Chapter 465: Marriage Like Clothing

News of the struggles at the court meeting spread throughout Chang’an within half an hour of its end. In the various taverns of Chang’an, gossipers vividly described the exciting events that had taken place in the court, as if they had witnessed them firsthand. Their excited tales shocked those who listened. By the end of that day’s court session, Li Qing’an’s image as a martial hero was finally shattered. Many people listened with longing, realizing that political struggles could also be so dramatic.

At noon, news came again from Daming Palace: the Council of State voted 4 to 2 to appoint Wei Tao, former governor of Yangzhou and tutor to the crown prince, as Minister of Works and co-chancellor, filling the vacancy left by Cui Huan’s downfall. Thus, the political struggle triggered by Wei Jiansu’s case finally came to an end, with the regency party suffering a crushing defeat.

In early autumn, a light drizzle fell over Chang’an, relieving the heat that had persisted since the end of the Heat Season. It was time for the lunch break, which was quite long—nearly an hour. The court officials stepped out of Daming Palace in small groups, braving the drizzle, to find a tavern where they could drink and discuss the political changes following today’s court session. At that moment, a carriage emerged from Danfeng Gate. Dozens of guards waiting outside immediately rode up to flank the carriage as it slowly moved toward Zhuque Street. Inside the carriage, Zhang Yun had his eyes half-closed, trying to ease the fatigue from the morning’s court sessions.

Sitting opposite him was his brother, Zhang Jie, the Minister of Rites. Zhang Jie seemed worried. His relationship with the Wei family was not good, especially with Wei Jiansu, whom he resented deeply for taking his position when Wei Jiansu became prime minister. Now that Wei Jiansu had been captured, while he was happy, he also felt concerned about Wei Tao’s appointment as prime minister.

“I thought it was very unwise of you to support Wei Tao’s appointment as prime minister,” Zhang Jie said.

Seeing that his brother still remained silent with his eyes closed, Zhang Jie sighed and continued, “In fact, Wei Tao’s appointment not only harms Li Hen but also disadvantages you. Think about it—before, the Council of State was in balance, with three members on each side, making your vote particularly crucial. But by supporting Wei Tao today, you’ve disrupted that balance. The losses outweigh the gains. I think it’s a bad decision!”

At that moment, Zhang Yun slightly opened his eyes and glanced at his brother. After a long while, he slowly said, “Last time I said you couldn’t become prime minister was because you lack patience. I still say the same thing today—you’re too hasty. You revealed your selfish motives too early, which is why you won’t achieve great things.”

Zhang Jie was after all fifty years old. The reprimanding tone of his elder brother filled him with resentment. His face darkened as he said, “I was trying to advise you out of kindness. It’s fine if you don’t accept it, but why go out of your way to mock me? The reason I can’t become prime minister is because you’re in the way—after all, there can’t be two people with the surname Zhang in the government!”
Perhaps Zhang Yun also sensed his brother’s displeasure, so he opened his eyes, smiled, and reassured him, “You’re just as stubborn as you were as a child. Alright! I’ll tell you why I support Li Qing’an.”
“Go ahead! I’m listening,” Zhang Jie said in a still stern tone.
After a moment of thought, Zhang Yun replied, “When a tidal wave comes, the most important thing isn’t to try to block it—human strength can’t move the heavens. So, to survive the tide, one must go with the flow, just like a butcher skillfully cutting an ox. The conflict between the two parties this time is like a tidal wave hitting the shore. By supporting Li Qing’an, I’m simply going with the flow. Do you really think I went to Anxi to serve out of loyalty? Of course, it’s good to keep a backdoor open for oneself. As for the balance of power you mentioned, it may seem reasonable, but it really doesn’t matter in the face of strength.”
Zhang Jie’s tone softened a bit, but his doubts deepened. “Elder brother, you’re really overpraising Li Qing’an! If it weren’t for him accidentally catching Cui Huan off guard, would it have been so easy for him to bring Cui Huan down? It must be fate favoring him.”
Zhang Yun remained silent, quietly watching his brother. In fact, their father had said since they were young that the younger brother was foolish and that if he ever achieved anything, it would be because of their father’s influence. It seemed their father was right—had he not become a marquis and received special treatment from Li Longji, how could he have become the Minister of Rites? Zhang Yun sighed inwardly. He didn’t want to say more. Fate favoring him? Hmph! Could such coincidences really exist? This was clearly Li Qing’an’s arrangement. Li Qing’an could already control Li Longji—wasn’t that terrifying? His brother’s ignorance reminded Zhang Yun that he must send his son to Anxi right away. He closed his eyes again, saying no more.
……
In Jingshan Fang, a carriage rushed over and stopped in front of the Pei family’s steps. As soon as the carriage came to a halt, Pei Zunqing jumped down and hurried up the steps. A gatekeeper rushed out with an umbrella to shield Pei Zunqing from the rain.
“Has Master rested?” Pei Zunqing asked.
“Master just got up and is having lunch now.”

Pei Zunqing nodded and strode into the Pei family mansion. Although half a month had passed since the birthday celebration, many decorations and furnishings still remained in place. Four large red lanterns hung brightly on the trees in the courtyard. Pei Kuan was slowly sipping porridge with the help of several maids. Compared to during the birthday, his health had worsened again; he lay weakly on the soft cushions, like a puppet at the mercy of the maids.

“Second master has arrived!”

Someone announced at the door. Pei Zunqing hurried into the room. Though weak, Pei Kuan was still clear-minded. He raised his head and, seeing Pei Zunqing’s urgent expression, smiled and said, “Why are you so anxious?”

“I have an important matter to discuss with you, elder brother.”

Pei Zunqing sat down and recounted in detail what had happened at today’s court meeting. Pei Kuan continued to sip his porridge slowly, but the glint in his cloudy eyes showed that he had understood Pei Zunqing’s account. Pei Zunqing wasn’t seeking Pei Kuan’s strategies—after all, the old man couldn’t come up with any—but there were certain matters that required his support.

Over a decade ago, instigated by Li Linfu, Pei Zunqing had once fallen out with Pei Kuan. But as he grew older, he came to understand many truths, especially that the interests of the family should always come first. Pei Zunqing wasn’t a magnanimous person, and precisely because of this, he harbored deep hatred for the Cui family, determined to suppress them and make the Pei family the foremost family in the Tang Dynasty. Today, with the Cui family suffering a severe setback and their head, Cui Huan, being imprisoned, Pei Zunqing felt immense satisfaction. It also showed him Li Qingan’s ability to turn situations around at will, further solidifying his resolve to follow Li Qingan.

“Li Qingan is quite impressive!” A faint smile appeared on Pei Kuan’s walnut-like face.

“More than that!”

Encouraged by Pei Kuan’s response, Pei Zunqing perked up. He waved his hand to send the maids away, then leaned closer to Pei Kuan and lowered his voice, “By dealing a heavy blow to the Cui family this time, the situation has become clear. If our Pei family doesn’t seize its chance soon, we’ll regret it forever.”

Though frail, Pei Kuan had decades of experience and immediately grasped Pei Zunqing’s implied meaning. He narrowed his old eyes and said, “Are you saying he’ll ascend the throne?”

Pei Zunqing nodded. In fact, Li Qingan’s ambitions were no news at all. He had long harbored rebellious intentions by occupying Anxi, and after becoming a prince, he continued to act suspiciously. Two years ago, some people had accused him of amassing troops for personal gain with ulterior motives—things that many discerning people could see. But as a prominent figure from a powerful family, Pei Zunqing was also observing Li Qingan, wanting to see how he would strive for power—whether he aimed to be emperor for ten years or for a century. When Li Qingan used force to control Guanlong, it wasn’t to immediately seize the throne; rather, after supporting Li Shi to ascend the throne, Pei Zunqing realized that Li Qingan wanted to rule for a century. Thus, the Pei family could stake its future on Li Qingan. Today’s court struggles only reinforced his decision.

“Elder brother, this is an opportunity for our Pei family. With the Cui family fallen, it must be the time for our Pei family to rise. I hope you can persuade the Pei family to fully support his ascension to the throne.”

Pei Kuan smiled and asked, “So what do you plan to do?”

“I plan to start by forming a marriage alliance—marrying Wan’er to him, using marriage to bind our family to him.”

Pei Kuan nodded in agreement with Pei Zunqing’s idea. Moreover, Pei Wan’er was one of the most outstanding among the Pei family’s granddaughters—her appearance, intelligence, and temperament were all highly admirable. Having her approach Li Qingan was undoubtedly the best choice.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door. The gatekeeper reported, “Master, the regent has arrived, saying he’s here to apologize regarding the birthday matter.”

……

Marriage is like clothing. If the Pei family and Li Qingan were two pieces of clothing, then Pei Wan’er was the button that connected them. At this moment, this jade button, resembling a water onion, was not in the Pei household but in the Dugu family’s residence. These days, Pei Wan’er had a very good relationship with Dugu family’s second daughter, Mingzhu, as well as Pei Yu. After Pei Kuan’s birthday, the three of them often gathered together. Among them, Mingzhu was the oldest, three or four years older than the Pei sisters, but their mental ages were the same.

In the embroidery room, Mingzhu carefully took out a golden box and opened it. Inside was a diamond the size of a pigeon egg. Excitedly, she handed it to them and said, “Look at this! You’ve never seen one before, right?”

This light blue diamond had been a tribute from the Khagan of the Rouran to Li Qingan, named “Heat Sea Crystal Tear,” and was extremely rare in the world. Li Qingan gave it to Mingzhu as a reward for her traveling thousands of miles to deliver news to Beiting. It was Mingzhu’s most precious possession. After nearly losing it last time, she refused to show it off easily. This time, only because of her close relationship with the Pei sisters did she let them see it.

Although the Pei sisters were both from prominent families, the dazzling diamond still made them both exclaim in surprise, envy shining in their eyes.
“Mingzhu, is this really yours?”
“Of course. It was given to me by my brother-in-law.”
A hint of pride flashed in Mingzhu’s eyes when she mentioned her brother-in-law. Now, he was recognized as the most powerful man in the Tang Dynasty—some even said the emperor couldn’t compare to him. Whenever she went out, she would hear people whispering behind her, “Look! That’s the sister of Princess Zhao.” This filled Mingzhu with a sense of pride. The only downside was that people only referred to her as the sister of Princess Zhao, not as Li Qing’an’s sister-in-law.
Mingzhu carefully stored the diamond and said to them with enthusiasm, “I’ll take you to see my sister’s room too. It’s not something that’s easily shown to others. Many people who come to our house want to visit it, but my mother won’t allow it.”
Pei Wan’er and Pei Yu weren’t interested. Pei Wan’er shook her head and said with a smile, “Let’s go another day! First, let’s discuss tomorrow’s autumn outing.”
At the mention of the long-awaited autumn outing, Mingzhu’s face lit up. “Speaking of it, I can’t wait to go to Qujiang Pool. Why not bring more friends and have a fun time together? What do you think?”
“No!” the Pei sisters objected in unison. “If there are too many people, we won’t go.”
Mingzhu hurriedly said, “If you don’t want many people, fine. But Qujiang Pool is more fun with a crowd—everyone competing in boat races, singing songs, reciting poems, drinking wine. It would be boring if it were just the three of us staring at each other.”
At that moment, Lady Pei came in and said with a smile, “Then let your brother-in-law accompany you!”
“Mom, why did you sneak in without saying anything?” Mingzhu stood up, slightly reproaching her mother.
The Pei sisters stepped forward and bowed. “We greet you, aunt!”
“I came to clean your sister’s room and happened to hear you chatting. Just now, your brother-in-law sent someone to say he wants to go to Qujiang Pool tomorrow and asked if you’re interested in joining him. Since Wan’er and Yu are here too, let’s go together.”
“Really? What a coincidence.” Mingzhu beamed. “We were also planning to go on an autumn outing. How strange that we ended up going together!”
Pei Wan’er lowered her head. “Then I won’t go.”
“Why not?”
Mingzhu said unhappily, “We were going anyway. We can just consider him joining our trio. It’s not just one person—no, it’s more than that! He has a whole group of guards with him!”

Mingzhu suddenly realized that while she was more than willing to go on an outing with Li Qing’an, the thought of being watched by a large group of guards made her enthusiasm wane significantly.
“Maybe we should go by ourselves in a few days. We can say we’re sick tomorrow and just give up.”
“Stop talking nonsense. Mother has already agreed. You guys get ready today. Early tomorrow morning, he’ll send a carriage to pick you up.”
……
Lishan was a hillock about five li away from Huaqing Palace, covered in lush trees. Hidden among the trees was a small local temple, where gods of the land and their deities were enshrined—created at some unknown time. The temple was quite dilapidated, without doors or windows, empty inside. The clay statues of the gods were missing limbs, and there was only a broken three-legged wooden table. Spider webs covered the corners and roof. Such a remote place that even beggars wouldn’t stay there overnight.
At night, the usually deserted temple suddenly became bustling. Dozens of men in black gathered inside. They were agile, moving swiftly—clearly highly skilled fighters.
Without saying a word, they sat around eating dried food and drinking water. On the altar dedicated to the god of the land sat another man in black, with thick brows and a horse-like face, looking extremely ugly.
He was Liu Luogu, An Lushan’s intelligence chief in Chang’an. Since An Lushan’s defeat in Guannei Circuit, Liu Luogu, who had been active in Chang’an’s social circles, had disappeared. Of course, he hadn’t returned to Fanyang but moved from the front stage to the back, operating in secret. His base had also shifted from Chang’an City to Gaoling County. During this time, he had done nothing but send pigeon messages detailing major events in Chang’an to Youzhou.
Five days ago, Liu Luogu finally received An Lushan’s orders. Since Yang Yuhuan was gradually being forgotten, An Lushan ordered him to abduct her to Youzhou. If he succeeded, he would be promoted two ranks and rewarded with 50,000 strings of coins.
An Lushan’s orders made Liu Luogu dare not slack off in the slightest. He immediately gathered his hidden subordinates again.
Having operated in Chang’an for years, Liu Luogu had ample funds from An Lushan, allowing him to recruit soldiers and gather talented individuals. He hid 500 elite soldiers in one of his estates in Chang’an, along with nearly a hundred more so-called talented individuals—who were actually notorious bandits or criminals with a history of murder and robbery, now turned into An Lushan’s special forces.

Once again, Liu Luogu gathered these men to carry out the new mission assigned by An Lushan. At that moment, Liu Luogu stood in front of the altar with two leaders, discussing a plan to abduct Yang Yuhuan. In fact, they had already attempted it three days earlier, but they had underestimated the situation, thinking that Huaqing Palace was only guarded by 300 soldiers from one battalion. Unbeknownst to them, there were others lurking inside and outside the palace, causing their attempt to fail and resulting in three deaths, which also exposed their intentions.

Although worried that Yang Yuhuan might have been moved elsewhere, with only two days left of the seven-day deadline set by An Lushan, Liu Luogu had no choice but to go ahead with a second attempt.

On the altar lay a simple map, its markings faintly visible under the dim light. The map was sold to them by a guard who had once served at Huaqing Palace, showing the Taoist temple where Yang Yuhuan had taken refuge and a shortcut into the palace.

The shortcut was located at the northwest and southeast corners of the palace—both areas with dense trees, ideal for hiding and allowing them to climb inside the palace. Last time, they were discovered at the northwest corner, so it would surely be heavily guarded this time. Therefore, they would attack from the southeast corner.

Liu Luogu tapped the altar firmly with his finger and declared decisively, “We’ll enter through the southeast corner tonight!”

At that moment, a scout rushed in and said, “General, the time has come.”

Liu Luogu looked outside. It was still drizzling, with dark clouds covering the sky and strong winds blowing—perfect conditions for the mission. He immediately said to the nearly hundred men sitting on the ground, “I repeat: do not scare Lady Yang. Just put her in a sack and leave. Whoever succeeds will receive 10,000 guan as a reward.”

The generous reward made the eyes of every man in black gleam. They stood up, eager to act. One of the leaders suggested, “General, why not feint an attack on the northwest corner to draw the defenders away?”

“Good! That’s exactly what we’ll do. The first team will attack the northwest corner, while the second team will follow me to the southeast corner.”

He blew out the lamp in one motion and shouted, “Let’s go!”

Nearly a hundred men in black rushed out of the small temple, like a swarm of black wild cats. Their figures quickly disappeared into the dark, drizzling night.