Chang An Capital, Shensi Province

Tang Dynasty

Year 733: Last of Spring

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Zhao Jiayi - 赵嘉怡

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多谢, 表妹。

"Duo xie biaomei. I needed this badly."

Zhen Ting grimaced, picking up a fresh date from the merchant stand and inspecting it curiously before setting it back in the basket as we continued to walk down the streets of Chang An. "If Zhao shushu yells at us, I'm blaming you."

"Why would he? Fuqin has always been fine with us venturing out."

My words earned me a glare. "Biaojie, he's fine with us going out dressed as who we are. Not disguised as street beggars...and away from home even worse. I can't believe I agreed to do this with you, I was supposed to be guarding the new imports from the West, not this." I chuckled lightly, grabbing onto Zhen Ting's and bringing her close. "Xiexie Ah Ting, you know I owe you."

"Yes you do."

And so, we continued, strolling around and keeping in check every dirty glare and snide remark from the folk we managed to brush past or bump into.

"Eh... Buhao yisi, duibuqi ah." I kept my gaze down as the middle-aged man stared down at me in contempt, reaching forward to brush the dirt I had gotten on his shoe. A groan escaped me as he kicked me to the ground. "Filthy beggar, can't you see where you're going?"

"I'm sorry sir."

The man huffed loudly, lifting his hand to strike. I simply turned my hand to prepare for the blow, shaking my head as Zhen Ting prepared to step forward and defend me.

She rolled her eyes and stood afar. "Get out of my way."

I nodded, quickly getting up and bowing again and again as I backed away.

"Wait." Deng yi xia

I froze, still not looking up as he approached carefully. "You...you're not from here."

He lifted his wrinkled hands and grabbed my chin roughly. 

"Quite pretty too." Ye hen piaoliang ah.

I fought the urge to gag at that and sighed, letting him continue his inspection as if I were a horse. "Listen...you'd be great as a Jinu."

I wanted to slap him right then and there, resorting instead to pushing his hand away and bowing respectfully. "No thank you...I'd rather beg on the street."

"Ni-!"

"Is there a problem?" I frowned as a new character came onto the scene, craning my head to the side to see who it was.

Fact number one-He was handsome.

Fact number two-He was definitely from the royal family.

His clothes had too much silk, too many designs for him not to be. Not to mention the plaque hanging from his belt, the surname Li engraved upon it. And his hairpin....no, he was most definitely a royal.

The old man's eyes widened as he recognized who spoke to him, falling to his knees and nearly doing kow tow on the street before rising. "Huixia...there's no problem here, I was simply leaving."

"Then you might want to do so a bit quicker."

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Li Xiao - 李晓

Jian Yu had nothing but trouble following him around like a dog's tail, and when I saw him out on the street with the beggar girl in his grasp, I already saw the warning.

Waiting for the old idiot to disappear, I then turned his attention to her. "Are you alright, ni meishi?"

Surprisingly enough, she seemed so, standing straight once out of the man's sight and brushing herself off with a small smile before greeting me as a higher rank. "Mei shi, duo xie ni Huixia."

I raised a brow at her. "Do you know who I am?" She simply shook her head. "Bu, but the man called you General, so you must be one. So thank you."

She wasn't from around here, and if she was, she most definitely was not fully Han. Her darkened skin was no shade I had seen from any other than foreigners, and the curls that escaped from her shawl were too wild. She was Arab, at least partially. "You should be more careful around the streets. There are too many men willing to get foreign girls into brothels for a few pounds of gold or silver."

"How much do you think I would be worth?"

I frowned. "Shen me?" She rested her hands against her hips. "How much do you think I would be worth General?"

I crossed my arms and glared at her. "Are you planning on selling yourself to a brothel?"

Beggar-girl quickly shook her head and lifted her hands to do so with them as well. "Bu, I'm just curious."

"About what?"

She pointed in the direction that Jian Yu had rushed off to. "Men like him are rich, have enough food to keep their bellies rounder than a full moon, and have wives to stay at home and play the meek part of his house jewel. And whether or not people like them, they are respected because of their class. People like me, poor, skinny enough to break in two, and dirty enough to blend into the dust on the street...we may be the kindest people around and yet we have nothing. So girls like me sell themselves to brothels, clean up, and prefer to be looked on as meat to at least have a means to feed themselves and keep their chin up when they walk through the street. So I wonder how much would I sell for, enough to have him respect me, or little enough to still have to bend down when he walks around."

She had a tongue, and I was taken aback by it. "You've got quite a way of thinking." She only shrugged in response. "Simply an observation."

"Biaojie...let's go." Women zou ba.

The girl spun to look at the other person that had called her, sparing me only a glance and a bow before she disappeared.

I tensed slightly as an arm patted my shoulder. "Who was that?"

I shrugged lightly. "No idea...let's go, I think Uncle might want to meet with us soon."

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Li Mei - 李美

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The small breeze was more than enough to carry the new blossoms in its path, weaving through the air in design and blowing past her delicate face. She toyed the sash of her hufu between her restless fingers and repeated her impatient cycle; pace, pause, stare...pace again.

That girl was me, it had been nearly an hour since I busied myself aimlessly; walking amongst the peonies in the garden and keeping a watchful eye over my eldest brother's daughter. The meeting had taken longer than I had expected, leaving me with a slight tinge of regret for begging father to come here.

I turned quickly as he, my second elder brother, walked out of the Emperor's Zichen Hall onto the courtyard with a grimace on his face as he approached. I simply smiled obliviously.

"Er ge..."

There was no response, I only paused for a moment before calling out once more. "Xiao ge-ge...Li Xiao!" Once he finally raised his head, I couldn't help but frown at his expression. "Brother Xiao...what did uncle say?"

The simple breeze that had surrounded us turned into a steady wind as a swallow landed nearby, tucking its wings as it glanced around.

Li Xiao exhaled slowly, letting his gaze settle on the Peony garden before a dry chuckle escaped his lips, confusing me all the more. "Er ge, you're scaring me...is there another expedition?"

He did not respond immediately, first bending over to pick a stone and rub it against the palm of his hand before throwing it at a nearby willow...then he answered. "I'd rather go to war than do what he asked of me this time." Curiously I approached him. "And what may that be?"

Another voice joined our conversation. "Marriage, our dear beloved uncle wants Li Xiao to get married." Both Xiao and I turned to watch at our eldest sibling came to where we stood. A pair of eunuchs who passed by bowed to each of us before continuing to the Hall.

With eldest brother's response I could only grin. "Uncle wants you married?" Second brother Xiao's grim nod was the only answer I received as Brother Jin wrapped an arm over his shoulder. I continued pacing around slowly. "So, when Muqin asks you simply brush it aside..." Second brother stared on as I paused my movement and tantalizingly continued. "Now the great Wansui, Huang Shu asks and you allow it to bother you so much? I'm surprised at you Brother."

Eldest brother Jin chuckled at my words, Xiao found it none the more amusing, frowning at himself before speaking. "He claims it to be his duty to marry me off...now due to his 'duty', I have 'till the end of this year to marry." Jin shook his head slowly, I raised a brow at his hesitation. "There is something else...isn't there?"

Li Xiao walked to a pillar and leaned on it, shrugging as though the whole world meant nothing to him...we all knew it did. "He's sending me to Luoyang. Fuqin has already sent messengers to get the servants at home to prepare the journey..." With that he huffed, clenching his callused fists and releasing them repetitively. "Why...why must it be that everyone is so rushed for me getting married?" I ignored the question entirely; he knew the answer all too well.

We were members of the Li family, and being a Li meant that you had the blood of emperors running through your veins. Even more so when we were children of the Emperor's elder brother. There were ten of us, two daughters and the rest as sons, and each of us had been taught since infancy that Imperial blood bore Imperial responsibility.

Brother Xiao was the second in command of the great T'ang army, he knew as well as everyone else that the small moment of peace for the great T'ang army was exactly that...small. There would be no doubt that sooner or later brother would be required to fulfill his duty as General and lead the army against the Tibetans, or even the Mongol Khitans.

This small moment could be the only time for his marriage to occur.

I turned my attention to Eldest brother instead. "Luoyang...who's there in Luoyang for Er ge to marry?" The answer came so quickly.

"The Zhao daughters..." Zhao Jia de nuzi men.

The swallow flew off as Ming's three-year-old figure ran across the garden in laughter; Brother Jin could only stare in confused admiration as his daughter dashed around on her covered feet, chased playfully by one of the palace maids. From her uniform, he could tell that she was an attendant of the Hui Fei, the highest of the concubines who flaunted the fact that she was only one step from being Empress... his smile disappeared.

I simply continued with my inquiries.

"Zhao? You mean the wealthy merchant widow with seven daughters. Was his wife not Arab?" The question held no distaste, only genuine curiosity. Arab merchants and ambassadors had engraved their place in China as one of our own, as part of Han, yet it always marveled me how they seemed to blend in so well with no commotion or complaint. Jin bent his head in agreement, laughing gently as Ming turned in our direction. "Shi."

Without a second thought I walked up and grasped Second brother Xiao's wrists, forcing him to look at me. He glared. "Let me come with you." Xiao laughed mockingly. "Who ever said I was going?" I shot him a warning stare as Jin slapped his head. "You would dare disobey Huang Shu's order?"

"I would dare not fulfill uncle's request..." I nearly laughed too loudly in disbelief. "If you have never learned of this before, those two are one in the same. Er ge, his majesty the Emperor, our uncle, has requested for you to be married before this lunar year ends...that is as good as an Imperial order itself." Li Xiao grimaced; I reluctantly let go in disapproval.

"What makes you so reluctant to marry anyways?" The air hung with silence only broken by Ming's giggling, Xiao's expression softened at the sound. "It's an inconvenience for any army official to get married Little Mei. No man should be tied down by a wife at home, he might never return."

Footsteps disrupted the solemn atmosphere almost created by his words...another was approaching, and it wasn't a maid or eunuch.

"Is that how you feel Xiao Er?" Father's deep voice caused a slight tension in Xiao as he approached, all of us children stood straighter. "Fuqin, how much did you hear?" Father's lips curved slightly.

"As far as Mei asking to coming with you, and unfortunately for you I must say, there's been a slight change in plans." Xiao could only stare as father continued. "You will leave tonight."

Xiao's reaction was expected, his released hand tightened to a fist again as he suddenly became aware of his angered breathing. "What? Zenme zhao ah! I agreed to tomorrow, not sooner." A chuckle was all he heard, Father seemingly hadn't heard his second son's questioning due to his granddaughter running across the garden to where he was, he stopped down to pick her up...

And he had heard everything.

"Huangdi has already prepared and Imperial matchmaker to accompany us...but the man left on the way already, insisting it be so since the travel would take two days at most, and what do you mean agreed; didn't you just say that you had no intention of leaving?"

Xiao shrunk back at father's light reproach; I took the pause in discussion as an opportunity to walk up and grasp Father's arm. "Fuqin, let me go with them please?"

"May I come too?" Father and I laughed warmly as Ming echoed the question, turning first towards me. "Ask your mother. I dare not make a decision myself and get killed at the hands of that woman, and as for you little one, I think it is safe to say the same goes for your father and mother." Brother Jin only nodded, a slight shiver running down his spine as he undoubtedly thought of his wife's anger.

From the pillar, Xiao inhaled slowly before releasing a breath, muttering loud enough for me to hear as he did so.

"And they wonder why I choose not to marry."

-

Well, here we go again!

This is going to be the 'revised' version, still some grammatical mistakes, but there are some tweaks and edits I made in this one, so I hope you all enjoy as much as I hope you did before.[Hello everyone, this story you just finished reading chapter one of is....my baby. Did you like it? If you did, please don't forget to click vote, and if there's anything you want to tell me, pros or constructive cons, please also comment. Bye!]