"If Fourteenth Young Master trusts me, Pei will go and assist," Pei Lvshi said with a smile, adjusting his turban. Li Yuangui nodded gratefully. He still hadn’t explained to the Pei family that the missing girl they were searching for was his own younger sister, the Seventeenth Princess, nor would he reveal what they had done at the Great Peace Palace or why they were being hunted. Yet Pei Lvshi didn’t press for answers or rush him, simply offering calm and discreet help.
To trust someone and choose to stand by their side was to shoulder the risks and responsibilities that came with it. Li Yuangui had no strong impressions of Pei Ji, the influential minister of the previous dynasty, but if Pei Lvshi’s way of handling matters was inherited from his father, then he understood why his own father, the Supreme Emperor, had consistently favored Pei Ji during his reign.
Pei Lvshi called for Zhang Zhuangtou and a young servant, and the three of them announced themselves and entered the guard post at the bridgehead. Li Yuangui, Yang Xinzhi, and the others withdrew to a street corner where they wouldn’t be easily spotted by the bridge guards, waiting for Pei Lvshi to emerge.
The wait was long. By the time the sun had set and darkness had fully descended, the three finally stepped out of the thatched door of the guard post, pausing to exchange a few polite words and bows with those inside before parting. Li Yuangui, burning with impatience, pulled Pei Lvshi into the street corner as soon as he approached and asked, "How did it go?"
"There’s good news and bad news," Pei Lvshi sighed. "The young lady Fourteenth Young Master is looking for is likely unharmed, but..."
"But?"
"She’s now in the hands of the Northern Military Camp."
Earlier that morning, shortly after the Xianyang Bridge opened, a boy with somewhat foreign features and a young girl around ten years old, claiming to be siblings, were stopped by the guards at the bridge. The boy, though lacking travel documents, showed no panic or resistance. Instead, he boldly demanded to speak with the guard captain, saying he had confidential matters to report.
The young pair were taken into the thatched hut at the bridgehead. The deputy captain on duty shooed everyone else out and closed the door for a private discussion. It didn’t take long before the deputy emerged and hastily sent for the captain. Once the captain arrived, after only a few words, he ordered someone to cross the bridge to the southern bank to fetch the ferry official for deliberation.
The ferry official of Xianyang Bridge held a formal ninth-rank position, distinct from the unranked bridge guards and petty clerks. Upon arrival, he also dismissed bystanders and spoke privately with the young pair, hastily drafting a note and sending it across the river to the Forbidden Garden Garrison. Then, the ferry official took the two with him to the southern bank’s administrative office, leaving the northern guard post in the dark about what followed.
After hearing this, Li Yuangui exchanged a bewildered glance with Yang Xinzhi. Had Sang Sai "surrendered himself"? Or had he, in such a short time, used gold to swiftly win over the deputy captain, the captain, and the ferry official—all in broad daylight, under the watch of so many guards?
Had the integrity of Tang officials and soldiers deteriorated to such an extent?
"Wait," Yang Xinzhi suddenly remembered and asked Pei Lvshi, "Was it always the foreign boy who spoke with the bridge guards? Did he speak Chinese?"
Pei Lvshi thought for a moment and nodded. "No one mentioned the young lady speaking. It must have been the foreign boy doing all the talking."
Fluent in Chinese... That foreign boy couldn’t be Sang Sai, the young Tuyuhun prince.
Then who was he? How had another foreign-looking boy suddenly appeared, hiding with An Yan-na and the Seventeenth Princess in the Hu merchant’s warehouse in the Western Market? Was he friend or foe?
Or... had Sang Sai been pretending not to understand Chinese all along?Moreover, was he truly the son of Tuyuhun's King Sky Pillar, sent to Chang'an to disrupt Tang politics as an enemy noble? What was his real identity? What was the purpose of collaborating with Li Yuangui and the others to stir up trouble at the Great Peace Palace?
"There's more bad news," Pei Lvshi added. "I subtly inquired about the recent wanted notices for suspicious individuals received by the bridge guards, and sure enough, there were descriptions matching Fourteenth Young Master and Yang Dalang. It didn’t mention your identities, only stating, 'These two are involved in a major case. Anyone who spots them must detain them immediately and report to the Northern Military Camp. Do not harm their lives.'"
Li Yuangui gave a bitter smile. That last line was probably the Emperor and Crown Prince showing what little familial affection they had left for him, their younger brother and uncle.
His mind was in turmoil as he glanced toward Xianyang Bridge. The sky was now pitch black, and the bridgehead was barricaded with thick wooden fences taller than half a man’s height, guarded by soldiers. To cross the bridge and chase after Seventeenth Sister, they’d have to fight their way through—and they’d almost certainly lose, given the numbers against them...
What about crossing the river by boat, as he had when coming to the north bank of the Wei? Well... not exactly the same way.
Li Yuangui took a deep breath and asked Zhang Zhuangtou about nearby ferries, but the old man immediately rebuffed him:
"You reckless fool! The river’s swollen with spring floods—do you even know how dangerous it is? Who’d dare set sail at night? You got a death wish or what?"
From the street corner where they stood, though some distance from the Wei River, they could still hear the waves crashing against the shore. Pei Lvshi also advised, "Fourteenth Young Master, don’t be hasty. We won’t make it across tonight. In my opinion, we should return to my place for now. Tomorrow, we can gather more information on the southern bank before deciding our next move."
"The authorities and the Northern Military Camp still abide by the law," Yang Xinzhi chimed in, trying to calm Li Yuangui. "The young... lady has already endured the worst these past few days—she’s practically out of danger now. Fourteenth Young Master, stay composed. Don’t stir up more trouble for yourself."
If that unknown youth had indeed taken Seventeenth Sister to the military camp and revealed her identity, no one would dare harm a Tang imperial princess so easily. The thought brought Li Yuangui some comfort.
"Then I need to go back and inspect that mule stable storeroom again," he said with a frown. "Earlier, I was too focused on chasing them to examine the room properly. Who exactly is that youth? I won’t sleep until I figure it out."
The storeroom where An Yan-na had died contained many everyday items—bowls, bedding, mats—which might hold clues to the users’ origins. Seeing his determination, the others didn’t argue. Led by Zhang Zhuangtou, the group headed back to the northern merchant district.
Li Yuangui, restless and impatient, walked swiftly. Before long, they re-entered the courtyard gate. The Hu guard at the gate mentioned, "Another group came to see the dead man," which Li Yuangui initially dismissed—until Zhang Zhuangtou asked, "Who were they?" and the guard replied, "Looked like the deceased’s family. A bald man was weeping bitterly." That instantly put him on high alert.
An Yan-na’s family... That would mean they came from Kang Sabao’s residence in Chang’an. Could it be An San Tuzi?
Exchanging a glance with Yang Xinzhi, they both gripped their sword hilts and quickened their pace toward the storeroom. The surroundings were dark and silent, but the flickering lamplight from the small door where the corpse lay stood out starkly in the night, making it easier to find than in daylight.As he got closer, the clamor of voices from inside the door became gradually audible. Several people were speaking, and their tones didn't sound friendly. Among them was a delicate female voice that struck Li Yuangui as extremely familiar. His heart stirred, and he broke into a full sprint from his jog.
"...accompany my son across the Bridge of Judgment!"
A man inside roared out these words, followed by a cacophony of a woman's scream, the clashing of blades, and people shouting.
Li Yuangui drew his sword and burst through the door, just in time to see, under the flickering oil lamp, a gleaming blade flash like snow as it struck a woman, splattering blood across the room.
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