Tang Dynasty Swordsman.

Sun's concubine spat again: "That old bastard dares to do that!"

----------

Qingluan was naturally unaware of what those women were saying about her behind her back. She simply hurried home to prepare another delicious meal for Li Ji. But as soon as she entered the house, the doorman said, "A noble family has sent someone to invite you to a banquet."

Sure enough, a person stood in the courtyard with hands clasped, waiting quietly. Qingluan covered her face with her sleeve and avoided him—although Li Ji had put her in charge of the household, she was ultimately a concubine, not a wife, and it was not her place to interfere in matters of dealing with outsiders—she secretly glanced at the person from time to time.

The person was short and somewhat thin, wearing a black turban without legs, a white, narrow-sleeved short-sleeved shirt, and leather boots. Her clothes were quite neat, and she certainly looked like a servant of a wealthy family. But as soon as she glanced at him, the person seemed to sense it and immediately turned his head, and their eyes met.

Qingluan caught a glimpse of a pretty face, who looked very young and had no beard. After all, she was not a young lady from a wealthy family who came from a noble household. She was originally a courtesan and had seen many people... and even more men. She immediately realized: This is actually a woman, isn't it?

What household would send a maidservant disguised as a man to invite an important guest? Could it be that she was sent by a brothel in Pingkang Ward?!

A pang of sadness welled up in her heart, so she simply lowered her sleeves, clasped her hands together, and slightly curtsied, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The man immediately returned the greeting and inquired, "Who is the lady...?" It was indeed a woman's voice.

"I am Li Lang, who followed me in Longyou..." Qingluan first stated her identity, then asked, "I intended to prepare a meal for Li Lang, but I heard that a distinguished guest has invited me—may I ask who your master is..."

The other party paused for a moment, then replied, "He is a colleague of Military Advisor Li. He will know when Military Advisor Li returns." He did not mention any specific name, which made Qingluan even more suspicious.

So he continued to inquire, "May I ask which neighborhood your esteemed master resides in?"

"The banquet was not held at home, but at a house in Pingkangfang."

Qingluan thought to herself, "So it really is Pingkang Lane... Hmm, it seems that when we were in Shancheng, that Manager Du often came over to freeload meals and mentioned that when Li Lang was in Chang'an, he often visited a brothel named Lü in Pingkang Lane. Has he run into his old flame again? Or does that old flame want to rekindle their old flame and has specially sent someone to invite him?"

It's understandable that a hero like Li Lang would have a courtesan's interest... but this isn't an official courtesan, and it's in Chang'an city. I wonder how much a single meal would cost? I recently lent 15,000 coins to a merchant to earn interest, and I really don't have much spare cash left at home...

It was impossible for Qingluan not to feel a pang of jealousy, but she also knew that she couldn't stop this from happening, and it was the prevailing trend in officialdom... What worried her even more was that she wouldn't be able to afford enough to reward the prostitutes, causing her husband to lose face.

He pondered to himself, what else could he possibly have at home to make up the difference? If it were tomorrow night, there might still be time to pawn it temporarily... Speaking of which, the other day, Li Lang gave away a thousand coins for a pair of maces. He really doesn't care about the cost of rice in Chang'an!

Startled, the woman opposite him was puzzled. She bowed slightly and said, "Please go ahead with your business, my lady. I'll wait here for Military Advisor Li."

Qingluan hurriedly said, "How can I make you wait here? Since you're here, please sit on the porch and I'll go boil some hot water."

So she led the woman dressed as a man to the veranda, and Qingluan went to the kitchen to boil water, poured a bowl, and handed it to her. She took the opportunity to sit down next to her and chat casually. Anyway, Li Lang was going out to eat in the evening, so there was no need to spend time and effort preparing dinner. As for her own and the servants' meals, the cook could take care of them. Besides, the other person was not a man...

She subtly inquired about the cost of a night in Pingkang Lane. The woman glanced at her sideways, secretly amused, but replied seriously, "That depends on the household. Southern, central, and wall-following lanes all have different prices. As my master has set, the cost for one lane is a length of brocade."

Qingluan was shocked upon hearing this—Mother, if listening to a single song costs a length of brocade, wouldn't spending the night be even more exorbitantly priced? If I hadn't been an official courtesan, but a private one, I would have been sleeping amidst mountains of gold and seas of silk by now!

Oh no, this is, after all, Chang'an City, Pingkang Ward. If this were elsewhere... even if I were famous throughout Longyou, I probably wouldn't earn a fraction of what I'd make...

Just as she was feeling anxious, she suddenly heard the courtyard gate open, followed by Li Ji's voice: "You've been sweating profusely today... Qingluan, quickly boil some water for me to bathe."

Chapter Two: No Feast is Good

[Kuangren Novel Network] Mobile reading website. Share if you like it.

The day after Li Longji moved into Taiji Palace, a middle-aged man indeed came to report to the Zuo Yingwu Army. His report indicated that he was Qin Huan, the great-great-grandson of Qin Hugong, and wore the military rank of Zhenwei Deputy Commandant (lower sixth rank). Li Ji had already informed Dou Wenchang, and immediately appointed him as the captain of the first regiment of the secondary brigade, actually leading two hundred cavalry.

After the procedures were completed and everything was arranged, Li Ji did not summon Qin Huan in his capacity as an official. Instead, he took the initiative to visit Qin Huan, respectfully requesting that Qin Huan teach him mace techniques. Qin Huan readily agreed, adding, "My fifth father instructed me to teach Military Advisor Li with utmost care and not to hold anything back."

Li Ji thought to himself: You addressed Li Fuguo as "Fifth Father" to my face? Is this a deliberate attempt to reiterate that you have powerful backers? It seems this Qin Huan is not someone I can be too close to!

The Qin family's ancestral home was Licheng County, Shandong. Qin Qiong and Qin Shubao's grandfather and father both served in the Northern Qi Dynasty, but only reached mid-level positions and were not well-known. Shubao joined the army in his youth, serving under Lai Huer, Zhang Xutuo, and Pei Renji during the Sui Dynasty. Later, Pei Renji surrendered to Li Mi of Wagang, and Shubao also joined Wagang. After Li Mi was defeated by Wang Shichong, he fled east to the Tang Dynasty. Shubao was captured and surrendered to Wang Shichong, and was appointed as the Dragon General. Soon after, he voluntarily abandoned Wang and joined Li, serving in the Qin King's staff.

The Prince of Qin of the Tang Dynasty was none other than Emperor Taizong Li Shimin. With the backing of this powerful figure, Qin Shubao fought countless battles, and his reputation and official position rose steadily, eventually becoming the Left General of the Martial Guard, a third-rank official. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Governor of Xuzhou and Duke of Hu, with the posthumous name Zhuang, and was listed among the twenty-four meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion.

When the Tang Dynasty was founded, there were many famous generals, but most of them were gradually forgotten by the people. Of course, the court officials would not forget them. Of those who have always been remembered by the people, only four are probably Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojin (Cheng Zhijie), Xu Maogong (Li Ji), and Yuchi Jingde (Yuchi Gong).

The Qin family possessed a family-inherited mace technique, originally not passed down to outsiders. However, over a century later, the family gradually declined, and now even the main branch has died out. Qin Huan has fallen into a low-ranking position, sitting on the sidelines of the Ministry of War for over a decade. Having finally managed to curry favor with Li Fuguo, a powerful figure, and with Li demanding he reveal his mace technique in exchange for a substantive post in the Imperial Guard, how could he possibly refuse?

As for whether he truly shared his knowledge as promised, Li Ji naturally didn't know. He learned mace techniques from Qin Huan and felt that it truly lived up to its reputation as a family-inherited skill; the moves were simple yet very practical, especially suitable for mounted combat—he felt he had struck gold. Oh, no, this was specially prepared for him by Li Fuguo…whatever, I'll take the sweet talk and return the cannonball.

As for Qin Huan himself, through Li Ji's study and combat demonstrations, it was clear that he had a very solid foundation—probably due to rigorous training from a young age under the supervision of his parents—but unfortunately, his talent was limited. In terms of physique and comprehension, he was only average, and it seemed that he had never truly experienced life-or-death combat; his skills were more showy than genuine. Li Ji, in turn, made choices, discarding the showy skills and retaining the genuine ones, practicing diligently every day in the government office.

The main reason is that, apart from public holidays, he had to get up at dawn every day to go to the government office—fortunately, his home was not far from the Daming Palace—so he had to give up his regular morning exercise routine in Longyou; at the same time, he could usually finish his official business in half a morning, leaving him with plenty of free time.

Also due to his special status, he held the second-highest position in Zuo Yingwu's army, and his superior, Dou Wenchang, would not find fault with him. Naturally, he could use his work time to hone his skills. Moreover, Li Ji also used this opportunity to get close to the soldiers in the army—he could ask them to spar with him—and gradually, just as Dou Wenchang had hoped, he gained control of the hearts and minds of Zuo Yingwu's army.

That afternoon, he summoned Qin Huan again for a sparring match, but it wasn't enough—given Qin Huan's skill level, unless he had some hidden trump card he wasn't willing to reveal, Li Ji could easily take on five men with a single mace—so he ordered ten strong soldiers to be selected, and they fought for a full half hour, using either swords or spears. To be honest, there were indeed strong men in the Yingwu Army, but unfortunately, they had been away from the battlefield for a long time, and gradually their skills had become rusty and they were too bulky… Li Ji didn't dare to use his full strength—he was worried about casualties—otherwise, these ten men probably wouldn't have lasted even half a quarter of an hour against him.

After working up a good sweat, he quickly found a shady, windless spot to rest for a while, then mounted his horse, left the government office, and returned home. As soon as the gate opened, Li Ji casually handed the reins to the gatekeeper and called out, "I've worked up a good sweat today... Qingluan, quickly boil some water for me to bathe."

Qingluan hurriedly jumped down from the corridor and rushed to greet him, saying, "A 'noble person' has sent a servant to invite Li Lang to have wine at 'Pingkang Lane' tonight." She deliberately emphasized two of the words.

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was slightly taken aback, then his gaze swept around and he saw the woman dressed as a man. The woman had just come down from the corridor, put on her boots, and bowed to Li Ji with her hands clasped in a gesture of respect from afar.

Li Ji asked in surprise, "How come it's you?"

Of course he recognized the woman; wasn't this Cui Qi?

"Young Master Cui, are you inviting me to drink because you want to save your own life?"

Cui Qi replied respectfully, "Indeed, my master has already prepared a banquet at Qu Lü Miaozhen's house in Pingkang Ward, and is waiting for Military Advisor Li to grace us with his presence."

Qingluan, standing to the side, was just biting her sleeve and pondering: What kind of cronies is this "Cui Shaobao"?

It's no wonder she misunderstood, because the first-ranking officials in the Eastern Palace were the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, and Grand Guardian of the Crown Prince, all of the first rank. Next were the Junior Tutor, Junior Preceptor, and Junior Guardian of the Crown Prince, all of the second rank. But now the Eastern Palace was deserted, and the officials had been dispersed to receive additional titles; almost no one remembered those few still existed. Especially since her own husband was only an eighth-rank official, why would a second-rank official specifically send someone to invite him? Therefore, Qingluan simply assumed it was a name, surnamed Cui, called "Shaobao."

Upon hearing Cui Qi's words, Li Ji frowned: "Why is it Lü Miaozhen's family again... Why not hold a banquet at your residence?"

Cui Qi replied, "I am unaware of my master's orders."

Li Ji had no choice but to wave his hand and say, "I am covered in sweat and smell terrible, so I cannot go to see such an important person. You should rest for a while..." He then instructed Qingluan, "Boil some water for me to wash up."

Qingluan hurriedly replied, "We have hot water. I'll have someone fetch it right away..."

Li Ji didn't dare spend too much time bathing; he simply wiped himself with hot water, changed into a clean scholar's robe, and still had his double maces hanging at his waist. Qingluan helped him comb and tie his hair, put on his turban, and carefully asked, "Since you're going out for drinks, why are you carrying maces?"

Li Ji smiled slightly: "Haven't you heard the saying, 'There are no good gatherings, no good banquets'?"

Qingluan thought he was joking, gritted her teeth, dragged a rather heavy small wooden box from under the bed, and pushed it in front of Li Ji. Li Ji asked her in confusion, "What is this?" Qingluan said, "There are more than three thousand coins inside... I also put some of my jewelry and headdress in there."

Why give it to me?

“It’s difficult, is it possible to go to Pingkangfang for a drink… After all, you are an official, and you cannot be without a reward, lest you lose face in front of your friends.”

Li Ji laughed loudly, "Since someone else is treating me to drinks, why should I pay for it myself? Besides, how am I supposed to carry this whole box?"

"Order Ah Qi (the household servant) to borrow a carriage to accompany the young master..."

Li Ji raised his foot and kicked the wooden box back onto the bed—"No need. Your Li Lang can go out and eat for free with just this face. Who would dare to ask for a reward?" As he spoke, he turned and walked out of the house.

Qingluan followed behind and asked, "It seems we'll have to stay out tonight..."

Li Ji nodded: "We'll see. We've been drinking late, and we might not be back before curfew..." Then, as if finally realizing something, he turned around, took Qingluan's arm, and whispered with a smile in his concubine's ear: "Are you worried that I'll go out and sleep with other women? Don't worry, it's just drinking. I'll sleep when I'm drunk—I have a beautiful woman at home, why go looking for someone outside?"

Although Qingluan didn't understand the phrase "sleeping among flowers and willows," she roughly grasped its meaning and quickly said, "I dare not stop you, my lord. In officialdom... there are some rules that cannot be broken. But you have to go to work tomorrow, so please don't waste your energy..."

Li Ji thought to himself, "What the hell is this? It's become a common practice in officialdom? Smoking prostitutes has become a common practice?"

He hadn't planned to ride a horse—because Cui Qi had come on foot—but Cui Qi warned him, "If you need to get back before curfew, or if you need to go to the palace from Pingkang for duty tomorrow morning, it will be inconvenient for you to be without a mount." So he had to bring out his mount, but instead of riding it, he walked alongside Cui Qi.

Qingluan stared at the two figures as they walked away, filled with both surprise and doubt... Even if they were servants in the Prime Minister's household, they were still servants after all. Why were they not allowed to lead the horse in front of her, but to walk alongside it... Could this woman be the vixen from Pingkang Lane, Li Lang's old flame?! But looking at this woman's appearance, she was only average, and her figure was even more frail. How could she attract a man?

Looking down at his own ample bosom, he wondered if that woman might be a skilled musician or a talented poet. He'd heard that officials in the capital valued talent more than beauty…

Leaving aside her rambling thoughts, Li Ji and Cui Qi walked a few feet away, turned a corner, and Cui Qi turned her head to look back. Suddenly, she burst out laughing.

Li Ji had been glancing sideways at Cui Qi, sensing that she seemed quite different from when they worked together in the Luoyang Imperial Palace… Actually, upon closer inspection, this girl wasn't ugly at all. She probably pretended to be silly and foolish in the Imperial Palace, her features stiff and her eyes glazed over, so a score of 6 out of 10 in looks was a failing grade. Now, she seemed to have more than 60% beauty. Could it be… that her slender figure was more suited to male disguise?

Well, in later generations, a girl with this kind of appearance and figure would indeed be better suited to more neutral clothing... So, what about a Lolita dress or a maid outfit...?

Upon seeing Cui Qi smile, which unexpectedly added a touch of charm, Li Ji's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly asked, "What are you smiling about?"

Cui Qi bit his lower lip, suppressing a laugh, and asked in return, "Where did you get such a concubine?"

"So what?"

"If you call her stupid, she could tell at a glance that I was a woman; if you call her shrewd, she seemed to think I was a maidservant from a brothel in Pingkang Lane..."

Li Ji couldn't help but say, "You used to be a maid in a brothel, didn't you?"

Cui Qi immediately glared at Li Ji and spat softly.

Li Ji couldn't help but laugh, and then asked, "Why did Junior Protector Cui invite me to drink today?"

"I do not know."

"Is it that you don't know, or that you can't say?" Li Ji asked. "Speaking of which, what does Cui Shaobao take you for? You were the one who infiltrated the inner palace, risking your life, and you were the one who invited me to drink—don't you understand the principle of using one's expertise for another?"

Cui Qi replied, "I am just a servant in the Cui household, raised at home since childhood. But I obey my master's orders, whether it means risking my life or inviting people to drink. What special skills do I have that require special attention?"

Li Ji clicked his tongue repeatedly, "What a pity, what a pity..." Then he asked, "How have you been these days? Where are you? Have you gone to Hebei with Cui Shaobao to fight against the rebels?"

Cui Qi naturally wouldn't say much about her mission, but Li Ji gleaned some clues through their conversation. She probably spent most of her time in Chang'an, helping Cui Guangyuan investigate the private lives of his colleagues and contacting the Cui clan and related factions; as for the battlefield, given her agile and nimble skills, she probably wouldn't be of much use.

They exited from the south gate of Anxingfang, then bypassed Shengyefang, entered Pingkangfang through the north gate, and finally arrived at Lü Miaozhen's house in Zhongqu. It seemed that Cui Guangyuan had booked the entire place today; servants greeted them, and the courtyard was quiet, a far cry from the scene of the dissolute youths gathering there in the past. Lü Miaozhen then came to greet them, but seemed not to recognize Li Ji, and without mentioning the previous situation, she only said, "Master Cui has been waiting for a long time in the main room. Please follow me inside, esteemed guest—this pair of maces is quite large, please put them down."

Li Ji casually took off the double maces. Cui Qi, standing beside him, naturally reached out and took them, but couldn't help but gasp: "So heavy, it must weigh over thirty pounds." But seeing her carrying the double maces with ease, Li Ji felt that if the little girl were to use these maces, she could probably swing them for seven or eight rounds—stronger than Qin Huan.

He removed his boots and stepped onto the veranda, entering the house. Besides Cui Guangyuan, he saw another guest present. Both were dressed casually, wearing black gauze hats with plain-colored robes and half-sleeved outer garments. Li Ji clasped his hands in greeting, and Cui Guangyuan smiled, saying, "You've finally arrived—no need for formalities, please come and sit down."

He then gestured to the accompanying guest: "This is Yan Jingzhi, the current Minister of Agriculture..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ji was greatly surprised—Damn, no wonder he looked so familiar! It was none other than Yan Zhuang, the traitorous prime minister whom he had once caught a glimpse of from afar in the Imperial Palace in Luoyang!

Yan Zhuang's appearance was just like his appearance; at first glance, he seemed like a hawk, the kind that feeds on carrion... But then he smiled slightly, and it seemed that he was not so repulsive, and strangers should stay away. Yan Zhuang said, "I have long heard of the name of Li Erlang, and I am fortunate to meet you today—I am Yan Zhuang, the eleventh in my clan, you may call me Eleventh Brother."

Li Ji hurriedly said he dared not, and then sat down in the guest seat.

Cui Guangyuan also said, "At today's private banquet, regardless of rank or age, we will call you Erlang, you can call him Shiyilang, and I will call you Wulang." He then smiled and said, "Of course, compared to that Wulang, I am far inferior."

Li Ji asked, "Lord Cui..."

"If you won't call that guy Goro, will you not call me Goro either?"

"Um...Goro, what brings you here today?"

Cui Guangyuan smiled and said, "We are not strangers. Can't we host a banquet if there is nothing wrong?" Then he pointed to Yan Zhuang and said, "Actually, Eleventh Brother has long heard of the reputation of Li Erlang, who broke through the enemy lines, and is eager to meet him. So he asked me to act as a go-between."

[Kuangren Novel Network] Mobile reading website. Share if you like it.

Chapter Three: Cycle of Retribution

On the way, Li Ji asked Cui Qi what Cui Guangyuan had summoned him for today. Cui Qi remained tight-lipped and refused to answer—perhaps even she didn't know. Li Ji pondered this, wondering if Cui Guangyuan had found out that Li Fuguo wanted to turn from enemy to friend and was therefore trying to regain Li Fuguo's favor through him?

Surely not, I don't have that much power.

Even after meeting Yan Zhuang, Cui Guangyuan still said that the main purpose of today's banquet was to introduce him to Yan Zhuang, which made Li Ji even more confused.