Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

After Yu Chaoen returned to Shaanxi, he deliberately sowed discord between Lai Zhen and Wei Boyu. Previously, when Li Guiren led 5,000 troops to attack Shaanxi, Lai Zhen ordered Wei Boyu to intercept them with only a few hundred cavalry at Jiangzi Slope southeast of Shanxian County. Yu Chaoen was involved in this. However, Yu Chaoen did not expect that Wei Boyu would win the battle against overwhelming odds.

Then Zhen was transferred to Shannan East Circuit, and Wei Boyu actually became the governor of Shaanxi and Guo after ten years of hard work. This was mainly because Li Heng had a very good impression of him when he was guarding the palace. As a result, Yu Chaoen's entire plan came to naught.

Wei Boyu wasn't stupid. He had seen and remembered all of Yu Chaoen's schemes, so when he had the chance to embarrass Yu Chaoen, he seized the opportunity and seized it—you eunuch, you came up with the idea, so you have to bear the consequences. I'm not going to be a scapegoat!

Nan Jiyun and his men, carrying Zhang Xun's memorial tablet, immediately surrounded Yu Chaoen's residence and knocked on the door to request an audience. Yu Chaoen, having just received the news, tried to hide, but was a step too slow; before he could even leave, he was blocked back—thanks to the military officer who had shown him the way earlier. He then ordered his men to climb the wall, falsely claiming he wasn't home. Nan Jiyun and his men, however, refused to give up, saying they would wait there for Yu Chaoen to return.

Yu Chaoen was extremely anxious. The key was that he had led troops and fought on the battlefield before. Although he hadn't personally captured generals, drawn flags, or beaten drums, he had seen countless armies from all over the land and could easily discern the murderous aura and fury in the eyes of Nan Jiyun and his men… He worried that if he truly angered these soldiers who had just returned from the battlefield, they might break down the gate and storm in. Even if they were unarmed, they could tear him to pieces with their bare hands!

What should we do?

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Several days after Nan Jiyun and his entourage, holding Zhang Xun's memorial tablet and demanding an explanation, a situation that resembled a military coup, a fast horse galloped into Chang'an. The rider was none other than Chen Ruo, a trusted general under Nan Jiyun.

However, Chen Ruo's visit was not to deliver news of Zhang Xun's death. The matter of reporting Zhang Xun's passing to the court required the intervention of Yu Chaoen or Wei Boyu; it was not up to his subordinates to deal directly with the court. As for informing his family, Zhang Xun's hometown was in Puzhou, Hedong.

Chen Ruo was ordered to ride quickly to Chang'an, but in reality, he was there to find Li Ji.

Upon entering Chang'an, the country boy was immediately dumbfounded, his eyes glazed over, and he almost fainted completely... Fortunately, he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders and was not there for sightseeing. He quickly calmed himself down and asked around to find out where Li Erlang, the military registrar of the Yingwu Army, lived.

The residents of Chang'an have always looked down on "country bumpkins" from other places. When they saw Chen Ruo looking travel-worn and heard him speaking in a thick Northeastern dialect, they were unwilling to pay him any attention. But when they heard that he was looking for Li Ji... Ah, this is the pride of our Chang'an! What's wrong with giving you some pointers?

— Li Ji's ancestral home was in Xiangping, Liaodong. He grew up in Ji County and later moved to Yingyang. However, his branch of the family had moved to Chang'an during the time of Li Bi, which is why he called himself "Li Erlang of Jingzhao". Although his speech still had a bit of an Eastern accent, the natives of Chang'an treated him as one of their own.

"That man, the Li military advisor you asked about, is he the Li Erlang who once defeated the barbarians in Longyou, wielding double maces and killing so many barbarian children that they dared not cry at night?"

"Exactly."

"Let me tell you, Li Erlang is no longer a mere registrar or military advisor; he has been promoted to Chief Secretary of the Yingwu Army, a sixth-rank official. In the future, he will surely be promoted even higher... I have met Li Erlang several times, and his wife is quite familiar with my wife as well..."

Someone nearby laughed and said, "So, you mean you've only met him a few times? You must have seen Li Erlang from afar, right? Your wife and Li Erlang's concubine are quite familiar with each other; they probably bought vegetables from the same stall before?"

After much persuasion, Chen Ruo finally found Li Ji's house in Guanghua Lane. He knocked on the door, and an aged voice came from inside: "Whom are you looking for?"

“My name is Chen Ruo, and I am an old friend of Li Can… I have come to visit you on important business.”

The person inside the door replied, "My husband is not at home. If you have any thorns, please leave them and come back another day."

Chen Ruoyang pleaded, "I suppose Chief Secretary Li is still in the palace and hasn't finished his duties yet. I've come all the way from Shanzhou and am exhausted. Please let me in so I can have a drink of water and wait for Chief Secretary Li to return."

To everyone's surprise, the reply was: "My husband is not in the capital; he has gone to Fengxiang on official business..."

Chen Ruo was taken aback: "When will you return?"

"As for official business, who can say for sure? Perhaps I will return tomorrow, or perhaps it will take several months—you should go now. There are only women at home, so it is really inconvenient to open the door to welcome you in."

Chen Ruo stamped her feet anxiously: "If it's tomorrow, that's fine, but if it's several months, how... how can we possibly wait that long?!"

He had thought that once he arrived in Chang'an, he would surely find Li Ji, and once he did, Li Ji would surely grant his request—mainly to Nan Jiyun and Lei Wanchun—or at least point him in the right direction. General Nan and the others had high hopes for his journey, but unfortunately, Li Ji had gone to Fengxiang!

What should I do? Should I hurry back to Fengxiang to find someone, or turn back to Shanxian? Chen Ruo hesitated for a long time, at a loss for what to do—the key was that he was not someone with the power to change things—he had no choice but to mount his horse, loosen the reins, and head out of the street.

In this vast capital, I don't know anyone except Li Ji, unless I go to find Master Xu... But I know Master Xu, yet he doesn't know me. Would he believe me? Maybe I should find an inn to stay the night; perhaps Li Ji will return tomorrow...

Just as Chen Ruo was feeling lost and helpless, a little child suddenly darted out from the street and grabbed Chen Ruo's reins. Chen Ruo quickly reined in his horse—so as not to hit the child—and then bent down to ask, "You little brat, why are you blocking my way?"

The child looked Chen Ruo up and down, then sniffled and replied, "Don't go! Someone gave me a penny to keep you here."

Chen Ruo frowned: "Why keep me here?"

"Didn't you come looking for Li Erlang? Erlang has indeed led his troops to Fengxiang. His gatekeeper didn't lie to you, and who knows when he'll return. He said an old friend of yours will come after a short rest, probably to invite you for drinks. Don't go yet."

Chen Ruo was even more puzzled, thinking to herself, "Besides Li Ji, who else in Chang'an do I have any old friends?" Not knowing what to do, she dismounted and patted the child's head, saying, "Alright, I'll wait here for a while and see what old friends come." This child seemed quite honest and didn't seem to be lying to her. Besides, what would be the point of him lying to her?

After about the time it takes to eat a meal, Chen Ruo was getting impatient when he suddenly heard someone call out from behind him, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Brother Chen."

The voice seemed somewhat familiar, but Chen Ruo couldn't quite place it. She quickly turned her head and saw that the speaker was a scholar, not very tall, wearing a turban, a plain-colored robe, a silk sash around his waist, and sturdy boots. He was playing with a round fan in his left hand as he gracefully approached.

Chen Ruo paused for a moment, then finally remembered, and hurriedly loosened the reins, cupping his hands in greeting from afar, saying, "So it's Brother Cui. It's been a long time since we last met in Luoyang—Chen Ruo greets you."

The other party smiled calmly and stepped forward to return the greeting, saying, "Cui Cuo is very polite. I heard that Brother Chen came from Shaanxi. I suppose Lord Zhang, General Nan, and the others have all safely withdrawn from the Luoyang Palace. Erlang is always concerned about you all. He will surely be pleased to hear this news."

Chapter Two: The Martyrs' Deaths

Li Ji longed to see Cui Qi again, but could not find a way in. He also did not know whether the little girl had been sent out of the capital by Cui Guangyuan again.

Little did he know that after Cui Guangyuan left Chang'an, the orders he left for Cui Qi were twofold: first, to protect his son Cui Ju; and second, to keep a close watch on Li Ji's movements...

If Li Ji were in the capital, these two orders would not contradict each other. Cui Qi often monitored the Li family in the wards, either personally or by sending someone from his household. However, since Li Ji had led troops to Fengxiang, Cui Qi could not go with him and had to stay in the city to wait for his return. Just a few days ago, he heard that the battle of Fengxiang had ended and that Cui Guangyuan had issued a proclamation announcing the victory. Cui Qi guessed that Li Ji might be returning in triumph soon, so he sent someone to the vicinity to observe.

That's how she discovered Chen Ruo.

The reason why Chen Ruo had to wait a while before Cui Qi showed up was twofold: firstly, to communicate with each other, and secondly, because she needed time to disguise herself as a man... She was dressed as a man when she met Nan Jiyun, Chen Ruo, and others in Luoyang. If she were to meet them in her true form now, who knows whether they would recognize her or not.

The watcher said the visitor identified himself as Chen Ruo and seemed quite anxious. Cui Qi knew that Li Ji was very concerned about Nan Jiyun and the others, and cared about the war in Luoyang. So why would he suddenly send Chen Ruo to Chang'an to find him, and with such an anxious expression... Could something have happened in Luoyang or Shanxian? I need to show myself quickly and find out more details.

Upon meeting Chen Ruo, he gave the child a coin to send him away and then invited Chen Ruo to a nearby restaurant for a meal. Chen Ruo smiled wryly and said, "I have no appetite for wine if I can't see Chief Secretary Li... I ate some dry rations before entering the city, so I'm not hungry."

Cui Qi frowned and said, "Second Brother is not in the capital, and we don't know when he will return. Brother Chen seems to be in a difficult situation. Would you be willing to tell me? I am a native of Chang'an, and I may be able to give you some guidance."

Chen Ruo hesitated for a moment, then finally recounted the whole story. Cui Qi was taken aback, her expression changing slightly. She held her round fan, waved it a few times, and spun around twice before looking at Chen Ruo again: "Brother Chen, this matter is quite important. Why did you think of seeking out Li Erlang? Erlang is ultimately of low rank and position. Even in Chang'an, I'm afraid he cannot fulfill your wishes!"

"After all, he is the Chief Clerk of the Imperial Guards. Perhaps he has a way to meet the Emperor and plead our case?"

Cui Qi curled his lip: "Do you all think that a mere chief clerk can see the sages all the time?"

Chen Ruomo remained silent—he, along with Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun, and others, were ultimately foreign military commanders with relatively limited experience, and they genuinely believed this…

Cui Qi thought for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "I might have a way to get Brother Chen an audience with a distinguished person..."

"What important person?"

Cui Qi whispered a name in Chen Ruo's ear, then stepped back and said seriously, "But Brother Chen must obey my orders, and I dare not guarantee whether that noble person will truly agree to meet you or grant your request."

Chen Ruo hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "If I can meet you, everyone will be grateful for Brother Cui's kindness. Man proposes, God disposes. Even if it doesn't work out in the end, I will never blame Brother Cui. I will naturally follow your instructions."

Cui Qi agreed and hurried to a nearby fortune-telling stall. She tossed down two coins, asked for paper and pen, and wrote a note. After returning, she smiled at Chen Ruo and said, "I'm going to bother that young lady from the Li family again."

So he led Chen Ruo to Li Ji's house and knocked on the door. The old doorman asked, and Cui Qi replied, "There's a thorn in your hand."

Because the master was not home, and only a concubine remained, the old gatekeeper was reluctant to open the gate and let anyone in. However, he couldn't refuse to accept the visiting card on behalf of his master—besides, it was broad daylight, and he wasn't afraid of some thief coming to rob him. So he removed the bolt, opened the door a crack, and said, "My master is not home, please pass on the visiting card first..."

Before she could finish speaking, Cui Qi suddenly pushed him away—she was strong, and the old gatekeeper couldn't withstand it, staggering backward. Then Cui Qi slipped inside, and before the gatekeeper could cry out in surprise, she grabbed his wrist.

Cui Qi smiled at him: "I visited Erlang at your residence the other day, don't you recognize me?" He then stuffed the note into the servant's palm and said in a low voice: "Quickly pass this on to Prince Fengjie, and we will wait for the Prince's arrival at your residence."

The gatekeeper looked alarmed, so Cui Qi added, "If His Highness the Prince refuses to see you, that's fine; but this matter is of great importance, and if we don't deliver it quickly, you might suffer a terrible punishment!"

He then let go of her hand, gestured behind him, and led Chen Ruo straight into the courtyard.

Upon hearing the sound, Qingluan came out of the house, and Cui Qi bowed to her from a distance: "Greetings, young lady. Do you still remember me?"

Upon hearing this address, Qingluan was not pleased. When she looked at the person who had come, she frowned deeply.

"Niangzi" was originally a term for unmarried women, but it gradually spread to include married women—the origin of which is probably that Emperor Li Longji ordered everyone in the palace to call Yang Guifei "Niangzi"—but why do you have to add the word "Xiao" in front of it? Since you've come to visit, you should be polite. My husband doesn't have a wife, so what's wrong with calling him "Madam"?

So it was this vixen! Uh... she's nothing like the legendary, graceful and alluring vixen; she's more like a raccoon spirit. Your husband isn't home, so what are you trying to do barging in?

Surely they're not here to confront me, are they...?

If this were in Longxi, or if Qingluan were the legal wife, she would dare to confront the other woman on the spot, berate her, and expel her from the house—otherwise, she would report her to the authorities! The problem was, she was merely a concubine, and in this capital city where everyone was dressed in purple and white, and even those in blue or green robes weren't considered officials, she didn't know what the other woman's backing was. Therefore, she dared not be rash and could only softly say, "My husband is not at home..."

Cui Qi smiled and said, "I know." He took two steps forward and pointed to Chen Ruo behind him, who was at a loss and didn't even dare to raise her head. "This is Erlang's old friend. He is borrowing your house tonight to meet an important person. I hope you can do him a favor."

Upon hearing this, Qingluan was greatly surprised.

She knew perfectly well who the "noble person" the other party was referring to, and dared not refuse them in the slightest. If she chased them away, and His Highness the Prince came looking for them that night and couldn't find them, she would be in deep trouble, and it might even implicate her husband! She felt even more unable to see through this woman dressed as a man, and could only reluctantly clasp her hands in greeting: "In that case, please come inside and sit down."

Cui Qi laughed and said, "No need, we'll wait on the veranda." He casually took off his boots, stepped onto the veranda, and pointed at Chen Ruo, "Brother Chen, please sit down too." Then he turned to Qingluan and said, "Brother Chen, please make sure you're settled in, young lady."

Qingluan ordered Aqi to come over and lead Chen Ruo's horse to the stable—Li Ji's family naturally had a stable—then went to the kitchen to boil two bowls of water, personally carrying them on a plate, and returned to the front yard.

The woman dressed as a man had her fan tucked into her waistband and was sitting cross-legged on the veranda, her hands clasped behind her knees, leisurely looking around. The other man, whose beard was not very thick, sat obediently with his legs hanging down and his hands on his knees. As soon as he saw Qingluan coming, he quickly lowered his head and dared not look directly at her.

Qingluan served hot water, and Cui Qi held a bowl in each hand, then handed it to Chen Ruo. Chen Ruo murmured, "Thank you, madam." Cui Qi replied, "Thank you for your trouble, young lady."

Qingluan always felt that the word "small" in the other person's mouth was deliberately added, and the pronunciation was exceptionally clear.

Now that she could tell the other person was a woman, she didn't need to avoid suspicion. She immediately took the tray, knelt down next to Cui Qi, leaned closer, and asked in a low voice, "Tell me the truth, who exactly are you? And... how should I address you?"

With a somewhat insincere smile, Cui Qi replied in a low voice, "My surname is Cui, and I am an acquaintance of Erlang. As for my background, young lady, you don't need to know... but I am definitely not from any of those families in Pingkang Ward, so you can rest assured about that, right?"

Qingluan smiled awkwardly, then stepped back and sat down to keep him company. She had countless questions she wanted to ask, but the other person's single sentence had shut her down, leaving her speechless. She occasionally glanced sideways at Cui Qi, thinking that while this woman looked quite elegant in men's clothing, if she changed back into women's attire… surely her husband wouldn't like such a childlike figure?

Meanwhile, Cui Qi was also sizing up Qingluan, but her gaze was much more unrestrained. She first looked at her face, then her chest, and then her waist and hips, feeling somewhat ashamed of herself. She thought to herself, if I had agreed to Li Ji's request that day, perhaps we would be sisters—I would definitely be the younger sister, regardless of age, just by looking at her appearance!

How could I possibly compare to this Zou woman? Besides, she can cook and make soup for Li Ji, while what could I do if I entered this house? Guard against theft?

I don't want to!

The three sat side by side in silence, the atmosphere extremely awkward. After a while, Cui Qixian couldn't help but turn to Qingluan and smile, "Young lady, you don't need to pay attention to us, just go and do your work."

Qingluan replied, "My esteemed guests... I'm afraid you'll have to come back after the streets have quieted down. I'll go and prepare dinner for you two."

Chen Ruo hurriedly said, "No, no need, I... I have some cold cakes in my saddlebag right away..."

Cui Qi waved his hand dismissively: "Brother Chen, now that you've come to Chang'an and to Erlang's house, how can you expect to eat dry rations on your own? If Erlang finds out in the future, he'll probably blame you for not knowing how to treat guests." He then bowed to Qingluan: "I've heard that you make excellent soup dumplings, but I dare not ask for a gift."

Qingluan was secretly annoyed—even my skill in making soup dumplings knew that this woman was indeed closely related to my husband!

On the surface, he politely apologized, saying, "If you two had come earlier, it would have been better, but now we can only make vegetarian soup dumplings—the market is about to close, and I'm afraid we won't be able to buy any meat..."

"Vegetarian food is fine too. I am not Erlang, so I don't need to have meat at every meal."

Qingluan thought to herself, "Are you doing this on purpose? Every word you say revolves around my husband, as if you're extremely close to him... No, I'll explode if I stay any longer. I'd better leave quickly, out of sight, out of mind."

Anyway, whenever that "noble person" came at night, my husband would always ask me to avoid him and wouldn't let me greet that "noble person".

So he apologized and hurried away. Cui Qi and Chen Ruo almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. Then Cui Qi leaned closer to Chen Ruo and asked in a low voice, "Regarding what you just said, I have a few more questions to ask you..."

At dusk, the cook brought two bowls of hot soup noodles, and the two ate them on the veranda. Afterwards, they waited until the quiet street drum sounded, but Qingluan refused to show herself again.

Finally, the door opened, and Cui Qi quickly called Chen Ruo to come down to the corridor, put on her shoes, and bow to greet her. Then Li Shi, leading two attendants, strode in.

Chen Ruo had already received instructions from Cui Qi. Seeing that the newcomer was not wearing purple but was dressed in plain clothes, his age and appearance matched what had been said. He immediately rushed forward, knelt down, and said, "This humble general Chen Ruo greets Your Highness the Prince!"

Li Shi lowered his head, glanced at Chen Ruo, then shifted his gaze to the distance, fixing it on Cui Qi. Cui Qi hurriedly stepped forward, knelt and bowed, saying, "This servant is a member of the family of Cui Gong, the military governor of Fengxiang. My name is Cui Qi. I greet Your Highness."

Chen Ruo, standing nearby, was a little confused. She thought to herself, "Isn't his name Cui Cuo? Why is he saying Cui Qi now? He's known by his courtesy name? And he calls himself 'this servant'... Oh my god, could he really be a eunuch?!"

Li Shi nodded: "I know you. My mother mentioned you in her letter." He then took the lantern from the man, shone it in front of Cui Qi, and ordered: "Raise your head."

Cui Qi slowly raised her head to face Li Shi—of course, her gaze was turned to the side, not daring to look directly at him. Li Shi looked closely at her face, and the corner of his mouth curled up slightly. He then said, "Cui Guangyuan, he is no longer the military governor of Fengxiang."

Cui Qi was surprised to hear this. Li Shi casually handed her the lantern: "Wait here." Then he patted Chen Ruo on the shoulder: "Get up and come talk to me in the room."