Chapter 2

In February, the capital of Tokyo (ancient name for Kaifeng) was enveloped in the new green willow branches swaying in the wind, with the palace and pavilions forming a picturesque scene. White paper money, carried by the wind, fluttered like fallen leaves, adding a touch of autumnal desolation to the spring light.

The Longjin Bridge connected the north and south of the central axis of the city. To the north, it overlooked the inner city's Zhuque Gate, and to the east, it faced the outer city's handicraft and commercial district. At this bridgehead, three seemingly unrelated people accidentally met, their brief glances at each other feeling like a moment from another world.

Next to the Longjin Bridge, a semi-open blacksmith's shop hung a banner with the character "Guo" at the entrance of the archway, facing the Zhuque Avenue diagonally. The makeshift wooden stalls outside were filled with newly forged farming tools, knives, and various iron items, while inside, the bellows were being pulled, making a "huffing and puffing" sound. The red-hot charcoal and the blue flames made the inside much hotter than the outside.

A tall and muscular young man, about eighteen or nineteen years old, was swinging a hammer, drenched in sweat. He wore only a tattered short jacket, with his chest and sleeves open. The hammer, as it was swung, produced a whistling sound, and sweat dripped from his trembling muscles, spreading a sense of raw power in the air. This young man was known as "Shao Ge'er," and his physique was truly impressive, with long arms, bulging muscles on his shoulders, prominent chest muscles, and a well-defined abdomen. This physique was not something a mere laborer could achieve, as the lines were too well-proportioned. Shao Ge'er joined the army at the age of fourteen and was now a small leader in the imperial guard under the command of Zhang Yongde, the commander of the palace guards, practicing archery year-round.

"Clang!" This hammer blow was particularly powerful, sparks flying, and a woman's soft exclamation of "Ah" came from behind.

The young woman's gaze swept over the nearly naked, sweat-drenched Shao Ge'er and quickly turned away, her eyes lowering and her face flushing with embarrassment. She clutched the basket she was carrying tightly, as if startled by the violent hammering sound.

She had a full forehead, large and bright eyes, and a graceful figure that could not be concealed by her old and rough clothes. Her hair was tied up and covered with a gray cloth, and her appearance and age suggested she was a married woman, but she was not Shao Ge'er's wife; she was just there to do laundry, cook, and perform other chores.

At this moment, the people on the opposite side of the Zhuque Avenue hurriedly moved out of the way, curious to see a large procession of guards escorting a luxurious felt carriage approaching. Not only were there mounted guards in new armor, but also many palace ladies and eunuchs, with flags, umbrellas, and various ceremonial items. This was clearly a procession of a high-ranking noble from the imperial court, and indeed, the people in the official carriages quickly moved to the side of the road, bowing respectfully.

"Madame Weiguo," someone in the crowd under the archway said.

Shao Ge'er also stopped hammering, standing by the anvil and squinting to look far away. It was already afternoon, and looking west from the handicraft and commercial district on the east side of the Zhuque Avenue, the sun was setting, making it difficult to open one's eyes.

And the procession of the noble lady, like the sun, made people feel awe and dare not look directly.

Madame Weiguo, Fu Shi, came from the Fu family, which had been ennobled for three generations. Her father, Fu Yanqing, was the Prince of Wei in Hebei. After the fall of the Tang Empire, the central plains changed hands five times over forty years, but the Fu family's power and wealth remained largely unaffected. Now, Fu Yanqing enjoyed both imperial favor and prestige, being enfeoffed as the Prince of Wei, the military governor of the Tianxiong Army, and the governor of Daming in Hebei.

Her eldest daughter, Fu Shi, was first married to the son of Li Shouzhen, a general of the (Later) Han dynasty. When Li Shouzhen and his son rebelled and were killed, Fu Shi became the adopted daughter of Guo Wei and then married Guo Wei's adopted son, Chai Rong. Chai Rong ascended to the throne in January of this year, and Fu Shi was not far from becoming the empress.

It was precisely this woman, who had always been above the clouds, who, as she passed by Shao Ge'er's blacksmith shop, suddenly lifted the pearl curtain on the side of the carriage, revealing half of her face with bright eyes and white teeth. Her gaze was piercing, as if it could penetrate through the wide road and into the hearts of the people on the other side.

She was looking at Shao Ge'er, and then her gaze swept over the young woman, Yu Lian, beside him.

The gap between these three people was so great that they should have had no connection, and the scene that just unfolded was indeed very unusual.

... After pulling down the curtain, Madame Weiguo sat in the luxurious carriage, closing her eyes as if meditating. She was a beautiful woman with a fair complexion, wearing a simple white top with light-colored patterns, a style reminiscent of the Tang dynasty but more restrained. Her posture was very upright, with a slender neck and a naturally noble and dignified air, making her seem untouchable.

A few years ago, how that young soldier appeared in the Fu family's guard, she did not know and did not want to know. However, when she married into the Li Shouzhen household and saw the young soldier again, she felt a vague sense of familiarity. It was not until Li Shouzhen and his son rebelled and were attacked by Guo Wei's army that the young soldier left a deeper impression on her.

At that time, the Li household was in chaos, with people fleeing, begging for mercy, and being killed everywhere, but no one was still fighting. Fu Shi did not want to die with the Li family and hurriedly retreated into the inner palace. The sounds of killing grew closer, and at the entrance to the inner palace, there was a lone armored soldier who had not run away. It was the familiar young soldier. He suddenly said, "Let me serve you one last time, my lady."

She was already terrified and did not pay attention to his strange words, quickly entering the inner palace with the only remaining servant. But deep in her memory, some sounds remained, the clear sound of a sword being drawn... The sword had no feeling, but the person holding it must have, perhaps even a sense of despair as he faced death. The young soldier's roar, the brutal clash of weapons, did he charge alone into a large group of pursuers?

"Let me serve you one last time, my lady." Why did he do this?

Fu Shi frowned, and a vague memory surfaced. A drizzling morning, a shivering, ragged boy on the roadside, the guards' scolding... "Father, father, he is so pitiful, please save him."

"Please, my lady, move to the carriage," a female official knelt beside the carriage, interrupting Fu Shi's thoughts.

She was supported by a palace lady and slowly descended, and the eunuchs and palace ladies immediately bowed respectfully, no one daring to say an extra word. People were filled with awe for the high-ranking lady and the imposing palaces and pavilions behind them. Only one eunuch was listening to an old man whispering, and their furtive actions were very noticeable.

Fu Shi did not mind, walking to a sedan chair and waving away her attendants, calling the eunuch over to speak.

"That young man is named Shao Ge'er, a squad leader in the imperial guard, currently serving under the command of Zhang Yongde, the commander of the palace guards, in the palace guard corps," the eunuch said clearly, bowing. "It is said that he joined Zhang Yongde in the first year of the Ganyou era, skilled in archery, and had already been in the army before that... I boldly guess that he might have been a remnant soldier under the command of the military governor of Hezhong, Li Shouzhen."

Fu Shi said softly, "I see, no wonder I remember seeing him somewhere."

After saying this, she wanted to forget it, but a voice echoed in her ear again, "Let me serve you one last time, my lady." It disturbed her, and she blurted out, "If you can see Zhang Yongde, ask him to take care of Shao Ge'er. He did me a favor in Hezhong..."

"Yes, my lady," the eunuch replied respectfully.

Fu Shi felt a bit lighter after saying this and then asked, "Has the emperor decided to lead the army in person?"

The eunuch lowered his voice, "I think it's almost certain. Yesterday, the prime minister Feng Dao advised against the emperor leading the army, saying the emperor was not as great as Emperor Taizong of Tang, and he was dismissed from his post today..."

Fu Shi said nothing after hearing this and turned to get into the sedan chair. She did not want her second husband, whom she had just married, to take such a risk; but because she had just been enfeoffed as Madame Weiguo and had not yet become empress, she did not want to overly oppose Chai Rong's decision.

The new emperor, Chai Rong, was planning to lead the army in person against the allied forces of the Northern Han and the Khitans. The ruler of the Northern Han, who controlled Jinyang, had always wanted to follow Shi Jing瑭's example and use Khitan troops to march south and become the emperor of the central plains. After a series of battles, with the death of the founding emperor of the Later Zhou, Guo Wei, the new emperor Chai Rong had not yet firmly established his rule. The Northern Han ruler saw an opportunity and again joined forces with the Khitans, leading a ten-thousand-strong army south, defeating the governor of Luozhou, Li Juan, and aiming to destroy the Later Zhou.

Fu Shi had experienced the hardships of war and believed that the Northern Han ruler's plan to march south and destroy the Later Zhou was unlikely to succeed, and the emperor did not need to lead the army in person. However, the emperor's intentions might not only be to protect the country but also to establish his authority and stabilize the domestic situation through a war... If he lost the war, the consequences would be dire. But since the emperor had already made his decision, further persuasion would be futile.

"Carry the sedan chair!" A sharp cry, and Fu Shi's sedan chair was carefully lifted amidst the crowd. Ahead was the deep palace, a world beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

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