When that portcullis came down, it may have been standing guard over the last shred of dignity belonging to the Youshan emperor and his court.

By the time Li Chi and the others returned to the carriage yard, afternoon had arrived. Everyone had spent the past two days consumed by the excavation. Only now, emerging into the open air, did they remember: tomorrow was the day Prince Yu was leading his army out.

Li Chi asked Xiahou Zuo whether he wanted to go and see the departure. Xiahou Zuo shook his head — he couldn’t be bothered. His reason for agreeing to hold the rear in Jizhou had nothing to do with his father. He only wanted to protect his mother and his brothers. What someone like Yang Zhuo would have done in his position required no imagination.

“Think through the timing,” Tang Pidi said. “For the first month after Prince Yu’s army departs, there should be little resistance — that stretch of land is still Jizhou territory. One month out, they reach the border between Yuzhou and Jizhou. That’s where the hard fighting will begin.”

He looked at Li Chi. “If the Yanzhou forces march, they could reach the walls of Jizhou City within two months at the most. They could abandon every town and city along the way and drive straight for Jizhou. From Yanzhou it’s flat open country with no natural barriers — they wouldn’t even need the official roads. Cutting across open terrain, they could arrive at Jizhou’s walls directly.”

Li Chi nodded. “Two months… gone in a blink.”

“If the Yuzhou army splits into two forces,” Tang Pidi continued, “one holding Prince Yu’s main army at the natural barrier of the Nanping River, and the other swinging around to strike his rear — two months, at most.”

Xiahou Zuo sighed. “Who can blame anyone? He spent over a year making sure everyone in the world knew he intended to march.”

“We need to be ready,” Li Chi said. “Two months from now, Jizhou may find itself completely encircled. Prince Yu’s main force will be pinned along the Nanping River with no way to quickly turn back, and Jizhou will become an isolated island.”

Xiahou Zuo smiled. “Fortunately, there’s me.”

Li Chi shook his head. “You won’t have it easy either. Jizhou’s walls are formidable, but the first troops to arrive will be from Yanzhou, and they’re not to be underestimated. Yanzhou borders the Bohai Kingdom — their soldiers have been fighting constantly for years. Compared to the pampered garrison troops of Jizhou, the Yanzhou army is a real fighting force.”

Xiahou Zuo nodded. “At least Jizhou isn’t short on grain and supplies.”

He looked at Li Chi. “Don’t worry about provisions on the carriage yard’s end — if it ever comes up short, I’ll arrange to have more moved over.”

Li Chi shook his head. “You don’t need to spend your attention on the carriage yard. Honestly, it’s time for you to return to the barracks. Even if you don’t go to see your father, you should be with your own cavalry unit.”

Xiahou Zuo let out a breath. He glanced at Li Chi. “Bring your godmother here to the carriage yard. That way Master Ye and your shifu don’t have to take turns standing watch over there.”

“Good,” Li Chi said. “I’ll do that.”

Just then, one of the workers came running in from outside to report that someone had delivered an invitation. The messenger had set it down and left immediately. It was from Sanyue River Pavilion.

Gao Xining’s eyes lit up the moment she heard the name. She pressed close to Li Chi’s side and urged him eagerly: “Go, go, go — isn’t Sanyue River Pavilion supposed to be paradise on earth? Isn’t it the kind of place that men walk into and never want to leave? You absolutely must go… and take me with you. I want to broaden my horizons too.”

Li Chi said, “Why would you want to broaden your horizons in a place like that?”

Gao Xining: “You’re actually flustered.”

Li Chi: “I am not—”

Gao Xining: “You got flustered just to avoid taking me with you?”

Li Chi: “I…”

Gao Xining said, “Either take me along, or go by yourself. Pick one.”

Li Chi: “I’ll go by myself.”

Gao Xining: “Hmph!”

Li Chi turned to Xiahou Zuo. “The Cui family is so impatient to meet with me that they’ve called for me before your father’s army even leaves the city. What do you think that means?”

Xiahou Zuo composed his face into an expression of utmost gravity. “There may be something suspicious about this. I cannot allow you to go alone and take such a risk. I must accompany you.”

Li Chi: “Hmph!”

Yu Jiuling said, “More people, more—”

He got no further before Zhuang Wudi pulled him aside. Zhuang Wudi looked at Li Chi, opened his mouth as though about to speak, apparently decided there was nothing useful to say, and closed it again. He simply moved to stand beside Li Chi without another word.

The meaning was unmistakable: *I’m not saying anything, but I’m going.*

Xiahou Zuo said, “The rest of them can stay behind if you like, but I’m definitely going. I know the lay of the land — if anything goes wrong, I’ll be the most useful person there.”

Li Chi looked at Tang Pidi. “Are you going?”

Tang Pidi shook his head. “You all go. Someone needs to hold things down here.”

Li Chi looked around at the others, then back at Tang Pidi. “Look at Old Tang, then look at yourselves. The difference is plain as day. I’m embarrassed on your behalf.”

He turned and clasped Tang Pidi’s hand. “Then I’ll trouble you with this errand. Go in my place.”

Tang Pidi stared at him, baffled.

Li Chi said this and then simply turned and walked away. Gao Xining watched his smug departing figure and laughed, hands clasped behind her back as she hurried to catch up. She bumped his shoulder with hers. “Why aren’t you going?”

Li Chi said, “I’m the one who runs this place. The head of the house has to maintain some dignity.”

Gao Xining: “Is that really the reason?”

Li Chi said, with full righteousness, “Absolutely. If I wanted to go, what could possibly stop me? I genuinely don’t want to.”

Gao Xining said, “Actually, a mature and successful man should be well-rounded, encompassing all things. A pleasure establishment is a kind of experience too — you ought to—”

Li Chi: “My friend, that’s a rather clumsy trap you’re digging — it amounts to grabbing my head and shoving it into the hole yourself. That’s not very subtle.”

Gao Xining burst out laughing.

She asked, “So what are you going to do?”

Li Chi walked on as he spoke. “I don’t know who it is — but someone at the academy swore up and down she was going to cultivate a peerless set of martial arts. And yet she’s been at this carriage yard for many days now, and I have never once seen her train.”

Gao Xining’s cheeks went faintly pink. “I have two younger sisters to look after — I barely have any time. Didn’t you yourself get worried about things going wrong in Jizhou and have Yuan Jiabei and her mother brought here too? Every day I’m looking after her and Yingyuan, one on each side — that’s exhausting.”

Li Chi: “…”

He walked to the small training yard in the back courtyard and looked at Gao Xining. “Come on — run through the boxing form I taught you. Let me see how it looks.”

Gao Xining gave a soft sound of reluctant acknowledgment and trudged out onto the training ground. She took a deep breath, and began to practice.

Li Chi watched her punch through the form and thought to himself that her legs were really quite—

He caught himself.

—

Sanyue River Pavilion.

Cui Tai sat in his study reviewing the account ledgers. He was a diligent and conscientious manager; he reviewed the daily accounts personally, and never let a single copper coin go unreconciled.

Gongshutingting walked in from outside and stood before him. She said nothing — only stood there and looked.

After a moment, Cui Tai set down the ledger and gave her a glance. “Something to say?”

Gongshutingting said, “I want to kill Prince Yu.”

Cui Tai smiled, the tension in his expression easing somewhat. He understood: Gongshutingting had finally worked out the reasoning for herself. Why would the Cui family bother rescuing an inconsequential figure like her, unless it was because she was the most lethal woman alive?

“You are beautiful, and your figure is striking. Your face has a subtle, alluring quality — especially that faint beauty mark at the corner of your eye. It has a certain character to it. A woman like you — Prince Yu would likely find you to his taste. I’m told his preference runs to women of a delicate, small-framed build.”

Cui Tai said, “But the timing is wrong.”

Gongshutingting said, “Tomorrow he leads his army out of the city. The next time he returns to Jizhou is anyone’s guess. If he wins, he won’t return at all — he’ll march straight to the capital and take power. If the timing is wrong now, when will there ever be a right time?”

Cui Tai said, “You’ve already grasped why I kept you here. The rest is not your concern. Learn to hold your tongue. When the moment comes, I’ll arrange for someone to bring you to him.”

He looked at her. “You are the most lethal woman alive, but you are not the most seductive. There is much for you to learn in Sanyue River Pavilion. Until you meet my requirements, you will never have your chance at Prince Yu. I don’t stake my bets on people who won’t follow orders.”

Gongshutingting bit her lip. After a moment, she breathed in deeply.

“Then give me a rough timeline, Mister Cui.”

“At least three months.”

Cui Tai said, “But possibly longer. When I no longer see hatred in your eyes — then we can discuss the matter again.”

Gongshutingting was silent for a long time before asking another question: “Why do you want Prince Yu dead?”

Cui Tai’s gaze sharpened.

“I’ve told you already — don’t ask what you have no business asking. I warned you once. You’ve done it again. For that, you’ll receive a slap.”

Gongshutingting gave a short, contemptuous sound. “You’re welcome to try.”

Cui Tai said, “I hope that next time I say those words, you’ll be quick enough to strike yourself.”

The moment the last syllable left his mouth, a shadow flashed out from behind the folding screen to one side. A hand shot toward Gongshutingting’s collar. Her expression changed instantly; she sprang backward, her hand dropping to her waist for the short blade she carried.

Her fingers had just closed around the hilt, and she had retreated half a step, thinking she had gotten clear.

She had not gotten clear at all. The figure’s hand closed on her collar and hauled her forward. A palm was already rising — and then stopped, with barely the width of a finger between it and Gongshutingting’s face. The palm’s wind sent the hair hanging across her forehead drifting upward.

Because Cui Tai had called out: stop.

The voice arrived; the hand stopped. The speed of that response alone was staggering.

“She has a visitor to see shortly,” Cui Tai said, his tone unchanged. “Remember this. Next time, double it.”

The one who had seized Gongshutingting released her. She stumbled, finding her footing only with difficulty.

She looked at the person who had moved against her. It was the young man who had been waiting for her outside Shuangxing Pavilion — someone who looked like a straightforward young man from next door, someone whose smile showed dimples, and who had a rather attractive canine tooth.

Cui Tai looked at Gongshutingting. “Go wash up and change your clothes. I’ve sent for Li Chi to come. When he arrives, you’ll meet him with me.”

Gongshutingting’s eyes snapped open. She demanded, furiously: “Why should I?”

Cui Tai’s eyes narrowed. “That’s the second time today you’ve talked back to me. I’m allowing it one more time. The next time, I will kill you. Understand that I am not joking with someone like you.”

He stepped close and looked down into her eyes. “Go wash up and change. Or die right now.”

Gongshutingting was silent for a beat, then picked herself up off the ground, turned, and walked out.

The young man let out a breath. “Mister Cui, can someone like her really be used?”

Cui Tai smiled. “Someone like her is precisely who can be used. Prince Yu destroyed the Xu family, and she and Xu Yuanqing were close. Even without us, she would have found her own way to make an attempt on Prince Yu’s life. So why not use her?”

He looked at the young man. “Go attend to your affairs. Once Prince Yu’s army has marched, the main force attacking this city will arrive within two months at most. Helping to break through the city — that’s the most important matter.”

“Yes!”

The young man bowed. “I’ll go now.”

Cui Tai said, “Qin Zhuo — tell Wei Xianzhan that going forward he should avoid using the bow whenever possible. An arrow like the one he loosed — no ordinary wandering fighter could have shot it. Anyone with eyes will start guessing at his identity.”

The young man called Qin Zhuo smiled. “Understood. I’ll tell him — though with that temperament of his, just like his ancestors, stubborn as ironwood.”

—