The capital city, where the emperor resides, is filled with towering pavilions and grand buildings. Shops are clustered together, and the alleys and lanes are bustling with activity, presenting a lively scene of prosperity.
Occasionally, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drift from the pavilions within Chang’an city and float onto the streets. The streets are crowded with people, their attire and appearances varied, indicative of merchants from different countries.
Crossing the city moat, He Sui’an saw such a scene upon entering Chang’an.
It was very flourishing.
More prosperous than any place she had ever been. Looking at Chang’an, she recalled the desolate Weicheng, wondering how it was doing.
Perhaps because Weicheng was the first place He Sui’an saw after losing her memory, it left a deep impression on her. She often compared other places to that city.
She walked through the main street of Chang’an, carrying her bundle.
Chang’an had many foreigners with unique clothing styles, making Qi Buyan’s indigo attire and silver accessories blend in more, but his face remained striking.
No matter the dynasty, people always paid attention to appearances.
The Great Zhou Dynasty was no exception.
Those with unattractive features or physical defects could not become officials.
The top scholars and officials, besides being competent, also needed to be good-looking because, as officials, they might face foreign envoys, and their appearance would represent the Great Zhou Dynasty’s dignity.
Xie Wenqiao, who topped the imperial examinations, was known as the most handsome scholar in Chang’an.
Qi Buyan had a different kind of attractiveness.
His father was from the Great Zhou, and his mother was from Tianshui Village in Miaojiang. His looks combined the best of both, with features more profound than typical Zhou people, a cool white complexion, and a lean physique.
He Sui’an held Qi Buyan’s hand as they moved through the crowd, intending to buy two flatbreads.
They hadn’t eaten since last night.
After leaving Hongye Village in Qingzhou, it took them two months to reach Chang’an. The journey was long, and He Sui’an was too focused on traveling to notice much else. But upon arriving in Chang’an, her spirits lifted.
The freshly baked flatbreads were steaming with fragrance.
When the vendor heard they wanted two, he quickly used wooden tongs to grab the flatbreads.
Next to the flatbread stall was a hand-pulled noodle shop with several tables and chairs in front for customers to sit and eat. It was crowded, business thriving to the point of being overwhelming.
He Sui’an, smelling the aroma of the noodles, felt her stomach growl. Just then, two customers left, freeing up a table. She walked over to the table and waved at Qi Buyan.
“Come here.”
Qi Buyan sat down opposite her.
They ordered two bowls of hand-pulled noodles with meat from the noodle vendor, and He Sui’an waited contentedly.
The flatbread vendor, having encountered customers who wanted both flatbreads and hand-pulled noodles, wrapped two flatbreads in paper and brought them to their table. “Here are your flatbreads.”
She received them with both hands. “Thank you.”
The flatbread vendor glanced at their bundles. Seeing no new customers at his stall, he didn’t return immediately and asked warmly, “Are you two just arriving in Chang’an or about to leave?”
He Sui’an tore off a piece of flatbread. “We just arrived in Chang’an today.”
In reality, the vendor had seen so many customers over the years that he could usually guess if they were arriving or leaving Chang’an. He was just making conversation.
The vendor, feeling a bit bored, wanted to chat more but was called back by a customer wanting to buy flatbreads.
Their hand-pulled noodles arrived.
He Sui’an ate heartily.
Qi Buyan ate methodically, taking a bite of flatbread followed by a bite of noodles, showing no clear preference for either.
Given their eating speeds, he should have been the slower one, but He Sui’an always finished last. She ate more, so even though she ate faster, it took her longer.
At the table to He Sui’an’s left sat several students who had come to the capital for the imperial examinations.
They had been in Chang’an for over a month and were quite knowledgeable about recent events. At the moment, they were discussing the Great Zhou Dynasty’s upcoming marriage alliance with the Nanliang Kingdom.
The current emperor had only one empress and no other concubines in the harem, with two sons but no daughters. Five years ago, the emperor adopted a daughter from a noble family and titled her Princess Luoyan.
The one to be married off to the Nanliang Kingdom was this Princess Luoyan, who was skilled in all the arts.
Marriages between nations had existed since ancient times.
What fascinated people was the romantic affair between Princess Luoyan and the court official Xie Wenqiao.
Back then, Princess Luoyan was still young and had not yet been adopted by the emperor and empress. She set her sights on Xie Wenqiao, who had just become the top scholar, and pursued him persistently. This was well-known throughout Chang’an.
However, Xie Wenqiao sternly rejected her, but the princess became more determined, pursuing him for two years.
What happened afterward, these students didn’t know.
They only knew that the princess, who once vowed to marry no one but Xie Wenqiao, became more subdued, staying at home to study the arts and no longer showing herself in public.
The citizens of Chang’an gradually forgot about the matter, but recently, due to Princess Luoyan’s impending marriage alliance with the Nanliang Kingdom, the topic resurfaced. After all, Xie Wenqiao, who now held a high position, remained a subject of public interest.
Some speculated that the reason Xie Wenqiao, nearing thirty, was still unmarried was due to his affection for Princess Luoyan.
However, this seemed unlikely.
In the past, despite Princess Luoyan’s persistent pursuit, which caused quite a stir in the city, he remained unmoved. How could it be that he stayed single for her?
Others said that Xie Wenqiao was uninterested in romantic affairs and solely dedicated to the court.
The people of Chang’an were divided in their opinions.
He Sui’an, generally uninterested in others’ gossip, couldn’t help but overhear the conversation from the adjacent table. The voices were not too loud nor too soft, just right for her to catch every word.
She had met Xie Wenqiao a few times. Hearing his name, she couldn’t help but reflect on their words and compare them to the image of Xie Wenqiao in her mind.
The Xie Wenqiao they described matched the one He Sui’an had met.
It wasn’t that his personality was bad.
He treated everyone equally, but there was a sense of distance about him. He was impartial and selfless, a rare and good official.
After listening to the gossip, He Sui’an suddenly felt a desire to meet Princess Luoyan.
Qi Buyan, however, remained indifferent.
While eating, he observed the various aspects of Chang’an, as if contemplating something.
He Sui’an gently tugged his pinky.
Qi Buyan turned to look at her. Swallowing the flatbread, He Sui’an asked, “Should we find an inn to stay at later?”
“That’s right.” Qi Buyan glanced down at their interlinked pinkies and replied calmly, “We’ll find an inn first, stay for a while, and then leave Chang’an once I’ve found what I’m looking for.”
He Sui’an agreed.
After getting his response, she released his hand, picked up her bowl, and drank the noodle soup.
After paying the bill, they picked up their bundles and left the noodle shop. After walking a few steps, He Sui’an saw three familiar figures—Su Yang and her two guards, Zhong Kong and Zhong Huan.
Su Yang also saw He Sui’an and Qi Buyan and approached them with her guards.
She had arrived in Chang’an half a month ago.
Her visit to Chang’an was to investigate a matter, and seeing He Sui’an and Qi Buyan on the street today was an unexpected delight. Su Yang had regretted not asking them some questions about the Yan King’s Tomb.
Meeting them again was a stroke of fate, a sign from heaven for her to learn more about the Yan King’s Tomb.
Su Yang greeted them with a cupped fist salute.
He Sui’an returned the greeting.
A look of surprise appeared on her face as she hadn’t expected to see them again. “Lady Su.”
Su Yang’s lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. “Little He, now that we’re in Chang’an, you don’t need to call me ‘Lady.’ If you don’t mind, you can call me Sister Su.”
They hadn’t spent much time together.
But having faced life and death together, she felt differently about Su Yang.
He Sui’an adjusted her bundle on her back. “Sister Su, you don’t need to call me ‘Little He’ either. Just call me He Sui’an.”
Su Yang nodded. “Alright.”
She then asked, “Have you just arrived in Chang’an? Do you have a place to stay? I came to Chang’an half a month ago and bought a house. If you haven’t found a place to stay yet, would you like to stay with us?”
Realizing that she might have been too forward, Su Yang decided to be straightforward, “I want to ask you about the Yan King’s Tomb. It would be more convenient if we stayed together.”
Standing outside, she lowered her voice when mentioning the Yan King’s Tomb, afraid of being overheard.
He Sui’an looked at her, puzzled. “The Yan King’s Tomb?”
Su Yang’s expression turned serious. “Yes, the Yan King’s Tomb… and the Longevity Gu.” She wanted to know if they had found any clues about the Longevity Gu in the tomb. She had come to Chang’an to investigate this matter.
He Sui’an didn’t immediately agree to stay with Su Yang, knowing that Qi Buyan had his own matters to attend to in Chang’an. Staying in someone else’s house might not be convenient.
Inns offered freedom of movement, and as long as they paid, no one would bother them.
As expected, Qi Buyan declined.
He gently stroked the bone flute hanging at his waist. “No need, we’ll stay at an inn.”
Su Yang glanced at the bone flute at Qi Buyan’s waist. She remembered that he had used this very flute to control the puppets infected with the Yin Corpse Gu in the Yan King’s Tomb.
After meeting Qi Buyan, she had sent people to gather information about him but had learned very little. His name wasn’t well-known in the martial world, and few had heard of him.
In the process of investigating Qi Buyan, Su Yang had inadvertently learned about a certain group of people.
The Gu masters.
It was said they came from the mysterious Tianshui Village in Miaojiang, known for their expertise in cultivating and controlling Gu.
Though Qi Buyan wasn’t famous in the martial world, his appearance coincided with that of a young Gu master from Tianshui Village who had recently made his debut.
This young Gu master had conducted several trades, and those who traded with him got exactly what they wanted, quickly boosting his reputation.
Su Yang was very sensitive to such coincidences.
So, Su Yang sent people to gather more information about the young Gu master. Those who had seen him described his attire, which was almost identical to Qi Buyan’s.
Therefore, was Qi Buyan that young Gu master from Miaojiang’s Tianshui Village?
Su Yang believed he was.
No wonder he was so familiar with Gu and could even reverse control others’ Gu.
Being declined by Qi Buyan regarding staying at the same house didn’t bother Su Yang. She assumed he had his own matters to attend to.
“In that case, I won’t insist,” Su Yang said. She still had things to do, so she sent Zhong Huan to follow them and note the name of the inn they chose to stay at.
No further actions were needed.
Zhong Huan understood Su Yang’s intentions.
