The twenty-fifth day of the third month, first year of Kaiyuan. Chang'an. Xuanzheng Hall.
Five days after the explosion, morning court resumed. The golden bricks of Xuanzheng Hall were polished to a mirror shine, showing no trace of where people had knelt and shouted "Protect the Emperor" five days ago. The ministers wore their court robes, standing in two rows as before. But everyone knew in their hearts—this matter would not just pass.
I sat behind the curtain. This was the only place I could come. I couldn't attend court, but I could listen. I could watch. I could remember the things that couldn't be spoken in the court. Today's court session was to make a verdict.
The Court
"Your Majesty." Chen Xuanli, the commander of the imperial guards, stepped forward. "Regarding the polo field explosion, this subject has found the answer."
The hall fell silent. He sat on the Dragon Throne, unmoving. "Speak."
"The fuse for the viewing stand was connected from under the goal. The gunpowder was military-grade, taken from the Fanyang army's supply depot. We found the person who handled it—a minor clerk in the Ministry of Works, named Zhou An. He was responsible for the stand's maintenance. The day before the explosion, he stayed at the field alone, claiming to 'check the wooden planks'."
"Where is he?"
"Arrested. In the Ministry of Justice's prison."
He nodded. "Interrogated?"
"Interrogated. He confessed."
The hall fell silent again.
"Who ordered it?"
Chen Xuanli was silent for a moment. "He said—the Turks."
A commotion rippled through the hall. The Turks? The Turkic Khagan himself was on the viewing stand.
"He said the person who paid him spoke Turkish. Wore Turkic clothing. And paid with Turkic silver coins."
"Where is the person?"
"Ran away. Disappeared after the explosion. This subject checked the records of the Court of State Ceremonial; the Turkic delegation is missing one person. A guard, who disappeared on the third day of arriving in Chang'an. The delegation said he stole something and ran."
He sat on the Dragon Throne, not speaking. His fingers lightly tapped the desk, once, once, and again. That sound echoed in the hall, like someone knocking on a heart.
"What did the Turkic Khagan say?"
"The Khagan said he knew nothing of this matter. That guard was recruited temporarily, not a personal guard of the Khagan. The Khagan is willing to hand him over, but the man has already run and cannot be found."
The hall was quiet for a long time. Then Song Jing stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, this subject believes there are still doubts. The Turks had no motive to bomb their own Khagan. The layout of the stand was designed by the Ministry of Works. The Turks couldn't not know the Khagan's position. Unless—someone told them the wrong position. Or, someone deliberately made the Turks think the Khagan wouldn't sit there."
His voice was hard, like the man himself. After he spoke, the hall became even quieter.
He looked at Yao Chong. "Yao Qing, what do you think?"
Yao Chong stood at the head of the civil officials, silent for a moment. "Imperial Censor Song is right. The Turks had no motive. There must be someone behind it. But—" He paused, "That Turkic guard was recruited into the delegation after arriving in Chang'an. Not brought from Turkic. The Turkic merchant who introduced him has run. The house is empty."
Another commotion arose in the hall. Not the Turks. Someone was pretending to be a Turk. Someone was framing the Turks.
He nodded. "Investigate. Find out who that Turkic merchant is, who he saw in Chang'an, where he went."
"This subject obeys your decree." Chen Xuanli retreated.
He looked at the military column. "An Lushan."
An Lushan stepped forward, his voice loud. "This subject is here."
"The Fanyang army's supply depot lost gunpowder. What do you think?"
An Lushan's face flushed red, his voice growing louder. "Your Majesty! Every entry and exit in my supply depot is recorded! If gunpowder is missing, someone must have stolen it! This subject asks Your Majesty to send someone to investigate! Once it's clear, this subject is willing to accept punishment!"
He looked at him, not speaking immediately. An Lushan stood there, his face flushed red, like a wrongly accused loyal subject. His eyes were wide, his voice loud, the veins on his forehead bulging. Too forceful. A truly wrongly accused person wouldn't be this forceful.
"Investigate. Let the Ministry of Justice investigate. Once it's clear, we'll talk."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" An Lushan knelt, kowtowing. His forehead hit the golden brick with a dull thud. He didn't say "rise." An Lushan knelt there, not getting up. The hall was quiet for a long time. Then he spoke.
"Regarding the Turkic guard, I will decide. The Turkic delegation will temporarily stay in Chang'an. Wait until it's clear before being released."
He stood up and walked to the center of the hall.
"The case of the missing gunpowder from the supply depot, the Ministry of Justice will continue to investigate. Song Qing, you continue to investigate. Report whatever you find."
Song Jing bowed deeply. "This subject obeys your decree."
He stood in the hall, looking at everyone.
"Court dismissed."
The Prison
Zhou An was escorted away in the afternoon. I didn't go to see the execution. I went to see him. For the last time.
The prison cell was very dark, with only one oil lamp, its light weak. Zhou An sat in the corner, hugging his knees, head bowed. His hair was messy, his clothes torn, his face bruised. But he wasn't crying.
"Zhou An."
He looked up, saw me, and paused. "Empress?"
"Mm."
"Why are you here?"
"To see you."
He lowered his head, not speaking.
"Zhou An, who paid you?"
"The Turks. They spoke Turkish. Gave Turkic silver coins."
"How did you know they were Turks?"
He paused. "Clothes. Boots. And—" He thought for a moment, "They had a strong sheep smell. Not Tang people."
"How many?"
"Two."
"What did they look like?"
"Didn't see clearly. Faces covered. But one was very tall. A head taller than me."
"Zhou An, have you seen Turks before?"
"No."
"Then how did you know they were speaking Turkish?"
He was silent. The lamp light flickered on his face; his complexion changed.
"They spoke Turkish. Wore Turkic clothes. Gave Turkic money. If not Turks, what are they?"
"Who told you that was Turkish?"
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He lowered his head, burying his face in his knees.
"Empress, I—"
"Zhou An." My voice was very light. "You were deceived."
He didn't speak. He hugged his knees, his shoulders shaking. The lamp light shone on his hands, his knuckles white.
"When that person came to find you, what did they say?"
"Turkish."
"You understood?"
"Didn't understand. But there was someone translating next to me. Said—they were Turks. Wanted to teach the Tang Emperor a lesson. Let me connect the fuse to the stand. Said it wouldn't hurt anyone, just a scare."
"What language did the translator speak?"
"Tang language. Chang'an accent."
I stood there, unmoving. A Turk wouldn't bring a translator with a Chang'an accent.
"Zhou An, have you seen the translator?"
"No. Face covered."
"Voice? Young or old?"
"Young. Very young. Voice very bright."
"What did he say? Every word."
He thought for a moment. "He said—'The Turks want to teach the Tang Emperor a lesson. It won't hurt anyone, just a scare. After it's done, another five hundred guan.' " He paused, "He also said—'Don't tell anyone. If you do, your whole family won't live.' "
I squatted down, looking into his eyes. "Zhou An, Turks wouldn't say 'Tang Emperor.' They would say 'Heavenly Khagan.' The translator wasn't a Turk's translator. He was a Tang person pretending to be a Turk."
He looked up at me. His eyes were red.
"Empress, was I deceived?"
"Mm."
"Then that person—" His voice trembled. "Who was that person really?"
I didn't answer. I looked at him. The lamp light shone on his face, very dark. His fingers trembled, his lips too.
"Zhou An, do you regret it?"
He was silent for a long time. "I regret it."
"Regret what?"
"Regret taking that money." He lowered his head, burying his face in his knees again. "Empress, am I going to die?"
"Mm."
"Then can I ask you for one thing?"
"What thing?"
"Don't let my family know. That I took that money." His voice was very light, so light it sounded like he was talking to himself. "Just say I—accidentally fell to my death while repairing the stand."
I looked at him. The lamp light flickered on his face, casting his shadow on the wall, very long. His fingers clenched his knees, very tightly.
"Okay."
"Thank you, Empress." He smiled. A very bitter smile.
The Ministry of Justice
Leaving the prison, I went to the Ministry of Justice. Li Rizhi was looking at files in the public hall, with high stacks of documents on his desk. He looked up, saw me, and stood up to bow. There were deep dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept for days.
"Empress."
"Minister Li, is Zhou An's case closed?"
"Closed. He confessed. Signed the confession."
"Did you investigate the two Turks he mentioned?"
He was silent for a moment. "Investigated. The Turkic delegation is indeed missing a guard. But that guard—I think it's wrong. That guard was recruited into the delegation after arriving in Chang'an. Not brought from Turkic. The Khagan said he was introduced by a Turkic merchant in Chang'an. I checked that merchant; he ran. The house is empty. That Turkic guard also ran."
"Anything else?"
"And—" He pulled out a piece of paper from the file and handed it to me. "The two Turkic silver coins Zhou An mentioned, I found them. I had people from the Court of State Ceremonial look at them; they said—not Turkic. They are fakes. Made with Tang silver. Turkic silver coins have low silver content, dark. These two are too bright."
I took the paper. On it was a drawing of the two silver coins. The edges were very regular, the pattern very clear. Too clear. Real Turkic silver coins wouldn't be this clear.
"Someone faked Turkic silver coins to deceive Zhou An."
"Yes. And—" He paused, "I checked the translator. Can't find him. No one has seen him, no one knows what he looks like. He only spoke to Zhou An. Left after speaking. Like—" He thought for a moment, "Like he came specifically to deceive Zhou An. Left after deceiving, leaving no trace."
I stood there, unmoving. The Turks were fake. The Turkish language was fake. The Turkic silver coins were fakes. The translator was a Tang person. Someone was using the Turks. Framing the Turks. Muddying the waters.
"Minister Li, who else knows about this?"
"Only me. And—" He paused, "His Majesty."
"Don't tell anyone else."
"This subject understands."
The Bedchamber
In the evening, he came to the bedchamber. He put the memorials on the desk, leaned on the couch, and closed his eyes. His brows were furrowed, exactly like when he had a toothache in the past.
"Longji."
"Mm?"
"I heard about what happened in court today."
"Mm."
"Zhou An was beheaded today."
"Mm."
"Before he died, he said one thing."
He opened his eyes, looking at me. "What thing?"
"He said the person who paid him spoke Turkish. But the translator was a Tang person. Chang'an accent. Voice very bright, very young."
He sat up straight.
"He also said those two Turkic silver coins were fakes. Li Rizhi checked them; they were faked with Tang silver. Too bright, not Turkic quality." He looked at me, his eyes very bright. Not the brightness of moonlight, but the brightness of a blade.
"Li Rizhi also found that Turkic guard was recruited into the delegation after arriving in Chang'an. The Turkic merchant who introduced him has run." I looked at him, "Someone is pretending to be a Turk. Framing the Turks. Muddying the waters."
He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. The night wind from Chang'an blew from Zhuque Avenue, carrying the sweet scent of locust flowers.
"Qingyan, are you saying—someone is using the Turks to assassinate me. Then frame the Turks. Make me think the Turks want to kill me. So I will go to war with the Turks. The north will be chaotic. If it's chaotic, someone will profit."
"Mm."
"That person doesn't want me to find out."
"Mm."
He was silent for a long time. Moonlight from the window fell on his face. His eyes were very bright, but the corners of his mouth were flat. No smile.
"Longji, you know who it is."
"I have always known." He turned around, looking at me. "From the day he didn't kneel, I knew. From the day his teeth were too white, I knew. From the day his soldiers were too obedient, I knew. But I had no evidence. He has military achievements, military power, and the whole court speaks for him. I can't move against him."
"Then how long will you wait?"
"Wait for him to make a mistake. Wait for him to expose himself. Wait until—" He paused, "Wait until someone is willing to speak."
Outside the window, Chang'an's night was very quiet. The Ministry of Justice's prison was empty. Zhou An was gone. He thought what he said would not be remembered. But he remembered. She also remembered. The person pretending to be a Turk thought his scheme was flawless. But some things can't be hidden. The translator had a Chang'an accent. The silver coins were faked with Tang silver. The wounds were sutured too well, the teeth rotted too uniformly, the medicine smell too bitter, the kneel too fast, the smile too good. Too perfect, and it's wrong.
"Longji."
"Mm?"
"He will strike again."
"I know." He took my hand. "I am waiting."
(End of Chapter 31)