As for Qunqing, she had already reached the East Market, walking around and looking at the stalls.
“Miss, buy a candied hawthorn! Mine are the sweetest and most delicious in all of Chang’an!”
A stall owner handed her a candied hawthorn.
Qunqing lifted her veil and looked at the bright red fruit.
“Who says these are fresh? The sugar has already melted. Do you have any newly made ones?”
“Aren’t these fresh? Come inside, miss. I’ll get some fresh ones from the pot for you!”
The stall owner lifted the curtain and led Qunqing inside.
“Yue Niang, watch the stall for me!”
A woman answered, “Hey!” and came out to look after the stall.
As soon as Qunqing entered, she saw that the small shop was connected to a tiny room where the family slept.
The stall owner quickly closed the doors and windows, lifted the lid of the pot, and handed Qunqing a fresh candied hawthorn.
“Qing Niang, have some. These were all made fresh this morning.”
His attitude was completely different from before. His voice became quiet, and his eyes were alert.
“I received your letter a few days ago. I’ve been waiting for you every day. It’s good that you remembered the empty wax pill I left for you. What happened? Why did you suddenly leave the palace?”
It turned out that the stall owner was actually An Lin, a spy from Southern Chu who had been stationed in the East Market.
Qunqing did not tell him much. She only asked about the “Heaven” in the palace.
An Lin replied, “Back then, I sent dozens of spies into the palace using false identities. Now, fewer than ten of them are still alive.”
“Most of them were only ordinary spies, not the important ones. As for the two top-level spies in the palace, I don’t even know who they are.”
Qunqing lifted her veil and looked at him. She seemed unusually cautious.
“Brother An, I left the palace today because Lin Yujia has gone too far. I can’t stay there anymore. You are the only ‘Heaven’ I know. Could I… work under you from now on?”
An Lin was stunned.
“Before you entered the palace, I warned you that it was dangerous inside and that Lin Yujia was a hypocrite. But you insisted on going in. You said you wanted to find your sister and that she couldn’t live without you.”
“…”
His old words felt like a slap in Qunqing’s face.
Seeing her grip the teacup so tightly that her knuckles had turned white, An Lin stopped pressing the matter. Still, he was puzzled.
“Qing Niang, you’ve always been very patient. What did Lin Yujia do to make you leave? I knew he liked taking credit for your work and flattering his superiors. Did he give you another task?”
Qunqing looked furious enough to tremble, but she kept her lips tightly shut and said nothing.
An Lin watched her for a while before relaxing. A trace of admiration appeared in his eyes.
“You really know how to keep your mouth shut, and you’re good at getting things done. Which ‘Heaven’ wouldn’t want a ‘killer’ like you? Lin Yujia was simply too short-sighted. Someone like him will be replaced sooner or later.”
Qunqing’s heart skipped a beat.
“So you’re willing to let me work for you?”
This was the plan Qunqing had come up with to escape the palace.
There were two “Heavens” inside the palace, and it was impossible for her to escape by herself. So she wanted to seek help from the other “Heaven” and use his power to get out.
An Lin had once served in the Imperial Guard of Southern Chu before becoming a spy. After Southern Chu fell, Qunqing almost died at Qingjing Temple. After she was rescued, she stayed outside the palace to recover, and An Lin was the first person to find her.
He told her that Crown Prince Zhao had established Southern Chu again and was trying to recruit her to help restore the kingdom. He had even helped her return to the palace. He was someone she could trust.
Before Qunqing entered the palace, An Lin had taught her close-combat skills. He admired her because of her strong will and intelligence. He had originally wanted her to stay outside the palace and work under him, but she insisted on entering the palace to accompany the princess.
An Lin thought it was a pity, so he left her an empty wax pill and told her to contact him if she ever changed her mind.
However, because of their special identities, the spies were naturally wary of one another. They were not close and did not completely trust each other. As time passed, Qunqing also became unsure whether An Lin’s attitude toward her had changed.
That was why she sent out the wax pill—to test him and see whether he still needed her.
Qunqing had already taken the risk of coming to see him, showing that she was sincere. An Lin hesitated for a moment before saying,
“I just lost a ‘killer’ about half a month ago. It would be great if you were willing to take his place… But that ‘killer’ was stationed at Siye Tower in Pingkang Ward. It’s a brothel. You’re a young woman with a clean background…”
“That’s fine,” Qunqing answered without hesitation. “I can do it.”
There was nowhere more dangerous than the palace.
All she wanted now was to leave this center of trouble as soon as possible, escape the palace, and stay alive in the increasingly powerful Great Chen Dynasty. Then she would find a way to locate her mother and plan their escape…
An Lin was surprised by her quick answer. After thinking for a moment, he said,
“Qing Niang, even if I agree, leaving the palace won’t be as easy as you think. There’s one thing you need to get first—the palace register.”
Qunqing stared at him in confusion.
“You don’t really think you can simply walk out of the palace, do you?” An Lin chuckled. He pushed open the wooden window and gestured for her to look outside.
Qunqing saw several soldiers in silver armor in the busy market. They were checking the documents of a woman who was leading a young child.
“You’ve been in the palace for almost a year, and the Ministry of Revenue has been carrying out the tally system for almost a year too. Anyone entering or leaving major cities, official roads, or military fortresses must carry a tally as proof of identity. In Chang’an, officials from the Ministry of Revenue conduct random checks at any time. Anyone without a tally can be detained immediately.”
“The purpose is to wipe out spies like us who hide among ordinary people.”
“When you entered the palace, everything was still chaotic. The palace maid named Qunqing had died of illness, so she was carried out of the palace. Then my ‘killer’ brought you into the Yeting and helped you take her identity. But that method won’t work anymore.”
“Now that the Six Ministries are running properly and the Princess Consort of Yan is managing the palace, it’s extremely difficult to find any loopholes.”
“That piece of paper is the tally that everyone has to carry?” Qunqing watched for a while before pointing at the woman outside. “And what about the palace register? Is that the identity document for palace maids? Like the household registration that ordinary people used to have?”
“That’s right,” An Lin said. “But now, the Ministry of Revenue has registered and classified everyone in the city. Everyone has been given a special tally that they must carry every day.”
“Even courtesans, fortune tellers, and homeless people have them. They simply belong to different categories.”
“If you want to leave the palace, you first have to pass through the palace gates. They will issue you a palace register stamped with an expulsion seal.”
“What I can do is get that palace register and exchange it for a tally for you as quickly as possible. By the time Lin Yujia catches up with you, you will already be inside Siye Tower.”
“Siye Tower is a place where women are treated terribly. Lin Yujia definitely won’t be able to get you out. By then, I can report to the Lord and have you transferred back.”
After hearing this, Qunqing’s heart sank. Without a tally, even leaving the city would be difficult.
She thought for a moment before asking,
“Brother An, this tally looks like nothing more than a piece of paper. Can’t it be forged?”
“Do you think the Li family are fools?” An Lin complained. “The Ministry of Revenue has its own method for checking the tallies, and outsiders don’t know what it is.”
“The Minister of Revenue used to be a subordinate of the Prince of Yan. I heard that the method was created by a strategist surnamed Lu in the Prince of Yan’s residence.”
“We have also tried to forge the tallies and uncover their verification method, but we lost several people in the process. Now, the Ministry of Revenue has completely shut down all such attempts.”
The two watched as the woman and child were taken away by the soldiers.
There was a brief commotion in the West Market, but when people heard that the soldiers were investigating spies, everything quickly returned to normal.
A chill ran through Qunqing’s heart. It was as if she were the one being taken away.
Such a fast and ruthless method was terrifying.
Could the strategist surnamed Lu be Lu Huating?
Thinking of this, Qunqing temporarily gave up on the idea of forging a tally.
“I need a palace register with an expulsion seal. That means I have to leave the palace through the proper procedure, but that’s fine. I already have an idea. It will just take some time.”
She remembered that in her previous life, there would be a large ceremony at the end of the year to release palace servants.
But that was information she had learned only after being reborn, so she could not reveal it.
“The palace is strictly controlled, so it certainly won’t be easy,” An Lin said, seemingly trying to comfort her. “There’s no need to rush.”
“I heard the Lord has already assigned me another ‘killer’ to replace the one who died. She’s already on her way.”
“If she turns out to be useless, I’ll contact you. At that time, I’ll have to rely on you, Qing Niang.”
Qunqing could not help looking at An Lin. He seemed a little uneasy.
No wonder he had hesitated earlier instead of agreeing immediately. It turned out he already had another subordinate in mind.
An Lin certainly admired her. But if the new “killer” sent by Crown Prince Zhao was highly capable and handled everything outside the palace perfectly, what would she have left to do?
If that happened, An Lin would have much less reason to help her leave the palace.
“Brother An, since you’ve already lost people on this mission, it must be very difficult. Can you tell me what this ‘killer’ mission is?”
Qunqing looked at him with her dark eyes.
“I’m willing to compete with her. I should be faster.”
An Lin looked at her in surprise.
This spy mission was dangerous and exhausting. Anyone who received such a mission would usually need to prepare themselves mentally.
He never expected Qunqing to treat it like a competition.
“What exactly did Lin Yujia do to you that made you so desperate to leave?” An Lin could not help asking. “Could it be… he used your marriage agreement as an excuse to take advantage of you?”
Qunqing lowered her head and remained silent.
Seeing this, An Lin felt even more sympathy for her. His disgust toward Lin Yujia grew stronger.
“I’ll report Lin Yujia to the Lord for you. What a piece of trash…”
While the two were talking, a little girl suddenly ran out of the inner room and bumped into Qunqing.
She looked at An Lin unhappily.
“Grandpa, you promised to save the candied hawthorns for me…”
Qunqing quickly handed the candied hawthorn to the little girl, looking surprised.
“Brother An, you already have a child?”
An Lin carefully straightened the girl’s clothes, put on her tiger-head shoes, and adjusted the red-threaded bone whistle around her neck. He then sent her outside to play before answering awkwardly,
“The husband of Yue Niang, the woman who sells fried dough sticks, died. She was left alone with the child, so we formed a family and support each other.”
When he mentioned his family, a trace of gentle warmth appeared around the corners of An Lin’s eyes. It was completely different from his usual cold and stern expression.
Qunqing looked at him with relief.
Someone with a family probably would not be willing to work too hard for Southern Chu.
If she could follow An Lin in the future, things would be much easier. It would also make it easier for her to eventually leave him.
Their conversation had been interrupted, so An Lin wrapped the candied hawthorn again.
Taking advantage of the moment, he slipped the wax pill containing the mission into the paper bag and handed it to Qunqing.
Qunqing placed the candied hawthorn in her basket and left.
…
Leaving the palace was not easy, so Qunqing seized every opportunity she could. She followed a familiar route, taking several turns before arriving at the convalescent ward.
People came and went, carrying bags of medicine. The monks, dressed in simple robes, greeted one another politely.
The convalescent ward had once been Lingdao Temple.
Two years ago, when Chang’an fell, there were countless casualties. Doctors and monks from the city voluntarily gathered here to treat the wounded and help people recover inside the temple.
Later, the temple gradually developed into several medical clinics, and patients began coming from all over.
Li Langzhong’s clinic was located there.
The gate of the convalescent ward stood wide open. A lotus-shaped stone tablet stood in the courtyard, with red prayer candles placed beneath it.
People who came to see a doctor or buy medicine entered from the right side of the tablet. Those who had finished their treatment left through the left side.
Qunqing followed the crowd into the eastern Dharma Hall and followed the route she remembered until she found Fangxie at Doctor Li’s clinic.
The eastern hall was connected to the rear hall, making the clinic several times larger than before. It could now accommodate many more patients.
Three doctors were working in the hall, and long lines had formed in front of their tables. Clean straw mats had also been placed along the walls for patients to sit and rest while waiting.
Qunqing sat down among several women. Through the crowd, she looked toward Fangxie, who was taking a patient’s pulse.
The boy wore a blue robe. Because he was still young, he had not yet gone through the coming-of-age ceremony, so his hair was still loose at the back of his neck.
Yet his movements as he checked patients’ pulses and prescribed medicine were already skilled and practiced.
Qunqing lifted her veil to see him more clearly.
She was even more surprised.
When she had left, Fangxie was still a child who looked like a delicate porcelain doll.
But in just one year, he had already grown into a young man, and his handsome features had fully emerged.
Fangxie seemed to sense something. He raised his head and looked directly at Qunqing’s face. His breathing immediately became uneven.
Qunqing gestured for him to continue writing the prescription.
She had come to the clinic for two reasons. First, she wanted to see Fangxie. Second, Lin Yujia needed a large amount of castor oil, and she felt more comfortable getting it from someone she knew.
Fangxie’s heart was clearly in turmoil. Every now and then, he would look up at her, his eyes filled with uneasiness, as if he were afraid that she would disappear again if he looked away.
Qunqing sighed helplessly. The corners of her lips lifted slightly, but the smile froze on her face the very next moment.
Someone farther down the line had turned around and was also looking toward Fangxie.
The man was dressed in plain white clothes, but his straight posture gave the thin, almost translucent fabric an effortless elegance. When he casually turned around, the clothes outlined his slender waist and back. His wide sleeves moved gently like wings, while a dagger and a sachet hung together from the high belt around his waist.
Qunqing’s gaze shifted and met the face of a man who looked almost otherworldly.
His eyes were very dark, with slightly upturned corners, bright and striking like flames burning in the night.
She saw Lu Huating.
And he saw her too.
For an instant, Qunqing’s heart seemed to stop. A thin layer of cold sweat broke out on her back, and her entire body tensed.
It was an instinctive reaction to the mortal enemy she had known in her previous life.
But so what if he saw her?
In this life, he had never met her. They had never become enemies, and there was no reason for them to become enemies again.
Qunqing’s emotions surged like a tide. Without avoiding his gaze, she looked straight at him through the people moving between them.
Lu Huating’s eyes naturally swept across her face.
Then he turned back and continued speaking with the person beside him.
Qunqing immediately lowered her veil.
She could not stay any longer.
Following the crowd, she quickly left the inner hall.
The clinic was as noisy as ever. Voices, cries of pain, and the sound of medicine being pounded mixed together like a tangled net.
“Chief Secretary, what are you looking at?”
Juan Su noticed the tension in Lu Huating and instinctively placed his right hand on the scabbard behind his waist.
Lu Huating calmly straightened his sleeves.
“Keep an eye on the veiled woman behind you.”
“What veiled woman?”
Lu Huating turned around.
Sure enough, there was no sign of Qunqing on the straw mat.
He looked around the entire clinic.
After a long moment, a cold smile appeared on his lips.
“She ran away.”