Plotting in Chang'an
I had grown up in this world, swinging a blade until I was sick of it just to survive.
Since I had already crossed swords with Lu Bu once, there was nothing left that could truly frighten me.
The enemies before my eyes fell one by one. By the time I noticed, my entire body was drenched in blood.
Shwaaaaack—
A bandit’s blood splattered across my face. As I wiped it away and searched for the next foe, I saw one fleeing bandit get sliced clean in half by a single swing of Dian Wei’s blade.
To think a human body could be split so easily… Dian Wei’s monstrous strength truly exceeded all imagination.
That corpse became the last. The countless bandits were completely annihilated.
“Haa…”
“Young Master, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
The stench of blood was so thick it made me dizzy. I grabbed a wine bottle from the caravan’s cargo, poured it over my head, and splashed some on my sword to wash away the gore.
“Damn it, don’t we have any spare clothes?”
“I-I’ll prepare some immediately!”
While Vice-Captain Cheng Yun hurried off to fetch fresh garments, I stripped off my blood-soaked upper robe. I took a swig from the bottle, then poured the rest over the discarded robe and used it to wipe every trace of blood from my body. Only then did Cheng Jia return with the new clothes.
“Lord Cao!”
Dian Wei strode over, still covered head to toe in blood.
“Ah, General Dian! You worked hard today.”
“Not at all. Are you injured anywhere?”
“Against a mere bandit horde? There’s no way I’d get hurt.”
Still, it seemed the bandits of the Central Plains were far stronger than the water bandits of the Southlands. They didn’t just swing wildly; when they moved in coordinated groups, I had nearly found myself in serious trouble earlier.
“My lord, here are your new clothes.”
“The smell of blood is overpowering. We can’t stay here. Vice-Captain, let’s cross the mountain today.”
“U-understood!”
At my order, Cheng Yun rallied the other merchants and they hurriedly drove the wagons forward. We set off across the mountain without even a proper rest. As I mounted my horse beside Dian Wei, he spoke up.
“Young Master Cao, something feels off.”
“What do you mean?”
“The ones we just fought… they didn’t seem like ordinary bandits.”
“What?”
Dian Wei glanced back once with a calm expression and explained.
“I took care of them, but I noticed something strange midway. Unlike typical bandits, their weapons were uniform. Even when their comrades fell, instead of panicking they used the openings to press the attack.”
“Ah, that’s why I nearly got killed a few times. But if they weren’t bandits, then what? They certainly weren’t regular soldiers.”
“Assassins. And well-trained ones at that.”
Assassins? That was even harder to believe.
In this situation, nearly a hundred trained killers suddenly targeting a caravan felt wrong. They had been more organized than common bandits, yet something still didn’t add up.
If Dian Wei was right and they truly were assassins, then who had sent them?
It sounded absurd, but Dian Wei might be simple-minded, yet his combat instincts were sharp. I couldn’t ignore his words. I would have to investigate once we reached our lodgings.
After traveling through the night and crossing the mountain, we finally arrived at an inn and could rest. I washed first, then immediately summoned Cheng Jia.
“Vice-Captain Cheng.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“The Wei Clan Trading Company is the greatest merchant guild in the Central Plains, yet it also holds immense value as an intelligence broker, does it not?”
“That is correct. If you wish, we can obtain any information you desire.”
I spread out the map upon hearing his answer. It had been given to me before departure and proved incredibly useful.
“Investigate the corpses we left behind. Confirm whether they were truly bandits and uncover the identity of their organization.”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. I understand. I will look into it.”
“Also, secure some boats around the Huayin area.”
“Boats? What size are we talking about?”
“Fast, agile vessels capable of carrying several hundred men. As many as you can arrange.”
Cheng Yun looked puzzled but agreed to prepare the ships as ordered.
“Before heading to Chang’an, we must stop by the Hongnong region. Gather useful people there.”
“Gather men in Hongnong and prepare boats to sail the Yellow River… Young Master, are you planning to return by water route instead of land?”
“Mm, you could say that.”
After all, I had already intervened to save the Cao Song family and prevented the massacre in Xu Province.
Then this time as well, I could intervene and help the Emperor escape Chang’an. Yes, I could do it. Quite easily, in fact.
“Understood. I will prepare everything as instructed.”
“Ah, one last request.”
“What is it? Please speak.”
“Before entering Chang’an, I want to disguise myself so no one can recognize my face.”
“Disguise? You mean like the face paint street performers use?”
“Mm. Something that would prevent people in Yan Province from recognizing me. Is that possible?”
“Understood. I will obtain the necessary tools.”
I made up my mind to run wild in spectacular fashion once inside Chang’an.
After issuing orders step by step to set my plans in motion, I parted ways with Dian Wei in Hongnong.
“Young Master, this one’s role is to guard you safely. Are you truly alright going alone?”
“Inside Chang’an, I must move by myself anyway. Your strength is unmatched under heaven, General Dian, but that very size of yours would draw immediate suspicion the moment you tried anything within the city walls.”
“Hmmm… if you put it that way…”
“I already told Cheng Jia to gather strong men here. Contact me the instant you receive word from me and move immediately.”
“Understood! I wish you great martial fortune!”
Dian Wei gave a hearty salute and wished me luck.
Then, with the help of the performers and makeup artists Cheng Jia had brought, I began my disguise so that no one could recognize me before entering the palace in Chang’an.
“Identity plaques!”
“Ah, we are merchants from the Wei Clan. We’ve brought goods with us.”
“What are you here to sell?”
“Wine cups, bowls, spoons, shoes, and the like.”
“Hmm… there are already plenty of merchants inside Chang’an selling such daily necessities. There’s no need to bring them from outside, is there?”
The caravan had deliberately brought mostly everyday items rather than luxury goods. From the very start, the gate guards began nitpicking.
Alright then. Time to use the gift Cheng Yu gave me.
“Aigoo, sir. Please show some mercy. We ran for five full days straight to bring these here.”
“Hey, what’s with this guy?”
“This is a small token of our appreciation.”
I discreetly slipped silver rings to the soldiers guarding the gate. They cleared their throats and waved us through.
“Mm, hurry inside.”
“Thank you.”
The security in Chang’an was absolute garbage. One silver ring and we entered without any real trouble.
Thanks to that, I was able to see the city without much hassle. Despite being called the capital of the ages, the interior was utterly desolate.
“So this is Chang’an…”
In scale, it was larger than any city I had seen so far. Its area was several times that of Chenliu in Yan Province, and both the population and the movement of soldiers were immense.
Yet it felt nothing like “prosperity.” The atmosphere could only be described as bleak. The soldiers’ eyes were filled with killing intent, and the common people, worn down by constant warfare and natural disasters, wore faces stripped of everything but desperation.
“The situation seems even worse than when I last came.”
Vice-Captain Cheng Yun clicked his tongue at the sight of beggars pleading in the streets and children huddled together half-naked, waiting only for a meal.
“Whether it’s Li Jue or Guo Si, it’s clear they’re both worthless bastards.”
“Shh. You must watch your words from now on.”
“Don’t worry. That’s why I put on this disguise.”
Before entering Chang’an, I had deliberately smeared red clay on my skin to change my complexion, attached a fake beard that would be hard to notice up close, and added clay to my nose. Even if I walked around Yan Province, no one would recognize me.
“But what exactly do you plan to do with that disguise…”
“First, let’s secure the private lodgings you merchants use here in Chang’an. I’ll explain afterward.”
At my words, Cheng Yun rented an entire inn reserved exclusively for the trading company’s merchants and unloaded our baggage.
“In Chang’an, the slightest mistake can cause military officers to draw their blades and take your head. Their authority is absolute. Cross them once and you will never leave alive.”
“I could tell just by looking. The low-ranking soldiers happily take bribes, while those above them focus solely on extortion, right?”
“The merchants of Chang’an must receive the government troops who come twice a day—at noon and in the evening. They rummage through goods looking for faults, but of course, what they really want is bribes.”
Since he mentioned noon and evening, it would be best to stay out of sight during those hours.
“Young Master, what will you do now?”
“For the time being, I plan to tour Chang’an for a few days as my grand-uncle instructed. I need to learn the geography inside these walls first.”
“Please be careful. As I said earlier, if any disturbance occurs, they will turn the city upside down searching for the culprit.”
“Heh heh…”
I was indeed going to cause a little disturbance.
I would teach a harsh lesson to the underlings of Li Jue and Guo Si who crossed the line, and go beyond simple investigation to quickly assist the Emperor’s escape.
To do that, I first needed to move in a way that would reach the ears of the General of the Household Dong Cheng, who was inside Chang’an.