Li Yuangui followed the Emperor upstairs into the high pavilion of the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns facing the street. Inside, he saw a large screen placed in the center, with seating mats and a low table in front of it. On the table were two dazzling gilded wine pots.
Empress Zhangsun remained behind the screen. After exchanging greetings and courtesies, the Empress commanded, "Wei Niangzi, report once more to His Majesty the hidden details of Princess Linfen's case." Li Yuangui's heart pounded as he knelt on the mat, listening intently to Wei Shufen's analysis from behind the screen.
When she concluded that the true murderer of Li Wanxi was Yang Bu-yao, who had recently borne the Son of Heaven a son, Li Yuangui abruptly looked up. The Emperor indeed appeared somewhat uncomfortable, though he made no outward reaction. Wei Shufen then spoke of the peculiarities in Princess Linfen's suicide note and her own deductions. This part made Li Yuangui nod inwardly in approval, thinking, "A Fen is growing ever more astute."
After her lengthy explanation, the Son of Heaven pondered for a long moment before asking, "What does Fourteenth Brother think?"
Li Yuangui considered carefully and replied as tactfully as possible, "Wei Niangzi's deduction hinges on the key evidence of this golden pot used for poisoning ten years ago. She believes it belonged to the Princess Consort of Hailing. Based on the current evidence, this seems somewhat tenuous. The two pots are so similar that they undoubtedly share the same origin—"
At this point, he suddenly remembered something. Rising, he stepped forward and picked up the newly appeared pot from the table. Turning it over, he examined the engraved patterns at the bottom and exclaimed, "Indeed, this inscription is here too!"
"What inscription?" the Emperor asked.
Li Yuangui pointed it out to his elder brother. At the base was a line of patterns distinctly different from the surrounding cloud motifs—multiple interconnected circles with occasional arcs and dots. He then picked up the old pot for comparison. Its base bore the same inscription, though the positioning and size of the hand-engraved characters varied slightly. The content was identical, unmistakable at a glance.
"This is the script commonly used by Sogdian merchants," the Emperor surprisingly recognized it. "Quite prevalent among the Western Regions kingdoms. What does it say?"
Li Yuangui was somewhat impressed by his second brother and replied, "One of my maidservants understands Sogdian script. She said this is an artisan's mark, meaning 'Craftsman Panto of Fuqi City made this pair of golden pots weighing thirty stats.' 'Stat' is a unit of weight."
"A pair?" The Emperor glanced at the old and new pots and chuckled. "They truly are a pair—reunited after ten years. Quite a feat. The craftsman forgot to engrave one more line—"
He tapped the belly of the double-chambered pot, producing a clear ring: "'Specially for poisoning the Heavenly Khan.'"
It was meant as a joke, but no one in the room—including the women behind the screen—could muster a laugh. The fake poisoned wine in the new pot from yesterday was one thing, but the old pot had genuinely nearly cost Emperor Li Shimin his life a decade ago. According to imperial physicians like Wu Jingxian, though he survived, his stomach, spleen, and liver suffered severe damage, the effects of which lingered to this day. His recurring respiratory ailments during summer heat were also linked to it.
"The events of ten years ago are difficult to investigate now. But the origin of this new pot should be easy to trace, no?" the Emperor asked Li Yuangui again. "You were deeply involved in the Zun Wang affair. Who handed this pot to that boy?"
A sense of foreboding crept over Li Yuangui, but he had no choice but to answer: "Kang Su-mi."The Son of Heaven then summoned Kang Su-mi upstairs to answer questions. Today's polo match had caused a sensation in Chang'an, with most foreign envoys coming to Xiuxiang Ward to watch. Kang Su-mi, who held the fifth-rank position of Sart and was closely involved in the matter, had naturally arrived early.
By the time the Emperor and his brother crossed the street to the Temple of Myriad Virtuous Nuns, the match was nearing its end. Zun Wang had fought hard in the foot ball game to score two points, while Yang Xinzhi had already scored nine. One more goal would end the entire contest. After receiving reports from palace maids and attendants, the Emperor had ordered his retinue to detain Kang Su-mi and others connected to the case, preventing them from leaving.
Li Yuangui and his elder brother and sister-in-law had not waited long upstairs before the old Hu merchant climbed the ladder. With his large belly, he knelt and bowed to the Emperor, then nodded in greeting to Li Yuangui, his bearded face still wearing a cheerful smile, showing no trace of guilt.
The Emperor glanced at his younger brother, signaling him. Li Yuangui picked up the new golden pot and handed it to Kang Su-mi, asking, "Where did this double-heart pot come from?" The old Hu merchant replied calmly, "This was made by craftsmen from Old Kang's household—been quite a while now. When this trouble came up, I thought hard about it and remembered, then dug it out after some searching."
Quite a while... Li Yuangui pressed, "Exactly when was it made? And where?"
Kang Su-mi scratched his head, thought for a moment, then took the golden pot and examined its base before suddenly laughing. "Ah, right! It was made in Fuqi City. Must be twenty years ago, maybe more. I remember—back then, the world wasn't in chaos yet, and Old Kang was still young, doing business with his brothers in Tuyuhun. The Murong family was in turmoil, with fathers and sons killing each other. Someone came to us with a sample and asked us to make this wine pot. Old Kang thought it was fun, so he had the craftsmen improve it and made a pair to keep. Later..."
"Later, you gave one of the golden pots to someone—ten years ago," the Emperor interjected coldly from his seat on the bed. "To whom?"
The old merchant's deep-set eyes darted around, glancing at the dull, old pot on the table, his expression growing cautious:
"Let Old Kang think... Ah, right! That was twelve or thirteen years ago, in Chengdu, Shu. I was entertaining a Tang general, chatting over drinks—both of us got pretty drunk. He said Chang'an was in chaos too, just like the Murong family in Tuyuhun. Later, Old Kang sent some gifts over and included one of the pots—no special meaning, just for fun..."
No special meaning—nonsense, Li Yuangui thought. This was clearly a gesture of "here’s a tool to help your brother meddle in the imperial family’s infighting," which could be construed as treasonous. Leaning forward, he suppressed an inexplicable panic and demanded:
"Which Tang general received this golden pot from you?"
Kang Su-mi hesitated, glancing at the Emperor and then at Li Yuangui, before reluctantly admitting:
"It was Prince Consort Chai... an old friend of many years. Old Kang didn’t know many others..."
A thunderous crash echoed in Li Yuangui's mind as he slumped back onto his heels, a wave of panic surging over him.
The Emperor's expression turned grave. He immediately ordered his attendants, "Summon Prince Consort Chai at once," without a moment's delay. Duke Qiao, General and Prince Consort Chai Shao, must have been waiting inside the temple, as he ascended the stairs even faster than Kang Su-mi. Entering the chamber, he bowed, his face calm but slightly puzzled.
Kang Su-mi repeated the story of giving the golden pot to Chai Shao over a decade ago in Shu, confronting him directly. Chai Shao glanced at the old pot on the table, and his face paled:"What nonsense is this! Old Kang, how dare you slander me without cause! I've never seen this pot before! Wait... no, I have seen it, His Majesty knows..."
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