Chapter 203: Descendants of Li Jiancheng

Suiye City was rebuilt by the Tang army during the reign of Wu Zetian. With a circumference of nearly sixty li, its city walls were tall and majestic—nothing different from the great cities in the Central Plains. Suiye also retained the typical architectural features of the Tang Dynasty: spacious city walls, straight streets, and large foundations for buildings.

The layout of the streets inside the city was modeled after Chang’an, with a straight main road in the center, also called Zhuque Street. It ran east-west and lacked partition walls. Tall and lush trees lined both sides of the street, with shops lining up one after another. The city had a large population of mixed ethnicities, including Han, Turks, Tujue, Sogdians, Göktürks, Toharans, and more.

Since Suiye had long been under Han control, even after thirty years of Turkic rule, its appearance still retained traces of its former glory. Everywhere were buildings constructed by the Han people—row after row of houses with black tiles and brick walls, surrounded by fences about a person’s height. Li Bai’s former residence was in a large house north of Zhuque Street, now occupied by a Turkic family.

Li Qingan arrived at a large house near the east gate, surrounded by a hundred bodyguards. Opposite the house was Li Huichun’s residence, but Li Qingan had no intention of visiting him today.

Everyone dismounted in front of the house. A bodyguard went forward to knock on the door. After a moment, it opened. An elderly household member was stunned to see so many soldiers outside. The bodyguard bowed and said, “General Li Qingan, the military governor of Beiting, has come to visit Lady Luo!”

“Oh! Please wait a moment.”

The door closed with a thud. The elderly man ran inside to give the news. This residence was the old home of Li Jiancheng’s descendants in Suiye, now in its fourth generation. The owner was Li Deng, whom Li Qingan had once captured, but it was his mother, Lady Luo, who held real power in the household.

The door creaked open, and a woman in palace attire in her early forties stepped out. Though middle-aged with disheveled hair, her youthful beauty could still be seen in her features. She was Lady Luo, Li Deng’s mother.

“Welcome, General Li, to my home!”

Lady Luo’s voice was gentle yet dignified, reflecting the grace of a noblewoman.

Li Qingan smiled and bowed. “I’ve been in Suiye for half a month and only now visit you. I apologize for my tardiness.”

“General, you are of high rank, while I am but a common woman. How dare I expect a military governor to visit me? If you don’t mind my humble home, please come in for some tea.”

“Very well. Then I’ll trouble you.”

Li Qingan strolled into the mansion, an ancient house over a hundred years old. It was huge, covering about a hundred acres, with courtyards stacked one after another. Though it had been renovated, its age was still evident. The trees were tall and dense, forming a lush canopy. The bricks and stones on the paths were worn smooth, and some of the animal patterns on them had faded, but upon closer inspection, one could still make out designs of dragons, phoenixes, and qilins, hinting at the owner’s extraordinary status.

Although Li Jiancheng had been a heroic figure, his descendants in the Suiye branch had declined from generation to generation. The first generation, Li Chengsi, had great ambitions, rising early every day to study and practice swordsmanship, determined to fulfill his father’s goals. Unfortunately, he died of illness in his thirties, leaving behind a son, Li Jiyeh, who was a dissolute man. He had three sons, two of whom died, and he himself passed away in his forties due to excessive indulgence in wine and women.

Then there were Li Jun and Li Tang. Li Jun was Mrs. Luo’s husband and was killed in Persia six years ago. Fearing that her son would follow in his father’s footsteps and die young, Mrs. Luo doted on him excessively, not allowing him to go outside, and worried constantly about him catching a cold or coughing. She assigned more than a dozen maids to serve him, but this only turned him into a lazy and ignorant dissolute. Moreover, out of fear that he would have no heirs, the Hidden Dragon Society gave him a woman at the age of twelve, which damaged his kidney meridians. Now, at twenty-four, he still had no children, which became the greatest concern for the Hidden Dragon Society.

Although the Li family’s mansion was large, it was quiet and sparsely populated, with mostly women as servants, and only a few older male servants.

Li Qingan was led to the guest hall. Although tables and chairs were used throughout the Western Regions, here it was still like in the Central Plains—furniture and mats. Li Qingan sat cross-legged, and a maid brought him two cups of fragrant tea. He glanced around the room and asked with a smile, “Is the young master not here?”

Mrs. Luo bowed and said, “My son is studying in the back courtyard and usually does not receive guests.”

She added gratefully, “Thank you, General Li, for your generosity in releasing my son from Beiting.”

Li Qingan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and smiled. “It’s nothing! We were catching spies at the time. The young master was innocent, and we would have released him once the truth was clear. But I have a question—should I say it or not?”

“General Li, please speak freely!”

Li Qingan pondered for a moment and said, “The young master has too little contact with the outside world and knows nothing about worldly affairs. Madam should let him travel more and see the world.”

Mrs. Luo was silent, saddened. Her husband had been killed while traveling in Persia. How could she risk her only son going through the same ordeal?

Seeing Lady Luo remain silent, Li Qingan also felt a bit awkward. He took out the dragon-patterned jade pendant from his bosom and returned it to Lady Luo, smiling and saying, “This belongs to the young master. I forgot to give it to him. Now it’s back with its owner.”

Lady Luo stared at the jade pendant in silence for a long time. She sighed and handed it back to Li Qingan. “General Li, I have nothing to offer in return for releasing my son. I’ll give you this jade pendant instead.”

Li Qingan was stunned. If she was giving it to him, did it mean the pendant held no real value? After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Madam, I heard this jade pendant is very precious. Isn’t it inappropriate for you to give it to me?”

“Precious?” Lady Luo smiled bitterly. “Yes, it is very precious. It’s a family heirloom passed down through generations of the Li family. But no matter how precious it is, can it compare to the value of my son’s life? This pendant has brought misfortune to their family for generations—no one has lived a good death. I only wish my son could live a simple life, have children like a normal person, and let me hold my own grandson, rather than ruining his life for an unattainable dream.”

Lady Luo’s voice grew softer, eventually turning into a whisper. Li Qingan felt awkward. The pendant had brought misfortune to their family, so she gave it to him—this reason sounded rather awkward.

He fiddled with the jade pendant and slowly revealed his true purpose for coming today. “But Madam, I once saw another jade pendant that was almost identical to this one.”

“Clang!” Lady Luo’s cup fell to the ground and shattered. She was shocked. She gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, trembling as if she might fall at any moment. With a trembling voice, she asked, “General Li, did that other jade pendant have a phoenix pattern?”

Li Qingan immediately understood—it must be a pair. After pondering for a moment, he said, “I saw that jade pendant in a jewelry shop in Anxi a few years ago. I don’t know if it had a phoenix pattern. I tried to buy it, but it had already been purchased by someone else. If Madam is willing to tell me its origin, I’ll do my best to find it.”

Tears of deep sorrow welled up in Lady Luo’s eyes. She said softly, “I used to have two sons. My eldest son, Li Ting, was abducted when he was three years old. He was wearing that phoenix-patterned jade pendant at the time. We searched for him for ten years. There were clues suggesting he was taken to Persia, and we even sent people there to look for him, but we never found him.”

At that moment, she suddenly stood up and knelt before Li Qingan, crying out, “General Li, if you can find my son, I’m willing to build a shrine in your honor. For the rest of my life, I’ll fast and pray for you.”

“Madam, please get up quickly! This is not proper.”
Li Qing’an hurriedly pretended to help her up, but a sharp shout came from behind him: “What have you done to my mother?”
When Li Qing’an turned around, he saw Li Dang standing at the side door, his face filled with anger as he glared at him. Li Qing’an sat down and smiled faintly, saying, “Young Master Dang, it’s been a long time.”
Lady Luo quickly explained to her son, “Dang, General Li is doing me a great favor, and I’m thanking him.”
“A favor? What do we need his help with?”
There is a small animal that, when faced with a stronger enemy, will bow down in supplication or lie on its back in surrender. But once it returns to its master, it becomes fiercely aggressive, having completely forgotten its earlier submission.
Li Dang was undoubtedly such an animal. He had been terrified by Li Qing’an in Beiting, but once back in Suiye, with his mother and the Hidden Dragon Society by his side, he immediately turned against Li Qing’an.
He stepped forward and saw the dragon-patterned jade pendant on the table. Reaching out, he tried to snatch it, shouting, “That’s my jade pendant!”
Li Qing’an hooked his hand, and the pendant ended up in his hand. Smiling, he said, “Young Master Dang, this jade pendant isn’t yours yet.”
Lady Luo quickly scolded, “Dang, don’t be rude!”
“But Mother, this jade pendant clearly belongs to me.”
“It used to belong to you, but now I’ve given it to General Li.”
“What!”
Li Dang flew into a rage. Glaring at his mother, he shouted, “What right do you have to give away our Li family’s ancestral jade pendant?”
Lady Luo’s face turned pale instantly. “Dang, how dare you speak to your mother like that.”
“How am I speaking? This jade pendant is an ancestral treasure of our Li family. Who are you to give it away?”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sharp ‘slap!’ Li Qing’an knocked him to the ground and said coldly, “If you dare be rude to your mother again, I’ll cut you to pieces. Do you still remember?”
After saying that, he bowed to Lady Luo and left. Li Dang lay on the ground, touching his face. Suddenly, he remembered the killed Hu man, and a hint of fear appeared in his eyes. Lady Luo quickly helped him up, “My child! Are you alright?”
In the distance, Li Qing’an’s voice came through, “This jade pendant is my trophy. From now on, it belongs to me.”
……
At night, Li Qing’an was in his room writing a letter to Crown Prince Li Heng, reporting on his conquest of Suiye. After all, as a supporter of the crown prince, he had an obligation to report to him.
At that moment, a messenger’s voice came from the door, “Sir, Lord Li Dong has arrived.”
“Let him in!”

Li Qing’an put down his pen. At that moment, his bodyguard brought Li Huichun in. Li Huichun hurried forward to pay his respects, “Paying my respects to the envoy?”
“No need for formalities. Please, Lord Li, have a seat!”
As soon as Li Huichun sat down, he immediately said, “Envoy Li, I’ve come this time because…”
Before he could finish, Li Qing’an waved his hand to interrupt him, smiling and saying, “I know. Lord Li has come to deliver intelligence from Da Shi.”
“No! I’ve already sent people to Da Shi. They should be back in a few days. By then, I will definitely hand over the intelligence to you. I’m here today because of the dragon-patterned jade pendant.”
“Oh! Did Li Deng tell you?”
Li Huichun stood up, bowed deeply to Li Qing’an, and pleaded, “Envoy Li, that jade pendant is extremely important to us. I beg you to return it to us.”
“But Lady Luo has already given it to me,” Li Qing’an said with a smile.
Li Huichun was so anxious that sweat appeared on his forehead. They had always thought the jade pendant was still with Li Deng. Only today did they learn it had already fallen into Li Qing’an’s hands.
Li Qing’an took out the jade pendant and placed it on the table, saying, “I heard there are actually two jade pendants. What makes them so precious? I’d like to hear about it.”
Li Huichun stared at the jade pendant eagerly and could only sigh, saying, “There are indeed two jade pendants—one of a dragon and one of a phoenix. They were given by Prince Jiancheng to Consort Chang a hundred years ago. If a son was born, the dragon jade would be worn; if a daughter, the phoenix jade. Eventually, a son was born in Suiye, and these two jade pendants became the only relics left by Prince Jiancheng for his unborn child. Usually, both the dragon and phoenix pendants are worn together, but since the dragon jade is more precious, it can only be worn after reaching adulthood. Before that, the phoenix jade was worn to ward off evil. Unfortunately, twenty-three years ago, Young Master Deng disappeared, and the phoenix jade went missing as well. Only this dragon jade remains, which is incredibly precious. Lady Luo gave it to you out of concern for her son. I understand her intentions, but this dragon jade must not fall into the hands of outsiders. Please return it to us.”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly. “I see! Actually, I wanted to collect it. I happen to have another one, so I thought I’d match them into a pair.”
Li Huichun was stunned. After a long while, he stammered, “Envoy Li, w-what do you mean by this?”
Li Qing’an took out the phoenix-patterned jade pendant from the drawer and placed it next to the dragon-patterned one, saying, “Aren’t these a pair?”
Li Huichun’s face changed drastically. Trembling, he picked up the phoenix-patterned jade pendant, examined it in the light, then tightly clenched it in his palm, staring intently at Li Qing’an and asking, “Envoy Li, where did you get this phoenix jade?”

“I don’t know where it came from either. It’s been with me for a long time, always left in a box. If it weren’t for seeing this dragon-patterned jade pendant, I would have really forgotten about it.”
Li Qing’an picked up the dragon-shaped jade pendant and handed it to Li Huichun with a smile, saying, “This dragon-patterned jade pendant belongs to you; I’m returning it to you. But that phoenix-patterned jade pendant is mine—you need to give it back to me.”
……
The night grew deeper. Li Huichun sat in his study, staring blankly out the window. On the table beside him lay a fortune stick obtained from the spirit of the Hidden Prince, with eight characters on it: ‘Suiye returns to Tang; the hidden dragon ascends to heaven.’
Li Huichun had been sitting there for a whole hour. No one knew what he was thinking. Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. Chang Jin asked, “Why did your father call us here so late?”
“I don’t know either. Uncle Chang, Uncle Luo, please come in!”
The door opened, and Chang Jin and Luo Pinfang entered. Luo Pinfang, in his early sixties, was Mrs. Luo’s father. He had a red face and a hot temper.
As soon as he entered, he shouted, “Old Li, why did you call us here so late?”
Li Huichun sighed and said, “Please sit down, gentlemen.”
The two sat down, and Luo Pinfang urged, “Hurry up! What’s the matter?”
Li Huichun took out the dragon-patterned jade pendant and placed it on the table, saying, “This is something I got back from Li Qing’an. Last time, Ting’er left it in Beiting.”
Both of them were stunned. Luo Pinfang snapped, “Why didn’t that little scoundrel tell us? How dare he hide it from us!”
Li Ting’er was his grandson, and he had always been frustrated by his lack of progress.
Chang Jin quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, “He might have been afraid we’d scold him. But since it’s been brought back now, that’s good.”
Li Huichun said in a low voice, “But I saw the phoenix-patterned jade pendant among Li Qing’an’s things.”
“He still has other jades…”
Luo Pinfang stopped mid-sentence, his voice cutting off abruptly. He and Chang Jin were both stunned.
“Yes, the phoenix-patterned jade pendant. I saw it with my own eyes today—right in Li Qing’an’s hands.”
Luo Pinfang and Chang Jin exchanged glances. Luo Pinfang’s voice trembled with tension. “Did he say where Ting’er is?”
Li Huichun shook his head. “No, he doesn’t know anything.”
“Then where did he get this jade pendant? It took me ten years to find Ting’er back then, yet this pendant suddenly appears in his hands. How can that be explained? Could he have taken Ting’er away?”
Luo Pinfang was impatient, and the sudden appearance of the jade pendant had left him confused.
Li Huichun said, “Old Luo, I think you’re confused. How could Li Qing’an, who was just a child twenty-three years ago, have taken away Ting’er?”

At that moment, Chang Jin suddenly said, “Could it be that Li Qingan is actually…”
The room fell silent. The three of them said nothing, their eyes filled with disbelief.
Luo Pinfang murmured, “How is that possible? How could he be Ting’er?”
“But he’s twenty-seven this year, and Ting’er is also twenty-six. Besides, he shares the same surname—Li. It’s just too coincidental!”
With that, Chang Jin turned to Li Huichun and asked, “Brother Li, do you still remember? Li Qingan once asked you in Chang’an to help register his so-called grandfather under the Suiye registry.”
“Yes! That happened indeed.”
Luo Pinfang’s eyes lit up suddenly. Excitedly, he stammered, “If he really is Ting’er, then he’s the military governor of Beiting!”
Luo Pinfang was almost ready to shout to the heavens. If Li Qingan really was his grandson, he would kick that useless bastard into the Suiye River right away.
Li Huichun still remained silent. He gently stroked the talisman he had obtained from the spirit of the hidden prince, which read, “Suiye returns to Tang; the hidden dragon ascends to heaven.” He murmured to himself, “Could this be divine will?”
Suddenly, he turned around and said to the two of them in a very serious tone, “Only the three of us know about this. Under no circumstances may you reveal it to anyone, not even your wife!”
Luo and Chang nodded in agreement. Li Huichun added, “This matter is of great importance. We must not act rashly. We must uncover Li Qingan’s true background at all costs—either it’s true or it’s not. There must be no room for any hope.”