Chapter 263: Unexpected Turns

Although Li Qing’an was living in Gao Lishi’s residence, he had many matters to attend to upon his arrival in the capital. Not only did he need to report on his work and seek Li Longji’s support for his next plans, but there was also the struggle for power within Li Heng’s palace. Though he knew it would be difficult to change the situation in the short term, he at least wanted to set things in motion for Li Heng. Additionally, there was the matter of his own marriage.

At twenty-nine, he was still unmarried—a late age even by later standards, let alone in the Tang Dynasty. Li Heng was not yet forty, already having several children, and there was also Du Gu Mingyue, who was twenty years old. He should consider the pressures she faced, especially after hearing Yang Guifei’s advice, which made him cautious.

As soon as he settled in Gao Lishi’s residence, Li Qing’an went to Du Gu’s household in Wuben Fang. From afar, he saw Du Gu Mingzhu sneaking out through the side door on a donkey. Compared to two years ago, she had changed greatly, growing into a graceful young woman.

“Third Miss, you can’t go out!” a dark-skinned, sturdy middle-aged woman chased after her.
“Liu Erniang, please spare me! I haven’t been out in almost a month. Let me go!”
“No, the lady ordered me to keep an eye on you. Go back now!”

The middle-aged woman rushed over, grabbed the donkey’s reins, and refused to let Mingzhu leave.

Li Qing’an coughed loudly and said with a smile, “Mingzhu, where are you going?”

While pleading with Liu Erniang, Mingzhu suddenly heard Li Qing’an’s voice behind her. Turning around, she exclaimed in delight, “Brother Li!”

Ignoring Liu Erniang holding her donkey, she jumped down and grabbed Li Qing’an’s arm, jumping up and down excitedly.

“Alright, alright!”

Li Qing’an gently patted her head and said smilingly, “You’re already seventeen—how can you still act like a child?”
“I’m not a child! I’m just happy.”

With Li Qing’an’s arrival, Mingzhu’s idea of sneaking out of the house vanished. She affectionately took Li Qing’an’s hand and led him inside, complaining to him.

“Brother Li, do you know? These past two months, Mother has kept forcing me to go on blind dates. I’m so fed up.”
“Blind dates are a good thing!”
“What’s good about them? I hate those people. They think they’re charming, but they’re actually childish and not even like real men at all.”

Finding her words amusing, Li Qing’an couldn’t help but laugh. “Then what kind of man isn’t childish? Someone like an uncle?”

Mingzhu spat. “Go away! What uncle? Are you an uncle?”

“Oh! So Mingzhu wants to marry me.” As soon as those words left his mouth, Li Qing’an regretted it—his joke had gone too far. Sure enough, Mingzhu was stunned for a moment; her face turned red with shame. She let go of Li Qing’an’s hand and ran inside the mansion. “Mingzhu!” Li Qing’an couldn’t call after her in time and could only watch her run away. He smiled bitterly—he had always treated Mingzhu as a little girl, not realizing she had grown up. Wu Yi and the sisters Rushi Ruhua were temporarily staying at the Dugu residence. But Li Qing’an arrived at an unfortunate time—Mingyue and Wu Yi had just gone out, and no one knew where. Although Rushi Ruhua was inside the mansion, this was still the Dugu residence, and he wasn’t yet the official son-in-law of the Dugu family, so he couldn’t just enter at will. After sitting in the guest room for a while, Lady Pei rushed in. Li Qing’an quickly stood up and said with a smile, “Auntie, it’s been a long time.” Li Qing’an was probably the person Lady Pei hoped to see the most. Her daughter was already twenty years old, and if she didn’t get married soon, she would face gossip. Moreover, she sensed that the current emperor had an interest in her daughter. During the last birthday celebration of the imperial concubine, the emperor’s gaze at her daughter had been unusual—in that moment, Lady Pei saw a desire to possess her in Li Longji’s eyes. She knew that if it weren’t for Li Qing’an, her daughter would likely have already entered the palace. It was precisely because of Li Qing’an, a powerful local lord, that the emperor hesitated to act rashly. What would happen next? Lady Pei’s heart was filled with worry. The best solution would be for her daughter to go to Anxi with her husband. But she didn’t dare mention this to her husband—she knew him well enough to realize he might sacrifice his daughter for his own future. Lady Pei smiled and nodded. “General Li arrived yesterday morning, right? Where are you staying?” “Auntie, you might as well call me Qilang. That’s how those close to me address me. I’m currently staying at Gao Lishi’s residence.” “Very well, then I’ll call you Qilang from now on.” Lady Pei sat down and said with a smile, “It’s really unfortunate today. I just asked the servants and found out that Mingyue and Miss Wu Yi went out together. Perhaps they went to a temple to pray. The two of them get along very well and seem to have become friends right away. I hope they can remain close as sisters in the future.” “They probably will. Mingyue is a kind and understanding girl. I came here today actually to discuss marriage matters with you, Auntie.”

Madam Pei smiled. Finally, Li Qing’an was willing to take the initiative. Relieved, she said, “Generally, your marriage to Mingyue should be arranged by elders, but you have no elders in Chang’an. That’s why Grandpa Gao offered to arrange it for you last time. If you don’t object, I’ll discuss the details with his wife. It’s quite complicated, and I know you have many matters to attend to at court, so I won’t burden you further.”

Li Qing’an quickly stood up and bowed deeply. “Thank you, aunt!”

Madam Pei smiled gently. “No need for such formalities. Go and attend to your duties. When Mingyue returns, I’ll tell her you came by. If anything arises, I’ll have Mingzhu come to see you.”

Li Qing’an understood what Madam Pei meant—she wanted him to avoid meeting Mingyue until the marriage was arranged, which was only natural. He nodded and said with a smile, “I understand, madam. I’ll wait patiently. I wonder if uncle will be back by then?”

“He should be!”

Madam Pei smiled. “I heard news that your uncle Du Gu has been appointed as the Minister of Agriculture. He should be returning soon.”

Li Qing’an was stunned. His mind raced—was this a sign of the restoration of the Eastern Palace faction? But Li Qiu hadn’t told him anything. He asked urgently, “When did you hear this news, aunt?”

Speaking of this, Madam Pei felt particularly pleased. She said, “The day before yesterday afternoon, an official from the Ministry of Personnel came to our house. Not only has my husband been promoted, but my brother Pei Min has also been appointed as the governor of Qizhou. Now he’s much closer to Chang’an.”

“What about others? Do you know anything about Wei Huan?”

“I haven’t heard anything. The official only mentioned matters related to our family.”

Li Qing’an was puzzled. Was this really the restoration of the Eastern Palace faction, or was it due to him? If the Eastern Palace faction was restored, the chances of the imperial grandson taking control of the Eastern Palace would be very high. With this thought, he stood up and said with a smile, “Since Mingyue isn’t here, I’ll take my leave.”

“Very well! I won’t keep you.”

Madam Pei saw Li Qing’an out of the courtyard and then went back inside. As soon as Li Qing’an reached the entrance of the mansion, Mingzhu rushed out from the bamboo forest beside it like a little deer. She took his hand and said cheerfully, “Big Brother Li, let me go out with you!”

Li Qing’an stared at her for a long time. Was this really the shy girl who had run into the inner courtyard just now? She didn’t seem like her at all—now she had reverted to the Gu Du Mingzhu he used to know. Suddenly, Li Qing’an felt relieved. This was the Mingzhu he liked. He smiled and said, “Alright! I’ll take you out. Where do you want to go?”
“Wherever you go, I’ll go there.”
Li Qing’an inwardly sighed, unsure what scheme she was plotting again.
“Let’s go!”
Li Qing’an agreed gladly. Mingzhu jumped for joy. “Let’s hurry!”
Suddenly, she turned around and made a face at them. Liu Erniang, who was chasing after them, could only stare blankly as Mingzhu took Li Qing’an’s arm and skipped away.
…
“Brother Li, let me tell you—Lu Yizhong was hilarious. He thought I was an alcoholic. The next day, my mother went to the Lu family to try to fix things. Do you know what Lu Yizhong said? He said, ‘Madam, don’t lie to me. As soon as I saw your daughter, I knew she’s an alcoholic.’ She even called me a donkey. Do you think I look like a donkey?”
Mingzhu laughed so hard she couldn’t straighten her back and almost fell off her horse. Li Qing’an quickly steadied her and said with a smile, “Stop laughing foolishly. If word gets out in Chang’an that the third daughter of the Gu Du family is an alcoholic, who will dare to arrange a match for you again?”
“I don’t want a match at all!”
Mingzhu stretched lazily and said coquettishly, “It’s so nice being like this—free, able to wear whatever clothes I like, apply whatever makeup I like, gather with friends, and breathe freely. The sky is so blue, the clouds so white. This is the world of birds. I really want to become a bird. Though small, birds can own the whole sky.”
“Enough!” Li Qing’an laughed. “Are you going to turn into a bird or come drink with me?”
“Drink!”
…
Before long, they arrived at the Western Market, specifically at Rehai Ju. Now Li Qing’an knew that this place was actually the secret meeting point of the Hidden Dragon Society in Chang’an.
Li Qing’an pointed at a tavern in the distance with his whip and said to Mingzhu with a smile, “Do you remember this place?”
“I do! You brought me here that year.”
“In the future, you can bring your friends. I’ll give it to you for free.”
“Brother Li, does this tavern belong to you now?” Mingzhu asked in surprise.
“Sort of!”
Li Qing’an dismounted from his horse and said to a Hu Jie who came out to greet them, “Is Master Chang here?”
“General, I’m here!”
Chang Jin rushed out from inside, excitedly saying, “General, we were just about to look for you.”
“No need. Here I am.”

Li Qing’an smiled as he handed the reins to the waiter and ordered, “Set up a few tables for my entourage so they can eat and drink their fill.” He then pointed at Mingzhu and asked Chang Jin, “Do you know her?” After thinking for a moment, Chang Jin replied with a smile, “This young lady seems to have been here with the General last time.” “Good memory. She’s my sister-in-law. If she brings friends here to drink in the future, serve them free of charge.” “Sure! Definitely!” Chang Jin was extremely enthusiastic. He stepped forward, bowed to Mingzhu, and quickly instructed the Hu girls and the waiter, “Clear out the ‘Suiye City’ room on the third floor right away, and bring two bottles of Suiye wine for Miss Dugu.” He then said respectfully to Mingzhu, “Please, miss, come upstairs!” Mingzhu had never been treated with such respect before. Everyone treated her like a child, which made her very pleased. She pretended to cough, crossed her arms, and turned to Li Qing’an with solemnity, “General, shall we go upstairs?” Seeing her behavior, everyone couldn’t help but laugh. Li Qing’an affectionately tugged at her braid and said with a smile, “You go first! I need to talk to Master Chang for a bit.” Mingzhu gave him a glare before following the two Hu girls upstairs. At that moment, Li Qing’an said to Chang Jin, “Use all the resources of the Chang’an Han-Tang Club to investigate the assassination attempt on Prince Di. Pay special attention to every move within Prince Di’s palace.” “Yes! I understand.” Li Qing’an nodded and added, “Send someone to bring Li Huichun to me as well.” After saying that, he headed upstairs. Suiye City was on the third floor, the best room at Rehai Ju, elegantly decorated with the most beautiful Hu girls at service. Mingzhu was already seated, with a beautiful Hu girl pouring her hot tea. Li Qing’an came in, took off his coat, and handed it to the Hu girl. He sat down across from Mingzhu. The Hu girl then said with a smile, “Serve us wine first. This young lady should have Suiye wine, and I’ll have Gaochang wine, which needs to be chilled.” “Why do I have to drink Suiye wine? What’s the difference?” Mingzhu asked unhappily. “Suiye wine tastes better and doesn’t make you drunk easily. It’s suitable for women. Otherwise, if you get drunk and go back, your sister will definitely come to demand an explanation from me.” Mingzhu smiled slyly. “Hehe! Don’t you just want my sister to come after you?” “You little brat, I’m doing this for your own good. Do you want your mother to banish you forever?” Mingzhu glared at the Hu girl leaning against Li Qing’an and pouted, “Of course not! If I go drinking with my brother-in-law, my mother won’t get angry. If she were worried about you, would she let me go to Beiting alone?”

Li Qing’an, hearing her logical argument, couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly and said, “Very well! Replace them all with Gaochang wine.”
“That’s right! I really like the strength of Gaochang wine.”
Seeing the Hu Ji nestled in Li Qing’an’s arms, coquettishly holding a teacup to feed him tea, she inwardly cursed, “How shameless!”
Finally, she couldn’t hold back and said, “Hey! That Hu Ji, can you stay away from my brother-in-law?”
The Hu Ji blushed and moved slightly away from Li Qing’an. Li Qing’an took a sip of tea and asked with a smile, “Mingzhu, do you still have the diamond I gave you last time?”
“I don’t. I gave it away!” Mingzhu replied irritably.
“Oh? You were willing to give away such a precious diamond?”
“It’s just a worthless stone. Why would I hesitate?”
With that, Mingzhu took out the diamond Li Qing’an had given her from the inner pocket at her waist and slammed it on the table. “Here, it’s back to you!”
Li Qing’an picked up the diamond, examined it closely, and smiled. “I heard from your sister in Xianyang that you fought with Cui Liuli over this diamond, claiming she stole it, only to find it in the crack of the bed later. Is that right?”
Mingzhu’s face turned red. It was the most embarrassing thing that had become a laughingstock among her friends. She snapped angrily, “It’s all because of this worthless stone! I had to apologize to Cui Liuli. Just thinking about how smug she looked makes me furious.”
“A worthless stone?” Li Qing’an raised an eyebrow and laughed. “If you don’t want it, shall I give it to someone else?”
Mingzhu glanced warily at the Hu Ji, seeing her staring at the diamond with envy. She stood up, snatched the diamond back from Li Qing’an’s hands, and said, “Who gave you the right to give it away? This is my gem. I’ll sell it tomorrow to buy rouge.”
“Sell it to me! I’ll give you as much rouge as you want.”
Li Huichun appeared at the door. He entered the room and bowed to Li Qing’an. “Salutations, General!”
Li Qing’an waved his hand and smiled. “Please, sir, don’t be formal. Have a seat!”
Li Huichun nodded, sat down, and then said to Mingzhu, “Do you know how much this diamond is worth?”
“How much?” Mingzhu’s eyes widened suddenly. At that moment, her mind was filled with images of copper coins—her earlier dissatisfaction toward Li Qing’an had long vanished.
“This diamond is called the Heat Sea Elf. It’s one of the three most treasured possessions of Khan Tukish-Terike. Out of gratitude to General Li, he dedicated it to him. Back then, the king of the Shi Kingdom offered 150,000 silver dirhams plus 100 beautiful slave women for it—equivalent to 20,000 guan in value.”

“Twenty thousand guan!” Mingzhu exclaimed in shock. She slowly raised the walnut-sized diamond in her hand; it shone with a brilliant blue glow. She had thought it was worth at most a thousand guan, never expecting it to be worth twenty thousand.
Li Huichun stroked his beard and smiled, “Actually, it’s worth more than twenty thousand guan. It’s truly priceless. I advise the young lady not to carry it around—once lost, there won’t be another like it.”
Mingzhu was conflicted. After some thought, she returned the diamond to Li Qing’an. “Brother Li, it’s too expensive. I can’t keep it!”
Li Qing’an pushed the diamond back into her hands and said with a smile, “It’s just a stone. Our Mingzhu is the real priceless treasure. Keep it as my wedding gift for you.”
“I don’t want any wedding gifts!”
Mingzhu muttered under her breath before happily accepting the diamond. At that moment, several servants brought in dishes on large plates, quickly filling the table.
Li Qing’an poured a glass of wine for Mingzhu and said, “Drink to your heart’s content! If you get drunk, Brother Li will take you home.”
With Li Qing’an’s words, Mingzhu began to eat and drink cheerfully. Li Qing’an then asked Li Huichun, “How’s the arrangement for the money exchanges going?”
“Reporting to the general, the money exchange shops in the East and West Markets are ready. We’ve prepared fifty thousand copper coins to exchange for silver coins. Additionally, the five thousand silver coins brought from Beiting are said to be on their way, arriving in Chang’an within ten days at the latest. I would like to ask the general whether we should open the shops once the silver coins arrive or start operating sooner.”
After a brief pause, Li Qing’an said, “Waiting ten days will be too late. I want them to open tomorrow. The Sogdian merchants have two thousand silver coins they urgently need exchanged. We can give those to them first. Moreover, the emperor has agreed to allow gold and silver coins to circulate in the Tang Dynasty—this is an opportunity I’ve secured. We must seize it. Fifty thousand in capital is still insufficient, and two shops aren’t enough. I hope HanTang will take full control of silver coin circulation in the Tang Dynasty. The silver coins I’ll mint will arrive gradually. My only task for you is to ensure that silver coins become as important as copper coins.”
“General, I understand. We’ll follow your plan and open the shops in both the East and West Markets tomorrow. In the future, we’ll expand to all major cities in the Tang Dynasty.”
“Brother Li, what are you talking about?” Mingzhu asked in confusion. “What silver coins?”
Li Qing’an laughed, raised his wine glass, and said, “Nothing important! Come, let’s drink! Mingzhu, I toast to you—may you grow more and more beautiful.”