After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Turn a corner.

Turn a corner.

It keeps turning.

In the deep of night.

The two people in the carriage were tending to their injuries.

The coachman silently cracked his whip as the carriage emerged from Wangfu Street. Instead of heading towards Zhengyangmen or any other city gate, he followed the route planned a few days prior, weaving and turning through the alleyways.

Explosions rang out at Dong'anmen.

The entire inner city is in chaos.

All the city's troops are converging on Dong'an Gate.

Footsteps, shouts, curses, the sound of gunfire... just like half a month ago, the entire inner city and even the outer city were filled with fear.

The carriage hadn't been traveling for long when it stopped at the back door of a closed restaurant.

When Ning Nan got off the bus, his eyes widened in surprise, and his heart clenched involuntarily. His face, which was already pale from blood loss, turned even paler.

At this moment, although I was in some nameless alley, looking up to the north, the city wall, like a giant beast, was right in front of me in the night.

It is not the inner city wall.

Rather... it's the walls of the imperial city.

Not far from him stood a majestic city wall.

The bonfire at the city gate was bright.

The three large characters "Da Qing Men" are clearly visible hanging above the city gate.

"Walk."

Lu Chong passed by him and walked towards the stables of the restaurant, speaking calmly.

Phew... Ning Nan, whose clothes were already tattered and whose left arm was bandaged, let out a breath and followed the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Inside the stable.

The smell of horse manure and the unique stench of livestock hit me, making my nose feel pungent.

Lu Chong walked without stopping, toward a large vat filled with a little water, rubbed his face with the water, and washed his hair.

"You should wash up too, and hurry up."

The water gurgled.

Ning Nan then washed up as well.

Although spring has arrived, the weather is not warm enough. I just washed my wound with water in the carriage, and the pain affected my sense of touch.

When you wash your face with this well water, it inevitably feels a bit cold.

The shouts of battle could still be heard from the east.

Ning Nan's heart pounded, and he frowned, asking, "Who? Who's attacking the palace?"

Lu Chongdao: "The Heavenly Principle Sect."

He walked to the side of the stable, took out a cloth bag, and threw it to Ning Nan:

"Many of them died tonight trying to save you, their leader."

Ning Nan took the cloth bag, his pupils immediately shrinking.

Save me? A sudden chill ran through him.

Lu Chong then took out a cloth bag from the haystack and said:

"These are the words that Nun Xu asked me to tell you."

The old spy pointed to the cloth bag and interjected:

"You should change your clothes first... but it seems to me that saving you is just a side effect..."

Ning Nan's expression turned serious.

Lu Chong took off his blood-soaked black clothes and began to change.

Ning Nan opened the cloth bag and discovered that it contained a eunuch's attire.

"Roll, roll..." Just then, the sound of wheels came from outside the stable.

Just as Ning Nan changed his clothes and put on the eunuch's hat.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door of the stable.

Having changed his clothes as well, Lu Chong said again, "Let's go."

I passed by him.

Ning Nan took a breath and followed.

As soon as the door opened, a stench of blood and foul smell hit you.

Ning Nan was taken aback.

After looking closely in the darkness, I could see that there was a donkey cart in front of me, carrying about seven or eight sheep that had been split in half.

Half a sheep was piled up into a small mountain.

Not far ahead of the donkey cart, a figure with his back to them rode on a yellow horse, also dressed as a eunuch, and seemed to be holding a whisk in his hand.

I was just too far away to see their faces.

The carriage that had brought them here earlier had disappeared.

After they left the stable, an old man silently emerged, picked up their discarded clothes, and went into the restaurant's kitchen, where a fire was still burning. Soon after, a burnt smell wafted from inside.

There was no one on the donkey cart.

Lu Chong got into the donkey cart and beckoned Ning Nan to sit next to him.

"Snapped!"

The old spy cracked his whip.

As the donkey cart started moving, an old eunuch with a hunched back rode his horse forward not far ahead.

The two men reeked of blood, but compared to the half-sheep that reeked of blood and stench, their smell was negligible.

Disguised as a eunuch... Ning Nan glanced at the other person's bald chin and thought to himself, no wonder the other person had shaved his beard.

He nudged the old eunuch on horseback in front of him and whispered:

"Master Lu, is this also a member of the Heavenly Principle Sect?"

Lu Chong shook his head and said in a low voice, "Our people."

Our people? ... Ning Nan's eyes narrowed slightly.

Lu Chongdao said, "Not everyone has an itchy scalp and wants to shave their head."

"Today...or rather, these past few days...some people have helped us...but..."

The old spy said in a deep voice:

"Unless I live to see the army of our Great Liang reach the gates of Beijing, otherwise..."

He pulled on the donkey cart reins and sighed softly:

"These people's names... I can only keep them to myself and tell them to the King of Hell after I die..."

These people's names are not written down. They are only remembered in his and Yan Yuqing's hearts.

The coded message for the rendezvous was given to him by a spy who had been dead for a long time.

Some of these people have actually passed down their secret codes for two or three generations. After they die, they pass the codes to their sons and grandsons, hoping that one day they can be used by the country and prove that they were just enduring humiliation back then.

Some people came in handy tonight... just like the old man he met at the teahouse yesterday.

Ning Nan's heart sank.

Without a second thought, he understood what the other person meant. They were probably worried that if these people's names were revealed, and someone within the Embroidered Uniform Guard leaked the information, these people would be instantly killed.

If we're talking about trust, these people probably only trust Lu Zhong at most.

"The Heavenly Principle Cult said they'd come to rescue you. I refused," the old spy grinned. "I'm on the Empress's orders to go north; I can't let your life be in their hands."

"drive!"

He shouted and cracked his whip, giving the stubborn donkey he had brought from the south a good thud.

The right gate of Chang'an was now on high alert.

The old eunuch on horseback showed a sign and then rode inside.

Seven or eight soldiers checked their household registration records. Lu Chong took out his, and Ning Nan also took out the household registration record of an unknown eunuch from his pocket.

The soldiers, their faces cold and indifferent, braving the stench of blood, turned over the dozen or so sheep on the cart, poked them with their knives, and only let them in after confirming that no one was inside.

Enter through the right gate of Chang'an.

Do the same.

Pass through the main gate of the Imperial City, Duanmen, and Wumen.

The eunuchs who came out to buy fresh mutton dismounted and led them past the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The area in front of the Palace of Heavenly Purity was brightly lit and sirens were blaring.

After a eunuch who seemed to hold a high position in the palace showed his nameplate, they turned right and headed east, entering through the Jingyun Gate.

We walked for a while.

The old eunuch stopped at the outer imperial kitchen.

Lu Chong immediately got out of the carriage, bowed to the old eunuch, and walked forward in the shadow of the official road.

Ning Nan followed closely behind, but didn't see the old eunuch's face along the way.

After traveling a short distance on the official road, a large cart appeared behind a bend in the road ahead. From the smell of it, one could tell that it was a chamber pot filled with filth.

"Come,"

Lu Chong bent down and pushed the manure cart to one side.

"push."

…………

Pushing the chamber pot along the outer official road, bypassing the Imperial Garden, we arrived at the north gate of the Forbidden City, the Shenwu Gate.

The sounds of fighting at Dong'an Gate had gradually subsided, leaving only thick smoke filling the sky.

The left gate of the city gate has been opened.

Wearing full armor, Han Donghu gave Ning Nan a gentle smile:

"Ningwa".

Ning Nan's expression froze for a moment: "Uncle Donghu?"

Han Donghu handed a small bag to Ning Nan and said:

"Uncle Donghu doesn't have much time left. Here's a gold hairpin, a jade hairpin, and two hairpins, which were given by Erlai's mother and me to Erlai's wife."

The butcher from Lijia Village looked at Ning Nan with a somewhat apologetic expression:

"Please give this to Er Lai for me, and also ask around for me if Er Lai's wife gives birth to a daughter. We'd like to know if she could name her Li Lanzhu? That's his aunt's name, and I think it's a nice name. If Lai Zi gives birth to a son, please help me choose a name for him. Just something that means peace and safety."

"Ningwa".

Han Donghu looked at Ning Nan with gentle eyes.

"Back then, it was the people from our Heavenly Principles Sect who entrusted you to my protection, and I brought you back to our Li Family Village. The night I brought you back, I happened to see Sister-in-law Ning about to jump into the river. At that time, you were crying from hunger, and your cries startled Sister-in-law Ning. After thinking for a moment, I put you on the ground."

"Sister-in-law Ning saved you...and you saved Sister-in-law Ning in return..."

Han Donghu chuckled and patted the other person's shoulder, saying gently:

"Let's go quickly."

…………

Two figures pushing a manure cart exited Shenwu Gate.

…………

Han Donghu gripped the hilt of his sword and led about ten men quickly toward the Imperial Garden.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Garden, he and a dozen or so people behind him headed straight for the Qianqing Palace.

"Did he believe it?" A figure emerged from the shadows and asked Han Donghu with interest.

The stars and moon in the sky are sparse.

The smell of burning wafted into the Imperial Garden on the wind.

"have no idea……"

The butcher shook his head in distress, sighed, and glanced at Mr. Han across from him with a somewhat helpless look.

"Ningwa, he..."

Han Donghu hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Han Qing casually raised his hand and smiled:

"It doesn't matter, as long as others believe it."

"Aren't you going to meet Ningwa?" the butcher asked.

"There's no need for that." The schoolteacher withdrew his gaze from the Divine Martial Gate.

"Let's go."

He turned his foot and looked toward the Qianqing Palace, pressing his hand on the knife at his waist.

"We... will meet again in Baiyangshi."

……

About ten years ago.

He went to Lijia Village to visit an orphan of the Tianli Sect whom he had entrusted to Han Donghu.

The orphan was adopted by a family in Lijia Village who had no descendants.

When he arrived, he found that the orphan's adoptive parents had died, but the Li clan was kind and did not take advantage of his extinction, and was taking good care of the orphan.

That day.

He glanced at the orphan, and after feeling relieved, he prepared to leave.

but.

Just as he turned around.

But in that village, they saw another child...

Han Qing, dressed in a scholar's robe, chatted with him for a while, and on a whim, became a schoolteacher in that village.

"That……"

The teacher, who had been a schoolteacher for ten years, thought with a gentle smile.

"What a really interesting child..."

……

Han Qingwen's gentle gaze faded as he donned his armor, and he strode forward!