Chapter 20: Famous Swords of Antiquity

"Here in Grandmother's quarters?" Zhao Ti exhaled in relief at the words. He had searched every corner of the imperial palace since childhood, and had read nearly every book in the storehouses, yet never found it — it was actually inside the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility.

"Emperor Zhenzong loved the Dao, Emperor Renzong respected it but kept a slight distance, and Emperor Yingzong was utterly obsessed. He had this set of Tiangong Treasures moved into his sleeping quarters to read — a full four thousand five hundred and sixty-five scrolls. How could anyone finish reading them all? And on top of that he added annotations. As for the supplementary chapters, he never even got to them." Gao Taotao sighed.

"Then, Grandmother…"

"Although I know of this matter, I never gave it as much thought as you have. In the past I was curious and did flip through it, but I only read the front and back accounts and the table of contents. I glanced at the supplementary chapters once, and I've already forgotten what they were called." Gao Taotao shook her head.

"Grandmother, your grandson dares to request permission to read them." Zhao Ti said.

"Since you're so obsessed, just take them away with you. There's no need to read them here. I originally kept them as a memento of Emperor Yingzong. But now my old eyes are dim — I can't even read the large characters of Sima Guang's Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government clearly, let alone the tiny fly-head characters in those Daoist books."

Zhao Ti was overjoyed. Taking them back to his residence was naturally far better than reading them in the Palace of Benevolent Tranquility. Although Gao Taotao had only said the master copy of the Tiangong Treasures had one more supplementary chapter than the copies in circulation, he did not think that was all — since it was the master copy, who knew how many places differed from the copies, and how much the copies had been revised and deleted?

He was about to speak when the armory came back to his mind, and he said: "Grandmother, what about the Western Mountain Flying Cannon Camp…"

"The weapons from the armory were transported to Western Mountain, where a separate storehouse was built, sealed and hidden. No one ever touched it. Two years ago when the Emperor inspected the imperial guards, he discovered that storehouse." Gao Taotao said lightly.

Zhao Ti raised his brows. Zhao Xu had seen it?

Zhao Xu was normally a man whose joy and anger never showed on his face, who revealed neither gain nor loss, who observed every propriety in advance and retreat, always the picture of gentle refinement — impossible to fathom what lay within his heart.

But Zhao Ti knew this Sixth Brother harbored vast ambitions, plotted far ahead, endured with great patience, and possessed a deep and heavy mind.

"Because many of those weapons had been used by famous generals of the Five Dynasties, and came with attached records, the Emperor came over to ask this old woman about their origins after seeing them."

"What did Grandmother say?" Zhao Ti rubbed his chin.

Gao Taotao laughed: "What could this old woman say? Unlike you, who knows the old affairs of the three storehouses, it was hard to conceal. I only said perhaps Taizu left them behind. Since they'd been sitting idle all these years, the Emperor could look at them and decide for himself."

Zhao Ti thought it over. Zhao Xu running over to ask Gao Taotao clearly showed he cared. Otherwise, given his temperament, even if it were a matter of state he would never come to inquire in the slightest — after all, because of the abolition of the New Laws, he had always harbored resentment toward Gao Taotao in his heart.

But if that were so, Zhao Xu would certainly register and catalog them, then guard them strictly. He himself would probably have no chance to obtain them for the time being.

Being close to this Grandmother meant standing on the opposite side from Zhao Xu. Trying to obtain weapons would likely be immensely difficult.

"However…" Gao Taotao saw Zhao Ti's thoughtful expression and spoke.

"Grandmother?" Zhao Ti's heart stirred — could there still be some turn of fortune?

"However, when the armory weapons were being sent to Western Mountain back then, there were two swords in the middle that Emperor Yingzong kept back."

Zhao Ti asked in puzzlement: "Your grandson has heard that Emperor Yingzong, the late Emperor, did not practice martial arts in his daily life and had no fondness for weapons. Why would he intercept two swords?"

"Those two swords were treasures worn and loved by Emperor Taizong. At the time Emperor Yingzong figured that destroying them all would be even more unfilial, yet he did not dare ask Emperor Renzong whether he knew of Taizong's belongings, so he had this old woman go over and took them straight back to his sleeping quarters."

"Grandmother, then these two swords…" Zhao Ti drew a deep breath.

"Since Emperor Yingzong kept the two swords, they count as old belongings. This old woman has kept them by her side ever since. Now they are in this hall together with the master copy of the Tiangong Treasures, placed in a wooden case atop the book cabinet. Go ahead and take them down." Having finished, Gao Taotao glanced toward a spot on the book cabinet.

Zhao Ti followed her gaze and looked, seeing the corner of a sandalwood box faintly showing at the very top of the book cabinet. He stepped forward.

He had been about to leap straight up, but caught sight of a wooden ladder for organizing books beside him, then climbed up little by little, and saw two sandalwood cases stacked together, with a light layer of dust on top.

He reached out and took the two cases — one long, one short — clearly one of them contained a short sword.

Carrying the two cases back, he set them gently on the table and looked at Gao Taotao: "Grandmother, are these the two items?"

Gao Taotao said: "Why don't you open them and look?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "I would not dare handle weapons of metal before Grandmother."

Gao Taotao showed a trace of approval, then said: "When Emperor Yingzong was alive, this old woman often saw these two precious swords. Open them and take a look."

Zhao Ti assented. He looked at the two cases, first reached out and pulled out the white jade bone tag from the short case, then gently opened it. A flash of white-red light appeared. He instinctively dodged to the side, and that light instantly shot out, making the wall behind flicker with two colors, then vanished in an instant.

"Hm?" Zhao Ti drew in a breath of cold air. What kind of sword was this, to be so startling upon opening its case? The so-called 'gleaming cold light, a thousand rays of auspicious color' — this must be what it referred to.

He turned back to look inside the case and saw a short sword lying quietly within, without a scabbard, slender and narrow throughout, white with a hint of red, its edge unmatched, a chill striking the skin.

The short sword had now drawn its brilliance inward. Its form was extremely ancient and unadorned, with faintly carved patterns, not in the style of today, but rather resembling the forms of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

"This short sword was presented to Emperor Taizong by the King of Wu Yue, Qian Hongchu, when he surrendered his lands to our dynasty in the third year of Taiping Xingguo. At the time Taizong treasured it greatly, kept it by his side, and would not let others see it.

"Grandmother, did this sword ever leave behind a name?" Zhao Ti's thoughts raced. This sword looked extraordinary, and it had been offered by the King of Wu Yue — it might well be a famous sword. But among famous swords, which one had a short and narrow appearance?

"At the time the King of Wu Yue also presented some other treasures along with it, compiled into a catalog, but this old woman never saw that catalog, so I do not know the sword's name."

Zhao Ti said: "It looks like an extremely fine sword."

Gao Taotao smiled slightly: "This old woman knows nothing of these things. Emperor Yingzong used to chatter on about it back then, saying 'Could it be Mo Xie?'"

Mo Xie! Zhao Ti's eyes never left the short sword, and his heart gave a jolt. It really could be Mo Xie!

Among famous swords of antiquity, only Mo Xie was a short sword. As for Yuchang, that was a dagger.

But if it were Mo Xie, then where was Gan Jiang? Had the male and female pair of swords been separated?

He then opened the long case, and this one was a sheathed precious sword. The scabbard appeared to be a later addition, but judging from the sword's hilt and pommel, it too seemed to be an ancient sword.

"This sword was what Taizong carried daily. He obtained it early, kept it by his side from youth through decades. This old woman likewise does not know its name, and no inscription is carved upon it — there is no basis even to guess."

Zhao Ti did not draw it out to look, but closed the case, then looked at Gao Taotao: "Grandmother, then your grandson will take the things and leave?"

Gao Taotao snorted: "Weren't you wanting to leave long ago? Coming to see this old woman, beating around the bush — all just for these things!"

Zhao Ti hurriedly said: "Your grandson wouldn't dare. How could your grandson harbor such treasonous thoughts?"

Gao Taotao said: "The Tiangong Treasures are quite many in number. Find a few eunuchs, hitch up two carts, and let them go back with you."

Zhao Ti said: "That would be wonderful. Your grandson thanks Grandmother."

An hour later, Gao Taotao looked at the book cabinet, now a third empty, listened to the footsteps receding, frowned, then suddenly coughed violently. The faint bluish tinge on her face had only been momentary — yet now it grew rich and deep.

Zhao Ti was desperate to return. Once back at his residence, he had people move all the Tiangong Treasures into his study, then began searching for the supplementary chapters at the end of the Palace scroll.

This should be the final scroll of the Tiangong Treasures, but there were simply too many books, and the eunuchs had mixed up the order while carrying them. It took him a good while to find it among them — two thick volumes and one thin one, three books in all.

He had someone close the door tightly, then picked up the first volume and gently opened the cover page.