Upon returning to the island, Lou Xiaowu packed her belongings. The delicate-looking girl hoisted a massive luggage pack larger than herself and set off for Hejian Prefecture.
The farther she got from Bianjing, the more her anger faded, replaced by an indescribable emotion spreading through her heart—like the overcast sky above, vast and distant, empty and desolate.
Lou Xiaowu glanced back, but the city walls were long out of sight.
"Hmph, I'll go find A Jiu to play with," she muttered, pushing away her gloomy thoughts as she headed toward the nearest county to buy a carriage. "It's all the general's fault—he made me so mad I forgot to take a carriage!"
...
It was currently the prime season for nomadic activities, and a temporary peace had settled between Liao and Song.
The newly appointed magistrate of Hexi County was making a show of his authority, stirring up quite a commotion. While An Jiu and Sui Yunzhu were tasked with recruiting talents from the south, Wu Lingyuan focused on encouraging farming. He even sent all the city guards back to work the fields—after all, if war broke out immediately, these men wouldn't last a single skirmish anyway. Why let labor go to waste?
Dressed in men's clothing with a wide-brimmed hat obscuring most of her face, An Jiu arrived in Xingzhou, which was relatively close to Hejian Prefecture.
Located behind the Hebei military garrison, Xingzhou rarely suffered harassment from Liao cavalry, allowing its people to live in peace and prosperity. Sui Yunzhu had suggested Xingzhou because a locust plague had struck the area two years prior, causing chaos. Many refugees had flooded into the city, making it far from easy to settle there—inevitably leaving many homeless.
The moment the two reached the city gates, they were met with bustling crowds, a stark contrast to the quiet of Hexi County.
Since this was a rear base for the Hebei army, entry checks were strict. Everyone entering had to queue for registration, and those from outside the area were subjected to body searches.
An Jiu frowned at the long line ahead. "At this rate, we won't get in until afternoon!"
What a waste of time!
Sui Yunzhu guessed she wanted to scout the surroundings first and scale the walls at night. "We're here on official business. We should follow protocol."
"Mm." An Jiu nodded in agreement. She had promised to be a good person, after all!
The thought that ordinary people had to endure the same queue piqued her interest.
An hour later, they finally reached the gate. A soldier stepped forward to search them, but Sui Yunzhu produced a token. "Hebei garrison."
An Jiu hastily pulled out hers as well.
The man examined them carefully before cupping his hands. "After registration, you may enter."
Sui Yunzhu went to a long table nearby, wrote down their identities, and the guards let them pass.
An Jiu rubbed the token hidden in her sleeve, her heart inexplicably light. In her past life, she had impersonated government personnel to sneak into restricted areas, but the feeling of deception was nothing like the real thing.
"Do you know how I feel right now?" she asked.
Sui Yunzhu paused, unsure what she meant.
An Jiu's eyes gleamed. "It's like a habitual liar finally telling the truth—solid, proud."
Unaware of her past, Sui Yunzhu didn't fully grasp her meaning but replied honestly, "If you're a liar, then no one in this world speaks the truth."
One of An Jiu's specialties was exposing ugly truths.
With daylight still left, the two wandered the streets, looking for a suitable inn along the way.Sui Yunzhu's eyes lit up at the sight of strong, burly men in tattered clothes, while An Jiu used her mental strength to sense if there were any martial arts masters nearby.
"Hmm?" An Jiu suddenly caught a faintly familiar presence in the crowd and immediately scanned her surroundings.
Noticing her focused search, Sui Yunzhu remained silent to avoid disturbing her.
The crowd was noisy, but one shrill voice stood out abruptly. "Are you blind?!" someone shouted.
An Jiu moved swiftly, striding toward the commotion.
There, a pale-faced, handsome scholar in plain robes was glaring at a veiled woman. "Get lost!" he snapped.
The onlookers, intimidated by his fine attire, quickly backed away half a zhang to avoid trouble.
Sui Yunzhu chuckled. "Officer Gao."
The pale scholar glanced sideways. "Well, well, if it isn't Little Sui and the tiny runt!"
"Gao Dazhuang," An Jiu said flatly.
The crowd stifled giggles at the name—this effeminate man was anything but "big and strong"!
The woman Gao Dazhuang had yelled at seized the distraction to slip away with her maid. She had initially been drawn by his striking looks, assuming he was some noble's son, and planned a "chance encounter." But his shrill voice and foul temper shattered the illusion—what a waste of good looks! she fumed inwardly.
Gao Dazhuang's face darkened as he swept a cold gaze over the crowd.
The bystanders shivered and scattered.
The street wasn't ideal for conversation, so Sui Yunzhu suggested, "Have you dined yet, sir? Shall we eat together?"
"No appetite—I'm too furious. Let's find a teahouse," Gao Dazhuang grumbled, vigorously brushing off where the woman had bumped into him, as if scrubbing away contamination.
The three entered a nearby teahouse.
Once seated, Sui Yunzhu asked, "What brings you here, sir?"
Gao Dazhuang was publicly loyal only to the late emperor, but his true master was the Second Prince—now the reigning emperor. As a diehard loyalist, he should've been promoted. His presence here hinted at important business.
"I requested a provincial post. I'm now garrison commander here," Gao Dazhuang said smugly, sipping tea. "You two could've stayed with me, but no—you ran off. Tsk. Doing better than me now?"
Had they remained, they might have secured official posts. But who could predict the future? Besides, while a man might fare well, even with the Second Prince enthroned, a woman like An Jiu would never hold office or gain freedom.
An Jiu gripped her cup and stated bluntly, "You're barely half a man, and I'm fully a woman. Staying with you wouldn't have improved my lot."
Gao Dazhuang slammed his cup down and reached for his sword.
Sui Yunzhu hastily intervened. "Sir, please! You know Shi Si speaks her mind. Don't take it to heart."
Gao Dazhuang snorted but relented.
"Sir, have you taken command of Xingzhou's forces?" Sui Yunzhu poured him a fresh cup of tea, offering it obsequiously.
"Hmph." Gao Dazhuang accepted it with satisfaction but didn't drink. "Why are you here?"
Sui Yunzhu glanced at An Jiu and deftly flattered, "We're now under Hejian's garrison, assigned to Hexi County. But you know Hexi's situation better than anyone..."
"So you came to Xingzhou to recruit?" Gao Dazhuang said.“There must be a lot of people in Xingzhou.” An Jiu was most concerned about this issue.
“Shut up! I don’t want to talk to you!” Gao Dazhuang rolled his eyes and continued speaking to Sui Yunzhu. “I originally requested to be sent to Hejian Prefecture, but The Emperor refused and assigned me here instead. Hah! This place is so peaceful, I’m practically growing mold from boredom! There are indeed some people in Xingzhou with unclear household registrations. I can lend you a hand.”
“Many thanks, my lord!” Sui Yunzhu had spent some time under Gao Dazhuang’s command and knew his temperament well. He added, “Hexi County is now filled with aging soldiers, barely numbering over a hundred—practically nonexistent. Our superior has already petitioned The Emperor to rebuild the garrison. If all goes well, Shi Si and I will be responsible for reorganizing the troops. Thinking back to the glory days of the Dragon Martial Guard, my heart yearns for it.”
Gao Dazhuang was momentarily stunned, then scoffed. “With just the two of you?”
An Jiu said, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Hearing her speak made Gao Dazhuang furious. “You’re not allowed to talk! Otherwise, forget recruiting in Xingzhou—I’ll have you thrown out of the city!”
“Try me?” An Jiu retorted.
Seeing the tension escalate, Sui Yunzhu quickly tried to mediate. “My lord, please calm down. It was Shi Si who spotted you earlier. She may not say much, but deep down, she misses you dearly—otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken the initiative to greet you. You know how she is, always awkward with words.”
As soon as he finished, noticing An Jiu about to speak again, he discreetly stepped on her foot.
“Disgusting.” Though Gao Dazhuang said this, his anger subsided somewhat. “In the next few days, I’ll have the authorities check household registrations and expel those without proper documentation. You can take the opportunity to recruit then.”
“Wonderful! Thank you, my lord!” Sui Yunzhu stealthily stepped on An Jiu’s foot again.
“Hmph.” An Jiu turned her head away, refusing to flatter him.
“I’m leaving.” Gao Dazhuang stood up.
“My lord, won’t you stay for dinner?” Sui Yunzhu rose to persuade him.
Gao Dazhuang sneered. “This is my territory! But I won’t be treating you to a meal—especially not this little runt! Hurry up and finish recruiting, then get lost!” (To be continued…)
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