Liuli (Part 3): Liuli and 'Liuli'

Like liuli tempered in a great fire, even the hardest heart could not help but soften at little Bige's adorable face. What else could she do? After all, he was still just a pup, right?

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The opening of the Golden Curtain Pavilion was set for the fifth day of the fifth month, which coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival. To honor the tradition, Zhou Yao had the cooks prepare over a hundred zongzi, ready to gift to guests on opening day.

Cuiwei, following behind Zhou Yao, craned her neck and stood on tiptoe to peer into the kitchen. "Madam, what is zongzi? In past festivals, I only remember willow branches and five-colored threads—never anything like this."

"Zongzi..." Zhou Yao stepped into the kitchen, and Cuiwei helped her roll up her sleeves. Zhou Yao picked up a reed leaf, wrapped sticky rice inside, tied it tightly with string, and knotted it. In no time, she had shaped one.

"This is zongzi—glutinous rice wrapped in reed leaves," Zhou Yao explained seriously. "As for why you haven't seen it before... in the Zhou Dynasty, zongzi were offerings. It wasn't until Master Qu drowned himself in the Miluo River that they became a memorial. Even now, with common folks outside the city struggling for food, and glutinous rice being precious, we only..."

Whenever Zhou Yao thought of this, she sighed with regret. But today, seeing Cuiwei practically drooling, she felt both amused and exasperated.

"Take this one and steam it. Once it's ready, dip it in honey and have a taste."

"Thank you, Madam!" Cuiwei grabbed the zongzi and dashed to the stove, not wasting a second.

Watching Cuiwei's delight, Zhou Yao remembered the other servants at the Golden Curtain Pavilion. "When you're done, make sure to give some to the others. We need to wrap more this time; everyone's worked hard these days, so enjoy the festival. There'll be bonuses on opening day."

"Yes!"

On the fifth day of the fifth month, the plaque outside the Golden Curtain Pavilion was covered in red brocade, and firecrackers rang out in unison. The lively scene drew a crowd of onlookers.

"Today the Golden Curtain Pavilion reopens, selling liuli pieces, ornaments, and jewelry. For the grand opening, one item gets an 8.8% discount, and two items are half price!" Zhou Yao stood at the main entrance, calling out. When the firecrackers faded, she pulled away the red cloth covering the plaque.

The layout inside—the arrangement of displays, the play of light and shadow, the placement of liuli ornaments—every inch, every detail had been carefully designed by Zhou Yao over the past days. The moment the shop officially opened, it drew rave reviews from customers.

Recently, the Jiuyao Kilns had rushed to produce a batch of fine liuli bracelets. As if blessed by heaven, these bracelets didn't crack during polishing. Zhou Yao had a carpenter create molds, melted down leftover liuli scraps, and made them into small beads, threading them with fine string to create colorful bracelets.

Liuli's fame was spreading across Chang'an at the moment, and riding on the momentum of the Western Regions envoy's recent return, Zhou Yao's opening day saw brisk business.

"That liuli ornament—I once saw one at a palace banquet. Brother Xu, take a look—how does this liuli from the Golden Curtain Pavilion compare to the palace's?" A man, fanning himself with a folding fan, pointed at the liuli and addressed his companion.

The other man gave a soft hum, examined the liuli for a while, then shook his head with feigned regret. "The piece is fine, but the name 'liuli'... leaves much to be desired."

At these words, the surrounding gazes all turned to him. Someone asked, "Brother, what do you mean?"

"Liuli, when read, sounds like 'liuli'—meaning to be displaced and homeless," the man said, waving his hand. "Such a bad omen. Better not to keep such goods!"

"So, this liuli... whoever uses it will be displaced?"

The man called Brother Xu nodded slowly. "Exactly!"

"Moreover, the owner of the Golden Curtain Pavilion is a woman. How could she have the ambition of a man to establish a family and career?" His tone was arrogant and contemptuous. "Brother Zhao, let's go elsewhere. We don't want to linger here and pick up bad luck."

He gestured, and the two left.

But though they left, their words lingered in the Golden Curtain Pavilion. The other customers, hearing their comments, grew uneasy. Those who had already paid for liuli now felt they'd been handed a hot potato; those who hadn't paid secretly rejoiced. Moreover, the guests invited today were mostly wealthy families of Chang'an, who valued auspicious meanings above all else.

The insults to the craft and the contempt for women were out in the open. How could Zhou Yao ignore that? She had gotten up before dawn to dress for the occasion, her garments and jewelry elaborately heavy, her gold hairpins and swaying ornaments trembling as she walked. She leaned on the stair railing and called out, "Honored guests, please wait."

"On this festive day, I had no intention of ruining anyone's pleasure, but it seems some people are determined to make my life difficult."

Zhou Yao descended the stairs, facing the two detained men with a cold smile. "Brother Zhao, isn't it? Since you've been to the palace and seen liuli pieces, you must be refined and well-versed in the world. You must also know that His Majesty, the Empress, and all the concubines adore this material."

"Thus, what you've said today... I'm afraid it's rather inappropriate." Zhou Yao walked slowly toward them. "At the very least, it shows your lack of discernment. At worst..." She paused. "It could be taken as treason, speaking against the imperial family."

"You! You're clearly slandering me with wild accusations! What would a woman like you understand?" He broke his composure. "I never said such things—all present can testify!"

But when Zhou Yao looked around, the other guests all acted as if they hadn't heard.

She gave a light snort. "Gentlemen, you've all witnessed our exchange. If you two are willing to retract your earlier words, I think it will make future dealings much more convenient, don't you?"

"Cuiwei, bring the prepared items."

Cuiwei caught on immediately, retrieved the items, and handed them to Zhou Yao with a smile.

"Inside is powdered realgar, specially prepared for our guests," Zhou Yao said as she sprinkled the powder over the two men. "It's the Dragon Boat Festival—time to dispel ill fortune and ward off petty people."

The two coughed from the powder. The one who had spoken rudely pointed a finger at Zhou Yao and fumed, "You!"

He flicked his sleeve and cried out, "A woman like you—how dare you be so lacking in decorum! Truly without upbringing! So unruly and lawless!"

Zhou Yao's smile vanished entirely, her eyes cold as ice.

The man, thinking she was intimidated, sneered and opened his mouth to say more. The next moment, Zhou Yao's palm cracked across his face with a sharp "smack" that echoed through the entire front hall.

The Zhao man was utterly stunned, his head turned to the side, one cheek swelling instantly, a bright red handprint vivid against his skin.

"Ungrateful fool. Whether I know decorum is not for scum like you to judge." Zhou Yao withdrew her hand coldly and turned to leave. But the man, recovering his senses, clenched his fist and lunged at her—

The fist stopped an inch from Zhou Yao. She turned to see Duyun had intercepted it.

It was Qi Yanhan who had arrived.

"What a lively scene here. I rushed over right after court today—seems I've arrived just in time..." Qi Yanhan wore his chancellor's court robes, evidently having come straight from the palace without changing. He smiled lightly. "Such boldness to cause trouble here—I wondered who it could be. Just a couple of useless offshoots of the Zhao family."

"These past days, your family's porcelain has piled up unsold, and today you come to make a scene at the Golden Curtain Pavilion. Quite the nerve." Qi Yanhan still had that smiling demeanor, but those with status in the room could no longer bear to watch and started to make moves to leave.

Needless to say, this afternoon's affair would spread through all of Chang'an, and by tomorrow it would surely reach the emperor's ears. Zhou Yao calculated whether Qi Yanhan's false identity could keep the court in the dark, and whether it was necessary. She worried about business on one hand, and loathed this dirty trick on the other.

Qi Yanhan gave the two a contemptuous once-over, taking in their powder-dusted garments. "Why don't you two hurry home and change? You look positively disheveled."

Zhou Yao took advantage of the moment and barked sternly, "Cuiwei, see them out!"

Zhao family and Xu family, was it?

Fine. Zhou Yao would remember this.

Cuiwei and the others stayed to handle the aftermath, while Zhou Yao and Qi Yanhan retired to the back courtyard.

Qi Yanhan placed a teacup on the table, ground the tea leaves, and brewed a pot with proper decorum. He then looked at Zhou Yao with concern and asked, "Your Highness, are you all right?"

Zhou Yao had a feeling these people had come specifically to humiliate her today. Even if it hadn't been her, they'd have done the same to someone else... Yet she couldn't stop herself from reflecting, second-guessing. She didn't speak, nor did she take the tea he offered.

Weeds ran wild at the base of the wall, a chaotic tangle that mirrored Zhou Yao's flustered thoughts.

"Your Highness..." Qi Yanhan called out hesitantly. He had never consoled anyone before; he wanted to comfort her but didn't know where to start. Still, he felt that Zhou Yao's appearance today was beautiful—more than beautiful—and the liuli she created couldn't hold a candle to her elegance. He had once thought of her as a burden sent by the royal family, merely someone to keep in the house. But since he'd seen her resentment at court, suppressed by rules, and glimpsed her ambition, he'd come to realize she was nothing like he'd imagined.

Author's note: None.