Tang Dynasty, my wife Wu Zetian

Chapter 369: Yibao Club in Chang'an City

Li Ji also slowly returned to Ganlu Palace. When he entered the palace, he saw that the game of chess between Li Zhen and Li Zhi had already come to an end.

The situation was at a stalemate, and both players were concentrating on the chessboard and did not notice him coming in.

Li Ji stood aside and watched. He was not very good at chess and could not tell who had the upper hand.

After a while, Li Zhen suddenly sighed and said, "I lost, but Your Majesty's chess skills have improved again."

Li Zhi laughed and said, "Eighth Brother, you won't show mercy, right?"

Li Zhen touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "I would like to show some mercy, but unfortunately I no longer have the energy to do so."

Li Zhi was overjoyed. His chess skills had improved by leaps and bounds recently, and his interest in chess had grown. He had defeated strong opponents such as Li Ji and Li Zhen in succession, which gave him a sense of accomplishment.

Li Zhen glanced at Li Ji and said, "Your Majesty, I've been thinking that although Ji'er wasn't very competent as Sima of Laizhou, he's made considerable progress. What do you think of letting him take on the Sima of Yongzhou to gain some more experience?"

The original Sima of Yongzhou was Xu Ang. Because he committed the crime of treason, others felt that this position was unlucky and were unwilling to take it, so the position was vacant for a year.

Li Zhi had always valued Li Ji, so when he saw Li Zhen speak, he agreed.

The uncle and nephew immediately took their leave. After leaving Ganlu Palace, Li Ji said, "Eighth Uncle, I want to go to the Princess's Courtyard to visit my cousin."

Li Zhen said, "Yes, but before dinner, you must bring your brothers and sisters to our house for dinner, so that we can all stay up together to celebrate the New Year."

After saying this, he strode away.

After watching him walk away, Li Ji walked westward towards the Princess's Courtyard.

Not long after, they arrived at the princess's courtyard, only to find it bustling with activity. Princess Gao'an and Princess Yiyang, along with a group of eunuchs and palace maids, were beating the Spring Ox.

The Tang Dynasty had a particularly rich Spring Festival activity system, including exorcism, lion dancing, eating plates and appreciating plum blossoms.

The food plate refers to the "Five Spicy Plate", which is made up of five kinds of spicy vegetables. Eating this plate can drive away the cold and evil spirits and pray for health.

At this time, another Spring Festival activity called beating the spring ox was taking place in the princess's courtyard.

Beating the paper spring ox with a colorful whip is meant to urge farming and pray for a good harvest.

This was originally an activity for the beginning of spring, but Princess Gao An liked lively events, so she started the activity in advance.

In order to attract the princess's attention, the eunuchs in the princess's courtyard got on all fours and dressed up as spring oxen.

Princess Gao An took a colorful whip and gently whipped their buttocks. Each time she whipped them, they took a few steps. After the beating, everyone was rewarded, and both the master and the servants were very happy.

When Princess Gao An saw Li Ji coming in, she was stunned at first, then she was overjoyed. She threw away the colorful whip, pounced on Li Ji, and hung around his neck like a koala.

"Brother, you're finally back!" The voice was choked.

Li Ji laughed and said, "You are already a grown man, and you are still hanging on me. Get off quickly and don't let people laugh at you."

Princess Gao An was now in her teens and knew the differences between men and women. Her face turned slightly red as she jumped down.

Princess Yiyang came over, bowed to Li Ji, and said softly, "Brother Ji."

Li Ji returned the greeting.

Princess Gao An pulled Li Ji to the table, only to see that it was piled with all kinds of strange-shaped flowers and plants.

"Brother, you are the one who is fair. Tell me which blade of grass is the best."

This is also one of the Spring Festival activities, called "Fighting with Hundreds of Herbs". Everyone collects various flowers and plants, and then finds an impartial person to judge whose flowers and plants are the most beautiful.

This is a favorite activity among young girls.

Li Ji took a few special grasses in his hands and played with them. Every time he took one, he would glance at Princess Gao An's expression.

When he picked up a piece of purple grass, he saw her eyes light up and she smiled and said, "This is the grass!"

Princess Gao An was overjoyed and said to Princess Yi Yang, "Sister, see, Brother Xiao Ji also said that my grass is more beautiful!"

Princess Yiyang frowned slightly and said, "Don't just play around. Have you forgotten something?"

Princess Gao An blinked, then suddenly realized what was happening. She stretched out her hand to Li Ji and said, "Brother, where is the gift you brought me?"

Li Ji smiled slightly and took out two pendants from his arms. They were actually two small boats the size of a baby's fist, made of pure gold. They were exquisite and cute, and you could even see little people on the boats.

The two boats were almost identical, except for the positions of the figures on board. He had bought them at a high price on an island when he went out to sea.

Princess Gao An took a small boat, played with it in her hand, and couldn't let it go.

Princess Yi Yang thanked Li Ji, put away the pendant, walked to Princess Gao An, and tapped her on the forehead.

"Sister, why did you hit me?" Princess Gao An looked confused.

Princess Yiyang said with a serious expression, "I'll help you clear your head so you don't just think about yourself. Have you forgotten Xiaoxiang?"

Princess Gao An exclaimed, "Ah!" Then she remembered something and said to Li Ji, "Brother, when you were in the palace, did you have a eunuch friend named Xiaoxiang?"

Li Ji was stunned for a moment, wanting to say that he was not his friend. When the words reached his lips, he suddenly remembered that the other party had helped him after all, so he asked, "What's wrong with him?"

Princess Gao An said, "He is dying, and he said he wants to see you before he dies."

Li Ji was surprised and said, "He is only two years older than me, how could he suddenly..."

Princess Gao An frowned and said, "I sent someone to inquire about it. It seems that he broke curfew and was caught by the Jinwu Guards. He was beaten with twenty sticks, and then the Eunuchs beat him with fifty sticks. He recuperated for several months, but his injuries didn't heal. That's why they sent people to find me."

"I heard he was your friend, so I went to see him and even asked the imperial physician to treat him. However, just when he was getting better after taking the imperial physician's medicine, he vomited blood, causing his condition to worsen. He only said that he wanted to see you before he died."

"Luckily you came back. If you had come back a month later, he might not have been able to wait for you."

Li Ji took a deep breath and asked, "Where is he?"

Princess Gao An said, "Xiguan Bureau."

The Internal Eunuchs' Office consisted of six bureaus, and the Xiguan Bureau was in charge of the Xi slaves, laborers, and palace officials.

Simply put, they are not qualified to serve the emperor's concubines, but serve the eunuchs and palace maids. Among the six bureaus, they have the lowest status.

If a palace maid fell ill, they were responsible for prescribing medicine and taking care of her. If a palace maid died, they were responsible for handling the funeral.

Because many palace maids had no relatives, after the death of a high-ranking palace maid, the vigil and sacrifices were also the responsibility of the Xiguan Bureau.

Xiaoxiang is the manager of the Internal Servants Bureau, and his rank is similar to that of a third-class clerk.

He was just over twenty years old when he took up this position and was doing quite well in the harem.

Moreover, when eunuchs go out of the palace to do business, they usually represent the royal family and are very powerful. For an eunuch like him, when he goes out of the palace to do business, if he meets a seventh-rank official, people will also be polite to him.

When Li Ji first entered the palace, he was in the same group as Xiaoxiang.

Xiaoxiang is older than him, is eloquent, and knows how to flatter, so his status has always been higher than Xiaoji.

When the two were both in the Imperial Household Department, they actually didn't have a very close relationship.

Li Ji is taciturn and doesn't communicate with anyone. Xiaoxiang is only concerned with pleasing his boss and doesn't talk much to him.

However, compared with other eunuchs who bullied Li Ji, Xiaoxiang was considered to be nice to him.

In order to copy the music score, Li Ji once tried to find other eunuchs to ask for some unused waste paper.

No one else gave it to him, only Xiaoxiang gave it to him.

It was because of this small act of kindness that Li Ji remembered it and decided to come and see him.

Xiaoxiang was lying in a small room in Xiguanju. His face was pale, his skin was sallow, his forehead was black, and his eyes were smoky and dull. One could tell at a glance that he would not live long.

Today is the last day of the year, and the palace is filled with a festive atmosphere. Only Xiaoxiang's house is isolated from the world, as if it is another world.

As soon as Princess Gao An entered the room, she shivered, hugged her arms, and muttered, "Why is it so cold?"

Li Ji said: "Then you wait outside."

Princess Gao An refused and insisted on following him in.

When the two entered the house, they smelled a bitter smell of medicine mixed with the smell of rotten eggs.

Princess Gao An pinched her nose and found that the closer she got to Xiaoxiang, the stronger the stench became. She didn't know how long it had been since he had washed himself, so she stood far away.

Li Ji didn't mind at all. He slowly walked to the bedside. After seeing Xiaoxiang's appearance at this moment, he couldn't help but recall his experience in the palace, and his heart was filled with sadness.

Xiaoxiang stared at him blankly for a long while before he sighed and said, "Your Highness Prince Wu, I know I treated you badly back then, and now I regret it. I only ask you... cough cough..." He started coughing violently.

Li Ji held his hand, and after he finished coughing, he said, "No, I was the one who didn't talk to others back then. You've been very kind to me, and I'm very grateful." A light flashed in Xiaoxiang's dead eyes, and he said, "I'm about to die. Before I die, I have a request. Can you agree to it?"

Li Ji said: "As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you."

Tears welled up in Xiaoxiang's eyes, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness, please save my brother!"

Li Ji was stunned and asked, "Your brother?"

Xiaoxiang wept and said, "Over the years, I've saved a lot of money in the palace and borrowed a lot from others. I bought a small courtyard in the south of Chang'an City and sent someone to bring my parents and younger brother over."

"I used my connections at the Hongwen Academy, Wang Xueshi, to find a private tutor. I allow my younger brother to attend private lessons every month for free. I hope he will pass the imperial examination in the future, which will be a great honor for me as his elder brother."

"But he wasn't a good student. After only a few days of studying, he started hanging out outside. He ended up working as a handyman for the Hu people at a restaurant called Molanxuan."

Li Ji was slightly stunned and asked, "Mo Lanxuan?"

"Have you heard of it too?" Xiaoxiang asked.

Li Ji said: "I have been there a few times."

Xiaoxiang choked up and said, "Actually, I know that my brother went to Molanxuan to make money because he heard about my situation in the palace and didn't want me to work so hard. But he is only sixteen years old and still has hope of making a name for himself. He is my only hope in this life."

When Princess Gao An heard this, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for Xiaoxiang and slowly walked to the bedside.

"What happened to your brother?" she asked.

Xiaoxiang said in a trembling voice: "He, he disappeared."

Princess Gao An was surprised and asked, "Missing? How long has it been?"

Xiaoxiang said, "It's been more than half a year."

Li Ji's heart sank. He thought to himself, "Molanxuan is a shop run by Arabs. Could it be related to Arabs?" He asked, "Have you reported it to the authorities?"

Xiaoxiang said, "My parents reported him to the authorities immediately. However, after investigating, they discovered that he had disappeared after leaving Molanxuan. After searching for over a month, they concluded that he might have been abducted by a Hu merchant."

Li Jiqi asked, "What Hu merchants?"

Xiaoxiang said, "According to the Wannian County investigation, on the day my brother disappeared, Molanxuan held a treasure exchange meeting, and a Western Region Hu merchant participated in the meeting."

"After the treasure fair ended, for some reason, the merchant left in such a hurry that he even left his cloak behind. My brother was ordered by the shopkeeper to chase the merchant and return the cloak to him, but he never returned."

Li Ji asked, "Has Wannian County gone to look for that Hu merchant?"

Xiaoxiang shook his head and said, "When Wannian County investigated, he had already left the city. They even sent people to chase him over a hundred miles west, but found no trace of the Hu merchant."

Li Ji frowned and said nothing. If Xiaoxiang was really abducted to a foreign country, he was afraid it would be difficult to find him again.

Xiao Xiang looked at him and gritted his teeth, "Your Highness, if it was really Hu Shang who abducted him, I wouldn't beg you. This matter is not that simple!"

Li Ji asked, "How do you say that?"

Xiaoxiang was already weak, and after talking so much at once, he began to gasp for air. He said, "I... after hearing the results of the government investigation, I didn't want to believe it, so I asked my adoptive father for a job that would allow me to leave the palace. Every time I left the palace, I secretly investigated the matter, and as a result... I really discovered some... strange things..."

Seeing that he was almost out of breath, Princess Gao An ordered her maid to pour him a cup of tea.

Xiaoxiang, served by a maid, drank some tea and took a break before recovering.

Li Ji asked, "What did you find?"

Xiaoxiang said, "I investigated that Hu merchant and learned that his name was Anqing. He was originally a Sogdian merchant traveling along the trade route from the Western Regions to Chang'an. This time, he came to Beijing with the intention of becoming a Tang citizen and settling in Chang'an."

Princess Gao An was surprised and asked, "If he wants to settle down, why would he leave?"

Xiaoxiang said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I felt something was wrong at the time. Later, I continued to investigate and found that he had exchanged a strange treasure at Molanxuan."

Li Ji asked, "What treasure?"

Xiaoxiang said, "The strange thing is, no one knows what the treasure is!"

Princess Gao An said, "If you don't know it, how can it be considered a treasure?"

Xiaoxiang said, "At the Yibao meeting, someone brought out a very heavy wooden box. The owner didn't reveal what was inside, only that anyone willing to try their luck could trade it with him. It could be full of gold, or just as likely full of stones."

Princess Gao An snorted, "It must be a lie. It's full of stones."

Xiaoxiang said, "The other attendees were just as skeptical as the princess, and no one offered to exchange with him. But for some reason, Anqing chose to exchange a precious 'Interlocking Spiral Jade Cup' with him."

Li Ji thought secretly, thinking that Xiaoxiang’s disappearance might be related to the treasure in the wooden box.

Xiaoxiang gritted his teeth and said, "After the Yibao meeting ended, Anqing didn't stay for even a single day and left Chang'an immediately."

Princess Gao An exclaimed, "Could it be that there really were rare treasures inside, and he left Chang'an without caring about anything else after getting them?"

Li Ji said in a deep voice: "This doesn't make sense. Even if it is a treasure, since the Yibao Club has ended, then this thing belongs to Anqing. Why is he rushing to escape?"

Princess Gao An frowned and muttered, "That's right, why did he leave in such a hurry?"

Li Ji asked Xiaoxiang, "What did you find later?"

Xiaoxiang lowered his head and said, "One day, I was returning to the palace after curfew. On the way, I was stopped by the Jinwu Guards. The official letter I had with me was missing, so I was caught and beaten by the Jinwu Guards."

Li Ji said, "You are always careful, how could the official letter be missing?"

Xiaoxiang clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "I thought about it later and it must have been stolen. Someone is using this method to harm me and prevent me from investigating Anqing!"

After hearing this, Li Ji finally understood why Xiaoxiang asked him for help.

The matter is indeed complicated and confusing. Xiaoxiang alone may not be able to deal with the mastermind behind the scenes.

He patted Xiaoxiang on the shoulder and said softly, "You should take good care of yourself. I will definitely help you find your brother."

I added in my mind: "If he is still alive."

Princess Gao An was also filled with sympathy for Xiao Xiang at this time. She said to the two maids behind her, "You all stay here for the next few days and serve him well. Don't neglect him."

The two women's expressions suddenly changed, and they said in unison: "Princess, we are your people, how can we serve a eunuch?"

Princess Gao An frowned and scolded, "Don't be so long-winded. If you can help him recover from his illness, I will reward you. If you can't do the job well, don't follow me anymore!"

The two women had no choice but to stay.

Li Ji consoled Xiao Xiang for a few more words, and left the house with Princess Gao An. He said to her, "Sister, Xiao Xiang's condition isn't good. I'm afraid those two maids alone can't take good care of him."

Princess Gao An asked, "What should we do then?"

Li Ji said, "You should go to the Shang Pharmacy and ask Dr. Sun's apprentice to come and help Xiaoxiang. Only then can I feel at ease."

Princess Gao An stared at him: "Then what are you doing?"

Li Ji said seriously, "Of course I will leave the palace to investigate this matter."

Princess Gao An stamped her feet and said, "I knew it. You leave the boring tasks to me and keep the interesting ones for yourself."

Li Ji frowned and said, "This is not a fun matter. It may very well involve several lives."

Princess Gao An tilted her head and said, "I don't care. If you want me to work, you must let me follow you to investigate!"

Li Ji said, "But you can't leave the palace, how can I take you to investigate?"

Princess Gao An smiled slightly and said, "That's easy. Tomorrow is the official day. After the grand court meeting, I will go to my father and tell him that I want to see Aunt Changshan and go to the Da Ci'en Temple with her to visit the temple fair. My father will definitely agree to let me leave the palace."

Li Ji had no choice but to say, "Well, tomorrow afternoon, around Shenpai, I'll pick you up at Princess Changshan's residence. I'll leave Xiaoxiang in your care."

Princess Gao An said happily, "Don't worry. When I return to the Princess Court, I'll have someone send him some ginseng. I guarantee he won't die."

The two talked as they walked and soon returned to the princess's residence.

Princess Yi Yang asked the two about Xiao Xiang, and Princess Gao An told them everything in one breath, like pouring beans from a bamboo slip.

Princess Yi Yang didn't react much after hearing this. To her, Xiao Xiang was just an ordinary eunuch, so she naturally didn't care too much about him.

Li Ji stayed in the princess's courtyard for a while, and when he saw it was getting late, he said goodbye and left the palace.

After returning home, he took his younger brothers and sisters to the Prince of Yue's Mansion for dinner and stayed there that night.

The moon rises and sets, the clouds come and go, and the Tang Dynasty finally enters the fifteenth year of Yonghui.

Early in the morning, Li Ji and Li Zhen went to the palace to attend the grand court meeting.

(End of this chapter)