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Luoyang Dongdu, Eastern Capital

T'ang Dynasty

七 赵 亮 (qī zhào liàng)

-

Tang Zhen-Ting

-

"Did you get what you were looking for?"

Older cousin Jiayi stretched out her hands and spun lightly. "I did." I brushed a fly from my horse's mane before patting it lightly. "And what was that?"

"What I learned Ah-Zhen, is that living as a beggar is a lot more adventurous than being a merchant's daughter. I thought that I had it bad as a merchant's daughter, but now I got to walk around in the shoes of a class lower than mine...I can't complain that much."

I simply huffed at her words. "I could have told you that Jiayi, we didn't need to go all the way to Chang'An for that."

Jiayi gently pushed my shoulder before heading to the manor. "It got us some time away from the others, of course it was worth it."

I couldn't help but let out a small laugh at that, leading the horses to the stable just as footsteps could be heard coming towards us.

"Jiayi, where did you go?"

"Baba was waiting for you...he specifically asked when Rokshana and Adilah were."

Rokshana and Adilah, the only time Uncle ever said those names were when we were in trouble.

"Ah-Zhen I think you're in trouble too."

I scoffed a little too loudly at those words before walking away.

Maybe Jiayi was right, a break from the manor had been worth it.

-

Uncle's manor was named Qi Zhao Liang, he had even gotten a banner made to erect it over the entrance. The sign was hung right over the entrance of the Zhao manor, a place where everyone could see the pride of the household; Zhao Ren-Yi's seven daughters.

Many thought it was a curse that the Zhao household only had daughters, even more so when his wife died giving birth to their first son, the son dying a few days later. The people of Luoyang only seemed to have their suspicions affirmed, not silencing even when he officially adopted his niece Zhen-Ting and her brother Liangjie.

The sign above served as a symbol of pride and a warning against rumors. No matter what they said, Uncle Ren-Yi loved his daughters, they were his, no one else's. This made the Zhao daughters the forbidden fruit many wanted, especially when five of them were already of age to be married.

-

"Ah, Zhen-Ting, there you are."

I bowed towards Uncle as he called out to me while I walked past the main hall. He had visitors, two specifically. A man well dressed in red and black, and a eunuch who looked like he had come from the palace.

What would a palace eunuch and a matchmaker be doing at Qi Zhao Manor?

"Ah-Zhen, this is the royal matchmaker." I turned to spare him a brief greeting before giving my uncle a questioning glance, one he quickly answered.

"The blessed Emperor wants to bestow yet another honor on our family. He is sending his nephew, General Li Xiao, to come here and choose a bride out of your sisters."

They weren't my sisters, they were my cousins....

And what? My eyes widened significantly, quite the change of emotion since I barely showed any on a usual basis. "Uncle...you mean that Bixia-."

"Yes, Bixia wants one of the girls to enter the Li family."

I was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend the fact that not only did Uncle actually seem happy to marry off one of his daughters, but also the fact that the proposal came from none other than the Emperor himself.

"Ah-Zhen, please take the Matchmaker to each of the girls so that he can get the information he needs."

Still speechless, I could only manage to nod before heading back out of the hall.

-

"Why am I not writing anything on you Miss..."

"Zhen-Ting, Tang Zhen-Ting."

The Matchmaker raised a brow. "Tang?"

"Yes, Tang, I'm not a Zhao, they are simply my cousins, I'm adopted."

"Oh...but how is your family name Tang? No one in the Empire is allowed to have the name of the Dynasty." I frowned as we continued to walk around the manor in the night air. "No one except for Tang Huixia."

"Yes but...wait, you're?"

I didn't respond motioning for him to walk in front of me as we finally made it to Jiayi's rooms in the manor, the winter rooms. "Here's is the fourth daughter's chambers, her name is Zhao Jiayi."

When we entered, she was busy stringing the bow I had given her with another arrow, carefully lifting it up to the side of her face as she closed one eye to help her focus better on the target.

One deep breath of air released and she let go, only to miss the center. Her response was a disappointed groan, and it was finally then when her small wolf pup noticed us standing there and made a dash towards me.

"Ah-Yi." She stopped in her movements and turned to face me, her smile tensing when she saw I wasn't alone. Jiayi set down her bow and walked over to us, bowing slightly at the match maker. "Ni hao."

He reciprocated the greeting and she looked at me expectantly. I turned towards him first. "This is Jiayi, the middle daughter." Then to her. "This is the Imperial Matchmaker."

Time left no space for a reaction as Grandmother hobbled out to where were, a slight cough still haunting her as she clutched her staff to meet us. The look of surprise was evident on her face.

"Matchmaker...your father, my son allowed a matchmaker to come here? Ha, I really have lived too long."

Both Jiayi and I rushed to aid her as Grandmother descended the stairs to where the man had not yet sat down. "Nai-nai, you should be resting..."

Grandmother simply clicked her tongue and ignored Jiayi, greeting the matchmaker and once again asking him to sit. "What causes Sir to come to our humble home?" The matchmaker gave her a weak smile. "The nephew of Bixia is seeking to be married by the end of the year. General Xiao is on his way here to find a wife out of one of the Zhao daughters...as the blessed Emperor has wished it."

Jiayi nearly forgot to breathe, fighting the coughing fit that took over as I simply patted her back gently.

Just then Uncle came into view as well, not much to my surprise. There was no way he would not be there when the matchmaker was visiting his favorite daughter. Jiayi's cough subsided as she looked at her father in confusion.

"Baba, what is this?"

Zhao Jiayi

-

Father frowned at me.

"Ah-Yi...this is an honor, weren't you the one who tried to convince me to let you all be married? This is your first opportunity, and with the Imperial family no less." I simply nodded, still tense as he sat beside me.

Father had me mistaken, every bit of confusion I once had was now replaced with anticipation; I indeed had begged him to let us marry. Time after time I had thought of a reason that would convince him to listen to my argument for more than a second. A smile found its way to my lips; it seemed that bringing up Eldest sister Ai-Li had worked, she was nearly twenty-two, knowing full well that her age was not desirable for marriage. Many of the girls in Luoyang had sons or daughters grasping at their legs by that age, the constant torment that forced Eldest sister to pass through caused my heart to ache.

Quickly I returned my attention to the matter at hand, nodding toward the red folders set at the center. "Are those my elder sisters'?" The matchmaker nodded, grasping his writing reed as he pulled out what was to be my folder, I stared at Ai-Li's longer than the others. I had seen this process many times before, he would only ask for my Bazi, the eight characters of my birth. "Yes...let's begin, shall we? What year were you born?"

"The year of the rabbit," He glanced up and stared at me intrigued. "The luckiest of the twelve...how old are you, seventeen?" I nodded, too preoccupied with the pressing matter of how I would get the General to marry sister Ai-Li and take her out of the manor. The matchmaker's signing caught my attention once more. "The month?"

"The sixth month, Lui-yue...the twelfth of the month." He jotted down the words as I spoke, allowing the ink to dry before asking one last question for the folder. "What time?" Grandmother chipped in before I could open my mouth.

"Two after midnight...she was the earliest of all seven this child." Father squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before turning his attention to the man. "There is one more daughter for this...but first, what else is needed?" The matchmaker sat back, a scornful look on his face before responding.

"Entering the Imperial family is something many women blindly wish to do...one of you girls will be 'lucky' enough to make it a reality. But...once you are in the Imperial family, do not expect to be the only wife in his heart. You will be the first, but there will be others...and it will be war, a full out, bloody war. Any gifts or talents you may have will keep you in favor and push you forward. So, can you tell me what your daughters can do?"

I frowned, glancing over at cousin Zhen-Ting and beckoning her closer. Once she arrived, I bent over to whisper. "Ah-Zhen, This man is making it seem as if it were a bad thing to be a part of the Imperial family...I always heard that being part of it makes you more powerful." My cousin sighed. "Power attracts hatred...and jealousy, it's as simple as that." I was once more too deep in thought to pay anything mind.

"All my daughters are very talented...I am sure that the general will agree when he comes...which is, when?" The Imperial matchmaker stacked the folders. "Tonight...maybe tomorrow. If it be so, they will also be arriving with Princess Mei-Xiang and General Wu-ji. Will you have places ready for them?" My temper flared at his scrutiny. I had suspected that he had been looking down on us, now my thoughts had been reaffirmed.

Were the classes so predetermined that he had to look down on a merchant family? We had risen above the confines of the class system with our reputation as Zhao, yet he seemed to take none of it to mind. Not only that, but my mother's status as the foreign princess of Persia had still raised my father's own status even higher, we weren't some commoners picked off the street. If so, why even bother coming to our manor in the first place since obviously it seemed as an inconvenience to him. The blessed Emperor himself, may he live a thousand years, had chosen the Zhao daughters for his nephew, this man had no right to look down on them as incompetent. Cousin Zhen-Ting grabbed my arm tightly and shook her head, not letting go until I released the tension building up inside.

I resigned myself, simply sitting back and whistling for my wolf pup to come and give me the distraction I needed so desperately until the blasted man left.

-

Tang Zhen-Ting

-

"Your breathing is shallow."

I frowned, bringing the sword closer to myself before lunging out again on one foot to slash diagonally in the air, landing silently a few paces forward. "You're distracted."

I huffed loudly, turning to glare at my older brother approached where I stood. "Yes, I am distracted, by you."

Liangjie chuckled before leaning against the porch and watching me carefully. "It's been that way for a few weeks, you've been off Ah-Zhen."

With a sigh, I walked over to the table, setting the sword on it before sitting down on one of the stools. "The Li family will be arriving tomorrow."

"Shi."

I shook my head lightly. "I don't have a good idea about this Liang-er. Since when was Uncle for the idea of any of his daughters getting married?"

His only response was a shrug, and I found myself even more uncomfortable at the thought.

-

Li Mei

-

I finally left the capital, for the first time in my fourteen years of life, I finally left the capital of Chang'An.

All just to find Li Xiao a wife.

Time and time again either Wu-ji or Xiao would linger close to my palanquin on their horse and ask to see if I were alright for my first time traveling such a distant. But I was more than just alright, I was ecstatic.

And LuoYang most certainly did not disappoint. Not that I expected it to, of course the Eastern Capital would have to be grand.

And it was, just in a way nothing like Chang'An.

For one, there weren't as many foreigners around, and for another, it was much more...

Han.

The galloping of Wu-Ji's horse slowed to a steady strut before finally halting in front of what seemed to be the Zhao manor, we were still trailing behind. Once my palanquin finally arrived, Brother Xiao got off his horse, grasping the reigns and brushing its mane as he waited for the others, Cousin Wu-Ji quickly joined him.

"Ah-Xiao, my dear, dear cousin... are you ready? The day is here when your freedom flies out on the wings of a dragon, never to return again!" Xiao glared at him, Wu-Ji only slapped his back casually.

"I admire you Ah-Xiao...the bravery you have to walk up these steps and let a woman take over your life is...admirable." Second Brother turned to strike Wu-Ji, I giggled as he quickly ducked to avoid it and smirked.

Just then Master Zhao walked out the manor. I quickly let go of the palanquin's veil as he descended the stairs with a welcoming smile. "General Xiao, Wu-ji Huixia, Prince Jin! Welcome, welcome!"

Second brother Xiao and Cousin Wu-Ji glanced back to see Eldest brother arrive to the entrance behind my palanquin. Jin greeted the Master briefly. "Thank you, Master Zhao. I must apologize for us coming so late and on such short notice. Our last intention was...to be a disturbance."

Zhao Ren-Yi shook his head quickly. "Bu-shi, not at all. It is an honor for such a visit, please...please." I peered out of the palanquin curiously, the old master's face brightened up as an effect. "Ah, and the beautiful Princess Mei..." I smiled. "A true honor to have all of you here, come in...please."

The manor servants rushed forward at once, taking the reins from the men and leading the horses off to what I guessed would be the stables. One of them bowed quickly before stretching out his hand towards me, I grasped it and let him aid me out of the palanquin, inhaling the Luoyang air and smiling. "I've never been to Luoyang...it's almost like Chang'An, surprisingly." Wu-Ji chuckled as I spun around slowly to take in the scenery. "Shi...the city definitely is a sight to see...I believe Uncle plans on coming this summer in fact, right Ah-Jin?" Eldest Brother smiled. "Yes....yes he is."

Quietly I turned to Brother Xiao, he only remained silent as the other two spoke, climbing the steps to enter the manor.

-

Silently I thanked the maid as she presented the tray in front of me, grasping the tea cup and studying the meeting hall of the manor. This place was almost comparable to our own, the Zhao family was in no way unrefined.

The old master Zhao sipped on his own tea before setting it down. "If I had known you would be here so early, my daughters would have already been here to great you all." As he spoke, a young man walked in, standing at the center and greeting each of us guests.

I only stared on at a simple wonder, he was an Arab. Not a trace of Chinese blood seemed to be evident in him, his raven black hair tied back for me to study him clearly. "Father...Jiayi, Zhen-Ting, and Ai-Li are all here." Master Zhao nodded, turning toward us for the introductions I had been anticipating. "This is my son Liang-Jie...tell them to wait outside for their sisters." Liang-Jie bowed towards his father before turning to do the same to us before leaving without so much as a second glance.

I wished it to be the same for me.

-

So here's 'edited' chapter two.

One a side-note, this week in my Asian Humanities course, we began talking about Chinese History and Religion and I've never been more awake or happy in that class...and it was with a substitute.

Anyways, hope you enjoy!