Carrying the generous payment from Lady Yang, Huo Qi Lang rushed toward Youzhou to deliver the letter according to her instructions, changing horses but not riders, traveling day and night.
After passing Luoyang, she continued east to Weizhou, then followed the Taihang Mountains northward, crossing through the three military regions of Weibo, Chengde, and Youzhou. When thirsty, she drank two mouthfuls of stream water; when hungry, she ate half a piece of dried rations; when extremely tired, she would climb a tree for a brief nap, relying entirely on her martial arts skills to sustain herself.
After the An-Shi Rebellion, Emperor Daizong appointed surrendered generals like Li Huaixian as military commissioners of Youzhou and the other two regions. The three Hebei military regions gradually became local separatist forces difficult for the court to control. Though nominally submissive to Chang’an, they appointed their own military leaders, refused to pay taxes to the court, and independently appointed officials, becoming the most stubborn regional problem for many years.
These three regions also harbored old grudges against each other, with heavy troops guarding their borders—defenses even stricter than those between the Tang Empire and enemy nations. Coming from a military household background and having mixed in civilian martial circles for years, Huo Qi Lang knew the patterns of these troops’ rotations. Being clever, she proceeded by bribing, bluffing, or when necessary, breaking through checkpoints at midnight, finally reaching Youzhou territory within twenty days.
The further north she traveled, the more the landscape differed from the Central Plains. Vegetation was sparse, the climate dry, and when strong winds arose, sand and gravel scraped faces like knife cuts. Huo Qi Lang thought this scenery somewhat resembled her hometown near Yumen Pass in Guazhou, just lacking the endless yellow sand. Despite wearing a bamboo hat, her face and hands had darkened a layer, and having camped rough along the way without time for grooming, she was covered head to toe in dust and grime.
Huo Qi Lang mused privately that with such difficult roads, even with Senior Brother Wei Xun’s protection, a delicate young lady like Lady Yang would probably lose a layer of skin by the time she reached Youzhou.
Along with the changing climate and scenery, customs and people also differed greatly from the Central Plains. Many barbarian faces mixed among the common people, with generous and bold folk customs that honored the chivalrous spirit. Though Huo Qi Lang was a female knight-errant, passersby seeing her spirited appearance at most cast a few appreciative glances without excessive surprise.
She rode along making inquiries and spotted a large city with high, solid walls stretching ten li from north to south, with a black plaque bearing gold characters hanging above the city gate. Huo Qi Lang wasn’t very literate, only recognizing that three dots and three vertical strokes made “zhou,” knowing this must be her destination—the important Youzhou garrison town.
Youzhou city was the seat of the Youzhou military region, where the military commissioner governed the entire region. To the north lay the two powerful neighbors Khitan and Xi, so defenses were especially strict and difficult to infiltrate. Seeing she had reached the city walls, Huo Qi Lang honestly stated she was delivering a letter to the prefect’s mansion. The gate guards looked her up and down, and though they didn’t verbally obstruct her, they immediately sent messengers—one to the military commissioner’s mansion, another to the army supervisor’s mansion.
Huo Qi Lang didn’t know that since the An-Shi Rebellion, the Youzhou prefect position had always been concurrently held by the Youzhou military commissioner, never separately appointed, nor had it ever accepted court appointments. Prince Shao Li Yuanying being forcibly sent here by the court was like inserting a sharp thorn in the military commander’s eye—nominally taking office but actually being exiled, his position and circumstances both extremely awkward.
The court-appointed eunuch army supervisor had orders that without imperial edict, Prince Shao couldn’t step one foot outside Youzhou city, effectively placing him under house arrest. Therefore, hearing someone was delivering a letter to the prefect’s mansion, the guards first notified both the military commander and army supervisor.
Huo Qi Lang rode into the city, seeing that though the city’s scale wasn’t as magnificent as Chang’an or Luoyang, it relied on the Yongji Canal dug during the Sui Dynasty to connect north-south cargo transport. The main streets were densely populated with bustling traffic—quite a prosperous city, though being a frontier military stronghold, many soldiers and supply trains moved through the streets, giving it the feel of a large military camp.
She inquired all the way to the northeast of the city, finally reaching the prefect’s mansion, only to discover locals didn’t call it that but rather “Prince Shao’s Mansion.” Youzhou hadn’t had a prefect for decades, nor was there a mansion prepared for Li Yuanying’s princedom—this prince’s mansion was created by purchasing and connecting several wealthy households’ estates.
The magnificent main gate was tightly closed, with fourteen ceremonial halberds arrayed before it and eight personal guards standing on each side, displaying the dignity of a prince’s residence. Huo Qi Lang had no intention of disturbing the emperor’s son—she was only here to deliver a letter to Lady Yang’s brother. So she circled to the side, saw a side gate open with several retainers sitting and chatting, their accents distinctly from Guanzhong.
Huo Qi Lang listened carefully to their hushed discussion of internal mansion affairs:
“I heard he won’t take medicine and can’t swallow food… probably just today or tomorrow…”
“If the person dies, can we retainers return to Chang’an?”
“Sigh, who knows… so young, shouldn’t be this early…”
“Climate disagreement, plus the shock of the Princess’s matter…”
Not gleaning much from these fragments, Huo Qi Lang dismounted, straightened her clothes, and approached with a smile to inquire:
“Is there a gentleman named Wang Ying in your noble mansion? His sister asked me to deliver a letter.”
Huo Qi Lang had asked why Yang Xingjian would have a son surnamed Wang. Lady Yang Nine explained that Wang Ying was her father’s adopted son, hence the different surname—a common enough practice.
These retainers at the gate, hearing her hometown accent, treated her with respect, but after mutual inquiry, all said they’d never heard of anyone named Wang Ying in the mansion. Feeling doubtful, they went to find a literate steward.
Huo Qi Lang pulled out the carefully preserved carp-shaped letter case from her saddlebags, its sealed edges bearing Yang Xingjian’s private seal.
The steward didn’t recognize Wang Ying but knew Yang Xingjian was the mansion’s registrar, a ranked court official, so he courteously invited Huo Qi Lang inside, had servants tend to her horse and feed it, offered hot tea, and asked her to wait in the duty officers’ quarters while he took the letter case to make inquiries.
Huo Qi Lang smiled and said: “The letter writer instructed me to personally deliver it to the recipient. Please call me when you have found leads.”
Seeing her travel-worn state with matted hair, the steward knew the journey from Chang’an to Youzhou was arduous, and prioritizing letter security was reasonable, so he stopped insisting. He let her wait while he went to consult the house manager, who as the mansion’s chief steward would surely have ideas.
Huo Qi Lang sipped her tea and discovered it contained much honey, thinking that truly befitted a prince’s mansion—even the gatekeeper’s tea was worth such expensive additions.
She chewed two dates from the tea, finding herself increasingly hungry, and wanted to take out some dried rations to fill her stomach, but remembered her luggage and food were all on her horse.
Looking out the window toward the courtyard, she saw many people organizing white banners, mourning tents, white-bordered mats, and paper figures and horses, appearing to prepare for a funeral. Unable to contain her curiosity, she went outside with her cup to watch awhile, seeing a maid using a broom to drive away crows gathering in the courtyard, so she pulled her aside to ask: “Is there a funeral in the mansion?”
The maid glanced at her and shook her head: “Just preparing—the person’s still alive.”
Huo Qi Lang immediately understood. Wealthy families’ funeral ceremonies were extremely elaborate. When family members were critically ill, relatives usually began quietly preparing graves, coffins, burial clothes, and various funeral items before the person died, to avoid being caught unprepared and losing propriety when the time came, becoming laughingstocks.
Crows brought ill omens—apparently an important figure in Prince Shao’s mansion had entered their final moments.
She’d barely finished one cup of tea when the steward returned with a well-dressed middle-aged man, asking urgently: “A letter from Registrar Yang? Addressed to Wang Ying?”
Huo Qi saw he was over fifty, well-maintained though his beard and hair were graying, looking even older than Yang Xingjian—unlikely to be a father-son relationship. She answered: “That’s right. Where is Wang Ying?”
The middle-aged man asked urgently: “Where’s the letter?!”
Having traveled thousands of li to deliver this letter, Huo Qi Lang wasn’t hurried for this moment. She said leisurely: “No person, no letter.”
The middle-aged man was stunned, realizing his rudeness, and quickly restrained his attitude, cupping his hands respectfully and sincerely apologizing: “Forgive me, messenger. I am Li Chengyin, Prince Shao’s mansion house manager. How should I address you?”
Huo Qi smiled: “Humble person surnamed Huo, named Qi Lang. I’m not being rude—the letter writer repeatedly instructed me to personally deliver it to Wang Ying.”
“Right, right, Registrar Yang has always been very cautious.”
House Manager Li Chengyin looked her up and down, seeing her dressed in black traveling clothes with a three-foot horizontal sword at her waist. Though covered in travel dust and too dirty to see clearly, her eyes were like lightning and torches, unable to conceal her fierce heroic spirit—a weather-beaten knight-errant, not someone who could be threatened or bribed with words.
After brief consideration, Li Chengyin decided to take her to the main house, personally serving as guide to lead her deeper into the great mansion.
This was Huo Qi Lang’s first time entering such a high-ranking household—everything seemed novel. She’d thought frontier military towns would be simple and crude, never expecting such magnificent splendor that appeared grander than Chang’an’s great restaurants.
Passing through several courtyards, besides servants and guards, she saw some eunuch-dressed pale castrated men who immediately stopped to bow when seeing the house manager pass—scenes never witnessed in civilian wealthy households.
Passing the flower hall, Huo Qi Lang saw a golden coffin in the corridor. Looking closely, it was actually made of golden nanmu wood—she was shocked, as this wasn’t something money alone could buy. Was the mansion’s master dying?
Before the main house, over twenty fully armed guards stood in formation holding long spears. A young eunuch immediately lifted the door curtain upon seeing the house manager, but Li Chengyin didn’t enter, instead commanding the eunuch to announce:
“Please ask Lady Li to come out for a few words—tell her I have urgent business.”
The eunuch immediately entered. Huo Qi Lang took the opportunity to peek inside but didn’t see the interior occupants clearly—only when the curtain lifted and fell, a fragrant breeze wafted out mixed with strong medicinal smells.
Moments later, a slightly plump, dignified middle-aged noblewoman emerged, dressed luxuriously but without makeup, her face haggard with worry and eyes red and swollen—clearly having just wept.
She asked displeasedly: “What matter?”
Li Chengyin replied respectfully: “Madam, a letter from Yang Xingjian, Registrar Yang.”
Lady Li frowned: “At such a time, don’t make the young master more upset.”
But Li Chengyin had received strict orders from his master and dared not conceal anything, insisting: “Since it’s from Chang’an, there might be other news—good or bad unknown. Please let the Prince review it before deciding.”
“What difference does good or bad make? The person is already at death’s door, can’t hold on…” Before finishing, Lady Li broke into tears, quickly wiping them with her handkerchief and resuming a serious expression, straightening her back. But hearing the mournful crow calls from the roof eaves, her face grew even uglier.
Huo Qi Lang interjected: “Prince means Wang Ying? Does he live in this house?”
Lady Li glared at her without response. Li Chengyin explained: “Registrar Yang has always been cautious, requiring the messenger to see the person before giving the letter—perhaps it involves secrets that need to be seen before the military commander sends someone to inquire.”
Lady Li reluctantly sighed and nodded approval for Huo Qi Lang to enter. A guard captain immediately stepped forward, politely requesting Huo Qi Lang leave her weapons outside. The captain was in his thirties, carrying a halberd, and looked quite formidable. Seeing Huo Qi was female, he couldn’t personally search her, so had a nearby eunuch briefly pat her down.
Huo Qi Lang grew increasingly puzzled—just delivering a letter required such precautions? What high office did this Wang Ying hold in the prince’s mansion to have even greater airs than his father Yang Xingjian?
After surrendering weapons and being searched, she could finally enter. Huo Qi Lang saw this magnificent main house was more spacious than many Buddhist temple halls, its interior space divided by luxurious screens, with furniture and decorations so dazzling they made her dizzy.
Having followed Master Chen Shigu into tombs before, though she didn’t understand their origins, she knew each piece was a priceless rare treasure, making her gasp. She also saw many fresh fruits on the tables, many she’d never even seen before.
Though it was only late August, not yet time for padded jackets, warming braziers were already lit indoors. Combined with that bitter medicinal smell, the stuffy air was filled with a deathly desperate atmosphere.
A group of maids and eunuchs stood silently, including two physician-looking men. Lady Li waved for everyone to withdraw, leaving only herself and the house manager.
The room was dimly lit, the master’s bed surrounded by silk curtains, with a tall screen blocking the view before the bed. On either side stood man-high gilded dragon lamps with flickering candlelight. Someone seemed to be lying on the bed, their breathing already very weak.
Lady Li walked behind the screen and knelt down, whispering a few words to the bedridden person.
Li Chengyin pointed toward the bed and said to Huo Qi Lang: “Please messenger, take out the letter.”
Huo Qi Lang stepped forward two paces and asked hesitantly: “You are Wang Ying then?”
After a moment, a low, weary voice came from behind the screen:
“Yes… I am… Prince Shao, Ying.”
Author’s Note:
Huo Qi’s hometown—Tang Dynasty Guazhou was located in present-day Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, an important town on the Hexi Corridor.
Based on Tang Dynasty Youzhou city wall locations, the brother probably lived near present-day Beijing’s Second Ring Road, Xuanwumen West Street area.
This volume’s content references: “Between Chang’an and Hebei: Politics and Culture in Mid-Late Tang,” “Tang Dynasty Regional Warlord Studies,” “Identity, Memory, Counterfactual Writing: Youzhou Tomb Inscription Studies in Sui-Tang Period,” “Research on Tang Dynasty Regional Warlords and Central Government Relations,” “From Barbarian Lands to Military Ruins: An-Shi Rebellion and Hebei Barbarization Studies,” “Crisis and Reconstruction: Tang Empire and Its Regional Lords”
Note: Though reference books are listed, this is ultimately fictional and doesn’t strictly follow historical writing.