Chapter 1 onwards
Forearms that are overly thin and bony, a trait typically found only in women.
Xia Nan City, on the outskirts of the city.
Under the shade of trees beside the official road, an inconspicuous teahouse stands quietly, providing a resting place for passing merchants.
As the sun set, the twilight glow, like a golden veil, added a touch of picturesque beauty to the still-wet suburbs after the rain. Unfortunately, passersby hurried by, few stopping, let alone taking the time to appreciate the beauty of the setting sun.
After all, the gates of Xia Nan City would be closed in less than half an hour.
Tang Yu glanced at the sky, feeling increasingly agitated.
She dressed as a down-on-his-luck scholar, pretending to be a refugee fleeing to Xia Nan to seek refuge with relatives.
If he doesn't get up soon, the city gates will be closing soon. If the young general thinks about it carefully, he might immediately associate his suspicious dawdling with the thief who broke into the Xia Nan Prince's mansion the night before.
At this moment, including her, there were only three tables of guests scattered throughout the teahouse.
The shop was quiet, and the waiter wasn't busy either. After wiping the empty tables, he specially refilled the water for the few remaining tables before sneaking off to the shed to relax.
Unbeknownst to anyone, he secretly passed a note to one of the tables while refilling water.
The lieutenant glanced at it quickly, then turned and handed it to the young man beside him, "Young master, the arrangements with the escort agency have been made."
The young man remained expressionless, took a sip of tea, and gave a soft reply.
The teahouse was simple, and the teacups were not the carved white porcelain cups of Zhongjing, but rather the simplest rough-walled pottery. Yet the person drinking the tea moved with composure and restraint, revealing an extraordinary air in every gesture.
Even though they were rushing on their journey, the two wore simple, coarse cloth clothes, looking like ordinary wanderers.
But Tang Yu knew that this was just a disguise for the two of them to avoid attracting attention.
At the next table, the two men were clearly distinguished by their positions. The young man at the head of the table had long, slender fingers with calluses on his knuckles and some faint scars on the back of his hands, but these did not detract from their beauty; on the contrary, they added a touch of ruthlessness to his hands.
Even sitting in a humble teahouse, his back was straighter than a ruler.
With those same hands gripping the teacup, even a sip of tea carried a sense of oppression for him. It was as if the cup contained not tea, but the strong liquor of the frontier; and he himself was a strategist, his killing intent barely concealed.
Quietly withdrawing her gaze, Tang Yu poured herself a bowl of tea.
The night before, she sneaked into the Xia Nan Prince's mansion to steal medicinal herbs.
She had only overheard a few words from this man before he keenly noticed her. In the ensuing fight, she was clearly outmatched; had she not been lucky, she would have already been a prisoner, a victim of his blade.
Even though he was just sitting and drinking tea, deliberately concealing his aura, he still exuded a sharp and murderous aura, making it clear at a glance that he was a member of the military.
People in the military are perceptive, and moreover, this person's martial arts skills far surpass hers.
She was really lucky to escape last night, but now, how can she steal that note?
Perhaps feeling guilty, Tang Yu inexplicably felt a bit thirsty. She picked up the water she had poured and drank it all in one gulp. Then she licked the water droplets remaining on the corners of her lips, concealing her scheming thoughts.
Speaking of which, the Tang Clan's disguise skills are among the best in the martial arts world. He rarely felt this nervous, afraid of being seen through.
She angrily ground the pebbles on the ground with her toes, but dared not make any sudden movements. In her anxiety, she couldn't help but curse under her breath.
Yesterday it was the same, and today it's the same. How can this person be so meticulous!
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the teahouse, but the two people not far away showed no intention of getting up.
She couldn't wait any longer; after all, the charade of the down-on-his-luck scholar had to continue.
Tang Yu hunched over and stood up. Just as she took a step, her foot slipped, and she staggered, seemingly carrying a sense of defeat.
Since coming down the mountain, Xie Xingzheng was the most vigilant person she had ever met.
The night before, I only managed to glean a partial understanding from eavesdropping by the corner, unable to pinpoint the next medicinal herb's location, so I fled in a sorry state. Yesterday, I followed them anxiously for most of the day, but still failed to glean any useful information.
How could she not feel frustrated?
Just then, a dirty little boy walked up to her, hunched over, and pitifully begged, "Please have mercy, sir."
Although the little beggar's face was dirty, his eyes were bright and clear, carrying the innocence unique to children his age.
Tang Yu, not forgetting his persona, looked flustered and rummaged around for a while before finally pulling out a slightly worn money pouch from his pocket. Just as he was about to open it to give the little beggar a few copper coins, the boy suddenly jumped up, snatched the money pouch from his hand, and ran towards the city.
"You!" Tang Yu cried out in alarm, her voice trembling slightly, "Someone's stealing my things!"
Xie Xingzheng, who was sitting to the side, reacted before she could finish shouting.
The teacup flew from his hand and landed precisely at the feet of the running boy. The little beggar cried out, startled by the unexpected attack.
The cup didn't hit him, but he tripped over his own feet and fell hard, landing face-first on the muddy ground.
Xie Xingzheng got up and stepped forward, helping the little beggar up without any disgust, and taking back the money bag he was clutching in his hand.
He then turned around and handed over the money bag, saying, "Please."
Tang Yu looked grateful, her eyelashes trembling slightly. When she looked at the little beggar who had fallen, a hint of pity appeared in her eyes. She hesitated and said, "The child is still young. This young master... you won't take him to the authorities, will you?"
Her steps forward were slightly unsteady, and her expression was flustered. But when she was just a step away from the money bag, she spotted a small pebble on the side of the road, chose the right angle, and deliberately tripped herself.
"Ouch!" Tang Yu stumbled and lunged at Xie Xingzheng, her fingertips reaching for his waist, a sly glint in her eyes.
Unfortunately, her plan backfired.
Xie Xingzheng reacted too quickly, grabbing her wrist with one hand with exquisite strength, easily catching her as she was about to fall.
"Young master, please be careful."
His voice was deep and cold, but his words were unexpectedly gentle, like a spring breeze in April, soft yet carrying a hint of lingering chill.
"Th-thank you..." Tang Yu, who thought she could fall into his arms and steal the note, was stunned and even stuttered a little.
She subconsciously looked up and met those cold, sharp, yet surprisingly clear and pure eyes.
How come...it's not quite what she expected?
Their eyes met, and both of them were momentarily stunned, the air suddenly becoming quieter.
The next moment, taking advantage of the brief chaos, the little beggar suddenly shoved Xie Xingzheng aside and dashed off into the dense forest.
Xie Xingzheng was still supporting Tang Yu. When the deputy general saw this, he wanted to chase after them, but Tang Yu stopped him.
"He's still a child... and he hasn't even lost his purse, so please don't make things difficult for him, young master." She tugged at Xie Xingzheng's sleeve, her face full of pity, her urgent tone tinged with a hint of pleas, much like those sentimental, pedantic scholars.
"Young Master!" Xu Lian frowned, and seeing the little beggar run far away, he couldn't help but call out urgently.
Xie Xingzheng remained silent for a long time before finally shaking his head slightly and handing the money pouch back to the scholar. "Never mind."
Tang Yu carefully put the money bag away, bowed and thanked them, but there was still a hint of timidity in her eyes.
Although Xie Xingzheng had let go, his gaze did not leave her; instead, he stared straight at her.
A primal sense of unease made Tang Yu quickly thank him again, and then, taking advantage of the city gates closing, hastily bid him farewell. She feared that lingering even a moment longer would arouse suspicion.
Even after she had walked away, Xie Xingzheng remained standing in the same spot, gazing in the direction she had left, his brows slightly furrowed. His fingertips gently caressed his palm, where a soft, delicate touch lingered.
The lieutenant followed his gaze and saw the scholar's slightly flustered back. Not noticing anything amiss, he could only ask, "Young General, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Xie Xingzheng calmly withdrew his gaze, his expression unchanged. "Let's go, let's head back to Zhongjing."
But doubts still lingered in my heart.
That scholar just now... something seemed off.
*
After successfully entering the city, Tang Yu found a secluded corner, changed into women's clothing, destroyed her "poor scholar" disguise, neatly tied her hair into a bun, inserted two pearl hairpins, and in the blink of an eye, she looked like a pretty young lady.
She strolled leisurely through the streets and alleys, looking relaxed and cheerful, like a pampered young lady who had sneaked out to have fun.
After wandering around for a while, I came across an inconspicuous alleyway.
There squatted a dirty beggar, with a chipped earthenware bowl in front of him.
Tang Yu stepped forward, took out a few pieces of silver, and casually tossed them into the ceramic bowl. The silver pieces made a crisp sound as they fell, attracting the attention of passersby.
Some people whispered praises, saying she was "beautiful inside and out," while others sneered, "a fool with too much money."
But no one noticed the knowing smile that appeared in the eyes of the beggar when he looked up and the two looked at each other.
Tang Yu winked at him playfully, then turned and left.
She had only taken a few steps when she couldn't help but touch her sleeve—it was the purse that the little beggar had secretly taken from Xie Xingzheng.
How could this young general know that in the Xia Nancheng area, the little beggar was known as "the one who has stolen from all over Nancheng and has never failed"?
This scene, from beginning to end, was meticulously planned by Tang Yu.
The reason, of course, was that note.
From the moment she entered the city until she finished changing her clothes, she was constantly on edge, fearing that he would notice something was wrong and chase after her to slit her throat with a sword.
Now, after carefully confirming that no one was around, she slipped into the narrow alley and took out her purse.
The money inside had long been looted by the little beggar, but she didn't care and focused intently on unfolding the note.
When the handwriting came into view, a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
Sure enough, it was the Wangyuan Escort Agency.
She was overjoyed, but then she noticed something else in her purse... She took it out and looked at it, and her smile instantly froze on her face.
That was a strand of light brown hair that had been cut off by his longsword the night before.
*
On the shady path, Xie Xingzheng and his companion galloped along on horseback, splashing mud and fallen leaves that swirled and danced in the woods.
The two rode at full speed for two days and had already reached the outskirts of Zhongjing. In another half day, they would be able to enter the capital and return home.
"Young General, shall we go to the capital today?" the adjutant asked cautiously, his tone tinged with worry.
He knew that, given the young general's consistent style of doing things, he must have already sent someone to Zhongjing to handle everything so that no mistakes could be found.
But this time is different.
Although Xia Nan surrendered and sought peace in the war in the southern border and became a vassal of the Great Xia, it was still a small country called Nanzhao in those days. Even though Emperor Wen of Chu, in order to set an example, used a policy of appeasement to grant it the title of vassal king and a high degree of autonomy, it was still a subject of a different surname.
The Xie family, having guarded the border for three generations and wielding military power, became a target of envy and intrigue. Various factions within the court secretly vied for power, each seeking an opportunity to bring them down. Even Emperor Wen of Chu harbored resentment and grew increasingly wary of them.
Given their respective statuses, the young general accepted the private commission from the King of Xia Nan and entered the capital openly. If he were not careful, he could easily bring trouble upon himself.
Xie Xingzheng naturally understood that his concerns were not unfounded.
Moreover, the fact that the purse containing the funds for this escort mission was stolen when they left Xia Nan that day also posed a potential risk.
And that scholar...
Thinking of this, he suddenly became serious, tightened the reins, and the horse neighed and stopped.
Xu Lian stopped and looked back, puzzled: "Young General, what's wrong?"
Xie Xingzheng frowned slightly, but did not explain. He instructed, "We will split up. You will go to the capital as usual and return to the General's Mansion. I will take a detour to Wangyuan Escort Agency."
As soon as he finished speaking, he whipped his horse and galloped into the side path.
As he sped along, the strong wind brushed against his face like a blade, causing a slight pain in his cheeks, but he didn't care.
Just moments ago, he finally understood something.
That day in the suburbs of Xia Nan City, after he helped the fallen scholar up, he felt that something was strange. But when he thought back on it, the man's clothes, appearance, figure, and aura were all flawless.
He suddenly realized that what he had touched back then—
It's a type of forearm that only women have—overly thin and bony.
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