Chapter 182: The River of the Moon

It was still early, so Li Qing’an left the mansion. He intended to go and see for himself the influence of the Han-Tang Association in Beiting. When he reached the mansion’s entrance, he saw that Ruhua’s stall had already been closed, and the women who had come to buy things had all left. Ruhua, Xiao Lian, and Yu Nu were organizing their goods, with several male servants helping them carry the items and coins.
It was evident that though they were very tired and could hardly speak, the excitement of making money gave their faces a joyful glow.
“Ruhua!”
Li Qing’an stopped and waved at her. Ruhua ran over and asked with a smile, “Does my brother need me for something?”
“I want to check out a few shops. Would you like to come with me?”
“Sure!” Ruhua clapped her hands in delight. “Wait a moment, I’ll let them know.”
She turned and ran back. After saying a few words to Xiao Lian and Yu Nu, she rushed back, took Li Qing’an’s arm, and said with a smile, “Let’s go!”
Li Qing’an turned to the dozen or so bodyguards and said, “Mount your horses!”
Everyone climbed onto their horses. Ruhua also mounted a jujube-red horse, and they all headed toward Chang’an Street, the busiest street in Jinman County.
“Ruhua, since when can you ride a horse?”
“I’ve known how since long ago. Wu Niang taught us in Anxi. Ru Shi and Xiao Lian can do it too. In our family, everyone except Wu Yi can ride horses.”
“Hehe! Has Wu Niang gotten married? I haven’t heard from her in ages.”
Ruhua curled her lips and said, “They say men are heartless, and that’s true. Gao Wu has been waiting for you, yet you ask if she’s married. If she found out, she’d be heartbroken.”
Li Qing’an gave a wry smile and didn’t respond. But Ruhua didn’t let the topic go and continued, “Brother, you’re 28 this year, right? It’s time to get married. I think Wu Niang is great—frank, sincere, and the daughter of Gao Xianzhi. She’d be a perfect match for you. Brother, go to Anxi!”
Li Longji would likely be the first to refuse the idea of marrying Gao Wu. He shook his head and said with a smile, “Why don’t you mention Wu Yi? Can’t she be my wife? And Ru Shi and you—any of you could be my wives. Why do you insist on Wu Niang?”
Hearing Li Qing’an defend her, Ruhua blushed and said, “My sister and I don’t have that fortune. Wu Yi is even less likely.”
“Why? Is it because her engagement to the Cui family hasn’t been broken?”

“I don’t care about some dead man’s engagement, but my sister said you’re not an ordinary commoner. If you insist on marrying Wu Yi, scholars everywhere won’t tolerate you, and you won’t be able to keep your position as an official. So after careful consideration, the only woman suitable for you is Wu Niang—she’s deeply in love with you and even came to Beiting to look for you.”
“She came to look for me?” Li Qing’an was greatly surprised. “When? How come I didn’t know anything?”
“Over a month ago! When you went to fight in the north, Wu Niang came once. She said she came to see us, but we all knew she actually came to look for you. Unfortunately, you weren’t there, so she left disappointed. She even repeatedly told us not to tell you. Ah, poor woman!”
The news that Gao Wu had been to Beiting stirred up confusion in Li Qing’an’s heart. Gao Wu was the first woman he met in the Tang Dynasty. In his memory, she was a somewhat willful and boyish girl. He knew she had feelings for him, but he had never really taken her seriously. To him, she was just a girl experiencing youthful infatuation—she would forget him after some time and fall for a truly tough man like Li Siye. Yet, three years had passed, and Gao Wu’s devotion to him remained unchanged. She must be eighteen now. If things continued like this…
Li Qing’an sighed secretly, feeling a hint of guilt toward Gao Wu. He should have told her openly long ago.
Li Qing’an remained silent. Ru Hua, seeing that he was in a bad mood, didn’t say anything more.
Soon, they reached the end of Chang’an Street. Chang’an Street was the widest and most prosperous of the four main streets in Jinman County, with merchants from all over Beiting, as well as from Anxi, Hexi, Lingxi, and the Central Plains, gathering here.
Since the road from Sogdiana to Chang’an was long and unsafe, many merchants stopped in Beiting to sell their goods from Sogdiana and buy goods from Chang’an to take back. Similarly, many Han merchants sold goods from the Central Plains here and bought goods from the barbarians to take back to the Central Plains.
In this way, Beiting became a huge center for commodity exchange, with Jinman County, where the Beiting military governor’s office was located, being the most bustling.
From May to October was the peak season for trade. Caravans of camels slowly moved down the streets, and several Sogdians from the Nine Kingdoms of Zhao Wu were asking passersby about shops.

Li Qing’an, along with Ru Hua and over a dozen bodyguards, walked all the way to the end of the street, near the East City Gate. There were several well-known shops there, dealing in jewelry, tea, silk, silverware, porcelain, and other goods. Li Qing’an arrived at a large shop called “Lingxi Tea House.” Its owner came from Suiye; this was the shop of Li Huichun, the leader of the Han-Tang Society, in Beiting. On Yan Zhuang’s list, Lingxi Tea House ranked first—it was the central base of the Han-Tang Society in Beiting and also the largest tea merchant in the entire Western Regions. It had branches in many towns across the region, with its headquarters located in Suiye. It monopolized nearly 80% of the tea trade in the Western Regions, reaping enormous profits. The Han-Tang Society’s substantial financial strength largely came from the huge profits generated by this tea house.

Lingxi Tea House in Jinman County was just one of its branches. Nevertheless, it still covered a vast area of 50 mu, with a large shop in the front and a huge warehouse behind.

“Sir, would you like to buy some tea?”

A clerk came out to greet them. Seeing over a dozen soldiers, he didn’t dare neglect them. Only after approaching did he recognize Li Qing’an. The clerk was stunned and stammered after a while, “General Li, do… do you have something on your mind?”

Li Qing’an dismounted and said calmly, “Can’t I just come and buy some tea?”

“General, you don’t need to come in person. If you need tea, just tell us, and we’ll deliver it to your residence.”

“I want to take a look first.”

Li Qing’an handed the reins to his bodyguards and entered the tea house directly. The main hall was extremely spacious, with baskets lined up along the walls, filled with various types of tea. Most of it was tea cakes, while some high-quality tea was stored in porcelain jars for use by wealthy families. These were just samples; once a deal was made, the goods would be taken from the warehouse behind.

From the outside, it seemed there weren’t many people in the shop, but once inside, it became clear that the hall was crowded with people—mostly small vendors. Merchants from Tingzhou, Yizhou, and Xizhou counties came here to purchase goods. There were not only Han people but also many non-Han ethnic groups, including local tribespeople from Beiting as well as the Gelaolu, Tujishi, and Shatuo peoples. Most of them came with their herds of horses, which were kept in the stables in the back yard. They would buy dozens or even hundreds of pounds of tea, often exchanging them directly for horses.

A dozen Sogdians from Kangguo were bargaining with the second manager, aiming to buy 4,000 pounds of tea. The hall was bustling with activity, showing very lively business.

The arrival of the Beiting military governor alarmed the owner of the tea shop. The owner, surnamed Song and also a Han from Suiye, quickly invited Li Qing’an to a guest room next door, poured him a cup of tea with his own hands, and offered it, saying, “This is fresh Qimen tea that just arrived yesterday. Please try it. If you like it, I’ll send ten jin to your residence.”

Li Qing’an took a sip of the tea, narrowed his eyes, and smiled, saying, “I heard that Qimen tea costs one tael per liang, yet you’re giving me ten jin. I feel ashamed to accept it!”

“Not at all! It’s just a small token of appreciation. You’re being too modest, sir.”

Owner Song quickly added with a smile, “I often hear our master speak of you. You’re an old friend from Chang’an.”

“Has your master, Mr. Li, been here recently?”

“He was here last month and then went back to Suiye. He’s too old to endure the hardships of travel, so it’s likely the younger master will take over in the future.”

“Oh! When will your younger master come?”

“That’s hard to say. It could be in June or August. The key is whether the older master is willing to let them take charge.”

Li Qing’an smiled, and the conversation shifted to the purpose of his visit. “I’ve come today because there’s something I’d like to discuss with your tea shop.”

Owner Song bowed and said, “Please give your orders. We’re not worthy of the word ‘discuss’.”

“Here’s the situation: Beiting has a batch of military provisions to be delivered to the castle under construction at Yibohai. But Beiting lacks the transportation capacity at the moment. Your tea shop regularly transports large quantities of goods between Beiting and Suiye. I’d like to entrust you with transporting these provisions in exchange for a fair payment. I’ll send troops to escort them. Would you be willing?”

Li Qing’an’s proposal excited Owner Song greatly. Over the past two months, they had been trying hard to get involved in Beiting’s affairs but hadn’t found any opportunity. Today, the chance had arrived unexpectedly, filling him with joy. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, “Since you value our Lingxi Tea Shop so much, how could I refuse? I’m willing to serve you.”

“Good. This is urgent. The provisions will set off the day after tomorrow—ten thousand dan in total. In addition, I’d like to purchase another two thousand jin of tea from your shop to send to the construction site. I hope it can be done within half a month at the latest.”

“Don’t worry, sir. We’re very familiar with the route. It will take at most thirteen days to reach Yibohai.”

“Very well. I’ll wait to hear good news from you. Go to Beiting City tomorrow to handle the arrangements.”

Li Qing’an stood up, bowed, and took his leave. As he reached the door, Ruhua rushed over and whispered, “It’s pure profit!”

“What did you discover?”

Ruhua said angrily, “I just went around and checked—their prices are terrifyingly high. I remember that a pound of tea cakes in Chang’an cost 800 wen, but here it’s 300 guan per pound. Even accounting for the difficulties of transportation, they should still make at least 300 wen per pound. If they sell thousands of pounds a day, they can earn at least 100,000 guan a year. And they also make money by selling horses to the Central Plains. This is just the store in Beiting—add in other stores, and they must earn hundreds of thousands, even millions, a year.”

Seeing her quick wit, Li Qing’an smiled and said, “Millions of guan is impossible. Though they earn a lot, their expenses are also high. Don’t envy them. If you want, you can also get into the tea business.”

Ruhua was stunned. “Brother, are you serious? You want me to do the tea business? I just sell a few extra dresses at my stall.”

“Actually, it’s me who wants to do it, but I can’t find the right person. Today, I saw you selling dresses—you’re very resourceful. I think you could give it a try. You don’t need to go to Chang’an. Just stay in Beiting and coordinate everything for me.”

Ruhua scratched her head, frowning. “But I think there are still many things missing—capital, a store, transportation, suppliers, and who will buy the tea in the end? Even the cleverest can’t cook without rice. How am I supposed to do this?”

Li Qing’an smiled slightly. “The fact that you can think of these things shows you have the ability. Don’t worry! I have the capital. I’m about to send troops to escort tribute wine to the capital. On their way back, they’ll bring some tea. Just prepare a store, hire staff—you can even recruit women soldiers. When the tea arrives, you’ll make a fortune. It’s that simple.”

“But… but who will buy our tea?” This was Ruhua’s biggest concern. With Lingxi Tea House existing, could she get a share?

Li Qing’an chuckled. “You silly girl! Understand—it’s me who’s selling the tea. Why are you worried?”

…

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms. Li Qing’an read for a while in his study, then put the book down and strolled around the inner courtyard. Soon, he arrived at the courtyard where Wuyi lived. It wasn’t far from his study. An old locust tree in the courtyard provided shade, covering half of the five or six houses. As he stepped inside, he heard the sound of a zither—slightly unskilled, not Wuyi’s playing. He suddenly remembered that Wuyi was teaching students.

Wuyi had five student girls. Besides Yang Fengche’s and Yan Zhuang’s daughters, there were two more daughters of high-ranking officials from Beiting. All five girls were quite young and would come to Wuyi’s place almost every evening to practice the zither for half an hour.

Li Qing’an hesitated for a moment, feeling it might not be appropriate to disturb them at this time. Just then, Yunu came out of the room and spotted Li Qing’an at once. She was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward to greet him, “Young master, the lady said that if you come, please wait for her in the outer room; she’ll be done soon.”

“Okay, go ahead and do your duties. I’ll wait for her.”

Li Qing’an entered the west wing room, which was Wuyi’s zither studio. It consisted of two rooms—one for playing the zither and the other for resting. He sat down, and Yunu brought him a cup of tea, saying softly, “Young master, please have some tea.”

“Thank you!”

Yunu seemed to want to say something but didn’t dare speak too much, so she stepped back. After taking a few sips of tea, Li Qing’an stood up and went to the door. The light in the inner room was bright, and through the curtain, he could see what was inside. The room resembled a classroom, with the five young women sitting upright on couches, each with a zither in front of them. Yan Xiaomei, the eldest daughter of Yan Zhuang, was playing the zither, while the others followed along with their fingers. Wuyi stood beside Yan Xiaomei, listening attentively to the music and occasionally correcting her finger placement in a soft voice.

As usual, Wuyi was dressed in a plain white gauze dress, covered with a bright red brocade shawl. Her hair was tied up in a bun, with a green feather hairpin inserted at an angle, revealing her neck as white as a swan’s. Her face was unadorned with any makeup, exuding elegance and grace, as pure as the autumn moon. Her beauty was striking, and under the light, she resembled snow drifting in the wind or clouds covering the sun.

Li Qing’an couldn’t help but recall the time he saw her in the Liyuan villa. She had walked out of the water like a fairy descending from the waves, her incomparable beauty breathtaking and captivating many.

Yet Yang Shenjin’s wife had revealed the tragic background behind her stunning beauty. Nearly two years had passed like flowing water. The Zither Fairy had become a memory of Chang’an, but Wuyi had followed him to Beiting. Li Qing’an felt as if he were dreaming.

Wuyi sensed something and glanced sideways to see Li Qing’an standing behind the curtain. He had come to teach her how to play the zither. After Yan Xiaomei finished a piece, she smiled at the five young women and said, “That’s enough for today. You may all go back. Remember to practice the techniques I taught you several times.”

The five student girls bowed together and thanked her, “Thank you, teacher!”

They put away their guitars and left one by one, leaving the room quiet. Wuyi tidied up slightly and sat back down. With a “ting!” she played a note on the guitar and said with a sweet smile, “There are guests outside. Do you still need me to go and invite them in?”
“I wouldn’t dare come in without the host’s invitation!”
Li Qing’an walked in laughing, bowed, and said, “I pay my respects to Miss Wuyi!”
Wuyi giggled. “You must have the wrong person! I’m a student, and you’re the teacher. If the student doesn’t move, how can the teacher bow?”
“Oh! So I’m the teacher after all.”
Wuyi gave him a disdainful look, stood up, and bowed gracefully, saying, “This humble girl pays her respects to the teacher.”
“Hmm!”
Li Qing’an sat down grandly and waved his hand, saying, “Dear student, play a piece for your teacher first.”
“You!” Wuyi was both annoyed and amused. She took down the six-string guitar from the wall, held it in her arms as Li Qing’an had taught her, and gently plucked the strings. A melody of “Sad Spain” flowed smoothly from her hands—sometimes passionate, sometimes like a soft chant, with a hint of sadness, bringing out the true essence of the piece perfectly.
Li Qing’an couldn’t help but marvel. Although he had taught her this piece, her interpretation far surpassed his own, and it was on par with that of top guitar masters of later generations.
After the piece ended, seeing that Li Qing’an was still lost in the music, Wuyi smiled happily and said, “I’ve finished playing. May I ask for your advice, teacher?”
Only then did Li Qing’an come back to reality. With a wry smile, he shook his head and said, “You play better than anyone else. I feel utterly inadequate.”
Wuyi handed him the guitar and said with a smile, “Moon River!”
Li Qing’an took the guitar, smiled, and blew out the candle. The bright moonlight filled the room, illuminating his face full of masculine charm.
He thought deeply about the serene and romantic piece “Moon River.” His fingers strummed the strings, as if a quiet stream was flowing before them.
It was a peaceful autumn night. A small boat drifted gently on the river, illuminated by the bright moon. The river flowed into the woods, and the boat seemed to be wandering through them. As he rowed, pushing aside the vines, suddenly everything became clear—the boat had arrived at a mirror-like lake. The moonlight shimmered on the water’s surface, and a fairy in a snow-white dress, untouched by the world, was quietly combing her long, waterfall-like hair in the water.

Li Qing’an gazed affectionately at the dancer. The dancer held her delicate cheeks with her slender hands, her beautiful eyes fixed on him in rapture, as if she were sitting in a small boat with him, drifting peacefully along the Moon River. A hazy mist covered her eyes, revealing a deep, devoted love—for this absolutely beautiful piece of music, and for the person who played it. At this moment, her heart was conquered by this music.