Hearing Wei Xun turn the tables and tease her with the “hot water” comment, Baozhu was stunned for a moment. She narrowed her eyes, about to question him about slacking off and not finishing copying the poems, but before she could explode, she heard knocking from outside. Shisan Lang, whom she had ordered to keep watch in the main hall, poked his head in to report: “Jiu Niang, Seventh Senior Brother is back!”
Baozhu immediately dropped Wei Xun and jumped up, running out with quick steps. Wei Xun followed and stood up, suddenly remembering something, and asked Yang Xingjian: “Besides this Pepper Minister, was there anyone else who bullied her?”
Yang Xingjian was startled: “Where does this come from? The princess is a noble daughter of the imperial family. If not for this accident, she would still be the most favored woman in the palace.”
Wei Xun said: “She mentioned being driven out of Penglai Hall with her younger brother after their mother died, which sounded quite pitiful.”
Yang Xingjian said puzzledly: “That doesn’t count as being driven out. According to palace customs, after a birth mother dies, young princes and princesses are raised and cared for by other consorts. What do you want to know this for?”
Wei Xun said indifferently: “In our line of work, some people we charge, some we don’t. I’m escorting her to Youzhou, and after returning to Chang’an, I might still have time to settle old scores.”
Yang Xingjian felt a chill slowly creeping up his spine, desperately convincing himself this was a symptom of his lingering cold, not fear. When he had indirectly negotiated with that Xianbei female assassin, though he couldn’t see her face, he had felt the same sensation.
“Actually, the princess never lived under others’ care. During the mourning period for Noble Consort Gui, she was only ten years old when she personally requested His Majesty to let her raise her infant brother, using this as reason to request independent residence. Tang princesses typically only establish their own princess mansions after marriage, but an underage princess becoming the master of a palace hall in the Great Brightness Palace was unprecedented. However, with Noble Consort Gui newly deceased, His Majesty was grief-stricken and agreed to all the princess’s requests, immediately granting her and Prince Anping the Qifeng Hall to live in.”
Yang Xingjian paused, looking at the silent wandering knight before him, secretly worried about any impropriety toward the princess during their journey. This man possessed martial skills and had many fierce senior brothers in the martial world. If he ever turned rebellious one day, neither the princess nor himself would have the strength to resist. He must constantly remind him to know that imperial dignity was inviolable. Even if the princess was lonely during travel and showed favor, he must understand the difference in status.
With this in mind, Yang Xingjian deliberately praised: “The princess, being Noble Consort Gui’s daughter, was born with talents for recognizing and employing people and commanding others. Though inexperienced in worldly affairs, having grown up in the deep palace, surviving among power struggles is her instinct. In the future, if her elder brother Prince Shao inherits the throne, she will naturally continue being favored. If her younger brother Prince Anping gains power, he will honor and support the sister who personally raised him with the respect due a mother. Moreover, no one taught her any of this—it’s all intuition. The princess was born with dragon and phoenix bearing, superior to others.”
Having praised to this extent, Yang Xingjian thought privately that the blood bond between siblings from the same mother was genuine, but instinctively arranging the best future for herself was also true. Perhaps precisely because she possessed such keen insight and intuition, Prince Shao loved her most.
Having heard Old Yang’s exaggerated boasting, Wei Xun felt relieved, thinking she could indeed take care of herself. Having personally raised her younger brother, no wonder despite her pampered upbringing, she could both command others and care for people well. When he left, he wouldn’t need to worry especially about her.
Wei Xun smiled knowingly and left the room.
Having completed Pang Liangji’s commission, Huo Qi Lang planned to return to Chang’an immediately. He bought a large stack of flatbread and returned to the inn, spreading the hot bread piece by piece on the table, waiting for it to cool before wrapping it as travel provisions.
Seeing Baozhu hurrying down from the second floor, Huo Qi’s face naturally lit up with a smile: “Just bought these, want a bite?”
Baozhu didn’t answer, sitting across from her and placing five ten-tael gold ingots beside the flatbread, her gaze clear and unwavering as she stared at her.
Seeing this formation, Huo Qi Lang understood in her heart, but while a damaged face could be repaired, a severed head could never be reattached. She crossed her arms, adopting a posture of firm refusal: “Sorry, this matter is non-negotiable.”
Baozhu said: “I know the same employer cannot hire both of you. I’m hiring you on behalf of my brother, asking you to ride fast horses day and night to Youzhou, delivering a letter and a person to him. You’ll travel alone, not with us.”
Huo Qi Lang was puzzled, looking up to see Wei Xun emerge from his room, leaning his elbows on the second-floor railing and nodding slightly at her.
Seeing his acquiescence, Huo Qi Lang sighed in relief, her suspended heart settling, and asked: “Aren’t you heading east to Youzhou to visit relatives? What news is so urgent that he needs to know?”
Baozhu said: “When leaving Xiagui County, I already sent my brother a letter reporting my safety. But the world isn’t peaceful now, postal routes are often severed, and even if successfully delivered, it might take several months—possibly slower than our own travel. With you rushing there on horseback, my brother can quickly learn I’m safe and sound, sparing him worry.”
Huo Qi Lang saw those gleaming fifty taels of gold, recognizing the shape as products of Chang’an Persian money houses, extremely pure. She swallowed and said: “Just delivering a letter, and you’re really generous.”
Baozhu said solemnly: “This isn’t payment, but travel expenses for changing horses and lodging along the way. The real compensation will be paid personally by my brother when you reach Youzhou.”
The overwhelming wealth made Huo Qi Lang somewhat breathless, and she asked: “Who is the person I’m escorting? Can they endure traveling under stars and moon the whole way?”
Baozhu said: “Of course they can. The person you’re delivering is yourself. Upon reaching Youzhou, you’ll serve as my brother’s bodyguard, following his commands.”
Huo Qi Lang was startled and began hesitating: “Youzhou… where snow flies even in the eighth month… that place is quite remote. I prefer prosperous places like Chang’an and Luoyang.”
Baozhu, knowing she disliked the remote work location, immediately assured: “You won’t stay there permanently. One year… at most two years. Just follow my brother during this period, and afterward, whether you return to Chang’an, Luoyang, or go south to Suzhou or Yangzhou, you can live anywhere as a wealthy person.”
Huo Qi Lang was shocked beyond words, feeling her family’s wealth was simply bottomless. Glancing at Shisan Lang beside her, seeing he wasn’t surprised at all, she inquired: “How much did Jiu Niang promise to pay you and Senior Brother?”
Shisan Lang straightened his back and said seriously: “She promised us both a lifetime of glory and wealth.”
Huo Qi Lang felt dazzled by golden light, supporting herself on the table as she slowly sat down, looking up again at Wei Xun, who remained silent but smiled with unbridled satisfaction.
Baozhu pressed: “Will you accept this job?”
Huo Qi Lang confusedly broke off a piece of flatbread, stuffing it in her mouth and chewing: “Accept! Of course I’ll accept! Such tremendous wealth… let Seventh catch her breath… The fastest route to Youzhou, and I need to buy horses and knives…”
Hearing her mutter about travel arrangements, Baozhu knew the matter was settled. She smiled brightly and turned to wink smugly at Wei Xun.
“Since you’re willing to be hired, I’ll go write the letter now.” Baozhu stood up, and Huo Qi Lang made a sound as if she had something to say.
“What else don’t you understand?”
Huo Qi Lang grinned sheepishly: “Nothing important really, just wondering if your brother looks like you?”
Baozhu didn’t understand her meaning and shook her head somewhat puzzled: “Not much alike. He resembles our mother, I resemble our father.”
Huo Qi Lang said: “Sons follow mothers, daughters follow fathers. A family is lucky to produce one beauty.” A radiant beauty like the one before her was already rare—one couldn’t be too greedy.
Baozhu felt quite disappointed, saying quietly: “Indeed so.” Compared to her brother, she could only be considered unremarkable and ordinary.
Huo Qi Lang thought she was going to make money, not for matchmaking. As long as there was money to be made, even if the employer was a fat merchant covered in gold rings, ugly as salt or hideous as Zhong Kui, what did it matter? This job would still be wonderfully lucrative.
With the Tang’s fastest courier agreeing to employment, Baozhu borrowed Yang Xingjian’s tone and personally wrote a formal document inquiring after her lord’s health. The entire text didn’t mention Princess Wanshou by a single word, only using phrases like “pearls lost in the sea finding life in desperate straits,” “kindred spirits reunited like the broken moon made whole,” and “arriving in Youzhou soon with treasure” to hint that she was still alive.
Even if intercepted by enemies en route, they couldn’t guess that the already-buried princess could return from the dead.
After writing the letter, she sandwiched it between two wooden boards carved with fish-scale patterns, sealed the gaps with clay, and stamped it with Yang Xingjian’s private seal—this was the carp-shaped letter case used in “fish and wild goose correspondence.” Handing the letter to Huo Qi Lang, Baozhu claimed her brother worked at the Youzhou Prefectural Government, with the recipient written as “Wang Ying”—a pseudonym Yang Xingjian had already arranged with Li Yuanying.
Huo Qi Lang, having gained a path to wealth through her senior brother Wei Xun’s connections, deeply appreciated the value of sect brotherhood. Seeing Wei Xun irritably patrolling his territory around the inn, she wanted to repay him. Setting aside her usual attitude of watching the fun, when Baozhu wasn’t around, she specifically offered guidance:
“Senior Brother’s approach is putting the cart before the horse. Have you forgotten Master’s teaching about ‘striking vital points for instant victory’? Don’t worry about what these competitors are doing—spend more time with her and make her happy. That’s what matters most.”
Hearing the bottom-ranked junior giving guidance on primary martial principles, Wei Xun immediately became embarrassed and angry: “When did I ever need your instruction?!”
Huo Qi Lang grinned: “Speaking of experience in this area, Seventh is slightly better than Senior Brother. I’ll tell you—she was frightened by Third Senior Sister. The little girl fears darkness and ghosts, and has been wanting to find a maid to sleep with her. That’s latent demand. You pick the right moment to comfort her, coax her to sleep, or simply tire her out until she sleeps—then you won’t need to worry about those wild cats outside coveting her.”
Wei Xun stared blankly for a while, then suddenly became furious, cursing: “Get lost! I’ve always been better than all of you at everything. I least need some wastrel who’s pawned even her weapons giving random commands!”
Seeing he wouldn’t accept the favor, Huo Qi Lang wasn’t offended. She stepped back across the threshold and said diplomatically with a smile: “Yes, yes, yes. Seventh will go select a new blade now. Senior Brother, please do as you wish.”