Chapter Ninety-Eight: Feeding the Deer (Part Two)

“Hmm!” With a low, muffled grunt, Zhang Qian’s legs trembled, and he nearly turned around to flee in panic.

However, his reaction was just a fraction too slow. The giraffe’s eating motion was swift enough that a brief time gap appeared between them. Once the giraffe lifted its head, the crushing pressure and fear that had weighed on Zhang’s mind instantly lessened considerably, allowing him to steady himself and avoid making a fool of himself on the spot.

Not daring to risk whether the giraffe would lash out again once it was full, he gritted his teeth and quietly took two steps back. Turning his head, he quickly instructed those around him, “Step aside, everyone, don’t startle it. This creature eats grass and won’t attack people easily. Clear a path—I’ll lead it out. If anyone has fruit, please hurry and bring some!”

Having said that, regardless of whether anyone heeded his command, he swiftly shifted his gaze back to the giraffe. Speaking to it in a gentle, coaxing tone as if calming a child, he gradually retreated, “Come, have a little more. Follow me outside to eat. Don’t be afraid; they mean no harm.”

The giraffe had a strong chewing ability. In just a few bites, it swallowed the fruit and candied snacks, skins and pits included. Then, it took a few slow steps, lowered its head again, and with a light flick of its pink tongue, it neatly finished the other half of the fruit on the tray.

Zhang Qian was sweating profusely, anxiously scanning around for plants that could substitute for fruit, so that the giraffe wouldn’t lose its temper next time it lowered its head and found no “offering” supplied promptly. At this critical moment, Zhou Jianliang came running wildly from the side, holding a tray of fruit and candied snacks high above his head. “Here, eat here! That side is empty, and there’s still some here!”

Though he tried to convey goodwill, the scar on his face and the killing intent radiating from him were all too obvious. The giraffe, startled mid-chew, instinctively stepped back two paces and defensively thumped its front hooves against the ground—boom, boom, boom...

“Careful! It’s about to kick again!”

“Close the gates! Don’t let it into the Imperial Garden! The princess is there!”

“Block the Zichen Hall entrance! The emperor is at Zichen Hall!”

“Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor...”

Shouts echoed all around.

The eunuchs who had just regained their composure and the guards formed human barricades, blocking the paths leading to Zichen Hall and the Imperial Garden while grumbling and warning one another.

No one had the time to worry about the fate of a Seventh-Rank commander and an Eighth-Rank junior clerk.

“Hey, give me that tray! I’ll feed it; you go get more fruit and candied snacks!” Zhang Qian, the Eighth-Rank junior clerk, had no time to mind the eunuchs’ and guards’ reactions. He snatched the tray from Zhou Jianliang and bumped him away with his shoulder. “This giraffe must have been tamed by someone. As long as it’s not frightened, it won’t attack.”

“Don’t want me because I’m ugly? Fine, I’m done serving!” Zhou Jianliang muttered resentfully, feeling his pride bruised. He cursed softly at the giraffe, then turned and walked away.

However, despite his anger, he did not wish to betray Zhang Qian’s life-saving kindness. After storming off for a dozen steps, he circled back and ran to Zhang Jiuling and the others, took two more trays of fruit, and quickly passed them to Zhang Qian.

“Come on, come on, follow me. Let’s go somewhere spacious to eat. This place is too narrow and crowded!” After serving the giraffe twice with fruit and candied snacks, Zhang Qian’s confidence soared. He continued coaxing the creature carefully and backed away slowly.

The giraffe, having tasted the fruit and sweets twice, seemed to enjoy the flavor. It hesitated for a few steps, then lowered its head again to eat, finishing the second tray in three bites.

Fortunately, Zhou Jianliang returned just in time to refill the tray over Zhang Qian’s head, ensuring the majestic beast’s supply was uninterrupted. With Zhou’s support, Zhang fed the giraffe with greater ease. Each time the giraffe lifted its tongue from the tray, Zhang took a decisive step back. Before long, they had reached the Rizhang Gate.

Seeing that just a few more steps would lead the creature completely out of Zichen Hall’s vicinity, all the eunuchs, guards, and officials on the steps breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yet suddenly, the giraffe halted. Despite Zhang’s coaxing, it refused to move forward.

“Why won’t it go on?” Alarm bells rang in everyone’s minds. They quickly reformed their human barricades, sealing the main gate of Zichen Hall tightly.

At that moment, a voice provided the answer clearly.

“Damn it, this gate is so low! How did the giraffe even get in? Does anyone know if there’s a taller gate nearby? Help point the way—Rizhang Gate is too short; it definitely can’t get out here!”

The speaker was Zhang Qian. This was his first time attending court after entering the palace and he only remembered the way in. Rizhang Gate was a shortcut for officials on foot, standing around two meters seventy-eight tall—far too low for the giraffe’s head.

Now the officials, eunuchs, and guards were all at a loss.

Originally, the mythical beast had entered the palace through Xuanwu Gate, directly into the Imperial Garden, following a pre-planned route with a Kunlun servant assigned to attend it, guiding the giraffe to lower its head when passing through gates. But that servant had been trampled to death by the beast’s hoof.

The only daring Eighth-Rank junior clerk brave enough to feed the giraffe had led it to Rizhang Gate on the south side of Zichen Hall.

No one dared to order the junior clerk to turn back. After all, heading north would bring them closer to Zichen Hall again. What if the creature went berserk passing the hall? Without weapons allowed against it, who could guarantee it wouldn’t charge inside and startle the emperor?

“Junior clerk, turn right, follow the wall straight ahead to the fourth gate on the right. Take it slow—I’ll send people ahead to clear the way!” Just when everyone was panicking, a young voice rang out from nearby. Quiet but clear as sunlight breaking through clouds.

“Alright!” Zhang Qian quickly turned his head and saw a man in pale rose-colored plain clothes, identifying him as a Fifth-Rank official. He nodded decisively, adjusted the tray’s direction, and moved slowly.

Zhou Jianliang, having taken off his official robe to make pockets, had quietly filled a sack with fruit and candied snacks and followed close behind, constantly refilling Zhang’s tray. Though these two reckless fools were cooperating for the first time, their teamwork was remarkably smooth. Step by step, at a slow but steady pace, they led the majestic beast into a side alley.

The Fifth-Rank officer guiding Zhang, though roughly the same age, was extremely decisive. Seeing the giraffe had been led into the alley by Zhang and Zhou, he immediately led a group of subordinates to the gate he had indicated earlier. With their tools—saws and ropes—they dismantled the gatehouse quickly and cleanly.

Thus, when Zhang and the “mythical beast” arrived, there was no obstruction. The Fifth-Rank officer bowed slightly to Zhang, pointed out the next direction, and left a trusted aide to guide him before dashing off again.

When Zhang brought the “mythical beast” to the designated spot, it faced another empty, gatehouse-free entrance—again, unobstructed.

So the Fifth-Rank officer and his men dismantled the gates ahead, while Zhang and Zhou followed slowly behind with the giraffe. Their coordination grew more seamless. Soon, they had bypassed Xuanzheng Hall and Hanyuan Hall, guiding the beast to an open space between the Left and Right Gold Guards’ quarters.

“Everyone, stay back, don’t scare it. It eats grass and leaves, not meat. Look for any green leaves or fresh vegetables to bring it. Hang them in baskets under the eaves.” Although Zhang was physically fit, holding the tray for so long was tiring his arms. Seeing the nearby Xiama Bridge, he turned and whispered instructions to the pale rose-robed officer and his men.

“Green leaves?” The guards exchanged glances, unsure how to do that.

It was early winter. Although Chang’an was warm, the trees had long since shed their leaves. Where could they find any?

Yet this posed no problem for the young Fifth-Rank officer. He furrowed his brow briefly, then began assigning tasks. “Gao Yuanfu, take some men to the hot springs area to gather leaves and vegetables! Deputy Captain Chen, coordinate with the Gold Guards to free a room for us to hang baskets under the eaves. Captain Ge, find two brave and good-looking men to shed their armor and weapons and relieve this junior clerk so he can rest a bit. Don’t be afraid—the clerk said the mythical beast eats grass, not people!”

“Yes, sir!” The men responded quietly and swiftly dispersed.

The pale rose-robed officer stepped forward a few paces, bowed respectfully to Zhang Qian. “I am Li Qi, the Imperial Carriage Officer. Many thanks for your righteous assistance, Junior Clerk. Without you, the entire Imperial Carriage Bureau would be doomed today.”

“No need for thanks, Officer Li!” Although Zhang knew little about Tang bureaucracy, he was aware the Imperial Carriage Bureau managed the royal horses and vehicles. Seeing Li’s polite demeanor, he handed the tray to two soldiers who had come to relieve him and returned the bow with a smile. “Actually, I should be the one thanking you, Officer Li. I am Zhang Qian of the Military Ordnance Firearms Department. Thank you for your earlier guidance.”

“Junior Clerk Zhang is too humble. Without you, we would have had no idea how to handle this mythical beast!” Li, despite his high rank, was but a ‘driver squad leader’ serving nobles, and bore no airs. After some polite chitchat, he turned his attention to Zhou Jianliang, greeting him respectfully.

Zhou Jianliang, having been chased and kicked by the beast for a good while with barely a moment to catch his breath, was now exhausted, carrying his sack of fruit and sweets as Zhang’s assistant. Upon receiving Li’s salute, he quickly set down the sack, stepped aside, and returned the greeting with heavy breaths.

Li promptly arranged for others to relieve Zhou of carrying the fruit and candied snacks. Then he arranged for Zhang and himself to take a short rest in a room borrowed from the Gold Guards. Unexpectedly, the giraffe recognized Zhang and, bypassing the two handsome soldiers Li had assigned to attend it, clung closely to Zhang’s heels.

“Clearly, this creature has been tamed; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been transported all the way to Chang’an from thousands of miles away.” Zhang, seeing the giraffe’s pitiful expression, had no choice but to stop and take the trays of fruit and sweets from the soldiers. He was just about to help the giraffe get acquainted with its two new “caretakers” when an aged voice came from behind.

“How does Junior Clerk Zhang know it came from so far away? What exactly is this beast? Could you enlighten this old man?”