698 AD, Luoyang
Li Guo’er nervously tugged at the light yellow shirt and jade-green gauze skirt she was wearing. This high-waisted, chest-level ruqun was specially ordered by her brother Li Chongrun from the finest embroidery workshop in Luoyang after their entire family returned to Luoyang. The skirt hem was embroidered with lotus patterns, clusters of flowers, with a full seven or eight layers of skirt panels from inner to outer, arranged from long to short like layers of lotus petals. It didn’t appear cumbersome despite the abundant fabric, but rather was so light and thin that it rippled with each step, truly creating the effect of lotuses blooming with every step. Moreover, she had a tender pink silk scarf draped over her arms, complementing the lotus colors on the skirt hem. At fourteen years old, Li Guo’er was beginning to show her graceful figure, making her appear even more elegant and charming.
Never in her life had she worn such a beautiful skirt, and it was a new skirt! Not her sister’s hand-me-down clothes!
Although she thought the half-sleeved moon-blue cross-collar turmeric skirt that Li Xianhui wore walking in front of her was also very pretty, she was already greatly satisfied. Stealing another glance forward, she saw her brother’s handsome and dignified silhouette. Li Chongrun today wore a purple lanshan robe, a jade belt around his waist, carrying the seven-item dangdai accessories, a black gauze putou cap on his head, and wishbone-shaped black leather liuhe boots on his feet. The seventeen-year-old youth was tall and elegant like jade, capable of drawing everyone’s gaze even while walking on the imperial road.
Li Guo’er didn’t know what her Imperial Grandmother’s purpose was in summoning their entire family to the Eastern Capital Luoyang, but seeing that both her father and mother were beaming with joy, and her brother was wearing the finest garments that only princes could wear, this was clearly a joyous occasion.
With her mood relaxed, Li Guo’er began to examine the surrounding palaces. After her Imperial Grandmother proclaimed herself emperor, she designated Luoyang as the capital, calling it the Eastern Capital. The palaces of Eastern Capital Luoyang were said to be like the Daming Palace in Chang’an, also having a concave-shaped palace complex, with the Mingtang Qianyuan Hall in front, also called the Wanxiang Divine Palace. The tall palace buildings on the east and west sides soared like the wings of giant birds, and the towering halls reached into the clouds with magnificent grandeur. Li Guo’er had been gazing up at this place ever since entering Luoyang city, and today finally entering the palace, her eyes simply couldn’t bear to blink, afraid that if she missed even one glance, she would never see it again.
Li Xianhui, who had been watching her, slightly frowned her delicate brows, fell back a few steps, leaned close to her ear and threatened in a low voice: “Guo’er, stop acting so unsophisticated. We’re going to live here from now on!” The implication was that she could look her fill in the future.
Li Guo’er covered her lips in surprise, asking with slight amazement: “Ah? We’re going to live here from now on?”
Li Xianhui was so annoyed by Li Guo’er’s foolish appearance that she was speechless, secretly pinching the soft flesh at her waist and chiding softly: “You! All you knew last night was trying on your jade-green gauze skirt, you really didn’t listen to what Father told us.”
Li Guo’er was extremely ticklish and repeatedly begged for mercy. Though the two sisters had never gotten along since childhood, being close in age, their relationship had actually become quite good over the years, though bickering was still an inevitable occurrence every few days. Li Chongrun heard the laughter and commotion of the two sisters ahead and looked back with concern, then helplessly smiled and turned his head back around.
Li Guo’er really hadn’t failed to pay attention last night, she just hadn’t taken it to heart. Recalling now, she immediately retaliated with sharp wit: “Sister Xianhui might not necessarily live here in the future! I remember Father’s meaning seemed to be wanting to marry you to the second son of the Wu family!”
Li Xianhui blushed upon hearing this, but knew it was quite possible. As for the Wu family young man Wu Yanji who was being discussed for engagement with her, she had secretly begged her brother to help her observe him a few days ago, and received high praise, so she felt at ease. However, Li Xianhui couldn’t stand Li Guo’er’s relaxed and teasing expression, so she stabbed back: “Guo’er, don’t be anxious either. The Wu family has plenty of good sons, Father will surely help you choose a good one.”
Li Guo’er curled her lips and didn’t take it seriously. Everyone could see clearly her father’s intention in forming a marriage alliance with the Wu family, but if she wasn’t satisfied, she absolutely wouldn’t marry! She believed her brother would protect her too.
Through this playful banter, everyone’s originally serious and tense mood also relaxed somewhat. Passing through the golden and splendid palaces, they arrived at the exquisite Shanyang Palace in the Western Garden. Shanyang Palace channeled a tributary of the Luo River, flowing through the palace, with flower beds full of delicate and precious blooms. It was said that these flower beds never lacked color throughout the four seasons, even in the depths of winter artificial lotus would be arranged, let alone now during the height of summer. Within Shanyang Palace’s sixteen constructed courtyards was an artificial sea, with fairy mountains rising over a hundred feet above the water surface, with rugged artificial hills that were breathtaking to behold. On top of the corridor roofs were fan wheels that rotated, lifting water from the artificial sea to the corridor tops, pouring into the corridor ridges. The corridor ridges had openings on the sides, and water flowed straight down along the corridor eaves, forming fine, pattering artificial water curtains that sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. Walking through the corridors, hearing the sound of water drops falling, smelling the refreshing floral fragrance, treading on smooth and slightly cool blue jade stone slabs, and gazing through the water curtains at the scenery of Shanyang Palace outside the corridor – this was truly an elegant place for cooling off and avoiding summer heat.
Li Guo’er had never seen such luxurious and magnificent scenery in her life. She was stunned for quite a while before noticing that Li Xianhui wasn’t much better off, her pink lips slightly parted as her eyes couldn’t take in everything fast enough. Li Guo’er had no time to mock her, as she noticed that the women in the palace wore various female official robes, gorgeous and beautiful, with exquisite makeup and red rouge dotting their cheeks, their elaborate hairstyles creating magnificent cloud-like coiffures. Whenever groups of two or three female officials or lavishly dressed ladies passed by, waves of fragrant breezes would assault the senses, intoxicatingly perfumed.
Having only worn coarse cloth and lived in shabby rooms her entire life, Li Guo’er felt as if she had fallen into a magnificent and dreamlike reverie, her legs going weak.
After passing through the water curtain corridors, they climbed onto water-spanning corridor bridges and arrived at a waterside pavilion that was open on all four sides and surrounded by water. Within slowly floating and rising curtains, a noble lady sat in the seat of honor. Before Li Guo’er could examine the woman’s features closely, she was pulled down by Li Xianhui beside her and knelt on the ground with a thud.
Enduring the pain in her knees, hearing her father tearfully speaking with that lady, Li Guo’er knew that must be her Imperial Grandmother.
She wasn’t interested in listening to what they were saying, and secretly raised her eyes to see the phoenix-headed, high-curved brocade shoes on that woman’s feet. Lifting her gaze slightly higher, she saw an incomparably luxurious and noble golden silk gauze skirt hem, with silver threads outlining layers of clouds and mist, both the woven and embroidered patterns displaying incredibly fine and exquisite needlework. Under the breeze, that wide skirt hem was like the rippling waves of light on the nearby artificial sea, creating wave after wave of ripples.
That expanse of silver and golden rippling light made Li Guo’er feel dizzy, not knowing what time or day it was.
Perhaps a long time passed, perhaps only a moment, when the melodious and gentle voice of a female official entered her ears.
“…Li Guo’er is beautiful and wise, conferred as Princess Anle…”
Ah… she really was in a dream, and she hoped she would never wake up.
701 AD, Luoyang
She really had been dreaming, and it was also a nightmare.
Li Guo’er incredulously pulled at Li Chongrun’s sleeve, stammering: “Brother… what did you… what did you say?”
Li Chongrun lovingly touched the top of Li Guo’er’s head where her hair was not yet arranged in a formal bun, saying gently: “From now on, brother can’t take care of you anymore. You must take good care of yourself.” Being suddenly ordered to death by imperial decree, Li Chongrun naturally couldn’t accept it, but no matter how unwilling he was, he knew he couldn’t disobey the imperial order. He could only compose himself and beg those eunuchs supervising the execution to give him some time to bid farewell to his little sister.
Li Guo’er stared blankly at her brother’s bitter expression, thinking of the chaotic situation in the mansion just now, confirming this wasn’t a joke. She couldn’t help but feel as if she’d fallen into an ice cellar, shivering uncontrollably. Like one possessed, she immediately stood up and pulled at Li Chongrun’s arm: “Brother! Brother! Let’s leave quickly! Let’s go back to Fangzhou, shall we? I don’t want these things! I don’t want any of these!” As she spoke, she began tearing off the gorgeous and exquisite ornaments from her body, letting them fall to the ground with jingling sounds.
Li Chongrun remained motionless, gathering his little sister’s hands that were about to tear at her robes. Perhaps having accepted the reality, Li Chongrun became much calmer, even managing a slight smile: “Guo’er, we can never go back.”
Li Guo’er stood there, her whole body ice-cold. Her brother’s palms were warm, but she knew such warmth was fleeting. She asked tremblingly: “Because… because of what?”
Li Chongrun said lightly: “Imperial Grandmother’s decree, saying that Yanji and I slandered the court policies. Poor Xianhui…”
“Sister Xianhui… Sister Xianhui is also…” Li Guo’er was completely stunned. Wu Yanji was Sister Xianhui’s husband. She had heard some rumors before – they had merely complained privately about Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, those two male favorites of Imperial Grandmother… Li Guo’er felt cold all over. Weren’t blood grandsons, granddaughters, and grand-nephews worth more than two male favorites?
What exactly were they? When pleased, she could confer the title of Crown Prince; when displeased, they could be banished thousands of miles away; when remembered, they could be summoned back; when annoyed, she could control their life and death like crushing an ant.
They were human beings! Not ants!
“What about Father? Didn’t he say anything?” Li Guo’er grasped at this like a lifeline, clutching Li Chongrun’s sleeve and asking urgently. But this hope completely fell into darkness when Li Chongrun helplessly shook his head.
Yes, how could she forget? That father of hers, when banished to Fangzhou, would be so frightened by even a single eunuch arriving from the capital that he’d want to commit suicide. Now, though conferred as Crown Prince, his innate cowardice could never be changed. Li Guo’er bit her lower lip, saying as she moved toward the exit: “Then I’ll go speak with Imperial Grandmother. She likes me so much…”
This time it was Li Chongrun who held Li Guo’er back. He persuaded her with both tears and laughter: “Guo’er, you know very well in your heart that she was only making a gesture. Moreover, her decree for execution isn’t just because of my dissatisfaction with the Zhang brothers, but because she can’t tolerate me.” Li Chongrun paused. He deeply regretted being so rash and unable to contain himself. Because of his excellence, the court situation had begun to change subtly, with many ministers privately finding various reasons to test him. Since from every perspective he was the legitimate heir, he had become somewhat carried away, apparently touching Imperial Grandmother’s reverse scale. Li Chongrun knew these matters couldn’t be explained to Li Guo’er, so he finally held back, sighing: “The pitiful one is Xianhui – she’s the most innocent one who got implicated. So don’t get involved in this matter anymore. Just be the carefree Princess Anle, won’t you?”
Li Guo’er finally couldn’t help but throw herself into her brother’s chest and cry bitterly.
“Be good, my little Guo’er. Always wear the most beautiful clothes, live the happiest life, be the most beautiful princess of the Great Tang…”
What happened afterward was very chaotic, all like fragments that Li Guo’er could never piece together into complete memories no matter how she tried to recall. She was like a puppet, forcibly separated from her brother. Even though she desperately didn’t want to let go, scratching her brother’s arms with her long nails until they bled, her fingers were pried away one by one.
When she regained consciousness, it was already the morning of the next day. She had been changed into plain white mourning clothes by the maids, her face washed and hair bound anew. In her room, two sets of dresses hung prominently on the clothing rack.
One was her light yellow shirt with jade-green gauze skirt, the other was Li Xianhui’s half-sleeved moon-blue cross-collar turmeric skirt. Both dresses were what their brother Li Chongrun had bought for the two sisters when they first came to Luoyang, and it was their first time wearing such beautiful dresses.
But even though they were such beautiful dresses, after returning from Shanyang Palace that year, both sisters had coincidentally taken them off and locked them away at the bottom of their chests.
Because Imperial Grandmother had bestowed upon them even more beautiful and unimaginably magnificent dresses and ornaments, so exquisite that these two outfits paled in comparison. Continuing to wear them would even be beneath their status.
In the blink of an eye, three years had passed. Li Guo’er could no longer wear either set of dresses, as her figure had matured – she was no longer the childish girl of fourteen or fifteen. But she still treasured this light yellow shirt with jade-green gauze skirt, because this outfit held extraordinary meaning for her.
She believed Li Xianhui felt the same way.
Closing her eyes tightly, Li Guo’er stood before the clothing rack, hazily remembering her father’s cowardly helplessness last night, even planning to have her replace Li Xianhui in continuing the marriage alliance with the Wu family! But what use would that be? Imperial Grandmother treated even her own blood grand-nephew as worthless grass.
Having reached the extreme of anger and sorrow, Li Guo’er instead became calm.
She was no longer the little girl who would cry and act spoiled from years past. In the three years in Luoyang city, she had learned far too much.
Tears were the comfort of the weak and the weapon of the strong, so she didn’t plan to use them frequently.
Li Guo’er bit her lower lip deeply. Before her death, Li Xianhui had her maid take out this half-sleeved moon-blue cross-collar turmeric skirt and give it to her – what was she trying to say?
Li Guo’er stroked the silky texture of the dress with her hand, feeling coldness wherever her fingertips touched.
Clothing really was a peculiar existence. The interpretation in “Shuowen” reads: clothing, that which covers the body. In the beginning, it existed merely to cover the body and hide shameful parts. But like all things, clothing gradually acquired hierarchy, dividing into social classes. Some colors were given new meanings, while some colors were forbidden for commoners to use.
Actually, what was divided into ranks wasn’t the clothing, but people.
But how could she be willing to accept this?