Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Pang Zhangchu slowly leaned closer: "In this life, we only seek a moment of pleasure. Who has any hope for tomorrow? What tomorrow can people like you and me possibly have?"

Li Ji pretended to grab her wrist again, and Pang Zhangchi quickly stopped and withdrew her hand—the little guy didn't know his own strength and pinched people too hard... Then Li Ji said, "It is absolutely impossible tonight. I beg Sister Pang to go back and go back."

Despite Pang Zhang's repeated persuasion and seduction, Li Ji refused. Finally, perhaps because her drunkenness had subsided somewhat, she reluctantly got up, opened the door, and turned to leave. Li Ji wiped the cold sweat from his brow, feeling utterly exhausted from the past few minutes—more so than if he had fought several burly men for a hundred rounds. All he wanted to do was lie down and fall into a deep sleep…

But he still mustered his spirits and watched Pang Zhangchu leave from the doorway. It was already dark, and the courtyard was dimly lit. As she passed the still-lit kitchen, Pang Zhangchu seemed to vent her anger by knocking on the windowpane and shouting, "Wash all the pots and pans, and put everything away on the shelves. Don't be lazy!" But it wasn't until she stepped out of the front yard that a low "Oh" came from inside the house.

Li Ji blew out the oil lamp and stepped out the door. Without putting on his shoes, he tiptoed into the kitchen, peeking inside. He saw A-Cuo expressionlessly washing a pot, with a pile of bowls and chopsticks beside him. It would probably take at least a quarter of an hour to finish. Since Li Ji's arrival, the palace servants in charge of cooking seemed to have become even lazier, pushing a lot of work onto Li Ji. Li Ji only took over most of the heavy lifting, leaving the rest for A-Cuo to do.

Li Ji left the kitchen and quietly slipped into A-Cuo's room. He pushed the door open—sure enough, it was still unlocked from the inside. With a creak, the hinges rattled, startling Li Ji. He quickly turned around and looked into the kitchen, but seeing no unusual movement from A-Cuo, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Yang San Niang's voice came from inside the door: "A-Cuo? Tonight I will sleep with you again."

Li Ji stepped into the house and casually half-closed the door.

Yang San Niang, however, was quite alert. Even in the darkness, she sensed something amiss in the footsteps and immediately sat up, asking in a low voice, "If you're not A-Cuo, then who are you?!"

Li Ji ultimately dared not approach too closely. He stopped once both feet were inside the doorway and then replied in a low voice, "There's no need to ask who I am. Just ask Third Sister, is there someone born in the year of Renwu, the month of Yisi, the day of Guisi, and the hour of Dingsi? Do you recognize him?"

The information he provided was naturally Li Shi's birth date and time: Renwu year was the first year of the Tianbao era, Yisi month was the fourth month of that year, Guisi day was the nineteenth day of that month, and Dingsi hour was between nine and eleven o'clock in the morning. Many people are born on the same day, month, and year, and the first six characters of their birth chart would match, but to have the same hour pillar as well is theoretically unlikely. Therefore, he used this information to inquire with Yang Sanniang. He didn't need her to admit it; simply observing her reaction should allow him to draw a fairly accurate conclusion.

Unfortunately, it was too dark to see her face clearly, so we could only judge her based on what Yang San Niang said, especially her tone.

Why is the palace so poor that they can't even afford to keep the lamps lit for a little longer?

However, before Yang Sanniang could answer, Li Ji suddenly heard a creaking sound from the door hinge behind him, followed by a gust of wind that went straight for the back of his head! He reacted quickly, ducking down and kicking backward at the same time.

His kick missed its mark, and when he turned around, the door was ajar, but no one was in sight. Li Ji felt a chill run down his spine...

Who is it? Is it possible that my every move is being controlled by someone else?!

Just as he was on high alert, listening intently and scanning his surroundings, not daring to let his guard down or make the slightest move, suddenly the sky brightened, followed by a deafening clap of thunder half a second later—the rain was indeed about to fall. In that flash of lightning, the room brightened slightly, and Li Ji glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that someone was climbing on the wall to his side!

The man, with his back against the wall and arms and legs outstretched, somehow managed to hang steadily in mid-air without falling. Then a clap of thunder sounded, and as soon as it subsided, Li Ji let out a soft shout:

"So it was you!"

Chapter Sixteen, Night Battle in a Narrow Room

When Li Ji first arrived at the palace, he felt something was amiss when he shared a room with A-Cuo that night…

It seemed that he had seen something familiar that day, something that flashed by and left a vague impression in his mind, awakening some dormant memories... But what exactly was it? He thought about it for three nights in a row, but still couldn't figure it out.

Like the moon's reflection in water, it remains ever-present if ignored, but vanishes instantly if touched.

Tonight, he sneaked into A-Cuo's bedroom again to test Yang San Niang, who was staying there. Before Yang San Niang could respond, Li Ji was suddenly attacked. He kicked back, but missed. The attacker leaped up like a bird and climbed onto the wall without any support, looking for another opportunity to attack.

Frankly speaking, in such a confined space, and with everything pitch black, Li Ji could only use about 30% of his skills. If the standoff dragged on, he would most likely fall victim to his opponent's deadly attack. However, he dared not simply flee. Firstly, he didn't know where the enemy was hiding, and he worried that rash action would give them an opening. Secondly, if he didn't figure out who the enemy was, could he pretend nothing had happened? Could he still dare to remain hidden in the inner palace?

Just as he was feeling terrified, God intervened. Suddenly, thunder and lightning struck from the sky. Although the lightning flashed in an instant, Li Ji, who was already on guard, caught a glimpse of the enemy out of the corner of his eye.

After the lightning came a deafening clap of thunder, which jolted Li Ji awake from his slumber. He suddenly realized what was happening and blurted out:

"So it was you!"

Then came two sharp "snap" sounds, sparks flying everywhere. It was Yang San Niang, who had gotten up at some point, using a flint to light the oil lamp on the table. The room was small, and Yang San Niang was sandwiched between Li Ji and the person against the wall, causing neither of them to dare to make a move. Li Ji felt as if his heart was responding to the sound of the flint striking the lamp, pounding rapidly.

The lights finally came on, and Yang San Niang even picked up an iron hairpin that she had taken off before going to bed and placed on the table. She carefully adjusted the wick of the hemp stalk lamp to make the light brighter, and then waved to the wall and said, "Come down."

The man then slid down silently with his back against the wall, his eyes fixed intently on Li Ji.

However, his eyes no longer held the usual confusion and dullness, but instead shone with an exceptionally clear and bright light, like two points of starlight.

Indeed, this person is none other than the palace maid "A-Cuo"!

As for the memory that Li Ji awakened from the depths of his heart, it was A-Cuo's back view. On the day he arrived at the kitchen, it was A-Cuo who answered the door. Then, under the orders of two middle-aged eunuchs, the little palace maid seemed to be stunned for a while before she reacted, turned around, and ran to call Pang, the head chef... Just that fleeting glimpse of her back view made Li Ji feel that he had seen her before.

However, it wasn't until today, when he discovered that the person who had ambushed him in the darkness was none other than A-Cuo, that he suddenly realized—back in Ding'an City, he had followed someone who appeared to be Zhen Sui into a side alley, and while questioning two children, a "flying sword" suddenly attacked; he hurriedly protected the children, dodged the hidden weapon, and when he turned around, a small, thin figure had vanished in an instant…

It is this figure from behind, whose height, weight, and even gait are completely unrecognizable without comparing it to one's memory. But once compared to one's memory, the person becomes immediately apparent!

So it was you! The person I've been searching for is also in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang! Ah Cuo, you're even better at pretending than me!

He glanced at Yang Sanniang's expression; she seemed unsurprised, clearly already knowing that this A-Cuo was no ordinary person. A thought flashed through Li Ji's mind: Could this so-called person resembling Consort Shen be a trap, a bait, deliberately designed to lure me in?!

Upon further reflection, he immediately dismissed the guess. If the rebels had set this bait, they would surely be targeting big fish like Li Chu and Li Shi, and those two would never have been able to infiltrate the Luoyang inner palace. Compared to them, his own status was less than that of a small shrimp; was it really necessary for him to set a trap?

Remembering that although A-Cuo had shot him with a flying sword in Ding'an City, she seemed to have no intention of harming him, only to hinder his pursuit of Zhen Sui. Moreover, she had even given him guidance once during the night chase of the rebel general... Looking at Yang San Niang, whose expression was calm, neither detached nor confused, nor showing any sign of being wary of him or A-Cuo, Li Ji felt a little more at ease.

He immediately bowed to Yang Sanniang with his hands clasped, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Yang Sanniang put her index finger to her lips and let out a soft "whoosh," then asked, "What you just said is indeed my son's birth date and time... Did His Highness Prince Guangping send you? What is your real name, and what is your identity?"

"This humble general, Li Ji, is a member of the Imperial Guard, dispatched by His Majesty..."

The moment the name "Li Ji" was uttered, A-Cuo suddenly exclaimed "Eh!"—his reaction speed was completely different from before.

Yang San Niang... also known as Consort Shen, turned her head slightly and glanced at A-Cuo: "Do you recognize her?"

A-Cuo looked Li Ji up and down and asked—she was indeed not mute—"Li Ji has a beard..."

Although the two had never met before, they had made contact, so it shouldn't be difficult for A-Cuo to find out the name of the person who was tracking Zhen Sui—especially since there must be a mastermind behind her—and on the night of the chase, A-Cuo was in the dark while Li Ji was in the light with a torch, so they could naturally see each other's appearances clearly.

Li Ji had speculated that the person who used the flying sword on both occasions was most likely the same person.

Firstly, such hidden weapons are extremely rare; secondly, with over a hundred people traveling with him, why would he specifically use a flying sword to guide him? There are hardly any coincidences in this world.

Li Ji guessed that it was because he had shaved his beard that A-Cuo failed to recognize him after entering the palace, and then, without knowing who was friend or foe, secretly attacked him to protect Consort Shen. Li Ji couldn't help but smile wryly, "If I had grown a beard, how could I have sneaked into the palace?"

Both Consort Shen and A-Cuo looked at Li Ji with a hint of pity in their eyes. Consort Shen nodded: "He is indeed a loyal and brave man, worthy of the important task entrusted to him by the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback before realizing what he meant—what did that mean? You guys didn't actually think I had it done, did you?!

Just as he was about to explain, Consort Shen asked, "A-Cuo said that the Prince of Guangping has been appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army by the Emperor, and that he has recaptured Xijing and will soon march on Dongjing. More than half a month has passed since then, so where is the army now?"

Li Ji guessed that A-Cuo had only infiltrated the Luoyang palace and made contact with Consort Shen shortly after the recapture of Chang'an—if he hadn't gone to Suiyang first, he might have entered the palace a few days later than her. But instead of answering Consort Shen's question, he asked A-Cuo, "Did Li Fuguo send you?"

He had always suspected that the person wielding the flying sword was backed by Li Fuguo. If that were the case, it would mean that Li Fuguo had already sent A-Cuo to secretly protect Consort Shen. His recommendation of him was purely for the purpose of murdering her halfway through—that bastard was truly rotten to the core. If he did not avenge this, he would be unworthy of being a man!

However, there are some inconsistencies. If A-Cuo also infiltrated the Yeting Palace through Yu Ling's connections, it's unlikely that the old man could have acted so convincingly and flawlessly in front of him. If there are other hidden threads, then Yu Ling's connection... might be concealing some kind of trap!

Since he couldn't figure it out, he simply asked directly. However, A-Cuo didn't answer, but just slightly shook his head from side to side.

Li Ji then asked, "So it's Cui Guangyuan?"

A-Cuo still didn't answer, but unlike before, she didn't shake her head. Moreover, her bright pupils clearly contracted slightly.

Li Ji understood perfectly, and then turned to Consort Shen, clasped his hands, and replied, "This humble general does not know, but I have heard from Sima Yun that if the war goes smoothly, the army will be able to reach the walls of Luoyang in two months at most. Your Highness is hiding in the inner palace, and as long as your identity is not exposed, you are originally safe. However, I am afraid that there will be chaos in the city and the palace during the attack, so I have sent this humble general to protect you."

After a moment's thought, Consort Shen said, "I have been hiding here for two years, and I don't think there's any risk of it being discovered. Plus, I have A-Cuo protecting me... Just in case, it's best if we don't see each other too often. If I need to use you, I can have A-Cuo call you—now go back to your room and rest."

Li Ji bowed and said, "This humble general dares to ask another question: Your Highness, besides myself and A-Cuo, is there anyone else in the palace who knows your identity?"

Consort Shen replied, "Yang Sichu was my former maid. It was with her guidance that I was able to hide in the palace."

Li Ji thought to himself, "No wonder. You are a young lady from an official family, and you married the prince as a concubine. Without someone's help, it would be very difficult for you to disguise yourself and hide successfully. Moreover, everyone says that you are a relative of Yang Siji..." He immediately clasped his hands and said, "In that case, Your Highness, take care. This humble general is leaving."

Actually, he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask A-Cuo, but firstly, the timing wasn't right, and secondly... he figured A-Cuo might not be willing to answer. Since they lived in the same courtyard anyway, he'd try again in a few days.

When Li Ji went out, large raindrops were already pouring down. Fortunately, his house was right next door, and he leaped back inside—only his socks were ruined, covered in mud. That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, thinking to himself, "I should have thought of that sooner!"

A-Cuo is both mentally challenged and mute, and not very good-looking either. How could someone like that be allowed into the inner palace? Even if Anqing Xupu selected women for the imperial concubines, he wouldn't be so indiscriminate in his choices, would he? Moreover, that girl is thin and small, looking malnourished, yet she has extraordinary strength. If she has never trained, is it a natural talent?

People's talents naturally vary. Some gain weight even from drinking water, while others can eat a lot without gaining weight. But when it comes to strength, even a tall, muscular person has a lower limit, and a short person, even with exceptional talent, has an upper limit. Unless they train, they can only slightly increase their upper limit. Take my own body, for example. Although I was born with superhuman strength, without Li Ji's decades of relentless training, I couldn't possibly take on three people at once. And when I encountered Di De, who was half a head taller and a full size bigger than me, I could only rely on skill, not brute force…

So when I saw a little girl who looked thin but was actually strong, I didn't suspect anything for several days. I was so careless!

In addition, this girl seems to know "lightness skill," leaping like the wind and able to perch close to the wall, plus she can use a flying sword... Tonight, probably because Consort Shen was in the room, she was afraid of accidentally hurting her, so she used her sword to strike, which he easily dodged. If she were standing outside the door, she could have silently shot a flying sword at him... Thinking of this, Li Ji couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, feeling quite scared.

Chapter Seventeen, Orangutans and Macaques

Palace maids in the inner palace were forbidden from leaving, so they were very isolated from news. From then on, Li Ji only secretly kept an eye on Consort Shen and A'cuo, but focused his main energy on the two old eunuchs, trying to find out news from outside the palace from them.

Because those two took turns going to Taicang to get rice and flour, and to the market to buy firewood, they had the opportunity to come into contact with people and things from the outside world.

Unfortunately, he knew nothing when asked—mainly because he was utterly despondent, merely clinging to life, and had no interest in who the government belonged to, or even in gossip from the streets. In any case, no matter who came to power, they would use eunuchs; as the saying goes, "a new emperor, a new court," but we never hear of a new emperor, a new eunuch. Let's dismiss all the old eunuchs.

We're already at the bottom of the rankings in the palace, could things get any worse? Why bother with other people's business?

On the contrary, during the daily meal delivery, Li Ji overheard the palace maids talking—probably from other eunuchs who had the opportunity to leave the palace—first about the great defeat at Suiyang, the death of Yin Ziqi in battle, and Yang Chaozong's escape back, where Yan Zhuang ordered his execution…

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was overjoyed. Unfortunately, none of the palace maids could explain how the siege of Suiyang had been lifted, or whether Zhang Xun and Nan Jiyun were unharmed—they simply didn't care. Their discussion stemmed solely from An Qingxu's furious rage upon receiving the report of the defeat. He not only approved Yan Zhuang's fait accompli in executing Yang Chaozong but also personally had three eunuchs serving him beaten to death. Even a palace maid presenting new ceremonial robes was caught in his rage and ordered to be dismembered…

The palace maids were terrified and trembling. Even the head of the Imperial Clothing Bureau, who was in charge of selecting clothing, dared not obey the order—even if they could get a mansion, fine clothes, and delicious food after being promoted, they would still have to be alive to enjoy them!

A day later, Li Ji overheard the palace maids whispering that the Tang army had already left Tongguan, and their vanguard had advanced to Shuangqiao, only 150 li away from Luoyang...

The palace maids discussed among themselves, wondering what they should do if the Tang army came and Luoyang could not be defended. One said, "I was originally a Tang maid, and now I am a Tang maid again. Nothing will change, so what is there to worry about?" Another reminded her, "Although you were formerly a Tang maid, you are now a Yan maid. If the Tang army enters the palace, do you think they will treat Yan maids well? Didn't you see how the Yan army treated you when they entered the palace back then?!"

Back then, after the rebel army stormed into Luoyang, they naturally went straight for the palace, committing widespread burning, killing, rape, and looting. Many palace staff members suffered horrific injuries. Fortunately, Yan Zhuang stepped forward to stop them, saying that they could do whatever they wanted in the city, but all the people and things in the palace belonged to the commander-in-chief, and who would dare to rob them?! Only a small portion of the palace staff survived.

One of the palace servants who had survived the ordeal advised, "If the Tang army comes, don't even think about escaping. If you try to escape, you'll only face death, or something even worse. The only thing to do is find a place to hide and wait for an official to come and enforce military discipline. That might be the only way to survive." Then, they secretly began to make connections and point out several secluded hiding places in the palace, including the palace cook.

Because the roads near the Imperial Kitchen were narrow, and even the gate was smaller than elsewhere, it was a formidable stronghold. So they agreed to find a few strong palace servants to block the gate and buy time—unless the soldiers set it on fire, the palace servants might have a chance to survive.

But Luoyang was, after all, the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty. How could any soldier dare to set fire to the palace so easily?

The palace maid who went to deliver the food pleaded with Li Ji, "Zhili, you are strong. Whether we can give birth or not depends entirely on you." Then she told A-Cuo, "Don't look down on your appearance. Those coarse soldiers might not be afraid to assault you. Saving us is the same as saving you." A-Cuo pretended to understand and only reacted after a while, saying "Oh" as before.

Li Ji thought to himself, "These palace maids are all pitiful people. How can I just stand by and watch them suffer?" Although his main task was to protect Consort Shen and it was impossible to save all the palace maids and eunuchs, he should still lend a helping hand as much as he could.

The crucial point is that he is currently disguised as a eunuch and has no documents or tokens to prove his identity. Even if the Tang army storms the palace, he wouldn't be able to stop them. To ensure a foolproof plan, it's necessary to find an opportunity to send a message outside the palace and re-establish contact with Chen Fu and the others, so that they can coordinate their efforts to rescue both Consort Shen and the palace servants.

So, how could he get the message out of the palace? He originally planned to persuade the two old eunuchs to let him do the chores of fetching grain and buying firewood, but although the two were lazy, they were unwilling to easily disrupt their own lives—they felt most at ease as long as everything remained the same and they could barely survive—and resolutely refused…

He also said, "Zhili, you're new here. How would you know where Taicang is or which market sells firewood? Just focus on doing your job well. I appreciate your kindness, but we'll see in the future."

Unfortunately, the Tang army was already closing in, and Li Ji could not wait until later.

He then set his sights on A-Cuo.

A-Cuo and I are probably not on the same side, and it's even possible that she wasn't approved by Li Fuguo. It was purely Cui Guangyuan's arbitrary decision, probably with the aim of gaining extraordinary merit and thus securing Li Chu's favor. Therefore, A-Cuo might have means of contacting people outside the palace that I'm unaware of, and perhaps I could use her to pass messages to Chen Fu and the others.

A few days ago, due to the torrential rain, not only had she failed to repair the roof of the room, but several other rooms in the kitchen, including a corner of the kitchen, were also damaged and leaking. This alarmed Yang Sichu, who immediately reported it to his superiors, and finally, a bricklayer was sent to repair it. After sleeping with A-Cuo for two days, Consort Shen returned to the inner courtyard.

While Consort Shen was present, Li Ji dared not act rashly. After she left, only A-Cuo was left next door. Taking advantage of the quiet of the night, he quietly crept over, intending to call A-Cuo.

Listen to some information—the key is to get the girl to talk, to find out if the person she was protecting that day was indeed Sui, and who ordered the soldiers who attacked Li Bi on Tanshan Mountain.

Although A-Cuo no longer pretended to be mute, she only gave evasive answers no matter how Li Ji questioned her, uttering not a single useful word. If Li Ji pressed her too hard, she would simply snort and pretend to be fast asleep. Li Ji was helpless. He couldn't possibly drag the little girl out of bed to interrogate her, and besides, in a narrow encounter, he only had his fists, while his opponent had a weapon; whether he could win was another matter entirely…

But he was determined to try again tonight and persuade A-Cuo to help deliver the message—you won't answer my question because you're afraid of exposing your benefactor Cui Guangyuan's privacy. Well then, I won't ask anymore. I'll just ask you for a small favor. After all, we're on the same side. You can't pretend to be asleep again, can you?

He pondered deeply in his heart, but outwardly he showed no sign of it. He simply pushed the empty cart back in a daze, with A-Cuo and another palace maid following weakly behind. As they rounded a bend, the palace maid suddenly strode forward, tugged at Li Ji's collar, and hissed, "Are you stupid? Stop right now and stand against the wall!"