Chapter 104: Presenting Treasures Before the Emperor, Celebrating Chang’an

Seeing Ye Chang whispering with the ruffians, Han Chaozong felt a surge of irritation.

He truly held high expectations for Ye Chang, feeling that in his decades of official service, while he had discovered and recommended countless individuals, none could compare to Ye Chang. Yet, Ye Chang was stubbornly disappointing, with a penchant for associating with unsavory characters. First, it was those wandering knights and ruffians with their "football" game. Han Chaozong had tried to stop him, but the boy had turned it into such a grand spectacle that it even brought significant revenue to the Jingzhao Prefecture every year. Though Han was upright, he was neither rigid nor foolish; for the sake of the money and the powerful support behind the game, he shifted from prohibition to support. Nevertheless, he remained slightly resentful and regretful that Ye Chang disregarded his guidance.

Seeing Ye Chang now associating with foreign barbarians, that irritation resurfaced. Finding him with the ruffians once more, he could no longer hold back and coughed, saying, "Ye Shiyi, what are you doing!"

Ye Chang turned around and bowed, asking, "What are your orders, Prefect?"

"The matter is only half-solved. How are we to extract a confession from this wretch?"

"A confession? That is unnecessary; he has already confessed," Ye Chang laughed.

"Oh?"

"Prefect, look. Under his hairline, there is a ring-shaped mark. Now look at this barbarian—uncover the cloth wrapping his head. Does he not have a similar mark?"

Ye Chang approached Niang, the barbarian who had shown him the most disdain, and unwrapped her headscarf. Sure enough, a ring-shaped mark appeared beneath her hairline.

"Indeed!"

"Hiss!"

Witnessing this, the surrounding officials and bailiffs gasped, and even Huo Xianqi, who was at odds with Ye Chang, sucked in a cold breath.

"Although this fellow deliberately mimicked the accent of Jiannan, he had to adopt it because he learned the Tang official language there," Ye Chang offered a second piece of evidence. "Furthermore, since we can conclude that someone framed the barbarians who accompanied me, the culprit must either have a grudge against me or a vendetta against them. The barbarians with me are from the Yuexi Tribe. Aside from the Nanzhao, who else in Chang'an has both the motive and the power?"

"Impossible! Impossible!"

The one who cried out was none other than the dying man. His spirit seemed to revive, and he glared at Ye Chang with eyes full of terror. He was indeed a death-sworn agent, convinced his plan was airtight. Even if caught, he had resolved to guard the secret with his life. Yet, this young man had exposed the forces behind him with just a few casual words.

"What is impossible? You left too many clues," Ye Chang smiled, a gentle expression that looked like a demon's mask to the man.

"No... you're lying! I am no barbarian! I am not!" The man continued to deny it, though his gaze at Ye Chang was filled with despair. By now, even the dullest person understood: the interrogation of Niang and her group, the torture, and the three breaks in between—all had been traps. And if it was a trap, the bait was meant for more than just this contact agent.

"You've realized it, haven't you? When this barbarian revealed the scene of the crime and the location of the hidden loot, I sent men to watch," Ye Chang didn't give him time for wishful thinking and gestured to the ruffians. They slouched over, their lack of discipline still irking Han Chaozong, though he acknowledged they had helped solve his biggest problem.

"Tell the Prefect where the people are," Ye Chang commanded.

The leader of the ruffians bowed cheekily. "Following Master Ye's orders, we brothers dared not slack off..."

"Get to the point!" Han Chaozong snapped.

"Yes, Prefect. We waited there for a while until seven or eight men arrived sneakily. They staged the murder scene and then dug the pit to bury the goods. We followed them; we know exactly where they are staying!"

"Damn slave, die!"

Before Han Chaozong could react, the man who had been dying on the ground sprang up with ferocious speed, lunging straight at Ye Chang.

But as fast as he was, someone was faster.

Shanzhi, who had been behind Ye Chang, twisted his waist and delivered a side-kick. With a loud *thud*, the man was sent flying backward, coughing up a spray of blood. Only then did the onlookers cry out in shock.

"Guards, follow these men and arrest the accomplices!" Enraged that the culprit would attempt murder in his presence, Han Chaozong suppressed his disdain for the ruffians and ordered his men to follow them.

Ye Chang had been startled, not expecting such vitality from the man. Fortunately, Shanzhi was there.

"Now that the truth is out, what of these barbarians?" Ye Chang asked.

"They are part of the case and cannot simply leave," Han Chaozong replied coldly.

"Not leave, but receive medical attention. The weather is warming, and infections grow. If the wounds aren't treated, there may be complications."

"Very well," the Prefect conceded.

Physicians arrived to treat the injured. As their ropes were cut, Niang looked at Ye Chang with a complex expression. Ye Chang’s earlier coldness had made her think he was as unreliable as any other Tang person, but in a flash, he had turned the situation around. She knew as a victim of a frame-up, his help would be invaluable to her mission. She felt both gratitude and fear toward him.

The rest was of little concern to Ye Chang. When Jia Mao'er heard of his arrival, he rushed to the Chunming Gate to drag him off for a drink. Jiao Sui complained sourly, "Why drink elsewhere? No wine in the world beats Ye Shiyi's 'Nectar Wine,' but the boy is stingy, brewing only a few jars at a time."

Ye Chang returned to his inn with Jia Mao'er and the others. Du Fu, though initially shy with strangers, became a boisterous conversationalist once comfortable. Because of his uncle Du Bing, the ruffians of Chang'an treated him with a measure of respect, which pleased him greatly.

The banquet lasted until evening. Ye Chang felt a bit tipsy, and though Jia Mao'er insisted he enter the city, Ye Chang declined; he had been dismissed and sent away, and entering the city would be a violation of the imperial decree.

"The case is settled?" After bidding farewell to Jia Mao'er, Ye Chang saw Niang standing in the distance, watching him with that complex gaze.

Niang trembled slightly; even when smiling, the young man possessed an intimidating aura. She hesitated before bowing. "My apologies for the misunderstanding earlier. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against mere barbarians."

Ye Chang smiled kindly. "Why say such things? While I may not have the vast stomach of a Prime Minister, I certainly don't hold such trifles to heart."

Jiao Sui, already quite drunk, laughed at this. *Of course he doesn't hold it to heart—he just takes revenge when he can.* After all, those who had been most rude to Ye Chang were the ones who received the heaviest beatings earlier.

"Then I thank you for your generosity. As a barbarian, I lack the refinement of the Tang, so please accept these simple gifts," Niang said, signaling two men to present boxes containing gold ingots and pearls. Ye Chang raised an eyebrow, ignoring the treasure to look curiously at the men.

"I have more than the six who accompanied me," Niang explained. "I left some in Chang'an when I went to Xiuwu. I sent word for them to meet us, not realizing they were being watched by Pilioge's men."

As Ye Chang had deduced, the perpetrators were indeed from Pilioge. Niang’s group had attracted attention during their first visit to Chang'an, and when they left to visit Ye Chang, the agents waited for the remaining Yuexi barbarians to emerge. If not for Ye Chang, they would have been thrown into the Jingzhao prison and "died of illness" within days.

"You have not only freed us but saved our lives. My men were disrespectful on the road, and I take full responsibility," Niang said, her eyes shimmering with a certain allure.

Ye Chang felt a brief flutter but quickly became alert: the young barbarian was using a beauty trap. While she lacked the delicate features of Tang beauties, her wild, mountain-born spirit gave her a unique charm. However, Ye Chang was not a man swayed by such things.

"I have sent word to Princess Yuzhen. Rest assured, if she has the time, she will grant you an audience." He was confident; the Princess was known for her hospitality and would find a barbarian from the Six Tribes intriguing.

"Thank you, Master Ye." Niang seemed slightly disappointed that Ye Chang remained unmoved, yet she felt a sense of relief.

As expected, the Princess sent a reply the next day. She was busy but would visit her villa in the Southern Mountains after the ceremony at Wangchun Tower; Ye Chang could bring the barbarians there then.

Ye Chang had to wait at the inn for the ceremony.

"The ceremony seems grand indeed," Ye Chang remarked two days later, arriving at the canal bank with Du Fu. Despite their early arrival, the banks were already packed with tens of thousands of people.

As Ye Chang watched, a line of ships with embroidered sails appeared, stretching on endlessly. He was stunned. He had thought Tang maritime technology was backward, yet he had never imagined such a fleet. On the lead ship, a man with a bare arm, dressed in white and green, sang and danced. Behind the lead ship, each vessel displayed a placard: "Guangling." They were piled high with rice, silks, mirrors, bronze wares, and seafood.

Following the Guangling ships were those from Danyang, Jinling, Kuaiji, Nanhai, Yuzhang, Xuancheng, and Wujun—dozens of commanderies in total! The sheer quantity of rice and regional specialties left the spectators gasping.

The ships gathered beneath the Wangchun Tower, hundreds in total. The crowd fell silent as the man on the lead ship sang, "Treasure obtained in the wilds of Hongnong..."

Hundreds of women responded in unison, "Hongnong has obtained treasure!"

The man sang, "The boats and carriages are busy in the pool..."

The women responded, "Yangzhou has much bronze ware..."

The man sang, "The Third Son sits on the throne..."

The women responded, "Watching the song of the treasure!"

Amidst the singing, a ship moved forward carrying the Transport Commissioner, Wei Jian. He knelt and presented the manifest of treasures from the various commanderies, along with hundreds of trays of exquisite pastries.

The luxury and grandeur were like nothing Ye Chang had ever seen in this life—a true display of the Tang Dynasty at its peak.