Chapter Four: The Remarkable Origins of Little Wu!
In the twelfth year of the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang Dynasty, the kingdom of Gaochang in the Western Regions presented a priceless blood jade as tribute. Emperor Taizong was delighted and ordered the palace artisans to carve the jade into a pair of qilin pendants. He bestowed the male qilin pendant upon his favorite son, Prince Wu, Li Ke, and it was passed down through generations until it reached Li Zhao. The female qilin pendant remained in the palace but later vanished without a trace. Unexpectedly, today it appeared on Xiao Wu. What connection did he have with the Tang royal family?
...
“I am Li Zhao. I happen to be heading to Chang'an; the boat is ready and will set sail in less than half an hour. If you and your sibling don't mind, shall we travel together?”
“How could we accept such kindness?”
“Ah, but within the four seas, all are friends; those who meet are destined. There's no need to refuse.”
“In that case, we gratefully accept. Thank you, Young Master Zhao!”
With a free ride, the Wu siblings were naturally pleased. After expressing their thanks, they boarded the tower ship with Li Zhao. In a spacious cabin, they took their seats as guests and hosts. But just as they sat down, a discordant sound echoed... Gurgle... Gurgle.
Xiao Wu was mortified, his face flushed red. It turned out that the siblings were penniless and hadn't eaten all day. After playing the guzheng at the docks for hours, their stomachs were rumbling like drums.
“White Bun, bring some pastries. I'm feeling a bit hungry!”
“Yes, sir!”
Before leaving, Li Zhao had devoured an entire leg of lamb. Less than an hour had passed, and he wasn't hungry at all. He claimed hunger simply to ease the Wu siblings' embarrassment.
Translucent rice cakes, thousand-layer pastries, celestial cakes, plum blossom pastries, sesame cakes... The table was laden with treats, along with a large jug of chilled sour plum soup.
“Thank you, Young Master Zhao, for your hospitality!”
“Mo Yun thanks Brother Zhao... So delicious!”
After expressing their gratitude, the Wu siblings tucked into the pastries. Xiao Wu ate calmly and slowly, maintaining composure despite his hunger. His little sister, however, devoured the food ravenously, her cheeks bulging like a greedy little squirrel. Her name was Wu Mo Yun—a graceful name.
Once the siblings were sated and had chatted for a while, Li Zhao turned to the main topic. “Young Master Xiao Wu, may I take a look at your qilin pendant?”
“What does Young Master Zhao intend?”
“Ah, don't misunderstand. I happen to have a similar pendant myself.”
With that, Li Zhao unfastened his collar and produced his male qilin pendant. Xiao Wu, surprised, took out his own female qilin pendant. The size, color, and craftsmanship were identical, clearly carved from the same piece of jade by the same artisan.
They were a pair, separated for many years and now reunited. How had they parted, and what stories had each pendant witnessed?
...
“Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Li Zhao, a member of the imperial clan, fourth-generation descendant of Prince Wu, the third son of Emperor Taizong. The male qilin pendant was granted to my ancestor by Emperor Taizong.”
“I am Xiao Wu, from the Wu clan of Wenshui in Bingzhou, later relocated to Jiannan Dao. The female qilin pendant was bestowed upon my grandfather by Empress Wu, and eventually passed to me.”
“Oh, your grandfather is?”
“My ancestor's courtesy name: You, given name: Xu! (Wu Youxu)”
“I see!”
Li Zhao, well-versed in both the New and Old Tang Histories, was intimately familiar with the figures of the dynasty. Piecing together the information, he quickly unraveled the story.
Empress Wu, none other than the renowned Wu Zetian, was originally a fifth-rank talent in Emperor Taizong's harem, known as 'Lady Wu.' Who could have foreseen that this humble Lady Wu would, decades later, seize military and political power, depose two emperors, overthrow the Tang, establish the Zhou dynasty, and become history’s first female emperor?
After ascending the throne, Wu Zetian strengthened her position by ennobling twelve members of the Wu clan as princes; Wu Youxu was among them, titled Prince of Anping.
Among the Wu princes, Wu Youxu was an exception: he was exceptionally talented, both scholarly and martial, serving as Commander of Yangzhou and General of the Thousand Bulls Guard. He led campaigns against the Khitan tribes, winning many victories and earning his aunt’s favor.
Moreover, he was indifferent to wealth and power. Unlike other Wu clan members who sought advancement, he retired from office and lived in seclusion on Mount Emei.
When Emperor Zhongzong restored the throne, he purged the Wu princes: Wu Sansi, Wu Chongxun, Wu Yanxiu—all met untimely ends. Only Wu Youxu survived and died peacefully.
The Wu siblings were his descendants.
...
Past events are but clouds; emperors and generals all return to dust. Now, the descendants of the Li and Wu families meet en route to Chang'an. What new tales of love and hate, right and wrong, will unfold?
...
As they conversed, the boatmen raised the sails, catching the wind and drifting downstream toward Chang'an.
The tower ship cut through the waves, swaying gently. The Wu siblings, seasick and pale, excused themselves and retreated to their cabin.
“White Bun, inform everyone: no one is to enter the sisters’ cabin. It's inconvenient for girls!”
“Sisters? Aren’t they siblings?”
“No, they're sisters. Xiao Wu is disguised as a boy!”
The male rabbit’s feet thump, the female rabbit’s eyes are blurred; both rabbits run side by side—how can one tell male from female? Rabbits are hard to distinguish, but human gender is much easier.
Compared to men, women have narrower shoulders, wider hips, a torso and legs of roughly equal length, finer necks, and fairer skin. Thus, Li Zhao knew at first glance that Xiao Wu was a girl.
It made sense: a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl, traveling with her little sister from Jiannan Dao to Guanzhong, braving countless dangers—disguising herself as a boy was safer. The waxy hue on her face was likely ginger juice or something similar, masking her true appearance.
Otherwise, such a delicate beauty would never have made it out of Jiannan Dao—she’d have been seized by bandits as a bride.
White Bun delivered the message: no one was to disturb the Wu sisters. Even dinner, tea, and supplies were delivered by Aunt Qing.
...
Soon, night fell.
Perhaps because it was his first time away from home, Li Zhao could not sleep. He went out onto the deck, gazed at the stars, admired the scenery, and played the nine-holed purple-gold flute from his waist.
Leaving Qianlong Hill, he knew not when he would return, so he brought the purple-gold flute from the ancestral shrine, letting it evoke thoughts of home.
Clouds from home drift across the sky
They beckon to me without pause
When the gentle breeze rises at my side
A voice calls me to return
Come home, come home
Wandering child of the world
This was not an ancient melody, but a song from later times—“Clouds Over My Hometown.”
The reason was simple: Li Zhao missed home—not only Qianlong Hill, but also another world, with family, friends, classmates, comrades. Were they well?
Others may leave home for thousands of miles, but eventually return. For him, his homeland could never be reached again.
So be it. If he never returns, he never returns. A true man should embrace the world, making the four seas his home.
...
Hmm?
Amidst his sorrow, guzheng music sounded from the cabin—Miss Xiao Wu was playing, full of melancholy. She missed home too.
Wait—she was playing “Clouds Over My Hometown.” How did she know this song?
Could it be she too had crossed worlds?
Li Zhao, startled, nearly rushed into the cabin, but paused. The guzheng sounded awkward, like a first attempt. She was imitating him.
Just from hearing it once, she memorized it and quickly adapted the flute melody to guzheng. Xiao Wu was truly clever and gifted.
A girl of such talent is surely lovable—pity she bears the surname Wu.
It must be said: the Wu women have been the Tang Empire’s nightmare.
First came Wu Zetian, who overthrew the Tang, established Zhou, ruled for twenty years, and massacred the imperial Li clan to protect her regime—almost wiping out Taizu and Taizong’s descendants.
Then came Wu Hui Fei (Wu Zetian’s grandniece), gentle and favored in the harem, who four years ago falsely accused Crown Prince Li Ying, Prince E Li Yao, and Prince Guang Li Ju of treason—resulting in the tragic deaths of three princes in one day, shocking the court.
Now, another brilliantly clever Wu woman is entering Chang'an. What impact will she have on the Tang Empire?
We shall see.
...
Chang'an—situated on the west bank of the Ba River, south of Dragon Head Plain, was expanded upon the foundations of Sui's Daxing City. The city was rectangular, 9,721 meters wide east to west, 8,651 meters long north to south, with a perimeter of about 35.5 kilometers and an area of 84 square kilometers—2.4 times the size of Han Chang'an, 1.4 times that of later Ming and Qing Beijing, and seven times larger than contemporary Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
The title of world’s greatest city was Chang'an’s by right!
On the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month of the twenty-ninth year of Kaiyuan, Li Zhao and his party finally reached Chang'an. Arrival meant parting.
“Take care, both of you. Until fate brings us together again!”
“Farewell, Young Master Zhao—until we meet again!”
At the moment of farewell, Li Zhao gave Xiao Wu a pouch containing twenty taels of gold. If the sisters found relatives, so much the better; if not, they could use the money to return to Bashu or settle wherever they wished.
In return, Li Zhao received a sachet adorned with grape vines and birds, the size of a walnut, exquisitely made, filled with cloves, agarwood, mugwort, eupatorium, and a dozen other spices.
There was a special fragrance—subtle, soft, and warm—that stirred a gentle itch in his heart.
This scent, he had encountered once before, on his first love before crossing worlds—a fragrance unique to daughters. Embroidered on the sachet were two characters: “Poetic Sentiment.” That must be Xiao Wu’s name.
Wu Shiqing!
Wu Moyun!
Poetic sentiment and ink melody—truly, the Wu sisters’ names were exquisitely chosen!
“All right, let’s enter the city!”