusted me to a childless concubine to raise. I witnessed firsthand how the concubine was treated badly by the first wife, often worse than a servant. Therefore, I swore that even if I were to become a servant or even the wife of a beggar, I would never become a minor star in the eyes of a high-ranking official!"

Li Ji couldn't help but argue, "Then what about royal concubines, or even the emperor's concubines?"

Cui Qi glanced at him sideways: "Do you think I can become the emperor's or a prince's concubine?"

Li Ji laughed and said, "Just a hypothetical question. I don't know much about the affairs of the Tang palace, but I do know that during the Former Han Dynasty, slaves were not allowed to marry into the palace... but ordinary people had the opportunity to marry into the palace. For example, Empress Wang of Emperor Jing of Han, who later gave birth to Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was originally not only an ordinary person but also a married woman who had a daughter, yet she concealed this fact and entered the palace. Although she started as a concubine, she eventually rose to become empress and empress dowager because of her son."

"Take Empress Wu Zetian of our dynasty for example. She was a concubine of Emperor Taizong and then Emperor Gaozong. Who would have thought that she would rise so high as to become Empress and even establish her own dynasty? As the saying goes, 'Heroes are not judged by their origins.' And who hasn't had a period of hardship and setbacks? We should have a long-term vision—no pain, no gain."

Cui Qi glared at him: "You don't mean for me to take what I got from the head of the family and offer it to Prince Fengjie as a concubine, do you?"

Li Ji thought to himself, "I really haven't thought about this. Your imagination is quite vivid..." But he said aloud, "The Prince of Fengjie is the eldest grandson of the Emperor and the eldest son of the Crown Prince. He will most likely have a chance to ascend the throne in the future..."

"Don't joke around. With my appearance, it's already a stroke of luck that I was able to get married. How could I possibly enter the imperial family?"

Li Ji instinctively retorted, "Why not? You're not ugly..."

Cui Qi nodded: "Yeah, just not ugly..."

Li Ji realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly tried to cover it up: "I mean, you are actually quite beautiful, but it's a pity you don't know how to dress up..." Suddenly, an image of Cui Qi with white powder on her face, yellow flowers on her forehead, red rouge on her cheeks, and two dots on her lips flashed into his mind, and he couldn't help but shudder.

To be honest, he still can't quite accept, let alone appreciate, the makeup that women usually wear these days. At home, he often tells Qingluan: If you're not going out, you don't need to wear heavy makeup. Just a little powder and rouge is enough—it would be best if you went out without makeup.

Who would have thought that Cui Qi's intuition was so sharp: "What are you thinking about? If I were to dress up, would I look scary?"

Li Ji hurriedly said, "How could that be! I was thinking about which kind of makeup would suit you best in this era... but unexpectedly, the image of Pang Zhangchi's face appeared in my mind, and that's why I trembled."

When Cui Qi heard him mention Pang Zhangchu, he couldn't help but lower his head and chuckle softly.

When Li Ji saw her smile, her facial muscles relaxed, her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, and two dimples appeared on her cheeks, his eyes lit up. He quickly said, "That's right, that's right!"

"What do you mean, exactly that?"

"You have to smile. You can't just keep a straight face all day, like when you were pretending to be stupid in the palace in Luoyang. But when you smile, you'll have a very attractive appearance..." To be honest, I was a little guilty and knew I couldn't possibly get a perfect score. "Why don't you smile more?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Qi instantly suppressed his smile and coldly replied, "Is all you've said on this journey just nonsense?"

Li Ji was forced to cough to cover his embarrassment, and then his mind raced, finally recalling a topic: "Have I ever told you about your grandmaster?"

Cui Qi asked in surprise, "What grandmaster?"