Chapter 21: Good Brothers
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“Brother Kuan, why did you drag me here?”
Standing before Silvermoon Tower, Chang’an’s largest gambling house, Li Huairen stared at Li Kuan in utter bewilderment. Ever since the last time the brothers had come here together to “broaden their horizons,” lost several thousand strings of cash, and collectively received a sound beating upon returning home, this place had been tacitly declared a den of thieves that none of them would visit again for the rest of the year.
“Whatever money you lose today is on me.” Li Kuan lazily pointed at the entrance to Silvermoon Tower. “Remember this: I brought you here today so you could lose money. Once you’ve lost two or three thousand strings, I’ll have someone bring you the money.”
“What exactly are you trying to do, Brother Kuan?” Li Huairen asked, completely baffled.
“I need you to help me get rid of this.”
Li Kuan took a brocade box from his robes and handed it to Li Huairen.
The previous night, the Shadow Assassins had delivered the first batch of completed glassware.
“What is it…?”
As he spoke, Li Huairen opened the wooden box curiously.
Inside lay a pair of palm-sized glass cups. Under the sunlight, they shimmered with a splendid array of colors.
Li Huairen could not help drawing in a sharp breath. He hurriedly looked up at Li Kuan.
“Brother… did you ransack His Majesty’s private treasury?”
“Either way, you have to get rid of these for me.”
Li Kuan did not answer him directly. Instead, he raised a hand and gave Li Huairen’s shoulder a heavy slap.
“Can you manage it?”
“I…” Li Huairen looked at him uneasily. “If these really are His Majesty’s private possessions, then even if you lent me a hundred bold hearts, I still wouldn’t dare!”
“What if I told you they weren’t?”
Li Kuan smiled faintly. This fellow Li Huairen was both quick-witted and loyal.
“Then I’ll certainly believe you.”
With a solemn expression, Li Huairen closed the brocade box and turned toward Silvermoon Tower.
“Rest assured, Brother Kuan. I shall not fail you!”
“Good.” Li Kuan nodded, then pointed at the box. “Just say that you bought these from a group of foreign merchants who had only recently arrived in Great Tang. You know nothing else. Also, I have something to attend to, so I won’t wait here for you. Once you’ve lost these cups, go home as soon as possible.”
“Understood!”
Li Huairen kept his face stern, and when he looked back, his expression was unusually serious.
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Several hours later, Li Huairen swaggered out of Silvermoon Tower. Beside him walked a portly middle-aged steward with a broad smile plastered across his face.
“Young Master Li, rest assured. I shall have someone deliver the remaining funds to your residence as soon as possible. But are you certain these cups were purchased by you personally from foreign merchants?”
The fat steward’s eyes gleamed shrewdly.
“May I ask where that group of foreign merchants is staying now?”
“Not a chance.”
Having lost his money, Li Huairen was naturally in a foul mood.
“Listen here, Old Zhang. Don’t act smug just because you’ve gotten a bargain. I happened to find a treasure at a low price because I was lucky. When would a worthless cur like you ever get such an opportunity? All right, enough. Don’t see me off. I’m going to look around on my own. And let me warn you: don’t try any underhanded tricks. If you dare send someone to follow me and I catch you, I’ll tear down your Silvermoon Tower!”
By the end, he was every inch the spoiled young nobleman, his finger almost poking the fat steward in the face.
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare!” The steward hurriedly shook his head. “How could I ever do anything so despicable? Young Master, rest assured. Silvermoon Tower has always followed the rules. Besides, those filthy fellows inside may not know your identity, but how could I possibly be unaware of it? Even if you gave me ten thousand extra lives, I still wouldn’t dare offend the Hejian Prince’s household.”
“Hmph. It had better be that way!”
Li Huairen lowered his hand, snorted coldly, and then departed Silvermoon Tower while cursing under his breath.
After he had gone, the obsequious fat steward slowly straightened his back. He glanced at Li Huairen, who was already some distance away, choosing sweet cakes from a street stall. A meaningful look flickered in the steward’s eyes.
Foreign merchants?
What foreign merchants could possess glassware of such exquisite craftsmanship, yet remain unaware that they were carrying a mountain of treasure, selling it cheaply to an idle young noble?
There was clearly something suspicious about this.
At that thought, the fat steward suddenly felt it necessary to send a letter to his masters in Jinyang. If the treasures like those just seen were not merely a single pair but an entire batch, then the Wang clan of Taiyuan ought to act first and secure the glassware for themselves.
After successfully completing his task, Li Huairen wandered about the streets for a while, but he never saw Li Kuan’s carriage.
With no other choice, he began making his way home.
Yet just as he was about to step through the gates of the Hejian Prince’s residence, Li Kuan’s voice sounded from behind him.
“Did everything go smoothly?”
“Brother Kuan! Could you stop scaring me all the time?”
Li Huairen turned around and saw Li Kuan standing beneath the steps of the prince’s residence, watching him with an amused smile.
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“Who was trying to scare you?”
Li Kuan sighed helplessly. This fool had been followed the entire way without noticing. Had his pursuer not seen Li Huairen enter Wuben Ward and withdrawn because the ward was home to numerous high officials and nobles, with strict secret security, the consequences might have been troublesome.
That was why Li Kuan had felt safe enough to appear and meet him.
“Brother Kuan, I have something important to tell you.”
As though he had only just remembered, Li Huairen hurried down the steps and pulled Li Kuan aside.
“Listen, the pair of glass cups was appraised by Silvermoon Tower at thirty thousand strings of cash. I lost eighteen thousand six hundred strings at the gambling house. As for the remaining eleven thousand four hundred, when should I give it to you?”
He hesitated, looking somewhat embarrassed.
“That fat fellow said he would have the rest of the money delivered to my home. I couldn’t very well refuse him at the time. But don’t worry—I’ll explain the matter to my father later and give you the remaining money.”
“Forget it.”
Li Kuan smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
“Consider it payment for your efforts. Of course, you’ll probably have to endure a few beatings from Uncle Li afterward. But remember this: no matter what happens, insist that you bought these glass cups from a group of foreign merchants at the Western Market a few days ago. As for inventing the details, use your imagination.”
“This…”
Li Huairen hesitated for a moment. He did not care much about the money. What truly worried him was whether the origin of these glass cups would stand up to scrutiny.
“Brother Kuan, I don’t mind taking responsibility for this, but are you certain these cups didn’t come from His Majesty?”
After much deliberation, Li Huairen finally asked the question hesitantly.
“You can rest easy.”
Li Kuan winked at him.
“I have no interest in my father’s paltry possessions.”
“You really dare say such outrageous things.”
Li Huairen cast him a disdainful look, though he felt considerably reassured.
“All right, I have to go. Remember: I originally invited you to visit my estate outside the city today, but you thought the journey was too far and refused. So, when we passed Silvermoon Tower, you asked me to let you off there. Later, I was worried about you, so after returning from outside the city, I spoke with you for a while at the entrance to the prince’s residence…”
Li Huairen gazed at Li Kuan with profound admiration as the latter patiently coached him through every detail of the lie.
But after thinking it over, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
Why was he, for no reason at all, about to suffer a violent storm from his father—and carry an enormous stain that would be nearly impossible to wash away for quite some time?
After today, who else could possibly claim the title of Chang’an’s foremost wastrel?