Chapter 297: Traveling with a Beauty Through the Palace (Part 1)
Li Yu had officially moved into the Eastern Palace for three days now. The palace that his father, who had been the crown prince for over a decade, had only lived in for less than two years filled Li Yu with deep reflection. This would be the beginning of his life, the start of his grand ambitions. Sitting in the spacious hall, with a stack of memorials just delivered by the Secretariat before him, his decisions would become the final authority. The overwhelming power before him made Li Yu completely forget his father’s advice to remain low-key and restrained.
Indeed, he didn’t need to be restrained—he couldn’t be. In his eyes, the Tang Dynasty was like a gate riddled with wounds from sword strikes, ready to collapse with just a gentle push. The imperial treasury was on the verge of collapse, the fertile lands of Guanzhong could no longer sustain itself, the central plains lacked military strength, with most troops stationed at the borders. Over 70% of the military forces were not under Han control. Even the Jianghuai region, vital to the dynasty’s survival, was being affected by land consolidation. At the current rate of consolidation in the central plains, in five years, Jianghuai would also run out of food. All these factors made it impossible for him to remain restrained. If he didn’t take action now, by the time he ascended the throne, the dynasty would be like a crumbling building in a storm, on the verge of collapse. Driven by his youthful vigor and concern for the nation, he showed a firmness and assertiveness very different from his father, Li Heng, from the very beginning of his time in the Eastern Palace.
At that moment, Li Yu was sitting in his newly renovated study, carefully reviewing a thick stack of memorials delivered by the Secretariat. This was the power Li Longji had granted him—permission to approve memorials on his behalf. In a sense, Li Yu was now acting as regent for the crown prince.
Next to Li Yu, Gao Lishi sat at another table, helping Li Yu sort through the memorials. At this moment, Gao Lishi was also filled with emotion. He never expected Li Longji to be so generous as to delegate power to his grandson. The former crown prince, Li Heng, had served in the Eastern Palace for over a decade without ever having the authority to review memorials, yet Li Yu, his grandson, did. Was this a sign of Li Longji’s trust? Perhaps a bit, as it served to train the future emperor. But Gao Lishi knew it was more of an excuse for Li Longji himself to avoid engaging in politics. Delegating power to his grandson made him feel more at ease than to his son. As for himself being sent to the Eastern Palace, it served both as assistance and surveillance, but mainly as a reminder to Li Yu not to overstep his role—after all, he was merely the heir apparent. He had no authority to approve major military or state affairs or the appointment of officials above the third rank; such matters still had to be reported to the emperor. On the other hand, he couldn’t seize the power of the prime minister either. He had to learn to adapt to his role as a regent, merely preventing the Tang Dynasty from slipping into danger. Nevertheless, Gao Lishi was deeply relieved. In this vibrant heir apparent, he saw the hope of the Tang Dynasty once again.
At that moment, Gao Lishi saw a young eunuch appear at the door and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Elder Gao, Li Qing’an has arrived!”
“Oh! Ask him to come in.”
After thinking for a moment, Gao Lishi stood up and went outside. Outside the hall, he happened to meet Li Qing’an coming toward him. Gao Lishi smiled slightly and said, “Seventh Brother, congratulations on being promoted to a prince.”
Li Qing’an also smiled and said, “I also congratulate Elder Gao on coming to the Eastern Palace!”
Gao Lishi shook his head with a wry smile and said, “Everyone says I’ve been demoted to the Eastern Palace, but only you come to congratulate me. What brings you joy?”
“It’s joyful to accompany the new emperor, and it’s joyful not to have to return home in sadness. What do you think, Elder Gao?”
“You!” Gao Lishi patted his shoulder and laughed, “Go in quickly! The heir apparent is waiting for you!”
Li Qing’an followed Gao Lishi into a side hall and immediately saw Li Yu standing at the door of the study. From afar, he bowed and said with a smile, “Is it only now that the great general comes to see me?”
Li Qing’an hurried over a few steps, bowed deeply, and said, “I pay my respects to His Imperial Grandson!”
“The great general needn’t be polite. Please come in quickly!”
Li Yu had never placed as much importance on Li Qing’an as he did now. His imperial grandfather had made it clear to him that Li Qing’an was the person designated to protect him and ensure his ascension to the throne. Before he took the throne, Li Qing’an would be promoted to the position of governor of Longyou and Hexi, with a large army at his disposal to safeguard his coronation. Li Yu certainly understood the importance of military power. Aside from Li Qing’an, the other governors, though nominally loyal to the emperor, each had their own backers. An Lushan had allied with Yang Guozhong, who was also his father’s mortal enemy and thus his rival as well. Gao Xianzhi showed signs of leaning toward Zhang Jun, whose ambiguous attitude made him unreliable. As for Geshu Han, though nominally part of the emperor’s loyalist faction, he was actually a neutralist and untrustworthy. Only Li Qing’an was his steadfast supporter, and Li Yu deeply understood the importance of winning over Li Qing’an.
On the other hand, Li Qing’an was not only around the same age as him but also shared his strong opposition to land consolidation, which gave Li Yu a sense of mutual understanding.
He invited Li Qing’an into his study and said with a smile, “The great general is about to get married. I’d like to congratulate you first.”
Half a month earlier, Li Yu would have spoken these words with a hint of sourness or even jealousy, after all, Dugu Mingyue was the woman he longed for. What’s more, he didn’t know that Dugu Mingyue was originally destined to become his empress—only because of the intrusion of this outsider, Li Qing’an, had she been taken away from him. But right now, it wasn’t the time for him to have both the kingdom and the beauty; the state was far more important than a woman. Li Qing’an represented his kingdom, so giving up the woman could be seen as an investment in securing the kingdom. With this calculation, Li Yu’s dilemma was resolved.
Li Yu warmly invited Li Qing’an to sit down and ordered someone to serve him a cup of tea. He asked with a smile, “When do you plan to return?”
Li Qing’an replied with a smile, “Preparing for the campaign in Longyou takes time. I intend to return to Anxi with my family after my marriage. I hope Your Highness will approve.”
Li Yu was taken aback and quickly asked, “Do you mean you want to take your wife with you?”
Li Qing’an nodded. That was exactly what he meant. By convention, high-ranking officials were required to leave their families in Chang’an—Geshu Han’s wife and children, Gao Xianzhi’s wife and children, and An Lushan’s son An Qingzong, who served as a hostage to prevent them from rebelling. But by now, this rule no longer held much meaning. If they really wanted to rebel, they wouldn’t care about their families in the capital. Moreover, Emperor Li Longji had appointed eunuchs as supervisors in all the military regions, which was more effective than keeping hostages in the capital.
Although that was said, everyone still voluntarily left their families in the capital, unwilling to break this rule. Li Qing’an wanted to take his wife with him, and Li Yu knew there were special reasons behind this, but it still violated the rule. Since Li Qing’an had told him, he hoped Li Yu would approve it.
Li Yu pondered for a moment. In his own heart, he also wanted Li Qing’an to take Mingyue with him; he didn’t want Mingyue to become his imperial grandmother. However, he had no authority to approve Li Qing’an taking his wife and daughter away, so he needed to consult his imperial grandfather first.
“General, of course I agree that General Li can take his wife and daughter to Anxi, but I need a reason to explain it to the Emperor.”
Li Qing’an smiled slightly and said, “Perhaps I didn’t explain clearly. I don’t intend to take my wife there to live permanently. I just want to take her to Suiye to pay respects at my parents’ graves. It’s a natural human desire, and it’s not something that violates the rules. I’ll let her return after she finishes paying respects.”
Li Yu slapped his forehead. “Brilliant! How could I not think of that excuse? Once they leave, when they’ll return is another matter. We can just find another excuse then—it’s easy enough.” The two exchanged glances, smiles appearing in their eyes as they understood each other perfectly.
Li Yu immediately said cheerfully, “Since the General only wants to take his wife to pay respects to his ancestors, there’s no need to disturb the Emperor. I can handle this matter on my own.”
Li Qing’an was overjoyed and quickly stood up to thank him, “Then I owe you my gratitude, Your Highness.”
“General, you’re welcome. Besides, I have another matter I’d like to discuss with you.”
Li Yu gave Gao Lishi a signal, and Gao Lishi immediately said to the few eunuchs waiting nearby, “The cabinets in Your Highness’s study might be ready. Let’s all go help move them!”
He led the eunuchs out of the study and gently closed the door. Once everyone was gone, Li Yu lowered his voice and said, “Changsun Quanxu has been demoted. The Emperor wants to transfer Han Xiumin, the governor of Hedong, to the position of General of the Left Yulin Army. This will leave the position of Hedong governor vacant, which will surely lead to competition. Could the General suggest a candidate for me?”
Li Qing’an hadn’t expected this. After pondering for a while, he asked, “Has the Emperor proposed any candidates?”
Li Yu shook his head. “The matter was only mentioned yesterday morning, but in the afternoon, Yang Guozhong proposed his own candidate. He suggested that An Lushan should serve as the governor of Hedong as well.”
Li Qing’an’s heart skipped a beat. In history, An Lushan indeed served as the governor of Hedong, which gave him control over the three military regions and eventually led to his rebellion. Under no circumstances could the power of Hedong governor be given to An Lushan again—it wasn’t in Li Qing’an’s interest.
“Do any others have any suggestions?”
“Zhang Yun suggested Feng Changqing to take over, while Wang Gong recommended Fu Menglingcha for the position.”
Li Qingan couldn’t help but smile. Since they were all high-ranking officials in Anxi, Feng Changqing was naturally Gao Xianzhi’s choice. Fu Menglingcha, as the deputy commander of Andong, held a minor position. It was unclear when he had become close to Wang Gong. At that moment, an idea struck him, and he said with a smile, “I have someone in mind. Your Highness might want to consider them.”
“Please speak, General!”
Li Qingan said slowly, “We need someone whom Your Highness can easily control, someone from Anxi who is also familiar with Hedong. He used to be my rival, but now he’s in a rather desperate situation. Can Your Highness guess who he is?”
Li Yu thought for a moment before saying, “Are you referring to Cheng Qianli, the governor of Luzhou?”
Li Qingan nodded slowly. “That’s exactly him!”
Li Yu hesitated and said, “He was once part of Prince Qing’s faction and also a rival of the General. Isn’t it inappropriate to recommend him?”
“No! No! Though he’s nominally my rival, the person he truly hates is Gao Xianzhi. Moreover, the Emperor would be pleased to have another person with a poor relationship with me by Your Highness’s side. Although he was part of Prince Qing’s faction before, he should have learned his lesson by now. Having him as the governor of Hedong would be a great asset to Your Highness.”
Li Yu murmured, “Let me think! Let me think!”
“Your Highness, then I shall take my leave.”
…
Early the next morning, Li Qingan’s carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Dugu residence. He was tired of the intrigues in Chang’an, so he decided to take a day off and take his beauty to his estate.
Li Qingan originally only wanted to take Mingyue with him, so that many interesting things could happen inside the well-protected carriage. Unexpectedly, his sister-in-law, lacking any sense of propriety, insisted on joining them, ruining his plans.
Mingyue and Mingzhu had already been waiting at the door, carrying a small bag with lunch prepared by Mingyue. As soon as Li Qingan’s carriage stopped, Mingzhu rushed over excitedly. But before the door even opened, she became anxious and started knocking on it frantically. “Brother Li, open the door quickly!”
With a headache, Li Qingan opened the door. Mingzhu rushed in immediately, and Li Qingan complained in a low voice, “You little girl, you ruined my plans.”
“Hehe! Anyway, you don’t care about these few days anyway.”
Mingzhu giggled, got into the carriage, and whispered in his ear, “Do you think I’m stupid? If I don’t go, will Mother let Sister and you go alone? It’s Mother who decides such things, understand? My dear General!”
The words “Second Young Master Bing” suddenly reminded Li Qing’an of the lively and playful girl from a few years ago. His heart instantly brightened, and he patted her head with a smile, saying, “Actually, I really like you. I’m glad you can come with us.”
“Like me?”
Mingzhu suddenly became shy, her cheeks turning red. The boldness she had shown when rushing onto the carriage vanished without a trace. She pulled at her skirt and sat quietly by the window, leaving Li Qing’an’s headache even worse.
At that moment, Mingyue came over. Perhaps because she had gone out for an outing, she was dressed very simply today—wearing a peach-colored dress whose hem didn’t touch the ground. She had a light layer of makeup on her face, her hair neatly combed and adorned with a green jade hairpin. Her arched eyebrows, gentle eyes, and rosy lips made her appear even more graceful and delicate. It was the first time Li Qing’an had seen Mingyue with light makeup. Such an elegant beauty, like a lotus blooming from the water, left him momentarily stunned.
“Brother Li!”
Mingyue softly reproached him, and Li Qing’an chuckled, saying, “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about something and got distracted.”
Mingyue smiled faintly, peeked into the carriage, then turned around and waved, saying, “Come on in! There’s plenty of space; we can all fit in.”
Two women carrying bundles came out from the door, and Li Qing’an’s spirits sank—they were his beloved twin sisters, as beautiful as poetry.
The sisters stepped forward shyly and bowed to Li Qing’an, saying, “Big brother, we didn’t want to come, but our elder sister insisted.”
“Oh! What are you saying? It’s better if we all go together and have fun.”
Li Qing’an glanced toward the door again and asked curiously, “Where’s Wuyi? Why isn’t she here?”
Rushi was closest to Wuyi, so she quickly replied, “Sister Wuyi said she wanted to compose a new song. She just found the right inspiration and said she’d join us next time.”
Li Qing’an understood right away. Given Wuyi’s proud nature, she indeed wouldn’t come. He didn’t say much more and said to everyone, “Alright, we need to set off. Everyone, get on the carriage!”
Mingyue led the twin sisters onto the carriage. The spaciousness inside made them exclaim, “Big brother, your carriage is like a moving room!”
Ruhua noticed a small door inside and curiously pushed it open to take a look. Inside, there were two rows of bookshelves filled with various books, and a thick blanket on the floor that could be used for sleeping. Suddenly, she saw a basin behind the door and gasped lightly before quickly closing it.
The four women sat down at the small table, while Li Qing’an leaned against the other side, smiling as he watched the four beautiful women. Suddenly, an idea struck him—why not play a game of mahjong? It would make a perfect game for all of them.
At that moment, the carriage jolted slightly and set off slowly. With a rustle, Mingzhu opened the small bag she brought, and five sets of chess pieces rolled onto the table. She said with a smile, “Shall we gamble?”
Ruhua clapped her hands and laughed, “I was just regretting not bringing chess pieces! It’s great that you did. Okay, let’s play together.”
Mingyue, however, curled her lips and said, “Aren’t you already gambling enough with your bunch of friends? You still can’t stay quiet.”
Seeing her sister expose her weakness in front of Li Qing’an, Mingzhu stammered, “It’s just boring on the road. We’re heading to Weinan County!”
Mingyue didn’t bother to respond. She got up and pushed open the small door. “I’m going to find a book to read. Mr. Li, what books do you have here?”
Li Qing’an took the opportunity to follow in, closed the door, and then wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. Mingyue was terrified and quickly waved her hands, pointing outside. But Li Qing’an ignored her and tried to kiss her. Not daring to make a fuss, she reluctantly allowed him to take advantage of her.
“Brother Li, come and keep score!” Mingzhu called out insensitively from outside.
“Okay, go ahead!”
Mingyue gently pushed him away and adjusted her dress. Her face was red as she said in a soft, reproachful tone, “If you keep being this unruly, I won’t go out with you anymore.”
“Hehe! Mingyue, which book do you like? The Art of War or Zhuangzi?”
Outside, Mingzhu and Ruhua covered their mouths, laughing uncontrollably. Rushi was more reserved; she hissed and waved her hand, saying, “They’re coming out!”
Mingzhu and Ruhua quickly sat up straight and pretended to look out the window seriously. The door opened, and Li Qing’an stepped out, smiling. “What, waiting for me?”
“We three are playing, but no one keeps score. How can we have fun like that?”
“Good! I’ll keep score for you. Gamble freely—what you lose goes to me, and what you win stays with you.”
Li Qingan sat down and picked up the five wooden dice. Chupu was the most popular gambling game in the Tang Dynasty; it was made of chu wood, hence the name Chupu. Since it consisted of five dice in a set, it was also called “the game of five woods.” Each die had a rounded, sharp end on both sides and a flat, broad middle section, resembling a flattened almond. Each die had two sides—one painted black and the other white. The black side featured a calf drawing, while the white side had a pheasant. During gameplay, the five dice were thrown at once, allowed to roll around before stopping, and then the different combinations formed by the sides facing up were observed—this was what was meant by “cai.” A combination of all five black dice was called “Lu,” the highest score; four black and one white was called “Zhi,” the next best score. Gambling was commonly referred to as “Hu Lu He Zhi,” with its origin lying in this game, somewhat similar to rolling dice today.
Chupu could also be used for playing chess, though it was very complex, so it won’t be described here. In the Tang Dynasty, Chupu was a game loved by people of all ages, as popular as mahjong today. After meals during family gatherings, the young would go out to shoot arrows or throw pots, while the older ones would gather to play Chupu and gamble. The people of the Tang Dynasty were fond of gambling, and this trend existed both among the common folk and in the palace. Emperor Li Longji often gambled and drank with the four Yang sisters, while Yang Zhao, who had just arrived in the capital, stood by to keep score. Being an expert in this game, he quickly won Li Longji’s trust.
Inside the carriage, the three young women rolled up their sleeves, revealing their six delicate arms as white lotus stems. Everyone was tense, especially Mingzhu, whose face was flushed as she stared at the rolling dice and exclaimed loudly, “Lu! Lu! Lu!”
Mingyue leaned against the cushion on the other side, reading a book, but her beautiful eyes would occasionally steal glances at Li Qingan, her mind still dwelling on the intimate scene in the back of the carriage earlier.
The carriage sped out of Chang’an City toward Weinan County.