Chapter 89: He Swore That One Day He Would Avenge This Grievance

The insult struck even deeper than merely calling An Lushan a barbarian.

His father was said to be a foreigner, his mother a Turk, and some claimed his birth father had been a man surnamed Kang. Others said his mother had remained childless for many years, then gone into the mountains to seek a miraculous sign and returned with child; in truth, it was nothing but secret dalliance with another man. Later, when her nominal husband died, she remarried a man named An Yanyan, and from him An Lushan had taken the surname An.

So to call him a mixed barbarian was to call him a filthy mongrel, to tear the skin from his face.

A savage gleam flared in An Lushan's eyes, and he signaled to the men at his side.

At once, two foreign warriors rushed forward, seized the eunuch, and dragged him away. Their movements were so swift that the Dragon Martial soldiers around them had not even reacted before they had broken through the formation, captured the man, and hauled him back.

"Ah, Your Highness, save me! Your Highness, save me!"

"I, An Lushan, live on the bounty of the Great Tang and am loyal to the Son of Heaven. In my eyes there is but one noble person beneath the heavens, and that is the Emperor of Great Tang. Outside the Son of Heaven, there is no one worthy of such honor."

Dragged before An Lushan, the eunuch was hurled down from the horse and fell to his knees, trembling all over, still screaming for the noble lord to save him. But with a single opening of the mouth, An Lushan had already crushed him into silence.

An Lushan stared at him and said slowly, "I guard the frontier for the Great Tang Son of Heaven, and countless border barbarians have died by my hand. What dog are you, that you dare insult me?"

"I... I..." The eunuch had utterly lost the arrogance he had shown before. He had grown up in the palace and had always believed that stepping outside would make him formidable and grand, but only now did he realize that he was nothing at all.

Before he could manage another word, An Lushan clamped his heels against the horse's sides, and the warhorse surged forward, trampling the eunuch flat to the ground. The eunuch let out a bloodcurdling scream, and An Lushan had already ridden over him.

Then the riders behind An Lushan each in turn rode over the eunuch. At first he still cried out and struggled to escape, but both of his leg bones had been crushed beneath hooves, and he could gather no strength at all. After two horses had gone over him, he had nothing left but the ability to moan. A moment later, even that sound was gone.

He was trampled to death before Chongan's eyes.

No matter how insolent that eunuch had been, he had not deserved death, much less death beneath An Lushan's hooves—yet this only revealed An Lushan's arrogance and tyranny.

But where others saw only brute insolence, Ye Chang saw something far more sinister: cunning and ruthlessness.

Had An Lushan not spoken those words just now, then if the matter were reported to Li Longji, the emperor would certainly be enraged and turn against him. But with that speech, Li Longji would not only refrain from anger, he might even be pleased.

At Li Longji's age, the first fear was death, the second the loss of power. He suspected and distrusted everyone who might threaten his authority, even his own crown prince; that was the very root of the Three Prisoners Case.

Ye Chang remembered that in the original history, when An Lushan came to the capital and met Crown Prince Li Heng, he did not even bow. When others urged him to show respect, he deliberately played the fool and said, "Your servant is foolish and knows only the Emperor, not the crown prince." For that, Li Longji was greatly delighted.

If he could do this to the crown prince, how much more easily could he do it to a mere noble lady?

Looking at the corpse on the ground, then at the retreating backs of An Lushan and his party, Ye Chang felt as though those hoofbeats had trampled across his own body.

Had he misstepped by even the slightest measure just now, the one who died would truly have been him.

Taking a breath, Ye Chang turned to look at Chuniang. Her little face was set hard, anger flashing in her eyes, and beneath it lay a trace of fear. Ye Chang felt a pang of sorrow: at such a young age, she had already become the stepping-stone by which An Lushan proclaimed his loyalty to Li Longji.

An Lushan was astute indeed. Killing a garrulous eunuch was no great matter, and Li Longji would certainly not punish him for such a trifle. As for offending the lady, one need only note that this noble person had no formal title; clearly she was not favored. Even if she were, it mattered little. Ever since Princess Taiping, Li Longji had grown deeply wary of princesses meddling in state affairs. Even the Grand Princess Huizhen kept her conduct discreet; how much more so a little girl?

"This grudge... I will repay it!" Chuniang ground out through clenched teeth.

"Hm..."

"Do not try to stop me." Seeing Ye Chang speak, Chuniang shot him a look. "Spare me your softhearted nonsense!"

"Ha, I'm not trying to stop you. I'm only saying I'll help you." Ye Chang could not help taking her hand. "And matters like this should be left to me. As for you, for now you should only live happily."

"Live happily?" Chuniang repeated. The simplicity of the words made her expression grow complicated.

Since meeting Ye Chang, had it not been precisely that easy, uncomplicated happiness of his that had drawn her to him?

"I trust you," Chuniang said.

Now that An Lushan had the trust of her imperial father, going back to complain would serve no purpose. Better to act as though nothing had happened. Whatever troubles or worries there were, let him handle them.

Ye Chang comforted her a little more, then led her onward up the mountain. After such an affair, Chuniang's interest in the outing faded sharply, and she no longer insisted on walking. Supported by two farmhands skilled in mountain paths, borne in a sedan chair, they reached the Medicine King Shrine halfway up the slope before long.

Ye Chang had already visited the shrine some days earlier, and yesterday, after learning of Chuniang's purpose, he had also sent word ahead. Thus the shrine had long been prepared. The abbot, Luo Shouyi, had risen early to await them outside, and when he saw that Chuniang was only a little girl of about ten, he was astonished, though not a trace of disrespect showed on his face.

This pleased Chuniang greatly. It was her first time presiding over such an affair, and she had feared being looked down upon.

Since this was not a major state sacrifice, the rites were kept simple. After the ceremony, Chuniang conferred on Li Longji the Daoist robe and the other offerings, while Luo Shouyi, eager to curry favor, presented the bitter tea grown by the temple. He had even found a way to learn the art of roasting tea from Ye Chang, and proclaimed that this Medicine King tea had marvelous effects, strengthening the body, brightening the eyes, lightening the frame, and prolonging life if drunk often.

When these trifles were finished, Chuniang had no desire whatsoever to sightsee and immediately wanted to descend the mountain and return to Wolong Valley. Seeing that her spirits remained low, Ye Chang tried to distract her.

"Your Highness, have this year's tournament earnings been settled with you yet?"

Chuniang's eyes brightened at once. "The league ended in the eleventh month, and the profits were settled at the start of the month before I came. The earnings for half a year were thirty-three thousand one hundred and nineteen strings of cash. I have a half share, so that makes sixteen hundred and fifty strings... The robe granted at the Medicine King Shrine this time was bought with that money. As you said, I also presented five hundred strings to my father as a birthday tribute and another five hundred to Noble Lady Taizhen for clothing, leaving me with six hundred and fifty strings."

Aside from not knowing how Chuniang spent her money, Ye Chang did know about the league's earnings for that half year. Jia Mao'er admired him greatly and would often bring up problems encountered in running the league to ask his advice, without hiding the income.

In just half a year, hastily organized, the league had already earned more than thirty-three thousand strings. This surprised Ye Chang. Chuniang had received over a thousand strings, enough to reward eunuchs and palace maids, so there were people in the palace willing to work for her. Giving money to Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan had also greatly raised her standing in the palace. That was exactly why, despite her youth, she had been entrusted with such an important task and brought here to honor the Medicine King.

"Next year's earnings will be even greater. But when you take someone's money, you must do their bidding—do not forget to give out the prizes," Ye Chang said with a smile.

"Of course. This year's champion award went to me as well." Mentioning it, Chuniang grew excited. "It's a pity you weren't there. It was crowded with people from end to end."

"Though I did not see it, I can imagine it," Ye Chang said. Naturally he knew all this.

"My father also said something about you. He wondered what sort of brilliance was in your mind that, upon arriving in Chang'an, you immediately set the city abuzz. Setting football aside, just the cement alone has already led him to order it laid across all the roads in the palace. It has even caused Han Zhaozong to complain to my father that the cement output is insufficient, that there is not enough even for the streets, and that my father should summon you back to Chang'an to solve the shortage."

Ye Chang burst out laughing. This was one of the pits he had dug for Han Zhaozong. Cement was excellent, but its firing consumed enormous amounts of fuel, and the vegetation around Chang'an was already insufficient; the firewood needed just to burn the cement could strip Mount Zhongnan bare.

"You did that on purpose?" Chuniang asked at once from his expression.

"County Governor Han is too full of himself. If you deal with him and leave no room in reserve, he'll lead you by the nose." Ye Chang smiled. "It's not that I meant to make things difficult for him. I just didn't want the chief magistrate of the capital district to have all the benefit of cement to himself."

"You are right. My father said the same thing." Chuniang nodded.

Ye Chang paused. Li Longji, who had risen above so many royal rivals to found the glorious era of Kaiyuan, truly possessed political vision and strategic depth. Han Zhaozong could only think within the narrow bounds of his own office, while Li Longji could look at the matter much more broadly.

"Where does His Majesty intend to use it?"

"The Hedong Circuit."

"He wants to use coal as well?" Hearing Hedong Circuit, Ye Chang instantly understood Li Longji's intention.

Hedong Circuit was the Shanxi of later times, and already rich in coal. Making cement with coal was certainly better than burning timber.

"Yes. After hearing that, Han Zhaozong submitted another memorial two days later, saying that besides Hedong Circuit, He Nei Commandery would also do, and... he also recommended you as the Ambassador of Cement for He Nei."

Ye Chang slapped his own forehead. By now he was quite familiar with the geography. He Nei Commandery included, under its jurisdiction, what would later be Jiaozuo, and it too was rich in coal, not far from Xiuwu. Han Zhaozong had truly spared no effort to lure him into office, though this title of "Ambassador of Cement" was really rather hard to admire.

"Why?"

"It seems Your Highness is different now in the palace. You know even these things."

Chuniang's face reddened slightly at that, but she said nothing more.

Was she supposed to tell Ye Chang that because this matter involved him, she had paid attention to it?

After a while she said softly, "You are unwilling to enter the palace with me, but taking office should be no problem, should it? If you truly want to be the Ambassador of Cement, I can ask for you... ask Father for you."

"No, no, absolutely not. I am perfectly at ease now, living in seclusion back in my homeland and enjoying myself. Please do not saddle me with official business." Ye Chang waved both hands frantically.

"If you do not take office, how can you deal with that An Lushan we met today? Or was what you said about avenging me just empty talk?" Chuniang's brows shot upward.

The little girl's reactions were so swift that Ye Chang could only scratch his head helplessly. "Even if I became whatever that Ambassador of Cement is, do you think dealing all day with stone and coal would let me do anything to An Lushan?"

"That would only be your first step up the ladder. First you become Ambassador of Cement, and twenty years later you can enter the capital as chancellor. Then you can avenge me!"

"Well... Han Zhaozong has set me up several times, and he may not have the best intentions either." Ye Chang knew that if he said outright that he had no desire to enter government service, Chuniang might flare up at once, so he threw Han Zhaozong under the carriage again.

Once one entered office, one's freedom would be bound and shackled. For a pitiful scrap of power that might be taken away at any moment, to lose all freedom entirely... Ye Chang would have none of it.

"Hm? Really?" Chuniang looked doubtful.

"Really!" Ye Chang nodded vigorously, while inwardly offering Han Zhaozong a silent apology.

"When can you return to Chang'an?"

"Soon enough, I imagine. Why?"

"That An Lushan won't stay in Chang'an for long. I was thinking of making him taste a little of his own medicine, and I want your ideas."

This noble lady truly had a small heart, and her vengeance stretched from dawn to dusk. Ye Chang smiled and waved a hand. "If His Majesty asks about it, just tell the truth. As for revenge, do not say a word. His Majesty will let you vent your anger first. Leave the rest to me."

Chuniang nodded and said nothing further, though what she was thinking, Ye Chang could not know.

Only after returning to Wolong Valley did Ye Chang learn that a very special guest had arrived there.

"It was you?"

"Two days ago I did not know you were Young Master Ye. My men were greatly discourteous." The visitor smiled and waved a hand. A servant stepped forward with a brocade box. When it was opened, inside lay twelve pearls, each no larger than a thumb, yet brilliant and radiant.

Pearls like these were exceedingly rare to begin with, and those of matching size were rarer still.

"In Liaodong there are the Jurchen. They use hawks known as sea windhawks to hunt swans, and within the swans' gizzards they obtain these luminous pearls. Each one is worth more than one hundred thousand cash. My marshal has learned that his subordinate once treated Young Master Ye disrespectfully, and has sent me here to apologize in his place. I hope Young Master Ye will not bear a grudge for what happened before."

The speaker was none other than the subordinate of An Lushan whom Ye Chang had dealt with on the road that day. Most of the men around An Lushan were foreign tribesmen, though there were a few Han Chinese as well, and this man was one of them.

"May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Ah, I was rude. My surname is Liu, and my humble name is Luogu. I serve in Marshal An's camp."

Ye Chang looked at the tray of pearls, appearing to be entranced by them, though in truth he had long been immune to such gaudy trinkets after being accustomed in a later age to crystalline objects of all kinds.

He was merely using this to hide the stir in his heart: why had An Lushan sent Liu Luogu to curry favor with him? Why had An Lushan's men tried to assassinate him in Chang'an, and why were they now suddenly coming to make amends?

"Lord Liu, the matter on the road the other day was originally just a misunderstanding..."

"My marshal is not here on account of that incident, but because several of his brothers under command once offended Young Master Ye in Chang'an. Though my marshal is far away in Lulong, he has heard of Young Master Ye's talent and fame, and has long wished to pay a visit. This time, because he had to enter Chang'an in haste, he was unable to make your acquaintance. He regrets it deeply, and so sent me here for two reasons: first to apologize, and second to pay his respects." Liu Luogu spoke without the slightest concealment.