The group had no objections, and so the shift schedule was happily decided. Watching everyone mindlessly retreat to their rooms to laze around, Sui Yunzhu resigned himself to the role of caretaker and went to inform Xuan Liu about the duty assignments.
Being a palace guard came with excellent benefits—shifts rotated every twelve hours, and during off-duty hours, one could freely manage their time. With Gao Dazhuang's permission, even leaving the palace wasn’t an issue!
Having distinguished themselves at the border, The Emperor had granted them a special half-month leave.
After the break, Lou Mingyue’s team would take the first shift, while An Jiu’s team rested in their quarters.
With fewer people around, Sui Yunzhu persuaded An Jiu and Li Qingzhi to go out for a stroll. Li Qingzhi was eager, and An Jiu thought it wouldn’t hurt to get some fresh air, so they quickly reached an agreement.
The three of them went to find Gao Dazhuang.
Gao Dazhuang had been assigned to Guye Palace, a residence recently bestowed by The Emperor to Consort Yu. Here, he was merely a low-ranking eunuch doing menial tasks. In the palace, all newly appointed eunuchs were initially called "minor yellow-gate attendants," and those who distinguished themselves could be promoted to "inner yellow-gate attendants."
Consort Yu was soon to move into Guye Palace, which was still in the midst of frantic preparations. The place was bustling with activity, and all the eunuchs looked nearly identical, making it difficult for the trio to locate Gao Dazhuang.
This was the first time they had seen Gao Dazhuang’s true appearance. Contrary to their expectations, he wasn’t some monstrous figure but rather a delicate-looking youth of about sixteen or seventeen.
Hiding in the shadows, Li Qingzhi whispered, "Sir must be wearing a disguise."
An Jiu thought to herself, At his age, of course he needs to disguise himself!
Gao Dazhuang’s ears twitched slightly at Li Qingzhi’s words. Swinging his broom haphazardly, he moved to a secluded spot and muttered, "Come out."
The three vaulted over the wall and landed before him.
"What is it?" he asked.
Seeing how hard Gao Dazhuang was laboring, Sui Yunzhu knew he must be in a foul mood and carefully considered his words. But Li Qingzhi blurted out, "Sir, we’d like to go out for a bit."
Gao Dazhuang raised his slender brows. "What for?"
"To stroll around!"
"To buy some necessities."
Li Qingzhi and Sui Yunzhu spoke simultaneously.
Sui Yunzhu turned his face away, and Li Qingzhi, realizing his mistake, quickly amended, "Right, right—we’re going to buy necessities and maybe take a little stroll."
"Get the hell back inside!" Gao Dazhuang growled under his breath, hurling his broom to the ground. "Damn it, life just keeps getting worse!"
It wasn’t clear whether he was referring to himself or the three of them.
"We won’t forget to bring you something tasty," An Jiu said earnestly.
Gao Dazhuang clutched his waist, panting in fury. "Do I look like I’m starving for your scraps?!"
"Of course not, Sir," Sui Yunzhu interjected before An Jiu could speak again. "What Mei Shisi means is that we’d like to show our appreciation by bringing you something while we’re out."
This mollified Gao Dazhuang somewhat. After calming down, he said evenly, "I want fried oil noodles from Liao’s at the West Gate. No scallops. Extra chili."
He then pulled out a tiny seal the size of a pinky finger from his sleeve. "Hold out your hands!"
The three unfastened their wrist guards and extended their palms. Gao Dazhuang stamped each of their hands. "Don’t let this rub off. If you can’t get back in, don’t blame me for not warning you."
"Couldn’t you think of a more reliable method?" An Jiu complained. "You only care about what’s convenient for you!"The Dragon Martial Guard had more than one team, and each team's pass tokens were different. They were all determined by the leader and reported to the superiors.
Gao Dazhuang picked up the broom and swung it at An Jiu.
"Gao Dazhuang!" A shrill voice shouted from the front hall, filled with anger.
Gao Dazhuang froze, suppressing all his aggression. He glared fiercely at An Jiu before scurrying off to the front hall with the broom in hand.
The three onlookers who never missed a chance for drama followed and saw a eunuch hitting Gao Dazhuang repeatedly with a horsetail whisk. "You little brat! Slacking off the moment I take my eyes off you! Who gave you the nerve? Who gave you the nerve? Today, you'll lick the floors of Guye Palace clean if you have to!"
Gao Dazhuang was quite professional, cowering submissively and lowering his head to endure the beating.
"Life isn't easy for him," Li Qingzhi sighed. "We must bring him two bowls of noodles."
The three slipped away, changed their clothes, and after a quick disguise, smoothly exited the palace using the red mark in their palms.
Once outside, they split up to handle their respective tasks.
An Jiu had just arrived at Imperial Street when she sensed a familiar presence. Looking up, she saw a young man sitting in a teahouse upstairs, dressed in a dark blue wide-sleeved robe. One arm rested on the windowsill, the taut silk outlining his broad shoulders and muscular arms. His slender fingers held a blue-and-white teacup, from which steam rose and mingled with the morning light, softening the sharp contours of his handsome face.
He looked down at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.
An Jiu froze for a moment before striding into the teahouse and appearing before him in an instant.
He set down the teacup and smiled. "Don’t recognize me?"
"Chu Dingjiang," An Jiu murmured.
His smile deepened. "Come, sit."
An Jiu finally believed he had once been a nobleman. Though he was still courteous, his every movement differed from the rigid and frail scholars of the Song Dynasty—his grace carried an air of untamed freedom, drawing many sidelong glances.
"Had breakfast yet?" Chu Dingjiang called for a waiter and ordered a basket of steamed buns, a few side dishes, and a bowl of plain congee for her.
When the food arrived, he picked up chopsticks and handed them to her.
An Jiu raised her hand but didn’t take them. Instead, she pinched his cheek and tugged hard, staring at the red mark left behind. "It’s really you?" she muttered.
Mo Sigui’s skills were truly impressive—such a large scar had vanished so quickly.
Chu Dingjiang shoved the chopsticks into her hand. "That surprising?"
"Yeah, you seem like a different person." An Jiu stuffed a bun into her mouth. "How did you know I’d come out today?"
Chu Dingjiang smiled mysteriously.
An Jiu suddenly understood. "Sui Yunzhu."
She didn’t know when Chu Dingjiang had won Sui Yunzhu over, but he was now working for him—his methods were both discreet and efficient.
"Mm," Chu Dingjiang acknowledged. "Eat."
His mannerisms were the same as before, but with new clothes, no scar, and no beard, his entire aura had transformed. Sitting across from him, An Jiu felt an odd sense of unreality.
After breakfast, the two strolled out together.
An Jiu was still dressed as a boy, in drab, short work clothes, walking beside Chu Dingjiang like his servant."A Jiu, go change your clothes. We're heading to the outskirts," Chu Dingjiang said.
Chu Dingjiang was strikingly handsome, tall, and robust, with a presence that set him apart from ordinary people. His appearance alone drew attention on the streets, but the fact that she, dressed in servant’s attire, walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him made passersby turn their heads even more.
An Jiu wasn’t used to being stared at either, so she replied, "Alright."
But she couldn’t figure out why they needed to change clothes just to go to the outskirts. Leaning closer, she whispered, "Are we being followed?"
Chu Dingjiang found her serious expression amusing, so he nodded gravely in response.
They quickened their pace and entered a tailor’s shop. Chu Dingjiang deliberately scanned the shop with a solemn air before pointing to a pale blue women’s outfit and telling her to go change into it.
The shopkeeper gave them a strange look, but Chu Dingjiang ignored it. He tossed a silver ingot onto the table. "Have someone style her hair in a woman’s bun. This is your payment."
The shopkeeper pocketed the silver, his mind racing with unsavory assumptions. He shot Chu Dingjiang a knowing look before calling his wife from the back to help the "young man" who had changed into women’s clothing with her hair.
An Jiu’s features were naturally soft, and with the women’s attire and hairstyle, she could just about pass as a girl.
Once dressed, the two mysteriously slipped out through the shop’s back door, rented a carriage, and left the city.
"Why didn’t you change?" An Jiu had been suspicious all along. She had been carefully scanning their surroundings with her Mental Strength but found no signs of being followed or any sense of threat.
Chu Dingjiang pulled out a small vial of oil, gently dabbed it along the side of her face, and peeled off the mask.
"You lied to me," An Jiu said coldly.
Chu Dingjiang had meant it as a joke, but seeing her genuine anger, he quickly admitted, "Don’t be mad. I just found you amusing and wanted to tease you. I was wrong—punish me however you like."
His swift apology left An Jiu conflicted. Staying angry would make her seem petty, but letting it go felt unsatisfying.
"I’ll note this down for now. I’ll think about it later," she said stiffly.
The carriage traveled beyond the city and stopped at a pear orchard. By this time, the pear blossoms were long gone, and most of the fruit was still green—hardly anything worth seeing.
Beyond the orchard stretched vast fields of wildflowers—white, yellow, and purple—dotted along a sparkling stream. A thatched hut stood by the water, its path long overgrown with blossoms from disuse.
An Jiu’s mood lifted without her realizing it.
The world felt vast and empty, with no one else around.
Chu Dingjiang wrapped an arm around her waist and, stepping lightly on the grass, soared over the flower fields. The ribbons at An Jiu’s sleeves fluttered as the two landed gracefully before the hut like celestial beings descending from the heavens.
"I prepared a few things last night," Chu Dingjiang said, pushing open the door. He carried out two baskets, then untied his belt and rolled up his wide sleeves, revealing his muscular arms. With a grin, he said, "A suckling pig, freshly slaughtered at dawn. It’ll make a good lunch roasted over the fire."
An Jiu stared at him, feeling dazed, as if today’s beauty was a fragile dream that might shatter at the slightest touch.
She had once imagined a life of simple joys—blue skies, white clouds, fields of wildflowers, orchards, horses, and sheep—but never had she pictured a man in that vision. Yet now, faced with all this, she thought that having a man like Chu Dingjiang might not be so bad after all. After all, he was nothing like her father."What are you standing there for? Come here!" Chu Dingjiang was holding a slaughtered piglet, his robes tied up casually.
An Jiu felt a sense of familiarity return. She ran over, a faint smile on her face. "You're better like this, all scruffy. That well-dressed beast look doesn't suit you."
"..." (To be continued...)
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