Unveil: Jadewind

To find a grandson for Murong Fu-yun, the King of Tuyuhun, who was currently at war with the Great Tang.

Li Yuangui found himself bewilderedly receiving this imperial decree, without even verifying its authenticity, before being shooed out of the main chamber of the Hall of Established Governance by his elder brother, the Emperor, as if swatting a fly. In the Imperial Study of the eastern wing, Uncle Changsun didn’t provide a straightforward explanation either. Instead, he narrowed his small eyes in his plump, round face and leisurely asked, "Prince Wu has always been attentive to military affairs. Surely you must have some understanding of the origins and current state of the Tuyuhun royal family?"

Was this a test before accepting the mission? Li Yuangui answered casually, "The Tuyuhun tribe is primarily composed of the Dangxiang and Qiang peoples, but their khanate’s royal family descends from the Murong clan of the Xianbei. Their founding ruler, Tuyuhun, was the elder half-brother of Murong Wei, the Martial and Xuan Emperor of Former Yan. The Murong Xianbei successively established the Former Yan, Later Yan, Western Yan, and Southern Yan dynasties, reigning as emperors for over seventy years, and their lineage persists to this day. The Murong royal family of Tuyuhun has ruled for more than three hundred years, with deep-rooted influence..."

At the mention of "three hundred years of royal lineage," he paused, privately reflecting on how remarkably long this succession had endured—over the past three centuries, the Central Plains had been a chaotic battleground of warlords and shifting imperial lines, where even thirty years of rule was considered an achievement. Yet the Murong clan, as an outsider Xianbei lineage, had managed to rule over the Qinghai region for more than three hundred years. This family must possess extraordinary qualities.

Uncle Changsun looked at him with a meaningful nod.

"The Fourteenth Young Master is indeed erudite. Although Tuyuhun is a nomadic barbarian state that does not uphold the rites and traditions of the Central Plains, and though it has suffered generations of internal strife and self-destruction, the position of khan has never once fallen outside the Murong clan in over three hundred years. The reverence their royal family commands among the common people, akin to celestial beings, speaks volumes. This is precisely why His Majesty has specifically tasked Prince Wu with finding the legitimate grandson of the Tuyuhun King."

Li Yuangui steadied his thoughts and returned to stand before Zhangsun Wu-ji, straightening his robes as he sat down respectfully, bowing his head in earnest.

"Yuangui is ignorant and seeks Lord Qi’s guidance—how could the legitimate grandson of the Tuyuhun King possibly be in Chang’an?"

He struggled to push away the lingering image in his mind—Chai Yingluo and the palace maid supporting Wei Shufen as they carried her out of the hall—along with the restless urge to visit the Purple Void Monastery to check on her condition. He had just accepted an important task personally assigned by the Emperor, and for both public duty and private reasons, he needed to focus on the matter at hand. Those tangled emotions of youthful longing would have to be set aside for now.

Zhangsun Wu-ji smiled in satisfaction, finally getting to the main point.

"Tuyuhun endured through the Western Qin, Wei, Qi, and Zhou dynasties. In the sixteenth year of the Kaihuang era of the former Sui, Emperor Wen pacified the realm, and Tuyuhun submitted a request for a marriage alliance. Emperor Wen married the imperial clan’s Princess Guanghua to the surrendered vassal. At that time, the Tuyuhun khan was still Murong Fu-yun’s elder brother, Murong Shifu. The following year, Shifu was killed in an internal rebellion, and Fu-yun ascended the throne. Following barbarian customs, he took Princess Guanghua as his wife, and the two bore a son with the Han name Murong Shun."

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but no matter how hard Li Yuangui tried, he couldn’t recall anything specific. Zhangsun Wu-ji didn’t expect him to interject and, after catching his breath, continued."A child's status is elevated by their mother. Since Murong Shun's birth mother was a princess of the Sui dynasty, and the Sui empire was at its zenith then, he was naturally named the Crown Prince of Tuyuhun at birth. But his father, Fu Yun, was a treacherous one. Though he pledged allegiance and paid tribute to Sui, he frequently harassed the borders and raided Han territories. In the fourth year of the Daye era, the Sui emperor was enraged and dispatched troops, later leading a grand expedition himself, crushing Tuyuhun into pieces. Fu Yun abandoned the capital and fled south, hiding in the snowy valleys, not daring to show his face."

When mentioning the "Son of Heaven leading a grand expedition" during the former Sui, Li Yuangui suddenly thought of his own elder brother, the current Son of Heaven, and nearly laughed out loud. Suppressing his amusement, he asked, "What about Murong Shun and his mother? Did Fu Yun vent his anger on them?"

"Not exactly. A year before the Sui-Tuyuhun war broke out, Fu Yun sent them to the capital to pay tribute, and they remained in the heartland. After Sui conquered Tuyuhun, Emperor Yang briefly considered sending Murong Shun back to Qinghai to install him as khan, but the plan fell through. Murong Shun returned to Chang'an and thereafter served as a bodyguard for Emperor Yang, accompanying him on his travels east and west. During the Jiangdu palace coup in the thirteenth year of Daye, when Emperor Yang was assassinated, Murong Shun was also in the Jiangdu palace. He managed to escape in the chaos, taking back roads all the way to Chang'an."

"So the person His Majesty wants me to find is this Murong Shun?" Li Yuangui quickly asked. That didn’t sound too difficult—since Murong Shun had lived in the capital for a long time as the Crown Prince of Tuyuhun, many among Chang'an’s elite would know him. Gathering information should yield clues.

Unfortunately, Uncle Changsun shook his plump face. "No. By the end of the Daye era, Murong Shun was already eighteen or nineteen. Emperor Yang still saw value in his status, so he enfeoffed another 'Dehua Princess' to marry him in a political alliance. After their marriage, the couple followed Yang Guang to Jiangdu. It’s said they had a son there, with the tribal nickname 'Nuozhebo.' The child wasn’t even a month old when the regicide and palace coup occurred. When Murong Shun fled, he couldn’t take his frail wife and infant son, leaving them behind in Jiangdu..."

Li Yuangui gaped. "No way... You’re not telling me I have to find Murong Shun’s son who wasn’t even a month old?"

"Exactly!"

"How is that possible?" The young prince slapped his thigh. "An infant not yet a month old—even in wealthy, stable households, nearly half don’t survive. And after the Jiangdu coup, mother and child would have been displaced and adrift, without a father to protect them—oh, wait, did Murong Shun later reunite with his son and confirm the child survived?"

"No." Zhangsun Wu-ji shook his head. "After escaping Jiangdu and returning to Chang'an, Murong Shun never heard news of Dehua Princess or their son again. When our Tang dynasty was founded, the Supreme Emperor treated Murong Shun generously. In the early WuDe era, when we allied with Tuyuhun to attack Li Gui in Hexi, at Fu Yun’s request, Murong Shun was sent back to Tuyuhun in the second year of WuDe."

"So he was sent back that early..." Li Yuangui scratched his head. "Murong Shun was overthinking it. Since he’d returned to his homeland as Crown Prince, he could have as many consorts and sons as he wanted. Why cling to an infant whose fate was unknown?"

"It’s not as simple as the Fourteenth Young Master thinks." Zhangsun Wu-ji gave a bitter smile. "After Murong Shun returned to Tuyuhun—he wasn’t made Crown Prince."

"What?" Li Yuangui stared at him in surprise."Fourteenth Young Master, think about it. The old khan Murong Fu-yun was utterly defeated by the Sui army, fleeing to the Dangxiang tribe in the snowy mountains to hide for many years. It was only by taking advantage of the chaos at the end of the Sui dynasty that he managed to return to the capital in Qinghai to restore his kingdom. How much hatred must he harbor for the Sui people? Princess Guanghua was never mentioned again and may have died. When Murong Shun, his mixed-blood son, returned to Tuyuhun, do you think his father would have treated him kindly? Of course, he was no longer allowed to be the Crown Prince."

"So the current Crown Prince of Tuyuhun isn’t Murong Shun?" Li Yuangui asked.

"No. During Fu Yun’s years hiding in the snowy mountains, he supposedly married a noblewoman from the Dangxiang or Tubo tribes and had another son, who is deeply favored by his father and is called 'Zun Wang' (King Zun). He is now the Crown Prince. Although Murong Shun is the eldest legitimate son, he is subordinate to his half-brother and is now only titled the Great Ning King, with barren and weak tribal pastures allotted to him. That’s the first point."

Li Yuangui sighed. "In the end, it’s because Murong Shun’s mother, the former Sui princess, is no longer alive, and the Sui dynasty has fallen. A son’s status depends on his mother—without her backing or influence, he is bullied and looked down upon... Is there a second point?"

"Yes," Zhangsun Wu-ji nodded. "The second point is Murong Shun himself. Before he was ten, he followed his mother back to the Central Plains to pay tribute and afterward remained as a hostage under the Sui Son of Heaven. His diet, appearance, speech, and habits became indistinguishable from those of the Han people. After returning to Tuyuhun, though he was a prince, the place was high, cold, and windy, with snow and ice year-round. They had wheat but no rice, eating meat and drinking milk—he was uncomfortable in every way. Add to that his father’s harsh treatment and the lack of support from his tribesmen, and his mood remained depressed. He’s been back for fifteen or sixteen years now, and though he has many concubines, he—well, it’s said he hasn’t had any more sons, possibly not even daughters, and it doesn’t seem likely he ever will..."

Uncle Changsun, who had already fathered over a dozen sons before turning forty, said this with a knowing smirk. Though young and unmarried, Li Yuangui understood and laughed along for a while.

"So Yuangui understands. Murong Shun can no longer father children, so he wants to retrieve his only legitimate heir?"

Zhangsun Wu-ji nodded. "Exactly. Murong Shun has no foundation in Tuyuhun, and without a son, his succession will be problematic after his death, giving his father and tribesmen another excuse to suppress him. If we can find the son he had with the Dehua Princess and return him... His Majesty has always placed great emphasis on dividing the enemy’s internal forces when launching campaigns. Murong Shun is a ready-made ally, so naturally, we should win him over."

It did sound like a matter of great importance, not just a cover for continuing the investigation into Princess Linfen’s case. Li Yuangui scratched his head again and humbly sought advice.

"Yuangui is young and inexperienced. In Lord Changsun’s view, how should we proceed with this matter?"

Zhangsun Wu-ji smiled. "Fourteenth Young Master has stumped me. Wu-ji has no clear ideas either. However, Murong Shun did send a trusted envoy from Tuyuhun. Naturally, Prince Wu should first meet this envoy and question him in detail..."

The two agreed in the Imperial Study that Li Yuangui would visit Zhangsun Wu-ji’s home the next day to meet and discuss matters with the secret envoy sent by the Great Ning King Murong Shun. Afterward, they took their leave and parted ways. Li Yuangui left the palace city and reunited with Yang Xinzhi, who had been waiting outside the Chengtian Gate, before heading home.Yang Xinzhi had come from the forbidden garden. The previous night, he had been ordered to remain at the Great Peace Palace to discreetly observe Consort Yin's reaction upon discovering the abduction of the Seventeenth Princess. The result of his inquiries was that there had been no reaction at all—the Great Peace Hall remained as calm as ever. The more normal it seemed, the more uneasy Li Yuangui grew. He knew all too well Consort Yin's arrogant temperament and malicious nature. Having suffered such a significant loss, she would never swallow the humiliation without seeking revenge.

The two young men chatted as they rode through the Fragrant Forest Gate into the forbidden garden, turning westward. Before long, they reached the fork in the road leading to the Purple Void Monastery. Li Yuangui hesitated, reining in his horse before turning toward the monastery gate, where the yin-yang and Eight Trigrams banners fluttered in the wind.

Yang Xinzhi followed closely behind. Once inside the monastery gates, they were announced by the servants, and Chai Yingluo soon came out to greet them, wearing an amused smirk.

"Fourteenth Uncle, you really are impatient. I had a feeling you’d rush over to check on Wei Niangzi, but I didn’t expect you to be this hasty—couldn’t even wait a few hours? Don’t tell me you skipped lunch? Tsk tsk, the passion of youth..."

"Yingniang, stop teasing," Li Yuangui said, rubbing his temples in exasperation. "I... Xinzhi and I came to... have lunch. We’ve just heard a couple of important matters and wanted to discuss them with you..."

"So you’re not here to inquire about Wei Niangzi’s condition?" the female Daoist countered with a playful smile. "Then I must have been presumptuous to bring it up. After all, a delicate young lady from a prime minister’s household falling ill and taking to bed is quite a private matter—hardly something to discuss casually with unrelated men..."

She was clearly mocking him. Li Yuangui glared at his niece, momentarily at a loss for words. Yang Xinzhi, however, caught the implication and interjected:

"What happened to Miss Wei? She was fine yesterday—how did she suddenly fall ill and take to bed?"

As he asked, his gaze flickered between Chai Yingluo and Li Yuangui, his raised eyebrows and meaningful glances practically spelling out the unspoken question: What happened between Fourteenth Young Master and Wei Niangzi this time? The female Daoist covered her mouth with her sleeve.

"Yang Da, you weren’t there this morning in the Hall of Established Governance’s courtyard—"

"I’m starving!" Li Yuangui cut her off hastily. Was Chai Yingluo trying to make his humiliating "marriage proposal rejection" even more widely known? Yang Xinzhi loved gossip and had plenty of friends—if he heard this amusing scandal, he’d surely spread it all over Chang’an within a day or two.

Judging by Chai Yingluo’s relaxed demeanor as a skilled physician, Wei Niangzi couldn’t be in serious condition. Li Yuangui was about to press for more details when a sudden gust of foul wind swept past him, followed by a black-and-yellow blur that lunged at the female Daoist with a yowl.

"Atun!" Chai Yingluo staggered back, nearly toppling over as she laughed and scolded the beast. "You brute, you have no sense of restraint! Where have you been running wild this time? Ugh—what’s this all over you?"

The plump hunting leopard reared up on its hind legs, its front paws frantically scrabbling at the female Daoist as if frightened or urgently trying to communicate something. Chai Yingluo grabbed one of its front paws, rubbing the pad with her fingers before sniffing it. Her brow furrowed. "Blood... Did you catch another rabbit out there? Where’s Bao Nu? Who took you out?"They stood talking not far inside the entrance of Purple Void Monastery when the leopard slipped in quietly by itself, with no one leading or restraining it. Li Yuangui noticed at a glance that the restraining strap on the leopard's collar was broken in half, dragging briefly on the ground, and the handheld loop at the end was missing. His heart stirred as he bent down to pick up the severed strap, examining the smooth, clean cut that looked as if it had been sliced by a sharp blade.

Chai Yingluo also sensed something amiss and called out to the monastery's attendants for information. She learned that around noon, Bao Nu had fed Atun some meat and, as usual, took it out for a walk afterward. Normally, they should have returned by this hour, but there was no sign of the handler. The leopard had come back alone, dragging the broken strap, its paws stained with blood—though none was around its mouth.

Remembering the fire at the Temple of Common Vocation the night before, Li Yuangui grew alarmed. Chai Yingluo's expression also darkened. She summoned the monastery's stronger eunuchs and sturdy maidservants, arming them with clubs and blades, and sent someone to report to the Garrison Guards camp. She then changed the leash on the hunting leopard Atun and, accompanied by Li Yuangui and Yang Xinzhi, led a search party out of Purple Void Monastery.

The leopard, well-trained and intelligent, turned toward a mountain path as soon as they left, pulling Chai Yingluo into the woods. Before long, the group discovered traces of blood on the grass and tree roots—first dried, dark purple droplets, then increasingly fresh and abundant stains as they progressed.

The light snowfall from the morning had melted quickly, leaving the ground soft and footprints easier to identify. Atun stopped at a bend in the mountain path, refusing to go further, circling Chai Yingluo's legs with its tail and whimpering softly. Li Yuangui and the others surveyed the area and found the long grass and shrubs trampled and scattered, with clear signs of blade cuts—evidence of a recent fight involving several people.

"Fourteenth Young Master," Yang Xinzhi called out, pointing to a cluster of bloodstains in the grass. Li Yuangui examined it and nodded. "Someone was slashed here."

The blood trail they had followed consisted mostly of scattered droplets, as if dripping from a wounded person. But this fresh, narrow funnel-shaped spray suggested someone had been struck hard while moving swiftly. This place had undoubtedly been a battleground.

Chai Yingluo lifted her head and sniffed the air, muttering, "Smoke." She tugged the leopard forward around a rocky outcrop. Worried for her safety, Li Yuangui hurried after her. Just beyond the rocks lay a small pond, surrounded by dense trees but with a clearing where the underbrush had been cleared away.

In the clearing, a figure clad in black lay motionless on its back.

"Bao Nu?" the female Taoist exclaimed in surprise, stepping forward. Li Yuangui grabbed her arm and shouted, "Wait!"

A eunuch attendant, quicker on his feet, rushed ahead and stepped into the bushes. A metallic clang rang out, followed by the eunuch's agonized scream.