Chapter 39 Barefoot Fears No Shoe

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“To have a princess conduct a ritual simply to bless An Lushan’s new mansion?” Li Zaixing let out a cold laugh. “Does His Majesty truly see An Lushan as his son now? Even if he does, should he really indulge him so? Or is the worm girl now considered an illegitimate child?”

“Brother, you mustn’t speak so recklessly!” Li Mi’s face darkened as he rebuked him. “This is the Bodhi Monastery in the capital, not the Prajna Monastery of Mount Heng. You can’t say whatever you please here.”

“He can do as he pleases, but I can’t speak of it?” Li Zaixing was unbothered, laughing heartily. “Come now, Li Sanlang, aren’t you being unreasonable?”

“My dear brother…” Li Mi hesitated, then after a moment’s silence, sighed in frustration. “The imperial family is not like ordinary people. Reason does not always apply. If you cannot see the gravity of the situation, I’m afraid I cannot recommend you to join the Dragon Martial Guard.”

Li Zaixing chuckled. “All right, I haven’t even drawn my sword to help right a wrong, just voiced my protest, and you’re already so flustered? That’s hardly amusing. Tell me, then—what’s your solution?”

“What solution is there? I’ll immediately take the worm girl back to Qinren Ward.”

“And then?” Li Zaixing dropped his smile and fixed Li Mi with a cold, penetrating gaze.

“And then…” Li Mi was momentarily at a loss for words. His clever mind quickly grasped Li Zaixing’s concern. Indeed, if the worm girl were sent back, those in charge of Qinren Ward’s safety would be fine, but she would surely be watched even more closely for having tried to escape. As a princess, those responsible might not dare harm her, but Li Zaixing, who helped her flee, would not be so lucky; they’d find a pretext to dispose of him. The Bodhi Monastery, as her sanctuary, would also be implicated, and Du Fu and his family might suffer misfortune.

Given Li Zaixing’s temperament and abilities, he would hardly surrender without a fight. One could easily imagine the bloody carnage to come. If they managed to kill him outright, that would be the end of it; but if he escaped, who knows how many would fall by his hand?

With a man like Li Zaixing lurking in the shadows, many would surely sleep uneasily.

Meeting Li Zaixing’s icy gaze, Li Mi suddenly realized that Li Zaixing would never let him simply take the worm girl away. That was not the purpose for which he had been summoned. In that instant, for all his craft and cunning, Li Mi found himself at an impasse. If he could not persuade Li Zaixing, he could only watch helplessly as chaos unfolded.

Li Mi’s heart pounded as he forced himself to remain calm. “Brother, what do you intend to do?”

“No matter what, I cannot simply hand over the worm girl. First, if she returns, she’ll be punished; second, the Bodhi Monastery and Du Fu’s family will be dragged in. If there’s no other way, I’ll take her and disappear into the martial world, rather than see them brought to harm.”

Li Mi gave a bitter smile, thinking, as expected.

“I come from the martial world and can return to it. I’ve nothing to lose, and it’s no great hardship,” Li Zaixing said with a smile. “But if the worm girl disappears, there are some who will have a hard time explaining themselves.”

Li Mi’s eyes lit up at this. Indeed, for someone like Li Zaixing, spiriting the worm girl out of Chang’an would be simplicity itself. But if she vanished, some would face real trouble—most notably Wang Hong, Prefect of Jingzhao.

The disappearance of a princess, even if it didn’t cost Wang Hong his life, would at least cost him his post. Wang Hong was Li Linfu’s right-hand man; to bring him down would deal Li Linfu a heavy blow, perhaps even…

Li Mi suddenly looked up at Li Zaixing, remembering that Li Linfu’s mansion was right next door to the Bodhi Monastery. Both startled and excited, his heart began to race.

“Brother, are you saying…”

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Li Zaixing looked blank. “Saying what? That I’ll take the worm girl and run?”

“No, no…” Li Mi shook his head with a self-deprecating smile, thinking that Li Zaixing hadn’t considered matters so far ahead and was still fixated on escape. Nevertheless, this was indeed a rare opportunity. If handled well, not only Wang Hong but even Li Linfu might be brought down, ridding the Crown Prince of a major threat.

These years, the Crown Prince had suffered greatly at Li Linfu’s hands—ever wary, never at ease.

Li Mi rapidly weighed the pros and cons in his mind, assessing the feasibility of the plan.

Li Zaixing watched him in silence, his expression impassive. Like his master, the Lazy Monk, he had never truly believed that Li Mi sought enlightenment in earnest. To put it bluntly, he thought Li Mi was biding his time, waiting for the Emperor’s passing and the Crown Prince’s ascension. With a new Emperor comes new favorites, and as an old friend, Li Mi would surely be valued. To go further, his wanderings in the mountains might actually be in service of the Crown Prince—seeking out talent and building strength.

Otherwise, why would Li Mi bother to befriend a mere warrior like himself?

Li Mi wished to use him; he, in turn, wished to use Li Mi. They each probed and tested the other. Now, using this opportunity, Li Zaixing sought to sound out Li Mi’s true intentions, to see what plans lay behind him—so he could adjust his own actions accordingly.

He knew Li Mi was clever, but anyone with ambition and self-interest could be manipulated. Li Zaixing had nothing, nothing to fear—barefooted, with no attachments. By contrast, Li Mi had a household, a career, perhaps even a connection to the Crown Prince. Even for his own sake, he could not afford to act rashly.

His job was to force Li Mi onto the right path, after which Li Mi would naturally employ all his wit and ability for his benefit.

Seeing Li Mi silent in thought, Li Zaixing knew he had taken the bait. He knew this would happen, for he had noted the animosity in Li Mi’s eyes whenever he mentioned Li Linfu and Wang Hong—though Li Mi hid it well, he could not conceal it from him. They might be mutually wary, but his attention to Li Mi far exceeded Li Mi’s regard for him. As for his own rebirth, Li Mi knew nothing of it.

“This affair could be made very big indeed,” Li Mi said coolly. “But the risks are immense. If we fail, the consequences will be dire.”

“And what consequences could there be?” Li Zaixing was unconcerned. “At worst, I’ll take the worm girl and fight our way out of Chang’an.”

“And Du Fu’s family?”

Li Zaixing was silent for a moment, then softened his tone. “What would you suggest, Sanlang?”

“First, have Du Fu’s family leave the city, far from this trouble,” Li Mi replied gently. “And find a safe place to hide the worm girl.”

“And where might that be?”

Li Mi smiled. “Leave that to me. If you follow my plan, we might accomplish something truly momentous.”

Li Zaixing nodded, rising to his feet and thumping his chest. “I’ll do whatever you say, Brother Changyuan.”

“Good. Now, tell me in detail everything that’s happened since you met the worm girl.”

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…

The worm girl clung to Li Zaixing’s neck, sobbing like a little kitten, refusing to let go. In less than a day, she had become his shadow, unwilling to be parted from him. Li Zaixing solemnly promised her that once the matter was resolved, he would bring her back and show her all of Chang’an. Only then did she agree, still sniffling, and left with Li Mi. As she departed, she couldn’t help but bid Du Zongwen a tearful farewell.

When Du Fu and his wife learned of the worm girl’s true identity, they were both stunned and dared not linger any longer. Du Fu decided to take Lady Yang and their child to Fengxian. Fengxian lay northeast of Chang’an, where Lady Yang’s cousin was currently the county magistrate, and they could stay there for a while.

After sending off the worm girl and Du Fu’s family, Li Zaixing took Aiermaidi and set out for the Western Market. According to Li Mi’s instructions, he was to find a child similar to the worm girl to act as a decoy, so as to lure Wang Hong and his clique into action, thereby escalating the situation if necessary.

Having heard Li Mi’s plan, Li Zaixing couldn’t help but marvel at the man’s brilliance—so clever it inspired envy. To devise such a flexible, offensive-and-defensive strategy in so short a time—this was no ordinary person, but a prodigy indeed.

Upon learning that the worm girl was the child of his former master, Cao Yena, Aiermaidi was overjoyed. On the way to the Western Market, she began to speak of her past.

She and Cao Yena were both from the State of Cao, one of the Nine Surnames of Zhaowu, located more than a hundred li northwest of the State of Kang. The State of Cao was further divided into three branches: East Cao, West Cao, and Central Cao. East and West Cao maintained close ties with the Tang Dynasty, sending tribute to Chang’an from early on; but the people of Central Cao were different. They had long fought for survival and refused to seek aid or offer tribute to Tang.

Cao Yena and Aiermaidi were both from Central Cao. Its capital was Jiadi Zhencheng. After centuries of hardship, the people there grew tall and valiant, fierce in battle. They had once sought to restore their kingdom, but surrounded by enemies, restoration became impossible, and many, for the sake of survival, became mercenaries for foreign powers.

Cao Yena was the daughter of the king of Central Cao, famed for her beauty and talent, renowned throughout the Western Regions. After years of fruitless struggle, the people of Central Cao finally lowered their proud heads, seeking help from the mighty Tang as their Eastern and Western kin had done. Thus, Cao Yena was sent as tribute to the Tang emperor, hoping his power would help them resist their enemies and restore their nation. But once she left, no word returned. Not only did she bring no hoped-for troops or imperial decree, but even news of her own fate vanished.

It was under these circumstances that Aiermaidi journeyed to Tang to search for Cao Yena. Sadly, as a foreigner unfamiliar with local customs, she was spotted by city patrols as soon as she appeared on the streets of Chang’an. The rest was simple: she killed a man, was wounded, and was then cunningly sold as a slave by a Sogdian merchant.

Li Zaixing was both amused and exasperated. He was reckless enough, but Aiermaidi was even bolder—dashing through the city streets in armor, spear in hand, oblivious to the Tang prohibition against private arms and armor. But then again, the merchant dared enslave her only because she was a foreigner with no backing. Were she Tang, he wouldn’t have dared, not for all the world.

“How many of your people remain in Central Cao?”

“All our tribe together numbers fewer than three thousand. Fewer than a thousand can still fight,” Aiermaidi said, her voice tinged with sorrow. “If help does not come soon, it won’t be long before we’re wiped out entirely.”

“That won’t happen,” Li Zaixing comforted her. “I believe your gods are watching over you. Perhaps your hardships will soon be at an end.”

“Let it be so,” Aiermaidi pressed her hands together in silent prayer.