New Song Dynasty: My Wife is an Imperial Princess

“Our relationship is one of employment, so how can it be considered begging?” Tang Qian pondered for a moment. “However, I don’t need your help today. Just come find me at the inn outside the city tomorrow morning. By the way, my name is Tang Qian. May I ask your honorable name?”

The two of them were heading to the quartermaster's office today, and it would be inappropriate to bring strangers in so rashly. The old blacksmith spoke Song language, so there was no need for them to bring a translator.

"My name is Ye Yilie." The young man didn't mind that Tang Qian didn't want him to come along today. After giving his name, he turned and left. A moment later, he returned and hid in the shadows in the corner, only showing his eyes as he watched Tang Qian and the other man leave in the direction of the Youzhou military supply depot.

"I thought getting close to these two would require some planning, but it turned out to be so simple. The Song people are indeed all idiots."

"Young Master, is it done?" The beggars who had gathered behind him also looked happy. If Tang Qian were here, he would recognize them at a glance as the thugs who had just clashed with them.

"This kid has been going in and out of the city lord's mansion and the military supply department for two consecutive days. He must hold a high position in Youzhou City. Even if we can't find out any military secrets, it should be of some help to our future operations."

This was Ye Yilie's purpose in deliberately getting close to Tang Qian.

When Youzhou fell, he, as the son of the Liao Dynasty's Nanjing City Lord, was separated from the army and only had a dozen or so guards who were willing to protect him to the death. Now he was hiding in the city as a beggar, not because he was afraid of death, but because he planned to use his body to complete his revenge before dying for his country, so as not to disgrace the prestige of the Yelü royal family.

It's impossible for him to retake the city with this little strength, but he can at least take the nobles of the Jin Kingdom down with him. To achieve this, he must find out the movements of the Jin princess so that he can set up an ambush to catch her off guard.

Tang Qian was his breakthrough point.

"The Song people broke their promise and allied with the Jin Dynasty. From that moment on, they became the mortal enemies of our Great Liao. These two men did not die in vain."

Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed across Ye Yilie's slightly immature face. He spat in the direction Tang Qian and the other man had left, then led his subordinates into the shadows of the corner of the wall and disappeared from sight.

"Young master, don't you find this a bit strange?" After crossing an intersection, Xiao Qi couldn't help but ask the question that had been bothering him. "What kind of rogue would run away at the first shout? Even if that kid reported it to the authorities, he should at least find out what happened before leaving."

"It doesn't matter," Tang Qian said with a faint smile. "They're just a bunch of kids, what kind of waves can they make?"

With yesterday's experience and the old blacksmith's superb skills, Tang Qian didn't need to help this time. He and Xiao Qi simply took as many materials as possible from the warehouse and then sat aside drinking tea to keep warm.

Bored out of his mind, Tang Qian suddenly remembered something. He straightened up, looked up and saw that it was not yet noon. He thought that it should still be in time to send Xiao Qi back to the post station.

"Giving you a blast furnace to forge iron is already breaking the rules, how come you're getting even more demanding?"

Tang Qian wanted to borrow some stonemasons to help, but the quartermaster refused without even lifting his eyelids.

Tang Qian wasn't angry. He took out the waist token that Wanyan Xi had given him and held it up respectfully in front of the other party: "I am just following orders. Please do me a favor, sir."

The quartermaster wanted to say something more, but with the jade royal token right in front of him, how could a mere logistics officer dare to utter a single word of nonsense? He rolled his eyes at Tang Qian and waved his hand, meaning that if he had any requests, he should go down and make them, and not bother him anymore.

Tang Qian bowed and thanked him, then told Xiao Qi to go back and get the things, and to borrow a stonemason to carve out a small mold.

After looking at the sketches drawn by Tang Qian, the stonemason found that the structure was indeed not complicated, the dimensions did not need to be too precise, and there was no need to carve into the cracks in the stone. He could simply use clay to shape the form and then fire it.

After a brief flurry of activity, everything was ready, and Xiao Qi, who had just gone back to get something, reappeared at the quartermaster's office, jogging all the way.

As he took out a fist-sized package from his waist, unwrapped the tattered cloth covering it, and revealed a transparent object with sharp edges, the stonemason watching the spectacle couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.

"This thing is neither stone, nor gold, nor jade. I have seen quite a few when I was quarrying stones in the mountains, but I don't know what it is used for. Could you please enlighten me, young sir?"

The stonemason was telling the truth. What Tang Qian had Xiao Qi bring over was indeed just a piece of quartz from the depths of the Yanshan Mountains, which was not uncommon. However, this piece of quartz contained impurities and was light purple in color. Even though it looked quite precious, the stonemason still couldn't figure out what use this piece of broken stone, which could be broken with a single chisel, was, apart from being a little prettier than ordinary stones.

Tang Qian intended to make this quartz stone into glass jewelry to please the Wanyan girl, so how could he let this stonemason, with whom he had only exchanged a few words and was merely a nodding acquaintance, ruin his plans?

Of course, he couldn't admit that he had accidentally found this quartz stone in a snowdrift when he stopped to relieve himself on his way to Youzhou. Instead, he embellished its background and origin: "Master, you wouldn't dare to say such things. This is a piece of purple jade that my ancestor bought in the Western Regions. Although it is not unique, it is still rare in the world. How could it be as common as you say?"

Tang Qian's explanation left the stonemason somewhat doubtful. Judging from his intuition, the stone was no different from the one he had seen in the mountains. Even though the other party had said so, he was still puzzled. If it was jade, shouldn't it be carved by a craftsman? What use was it for him to carve a stone mold?

Tang Qian naturally didn't want to waste any more words with the stonemason, so after sending him away, he secretly worked around the furnace.

Time flew by and the sun began to set. Under Tang Qian's command, several soldiers delivered the newly made charcoal stove, along with its accessories, to the city lord's mansion.

Entering through the side gate again, the soldiers worked together once more to unload the charcoal stove from the carriage. The maid, Xiao Li, casually beckoned to Tang Qian: "Where is my young lady's waist token?"

Tang Qian took out the jade token and handed it over with both hands, his smile carrying a hint of flattery: "Please trouble Miss Xiao Li to inform her that I have something to ask to see Miss Wanyan."

Xiao Li frowned at first, but then remembered that her master had a fairly good impression of this Song man in private, so she did not refuse him directly. She led Tang Qian to the side hall and then turned to enter the backyard.

Upon learning that Tang Qian requested an audience, Wanyan Xi was not surprised. Instead, a cold smile appeared on her lips: "I knew this person must have something to ask for. Fine, let's hear what he wants to do."

Walking along the corridor to the side hall, Wanyan Xi waved to Tang Qian: "The Tang envoy has rendered meritorious service by presenting the charcoal stove, and this princess should indeed reward him. Tell me, what are your requests, and I will try my best to fulfill them."

Tang Qian was slightly taken aback: "Miss can speak Mandarin?"

Wanyan Xi raised her willow-leaf eyebrows, looking quite smug: "Our Jin nobles and officials all speak Song language, what's so strange about that?"

"I see." Tang Qian feigned understanding, but inwardly he sneered. He probably had plans to invade the Song Dynasty as early as the beginning of Wanyan Aguda's reign.

“Your Highness is wise. I do indeed have a matter I hope Your Highness can help with.” Tang Qian bowed and took out a long, narrow brocade box from his bosom, presenting it with both hands. “A charcoal stove is a trivial matter that is not worthy of being discussed in public. How could I dare to claim credit for it? This item was obtained by chance by my ancestor and is hard to find in the world. I am giving it to Your Highness to repay your kindness.”

Tang Qian's respectful address to himself caused Wanyan Xi to pause slightly, but she quickly accepted it without hesitation. After these two days of interaction, if he still couldn't figure out her identity as a princess, he would be no different from a good-for-nothing.

"One and only? This princess really doesn't believe it."

Wanyan Xi was not a greedy person. As the most beloved daughter of the Jin emperor, she considered herself to have seen many rare treasures. However, Tang Qian's introduction piqued her interest in seeing what was in the box.

The moment the box was opened, Wanyan Xi's expression seemed to freeze, and she didn't look away for a long time.

The gift Tang Qian gave was a glass hairpin made from that piece of light purple quartz.

The hairpin's design is simple because that's how the stonemason carved it. A small hole is drilled at the end of the hairpin, through which a gold thread passes, followed by a purple tassel. Four glass beads are attached to the bottom, reflecting the hairpin's shape and sparkling under the light. The transparent material further enhances the hairpin's beauty and elegance.