Chapter 56: A Night Out in Chang’an (Part 1)

Leaving Du Gu’s residence, it was not yet completely dark. He had been a guest there for less than an hour, yet Li Qing’an felt as if he had endured years of hardship, with a sense of relief washing over him.
He rode straight back to his lodging. Chang’an was full of treasures and beauty, with countless beautiful women on its streets—these were the sights he wanted to see. Since he had nothing to do that night, he decided to explore Chang’an at night and enjoy the beauty.
Eagerly, Li Qing’an returned to his place, planning to take some money and go out again. But as soon as he entered the residence, he felt something strange—everyone wore odd smiles and looked at him with sympathetic eyes.
“Hey! What’s going on?” Li Qing’an asked curiously.
“Seventh Brother, go check your own courtyard and you’ll know.”
Just after passing through a door, he heard a young woman’s voice coming from the courtyard: “Bai Lajiang, go and get Li Chougong back! Why isn’t he sleeping at home in the middle of the night? Where has he gone?”
Li Qing’an’s head swelled with confusion—how did she get here?
He turned to flee, but suddenly a pretty girl appeared in front of him. “General Li!” she cried excitedly.
The girl was about eleven or twelve years old, cute and adorable. Li Qing’an felt he recognized her somehow.
“Don’t you remember me? I’m Xia Xiaolian! You visited me in Kucha.”
“Oh! I remember now. You’re Xiaolian.”
Li Qing’an suddenly recalled that she was the orphan girl he had left behind, and he still had a pair of cloth shoes she had given him in his trunk.
“How did you come to Chang’an?”
Xia Xiaolian replied hesitantly, “I came with Miss Gao Wu.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Gao Wu rushed out like a gust of wind. “Li Chougong, where have you been wandering around?”
“Hehe! Long time no see. Miss Wu, you’re getting even more beautiful.”
“Stop acting silly. Be honest—did you go after women?”
Gao Wu stepped forward and sniffed him, frowning. “You reek of alcohol. Where did you go to drink?”
At that moment, Bai Yuanguang quietly came out of the courtyard, winked at him maliciously, and dashed away along the wall.
“Weren’t I appointed as a Lieutenant General of the Qian Niu Guard? That’s why Du Gu, the General of the Qian Niu Guard, invited me to his house for a drink.”
Li Qing’an explained with a smile as he entered the courtyard. Gao Wu followed behind, puzzled. “What’s your connection to him as a Lieutenant General of the Qian Niu Guard? I think he has some beautiful daughter who wants to marry you.”

Li Qing’an was startled. Since when had Wu Niang become so shrewd? He quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, “How could that be? Du Gu Shi is already over sixty, and his youngest daughter is in her thirties. You’re overthinking things.”
“Even if there’s no daughter, there’s still a granddaughter!” Gao Wu said with a laugh.
At that moment, Xia Xiaolian picked up a box at the door and said, “General Li, you’ve lost your thing.”
Li Qing’an froze. He glanced at the leather bag in his hands and realized the opening wasn’t tied tightly, causing the box containing the Bai Cui cup to fall out.
“What’s that?” Gao Wu was immediately attracted by the exquisitely crafted sandalwood box.
“Nothing much, just a trinket,” Li Qing’an said quickly, stepping forward to take the box.
But Gao Wu rushed over, snatched the box away, and demanded, “Let me see! What’s so special about it?”
She turned her back, opened the box, and her eyes lit up. “Wow! What a beautiful cup.”
She turned back excitedly and asked, “Is this for me?”
Li Qinggong was stunned for a moment. After a while, he scratched the back of his head and said with a wry smile, “If you like it, take it!”
“I don’t want it!”
Gao Wu snapped the lid shut and returned the box to Li Qing’an, pouting. “There’s no sincerity at all. It must be for some Du Gu general’s granddaughter. I won’t steal someone else’s treasure.”
“I told you, there’s no such Du Gu granddaughter. This cup is for you. Didn’t you give me a mirror last time?”
“Hmm! You know how to be polite and give back in return. Then this cup belongs to me.”
Gao Wu opened the box happily again, growing more and more fond of it. She handed it to Xia Xiaolian and said, “Xiaolian, put it in my bag for me.”
“Okay!”
Xia Xiaolian took the cup and left in a hurry. Li Qing’an watched her retreating figure and asked curiously, “How did she end up coming to Chang’an with you?”
“Isn’t it all because of you?”
“Because of me?” Li Qing’an was confused. “What do you mean? How could it be because of me?”
“It was you who told her her father had gone to Lingxi! She wanted to cross the border to find him, but was caught by Tang army patrols. If it weren’t for her being a slave to an official, I would’ve encountered her by chance. I redeemed her, and seeing how lonely she was, I’ve kept her with me. She also wants to be with me.”
“Oh! I see.” Li Qing’an looked at the sky and smiled. “I plan to enjoy the night view in Chang’an. Would you like to come with me?”
“Sure! I heard the western market in Chang’an is very lively at night. Go with me and show it to me.”

The West Market was divided into nine major sections by four wide roads, eight zhang each. Various types of shops clustered together in groups. For example, the rice market consisted of dozens of large rice shops that controlled the grain supply of Chang’an. This was what set the West Market apart from the East Market—the East Market focused on luxury goods, while the West Market was a market for ordinary people, offering everything from bulk grains and tea to cloth, porcelain, ironware, as well as writing supplies. There were also shops selling medicine, shoes and hats, fish, meat, livestock, and so much more.

During the day, Li Qing’an went to the East Market to buy gifts. There weren’t many people there, so he assumed it was because of the bitter cold, preventing the people of Chang’an from going outside. But once he entered the gates of the West Market, he realized he had been completely wrong.

The West Market could truly be described as crowded with people. Lanterns were lit in every shop, and their combined light illuminated the market as if it were day. Shouts and calls filled the air, and the streets were packed with crowds. There were women who came to buy grain, fish, and meat taking advantage of the cheap goods available at night markets, small merchants from various districts coming to stock up, scholars from different places preparing for the imperial examinations, and polo players like Li Qing’an who came to participate in polo matches. Groups of young girls wandered from shop to shop, selecting the small trinkets they liked.

Li Qing’an walked around the market with Gao Wu and Xia Xiaolian. His gaze often fell on groups of young, beautiful girls dressed in colorful silk dresses. They resembled vibrant, picturesque scenes, truly delightful to behold.

Gao Wu, on the other hand, paid more attention to the silk and jewelry shops. The exquisite fabrics, brocades, pearls, and cosmetics in the shops left her dazzled; she wished she could take the entire store back to Anxi.

“Qilang, this way! This way! Let’s check out this shop.” She pulled Li Qing’an’s arm and rushed toward a jewelry shop. “The items in this shop seem really good.”