Chapter 4 Butterfly Brooch

  Endless blue waves stretch far and wide, vast and boundless.

  The port of Guangzhou, with ships coming and going from Persia, Brahman, Lion Country, Bone Country, White Barbarians, and Red Barbarians.

  Great ships and mighty vessels, a thousand sails, ten thousand oars, coming and going, bustling with activity.

  Among foreign ships, the ships of the Lion Country are the largest. The stairs on the sides are high and many zhang tall, but the largest ship is still the "Yu Dainiang Ship" of the Great Tang Dynasty.

  A drop of water does not make an ocean!

  It means that the ship's cargo, the heaviest cannot exceed ten thousand stones, but Yu Dainiang's ship exceeded ten thousand stones. This kind of ship is sturdy and durable, can withstand strong winds and big waves, so when you see this kind of ship in the harbor, it doesn't necessarily belong to Tang people, because many foreign merchants are also buying or renting these large Tang ships.

  On the dock, piled up like mountains are fruits, vegetables, wheat, barley, sugarcane, silk, porcelain...

  A medium-sized boat had just docked, and a big food merchant came forward to greet the captain of the boat, who was dressed in Kunlun attire, with great enthusiasm: "Haha, long time no see, Hanubi! You didn't expect that the Great Tang Empire would have changed emperors three times within a year, did you?"

  The dark-skinned Kunlun captain spoke to him in the current popular lingua franca, Datang language. The Kunlun captain said: "Yes, I've long heard that the Datang Emperor's health is not good, and when the Emperor passes away, the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, it's only natural. But why did they change emperors again just after the Crown Prince had just ascended?"

  Dashi said: "To say that, it was at the beginning of the year. The Emperor passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended to the throne as Emperor, changing the era name to Xisheng. On the second day after the new Emperor's accession, he promoted Wei Huanci, the father of the Empress, from a minor general to Governor of Yu Province. This was because, after all, he was the Emperor's father-in-law. But who would have thought that just one day later, the Emperor wanted to promote him again to be a Servant within the Imperial Court."

  Hey! It seems that the queen is not satisfied with her father's low official position, and the pillow wind is blowing fiercely! What kind of person is the Imperial Secretary? That is the current Prime Minister! Wei Huanguang was originally just a small idle official, how could he occupy such a high position? This is not all, the emperor also plans to promote the son of the wet nurse to be a fifth-grade official, this is really a case of one person getting power and all his chickens and dogs rising to heaven.

  Chancellor Pei Yan refused to agree, and repeatedly advised against it, but the Emperor was unwilling to listen. The Emperor flew into a great rage and said to Chancellor Pei, "I can give the empire to Wei Xuanzhen, what's wrong with that? What's one Imperial Secretary?" Chancellor Pei was shocked by these words and hastily reported them to Empress Wu, who was enraged upon hearing them. She then gathered all the civil and military officials and deposed the Emperor, replacing him with a new Heaven-appointed ruler, the Prince of Yu.

  Two men were talking, when a giant of a man emerged from the cabin. He was about thirty years old, with two thick eyebrows like splashed ink, prominent cheekbones, and a curly beard that reached his chest. His majestic appearance commanded respect. With a lazy stretch of his waist, he seemed like a mighty tiger that had just awakened from a nap.

  Looking around at the bustling scene on the dock, the big man's thick eyebrows rose, and he suddenly laughed: "Grandfather's words were indeed wrong. The atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty is truly extraordinary, rich and prosperous, unparalleled in the world! Let me take a look inside the city!"

  The big man finished speaking and jumped ashore, the old captain saw him and hastily pulled down the big merchant to block his way. The big man listened to him for a few words, then impatiently said: "Although I'm new here, I'm proficient in the language of the Tang Dynasty, what's this about being unfamiliar with local customs? You go do your business, my family came here specifically to take a stroll around and get to know the people and things of the Tang Dynasty!"

  He patted the sword at his waist and said loudly: "I am alone with one sword, coming and going freely. You stop your nonsense! I'm leaving!"

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  In front of the Guangzhou Governor's Mansion, not far away, Ah Chou was begging with Niu Niu. It wasn't easy to beg for things in this place, but to avoid Xiao Lang's revenge, they had to avoid places where Xiao Lang could easily find them.

  Ah Qi begged for a living on one hand, and on the other hand, he was trying to find a way to make a living. He didn't want to be a beggar anymore; he wanted to be self-sufficient. However, even this humble dream was hard to achieve. Who would hire a ten-year-old kid? This little kid was still a small beggar, and on top of that, he had an even smaller younger brother to take care of.

  Suddenly, the gate of Guangzhou Governor's Mansion was wide open, and a middle-aged man with a broad robe and sleeves, tall and straight, walked out slowly with a middle-aged scholar who had a clear face and elegant demeanor. There were many attendants and guards on both sides of them, making a grand scene.

  Some passersby said, "Look, the man with a hooked mustache is Lu Rongyu, the governor of Guangzhou. He's sending someone out of his mansion himself, so that person must be a very important person."

  Ah-Chou raised his eyes and saw that the middle-aged man had thick eyebrows like a sword, whiskers like a hook, and elegant manners. Occasionally, when he glanced around, there was a kind of lofty and dignified air about him. However, when he turned to the refined scholar, he immediately beamed with joy, his face full of smiles.

  The Governor of Guangzhou holds six flags, one flag for each army. He is like a vassal of the imperial court, an emperor of the local soil. Whoever can make him personally see off his guests with a smile must be someone of extraordinary status.

  This guest was a scholar in her thirties, wearing a kerchief on her head, a long gown with a round collar and narrow sleeves, and a leather belt around her waist, from which hung a small sword over a foot long. The hem of the scholar's robe and the cuffs were printed with small plum blossoms, looking elegant and refined. However, upon closer inspection, you would find that she was actually a woman in disguise as a man.

  No need to observe whether she has an Adam's apple or be surprised that there is no beard under her chin, her facial features, eyebrows and makeup, even the powdered cheeks, are clearly those of a woman. The fashion for women in the Tang Dynasty to travel in men's clothing was prevalent, but although they wore men's clothes, their appearance was still that of a woman, and it was clear at a glance.

  There was also a little girl standing beside the lady, about six or seven years old. The lady had only a small sword hanging from her waist, but this little girl was carrying a long sword on her back, with the hilt high above her shoulder and the scabbard almost touching the ground, while the yellow tassel hung down to her shoulders, setting off her pretty face.

  Such a strange combination caught Ah Chou and Niu Niu's attention.

  "Let's go, Niu Niu."

  Ah-Chou saw the guards driving away the crowd and knew that someone of his status would also be driven away, so he wanted to pull Yaoyao away. But Yaoyao grasped his small hand tightly and stared excitedly at the little girl with a long sword on her back, saying: "Brother Ah, look, you see, she's wearing a hairpin on her head!"

  Hairpin?

  Ah Qi Ding Qing looked over, only then did she notice that the little girl with a sword on her back had a hairpin on her bun, a butterfly-shaped hairpin, colorful and lifelike.

  Ah Qi looked at Niu Niu's messy, dry and yellowish hair, and his heart ached. He habitually ruffled Niu Niu's hair and muttered: "Silly girl! You're really a silly girl... Come on, let's go!"

  "Oh!"

  Niang Niang nodded, reluctantly following him away, still turning her head three steps at a time to look at the butterfly hairpin on the little girl's head who was about the same age as her. However, she also knew that she didn't deserve to own such a hairpin, she just wanted to take another look, but even this wish was an extravagance, and the officials from the governor's mansion had already begun to drive away the onlookers.

  Ah-Chou looked at Niu-Niu's shining eyes, lightly biting her lip, and said: "Niu-Niu, brother will make you a hairpin, a more beautiful hairpin than that little girl's!"

  Niang Niang's eyes sparkled with excitement as she exclaimed: "Really?"

  Ah Chu smiled brightly and said: "Silly girl, when has Ah Ge ever deceived you?"

  In a place where banana trees grew by the roadside, Ah Chou instructed Niu Niu: "Niu Niu, just wait here and don't run around, or you might get caught by the little wolf."

  "Okay, Niu Niu won't run around, waiting for brother to come back."

  Niang Niang squatted down under the banana tree, and her torn skirt revealed two shiny knees. After a short while, Ah Chou came back, with his hands behind his back and a mysterious smile on his face. Niang Niang immediately jumped up: "Ah brother, did you make the hairpin?"

  "Of course," Ah Q said with a pleased smile. "Whatever Brother Ah promised you, he's sure to do it. Guess what kind of hairpin Brother Ah is giving you?"

  "I couldn't guess, show me quickly."

  Niangniang pounced over, Ah Chou laughed and dodged, the two of them frolicked for a while, until Niangniang finally caught hold of Ah Chou's hand.

  "Wow! Good... what a beautiful butterfly!"

  Niang Niang opened her big mouth and exclaimed in admiration.

  A'chu said: "Brother Ah's arrived, I'll make him a hairpin."

  Niang Niang asked him strangely: "This butterfly is alive, how can it be made into a hairpin?"

  Achu smiled mysteriously and said, "Who says that living butterflies can't be hairpins? You come."

  He took Niuniu's hand and ran to a quiet corner, crouched down, pulled out a thread from his tattered clothes, carefully tied one end around the butterfly's leg, then said to Niuniu: "Come, bow your head."

  "Oh!"

  Niuniu lowered her head, and Ah Chou combed out a strand of hair from Niuniu's head, tying the other end of the thread firmly to her hair. Letting go of his hand, the butterfly began to flutter around Niuniu's head.

  "Brother, is it good-looking?"

  Niuniu looked at Ah Chou with eager anticipation.

  "Great! Extremely great! The butterfly hairpin that Niu Niu is wearing looks better than anyone else's hairpin."

  Niang Niang smiled happily, she pulled up Ah Chou's hand and dragged him to the small stream by the roadside. She gazed at her reflection in the water, her messy bird's nest-like hair was disheveled, with a strand of hair standing upright, a thread tied to a butterfly fluttering on her head.

  Niang Niang looked at herself in the water, opened her mouth and smiled, still that ugly little girl, a dirty little face with several crooked teeth...

  Ah-Chou gazed at her reflection in the water, looking at the happy smile on her face in the reflection... and then playfully ruffled her hair.

  "Cuckoo, cuckoo..."

  After being happy, her stomach was still hungry. Niu Niu held her butterfly hairpin like a treasure and said to Ah Chou: "Ah brother, Niu Niu is hungry..."

  A'chou stood up and looked around, saying: "Niuniu, wait for me by the side of the road, brother will go get some food!"

  Ah Qi walked over the small bridge, through the arched tunnel of banana trees, and entered a courtyard that was relatively quiet and elegant compared to the bustling streets. The yard was separated from the wine houses on both sides by two bamboo fences, and inside the yard stood a "flagpole".

  A high wooden pole with a large wine scoop hanging from it, tied with a long strip of green cloth underneath. The wooden pole has been around for many years, the paint is peeling off, and the wood grain is cracked, like an old face, this "old face" proudly shows the long history of this old shop.

  Today the wind is very weak, the wine flag hangs quietly at the top of the pole, and only the green long ribbon under the flag dances a few times with no strength.

  The boy was hungrier than the green silk ribbon on that flag, he plucked up his spirits, rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his face hard, tidied up his hair to make himself look as neat and clean as possible, before walking into the tavern.