In a Taoist temple within Changle Ward beside Chang’an’s East Market, a traveling Taoist medicine seller carrying bells pushed open the side door. He met two worshippers just leaving the main hall, and the old Taoist smiled and bowed to them.
“Venerable Taoist, do you only sell medicine, or do you also diagnose illnesses? Can you detect evil spirits?” one worshipper asked.
Before the old Taoist could answer, the worshipper began rambling about how his mother hadn’t been sleeping well since the Lantern Festival, experiencing night sweats, and suspecting she had encountered evil spirits.
The old Taoist advised him to carve a peach wood sword to hang inside the bed curtains.
The worshipper repeatedly asked about the sword’s length and size, how many years old the peach wood should be, and whether to hang it horizontally or vertically in the curtains…
The old Taoist patiently answered each question.
Young Master Ji from Suzhou passed by them, smiled slightly, and went straight to the rear courtyard.
Soon after, the old Taoist also entered the rear courtyard.
The atmosphere in the rear courtyard was completely different from the peaceful tranquility of the temple’s front yard. Several strong “Taoists” guarded the entrance and courtyard. Seeing the old Taoist enter, they all saluted with crossed hands.
The old Taoist approached the door, where a rather handsome servant lifted the curtain for him.
Young Master Ji was sitting on the couch drinking hot ginger-sweetened yogurt. Seeing the old Taoist enter, he asked somewhat mockingly, “I’m quite curious, can Master Qiao catch demons and detect evil spirits?”
The old Taoist shed his kindly and amiable exterior demeanor and looked at him sternly, “Fourth Young Master visited the Shen tavern again today?”
“Yes.” Young Master Ji answered carelessly.
The old Taoist exhaled slowly and advised, “The Prince sent Fourth Young Master here to be the standard-bearer. Given Fourth Young Master’s noble status, it’s best to avoid such places where all sorts mingle.”
“Standard-bearer…” “Young Master Ji” Li Rong smiled, “I thought Master Qiao just wanted to use me as a decoration.”
“Fourth Young Master!” Qiao Hai frowned at Li Rong, “If I were disloyal to the Prince, may heaven despise me!”
Li Rong smiled dismissively, “I was just saying, Master Qiao, needn’t take it seriously. Master Qiao knows I’m young and inexperienced.”
“Young and inexperienced” were words Qiao Hai had once used to describe Li Rong. When Prince Zhao asked his advisors to evaluate his four sons, Qiao Hai believed the eldest son, being legitimate and talented, could handle great responsibilities; the second son was brave and martial, the third son was honest, both could serve as assistants; as for the fourth son born to the Prince’s favored concubine, Qiao Hai had only smiled and said, “Fourth Young Master is still young and inexperienced, we’ll see in the future.” However now…
Looking at the arrogant youth before him, Qiao Hai suddenly felt some of Zhuge Wuhou’s sentiments. Thinking of what Prince Zhao had said before coming to the capital, he resigned himself – all for repaying the Prince’s kindness in recognizing his talents.
Qiao Hai’s expression softened, “Though Fourth Young Master is young, you are of dragon and phoenix lineage, naturally able to soar high and fly straight to the heavens.”
Li Rong smiled smugly and took a drink, “How did Master Qiao’s meeting with Wang Benshen go today?”
“Things didn’t go well. The Emperor was about to send someone to buy soup base from Shen’s tavern, but Qin Xiang’s people ruined it.”
“Commander Wu Ju said that when the Imperial Guard previously wanted to buy a plum drink from Shen’s tavern, they refused the business, citing the Imperial Guard’s heavy responsibility in protecting the Emperor and their own rules about food procurement. He said that given such caution, they would surely be unwilling to sell hot pot base to the palace.”
Li Rong frowned, was that young woman so cautious?
“The Emperor heard this and seemed to approve of Shen’s tavern in his words. Wu Ju then mentioned that later Shen’s tavern sold the plum drink recipe to the Imperial Guard, and suggested simply buying the hot pot recipe instead.”
Li Rong asked eagerly: “Did the Emperor send someone to buy it?”
Qiao Hai shook his head, “The Emperor said, ‘Let’s not take away someone’s livelihood.'”
Li Rong breathed a sigh of relief – it was good they hadn’t bought the recipe. Then he thought, what “caution” from that young woman? It was just a merchant’s cunning. That recipe probably wasn’t sold cheaply, was it? Or perhaps it was to curry favor with the Imperial Guard? That young woman from Shen’s tavern was quite clever indeed…
Qiao Hai said, “It seems making a move through the soup base will be difficult.” The imperial kitchen had its own rules, making it very hard to act through food. It would be much simpler if the Emperor specially permitted something to be brought in from outside. Imperial Guard Wang Benshen had agreed to help – he had been quite influential during the previous Emperor’s reign but now could barely raise his head under Qin Xiang’s pressure.
Li Rong smiled, “Master Qiao just criticized me for going to Shen’s tavern, but now it seems my visits were quite appropriate.”
Qiao Hai raised an eyebrow at him.
“Shen’s tavern plans to gather this year’s examination candidates for a ‘Blessing of the Ding Feast’ before the Ministry of Rites examination. Given my noble cousin’s nature, how could he resist attending such a gathering of talented scholars? Peaceful prosperity, civil and martial achievements… hah!” Li Rong sneered.
Qiao Hai had also received intelligence about this Blessing of the Ding Feast, but assassinating the Emperor outside the palace… one could imagine the bloodbath that would ensue in the capital.
Qiao Hai had always preferred more “gentle” methods rather than violence – poisoning was already his bottom line. During the previous Emperor’s reign, using immortality to disturb his spirit, using pills to change his temperament, using prophecies to confuse people’s hearts, pulling strings behind the Emperor’s back – these were what he and his senior fellow apprentice Dao Xuan, or the “Great Virtue Pure Wonderful Assistant Yuan True Person,” preferred and excelled at.
But Li Rong preferred direct revenge, “We lure the Emperor to Shen’s tavern and kill him there, how neat and clean! Waiting for Imperial Guard Wang Benshen, waiting for your old acquaintances, waiting for those court officials who take our money year after year but never act – I fear that while we wait, the Emperor will become more firmly seated on the dragon throne, produce a bunch of heirs, while my father grows increasingly ill and old…” Li Rong rarely showed such concern, “This empire should have been my father’s!”
Back then, Prince Zhao’s father was legitimate but young, while the current Emperor’s grandfather was the eldest brother. “The nation relies on the elder prince,” and in the end, the current Emperor’s grandfather took that position.
It was said these elder and younger brothers were quite harmonious and thus protected the current Prince Zhao – stationed to guard the Northern Capital for over twenty years, while other princes were confined in the capital.
Regarding these old matters, Qiao Hai couldn’t be bothered to dwell on them. Even if Prince Zhao had no legitimate cause, so what? How many successful heroes throughout history have legitimate claims? Once they succeeded, the court historians would worry about such details.
“Let me visit Shen’s tavern again personally before making a final decision,” Qiao Hai was somewhat tempted.
He had disguised himself as a down-and-out scholar to visit Shen’s tavern twice. The slow-acting poison was administered during transit, unrelated to Shen’s tavern. He went there partly out of caution, and partly because Zheng Er and others had fallen at the Shen tavern in Chongxian Ward.
“Fourth Young Master, don’t give yourself away at Shen’s tavern.” Qiao Hai circled back to the initial topic, looking critically at Li Rong’s bright attire, “You must mind your behavior; your current identity is that of a humble scholar.”
Li Rong dismissed this, “It’s just a Shu brocade robe, like what a second-rate servant would wear. How could I build rapport with that young woman if I always wore rags?”
Qiao Hai found himself somewhat speechless. If Fourth Young Master had any great advantage, it was his looks – he had been entangled with so many young ladies in the Northern Capital…
But Qiao Hai still advised him, “Fourth Young Master, don’t be careless. Have you forgotten what happened to Zheng Er and the others? They originally planned to kidnap this young Miss Shen to threaten the Deputy Minister of Chang’an, but ended up falling there instead.”
“I’ve asked about it carefully – they only failed because there were too many of the Minister’s people there. That Deputy Minister of Chang’an—” Li Rong pursed his lips, “might have some skill. As for this young Miss Shen you mentioned, I’ve interacted with her twice now. She’s just a woman with some merchant’s cunning, nothing more.”
Li Rong smiled at Qiao Hai: “You can’t possibly think Shen’s tavern is some dragon’s pool or tiger’s den, and that young Miss Shen is some wise-eyed veteran of criminal investigations?”
Qiao Hai thought of the charming female proprietor and finally said nothing more.