The Lament of Cai Yan
From the area near Beihai to Chang'an was quite a distance.
The route passed through Youzhou territory, followed the roads toward Luoyang, then veered slightly west and north to reach Chang'an. It was a long haul.
"Yonghwa. Sorry about this."
I felt guilty for dragging my wife into such a grueling journey.
"Hehe. No, it's fine, dear."
But Bu Yonghwa didn't seem bothered at all.
"You've been so busy lately with one thing after another. Traveling alone with you like this, all cozy—it's been my dream."
Bu Yonghwa beamed as she said it.
"I see."
Indeed, from serving under Gongsun Zan to the chaos in Xuzhou, she'd been caught up in all sorts of dangers alongside me.
"...No need to watch out for that sneaky cat either. Nice, right?"
Bu Yonghwa murmured while gazing dreamily at the distant sky.
"Yeah. Let's stop for the night in Youzhou, then."
I'd been worried her mood might sour and make the trip miserable, but realizing I was truly blessed with a good wife filled me with relief. Man, I'm lucky.
"Yes!!"
Bu Yonghwa's cheer faltered into a slightly worried expression.
"Um, but... Isn't Youzhou ruled by that Cao Cao guy? The one who massacred people in Xuzhou—if it's his territory, won't something bad happen?"
She asked with genuine concern.
"Nah, it'll be fine. Youzhou's huge."
I stroked her head reassuringly. Even if Cao Cao's forces were around, they'd be concentrated near Xu Chang or Chenliu. The odds of randomly bumping into one of his named officers while crashing in some backwater village were slim to none.
If it gets dicey, we just bail. I could sense threats from a distance anyway—the nameplates hovering over enemies' heads gave them away once they got close enough. A nice perk from the Status Window.
"Mm. I'll trust you, dear."
Bu Yonghwa said, gently caressing the back of my hand gripping the reins.
We didn't reach the Cao Cao-controlled areas of Youzhou until nightfall. Without proper lighting in this era, galloping through roads at night was basically suicide.
So we decided to hole up in a village where we spotted some lights.
The journey had been smooth, honestly. Stone-paved roads crisscrossed Youzhou everywhere, and soldier outposts dotted the landscape nearby. No bandits dared show their faces. I kept my hand near my sword hilt, half-expecting the troops to turn robber, but they were disciplined—sharp as tacks.
Typical Cao Cao territory. Heavy taxes, sure, and he worked the peasants to the bone with tuntian farms and such, but law and order? Ironclad.
We booked a room at a village inn doubling as a post station and planned to eat breakfast before heading out the next morning.
"Wow, dear! This noodle soup is amazing!"
Bu Yonghwa slurped it down with gusto, grinning ear to ear. Watching her eat so heartily was adorable.
"Hehe. Want more noodles, pretty young lady?"
"She's eating well."
"Aww, such a lovely bride. Your husband's a lucky man."
The other villagers at the inn smiled warmly, offering her more food. Bu Yonghwa had that charming personality that won people over easily.
"Hehe. Thank you."
She laughed, mouth stuffed full. A bit unladylike, maybe, but on a beauty like her, it was just cute.
Do they recognize me? The thought made me tense for a second, but no—the locals didn't bat an eye.
Even with my somewhat conspicuous thick black hair—an immigrant style—they just shrugged it off.
Well, plenty of northern ethnic folk trickle down from Bingzhou or Youzhou. Same reason no one freaked over Bu Yonghwa's Xiongnu golden hair and blue eyes. We just looked like a cute immigrant couple.
As we ate, I perked up my ears to the villagers' chatter.
"Heard there was a huge fire in Xu Chang."
"Oh, that? Lu Bu, right? The traitorous bitch who killed Dong Zhuo and now lords it over the Emperor. She led troops in a midnight raid."
"Against the mighty Cao Mengde? Ha! Ballsy."
"Word is, the local gentry in Youzhou backed her. Those rich pricks got bled dry by Cao Cao—money, men, everything. They were pissed."
"Hah! Serves 'em right. Nothing I hate more than those smug bastards strutting around."
Even if history had shifted a bit, Lu Bu teaming up with Chen Gong to backstab Cao Cao seemed unchanged.
Thanks to that, Xuzhou had some peace. Sort of.
"Hey, enough politics—you'll get us all in trouble. Drop it."
One villager cleared his throat awkwardly, killing the vibe. Damn, nothing worse than someone pouring cold water on a juicy story when I'm eavesdropping hard.
"So, does that mean Lu Bu's in charge now? Fire got put out quick, I heard?"
"Nah. Cao Mengde barely escaped—he's undefeated for a reason. He counterattacked while her troops slacked off. Turned into a massive brawl... what was it again?"
"Uhahat! Look at him forgetting his own story!"
The crowd burst into wild laughter.
"Li Jue, Guo Si, and Zhang Ji—those Dong Zhuo loyalists—hit Lu Bu from behind. They wheeled around from the rear and charged for Chang'an. Lu Bu realized too late and pulled her forces back."
A rough-looking guy who screamed deserter laughed as he spoke.
"Ah, so she torched Xu Chang in a frenzy, looted what she could, and retreated!"
The villagers cheered the deserter's wiki-level intel.
History's on track, then. Lu Bu gets backstabbed by the Li Jue-Guo Si duo, fails to take Xu Chang—just like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
But this wasn't good news for me.
Gotta hustle. I'd have to crank Jiralma's speed to max and bolt for Chang'an like a madman.
Once Li Jue and Guo Si entered Chang'an, Wang Yun's rule was done. No reason to spare him after his brutal crackdown on Dong Zhuo remnants.
Before that, Lu Bu clashes with them outside the city—and surprisingly loses. Without her brute force, Wang Yun knows it's over and kills himself.
If Wang Yun dies, I lose my shot at bonding with Cai Yong and Cai Yan. I had to trigger that fateful encounter quest before Li Jue and Guo Si rolled in.
"Let's pick up the pace a bit."
With a woman up front, safe driving was the rule, but I decided to push harder.
Clop-clop!
I gently nudged Jiralma's belly with my heel. Wanted to kick harder, but too rough and the damn thing would buck me off.
"Hiiihiiing!!"
Jiralma let out a booming neigh and tore off down the road like a demon.
"Kyaa?!"
Bu Yonghwa yelped, clutching my hand on the reins.
"Sorry! Let's hurry to Chang'an!"
I soothed her as best I could while urging the horse on.
I'd been worried about her, but it was needless.
"Kyaa!! Dear!! Faster!! Faster!!! Uhahat!!"
Bu Yonghwa was thrilled, shaking with excitement.
My wife... Xiongnu blood runs true. She lived for the rush of galloping into the wind.
After riding all day—ass and thighs screaming—Chang'an finally came into view. Lucky break; no bullshit plot twists. No soldiers fighting at the gates or signs of recent battle.
This thing's insanely fast. Jiralma was a beast.
Bad temper and obscurity aside, maybe it was a top-tier steed. Just a hunch.
"Mm. Not as grand as Luoyang, but... still nice."
Bu Yonghwa's eyes sparkled at the city's sights.
"Yeah. It's only recently been made the capital."
Just the bare minimum for a capital. Nothing else. Luoyang's splendor? Forget it. Population was half, from what I knew.
"Still flashier than Xuzhou! Let's go!!"
Bu Yonghwa beamed.
"Heh. I'll buy you anything."
Lots of pricey jewels and gold here.
"Pfft. Spoiling me is bad."
She playfully pinched my cheek.
Not during our honeymoon, c'mon.
"Hyah."
I tied the horse loosely and headed for the gates. Horse thieves? Jiralma would kick their asses itself.
Bu Yonghwa fretted about guards searching or arresting us, but it was unfounded.
[Searching for the traitorous Dong Zhuo.]
Placards like that plastered the walls, complete with a sketch of his face. Wang Yun, the current boss, was obsessed with hunting Dong Zhuo.
He was on a bloody purge of anyone tied to him, burning with hate.
Arriving amid the unease was risky, but I had to tough it out to boost my intelligence stat.
The streets felt a bit chilly, but true to a new Han capital, they bustled with people.
"Dear... that head over there..."
Bu Yonghwa grimaced at a rotting severed head in the middle of the road.
Dong Min, Dong Zhuo's younger brother. Plus other high officials who'd curried favor and lived large under him.
If Wang Yun had shown some mercy, Li Jue and Guo Si might've knelt for now. He symbolized the stubborn old guard: excuses for purges, zero tolerance. Slaughtering anyone linked to Dong Zhuo? Chaos inevitable.
And caught in it? Cai Yong, the era's top literati. Jailed just for composing a poem at Dong Zhuo's banquet back in his poor days and taking the stipend. Without my meddling, he'd die forgotten.
First up... find Cai Yan. I wandered familiar Chang'an streets toward the quest-giver.
"Dear! Look at that fun shop!"
And while at it, give my wife Yonghwa an unforgettable honeymoon memory. Busy times.
As we strolled hand-in-hand toward our goal,
a clear, melodious song drifted from somewhere.
It tugged at the heart—sadness blooming, emotions stirring just from listening.
Both Bu Yonghwa and I turned, mesmerized, toward the source. There, a beauty in mourning garb knelt, endlessly singing a dirge for her father.
"Poor thing... Cai's family too."
"Shh. Say that too loud and the officials'll drag you off..."
Onlookers watched with pitying sighs.
This was Cai Yan.
Now for the cliché... enter the thugs? I waited for her quest trigger.
"Hey!! What's with the wailing? Funeral or what?!"
"These bitches again!!"
Soldiers in uniforms—total sleazebags—swaggered up, dragging their weapons.
"You!! Your singing's annoying!!"
They leered with vile grins, circling the kneeling Cai Yan.
That's right, thugs. Be my stepping stones for destiny. I cheered inwardly, eyeing them warmly.
"Hah..."
Cai Yan backed away, eyes wide with fear.
"Whoa, where you goin'?"
One grabbed her slender wrist.
Textbook thug move from a story!!! These guys had real sleaze cred!
Anyway, I started loosening up, timing my intervention. Yonghwa watched with a look like can't stop him, as if she'd predicted it.