016. Entering the Palace
From Linzhou to Chang'an was one thousand four hundred and sixty li; a swift horse could cover the distance in two days. Naturally, an entire army could not march so quickly, and the rear supply camp, burdened with wounded soldiers and heavy baggage, moved even slower. With delays and pauses, half a month slipped by unnoticed amid the arduous journey and oppressive mood.
On the eve of their arrival in Chang'an, Li Xi suddenly fell ill. It was nothing serious, merely a barrage of sneezes, and endless runny nose—no sooner had he wiped it clean than it returned, and after the nose, the tears followed. Li Xi was thoroughly wretched.
Watching his brother suffer, Old Third Li felt miserable as well. After some thought, he steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and marched off toward a clear stream beside the camp. The evening glow painted the sky, a solitary row of wild geese traced the horizon, and autumn's twilight reigned.
By the stream, he found a stone, and like a stubborn stake, squatted down, laboriously scrubbing with half a pound of soapberries until his hands were as raw as peeled carrots. At last, he restored the handkerchief Li Xi had recently christened as the "Guanyin Blessing for Children" to its original color.
It was a moon-white silk square, with gold and silver threads outlining the edges, and a blooming peony embroidered in one corner. It must have belonged to some noble lady.
The Guanyin handkerchief was soon thrust into Li Xi's hands. "Brother, stop using your sleeves. If the censors see it, you'll be impeached."
Li Xi could only groan, nearly retching. He couldn't bring himself to accept Old Third Li's kindness. Yet, this incident subtly changed his opinion of the man—not quite the villain he had imagined; perhaps he had misjudged him.
With these conflicting feelings, Li Xi continued to use his sleeve to wipe his nose as they approached Chang'an.
Ah—
Chang'an—
You are the capital of all nations, my beloved.
I have arrived—
Gazing from afar at the towers of Chang'an, Li Xi, his heart surging with emotion, longed to compose a poem. But after wracking his brains, he could only summon up four lines. Ashamed, his nose and eyes streamed even more fiercely, almost overflowing.
Old Third Li trotted over on horseback, pointing to the city gate ahead. "See that? Fanglin Gate. Turn left inside and you'll be at Taiji Palace. Heaven's favor is boundless—returning home and entering the palace to meet the Son of Heaven. What fortune, what blessings earned across lifetimes!"
As Old Third Li was sighing, seven riders burst out of Fanglin Gate, trailing a cloud of yellow dust, and reached the marching column in an instant. Before the horses arrived, the bugle to halt the march sounded. The mounted disciplinary officers galloped about, the inspector captains barked orders, directing the soldiers to stop and await further commands. With the imperial palace looming in the distance and the oppressive air of authority, not a single person among the thousand in the rear supply camp dared make a sound.
Officers of rank stepped forward, arranging themselves according to their positions before their units. Although Li Xi had been granted the rank of Junior Ninth Grade Staff Officer, he had not yet received his commission and still wore the uniform of a guardsman. He hesitated—should he step forward? Just then, a sharp voice sounded at his ear: "Those who have been granted office but have not yet received their commission, step forward and listen to the decree."
The voice was familiar—a eunuch. Li Xi rose on his toes for a look, but the crowd blocked his view.
He hastily wiped his nose twice, straightened his back, and lined up with the officers. Glancing around, he saw six rows with more than two hundred people. Li Xi was astonished: so many officers in the rear supply camp!
Old Third Li was in the row ahead, barely ten feet away.
Suddenly, a command: "Kneel, there is an imperial edict."
The officers in front knelt in unison, and Li Xi dared not be slow—he just managed to kneel when two gleaming yellow dragons emerged.
In the ranks, a long "hmm...ha..." sounded.
The wind was fierce, the sunlight strong, the atmosphere solemn, but the sound discordant.
By the third "hmm...ha..." from Li Xi, there came a tearing sound—a garment ripped. Old Third Li, standing to his left and front, quietly slipped a hand behind his back, flicked his fingers, and passed something to the officer behind him. After several hands, two soft, fluffy objects reached Li Xi. A whisper at his ear warned: "Block them, block them. If you lose decorum during the reading of the imperial decree, you'll be executed without mercy."
"Ah!"
Without hesitation, Li Xi stuffed the two fluffy things into his nostrils. It worked—the twin streams of yellow dragons ceased their journey through his nose, though his mouth suffered.
When the decree was finished, everyone rose. Li Xi was stunned: was that all? No cries of thanks for the imperial grace?
Without such cries, the three yellow-robed eunuchs mounted their horses and rode back to the city. Seeing Li Xi still dazed, Old Third Li coughed, reminding him, "You nearly lost your life just now, do you realize?"
Li Xi murmured, removed the fluffy plugs from his nostrils; the dragons resumed their course, and he felt even worse. "Hmm...ha..."—a couple more sounds, and his spirits revived.
Yet, in that instant, he was petrified.
"Old Third Brother, let me borrow your Guanyin handkerchief."
"Um..."
"What does 'um' mean? Where is it?"
"It...it has gone to punish evil and promote good."
"Punish what evil, promote what good? Did you—"
"No, no, truly, it has gone to punish evil and promote good. Two evil dragons were wreaking havoc on the cliffs of my lips, and the Lady transformed into a myriad bodhi fruits to suppress the wickedness."
Old Third Li explained as he jogged away.
"Old Third Li...you...hmm...ha!"
It was his first time in Chang'an; after just one street, he entered Taiji Palace. As he passed through the palace gates, tearful and sniffling, Li Xi endured many contemptuous glances. Fortunately, he faced no real difficulties; even the censors, notorious for nitpicking, left him alone. The three old censors, whose combined age exceeded two centuries, seemed deeply moved by Li Xi's pure loyalty.
"Ah, look at him, so overwhelmed just by entering the palace—how rare! Among today's youth, how many even know how to write 'loyalty' and 'filial piety'?" One white-bearded elder's whiskers quivered with excitement.
"Judging by his demeanor, if he sees the Emperor, he might just faint from emotion. Such loyalty and filial piety, remarkable..." another white-bearded elder chimed in.
"I think we should alert those inside; if someone collapses during the imperial banquet, it wouldn't sound good if word got out," the third kindly reminded the others.
"Yes, yes, let Li De Yu handle it. He loves taking charge."
"Heh heh..." The three elders chuckled mischievously.
Li Xi, still sniffling and staring with wide eyes, followed the crowd into Taiji Palace.
Taiji Palace, known as the "Southern Palace," was built atop the old Sui dynasty palace and had once been the center of Tang imperial power.
But after the construction of Daming Palace, the empire's political heart shifted northward, and the Emperor no longer resided here, holding ceremonies only occasionally.
Passing through several palace gates and undergoing repeated "searches"—body inspections—Li Xi lost count. He only remembered being searched at every gate. The palace guards' vigilance was impressive, though the order...
Li Xi surveyed the lively scene around him, as bustling as a marketplace. He felt troubled. People said the Tang were bold and uninhibited, but this seemed excessive. Was this a banquet at Taiji Palace, or a temple fair at Taiji Temple? Such chaos—what decorum!
He wanted to find someone to chat with, but his colleagues all shoved forward as if scrambling for a silk ball, elbows flying, ignoring him completely. And Old Third Li, due to the handkerchief incident, kept his distance, glancing from afar with a foolish grin, refusing to come near.