Chapter Two: The Eighteenth Year of the Kaihuang Era (Part Two)
In the center of the caravan, within a lavishly adorned carriage, a small brazier burned. The walls were draped with tapestries, and a white tiger pelt covered the floor. Compared to Xu Ma’s carriage, this one was far more luxurious. The plump old gentleman and the man in his thirties sat inside, but at the center was an elderly man clad in a fur robe, his gray hair wound into a topknot secured with a square scarf. His features were refined, his beard long and tucked into a pouch beneath his chin.
Li Jianguo had heard tales of how ancient people valued their facial hair; as the saying goes, one’s body and hair are gifts from one’s parents, and a fine beard is a rare blessing. Wasn’t Guan Yu in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms said to carry a beard pouch to protect his whiskers?
“Shian, is this the child?” the elder asked, instructing Xu Ma to place Li Jianguo down and then signaling her to leave.
The warmth of the white tiger pelt was comforting. Having suffered hunger and cold before, now with a full belly and lying upon the soft fur, Li Jianguo felt a wave of drowsiness. Yet he dared not close his eyes—he knew this was a pivotal moment. He might be taken away, or abandoned once more in the wild. His heart was torn; which fate would be better? Of course, the choice was not his to make—it rested in the hands of the elder before him. Whatever decision he made, Li Jianguo would have no means to resist. So, he forced himself awake and listened intently.
The elder picked Li Jianguo up, scrutinizing him from head to toe. Seeing his delicate, jade-like features, he felt some affection, though his face betrayed hesitation.
“This child’s clothing is not ordinary; he does not seem to come from a poor family.” As he spoke, he placed Li Jianguo before him and opened the child’s garments, extracting from the small quilt wrapped around him a longevity lock made of white jade. Li Jianguo had always felt something hard pressed against him, uncomfortable, but had not expected it to be such a piece, barely the size of his palm. He was momentarily startled.
In that moment, the elder had already picked up the lock. Without considering its material, the exquisite qilin motif alone revealed it to be the work of a master craftsman. On the front was the qilin, with four ancient seal script characters: “Wild Plains Qilin Child.”
On the reverse was a beast motif, flanked by two lines of small seal script: “Words praised, deeds exalted; auspicious clouds, phoenix of fortune.”
Li Jianguo saw the elder’s brows knit together.
“Father, what is it?” asked the younger man.
“This child’s origins are likely far from simple… Unless something calamitous befell his family, he would never have been abandoned in the wilderness.”
“Ah?” Shian and Renji were both taken aback. “Master, what do you mean?”
“If it were only his clothing, it would merely prove he hails from a wealthy household. But this longevity lock…”
The elder handed the lock to Renji and explained to Shian, “The phrase ‘auspicious clouds, phoenix of fortune’ is easy to interpret as a blessing from his family. But the words ‘words praised, deeds exalted’ are from the Book of Rites, specifically the chapter on the Crown Prince of King Wen. The full passage, as I recall, is: ‘Those who speak at the suburbs must seek the worthy and gather the talented, advancing by virtue, by achievement, or by reputation.’ In essence: the virtuous must value conduct and renown.”
He paused. “Among these lines, the characters ‘words’ and ‘fortune’ stand out—presumably the child’s name. How could an ordinary family devise such a name? If a wealthy house, such a name is laden with hope—how could they abandon him so lightly? Therefore, I deduce calamity struck his family.”
Words and fortune? Li Jianguo wondered silently: Could that be his name?
Renji asked, “Father, do you mean to return the child to where he was found?”
The elder did not answer immediately, but after pondering, he turned to the plump old man. “Shian, do you wish to adopt him?”
Apparently, while Li Jianguo was being fed earlier, the old man had explained his intentions.
“The humble servant believes that returning the child might endanger his life. In this desolate wilderness, he could freeze, starve, or be devoured by beasts… Whatever trouble befell his parents, leaving him here surely bodes ill. Thus, why not adopt him? It would be an act of kindness. If you permit it, I do wish to keep him and raise him as my own, so that in my old age, I have someone to care for me.”
He looked at Li Jianguo, his eyes full of affection.
Sometimes, fate works in curious ways. When Shian found Li Jianguo, the child did not cry nor fuss—simply because wailing required energy, and since his goal was achieved, there was no need to continue. But to Shian, it seemed destiny. Why else would the child stop crying and smile as soon as he was picked up?
The elder remained silent, while Renji nodded gently.
“Father, the steward’s reasoning makes sense. Steward Zheng is now past fifty and has no children; having a child is surely a blessing. Besides, we can say he was purchased in Luoyang—who would know? And Hongyi is about to turn one; in future, he’ll need someone to serve him. The steward’s family has served us for five generations—now with a sixth, it’ll make a fine tale. Don’t you agree?”
Renji seemed truly respectful toward Shian. Shian gave Renji a grateful look, nodding, his fair face showing hopeful anticipation.
The elder considered for a while, then finally made his decision.
“I cannot deny the kindness in your hearts. Yet, our Zheng family is not what it once was. The current emperor is resolute and harbors animosity toward the noble clans of the East… Our patriarch once aided in the founding of the dynasty, but now must tread carefully, ever wary. Once, the Zheng clan had seven branches—what glory! Now only three and my sixth branch remain, so I must be cautious. This time, the eldest son of the Duke of Tang, Jiancheng, has agreed to marry into the third branch, easing the emperor’s hostility, but caution is still needed…”
Moreover, the times seem unstable. Since Prince Jin returned from Jiangdu, the emperor has grown ever more dissatisfied with the crown prince. Should we become entangled in all this, we might suffer calamity as well…”
Shian’s face paled. Just as he was about to speak, the elder smiled and waved him off. “Shian, you have served our Zheng family for five generations and are truly one of us. Years ago, you cut off your bloodline for my sake—I will never forget your loyalty.”
“Here’s what we’ll do: Once we reach Sishui Pass, Renji, you will send someone to investigate if any family has lost a child. If none are found, Shian will raise him… Hongyi will have someone to serve him, and my mind will be at ease.”
One sentence dashed any hopes for dissent, another inspired gratitude—such was his method. Zheng Dashi’s intentions were clear: search at Sishui Pass, so no one would question Li Jianguo’s origins. After all, he was an infant; what could he remember? Thus, Shian was won over, and the problem resolved.
Renji nodded repeatedly in agreement. Shian, moved to tears, knelt before Zheng Dashi. “For such kindness, this humble servant would give his life for the Zheng family!”
Li Jianguo’s mind was in turmoil. When Zheng Dashi mentioned the Duke of Tang and Jiancheng, he had a vague inkling. When he later spoke of Prince Jin and Jiangdu, Li Jianguo could not help but gasp inwardly.
Before his rebirth, Li Jianguo had been interested in history. And when he connected “Duke of Tang,” “Jiancheng,” “Prince Jin,” and “Jiangdu,” his doubts suddenly cleared: If this was the Sui-Tang era, then the Duke of Tang must be Li Yuan.
“Jiancheng” equals Li Jiancheng;
“Prince Jin” equals Emperor Yang of Sui…
Good heavens, could this truly be the transition between Sui and Tang? Had he been reborn at the dawn of the Sui-Tang dynasty?
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