Silks of Langzhou

In the spring of the second year of Guangde, Du Zimei was staying temporarily in Langzhou. While wandering along the Jialing River, he was recognized by a fisherman. Du Fu found him an unusually eloquent man, and the two chatted about their pasts. In the eastern capital in the third year of Tianbao, Du Zimei once toured the sights of Luoyang with Taibai, who had been pardoned and released. One night by the Luo River, a young man overheard their conversation and learned a phrase from them... Later, a key stronghold in Hebei rebelled, and both capitals fell. The retired emperor fled to Shu, and turmoil erupted in Langzhou. In the years after the rebels were put down, a strange tale circulated among the people of Langzhou. Du Shiyi heard the rumor soon after arriving in Langzhou, but the details were fragmentary. There was indeed someone in the capital whose story was similar, yet there was no way to get to the bottom of it. By then, it was already difficult to make the journey back to Chang’an...