Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 366 Wen County Magistrate, could you please not spread what happened tonight?
Previously, when Xun Jue was punished, Cui claimed to the public that he had broken the family rules.

According to the intelligence Wen He received, Xun Jue's scheme actually came to nothing.

And they almost dragged Cui into it again.

In order to avoid being implicated, Cui had no choice but to cut her own flesh to escape, losing a large sum of money in the process.

For a prestigious family like the Cui family of Qinghe, losing some money might not be a big deal, but losing face is a huge matter.

Cui Wei is an arrogant and vain young man. Now that the Cui family has lost face, Cui Wei will definitely try to win it back. With the imperial examination approaching, he might actually turn his attention to it.

Wen He narrowed her eyes slightly, a sharp glint in them. After pondering for a long time, she looked up at Chen Dahai.

"Starting today, increase the number of people to keep an eye on Cui Wei. Not only should you monitor his whereabouts, but you should also keep track of who he comes into contact with. In addition, everyone entering and leaving the Cui family's Chang'an residence should be closely monitored. Report any abnormalities to me immediately."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dahai immediately straightened his back, his face full of confidence: "Please rest assured, young master! Our second team is well-managed now, with more than a hundred people left to guard Chang'an alone. They are more than capable of keeping an eye on Cui Wei and the Cui family. Even if you want to know what kind of pattern the women Cui Wei has slept with wore, we can find out for you clearly!"

"roll!"

Wen He pretended to kick, but a smile was hidden in her eyes.

Chen Dahai was prepared, and with a smile, he dodged to the side and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "I'll arrange it right away, I promise it won't delay anything!"

Having said that, he turned and walked away quickly, his steps as light as if he were walking on the wind.

After Chen Dahai left, Zhang Wenxiao pushed open the door and came in, his face showing some worry: "Young master, since those people dared to bribe scholars to submit their papers to you, will they also try to submit their papers to Magistrate Ma? Magistrate Ma has just been appointed as the Examiner, and he is honest by nature. If he gets entangled with someone, I'm afraid it will be difficult to deal with."

Upon hearing this, Wen He couldn't help but cast an admiring glance at Zhang Wenxiao.

Although Zhang Wenxiao spent most of his time in the military, he was meticulous, which was a rare quality.

He smiled and nodded: "You're right. Those people dared to scheme against me, so naturally they won't let Ma Zhou off the hook either. Immediately send a team of men to Ma Zhou's residence to guard the door. If anyone comes to submit a petition, drive them away immediately and don't let them disturb Ma Zhou."

He paused, then added, "If Ma Zhou asks, tell him that these people have ill intentions and ulterior motives. Submitting their papers is a pretense; their real purpose is to gather information about the imperial examinations and find an opportunity to cheat. Also, mention to him that the rules for submitting papers for the imperial examinations should be changed this time. We can't let these crooked methods ruin the fairness of the examinations."

"Here!"

Zhang Wenxiao bowed and accepted the order, then turned to make arrangements. After taking two steps, he stopped and turned back to ask, "Young master, should we send more men? In case those people cause trouble..."

"Sending ten or so people is enough."

"Here"

After Zhang Wenxiao left, the interrogation room fell completely silent.

Wen He rubbed her throbbing temples.

From interrogation to arranging surveillance, they were so busy they didn't even have time to catch their breath.

This class is awful...it's so frustrating.

Wen He let out a long yawn.

I'm so sleepy!

He got up and walked out of the prison area toward his office. As soon as he entered, he slumped into a chair, then lay down on the desk, and soon began to snore softly.

The sun rose to its zenith.

The aroma of food wafting from the kitchen of the Hundred Cavalry Division seeped in through the cracks in the window.

Wen He was fast asleep, lying on the pearwood table in the government office.

"Wenxianzi, Wenxianzi?"

A soft call came from outside the door, accompanied by a cautious knock. It was a servant from the Hundred Cavalry Division's kitchen, carrying a food box containing a bowl of warm sweet soup.

Seeing that the door wasn't closed properly, he gently pushed it open a crack and peeked inside. He saw Wen He lying on the table and didn't dare to shout. He could only get closer and call out twice.

Wen He groggily opened her eyes, still somewhat sleepy. She rubbed her eyes before recognizing the person: "It's you. What is it?"

The servant bowed quickly and said with a flattering smile, "Reporting to the county magistrate, General Su and Military Advisor Xu have prepared lunch in the side hall and asked me to invite you over. Knowing you're tired, I also warmed up a bowl of white fungus soup for you from the kitchen to tide you over."

As he spoke, he placed the food box on the corner of the table, opened the lid, and the white fungus soup inside was still steaming and had a faint fragrance of osmanthus.

Wen He sat up and stretched. He picked up the white fungus soup, took a couple of sips, and felt the warmth slide down his throat, his weariness dissipating considerably: "Okay, I'll be right there."

When the servant saw that he had agreed, he bowed and withdrew, thoughtfully closing the door slightly behind him.

Wen He finished the rest of the white fungus soup, straightened her clothes, and then walked towards the side hall.

As soon as he arrived at the door, he saw Xu Jingzong standing under the eaves waiting for him, holding a folding fan and gently fanning himself.

"Jiaying, you're finally awake! If you hadn't come soon, General Su would have come to invite you in person."

Xu Jingzong smiled and stepped forward, leading Wen He inside.

"The kitchen stewed mutton today. It's rare for us to have meat, so you should nourish your body." He smiled and patted Wen He on the shoulder.

The latter chuckled, realizing that only Old Xu felt sorry for himself.

Upon entering the side hall, Su Dingfang was already seated next to the main seat, his brows furrowed with weariness. Seeing Wen He enter, he immediately stood up and nodded, "County Magistrate Wen has arrived. Please have a seat."

The table was already set with a bowl of mutton, a bowl of scallion pancakes, and several sesame cakes.

This treatment is already considered the best in the military.

Xu Jingzong was busy setting out bowls and chopsticks for Wen He, while Su Dingfang pushed the mutton in front of him: "Try it quickly, this mutton has been stewed for an hour, it's very tender."

The three sat down and started eating. After only a few bites, Su Ding put down his chopsticks and said with a hint of confusion, "Wen County Magistrate, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Wen He had already guessed it.

Su Dingfang and Lao Xu specially invited me to dinner.

Old Xu was even waiting for him outside; the two of them must have something to discuss with him.

"Please speak, General," Wen He said, putting down his chopsticks and smiling.

Su Dingfang didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

“During this period, I have been training new recruits using the old military training methods, combined with the drill and combat skills you taught me before. But I always feel that the people I have trained are different from the batch of 100 cavalrymen you led back then. Their movements are standard, but they lack strength and are not flexible enough in the face of emergencies. I don’t know where the problem lies.”

Wen He paused, her hand still holding the food, and looked up at Su Dingfang.

He knew that although Su Dingfang was now a centurion general with the foundation of leading troops, he had not yet experienced the tempering of the battlefield. He was somewhat stubborn and inflexible in his nature. When training troops, he would inevitably be bound by established methods, only knowing how to train hard and not knowing how to be flexible.

"General Su, training troops cannot be done blindly."

Wen He put down her chopsticks, her tone relaxed yet methodical.

“You combined the old methods with the techniques I taught you, which seemed comprehensive, but you didn’t get them moving.”

"In the past, the methods used in the military were based on drills and training, but lacked adaptability. Of course, this system seems to be suitable for ordinary troops, since they kill the enemy on the battlefield and do not need any fancy methods."

“But we are the Hundred Riders.” Wen He emphasized the last sentence.

He knew that Su Dingfang still couldn't distinguish between a hundred cavalrymen and ordinary soldiers.

The reason Wen He didn't interfere with the training before was...

He also didn't want to have a conflict with Su Dingfang.

Only when he sees his own shortcomings will he realize his mistakes.

If I were to step in at this point, I wouldn't encounter any unpleasantness.

Of course, this is based on the premise that Su Dingfang is not an arrogant or haughty person.

From what I've seen so far, Lao Su seems to be a decent person.

Upon hearing this, Su Dingfang frowned even more deeply and asked in confusion.

"How can we get them moving? Do we need to do extra training?"

Wen He didn't answer directly, but instead turned to look at Xu Jingzong, who was drinking soup, with a smile in her eyes.

“Training doesn’t have to be all physical training; you can do other kinds of training too.”

Xu Jingzong was stunned for a moment, the soup spoon in his hand stopped in mid-air, his eyes rolled around, and suddenly realized what was happening and slapped his thigh, almost dropping the soup spoon on the table.

"Oh dear! Jiaying, I understand! Is it the same as before, sending the new recruits to the Forbidden Garden for a few days? Not just simple field training, but having them find water sources and orient themselves?"

Su Dingfang's eyes lit up instantly, and he slammed his hand on the table: "That's right! How come I didn't think of that! Just drawing lines and setting rules in the training ground makes them like puppeteers. If they encounter an emergency, they'll probably have to wait for their superiors' instructions. This way, they can't adapt to changing circumstances. If we let them go to the Forbidden Garden to deal with situations on their own, they can train their physical strength, their adaptability, and their character. It's much better than mindless training!"

"It's good that General Su understands."

Wen He smiled, picked up her chopsticks, and took a piece of mutton.

Upon hearing this, Su Dingfang's eyes lit up, and he slammed his hand on the table, laughing loudly, "Excellent! This method is brilliant!"

Wen He nodded with a smile, then changed the subject, her tone becoming more serious: "Also, I've noticed that the training of the Hundred Riders has been a bit lax lately, especially the new recruits. They don't seem to have any sense of urgency. There are still a few days until the imperial examinations, so we need to give them a pep talk."

He tapped the edge of the table lightly with his fingertips, a sly glint in his eyes: "After all, the Hundred Riders are not ordinary soldiers. We need to use some methods to torture them and make them develop muscle memory, so that they won't be caught off guard and flustered when they encounter special situations such as assassins or night raids in the future."

Su Dingfang nodded repeatedly. He had only been with the Hundred Riders for a short time and had not yet seen Wen He's training methods, but he felt that what he said made sense.

Xu Jingzong, standing to the side, quietly shrank his neck and paused in his hand holding the soup bowl.

He had personally witnessed Wen He's "methods." Last time, that group of 100 cavalrymen were so tormented that they had to run around the Forbidden Garden during the day and stand guard at night. They were like ghosts whenever they saw Wen He.

The nickname "Little Killer of a Hundred Riders" in Chang'an City may have originated from within the Hundred Riders themselves.

With the matter mostly settled, Xu Jingzong put down his soup bowl and called out towards the door, "Summon Chief Secretary Changsun!"

Before long, Changsun Huan, dressed in a blue official robe, strode in. He was the Chief Clerk of the Hundred Cavalry, in charge of miscellaneous matters in the camp, including preparing the equipment and provisions needed for training.

"I have met the General of the Central Army and the Military Advisor, and I have met the Magistrate of Wen County."

Changsun Huan bowed and glanced at the bowls and chopsticks on the table. He clearly knew that the others were eating, but he didn't know why he had been summoned.

Wen He put down her chopsticks and pointed to the empty chair next to her: "Sit down. There's something I need you to prepare. Starting tomorrow, prepare some equipment for the new recruits' short-distance training exercises. Also... go to the Ministry of Works to apply for some gunpowder."

"And gunpowder?"

Changsun Huan suddenly looked up, blinked in surprise, his eyes full of confusion.

"Wenxianzi, what kind of training requires the use of gunpowder? This thing is no ordinary equipment; it could cause trouble if handled improperly."

"Don't worry, it's just a sound, we won't let them actually use it."

Wen He said calmly, her tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"Have Lao Huang apply to His Majesty for this. Once His Majesty approves, you take some men to the Ministry of Works to collect it. Remember to wrap it in plenty of oiled paper to prevent it from getting damp."

Changsun Huan agreed in surprise. Just as he was about to get up, Wen He stopped him again, her tone becoming more serious: "Also, you should only take the old men who have followed me before to do this. Don't let a word of it leak out, especially don't let the new recruits know, otherwise it won't be fun."

Changsun Huan instantly understood that Wen County Magistrate was planning a surprise attack, and he quickly nodded solemnly.

"Your humble servant understands and will not reveal a single word!"

As he spoke, he bowed to the three of them again and hurriedly retreated, afraid that he would forget to give them his instructions if he was even a moment late.

After Changsun Huan left, Wen He stretched, stood up, and cupped his hands to Su Dingfang and Xu Jingzong: "Alright, let's settle this for now. We'll take action at dawn tomorrow to catch the new recruits off guard. I'll go back to my residence to catch up on some sleep. I still need to go to the Lizheng Hall this afternoon to discuss the deployment of troops for the spring imperial examination with His Majesty."

Su Dingfang quickly stood up to see her off, and Xu Jingzong also stood up. But when Wen He reached the door, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Xu Jingzong: "Old Xu, do you have time? Can you give me a ride? I have something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jingzong glanced suspiciously at Su Dingfang, then looked at Wen He, his eyes clearly saying, "Should we avoid General Su?"

Wen He winked at him, a smile playing on her lips.

Xu Jingzong immediately understood and cupped his hands to Su Dingfang, saying, "General, my apologies. I will see Wen County Magistrate off for a while and return immediately."

As he spoke, he quickly followed Wen He's footsteps, and the two of them left the side hall one after the other, heading towards Wen He's official residence.

As soon as they were out of Su Dingfang's reach, Xu Jingzong asked impatiently, "Jiaying, what's going on with you being so secretive? And why are you making a point of avoiding General Su?"

Wen He stopped and leaned against a pillar, chuckling softly, "Old Su has only just joined the Hundred Riders. He's no different from those new recruits. He's never experienced this kind of surprise attack training. I was just lying to him when I said we'd be moving out at dawn tomorrow. The real operation will be at 11:45 tonight. You should remind Zhang Wenxiao and the others not to get too close to Old Su's residence."

He paused, his eyes full of mischief: "Old Su's fighting prowess is such that none of the hundred riders can beat him. If we really startle him, and he thinks there are assassins, he might rush out with his sword. Even if all of us were to join forces, we probably wouldn't be able to stop him, and that would only be if he wasn't wearing armor or riding a horse."

Xu Jingzong was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh out loud, patting Wen He on the shoulder: "You, you're too bold. Aren't you afraid that General Su will be furious with you if he finds out?"

Despite saying that, his eyes were full of anticipation.

It's quite amusing to imagine Su Dingfang being awakened by the sound of gunpowder, grabbing a knife and searching for someone.

Wen He smiled and shook her head: "Don't worry, Lao Su isn't a stingy person."

Wen He smiled dismissively.

He was confident that even if Su Dingfang was angry, he wouldn't lose his temper on the spot.

After bidding farewell to Xu Jingzong under the corridor of the Hundred Cavalry Division, Wen He walked along the foot of the imperial city towards the mansion.

Just outside the Zhuque Gate of the Imperial City, a carriage was seen parked at the street corner.

Qi San, accompanied by five Xuanjia guards, was waiting nearby. Upon seeing Wen He approach, Qi San quickly stepped forward, took the reins, and bowed, saying, "Young master, the carriage is ready. Shall we return to the manor now?"

Wen He nodded, rubbing her slightly throbbing temples: "Let's go back. There's nothing else to do this afternoon, so we can take a break."

He then bent down and boarded the carriage, while the Xuanjia Guards lined up on both sides of the carriage, escorting it towards Gaoyang Prefecture.

The carriage traveled smoothly. Wen He leaned back on the soft couch, closed his eyes and pondered how to train the hundred new cavalrymen that night. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of Gaoyang County Government.

But as soon as the carriage stopped, a muffled thud was heard, followed by Qi San's angry shout: "Where did this filthy beggar come from! How dare you ram the carriage of the magistrate of Gaoyang County? Are you tired of living?"

Wen He frowned inside the carriage. His doorstep was always quiet, so why would a beggar bump into a car?

He lifted the carriage curtain and peered out.

A man in tattered clothes was lying in front of the carriage. His clothes were covered in patches, and his hair was sticky and messy, obscuring his features. Only his muddy hands were visible, gripping the carriage wheels tightly.

"Get out of here now!"

Qi San stepped forward and was about to grab the beggar, but as soon as he reached out, he heard the beggar let out a sobbing cry.

Wen He paused, feeling that the voice sounded familiar, but couldn't quite place where she had heard it before.

Just then, the beggar seemed to sense the gaze from behind the carriage curtain. He suddenly raised his head, his face streaked with mud from his tears, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes that stared straight at Wen He. Suddenly, he wailed, "Sir!"

"gentlemen?"

Wen He was taken aback, her brows furrowing instantly.

When did he meet this beggar?

Could it be that those people have set up some kind of trap again?

The guards in black armor immediately became alert, their hands on the swords at their waists, ready to step forward and take down the beggar.

But the beggar struggled to crawl forward two steps and cried out hoarsely, "Sir! I am Yifu! Li Yifu!"

"Li Yifu?"

Wen He jumped off the carriage and walked quickly to the beggar, her heart pounding faster.

He squatted down, reached out and brushed the beggar's messy hair away from his face. Upon closer inspection, although his face was covered in mud and he was so thin that his cheekbones protruded, the outline between his eyebrows and eyes was clearly that of Li Yifu!
Didn't he go on a study abroad trip?

How did it become like this?
"Really you?"

Wen He was taken aback, and her voice trembled slightly.

"Yifu, what happened to you?"

Seeing that Wen He recognized this person, the Xuanjia guards behind him relaxed their vigilance and withdrew their hands from their swords.

Qi San stood aside, looking completely bewildered.

When he arrived at the Gaoyang County government office, Li Yifu had already set off on his studies abroad, and the two had never met. So at this moment, he really couldn't understand why this man who looked like a beggar would call his young master's student.

When Li Yifu saw that Wen He recognized him, the pent-up grievances he had been holding back for days burst forth, and he burst into tears. He stretched out his hands, which were covered in frostbite, and hugged Wen He's leg tightly.

"Teacher! I'm suffering so much! I can't go on any longer!"

"If it weren't for the thought of seeing you, sir, I would have ended my own life."

Wen He stiffened when he hugged her, and quickly patted his back, soothing him gently, "Alright, alright, don't cry, don't cry. Master is here. Let's go home. If you have any grievances, we can talk about them slowly when we get back."

As he spoke, he called out to the mansion, "Adong! Come out quickly and help Yifu inside!"

Hearing the shouts, Ah Dong from the manor rushed out with two servants. They were startled by the scene at the door.

This beggar covered in mud was actually Li Yifu?
But he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He quickly and carefully helped Li Yifu up with his servants and walked towards the Gaoyang County government building.

As soon as they entered the mansion, they heard a series of hurried footsteps. The three little ones, Li Tai, Li Ke, and Li You, along with Wen He's younger sister Wenrou, were running around the corridor.

"Who...who is this?"

Li Tai stared wide-eyed, pointing at Li Yifu, and didn't react for a long time.

When Li Yifu looked up, they were immediately taken aback.

How come Li Yifu has changed so much in just a few months?

Li You leaned forward, wrinkled his nose and sniffed, then quickly took a step back and sighed.

"He looks terrible. His clothes are so torn that his skin is showing, and his face is covered in mud. He looks like he crawled out of a mud pit."

Li Ke raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, though his eyes were full of pity.

Judging from Li Yifu's appearance, he must have suffered a lot.

Wenrou stood at the back, tugged at Wenhe's sleeve, and whispered, "Brother, he's so pitiful. What happened?"

Wen He smiled helplessly and patted Wenrou's head: "I don't know either. I'll ask her later, but let him take a shower first."

Li Yifu suddenly raised his head, his stomach growling. He touched his deflated belly and looked at Wen He pitifully.

"Sir, I'm hungry... I haven't eaten for three days."

Upon hearing this, Wen He felt a pang of sadness.

Li Yifu came from a well-off family and had never experienced hardship.

Besides, they brought a lot of money and food with them on this study tour, so how did it end up like this?

He quickly said to Adong, "Quickly, go to the kitchen and bring some hot food. Prepare plenty of staple food so that Yifu can have something to eat first."

A Dong responded and left, while Wen He had the servants help Li Yifu to the guest room to take a bath, and then she took the three little ones and Wen Rou back to the main hall.

As soon as he sat down, Li Tai couldn't help but ask, "Sir, was Li Yifu robbed? Otherwise, how could he be in such a terrible state?"

Wen He paused for a moment, then shook her head: "Let's talk about the specifics after he takes a shower and eats. You three, have you finished your homework for today? If not, hurry back to your study and do your homework. Don't just stand around here."

"Huh? More homework?"

Li Tai's face fell, and he pouted in dissatisfaction.

Li You also frowned, clearly not wanting to write.

Only Li Ke responded with "I understand," then turned and walked towards the study. Before leaving, he tugged at Li Tai and Li You's sleeves, signaling them not to upset Wen He.

Before long, Adong brought over the food: steaming hot botto, tender stewed mutton, and a plate of stir-fried vegetables, filling the table to the brim.

Just as they finished setting things up, Li Yifu walked in, dressed in a new outfit. His face was clean of mud, and although he looked much darker, he seemed more energetic.

His eyes lit up when he saw the food on the table. He didn't care about being polite and picked up his chopsticks to shovel food into his mouth, one bite after another, until his mouth was so full that he couldn't even speak.

Wenrou sat to the side, watching in astonishment, and whispered to Wenhe, "Brother, he eats so fast, won't he choke?"

Wen He smiled and handed Li Yifu a bowl of soup: "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you, there's more if you're not full."

Li Yifu took the soup, gulped down half a bowl before recovering, and then continued eating.

And so, he ate five bowls of mutton in one go, finishing every last bit of the mutton on his plate before putting down his chopsticks, patting his round belly, and letting out a satisfied burp.

Wen He only spoke after seeing that he had finished eating.

"What happened? How did you become like this?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yifu's eyes instantly reddened, and tears streamed down his face like a broken string of pearls. He choked out, "Teacher, I set off for Yongzhou to study. Everything was fine until halfway there, when we suddenly encountered a group of bandits. They not only robbed me of all my money and food, but they even tore up my travel bag..."

He wiped away his tears and continued, "The place was gone, and the students couldn't even stay at an inn. They had no choice but to walk back. They tried to find some work to earn a meal, but people wouldn't let them work because they were thin and weak. Later, they had no choice but to beg for food, but those wicked people not only refused to give them any food, but also beat and scolded them..."

At this point, Li Yifu's voice trembled: "I wanted to go to the county government office to seek justice, but the guards at the gate demanded an entrance fee. I had no money and couldn't pay, so they just beat me up and threw me out, saying I was a stinking beggar and unworthy to see the magistrate... I had no choice but to beg all the way back to Chang'an. Along the way, I ate leftovers when I was hungry and huddled in dilapidated temples when I was cold. Several times I almost froze to death..."

Wenrou sat beside him, her eyes reddening as she listened. She couldn't help but hand a handkerchief to Li Yifu, saying, "You've suffered so much."

"gentlemen."

Li Yifu burst into tears again.

Wen He also blamed herself.

How could I have forgotten him?

Wen He patted Li Yifu on the shoulder, her tone gentle yet firm: "Yifu, don't be sad. You're home now. Your master will never let you suffer in vain. Rest well at home for a few days and take care of your health. Once you've recovered, your master will go to His Majesty to seek justice for you."

However, what Li Yifu went through was not necessarily a bad thing for him.

This will temper his character and, incidentally, allow him to ask Li Shimin for credit and an official position.

Li Yifu raised his head, his eyes blurry with tears, and nodded heavily: "Thank you, sir."

Wen He smiled, stood up and said to A Dong, "Go and invite Master Sun over later, and let him take a look at Yi Fu's frostbite and wounds."

A Dong responded and left. Wen He then gave Li Yifu a few more instructions, telling him to get some rest.

Sun Simiao arrived shortly afterward. After examining Li Yifu's injuries, he prescribed some mild tonics for him.

After taking the medicine, Wen He had someone take Li Yifu to rest.

"What injuries did he sustain?" Wen He asked, still somewhat worried.

Sun Simiao shook his head and said, "I'm just hungry for too long, there's nothing wrong with me."

Upon hearing this, Wen He breathed a long sigh of relief.

After suffering for so long, Li Yifu can finally get a good night's sleep.

He didn't even get up for dinner.

Wen He didn't have anyone call him, but instead instructed Zhou Fu to send someone to keep an eye on things.

"When he gets up, make him something nourishing and gentle."

"Yes," Zhou Fu replied, and then gave the instructions.

As evening fell, Wen He entered the imperial city before the palace gates were locked.

Instead of going to the Hundred Cavalry Division, he went straight to the Hall of Establishing Government.

Although the evening's exercise had been finalized with Xu Jingzong and Zhang Wenxiao, gunpowder would be used, so they still needed to inform Li Shimin to avoid any misunderstandings.

Inside the Lizheng Hall, Li Shimin was frowning as he looked at the memorials. When he saw Wen He enter, he put down his pen and said with a hint of teasing, "You rascal, you just went home to rest, why are you here again? Did something go wrong with the imperial examinations again?"

Wen He bowed and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, the arrangements for the imperial examinations have been made. I have come to tell you something else. Tonight at 3:45 PM, the Hundred Cavalry will be conducting a night raid exercise. We would like to borrow some gunpowder to hear the sound and to give the new recruits a boost."

"An exercise? And with gunpowder?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow.

"You brat, are you trying to cause trouble again? The Hundred Cavalry Command is right next to the capital. If the sound of gunpowder startles the people in the palace, or if people mistake it for an assassin, the whole of Chang'an will be in chaos."

"Your Majesty, don't worry!"

Wen He quickly assured him.

"I have made all the arrangements. Only a small amount of gunpowder will be placed in an open area near the Hundred Cavalry Garrison, which is some distance from the Imperial City and will not alert the palace."

Li Shimin was still a little uneasy, and tapped his fingers lightly on the table: "Is this exercise of yours reliable? Don't mess it up and I'll have to clean up the mess for you."

Wen He's eyes darted around, and he stepped forward, saying, "If Your Majesty is worried, why don't you come with me to take a look? It's a good opportunity to test the emergency response capabilities of the Hundred Cavalry and see if the Hundred Cavalry you personally built can truly handle unexpected situations."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of interest flashed in Li Shimin's eyes, but he deliberately kept a straight face and said with feigned modesty, "I am the emperor of a country, how can I go and join in such a commotion with you? What kind of decorum would that be if word got out?"

Seeing that he was being hypocritical, Wen He chuckled inwardly but dared not expose him. She could only feign disappointment and say, "Alright then, I understand. I will make sure the exercise goes smoothly and report the results to Your Majesty later."

With that, he bowed and withdrew.

However, when Wen He returned to the Hundred Cavalry Division, he saw a person wearing a black robe and a veil standing next to Zhang Wenxiao.

When Zhang Wenxiao saw Wen He coming over, he quickly gave her a look.

Wen He walked over calmly and bowed to the person behind the veil: "Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

Li Shimin lowered his voice and glared at him through the veil of his hat: "I was worried you'd mess things up, so I came to check on you. Don't make a fuss."

Wen He smiled and agreed, then turned to Zhang Wenxiao and said, "Proceed according to the original plan. Have the veteran cavalry gather outside the garrison first, while the new recruits rest at their lodgings. Don't let them notice anything unusual."

Zhang Wenxiao accepted the order and left, while Wen He stood with Li Shimin in the shadows, watching the movements within the Hundred Cavalry Division.

As the sun gradually set and darkness fell, lanterns were lit inside the garrison of the Hundred Riders, and everything seemed normal.

The new recruits gathered in twos and threes in the courtyard to chat, while the veteran cavalrymen, under the pretext of "night patrol," quietly headed out of the garrison.

By 11:45 PM, more than thirty veteran riders had gathered on the open ground outside the camp.

Holding sticks smeared with black ink, their faces beaming with excitement, they exchanged glances and whispered amongst themselves. "Heh heh, finally our turn! Last time, Wen Xianzi made us stand guard in the middle of the night. This time, we'll teach those newbies a lesson they won't forget!"

An old centurion with a full beard rubbed his hands together, his eyes full of schadenfreude.

The people around him laughed along: "That's right! Last time we did a training exercise at the Forbidden Garden, my legs were sore from running. This time, let them experience what a 'surprise attack' is like! Look at them so relaxed now, but when the gun goes off, they'll be scared out of their wits!"

"And General Su, we didn't tell him the exercise was moved up this time. I wonder what his expression will be when he rushes out and sees us!"

"Then I advise you to stay away from him, so you don't end up in bed for days."

Upon hearing this, everyone chuckled in hushed tones.

The old cavalrymen chatted excitedly, one after another, and couldn't help but swing their sticks.

Listening from the shadows, Li Shimin couldn't help but whisper to Wen He, "Your hundred cavalrymen are quite energetic, but... why do they seem a bit gloating?"

Wen He explained with a smile, "Your Majesty, I was indeed a bit too strict with them last time I gave them training. They were looking for an opportunity to 'get back at' the newcomers, and it was also a way to strengthen their relationship."

Li Shimin shook his head helplessly, and just as he was about to say something, he heard footsteps coming from afar.

Xu Jingzong and Changsun Huan rushed over. Behind Changsun Huan were two servants carrying a wooden box covered with a black cloth.

"Wenxianzi, I've brought the gunpowder you requested!"

Xu Jingzong said, panting.

"Thanks to Huang Zhongguan, the Ministry of Works agreed to give us gunpowder. They even specifically instructed us to use only a small amount and to avoid any trouble."

Wen He stepped forward, patted Changsun Huan on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Changsun Changshi, you've dodged a bullet. You weren't allowed to participate in this exercise, otherwise, with your physique, you probably wouldn't have been able to withstand their beatings."

Changsun Huan was completely bewildered, scratching his head: "Lord Wen, what exercise? I don't understand. What exactly do you want me to do by preparing gunpowder?"

Wen He didn't explain, but just waved to the old cavalry behind him: "Come on, a few people, move the gunpowder to the open space over there. As we said before, divide it into three small packets, five steps apart from each packet, and keep it less than thirty steps away from the newlyweds' residence. Don't get too close, so as not to hurt anyone."

Several veteran riders immediately stepped forward and carefully opened the wooden box. Inside were gunpowder wrapped in oiled paper and tinderboxes.

They carried the gunpowder, quickly walked to the designated location, skillfully set it up, and then retreated.

Wen He glanced at the sky; it was almost 1:45 PM. He nodded to Zhang Wenxiao: "Light the fire."

Zhang Wenxiao picked up a tinderbox, blew on it to light it, and quickly ran to the gunpowder, lighting the fuses of the three gunpowder packets one by one.

The fuse hissed and sparked.

A short while later, three loud "booms" were heard. Although they were not particularly loud, they were especially jarring in the quiet night, and the ground trembled slightly.

The moment the gunpowder exploded.

The old cavalrymen beside Wen He and the imperial guards brought by Zhao Qin immediately raised their clubs and charged out shouting, "Assassins! Catch the assassins!"

Hundreds of people stormed outside, wielding clubs with a whooshing sound, deliberately avoiding vital points and striking only the newlyweds' bodies and legs, shouting: "Get up! There are assassins! Wake up!"

The overseas mission was immediately thrown into chaos.

Most of the newcomers had just fallen asleep when they were awakened by the sounds of gunpowder and shouts. They were so frightened that they hurriedly got out of bed, some even running outside in a panic without properly dressing themselves. However, they were blocked by the sticks of the local militia and could only dodge while frantically searching for weapons.

Just then, a loud shout rang out: "Thief!"

Su Dingfang, dressed in his undergarments and holding a horizontal sword, rushed out of his residence.

He lived on the other side of the overseas post, a bit far from the newcomers' residence. The sound of gunpowder and shouts earlier instantly alerted him, making him think that an assassin had really broken in. He immediately grabbed his sword and prepared to fight.

But when he rushed out, he found that no one was coming towards him; only the screams of the newcomers and the shouts of the veteran riders could be heard from not far away.

Su Dingfang's expression immediately changed, thinking that the newcomer was in danger, and he gripped his sword and was about to rush over there.

"General Su, wait a moment!"

Wen He quickly stepped forward and stopped him.

Su Dingfang turned around angrily, but when he saw Wen He, he instantly understood what was going on.

He walked over, glared at Wen He, and asked in a questioning tone, "Wen He! What's going on? Didn't we agree to take action at dawn tomorrow? Why did it suddenly start earlier?!"

Wen He quickly bowed and apologized: "General Su, please calm down. I just felt that you, General, are also a member of the Hundred Cavalry and should naturally be included in the exercise. There should be no exception. If we only train the newcomers and not you, then the exercise will not be complete."

Su Dingfang was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening, but the anger on his face did not subside.

So Wen He was treating him like a new recruit and training him!

No wonder he heard some noise but didn't see a single person.

Su Dingfang glanced down at his clothes; he was only wearing an undergarment.

If outsiders saw him like this, wouldn't he become a laughing stock?

He pointed to his clothes at Wen He.

He couldn't help but feel helpless, and whispered to Wen He, "Could you please not spread what happened tonight, especially not let His Majesty know? Otherwise, I will lose all face, and how will I be able to be trusted by His Majesty in the future?"

A dignified military general, yet so panicked.

They were caught in a night raid and were in such a hurry.

If this gets out, he will definitely lose face.

Wen He's smile froze instantly.

"General, I certainly wouldn't have told His Majesty originally, but... it's definitely not my fault."

"Cough cough."

Li Shimin, who was standing next to Wen He, suddenly coughed twice.

Upon hearing this, Su Dingfang frowned and turned around. When he saw Li Shimin's familiar face, he was dumbfounded.

(End of this chapter)