Chapter Twenty-Four: The First Night

“What kind of person?” Upon hearing this, Li Jingsui fell into deep thought.

Princess Huairou propped her delicate chin in her hand, gazing at her father. After a moment, Li Jingsui spoke: “This man is hard to see through.”

“Hard to see through?” the princess asked.

“Yes. He saved you, yet left on his own accord. He asked for no recognition, but instead let all the credit fall upon Chen Keyan. Tell me, what do you think he seeks?” Li Jingsui smiled.

The princess pondered, then replied, “I’ve read about such warriors in books. When someone is in need, they step forward, resolve the matter, and leave without asking for any reward.” Though she spoke thus, inwardly she grumbled, remembering how that man had struck her in public—truly infuriating.

“Indeed, as Master Yang once said, ‘To draw the sword for a cause when injustice is seen’—he does possess the bearing of a chivalrous hero.” Li Jingsui stroked his beard out of habit.

The princess nodded. “Father, you cannot imagine how perilous that day was. Those men from Wu and Yue were like fiends. Had it not been for him, not only would your daughter never see you again, but her honor would also have been lost.”

Though Li Jingsui was of mild temper, he doted on his beloved daughter. On hearing this, he replied, “Those men from Wu and Yue are truly despicable. This time, I must persuade my imperial brother to send troops to Suzhou, to teach them a lesson.”

Princess Huairou, with her youthful spirit, loved excitement. Battles and skirmishes suited her rebellious nature. She clapped her hands and declared, “Father, let’s seize all those men from Wu and Yue and make them our slaves.”

Li Jingsui chuckled, thinking to himself how difficult that would be. He, together with Song Qiu, Feng Yansi, and Feng Yanlu, all advocated military action, but Lord Dongping, Li Hongji, Han Xizai, Xu Xuan, and others opposed them, forming a formidable obstacle. Now that Chen Jue’s campaign in Fujian was proceeding smoothly, Han Xizai, fearing Feng Yansi and his faction would take all the credit, opposed military action even more fiercely.

At this moment, Li Jingsui thought to himself that if Yang Lian would agree to serve him, perhaps the situation would change. But, alas, the man was an eccentric—he could not be forced. He would have to win him over gradually.

After a good night’s sleep, Yang Lian awoke refreshed. He took a stroll around the Laifu Inn and, seeing Wang Hu and Zhao Peng loafing around, ordered them to take brooms and clean every corner. These two laborers could not go to waste. Though the Laifu Inn had a good location, because Li Shuxin was a gambler at heart, Li Xiongxin had poured out a lot of money, leaving many parts of the building unrepaired, making it look like a dangerous ruin.

The furniture within was also dilapidated, nearly unusable. It was no wonder that the business was so poor despite the excellent location. Each year was worse than the last—no wonder they had set their sights on him. Yang Lian decided to close for a few days, renovate, and then reopen. This was, after all, his livelihood.

He also noticed that next to the Laifu Inn, there was a tavern with brisk business. If he could acquire it and connect the two buildings, he could gather information as well. But for now, his purse was light; he would have to proceed step by step.

As dusk approached, Yang Lian ate a simple meal, tied sandbags to his legs, and ran five or six miles. Seeing that the curfew was about to begin, he returned to the Laifu Inn. With entertainment so scarce in these times, and after a busy day, he washed up and went to bed.

Before sleeping, Wang Hu came up to him with eager eyes. Yang Lian asked, “What brings you here?”

Wang Hu replied, “Master, since you have taken over Li Xiongxin’s property, his son Li Shu must be holding a grudge. He might come back to harm you. I’ve come to keep watch.”

Yang Lian laughed. This Wang Hu seemed honest enough. After a moment’s thought, he nodded and had Wang Hu fetch a quilt to make a bed on the outer floor. Fortunately, the weather was warm, so there was no fear of Wang Hu catching cold. That night, they both slept soundly. In the middle of the night, Yang Lian woke with a parched mouth and rose to get some water.

Suddenly, near the soft couch, he saw a dark figure standing rigidly, startling him. Then he remembered—it must be Wang Hu. Rubbing his eyes, he muttered, “Wang Hu, why aren’t you sleeping? What are you doing there?” He stood up as he spoke.

He had only taken two steps when something felt off. Just as he was about to turn back, a cold gleam flashed in the dim room—a sword was drawn, its icy blade pressed against his neck, accompanied by the words, “Lecherous scoundrel.”

That voice was so familiar! Yang Lian dared not turn around but said, “So it’s you, Lady Hero. What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? You dare ask? Look at yourself!” Mi Shiwei snapped. Though she tried to keep her voice low, her anger was unmistakable.

At her words, Yang Lian suddenly felt a chill below. He remembered—he had always slept naked out of habit, and even after arriving in this era, he had not changed. After running with sandbags tied to his legs, everything felt constricted and uncomfortable; naked sleep was only natural.

At this moment, he was completely unclothed—no wonder Mi Shiwei was so enraged. But with the dim lighting, surely she couldn’t see much? As he thought this, Mi Shiwei pressed the sword harder against his neck, and blood began to trickle.

“What a ruthless little lady,” Yang Lian thought to himself. “With a temper like this, how will she ever marry?” But now was not the time to speak his mind. He forced a wry smile. “Lady Hero, are you holding your sword against me to keep me from getting dressed?”

Mi Shiwei paused, spat in disgust, and said, “Lecherous scoundrel.” With that, she withdrew her sword.

Yang Lian hurried to the couch and quickly dressed. He then walked to the table and lit the tung oil lamp. The room flooded with light, banishing the darkness, which lifted his spirits. He turned, grinning at Mi Shiwei.

She was now dressed all in black; after all, her usual white garb would draw too much attention at night. Even in black, she still veiled her face in black gauze, revealing only her bright, expressive eyes. Her features remained hidden, leaving one to wonder whether she was beautiful or plain.

Seeing Yang Lian gazing at her in a daze, Mi Shiwei snorted coldly. “You seem to be living quite leisurely.”

“Thanks to the lady hero’s care,” Yang Lian replied with a smile.

“Hmph, you’re quite the schemer—not only did you get an inn for free, you even had Prince Qi, Li Jingsui, come to pay his respects,” Mi Shiwei said. She and her senior brother had planned to return to Jiangdu, but she found herself deeply curious about Yang Lian. He was alone, bearing the great task of restoring a nation—an almost impossible feat. Her curiosity kept her in the city.

Still, she hadn’t expected that after just a day apart, Yang Lian would have acquired a business of his own. Though the means seemed somewhat base to her, Li Xiongxin was no good man—greedy, untrustworthy, and even notorious for withholding wages from the waiters. Moreover, Prince Qi had come to visit the Laifu Inn in person; clearly, Yang Lian’s rescue of Princess Huairou had been premeditated.

“So, Lady Hero, have you come to uphold justice?” Yang Lian smiled at her.

“There are too many such matters in the world for me to handle them all,” Mi Shiwei replied, then added, “But if you harm others again, I will kill you.”

“I’ll be awaiting your esteemed arrival,” Yang Lian replied with a faint smile, though inwardly he realized he needed to be more cautious. Mi Shiwei had entered his house as if no barrier existed. If she had wished to kill him, his life would be forfeit. He would face far greater dangers ahead—Li Hongji was just one of many enemies. Should he send assassins against Yang Lian when he was unprepared, he would die before he could restore his nation.

“What are you scheming now?” Mi Shiwei’s cheeks flushed. Why was this man staring at her again?

“Don’t misunderstand, Lady Hero. I was just thinking how insecure my residence is.” Yang Lian glanced at the unconscious Wang Hu and spoke calmly.

“Rest assured. I only came because I was concerned about you,” Mi Shiwei said.

“Concerned about me?” Yang Lian seized upon those three words.

“No, that’s not it—I’m just curious,” Mi Shiwei hastily corrected herself. Yang Lian’s shamelessness caught her off guard. How could he latch onto such insignificant words?

“Curious? Curious about what? About how I look without clothes?” Yang Lian pressed, shameless as ever.

“You!” Mi Shiwei was furious, her hand going to her sword once more.

“Enough—you’ve broken into my house at night. I ought to report you to the authorities,” Yang Lian squinted, threatening in return.

“Scoundrel!” Mi Shiwei cursed—a rare occurrence—and leaped out the window, vanishing from sight.

“Truly a master—comes and goes without a trace,” Yang Lian sighed, walking to the window. He could no longer see her. Rubbing his chin, he wondered at her true purpose. Was she checking on his well-being? That made little sense.

Yang Lian surveyed the surroundings, deciding that some renovations were indeed necessary. If a real assassin came, his life would end here, and he’d have nothing left but to recite: “The winds are bleak, the river cold, once the hero leaves, he returns no more.”

He approached Wang Hu and saw a faint red mark on his neck—a sign he’d been struck unconscious. Better to let him sleep. The night was deep; the fourth watch had come, and in the future, this would be only 1 a.m. Yang Lian drank some water, undressed again, and went back to sleep.

He slept until dawn. At first light, he washed with willow twigs for his teeth—not as good as the princess’s methods, but better than nothing. He skipped breakfast, tied sandbags to his legs, and went out for a morning run. With yesterday’s experience, he managed a longer distance and only turned back when he’d reached seven miles.

By mid-morning, the roadside was bustling with vendors—selling flatbreads, steamed buns, and the fragrant scent of tofu pudding filled the air. Yang Lian’s mouth watered. He spent a few coins, bought a bit of everything, and ate by the stalls.

The food was delicious, and after his run, he was starved. He quickly finished, drank the tofu pudding, and strolled back to the Laifu Inn. Just then, a commotion arose beside the road. Yang Lian looked over and saw seven or eight young men, all about twenty years old, riding horses and sauntering down the street.