Chapter 53: The Gem Appears

After searching for a while, Li Qing’an finally entered a Hu people’s jewelry shop named “Tuozhi Township.” The capital of the Shi Kingdom was called Tuozhi City, so it was obvious that this jewelry shop must be related to the Shi Kingdom. He remembered Su Ning telling him that his gem seemed to be called a “sunstone,” a famous product of the Shi Kingdom.
“Sir, are you here to buy a gem?” The shop assistant welcomed him warmly.
There weren’t many Hu people here; the staff were all Han Chinese. Li Qing’an nodded and smiled, saying, “I’m going to visit a high-ranking official today and would like to buy a precious jewelry piece. Could you recommend something? What would be good?”
“You’ve come to the right place. Our jewelry shop serves the elite families, and even the palace orders from us. It depends on your needs—whether it’s for proposing marriage or asking for a favor, or if it’s a visit to relatives or acquaintances or your first time here. There are many considerations. Please tell me your purpose so I can give you a recommendation.”
“It’s my first time here, and it’s not for asking for a favor. It’s just a regular visit.”
“Oh! In that case, I suggest you buy a mid-range jewelry piece. If it’s too cheap, it won’t look good; if it’s too expensive, it will be awkward for others. Right, sir?”
Li Qing’an nodded with a smile. “That makes sense. I’ll go with your suggestion.”
“Please follow me here, sir.”
The shop assistant led Li Qing’an into a room and took out several flat boxes, opening them and saying with a smile, “These are all mid-range items. Each one is impressive. Please choose by yourself.”
He pointed to a pearl crown and said, “This is from Japan. It’s said to be deep-sea pearls collected by Japanese girls who dive naked. Each pearl is round and crystal clear. The crown is made of silver, priced at 100 guan, with a minimum of 80 guan.”
Li Qing’an wasn’t interested in the Japanese pearl crown. He picked up a pair of wine cups adorned with blue and red rubies and asked, “How much are these wine cups?”
“You have good taste. These cups are carved from two whole pieces of Lianye warm jade, with 24 red and blue rubies embedded in each. They’re very precious, priced at 150 guan. If you’re truly interested, the minimum is 130 guan. We’ll pack them in a sandalwood box.”
Li Qing’an really liked these wine cups and said with a smile, “I’ll take them. But I only have official silver. Will you accept it?”
“We can accept official silver, but it’s slightly cheaper than the black market price. One tael of silver is exchanged for 1,100 coins. Are you willing?”
“No problem!”
Li Qing’an took out five silver cakes and placed them on the table, pushing them toward the shop assistant.
“Please wait a moment. I’ll call the owner.”

After a moment, a Hu man from Lingxi hurried in, bowed, and said in fluent Mandarin with a smile, “Would you like to buy some Bai Cui cups?”
It was then that Li Qing’an learned that these wine cups were called Bai Cui cups. He nodded and smiled, saying, “I’m visiting a high-ranking official as a guest, and I want to bring a gift.”
The shopkeeper sat down and sighed, “Alas! Just to be a guest, one has to spend 130 guan on a gift. These days are getting more and more extravagant. I remember ten years ago, it was already quite good to get fine pastries for just a few hundred wen. Back then, ten wen was all it took for a bushel of rice.”
Li Qing’an suddenly felt like a fool for being so generous. He didn’t even know Du Gu Shi personally; it was just a meal, yet he was about to give him a gift worth 130 guan. If ten people invited him to dinner, wouldn’t he go bankrupt?
He began to regret it, but the silver had already been taken to the accounting department for inspection. It would be embarrassing to back out now. Fine, he would keep the Bai Cui cups for himself. Buying some pastries worth two guan for Du Gu Shi would be enough—after all, it wasn’t like he was showing respect to his father-in-law.
He made up his mind. At that moment, a Hu maid brought in two cups of tea.
“Here you go, sir!”
The shopkeeper smiled and pushed a cup of tea toward Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an picked up the cup and took a slow sip, then asked casually, “Have you heard of the sun stone?”
“The sun stone?” The shopkeeper was momentarily stunned and shook his head. “I’ve been in the jewelry business for almost thirty years and have never heard of such a thing. Could it be another name for some kind of gem?”
Li Qing’an watched his eyes and, seeing no reaction, tried again, “I have a friend who serves in the army in Anxi. He has a ruby, and it’s said that flames rise from within it. Some people say…”
Before he could finish, the shopkeeper’s expression changed drastically. He grabbed Li Qing’an’s hand and asked, “Could you be referring to the ‘Eye of Light’? Where is it?”
“Don’t worry, shopkeeper. It’s just what a friend of mine from Anxi mentioned. What is the ‘Eye of Light’?”
Li Qing’an became very interested. So his gem was called the Eye of Light—a rather strange name.
The shopkeeper sighed and shook his head. “It can’t be that. The Eye of Light is a sacred object of Zoroastrianism. How could it be in the hands of a Han person?”
“Is this Eye of Light very valuable?”

“Valuable?” The shopkeeper snorted. “If it truly is the Eye of Light, then it cannot be measured in money. Let me tell you this! This gem has always been enshrined in the Zoroastrian temple in Yazd. Shahanshah Ardashir I of the Sasanian Empire once offered thirty cities in exchange for this embodiment of Ahura Mazda.”
“What do you mean, embodiment of Ahura Mazda?” Li Qingan asked in confusion.
“Ahura Mazda is the god of light. That gem is his eye, one of his three incarnations.”
At that point, the shopkeeper knelt down, prostrated himself before the setting sun outside the window, and murmured, “O Lord! Forgive my disrespect toward you.”
It was only then that Li Qingan realized just how precious his gem was. No wonder Su Ning was willing to pay a huge sum to acquire it. Then, the white skeleton he had buried must also belong to someone extraordinary.
At that moment, the accountant came over and retrieved a bag of money. The shopkeeper carefully placed a pair of Bai Cui cups into a sandalwood box and handed it to Li Qingan, saying, “Sir, these are your Bai Cui cups. Please take good care of them.”
After a pause, he added, “Sir, please do not casually mention the name ‘Eye of Light’ in front of the Sogdians. It is an insult to the god.”
“I understand. I don’t even have such a thing; I was just asking casually.”
Li Qingan took the Bai Cui cups and left. The shopkeeper watched as Li Qingan’s figure faded into the distance. Suddenly, he waved for another employee over, pointed at Li Qingan’s retreating back, and whispered, “Take my carriage. Keep an eye on this man and find out where he lives.”
…
Li Qingan then went to a famous pastry shop to buy several kinds of high-quality pastries and two bottles of 30-year-old Gaochang wine. After that, he headed to the Dugu family’s residence at the address on the invitation.
The Dugu family has been a prominent family since the Southern and Northern Dynasties. The empress of Emperor Wen of Sui was from the Dugu clan. The sister of Empress Dugu married into the Li family of Xiliang, and their third son was Li Yuan, the founder of the Tang Dynasty. Thus, the Dugu and Li families have a deep historical connection. Historically, the empress of Emperor Daizong of Tang, Li Yu, was also a direct descendant of the Dugu family.
Dugu Shi was the head of the Dugu family. He held the rank of General of the Thousand Oxen Guard and was around sixty years old, tall and robust with a loud voice.
Upon hearing that Li Qingan had arrived, he came out personally with a smile, saying, “General Li, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Li Qingan bowed and smiled, saying, “I’m not familiar with etiquette. I just bought some pastries and good wine along the way. I hope the general won’t mind.”
“That’s not necessary at all. What more could one need? As long as you’re here is enough. General Li, you’re being too polite.”

Dugu Shi was slightly resentful, but since he had already bought it, he had no choice but to let the butler take it and warmly invited Li Qing’an into the mansion.
Dugu’s mansion covered a vast area, with countless layers of courtyards. The pavilions and towers were exquisitely designed, and the huge buildings were adorned with carved beams and painted columns, exuding grandeur. Precious flowers and trees were planted everywhere, so even in the deep winter when most plants withered, there was still a hint of greenery in Dugu’s mansion.
“Today, the Two Tigers of Anxi have become famous throughout Chang’an. Many people want to invite you as guests, yet it is me who has invited General Li. What an honor!”
“The General overstates it. I don’t have such fame.”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “My childhood name is Qilang. The General might as well call me Qilang directly.”
“Hehe! Then I won’t be polite. I’ve prepared some wine today and specially invited Qilang to my mansion for a chat. It’s a bit abrupt—please forgive me.”
“Not at all! It’s me who’s disturbing your mansion.”
As the two exchanged pleasantries and passed through the central gate, a noblewoman in imperial robes hurried over, surrounded by several maids. She whispered in Dugu’s ear, “The third young lady says she’s sick and can’t come to see guests. No matter how I persuade her, she won’t listen.”