Li Yuangui and his servant left the palace early the next morning, riding back to Princess Pingyang's residence in Guangde Quarter. Upon entering, however, they did not see Chai Shao. Chai Yingluo led them to the west reception room. As soon as they sat down, Li Yuangui first inquired about the master of the house. The female Taoist shook her head with a faint smile:
"Last night was rather eventful—a thief broke into the residence. My father, being impatient by nature, rushed out to investigate without even putting on proper outer garments. The night was bitterly cold, and at nearly fifty years old, exhausted from handling funeral affairs these past days, how could he withstand such exposure? This morning, he woke up complaining of headaches and weakness. I prepared medicine for him to drink and told him to sweat it out under blankets, staying in bed for the next couple of days."
"A thief broke in?" Li Yuangui asked in surprise. "What happened? Was there any damage to the residence?"
"Nothing major. Let’s not dwell on that for now," Chai Yingluo replied. "Last night at the Crown Prince's Palace, Fourteenth Uncle, how did your discussion with the Crown Prince go?"
Li Yuangui had sought her out precisely for this matter. After dismissing the attendants, he recounted his conversation with Crown Princess Su Shi at the Crown Prince's Palace the previous night, particularly emphasizing the Crown Prince's intention to "send even Yingniang to Gaochang as part of the marriage escort for the peace alliance." The female Taoist remained remarkably composed, her expression calm throughout. Only after Li Yuangui finished did she ask:
"So, Fourteenth Uncle, what do you plan to do?"
"Crown Princess Su wants you to plead with the Empress, but that’s not a good idea. I’ve also considered going to beg His Majesty myself, but... Yingniang, you understand. It’s best not to let His Majesty or the Empress know about the Crown Prince’s peace alliance plans." Li Yuangui spoke slowly, watching as Chai Yingluo nodded silently.
"Why not?" Yang Xinzhi interjected. "If this is just the Crown Prince’s own reckless scheme, why not report it to the Son of Heaven and the Empress to stop it?"
Though this tall guard bore the title of "the princess’s illegitimate son," he was not truly part of the imperial family and thus lacked deeper insight into its inner workings. Li Yuangui gave a bitter smile:
"First, this may not entirely be the Crown Prince’s own idea. The peace alliance issue has been debated in court for a long time—at the very least, His Majesty has considered it. Second, the Crown Prince’s... or rather, the candidates he and Consort Yin came up with for the peace alliance are actually..."
"Quite suitable," Chai Yingluo finished for him, a faint smile playing on her lips. "If I were to plan this myself, I couldn’t come up with a better scheme. He’s considered every angle quite thoroughly. Sending me to accompany Seventeenth Aunt to Gaochang is especially inspired. If I were Second Uncle, hearing this peace alliance proposal would surely delight me, and I’d immediately approve it, ordering the relevant authorities to prepare dowries for the three of us..."
"Ah..." Yang Xinzhi’s expression darkened. Li Yuangui remained silent with a bitter smile. Though Chai Yingluo spoke in jest, her words might not be far from the truth. The peace alliance plan was indeed flawless—except for one thing: it would push the three women he cared about most in this world into the fire.
"So, Fourteenth Uncle, what is your response?" the female Taoist asked him again. Li Yuangui straightened up and answered solemnly:
"You and I will go together to the Hall of Established Governance to request an audience with the Empress. We’ll say I wish to bring Seventeenth Sister to your residence to pay respects to Yi Niang. The Empress will surely grant permission. Wei Niangzi will wait outside the palace with carriages and horses beforehand. Once we fetch Seventeenth Sister and regroup, the three of you will board the carriage and leave the city—either to your Chai family’s estate or to one of my fiefdom households, whichever is more discreet and secure. Hide there for ten days to half a month. Meanwhile, I’ll go to the Son of Heaven to confess and accept whatever punishment is meted out..."Before he could finish, the other two let out sighs of disapproval. Chai Yingluo delivered the final verdict:
"Pure fantasy!"
"Every inch of land under heaven belongs to the Son of Heaven. If the state truly intends to send Wei Niangzi and the other two women for marriage alliance, where could they hide without being found? Could they hide forever?" Yang Xinzhi shook his head.
"The Son of Heaven and the Empress are not unreasonable people. I'll think of ways to plead with them gradually..."
"You—always resorting to pleading." Chai Yingluo burst into laughter. "You're not even as bold as that wall-climbing thief last night. At least he dared to violate curfew and trespass into a noble's residence for the sake of his beloved..."
"What? What beloved?" Li Yuangui was utterly confused. "A thief entered your residence last night?"
"Mmm. It was a foreign thief who sneaked over the wall at night. He grabbed one of my servants and kept asking 'Fen Dui, Fen Dui,' unable to say anything else. When the servant cried out, the night patrol came, but the thief stabbed the servant and escaped over the wall before the guards could catch him... Utterly useless!"
"Fen Dui..." Li Yuangui froze. "Could it be... that foreign girl Kang Su-mi gave me?" The dark-haired foreign girl had been quiet since Yang Xinzhi brought her back to Prince Wu's residence in the Great Peace Palace, with no reports of mischief.
"Very likely. The name Fen Dui isn't common in Chang'an, and the intruder was of the same ethnicity," Chai Yingluo said with a suggestive smile. "Probably her sweetheart from Kang Sabao's residence. For some reason, he thought she was at my place and came sneaking in at night for a tryst."
"Perhaps because the nine princes from the Great Peace Palace came yesterday to observe Yi Niang's seventh-day memorial, which stirred up half the city. News must have reached the Kang residence," Yang Xinzhi mused, stroking his chin. "Fen Dui's lover heard that the Supreme Emperor's princely sons were all at the Chai residence and assumed she'd accompany her master there. The Kang residence isn't far, so he sneaked over..."
"Eh? Yang Da, that actually makes sense..." Chai Yingluo and Yang Xinzhi exchanged knowing glances, teasing Li Yuangui about "encountering a rival." The young prince rolled his eyes skyward.
"You two, is this really the time for such jokes?"
"Fine, no jokes then. But do you have a proper solution? No, you don't." The female Taoist shook her head and stood. "I need to go to the front courtyard. Fourteenth Uncle, you..."
Before she could finish, a servant's voice called from outside the door, followed by Chai Shao's heavy coughing. Chai Yingluo started, quickly turning to Li Yuangui and the others to whisper, "Don't mention I'm also part of the marriage alliance plan," before going out to greet her father.
Li Yuangui and Yang Xinzhi followed her out and saw the master of the residence, Third Imperial Son-in-law Chai Shao, wrapped in a fur robe and supported by servants. Chai Yingluo fussed over her father with a stream of admonishments. It turned out Chai Shao had heard of Prince Wu Yuan-gui's visit and, concerned about last night's discussion on "marriage alliance candidates," had come personally to ask Li Yuangui about his talk with the Crown Prince.
Chai Yingluo supported her father while frantically signaling her fourteenth uncle with her eyes. Understanding her wish to spare her ailing father further distress, Li Yuangui avoided mentioning the Crown Prince's three-woman marriage alliance plan, only vaguely saying, "The Crown Prince drank too much last night and didn't receive me."
As they settled into their seats as host and guests, barely a few words were exchanged before another servant announced: someone from the Zoroastrian temple in Buzheng Ward, Sart Kang Su-mi's household, had come seeking an audience."Oh, this must be for me." Chai Yingluo stood up. "Last night, a foreigner broke into our residence, and he seemed connected to the courtesan sent by Kang Sabao for Fourteenth Uncle. Early this morning, I sent someone to inquire at the Kang residence, and this must be their reply. Fourteenth Uncle and Yang Da, please keep my father company for a while. I'll go see..."
"Someone from Kang Su-mi's household?" Chai Shao asked the messenger. "Not Old Hu Kang himself? Who came?"
"Not the Sart, but their steward An," the messenger replied. "The one who often visits—around thirty, bald with a thick beard..."
At the mention of "bald," both Chai father and daughter chuckled. Chai Shao laughed, "Ah, An San Tuzi! He's an acquaintance—no need for formalities. Bring him straight into this room to sit. Yingniang, don’t glare at your father like that. I just woke from a long nap, sweated it out, and feel stifled. Chatting with someone will help pass the time."
The foreign merchant led into the hall was much younger than Kang Su-mi, with similarly prominent features—a high nose, deep-set eyes, and a thick beard. Dressed in a foreign-style robe with a fur hat, he looked like any ordinary foreigner at first glance. But when he removed his rolled-fur-trimmed hat and held it to his chest, bowing respectfully to Chai Shao and the others, his gleaming bald head suddenly appeared, seemingly brightening the entire hall.
Li Yuangui exerted all his effort to suppress his laughter, while Yang Xinzhi behind him disguised his snickers as coughs. The foreigner surnamed An, however, remained unperturbed. After greeting Chai Shao and his daughter, he turned to Li Yuangui with a beaming smile:
"Prince Wu, I trust you’ve been well? It’s been many days since we last met—Your Highness looks even more heroic now."
His Chinese was fluent, and unlike Kang Su-mi’s heavy Shu accent, his speech carried a northwestern Chang’an inflection, making conversation smooth. Li Yuangui vaguely recalled that during his brief stay at Kang Su-mi’s residence a few days prior, this An San Tuzi had been one of the household’s trusted stewards. However, he hadn’t removed his hat then, and Li Yuangui hadn’t stayed long enough to remember all the foreigners’ faces. Yet this man clearly remembered Li Yuangui and his servant, even addressing "Yang Dalang" with familiarity.
Chai Shao explained to Li Yuangui that An Sanlang was the chief steward of the Kang residence. When Kang Sabao was away from the capital, he also handled affairs at the Zoroastrian temple in Buzheng Ward. That An Sanlang had come personally regarding last night’s intruder at the Chai residence showed how seriously he took the matter.
"If the Great Sart were in the capital, he would have come himself. Who would dare neglect an important matter at Lord Chai’s residence?" An San Tuzi smiled amiably. "After receiving your missive this morning, I immediately questioned everyone in the household to see if any servants had sneaked out last night. After quite the uproar and thorough search, I swear by the heavens—there truly weren’t any! I also asked whether Fen Dui, that maidservant, had formed any secret liaisons while with us, but no one reported anything. Still, I’ve ordered further inquiries. If anything relevant comes up, I’ll report it to your residence at once."
"If there’s nothing, then there’s nothing. It’s not that important anyway," Chai Shao waved dismissively. "With tens of thousands of foreigners in the western wards and markets, it’s hardly likely that someone from your Kang household just happened to sneak into my place."
As Li Yuangui listened, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the "midnight wall-climbing" incident sounded familiar... Seeing An San Tuzi bowing deferentially again, he interjected, "An Sanlang, is Kang Sabao’s nephew, Sang Sai, still at your residence?""Young Master Sang Sai?" An San Tuzi turned his sharp-eyed gaze toward him. "By Prince Wu's inquiry, Sang Sai has also taken his men to Songzhou in Shu. The Sart led the vanguard, ordering the young master to follow two days later with the rear guard as backup. They should have reached the Ziwu Valley by now."
"Is that so," Li Yuangui muttered, lost in thought. An San Tuzi then turned to Chai Shao with an ingratiating smile. "Could the injured steward from your household provide more details about the assassin? Our temple followers could help search, or if the steward can move, he might come identify suspects in person..."
"Unlikely," Chai Yingluo shook her head. "That night watchman took a knife wound. Though he still breathes, the blood loss was severe—he probably won't make it. It was dark, and the assailant fled quickly. Recognizing a vague foreign outline was fortunate enough—hardly reliable for positive identification."
An San Tuzi spread his hands in a "then I can't help" gesture before offering Chai Shao repeated condolences. Waving it off, Chai Shao laughed. "No need for such formalities, An San. Old Kang and I go back over a decade. Even if the assassin truly came from your household, it's just one injured servant—hardly worth fussing over."
"Brother-in-law has known Kang Sabao for over ten years?" Li Yuangui asked. This was news to him.
"Let me count," Chai Shao tallied on his fingers. "The sixth year of WuDe... indeed, twelve or thirteen years now! That year, the Tuyuhun rebelled and raided Songzhou. I led troops by imperial decree to repel them. On our return, we detoured through Yizhou to rest. Back then, chaos reigned everywhere except Shu in the southwest—untouched by major wars, prosperous, producing Shu brocades. Caravans of foreign merchants gathered there to trade. Kang was Yizhou's Sart then. Our Tang dynasty's stability greatly benefited frontier trade routes. Farsighted, Kang enthusiastically donated military supplies worth tens of thousands and hosted banquets. Later, he secretly sent gold, treasures, and exotic beasts to my home in Chang'an behind my back..."
"Father will scold me again for accepting gifts without permission," Chai Yingluo interjected with a laugh. Her father indeed glared at her. "You mischievous girl! You just couldn't resist keeping those leopard cubs! They died within days of being secretly raised at home..."
"But one cub survived and still thrives today," the Daoist nun retorted, sticking out her tongue.
So that was the origin of Purple Void Monastery's plump hunting leopard, Atun. When Li Yuangui had previously asked, Chai Yingluo had only said, "A foreign merchant gifted them to my father." That merchant turned out to be Kang Su-mi.
No wonder Kang Su-mi spoke Chinese with a Shu accent—he must have first learned it in Yizhou, never managing to correct his tongue's curl afterward.
"Brother-in-law has known Kang Sabao that long?" Li Yuangui suddenly recalled something. "Five years ago, when General Li Yaoshi led troops north against Jieli Khan, Kang Sabao's followers acted as insiders, escorting the former Sui's Empress Xiao and her grandson back to court—a great service to the state. That must have stemmed from brother-in-law's earlier efforts too..."The Sogdian merchants of the Nine Surnames traveled the desert routes of the Western Regions, trading in silk, gold and silverware, spices, and female slaves. The wealthy merchant leaders, the Sart families, particularly enjoyed forging connections with the nobility and royalty of major states like the Turks, Gaochang, and Tuyuhun. Li Yuangui knew that before the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, Kang Su-mi had once held a prominent position in the Turkic royal court, nearly influencing the policies of Jieli Khan. However, after the Tang army's northern expedition and their first major victory over the Turkic forces, Old Hu Kang abducted the Sui Empress Xiao and her grandson to surrender to Li Jing, directly leading to Jieli Khan's downfall.
Chai Shao suddenly coughed, seemingly unwilling to answer directly, but a smug smile crept onto his lips, as if saying, "Though it's a proud achievement, I won't boast." Li Yuangui pondered for a moment and concluded that Chai Shao was likely the one who "secretly colluded with the Sogdian merchants under imperial orders, instigating Kang Su-mi's betrayal of Jieli Khan." Though it was a significant contribution, it wasn't something to be openly celebrated.
However, the other party involved—the Sogdian merchants—had no such reservations. An San Tuzi eagerly chimed in, his face alight with excitement:
"Young Master Fourteen guessed right! As early as the WuDe era, our Kang Sabao, through Prince Consort Chai, demonstrated his unwavering loyalty to the Tang emperor. Since then, our ties have never been severed! The court has shown great favor to the Sart families, and our merchant caravans have remained utterly loyal to the Son of Heaven! Those Turks blocking the roads and extorting passing merchants have long angered the heavens. We were merely following the sacred fire's divine command to assist the Tang Celestial troops in overthrowing the tyrant Jieli..."
"...And your caravan profited handsomely from it," the female Taoist couldn't resist interjecting.
An San Tuzi laughed heartily, unoffended. "Yi Niang speaks true. Merchants must make a living, after all. We also despise war the most—when war breaks out, armies everywhere are eager to plunder merchant caravans for supplies. Forget profits; we can't even keep our lives. So it's best if the Heavenly Khan pacifies the realms swiftly..."
As they chatted idly, hurried footsteps sounded at the door. A servant from the Chai household rushed in with urgent news: "Someone from the Purple Void Monastery is here, claiming an urgent matter."
Purple Void Monastery... Li Yuangui had a vague sense of foreboding. Following Chai Yingluo out the door and down the steps, he was shocked to see the messenger from the monastery.
It was Wei Shufen. She seemed to have ridden alone at full gallop, her male attire disheveled, her turban askew, and her hair tangled. Mud stains dotted her robes as she grabbed Chai Yingluo's arm, panting, but turned to Li Yuangui and gasped:
"Young Master Fourteen! You must return to the Great Peace Palace... quickly... there's no time to delay... You must save the Seventeenth Princess!" #####For images of the "Shu brocade" mentioned in this chapter, please visit the author's Weibo. Search for the ID "Tang Dynasty Tour Guide Forest Deer" on Sina Weibo. Welcome to engage!
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