Inside a teahouse in the western part of Nan'an County town, a storyteller was narrating the tale of the Eldest Prince's expedition to Cheng State.
The storyteller, Mr. Guo, was over fifty, balding, and short. His head was as round as a carriage wheel, and he sported a shaved hairstyle.
Standing beside him was his apprentice, a chubby young man who was a head taller.
The storyteller's surname was Guo, and his given name was Dao, meaning 'knife', but this wasn't his real name. Few who made their living on the streets would use their actual names.
Mr. Guo used to enjoy telling stories of scandalous affairs among prominent families: which young lady was dallying with which poor scholar, or which wife was secretly rendezvousing with the carpenter next door, Old Wang, and so forth.
However, one night, he was struck heavily on the head by an unknown assailant. He was gravely injured and nearly died. After that, he dared not tell such stories anymore.
