The sixteenth day of the third month, first year of Kaiyuan. Chang'an. Xuanzheng Hall.
The day after the palace banquet, Chang'an looked the same as usual.
The locust flowers on Zhuque Avenue were still blooming, the Hu merchants' camel caravans were still lining up to enter the city, and the flower-selling girls were still shouting at the alley entrances. The golden bricks of Linde Hall were wiped spotless by the palace attendants; the places where people had knelt, and the place where one hadn't, were indistinguishable. Morning court began as usual. Yao Chong stood at the head of the civil officials as usual, Song Jing wore his stern face as usual, and Guo Ziyi stood at the very end of the military officials, his armor still that old piece. Everything was the same as yesterday.
But some things were different.
The memorial from the Censorate was delivered this morning. It wasn't written by Song Jing, but by one of his aides, a侍御史 named Liu, called Liu Wenjing. The memorial was written very formally, first citing the rites, then citing precedents from previous dynasties, and finally asking one question: The Fanyang Military Governor An Lushan entered the hall without kneeling; His Majesty exempted him from the grand ritual citing "border customs." This subject asks—can border customs enter the Great Tang's ritual system?
He placed the memorial on the imperial desk, unapproved. He leaned back on the Dragon Throne, looking at the people standing in the hall. Yao Chong stood at the very front, expressionless. Song Jing stood beside Yao Chong, expressionless. Liu Wenjing stood at the front of the Censorate column, his face calm, but his eyes kept looking at the spot where An Lushan stood. An Lushan was here today too, standing in the military column, in a forward position. He wore court robes, not Hu costume, and carried no curved sword; he was very proper. His stance was very upright, as steady as in Linde Hall yesterday.
"Liu Wenjing."
"This subject is here."
"Your memorial, I have read it. Regarding the rites, I will have the Ministry of Rites discuss it. Court dismissed."
Just that sentence. No approval, no rebuttal, no punishment, no reward. Let the Ministry of Rites discuss it. The Ministry of Rites could discuss it for three or five years. Liu Wenjing's face changed slightly, just for a moment, quickly returning to normal. He retreated, not speaking again.
He looked at An Lushan. "An Lushan."
"This subject is here."
"Are the Fanyang military affairs well?"
"They are well. The Turks dare not invade the border; the people live and work in peace." An Lushan's voice was loud, loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear clearly. "This subject guards the north for Your Majesty; this subject's soldiers are Your Majesty's soldiers."
He nodded. "You have worked hard. Court dismissed."
Court dispersed. Ministers walked out of Xuanzheng Hall in twos and threes. Yao Chong walked at the very front, not speaking to anyone. Song Jing walked behind Yao Chong, also not speaking. Liu Wenjing walked in the Censorate column, his steps very fast, as if rushing. An Lushan walked in the military column, talking and laughing with the generals next to him, his voice loud, his laughter hearty. Guo Ziyi walked at the very back; no one spoke to him, and he didn't speak to anyone. He walked very quietly, his steps steady.
The Dental Clinic
Three days after the palace banquet, I didn't go to morning court. I went to the Chongren Ward dental clinic.
Qingyuan was keeping accounts behind the counter, her hair grayed, but her hands were still steady. Seeing me enter, she paused. "Sanniang? Why are you here?"
"Just looking around."
"Looking for what?"
"Looking at teeth."
She smiled. "Sanniang, you are the Empress. An Empress shouldn't come to a dental clinic."
"Empresses also get toothaches." I sat on the treatment bed. "Are there patients today?"
"Yes. Several. All here to ask about that thing at the palace banquet."
"Which thing?"
"The thing about An Lushan not kneeling." Qingyuan lowered her voice. "Sanniang, do you think that military governor is very powerful?"
"I don't know. I only look at teeth."
Qingyuan smiled, not asking further.
The first patient was a tea merchant, over fifty years old, who ran a teahouse in Chongren Ward. He sat down and opened his mouth, letting me look at his teeth. Lower right first molar, deep caries, already close to the pulp.
"If you don't fill this tooth, you'll have to pull it."
He was startled. "Pull? Can't it be filled?"
"It can be filled. But you keep delaying; if it rots to the nerve, it can only be pulled."
He nodded, then asked again: "Empress, that military governor—"
"Open your mouth." I interrupted him.
He opened his mouth. I cleaned the decayed part for him; he hissed in pain but didn't dare speak. After filling it, he stood up and bowed to me.
"Empress, tell me, will that military governor rebel in the future?"
I looked at him. "Your tooth, come back for a follow-up in three days."
He paused, then smiled. "Yes. Yes. I'll come back in three days."
He left. Qingyuan looked at me from the side.
"Sanniang, why didn't you answer him?"
"Because I don't know. I only know that if his tooth isn't filled, it will have to be pulled. Other things—" I paused, "I don't know."
West Market
In the afternoon, I went to the Hu wine shop in the West Market.
Not to watch the excitement, but to look at teeth. Amira's tooth had been hurting for several days; Qingyuan said she didn't dare enter the palace, afraid of troubling the Empress. I stood at the entrance of the wine shop, looking at that string of colored glass lanterns. Red, yellow, blue, green, the same as thirty years ago.
"Empress?" Amira poked her head out from inside, saw me, and froze. "Why are you here?"
"To look at your tooth."
"My tooth—"
"Qingyuan said it's been hurting for days. Open your mouth."
She opened her mouth. Lower right wisdom tooth, pericoronitis, gums red and swollen, with pus seeping out. I gently pressed it with tweezers; she cried out in pain, tears coming out.
"This wisdom tooth needs to be pulled."
"Pull?" Her face turned pale.
"Mm. If you don't pull it, it will hurt again in the future."
She gritted her teeth. "Pull it."
I had Qingyuan prepare the tools. During the extraction, she gripped the chair armrests, her knuckles turning white. But she didn't scream. After it was done, she held a cotton ball in her mouth, speaking indistinctly: "Empress, do you know, I saw it that day at the palace banquet."
"Saw what?"
"Saw that military governor not kneel." She looked at me. "Also saw His Majesty smile. Not the kind of smile that's angry. It was the kind—where he knew this would happen, he was waiting for it."
I didn't speak.
"Empress, what is His Majesty waiting for?"
"Waiting for his tooth to rot to the point where it needs to be pulled." I stood up and put away the tools.
Amira paused, then smiled. "Empress, you really know how to talk."
"I'm just used to looking at teeth."
Night
In the evening, he came to the bedchamber. He put the memorials on the desk, leaned on the couch, and closed his eyes.
"Longji."
"Mm?"
"I heard about what happened in court today."
"Mm."
"The matter of Yao Chong investigating the military pay, did you have him do it?"
He opened his eyes, looking at me. "No. He wanted to investigate it himself."
"Aren't you afraid of startling the snake?"
"Not afraid." He smiled, "Yao Chong investigating military pay is the chancellor's duty. An Lushan can't stop it. And—" He paused, "I need Yao Chong to investigate. Need Song Jing to watch. Need the whole court to know that someone is investigating An Lushan."
"Why?"
"Because that way, An Lushan will feel that I don't trust him completely. He will get nervous. If he gets nervous, he will make a mistake." He leaned on the couch, looking at the night sky outside the window. There was no moon. The clouds in the March sky were thick; the moonlight was blocked. "Qingyan, do you know, today in court, when Minister Wang reported on the Fanyang army's pay, I glanced at An Lushan."
"What was his reaction?"
"He had no reaction." He smiled, "A person being impeached, having too little reaction. He wasn't nervous, didn't argue, didn't plead. He just stood there, waiting for me to speak."
"Why is he so steady?"
"Because he knows I won't move against him. At least not now. The north needs him; the Turks are still there, the Tibetans are still there. I can't move against him. He also knows I can't move against him. So he is steady." He paused, "But I am also waiting. Waiting for him to feel—I can move. Waiting for the north to not need him. Waiting for me to find someone who can replace him."
"Guo Ziyi?"
He didn't answer. He looked at me, the corners of his mouth lifting.
"Qingyan, you went to the dental clinic today?"
"Mm. Also went to the West Market."
"What did you hear?"
"Heard tea merchants discussing An Lushan. Saying he didn't kneel, saying the Emperor approved it, saying he will be even more powerful in the future."
"How did you answer?"
"I didn't answer. I just filled a tooth for him."
He smiled. "What did the person with the toothache say?"
"He said—'Empress, will that military governor rebel in the future?'"
"What did you say?"
"I said—'Your tooth, if not filled, will have to be pulled.'"
He paused, then smiled. A very light, very faint smile, but it reached his eyes.
"Qingyan, you speak better than me."
"I'm just used to looking at teeth." I looked at him. "Longji, do you know, today at the dental clinic, I heard many things. Some people are worried, some are afraid, some are waiting. They don't know what will happen, but they feel—something is going to happen."
He didn't speak. He leaned on the couch, looking at the night sky outside the window. The clouds were thick; the moonlight couldn't penetrate. Chang'an's night was very dark, dark like a rain that hadn't come yet.
"Qingyan."
"Mm?"
"Do you know, today in court, I also thought of one thing."
"What thing?"
"If one day, An Lushan really rebels. Am I prepared. Do I have generals who can fight, soldiers who can defend the city, a treasury that can hold up. Do I have—" He looked at me, "Do I have people who will stand on my side."
"There will be."
"How do you know?"
"Because Guo Ziyi didn't drink tonight. He is waiting for you to speak. Yao Chong is investigating military pay, Song Jing is watching the court. They are all waiting. Waiting for you to speak."
He looked at me, silent for a long time.
"Qingyan."
"Mm?"
"Are you also waiting?"
"Mm." I held his hand. "I am waiting for you to say—it's time."
Outside the window, the lanterns on Zhuque Avenue went out one by one. The Hu wine shop in the West Market closed, the Chongren Ward dental clinic closed, and the storyteller in the teahouse put away his fan. Chang'an grew quiet. No moon, only wind. The wind blew from Zhuque Avenue, carrying the sweet scent of locust flowers and the sound of camel bells from afar. Those sounds were very light, like many people speaking from a very far distance.
(End of Chapter 29)