Carved carriages compete to park on the heavenly streets, while precious horses race along the imperial roads. Dazzling gold and jade catch the eye, and the fragrance of fine silks fills the air. This dreamlike sentence is equally fitting to describe Chang'an. (1)
Chang'an, the imperial city at the foot of the Son of Heaven, possessed a prosperity and splendor that other places could never hope to match.
In this wealthy land, events big and small played out every day. The big ones could affect all the high officials and nobles inside and outside the imperial city, while the small ones only happened within families of three, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Recently, however, hidden currents surged in Chang'an, and the folk teahouses were occupied by a crowd of storytellers.
Smack! The sharp sound of a wooden gavel pierced the air.
The tea drinkers in the hall felt a jolt in their hearts and focused their attention.
"Today, let us briefly talk about the Marquis of Wu'an from the North. This man is truly the reincarnation of the Star of Military Arts. At the age of eleven, he followed his father into battle, and brought back the head of a Wuhuan soldier on his very first try. Right after his coming-of-age ceremony, he dared to take the head of Prince Langye from amidst an army of ten thousand, severely crippling the Wuhuan's vitality and securing another ten years of peace for the borders of our Great Yan!"
The tea drinkers cheered in unison.
The storyteller in green robes stroked his goatee. "Since ancient times, heroes have been matched with beauties. Lady Dai, the Marquis of Wu'an's second wife, not only possesses a face like a flower and the moon, but is also compassionate. The highly acclaimed dragon-bone water wheel from last year spread rapidly from the North to the Central Plains precisely because of her promotion. As the saying goes, agriculture is the foundation of the people, and when the foundation is solid, the country is secure. The Marchioness's entry into the capital this time is precisely for the matter of being granted a noble title."
"It is said that the Marquis of Wu'an treats his wife like a precious pearl. He escorted her again and again, actually accompanying her all the way from Yuyang to Yanzhou, where he had just quelled a rebellion, unable to bear parting with his wife and children. Coincidentally, this happened right as the golden flood dragon appeared, committing all sorts of evil in Chang'an, causing a huge uproar and leaving the people with no peace."
At the mention of the evil flood dragon, all the tea drinkers in the hall nodded.
Previously, there had been a series of minor earthquakes in Chang'an City, and every time, a prophecy would be unearthed.
The rumor that "Han Yan is about to perish" spread until everyone in Chang'an knew it.
The Empress Dowager was furious and bypassed the Bearer of the Gilded Mace, instead dispatching the Feathered Forest Guard to investigate thoroughly. However, for more than two consecutive months, they failed to find even the slightest clue.
Someone in the hall whispered, "Isn't it bizarre? Among the collapsed houses, there were newly built ones as well as those built only five or six years ago. There is no such thing as them being in disrepair due to age."
"They investigated for months and still found nothing. Instead, the more they investigated, the more mysterious it became."
"Could it really be that the evil flood dragon bit the white fox to death, which triggered all the subsequent events?"
"I think it most likely is. If not for such anomalies, how could it attract the governors of various provinces to all come to the capital and gather together? Just from what I've heard, there's Governor Xie of Sizhou, Governor Nangong, Governor Jiang of Yuzhou..."
Smack! Another strike of the wooden gavel sounded.
The green-robed storyteller silenced the discussions in the hall before saying, "Provincial governors guard their respective regions and cannot enter the capital without an imperial edict. But now that evil demons are harming Chang'an, those who eat the ruler's salary must share the ruler's worries. Heroes from all over have flocked to the capital to slay the evil flood dragon. Our Chang'an hasn't had such a gathering of distinguished guests in a long time. But speaking of yesterday, when the Marquis of Wu'an and his wife arrived in Chang'an, many noble families were so moved that their tears flowed freely..."
Someone below couldn't help but whisper, "I'm afraid it wasn't out of emotion. The daughter of the brother of the distant cousin of my third cousin's great-uncle married a gatekeeper of the Yuan family. I heard that yesterday, many masters of the Yuan family were so worried that they didn't eat all day."
"The Yuan family and the Empress Dowager's maternal family, the Wangs, are related by marriage, so it's normal for them to be worried. With heroes gathered together, if the helm of this ship isn't steered well, the capital will likely undergo a massive upheaval. After all, the troops and horses of the various families are all stationed thirty miles outside the city."
"Shh, don't be so direct!"
One of the heroes being discussed both openly and covertly by the commoners was currently in the most prestigious eatery in the capital.
"Madam, this lotus seed calabash duck is quite good, you should try it." Qin Shaozong recommended it to Dai Li, and then sighed, "Chang'an truly is the top golden nest under heaven. They can even make a single duck in such an elaborate way."
The customs of the North were rugged, and their meals were correspondingly much bolder. For example, the noodle soup Dai Li had eaten earlier came in a bowl that was larger than her face.
However, the lotus seed calabash duck that had been praised as "quite good" was served on a carved white porcelain plate less than seven inches long, and the calabash duck on the plate was even more ingenious.
The entire duck had been deboned, yet its skin remained perfectly intact. It had been specially shaped into an auspicious calabash, and the inside was stuffed with ingredients such as lotus seeds, sea cucumbers, and mushrooms. The duck meat had been infused with the flavors of the various ingredients for a long time, giving it a unique taste.
Dai Li picked up a piece with her chopsticks, chewed it slowly and carefully, and after saying, "It is indeed quite good," she went back to eating the white jade Buddha's hand that she had already taken a few bites of earlier.
This dish had a good name and a beautiful presentation. It was as crystal clear as carved jade, resembling a pale hand with its palm facing upwards. Paired with the dark sauce underneath, it was a feast for the eyes.
"Why are you only eating that white radish? You barely eat any meat in a meal, no wonder a simple cold previously kept you bedridden for days." Qin Shaozong took a small porcelain bowl, picked out a few pieces of the calabash duck, and placed it next to Dai Li's hand. "Finish it."
"I just indulged in too much cold food at the time, and I was a bit unaccustomed to the climate when we first arrived in Yongzhou." Dai Li refused to admit that her health was poor.
"Anyway, you have to finish it." His tone was forceful.
Dai Li pursed her lips and whispered, "Zhou Zhou and Qinian aren't here right now, you don't need to keep acting like a father."
"No acting spoiled." Qin Shaozong added another piece of fish to her bowl.
Dai Li: "..."
Qin Shaozong picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip.
Setting out from Yuyang in Youzhou, passing through Jizhou, stopping in Yanzhou to handle some affairs, and finally crossing through Sizhou to arrive here, they had taken their time and traveled for an entire spring.
They arrived in the capital right when the appearance of the golden dragon in Chang'an was causing the greatest panic among the people, and following several provincial governors who harbored certain unspoken intentions.
Today was their second day in the capital. Yesterday, when they first arrived in Chang'an, officials had welcomed them early on and led them to a large mansion in the southern part of the city.
Later, Dai Li found out that the neighbors of that mansion were the other provincial governors. Everyone had been housed together in one cluster.
And the Northern faction was placed right in the center.
"Could it be that General Shen filed a complaint, so the imperial court put us right in the middle?" Dai Li suspected.
Qin Shaozong: "It's entirely possible. Who told them that the final bandit leader couldn't be saved in the end?"
"It's like raising Gu poison," Dai Li suddenly blurted out.
She spoke without context, but Qin Shaozong understood. "The matter of the prophecies is causing a huge uproar, and yet at this very moment, the wolves and tigers bordering the nest are jumping in one after another to muddy the waters. If I were the mastermind behind the scenes, I would also gather them all together, sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and be the relaxed fisherman who reaps the benefits."
The Chang'an dust explosion was an opportunity to enter the capital. Obviously, the North wasn't the only one to spot and seize this chance.
Dai Li looked thoughtful. "In that case, the matter of me being granted a noble title might not be put on the agenda immediately."
"Let's wait and see." Seeing her chopsticks absentmindedly poking at the fish in her bowl without actually eating it, Qin Shaozong lightly tapped the edge of her bowl with his wooden chopsticks. "Madam, stop torturing that poor piece of fish and quickly send it to its next life."
Dai Li muttered, "It would have been better to let Zhou Zhou and the others come along too."
With the younger generation present, he would restrain himself somewhat, unlike now where he even micromanaged her when she didn't want to eat.
"They aren't babbling toddlers anymore, how can they stick to their parents all day?" Qin Shaozong had intentionally left the juniors behind when they went out today.
The Hewei Pavilion where the two were dining was the most famous large eatery in Chang'an. The private rooms from the second floor upwards did not accept walk-ins and required advance reservations.
Dining in a private room required paying a hefty fee for the room itself, and each dish cost twenty percent more than it did in the main hall. Yet despite this, wealthy and noble families came in an endless stream, ensuring the private rooms at Hewei Pavilion were fully booked every single day.
The reason was simple: pushing open the window on one side of the room revealed a nearby river winding like a ribbon of jade. Painted pleasure boats drifted upon it, with snatches of song floating up from time to time. Along the banks, willow trees formed a continuous wave of green, swaying in the wind beneath the azure sky.
It was a picturesque scene, painting a corner of Chang'an's prosperity.
"My lord, this private room is already occupied. Please come this way."
"It's fine, I know the people inside." This was a rough, hearty male voice.
Qin Shaozong slightly raised his long eyebrows.
Dai Li was a little stunned.
Did Qin Changgeng still have such open and aboveboard friends in Chang'an? Could it be...
The next moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a burly man with the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear strode in. He was eight feet tall, with a square face, tiger-like eyes, and a dark shadow of stubble on his jaw.
Who else could the newcomer be but Nangong Xiong?
Nangong Xiong knew Qin Shaozong was inside, and he also knew he was definitely not alone in the room.
Last year, Quanjie suddenly became Qin Yanzhou, and the Madame Dai beside him later leaped to become the matriarch of the North, not to mention he suddenly had an extra son to his name.
Knowing quite a bit of the inside story, how could Nangong Xiong not understand? Back then, Qin Changgeng had repeatedly claimed that Qin Yanzhou was the son of an old friend. That was clearly a trick.
Although he had some expectations before coming, Nangong Xiong was still incredibly amazed when he actually saw Dai Li.
The young woman wore a pale pink satin ruqun dress, her dark hair swept up in a flowing cloud chignon. Her skin was white as snow, with a dot of crimson between her brows, and her radiant eyes seemed to gather the brilliant glow of the horizon's sunset.
She did not act like other noble ladies, who would consciously retreat to the connecting small tea room next door when an outside male visited. She merely looked him over with curiosity.
Previously, when the North and Qingzhou cooperated, Dai Li had only heard of Governor Nangong but had never met him. Now that she saw him...
How to put it? He completely matched her impression of a military general.
Qin Shaozong opened his mouth and said, "Nangong, your wife hasn't been granted a title, so why are you joining the fun in Chang'an?"
Nangong Xiong's mouth twitched. "Although my wife has not received an imperial title from His Majesty, it doesn't stop me from caring about Chang'an. Didn't I hear there was an evil dragon stirring up trouble, so I hurried over to protect the emperor?"
"Come on, there is no one else here. Why do you need to put on an act in front of me, Nangong?" Qin Shaozong sneered.
Dai Li subconsciously looked at Nangong Xiong's waist. The man had traveled with a saber, and looking at its length, it was about five feet long. She silently tapped the black boot of the man opposite her under the table, signaling him to restrain his words.
The other party was, after all, a provincial governor and a former partner. Now they were all in Chang'an, and the place they were staying was even surrounded.
Restrain yourself!
Qin Shaozong picked up his chopsticks and put another piece of meat in Dai Li's bowl. "Finish this piece too."
Dai Li: "..."
Nangong Xiong's eyes flickered slightly. He reached back and closed the door to the private room, shutting out the restaurant attendants and Feng Feng and the others who had hurried over from the next room.
He took a few steps forward and sat down beside the table. "Alright, since you, Qin Changgeng, say there is no one else here, let me ask you a question. I hope you will tell me the truth."
Without waiting for Qin Shaozong to respond, Nangong Xiong lowered his voice and said, "Those baffling prophecies in Chang'an, are they your doing?"
A trace of surprise flashed in Dai Li's eyes.
Qin Shaozong smiled faintly. "Why do you say that?"
"Although the prophecies point directly to the Bearer of the Golden Mace and Governor Xie of Sizhou, I actually feel it isn't them. Governor Xie of Sizhou has been in power for less than half a year, and he was heavily damaged by you last year. His foundation is still shallow, and Sizhou itself is not yet stable. How could he have the energy to mess around outside?" Nangong Xiong rubbed his chin. He knew more of the inside story than most. "The Emperor summoned your esteemed wife to the capital to receive her title first, and then the golden dragon appeared in Chang'an later. And I always felt you wouldn't let your esteemed wife enter the capital alone."
If he hadn't witnessed all those previous events, Nangong Xiong would have unhesitatingly dismissed such talk from others as absurd.
But it just so happened that he had received three hundred fine horses and other compensations from the North. First there was the comment that it really is better to die quickly, then there was the matter of Quanjie being written off, and that fellow immediately getting married in early spring...
Not feeling at ease letting his newlywed wife go to the capital alone, and thus secretly causing trouble to stir up the whole city—that was indeed something Qin Changgeng would do.
Nangong Xiong stared unblinkingly at the man in front of him, wanting an answer, when suddenly he saw the other man curl his lips into a smile.
"What if it is? What if it isn't?" Qin Shaozong asked in return.
Nangong Xiong gasped inwardly, doubts popping up one after another.
"The collapsed houses were all brand new. How did you make them turn into a pile of ruins without anyone noticing?" Nangong Xiong pressed.
Qin Shaozong was about to open his mouth when he suddenly heard:
"Boom!"
A loud crash came from outside the window. Dai Li turned her head in shock, only to see what looked like billowing dust and smoke not far away.
Nangong Xiong's pupils contracted for a moment, and he subconsciously looked at Qin Shaozong. "You're doing it again?"
Unexpectedly, there was another loud crash at this moment. The direction was similar but not exactly the same. Dai Li stared into the distance. They were on the third floor, and Hewei Pavilion was grandly built; the third floor offered a wide view, allowing them to see far away.
"No, that looks like the place we are staying." Dai Li's expression changed.
South District, Minhe Street.
When Dai Li returned, she saw that the collapsed houses were right next to the mansion they were staying in.
One house on the left and one on the right had collapsed. Their Qin Manor stood tall in the middle, completely unharmed.
If she remembered correctly, the mansion on the left temporarily belonged to Qingzhou, and the one on the right belonged to Sizhou.
"Father!" Nangong Zijin, escorted by a group of soldiers, didn't dare stay in the house anymore. Seeing Nangong Xiong return, the young girl who had just been keeping a brave face immediately got red eyes.
Nangong Xiong's heart ached terribly. "Was my little girl frightened? Were you hurt just now?"
Nangong Zijin slowly shook her head and said no.
After looking his youngest daughter over, Nangong Xiong finally breathed a sigh of relief. But as he turned his head, he glared unkindly at Qin Shaozong. "Qin Changgeng, you need to give me an explanation for this!"
Qin Shaozong said coldly, "It wasn't me who blew up your house. Why are you yelling at me in broad daylight?"
Nangong Xiong paused, then changed his tune. "Since we parted last year, we haven't had a proper catch-up. You were only halfway through your dinner just now, so you must not be full yet. It just so happens I haven't eaten either. How about inviting me and my child into your manor for a meal?"
Qin Shaozong: "Fine."
Dai Li looked at the young lady of the Nangong family.
Nangong Xiong's daughter didn't look like him at all. She was like a delicate and vibrant begonia flower, dazzling and radiant. She wore a water-red round-collar ruqun with cloud and swallow patterns, and a pure gold buyao hairpin inlaid with pearls on her head, which made her already bright and beautiful features look even more elegant.
Noticing Dai Li's gaze, Nangong Zijin slightly tucked her chin and bowed to her. "Marchioness, I am the sixth child in my family. You may call me Nangong Xiaoliu. I apologize for the intrusion."
Dai Li smiled.
The young girl's teary expression from just a moment ago was still vivid in her mind, yet seeing her now bowing and introducing herself so methodically, Dai Li inexplicably felt as if she were looking at a reserved little kitten.
"Come in. Speaking of which, I have three boys and girls about your age at home. You might find you have a lot to talk about," Dai Li said.
Just as she led the group into the front courtyard, she saw Qin Yanzhou hurrying out from the side corridor. Noticing the guests, the young man spoke in veiled terms, "Mother, he has sent me a letter."
The mother and son locked eyes. Even though Qin Yanzhou left the details unspoken, in that fleeting moment, Dai Li inexplicably knew exactly who "he" was.
A letter had arrived from the Green Lotus Cult.