Chapter 52 The Prophecy Upon Arriving in Angatha, Qingjing Hastily Takes Charge...
When the family arrived in Luoyang, they didn't even have time to appreciate the street scenes of the first month of the lunar calendar, and went straight back to their Luoyang residence.
Dugu Huaien and Xiao Yu had been waiting for a long time.
"Uncle De, are you safe and well?" The two brothers-in-law exchanged a clasped-hands greeting with Li Yuan.
Li Shimin and Changsun Qingjing also paid their respects to their elders as sons and nephews.
“We were supposed to attend Lady Tang’s funeral with the Minister of Ceremonies, but His Majesty refused due to our important duties at the Yuanzheng Grand Court Assembly, so we had to cancel. Shude, please accept our condolences,” Xiao Yu explained.
Dugu Huaien stepped forward and comforted him, "Is everything alright at home?"
Li Yuan sighed and said, "With Vaishravana and A'Cui taking care of everything, I have nothing to worry about. Huai'en, A'Cui, and Chengzong are all in good health. After the mourning period ends, Chengzong will have a tutor begin his studies. You, his maternal grandfather, need not worry..."
"She is the second daughter-in-law who recently entered the family, the youngest daughter of the late General Changsun Jisheng of the Right Valiant Guard." Having just experienced the death of his wife, Li Yuan had little interest in discussing his son's marriage.
"It can be said that our two families are destined to meet." Dugu Huaien sighed, "Lady Changsun, during the New Year's Day, His Majesty hosted a banquet for envoys from all over the world and still remembered your father's skillful methods back then."
Although it was just a polite remark, it was a tacit acknowledgment that this was a marriage between equals. Changsun Qingjing thanked Dugu Huaien but dared not say more, simply listening in silence.
The three elders no longer cared about weddings and funerals; their eyes were now only on national affairs that were closely related to their own family.
"Has there been any change in the court in Luoyang?" Li Yuan invited two relatives and close friends who had grown up together into his room, and asked impatiently before they were even seated.
Changsun Qingjing and Li Shimin dismissed the servants and personally served drinks and snacks, then stepped back to stand guard outside the screen.
Xiao Yu shook his head and sighed, "It's a long story. When you see His Majesty, be extremely careful with your words and actions. That despicable Anga Tuo advised His Majesty to exterminate all those with the surname Li throughout the land. His Majesty neither agreed nor disagreed; it's hard to say whether he's considering it..."
Although Xiao Yu was Emperor Yang Guang's brother-in-law, he was straightforward and inevitably clashed with the emperor, who disliked being advised.
Therefore, the two have become increasingly estranged in recent years. When Angatha, such a treacherous and wicked person, is mentioned, he cannot help but grit his teeth.
What do you mean?
"After Li Mu's death, the family was in turmoil, with uncles and nephews, husbands and wives, and relatives scheming against each other. The Emperor was already suspicious, and those who wanted to frame him were fanning the flames. Now, the Cheng Gong clan is doomed, and it is only a matter of time before they are destroyed..." Dugu Huaien sighed.
"Neither you nor I should speculate too much on the Emperor's intentions. Shude should go to see the Emperor as soon as possible. How to avoid open and covert attacks in the Eastern Capital in the future still needs to be carefully considered."
"Speaking of which, the hawk and fine horse you presented the other day were quite helpful. Lately, His Majesty's tone has been pleasant when he mentions you, and he doesn't seem to harbor any suspicion..."
The stagnant air suddenly became clear and flowing.
“I still remember the days when I first arrived in Chang’an as a young man.” Xiao Yu was immersed in the past. “At that time, my elder sister had just been made the Princess of Jin, Huai’en was being raised in the palace by Empress Wenxian, and Daosheng and Shude were serving as imperial guards to the late emperor. Huai’en and I were young and always envied those two imperial guards. Daosheng boasted that he had a smart and beautiful cousin, and later our group shamelessly surrounded Shude to propose marriage. His Majesty the Emperor was only a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy at that time, and he played cockfighting and horse racing with us without any reservations… Who would have thought that now we spend our days trying to figure out each other’s thoughts?”
The three reminisced about their youth and couldn't help but sigh at how time had passed.
“Looking at it this way, Daosheng is, after all, His Majesty’s cousin. Even if he displeases His Majesty, he will only be punished by being confined to his room to reflect on his mistakes, and his life will certainly not be in danger. His Majesty still remembers our old friendship.” Dugu Huaien glanced at the two young figures outside the screen and said with feigned curiosity, “Shude, I heard from Shiwen that you rejected the Empress’s kind offer. You’re quite bold.”
Li Yuan couldn't recall any connection between the Li family and Empress Xiao, and his face was full of doubt.
“Huai’en still loves to joke around, just like when he was young. Shude, don’t listen to his nonsense.” Xiao Yu said helplessly, “The Empress is not such a vengeful person. She just feels pity for a few illegitimate daughters who were raised in a separate residence from birth and have not yet recognized their fathers.”
Li Yuan then remembered that he had used his fear of his wife as an excuse to refuse a marriage alliance with one of the emperor's daughters who had no official status, so he laughed it off: "Just kidding, just kidding, don't believe it."
"When the Empress received the Lady of the State's death notice, she solemnly promised the Lady of the State of Chen that after the New Year, the Emperor would personally visit the Tang State's residence in Luoyang to offer his condolences." Xiao Yu's gaze swept over the young couple behind the screen, his words carrying a hidden meaning: "Actually, things are quite good as they are now..."
Standing outside the screen, Changsun Qingjing felt that Xiao Yu's gaze seemed to linger on her for a moment. She wondered if he was studying the genealogy of Daibei or comparing her to the other noble ladies. In addition, the three of them were vague in their speech, so she became curious and asked Li Shimin in a low voice, "What does the Empress want to ask of Father? What is her relationship with the Acha family?"
"I don't know." Li Shimin suddenly sat up straight in front of his father, his eyes fixed straight ahead. "When the elders are talking about important matters, don't interrupt."
“I didn’t interrupt. Wasn’t I asking you?” Changsun Qingjing sat upright, glancing at her husband and thinking to herself, “Could he be hiding something?” But judging from what Xiao Yu and Dugu Huaien had said, the Li family was currently in a state of discord, so he must indeed have some unspeakable difficulties. She decided not to press him further, lest she cause more trouble.
Perhaps because these nobles who were related to the royal family were all particularly cautious, this reunion was somewhat hasty and rushed.
Before the three could even discuss entering the port, they bid each other farewell. To avoid the emperor's notice, Xiao Yu and Dugu Huaien left hastily with only a few close attendants, their carriages and clothing behaving in a manner inconsistent with their status as imperial relatives.
Li Yuan temporarily replaced Qi Cui and went to the Ministry of Personnel to take up his post.
The steward met with Erlang and the new mistress, Changsun Qingjing. He handed over the account books for inspection. Changsun Qingjing inquired about the desolation and ruin in the suburbs.
"Sir, I am from Luoyang, and in my youth I often traveled between the two capitals. In the past, the roads were filled with the warmth of village smoke and the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking, but now the fields and farms are desolate. The capital should not be like this. Even herds of deer roam the prosperous Central Plains. Why is this?"
"What you asked is exactly the important matter I was preparing to report," the steward said. "The imperial court's years of military service and corvée labor have led to a surge in the number of displaced people. Many powerful families in Henan Prefecture have begun to take in these displaced people and build fortified villages. The farmers in the desolate lands you mentioned, if they are lucky enough, have probably already become hidden households in these fortified villages; if they are unlucky, they have probably already become..."
"You've become withered bones in Liaodong and along the Grand Canal, haven't you?" Li Shimin had recently lost his mother, encountered barbarian sheep on the road, and today he heard the strange story of Anjiatuo advising the emperor to exterminate all people with the surname Li in the world. His mood worsened, and he wanted to end the interrogation as soon as possible. "What does the matter you want to report have to do with the court's corvée labor?"
"Second Brother, the Duke of Tang also owns land near Luoyang, and recently some refugees have expressed their desire to seek refuge with him. What should we do?" the steward asked.
"Yes, I will give the order right away."
"Wait!" Jia Ling was about to leave when the young man with an uncertain expression called out to her, "Use my money, but don't let Father find out. I will tell Father about this myself when the time is right."
The couple then instructed Lady Liu, who had come to Luoyang with them, to prepare their respective residences for the mourning period. Lady Liu followed the precedent set in Daxing, settling Changsun Qingjing in Li Shimin's old residence, and also arranging for Li Shimin the pavilion where Lady Dou had entertained close friends and read and rested in the past.
After the third sister-in-law's interrogation the day before, the couple no longer felt uncomfortable about living apart to observe mourning.
Li Shimin summoned the gardener and only instructed him to prune the plum trees. He left the rest of the trivial matters to Changsun Qingjing.
Lady Liu led Qingjing to the warm pavilion that Madam Dou often used. The furnishings in the pavilion did not have a particularly feminine flavor and were no different from those in the study where the master of the house usually entertained guests.
Compared to the living quarters in Daxing, this place has a more Southern Dynasties bamboo grove feel. The curtain patterns are not very complicated, with blue and green as the main color.
Although the pavilion is kept tidy on a daily basis, the furnishings and layout remain unchanged, almost exactly the same style as when Madam Dou last attended the Yuanzheng court assembly as an outsider and stayed in Luoyang for a few days.
The bookshelf prominently displays rubbings and copies of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi's works, the Five Classics and various commentaries and annotations, and poems and prose, with Yu Xin occupying half of the collection.
Xue Daoheng and Lu Sidao's poetry collections were still in the very center, which made Qingjing feel uneasy. So she ordered someone to find a book box to hide these poetry collections in a secluded place.
On the table was an unfinished copy of the Nirvana Sutra. Qingjing had a sudden inspiration and asked an older maid if the Tang State government had ever funded the construction of Buddhist temples in Luoyang, and what offerings were usually made there.
She carefully examined the Buddhist scriptures copied by Madam Dou and felt it was a pity. So she moved her fingers in the air a few times to imitate the brush strokes, thinking that she could barely imitate Madam Dou's handwriting to copy the entire scripture.
Looking around, only the screen inscribed with "Biographies of Exemplary Women" seemed somewhat out of place with its new owner. This screen was even older than the peacock screen in Daxing.
Of all the books written by Liu Xiang, Changsun Qingjing liked "Strategies of the Warring States" the most. It was magnificent and heroic, and it stirred people's hearts. "Biographies of Exemplary Women" was too useless and pretentious for her.
But she only dared to whisper these little criticisms in her heart to Gao Shilian, which would make her adoptive father laugh. Unfortunately, now there is no one to listen to her unfounded and naive opinions.
She stroked the old-fashioned maidservant depicted on the screen, then summoned a clever maidservant and asked, "Is there a storage room in the mansion?"
The maid said, "There are abandoned rooms behind the corridor where things that are not currently used but are not worth throwing away are piled up."
While Changsun Qingjing was putting the collections of famous scholars who had offended the emperor into his book box, he ordered his maids to take away the old screen.
"Wait!" Qingjing felt a pang of pity as she watched the maid move the shaky old screen. "Find some clean old curtains, the bigger the better. If you have any small handkerchiefs or towels, bring them along as well."
The maids then hurried out in an orderly fashion, following the young mistress's instructions, to search for the old silk items.
"Does your household have any maids specifically in charge of purchasing daily necessities?" Changsun Qingjing asked again.
The young woman, who was filling a gold filigree sachet with benzoin, greeted Changsun Qingjing and asked, "What kind of pattern would you like for a new screen, my lady?"
"I haven't been to Luoyang for many years. Are Fengdu City and Datong City still open for business at midday?" Changsun Qingjing asked.
"Yes, my lady's memory is perfect." The girl explained, "The utensils in Datong City are a bit more common, but Fengdu City has hundreds of trades and thousands of shops, with all kinds of rare and precious items."
"It seems that not much has changed, except that Fengdu City sounds bigger than I remember. Go find me a poetic painting, or if you can't find one, hire a painter. The painting should be exquisite, and it should be made to look old, but not too old like an antique. Just like an old screen I bought ten years ago..." Her whimsical ideas were like bubbles surging in a hot spring, impossible to contain.
The quick-witted and capable maid beside her parted her lips slightly, stunned and speechless.
She could only sigh inwardly that Lady Changsun's decisive and mysterious demeanor was just like her own young husband, who was quick-witted and insightful.
The author's note: Her anxious and flustered manner is likely to displease Erfeng.
Let's have a fight tomorrow [scared]
If I didn't make a fuss, you'd all think I couldn't write, hmph!
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