Upon returning to the island, Lou Xiaowu packed her belongings. The delicate young girl, carrying luggage larger than herself, set off for Hejian Prefecture.
As she moved farther from Bianjing, her anger gradually subsided. An unnamed emotion spread through her heart, reminiscent of the gray, distant sky above—vast, remote, and desolate.
Lou Xiaowu looked back, but the city walls were long out of sight.
“Hmph, I’ll go play with A Jiu,” she pouted, pushing aside her troubles. She decided to head to the nearest county to buy a carriage. “It’s all the general’s fault. I was so angry I forgot to take a carriage!”
…
It was now the prime season for nomadic herding, and a brief period of peace prevailed between Liao and Song.
In Hexi County, the newly appointed magistrate was making waves with his initial reforms. An Jiu and Sui Yunzhu were tasked with recruiting talent from the south, while Wu Lingyuan encouraged farming. He sent all the city guards back to work in the fields, reasoning that even if war broke out immediately, these men wouldn’t last a single round of combat. Why waste manpower?
An Jiu dressed as a man with a wide-brimmed hat concealing most of her face arrived in Xingzhou, which was relatively close to Hejian Prefecture.
Xingzhou, situated in the rear of the Hebei garrison, rarely suffered from Liao cavalry raids. The people lived in peace and prosperity. Sui Yunzhu had suggested Xingzhou because a locust plague had struck nearby two years ago, causing chaos and driving many refugees into the city. Finding a home in the city was no easy task, and many were likely homeless.
As soon as they reached the city gates, they saw bustling crowds—a stark contrast to Hexi County.
Being the rear of the Hebei army, entry procedures were strict. All entrants had to register, and those from other regions had to submit to searches.
An Jiu frowned at the long queue ahead. “It’ll be afternoon by the time we get in!”
Sui Yunzhu, guessing An Jiu wanted to scout the area and sneak in at night, said, “We’re here on official business. We should follow the rules.”
“Mm.” An Jiu nodded in agreement, remembering her resolve to be good.
Realizing this was how ordinary people entered the city, she suddenly became interested.
An hour later, they finally reached the gate. As a soldier approached to search them, Sui Yunzhu produced a token. “Hejian Garrison.”
An Jiu quickly showed hers as well.
The guard examined them carefully and bowed. “Please register, and you may enter.”
After Sui Yunzhu recorded their identities at a nearby table, they were allowed in.
An Jiu fingered the token hidden in her sleeve, feeling elated. In her past life, she had impersonated government officials to infiltrate special facilities, but the feeling of using a real identity was entirely different.
“Do you know how I feel right now?” An Jiu asked.
Sui Yunzhu paused, unsure of her meaning.
An Jiu’s eyes sparkled. “I feel like a person who’s told nothing but lies finally speaking the truth. It’s reassuring and makes me proud.”
Not understanding An Jiu’s past, Sui Yunzhu simply replied, “If you were full of lies, there’d be no honest people left in this world.”
One of An Jiu’s specialties was revealing ugly truths.
It was still early, so they wandered the streets, looking for a suitable inn.
Sui Yunzhu’s eyes lit up at the sight of strong, ragged men. An Jiu, meanwhile, used her spiritual energy to sense for martial artists.
“Huh?” An Jiu suddenly caught a familiar aura in the crowd and looked around.
Sui Yunzhu noticed her searching but didn’t interrupt.
Amidst the noisy crowd, a shrill voice stood out: “Are you blind?!”
An Jiu moved swiftly towards the sound.
They saw a fair-skinned, handsome scholar in plain clothes glaring at a veiled woman. “Get lost!” he shouted.
The crowd, seeing his fine clothes, dared not offend him and stepped back.
Sui Yunzhu smiled. “Lord Gao.”
The scholar glanced over. “Well, if it isn’t little Sui and the shorty!”
“Gao Dazhuang,” An Jiu said.
The onlookers stifled laughs at the name. How could this effeminate man be called “big and strong”?
The woman Gao Dazhuang had yelled at quietly slipped away with her maid. She had initially thought him a young master worth pursuing, but his shrill voice and temper had shattered that illusion. What a waste of a handsome face, she thought bitterly.
Gao Dazhuang’s face darkened as he glared at the crowd.
The onlookers felt a chill down their spines and hurried away.
As the street wasn’t suitable for conversation, Sui Yunzhu suggested, “Have you had dinner, my lord? Shall we eat together?”
“No, I’m too angry to eat. Let’s find a place for tea,” Gao Dazhuang said, vigorously brushing off where the woman had bumped into him, feeling unclean.
They entered a nearby teahouse.
Once seated, Sui Yunzhu asked, “What brings you here, my lord?”
Gao Dazhuang, officially loyal to the late emperor but secretly serving the second prince—now the current emperor—should have been in an important position. His presence here must indicate a significant matter.
“I requested a posting outside the capital and became a general here,” Gao Dazhuang said smugly, sipping his tea. “You refused to follow me, and now look. Are you better off?”
If they hadn’t left, they might have secured minor official positions by now. But who could predict the future? Moreover, while it might work for men, An Jiu, as a woman, would never be allowed to hold office or leave the palace, even if the second prince became emperor.
An Jiu, holding her teacup, said frankly, “You barely qualify as half a man, and I’m a woman. Even if I had stayed with you, I wouldn’t be better off than I am now.”
Gao Dazhuang slammed his cup down and reached for his sword.
Sui Yunzhu quickly intervened. “Please calm down, my lord! You know Fourteen speaks her mind. Don’t take offense!”
Gao Dazhuang reluctantly stayed his hand.
“My lord, do you command Xingzhou’s troops?” Sui Yunzhu refilled his tea and offered it politely.
“Hmph.” Gao Dazhuang accepted the tea but didn’t drink it. “Why are you here?”
Sui Yunzhu glanced at An Jiu and carefully flattered him. “We’re now part of the Hejian garrison, responsible for Hexi County. But you know Hexi’s situation better than anyone…”
“You’ve come to Xingzhou to recruit?” Gao Dazhuang asked.
“Xingzhou must have many people,” An Jiu said, most concerned about this.
“Shut up, I’m not talking to you!” Gao Dazhuang rolled his eyes and continued with Sui Yunzhu. “I originally requested a posting in Hejian, but His Majesty assigned me here instead. Hah, it’s so peaceful here, we’re growing moss! There are indeed some people with unclear household registrations. I could help you with that.”
“Thank you, my lord!” Sui Yunzhu, familiar with Gao Dazhuang’s personality from working under him before, said, “Hexi County now has only aging soldiers, barely over a hundred. It’s practically defenseless. Our lord has informed His Majesty of plans to rebuild the garrison. If all goes well, Fourteen and I will be responsible for rebuilding the army. We long for the glory days of the Dragon Guard.”
Gao Dazhuang paused, then scoffed, “Just the two of you?”
An Jiu said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Gao Dazhuang grew angry at her words. “Don’t you dare speak, or I’ll have you thrown out of the city, let alone recruiting here!”
“Try it,” An Jiu challenged.
Seeing the tension rise, Sui Yunzhu quickly mediated. “Please calm down, my lord. It was Fourteen who spotted you first. Though she doesn’t say it, she misses you greatly. Why else would she approach you? You know she’s not good with words.”
She stepped on An Jiu’s foot as she was about to speak again.
“Disgusting,” Gao Dazhuang said, but his anger subsided. “I’ll have the officials check household registrations in the coming days and expel those without proper documentation. You can recruit then.”
“Excellent! Thank you, my lord!” Sui Yunzhu discreetly stepped on An Jiu’s foot again.
“Hmph.” An Jiu turned away, refusing to flatter him.
“I’m leaving,” Gao Dazhuang stood up.
“Won’t you stay for dinner, my lord?” Sui Yunzhu rose to see him off.
Gao Dazhuang sneered, “This is my territory! But I won’t treat you to dinner, especially not this shorty! Hurry up and recruit, then get lost!”