The exquisitely crafted black lacquer box with gold clasps fell to the ground, its lid springing open, and the silk-wrapped contents rolled out. Li Yuangu glanced at it and saw it was a “jin zi” (hair band) used to secure men’s hair buns. It was entirely woven from gold thread, with small pearls inlaid at the intersections, extraordinarily luxurious.
If they were really going to rob this pair of siblings, just this treasure alone would make it worth their while… wait.
Li Yuangu carefully examined the “brother and sister” they had stopped. Though both were simply dressed, the man in his thirties was fair and plump, clearly accustomed to a life of luxury. The woman wore a face veil, attire that noble ladies wore to prevent prying eyes when going out. Common women like boat hands or food vendors couldn’t wear such things – how would they work?
The maid following them was startled and dropped the lacquer box, hurriedly crouching to pick it up. The veiled lady, seeing the gold and pearl hair band roll out, forgot her dignity and also knelt to gather it. Li Yuangu’s gaze returned to the man’s face as he responded coolly:
“Palace officials conducting an investigation. Good citizens need not panic. May I ask the honorable siblings’ surname and place of origin?”
The man hesitated slightly before answering:
“My humble surname is Pei, originally from Hedong. We have estate properties here and are temporarily residing here due to family matters…”
The two women behind him had picked up the fallen items and were wiping off the dust to put them back in the box. As the maid turned the black lacquer box over to check for damage, Li Yuangu caught sight of gold-painted characters on the bottom, which included the words “Da’an Palace.”
Ah, something seemed off.
That “jin zi” was a male hair accessory that had only become popular in the palace in recent years. When styling hair, the topknot would be secured on top, first covered with this hollow shell woven from bamboo strips, then fixed with hairpins and wrapped with a headcloth. It was prized for being light, secure, and keeping hair neat. Li Yuangu himself was wearing one.
He didn’t know if these had spread from the palace to commoners yet, but even if they had, they weren’t particularly precious items – ordinary black-lacquered bamboo versions were sufficient. He’d heard some of his extravagant elder brothers and brothers-in-law used ones made of gold or silver thread, but those were covered with black silk gauze and hard to distinguish. The impoverished young prince certainly didn’t have one himself.
So the use of such an item was quite strange, as it normally couldn’t be used to flaunt wealth. If someone deliberately showed it off to boast? Even wealthy merchants and powerful families in the capital would be cautious about such displays under the Emperor’s feet, to avoid accusations of overstepping.
“What did you collect from the jewelry shop?” Li Yuangu nodded toward the mother-of-pearl inlaid black lacquer box. “Are these forbidden palace items? We’re acting on imperial orders and must inspect them!”
After speaking, he realized his tone wasn’t very pleasant – exactly like those street ruffians who specialized in extorting common people. As expected, the veiled lady and young maid quickly protected the lacquer box, and the plump man’s expression changed:
“Officer, please allow me to explain. My sister and I both hold official ranks and are not mere commoners. We came out for a stroll today and entered the market without attendants – that was my oversight. If officers have time, you can come back to my estate to verify our credentials. There will also be a small token of appreciation – but if you try to use force here on the street, I won’t comply. If this escalates to the Xianyang authorities, it probably won’t look good for your superiors!”
“Hey! Show some respect!” Yang Xinzhi scolded from the side. “You fail to recognize Mount Tai before you – do you know who our Young Lord Fourteen is?”
Li Yuangu waved him off, not wanting to create more complications:
“Master Pei misunderstands – we’re not the type of people you imagine. Keep your gold and pearl hair band, I just want to look at that lacquer box.”
Hearing him specifically say “jin zi,” Master Pei paused, his eyes scanning the tops of Li Yuangu and Yang Xinzhi’s heads – both had jin zi under their headcloths, making their topknots neater and more upright than common men’s – then looked at the veiled Hu Ji, the two young servants and the fine dogs they were leading.
Before this search party set out, Li Yuangu had specifically reminded them to be careful not to reveal their identities in dress and speech, but he knew these prince’s guards and noble servants were very different from ordinary soldiers. An observant person wouldn’t find it difficult to notice something unusual. The Pei siblings were no simpletons. The man frowned:
“Could it be that my lord has already seen the dedication inscription on the bottom of the box? If so, I won’t hide it – these jewels are all tributes going there. My lords should consider – if you can handle the implications of this matter, please come discuss details at my residence. If not, perhaps it’s best we all go our separate ways.”
The implication was that the jewelry they were collecting from the shop today was a tribute to Da’an Palace, naturally backed by powerful connections. Li Yuangu’s group interfering would mean disrupting royal affairs. Anyone sensible should quickly leave, and if they didn’t-
Since it involved his own family, Li Yuangu was certainly interested and willing to go “discuss details” at the Pei residence. However-
“Have you seen a young foreign merchant with a Han girl about eleven or twelve years old?” he asked. “They might have other companions. The merchant is bald, though he’s probably wearing a hat to cover it…”
“So my lords are searching for people?” Master Pei seemed relieved and smiled for the first time. “No wonder you stopped us on the street… but I don’t have a high nose and deep eyes, nor am I bald! Would Young Lord Fourteen like to verify?”
The man wasn’t ugly, and his joking manner was quite warm and witty. His sister coughed lightly beside him, reproaching: “Brother…”
Li Yuangu’s heart trembled.
His Seventeenth Sister called him the same way, though her voice was much more childish and sweet. This Lady Pei’s voice was deep, probably older than Li Yuangu.
Master Pei composed himself and said “It’s not appropriate to block someone’s doorway,” inviting Li Yuangu’s group to a street corner, then said seriously:
“If my lords are searching for people, especially foreign merchants, you really should come back to my estate. Though my sister and I haven’t resided here long, our old estate manager is quite renowned in this Xianyang ferry area, with connections to various estate associations and guilds. You’ve probably heard about that foreign merchant clan – they’re very secretive and exclusive, rarely associating with us Han people. You’ll never get any true information asking randomly on the streets, even after ten years.”
His reasoning made sense, but… why had this person suddenly become so helpful?
“What benefit is there for Master Pei in helping us find someone?” Li Yuangu asked directly.
Master Pei smiled: “Young Lord Fourteen is truly straightforward… I’ll be direct as well. You seem to have connections to Da’an Palace, and my sister and I have a difficult matter we’d like help with from someone there. If my lords can help, that would be ideal. If not, consider it my good deed for karma.”
“What difficult matter?” Clear terms meant less chance of being deceived.
Master Pei turned to look at the bustling street market and made a gesture, clearly meaning: This isn’t the place to discuss private matters – believe it or not, if you don’t, so be it.
“Young Lord Fourteen.” Yang Xinzhi warned behind him.
Li Yuangu calculated – they were four strong young men carrying weapons, all skilled in martial arts. What harm could come to them anywhere? Besides, there was no better way to find the people they were looking for. Might as well take the gamble.
As for the Pei siblings wanting his help with matters in Da’an Palace… he’d already dealt with enemy assassins trying to kill the emperor and his father, what else was there to worry about?
“Let’s go!” Once decided, he didn’t hesitate. Five people and two dogs followed the three Pei household members, leaving the “Lesser West Market” and heading west along the Wei River upstream.
Fortunately, the Pei estate truly wasn’t far – just a large mansion compound beside the official road outside the market town. They had set out around dinnertime, and it wasn’t completely dark when they entered through the mansion’s black-painted gate. The Pei siblings led Li Yuangu and Yang Xinzhi to the main hall for hospitality, while Lady Pei excused herself to retire to the back courtyard.
Upon entering the main gate, Master Pei had already ordered servants to “please ask Estate Manager Zhang to come to the main hall.” Li Yuangu found this slightly strange. The Pei siblings were from an official noble family, staying at their country estate – they were the masters. The estate manager who oversaw the estate, supervised farming, and handled rent collection and grain delivery was their servant. When masters summoned servants, since when did they use the word “please”?
After being seated in the main hall, the host spoke first:
“Please forgive me, Young Lord Fourteen. There were too many ears in the market earlier, so I couldn’t properly introduce myself. I dare not conceal now – my given name is Lüshi, second in birth order. My elder brother passed away early, and my late father served as Minister of Works during the Wude reign, posthumously granted titles of Governor of Xiang Prefecture, Minister of Works, and Duke of Hedong.”
Li Yuangu was greatly shocked, and Yang Xinzhi, sitting behind him, also stood up in surprise.
These Pei siblings were the children of Pei Ji, the previous emperor’s most favored minister and the Tang dynasty’s founding minister of highest merit.
During the previous Wude reign, Pei Ji held one of the Three Excellencies positions, receiving unprecedented favor among non-imperial ministers, frequently mentioned alongside Prince Qin Shimin and Prince Qi Yuanji as figures of power. The Emperor treated him as a friend, calling him “Supervisor Pei” or “Third Pei” rather than his formal name, and even ordered the Imperial Kitchen to send the same imperial meals to the Pei residence daily. After pacifying the Central Plains and Hebei in the fourth year of Wude, when the court minted new “Kaiyuan Tongbao” copper coins for circulation throughout the realm, they specially granted three minting furnaces each to Princes Qin and Qi, and one to Pei Ji, to use as they wished, while others who dared mint copper coins privately would be executed.
During the succession dispute at the end of the Wude reign, Pei Ji was believed to favor Crown Prince Jiancheng. Therefore, after the Zhenguan new regime stabilized, he swiftly lost favor and power, was repeatedly demoted, and exiled to Jiannian, where he died of illness in the sixth year of Zhenguan. That was the last time Li Yuangu had heard the news of this powerful minister of the Wude reign, never expecting to encounter Pei Ji’s direct descendants today at Xianyang Ferry.
Before Pei Ji’s entire family was driven from the capital, Li Yuangu was only eight or nine years old, with some vague impressions of “Supervisor Pei” himself, but naturally couldn’t remember what his children looked like. And Master Pei Lüshi not recognizing a former emperor’s son who had grown from child to youth – well, one of the former emperor’s many sons – was perfectly normal.
But continuing to conceal his identity would be discourteous. Li Yuangu nodded slightly in greeting:
“My name is Yuangu, fourteenth son of the Former Emperor, currently enfeoffed in Wu.”
Master Pei Lüshi rose to perform a grand ceremonial greeting. Judging by his expression, he wasn’t particularly surprised, as if he had already guessed something. Having inherited his father’s second-rank noble title of Duke, his rank wasn’t low. After their mutual introductions, Li Yuangu repeatedly asked him to sit and talk, so Master Pei moved to a lower seat to accompany him.
“I am humbled and also beg Your Highness to forgive my sister’s ignorant offense. She should come out to pay proper respects again, but some impediments make it inconvenient.”
“No need to” Li Yuangu started to respond automatically, then suddenly remembered something and paused, “Former Minister Pei’s daughter… could she be that one…?”
“Indeed.” Master Pei Lüshi smiled gently, “Your Highness is perceptive. My sister and I came to the capital from our ancestral home in Hedong precisely for this matter.”
During the Wude reign, when Pei Ji was at the height of his favor, one of his daughters had been designated by the Emperor to marry his eldest young son – Sixth Prince Zhao Yuanjing. Both were children at the time, so naturally hadn’t consummated the marriage. Later, when the throne changed hands and the Pei family fell from grace, no one mentioned this matter anymore, though Prince Zhao Yuanjing remained unmarried, as did his younger brothers.
Could the veiled lady who had accompanied him back to the estate be his Sixth Sister-in-law?
Li Yuangu tried to recall – though the young Lady Pei’s features were obscured behind black gauze, her bearing must not have been unpleasant. The Pei clan of Wenxi was also a noble family of Hedong, and ladies from noble families naturally carried themselves with dignity and grace. His Sixth Brother had good fortune.
Though Pei Ji had incurred the current Emperor’s hatred and been demoted, there had been no mention of canceling this marriage arrangement from the previous reign. Li Yuangu asked: “Since the honorable siblings have already reached the capital, why not register with the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and urge Prince Zhao’s household to proceed with the grand ceremony of welcoming the consort? Why are you staying idly at this estate north of the Wei River?”
Master Pei Lüshi smiled bitterly: “That’s a long story.”
In the third year of Zhenguan, Pei Ji angered the current Emperor over the Faya heresy case and was stripped of office and fief, exiled to Jing Prefecture, with his entire family moved out of the capital. Three years later, Pei Ji died of illness on the way back to Chang’an when summoned, at age sixty. His heir Lüshi led his younger siblings to escort their father’s coffin home for burial, and after completing the mourning period, considering his sister betrothed to Prince Zhao had reached marriageable age, brought her to the capital, intending to settle her marriage soon.
He had originally thought this wouldn’t be difficult. During the Wude reign, the royal family had already completed four of the betrothal ceremonies – the proposal, name exchange, divination, and gift presentation – sending jade, silk, and horses. Lady Pei was already registered as Prince Zhao’s consort, just waiting for both to come of age for the remaining ceremonies – setting the date, formal investiture, welcoming the bride, sharing the nuptial chamber, and paying respects at court. Knowing their late father was out of favor with the current Emperor, the siblings hadn’t dared make a show of it, entering the capital with a small retinue to report to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and request to see the officials in charge.
The court officials hadn’t given them too much trouble. After waiting several days, Master Pei met with Minister Li Baiyao. The Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan was pleasant enough but kept hemming and hawing and talking around the issue, stroking his snow-white beard and using his seniority to avoid the main topic. Every time Master Pei mentioned “Prince Zhao welcoming his consort,” Li Baiyao deflected with “His Majesty is busy with military affairs and can’t attend to such matters – even our memorials go unheeded.”
Master Pei also tried the Ministry of Rites, but their officials rejected him more directly: “Our ministry’s duties only include preparing ceremonies for investing royal consorts, not handling their reception.” Later inquiries revealed it was because the Pei family name was considered unlucky – no official wanted to risk the Emperor’s displeasure.
Finding the official channels difficult, Master Pei thought to try an indirect route – informing Prince Zhao’s residence at Da’an Palace that his consort had arrived, hoping the palace would urge the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to proceed with the wedding. This naturally required much effort in seeking help through connections. The many officials who had once constantly curried favor with the Pei family were now scattered to the winds, meeting them everywhere with cold shoulders and closed doors – the difficulties need not be elaborated.
Finally managing to connect with the current authority at Da’an Palace, the siblings of Consort Yin De, that palace supervisor Yin Tuo was direct enough – immediately demanding bribes, no small amount, saying the Sixth Prince wasn’t well-off either, and if they wanted to complete the wedding, the Pei family would need to provide extra dowry…
“You’re listening to that dog slave Yin Atta’s maggot-chewing nonsense!” Li Yuangu could no longer contain himself upon hearing this, “Sixth Brother doesn’t even know about this! We brothers gathered for drinks just days ago, and no one mentioned that Prince Zhao’s consort had arrived in the capital!”
“I suspected as much, but what can be done?” Master Pei smiled bitterly, “That gold and pearl hair band Your Highness saw this afternoon was carefully commissioned by my sister… ahem, by us siblings for Prince Zhao, though we don’t know if it’s suitable…”
Li Yuangu let out a breath to steady himself, resting his hands on his knees in thought. Master Pei mentioning this hoped to have him relay the message to his Sixth Brother Yuanjing, which wouldn’t be difficult – by reason and emotion, he should help with this. However…
“Your estate manager Zhang…” he had just started to ask when an old man’s loud voice called from outside the main hall:
“…Looking for who? Miss one day of spring planting, lose a year of autumn harvest! Anyone who can get up should be down in the fields, what’re you looking for lazy people for!”
Note: The “jin zi” that the Pei siblings had commissioned as a gift for Li Yuanjing was a hard shell used to secure and shape men’s hair buns. Figure 1 shows an actual artifact (photographed by Lianzhicao) excavated from Tang tomb No. 176 at Astana, Xinjiang in 1972. The shape of this jin zi closely matches the headwear shapes seen on many male figures in Tang tomb murals and figurines near Xi’an, such as the group of attendants in Crown Prince Yide’s tomb (Figure 2) – an excellent example of artifacts separated by a thousand miles mutually confirming their authenticity.