Chapter Fifty-Four: The Return to the Boundless Sky (Part Three)

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In the Princess Yiyang's residence in Shanglin Lane, Quan Ce was assisting his mother in cataloguing the gifts bestowed by the palace. The imperial reward had been described vaguely—an assortment of gold and silver, a quantity of coins and silks, an array of treasures—all sealed within chests and caskets, their contents concealed from view.

This grand tribute, a display of the Tang Dynasty’s majesty over all beneath heaven, was no small recognition of Quan Ce’s contributions. The Empress Wu herself had decreed the rewards, instructing the Minister of Ceremonies, Wu Sansi, to deliver them personally. Quan Ce found the whole affair both amusing and exasperating. This was already the second time such a thing had happened; whenever Wu Sansi’s official duties went awry, it always seemed to coincide with Quan Ce’s moments of glory. Last time, he had led Wu Sansi’s horse back to the Eastern Capital, and today the latter arrived to bring the imperial gifts. Wu Sansi remained as affable and genial as ever, while Quan Ce was left feeling awkward, burdened by a lingering guilt, as though his own rise had been stained by the blood of others.

The Princess Yiyang, however, was patient and meticulous with the yellow gold and white silver, picking up each ingot and treasure, ensuring their cleanliness before tallying them and having them recorded into the treasury. She busied herself with a delight that made Quan Ce smile gently, his heart at ease. Next came the mountain of coins and silks; Quan Ce hastened to support her. “Mother, these are heavy, let the clerks handle them. Don’t tire yourself.”

“That’s fine, then. Let me have a look at these treasures,” the princess replied cheerfully, stepping aside as the servants opened the chests of jewels for her. The shimmering light of pearls, emeralds, and gold and silver ornaments dazzled the eye. Not only were the materials precious, but each item’s design was unique and auspicious in its symbolism.

For a moment, Princess Yiyang was delighted; then her expression changed dramatically. With trembling hands, she drew out a hairpin, and tears streamed down her face.

Quan Ce glanced at the inventory: “A gold filigree hairpin inlaid with gemstones and carved jade in the shape of a musk melon.” He bent slightly so she could see him clearly. “Mother, is this an heirloom?”

Biting her lip to stifle her sobs, the princess replied in a choked voice, “My son, this belonged to your grandmother. The gemstone is garnet. I remember, she wore this hairpin from the moment she gave birth to Gao’an, after having two daughters and longing for a son. She wore it from the day she left the birthing chamber until your uncle Sujie was born.”

Quan Ce was stunned. Why would Empress Wu bestow his grandmother’s keepsake? What could this mean?

He hesitated, and Princess Yiyang grew flustered. “My son, is something wrong? If it’s not proper, we can simply refuse it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Quan Ce considered. This must be a sign of goodwill, a loosening of the original sin that shadowed his birth. “Mother, if these ornaments truly belonged to Grandmother, we should go to the palace to express our gratitude.”

The princess’s face shifted slightly. “Must I go in person?”

Quan Ce hurried to reassure her, “I can go on your behalf... But Mother, look through the rest. Are all these treasures your mother’s keepsakes?”

Relieved, the princess turned to examine the treasures. Each item she picked up, she pondered for a long time, matching it with her memories. The sorrow and longing on her face deepened—these were truly all of Consort Xiao’s personal belongings. To distract her, Quan Ce asked, “Mother, speaking of Grandmother’s keepsakes, Aunt and Uncle should have a share as well. How should we handle this?”

The princess turned, cupping his face in her hands, smiling through her tears. “Though I am not wise, I know being an official is not easy. For you to be repeatedly rewarded, you must have endured many perils and achieved great service for the country. If your grandmother knew, she would be proud... I’ll write to your aunt and uncle and see what they wish.”

She refused Quan Ce’s offer to escort her, instructing him instead to safeguard and store the treasures properly.

Quan Ce stared blankly at his mother’s departing figure, then looked up at the sky and murmured to himself, “Grandmother, would you be proud of me?”

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There was no answer.

As the cataloguing of the gifts drew to a close, a servant arrived to announce, “Young Master, Chief Secretary of the Langqiong Kingdom has come calling.”

“Invite him to wait in the main hall of the Unnamed Courtyard. I’ll be there shortly,” Quan Ce composed himself and went first to the main hall. For foreign envoys such as this, it was only proper to inform his father, Quan Yi.

Upon hearing that the Chief Secretary of Langqiong was paying a visit, Quan Yi was momentarily distracted, then waved his hand. “Since he’s your guest, treat him well and do not fail the dignity of the imperial court.”

Quan Ce paused, sensing Quan Yi had no intention of discussing matters further; he left, slightly disappointed.

The Chief Secretary’s sincerity was evident before Quan Ce even entered the Unnamed Courtyard. The courtyard floor was covered with various rare mountain delicacies, medicinal herbs, tea leaves, indigo-dyed fabrics, and even tamarind. The most valuable, however, were the jade stones—vivid green with a watery sheen, clearly extraordinary though coarsely polished, piled high in several baskets.

“Your Excellency, my gratitude to General Quan,” the Chief Secretary greeted him with a deep bow, refusing to allow Quan Ce to evade the gesture. “For restoring my kingdom’s honor, my king insisted on a heavy gift to thank you.”

“You’re too kind. Please, rise and let us speak,” Quan Ce accepted the bow and got straight to the point. “I’ve heard you have a wide circle of acquaintances. You must have gained much?”

The Chief Secretary seemed startled. “You flatter me, General. My king admires the imperial system and has instructed us to travel and learn, for the benefit of our people—nothing more.”

Quan Ce’s expression softened, his tone warming. “Ah, so that’s how it is. My apologies for overthinking. Indeed, such exchange is for mutual benefit.” Then, hesitating as if troubled, he added, “If your kingdom is able to assist, I hope you won’t be stingy.”

The Chief Secretary’s eyes lit up. “General, please speak freely.”

“Ah, forgive me for being forward,” Quan Ce smiled, though a shadow passed through his eyes. “My mother has a merchant caravan seeking to trade in Tibet. As you know, there are certain... inconveniences between Tang and Tibet...”

The Chief Secretary visibly relaxed, a smile spreading across his face as he replied swiftly, “General, you need not worry. I am happy to assist the princess. How many people in the caravan?”

Quan Ce, impressed by his boldness, answered cautiously, “Not many, just six or seven.”

The Chief Secretary patted his chest and lowered his voice, “Rest assured, General. I know the strict laws of the empire. I’ll have preparations made at the inn in secret. You may send your trusted men to collect the garments and goods from the Langyuan outside the inn at midnight. When our group departs, they can blend in.”

“In that case, I thank you very much,” Quan Ce replied, clasping his hands in gratitude.

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The Chief Secretary, feeling he had returned the favor, was in high spirits and much more at ease. “The splendors of the Tang Dynasty are legendary. One cannot help but wish to move the entire Eastern Capital back to Jianzhuan...”

“Even if you had the strength to move such a city, I fear the Dingfu Gate would be too narrow for passage,” Quan Ce replied with a laugh, seemingly casual but subtly probing their route.

The Chief Secretary laughed along, “You don’t know, General. My king has arranged with Minister Wu for us to leave through the Anxi Gate, not the Dingfu Gate.”

“Does your Excellency think the Anxi Gate is a bit wider, perhaps?” Quan Ce’s tone remained unchanged, light and conversational.

The Chief Secretary roared with laughter and lingered for another half hour before taking his leave, fully satisfied.

After seeing him out, Quan Ce retired to his study, his face clouded.

As he expected, Gong Siyi was in contact with the Langqiong envoy, and his father was arranging with the captain at Anxi Gate—they were working toward the same end. The Chief Secretary’s expertise in smuggling people out of the city made it likely that both Gong Siyi and his father intended the same. To persuade the entire Langqiong entourage to take the longer northern route rather than the nearer southern gate, Gong Siyi surely had his reasons.

Gong Siyi’s careful plans, handing over all the Luoyang constables and militia, could only be to avoid blame should things go awry.

Quan Yi and Gong Siyi, dividing the work and cooperating seamlessly. The Stele without Words monitored Quan Yi closely, but only found evidence of his dealings with the Anxi Gate’s captain, Du Guanshan, and nothing of his connection with Gong Siyi. Was there someone powerful orchestrating matters from the shadows?

Uneasy, Quan Ce felt that this affair—or rather, the person attempting to secretly leave the city—was fraught with danger.

Whoever this person was, it would be prudent to place a pawn at their side, to be used for attack or defense as needed.

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