5 Chang'an

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Shinian had slept for a long time, waking up nearly disoriented, unsure of her location. Wrapped in a quilt, she groggily recalled having had a lengthy dream. Some strange people had found her in the middle of the night, claiming to be from the Time and Space Administration Bureau, tasked with taking her on a special mission. Then, she had truly arrived at a peculiar place, witnessed Chang’an City as it was two thousand years ago, and even encountered a deadly pursuit...
It was so dramatic, maybe Zhou Xiaohui could write about it—could become popular.
She rubbed her eyes, suddenly sensing something amiss. Above her was not the usual white ceiling, but an open canopy; the quilt was no longer her chosen rabbit-patterned one but a plain blue. This wasn’t her room; it resembled a guesthouse in an ancient tourist town.
Shinian slowly turned her head. Not far away, a girl sat at a desk with her back to her, writing. Hearing the movement, the girl looked back and smiled, “You’re awake.”
“Su... Geng?”
Su Geng came over and sat by the bed. “It’s me. How do you feel? Any discomfort? You’ve been asleep a long time. There’s no doctor here, but luckily Nie Cheng has some experience and checked on you.”
Shinian felt a headache, both from what she saw and from Su Geng’s words. “Nie Cheng, and... here? Where exactly is here?”
She suddenly froze, then suddenly realized, “So, what happened last night... was real?!”
Before Su Geng could answer, she thought of something else, jumped out of bed, and rushed to the window, pushing it open forcefully.
The dazzling sunlight made her instinctively close her eyes. When she opened them again, the rising sun hung high, illuminating densely packed houses with upturned eaves and crescent-shaped bridge arches; every brick and tile testified to prosperity and grandeur. The bustling street was filled with carriages and pedestrians dressed in various styles. Young women in flowing skirts chatted and laughed; men ranged from scholars in deep robes and tall hats to commoners and vendors hawking their wares. The voices swelled like a tide, nearly overwhelming her.
It was the same city she had seen last night, now awakened in daylight, the vibrancy of life more palpable.
Shinian murmured, “This place is...”
Su Geng said beside her, “Chang’an. This is Han Dynasty Chang’an.”
Shinian covered her mouth, finally confirming a fact she should have known long ago.
She had truly, time-traveled!
“March 21st, 4:53 a.m., the string formation unexpectedly activated. Time and Space Administration Unit Seven’s field team leader Nie Cheng, Su Geng, Lu Zhiyao, and the untested newcomer Shinian were forced to set out. The landing point: 138 BCE...”
Lu Zhiyao raised his head reluctantly, “Team leader, we just arrived. Is it necessary to write the summary report so early?”
Nie Cheng stood by the window, peering into the distance through a telescope. “I’m doing this for your own good—write it now, so later you won’t say you forgot or don’t remember.”
Lu Zhiyao’s lazy plan was seen through. He grumbled, “Writing reports is clearly your job, but you always dump it on me...”
He spoke softly, but Nie Cheng heard him. “What’s wrong? Not willing to work for me?”
Lu Zhiyao stiffened, “Willing, of course! It’s an honor to work for the team leader! But this report... the old man will definitely criticize the opening paragraph. It’s impossible to write!”
Accidental activation, forced departure—writing these words made Lu Zhiyao’s hands tremble. Unit Seven prided itself on meticulous planning and flawless execution, the last thing they wanted was accident or surprise, let alone bringing along a clueless rookie!
He considered writing the inspection report first, since it looked like he was stuck with at least ten thousand words... TAT
Nie Cheng remained silent, tossing the telescope behind him. Lu Zhiyao nearly panicked, leaping up to catch it. “That’s a military telescope! I got it through my American military contacts; even the Navy SEALs use it! Be careful!”
“Learn other things from the Navy SEALs, like how to shoot ten rings early.”
Lu Zhiyao winced in pain, yelling, “Team leader, you can’t say that!”
Nie Cheng ignored him, asking, “Why do you think the string formation activated last night?”
Lu Zhiyao hugged the telescope, answering honestly, “I don’t know. I thought about it. Only those with special abilities inside our team can activate the string formation, not even the old man can. But neither you nor I did last night, I asked Sister Geng, she didn’t either, and the others weren’t on site. I really can’t figure it out.”
“You forgot one person.”
Lu Zhiyao was stunned. “You mean the newcomer? Impossible. Even for us, it takes learning and repeated attempts to truly activate the string formation. She just arrived; how could she do it?”
Nie Cheng looked ahead, quietly said, “Right, how could she?”
Lu Zhiyao scratched his head, curious, “By the way, Sister Geng is looking after her. I wonder what’s going on.”
Nie Cheng turned back, “Worried about her?”
Lu Zhiyao immediately denied it, “No way! I just think that girl looks frail. I hope she’s not dead.”
With a bang, the door was kicked open, and the girl he called “frail” stormed in fiercely. Lu Zhiyao was stunned. “What are you doing?”
Shinian said coldly, “Settling the score!”
She grabbed Nie Cheng’s collar. Since he was tall, she had to lift her hands to do so, but this did not diminish her fierce aura. “Bastard! Do you know I almost died last night?!”
Nie Cheng recalled her disheveled state when they found her, “I guessed something.”
“Just guessed something!” Shinian grew angrier, pulling harder until Nie Cheng bowed his head slightly. “You forcibly brought me here, that’s fine, I won’t argue. But how could you leave me alone in such danger? Did you know how scared I was...?”
By the end, her strong front finally faltered, her voice trembling slightly.
Nie Cheng paused, then said earnestly, “This was my fault. Though unintended, it put you in danger. I apologize.”
His solemnity left Shinian unsure how to respond. She glared for a long moment, then released him. “Forget it. I’m fine in the end. Don’t let it happen again... As for the time travel, I’ll just treat it like a trip...”
From Beijing to Xi’an, one blink and she was there—faster than a plane! Shinian thought wildly.

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Nie Cheng smiled slightly, pressing her head, “Since Miss Shi is so generous, good, you woke up just in time. Prepare to set out.” The last words were to Su Geng at the door.
Shinian shuddered, “Set out? What again?!”
She turned to escape, but Nie Cheng’s hand on her head spun her like a top; she struggled in vain.
She looked hopelessly at Su Geng, who tilted her head and smiled, “Setting out... to meet Wei Zifu.”
“Wei Zifu?? You mean, that Wei Zifu?? The living Wei Zifu?!” On the carriage, Shinian swallowed two small breads in one bite, exclaiming.
Lu Zhiyao couldn’t stand it anymore. “Come on, can you watch your manners while eating? Are you that hungry?”
Shinian had had enough of his snide tone and rolled her eyes. “Come on, I was dragged out by you last night—time travel, jumping off buildings, being chased, fainting—twenty hours without food or water. Am I not supposed to be hungry?”
Lu Zhiyao was speechless. Shinian snorted and turned, asking, “You guys really won’t explain? Even pyramid schemes have pre-employment training, let alone you...”
Shinian couldn’t find the right words. She was pretty sure she had joined a time-traveling team. Accepting that wasn’t so hard—having grown up with strange experiences, she was mentally prepared. Besides, as a contemporary literature girl, she had read plenty of time-travel novels, despite never having eaten pork but having seen pigs run.
However, unlike those lone heroes in novels, these people had ample equipment. They had rushed out last night with two large backpacks, prepared by Lu Zhiyao, containing items they might need—like the small breads she was eating.
Still Daliyuan brand, orange flavor!
Voices came from outside the carriage. Nie Cheng said, “Su Geng, explain to her.”
Su Geng nodded. “Remember the strings last night?”
Shinian recalled the glowing, string-like lights at the base of the rockery when the incident happened.
“We call it the Time-Space Strings. Each string represents a period of time—maybe a hundred years, maybe a thousand. Our job is to keep these strings calm. Usually, it’s easy, because the strings rarely move, and we don’t need to act. But last night, an accident happened; the string moved.”
Shinian’s heart jumped. “If the string moves, what happens?”
“When the string moves, the time period it represents fluctuates. In other words, history that already occurred might shift, or even undergo major changes.”
“Oh! I remember! You said last night the string for this period moved! So how has history changed here?”
“Now it’s 138 BCE, the third year of the Han dynasty’s Jian Yuan era. Liu Che, the Han Wudi we know, has been emperor for four years. According to history, his second empress, Wei Zifu, should have caught his eye in the spring of the second year, then entered the palace. But a year has passed, and Wei Zifu is still not his consort.”
Shinian didn’t hesitate. “Isn’t that good? Han Wudi would later cheat on her anyway. Why marry such a jerk?”
Su Geng and Lu Zhiyao exchanged glances.
Feeling their looks, Shinian felt a bit guilty. She hadn’t studied history after her teens; their knowledge came mostly from TV dramas and folk legends. Was that so wrong?
Su Geng asked, “Do you usually read sci-fi novels or watch movies?”
“A bit...”
“Did those novels and movies tell you that history can’t be changed? If Wei Zifu doesn’t marry Han Wudi, who would bear the crown prince Liu Ju? Without Liu Ju, how would Emperor Xuan Liu Xun come about? The entire Han history would be rewritten.”
Seeing Shinian stunned, Su Geng continued, “Everything today depends on what happened in the past. Imagine if history changes, would anything afterward still happen? Would you, I, or anyone exist? Maybe we’d be erased.”
Shinian gasped, “So...”
From across the carriage, Nie Cheng said lightly, “So, we must go to each era with deviations and correct it, restoring history. Only then will the strings calm.”
This was even more overwhelming than last night. Shinian was stunned, realizing their mission was to bring Liu Che and Wei Zifu together!
She cautiously asked, “If Wei Zifu didn’t marry Han Wudi, where is she now?”
The carriage suddenly stopped, the door opened, and they arrived at a bustling street. Su Geng said, “This is the East Market. We need to buy clothes.”
They hadn’t brought clothing; Shinian’s pajamas were no longer suitable. The clothes she wore now were borrowed from the innkeeper—a simple Han dynasty ruqun. Textile technology was limited then; the quality was poor, the color dull, and the fabric itchy.
No matter the era, shopping was always a girl’s favorite. Hearing they’d buy clothes, Shinian immediately perked up, forgetting her earlier questions.
Su Geng had explained that Chang’an city was divided into neighborhoods and markets. The “li” were residential districts; commerce and handicrafts were confined to “markets,” with the East Market being the oldest and most developed.
Shinian looked around: taverns, gambling dens, shops, and dance halls interspersed; people passed by in a lively stream. Men in Han attire with wide sleeves and tall hats played unfamiliar instruments on the street. There were also courtesans from the Western Regions, lightly dressed and flirtatious, tossing coquettish glances to customers—vivid and lively.
All walks of life converged, showing the city’s inclusiveness.
Watching, Shinian felt a strange sensation. Until this moment, she had been an observer. Now immersed, she truly realized she was in the Han dynasty.
These were living Han people; this was the Han commercial district!
She had to admit, it really looked like Hengdian Studios (…).
After turning a couple of corners, they entered a clothing shop. The owner greeted them warmly, “Honored guests, looking for clothes?”
Shinian was about to answer but noticed something odd. The owner’s accent was unfamiliar, like a dialect, but strangely, she understood perfectly as if her mind had an automatic translator.
What was going on?
“That’s Old Chinese,” Su Geng whispered. “More precisely, Ancient Chinese.”
“How can I understand it...” Shinian suddenly understood and lowered her voice, “A special ability?”
Su Geng smiled, confirming it.
Shinian felt amazed, suddenly recalling the black-clad man and the brocade-clad youth’s similar accents last night, which she hadn’t noticed due to nervousness.
“Right, we’re here to buy clothes...” She spoke but immediately regretted it, fearing her accent might give her away. Surprisingly, when she spoke to the owner, her accent changed perfectly to match these ancient people’s.
...This special ability was incredible!
Nie Cheng said, “My two little sisters want several sets; bring out your best fabrics.”
So generous? Shinian was impressed by this Han dynasty CEO’s dominance.
The owner’s eyes lit up. “Our small shop has two ready-made quju robes, just fitting these two young ladies’ temperament. Would you like to try?”
Nie Cheng nodded. Before Shinian could react, the owner and Su Geng led them inside.
Lu Zhiyao, left outside, sneered, “Will this work? Sister Geng sure, but Shinian, no matter how you dress her...”
Nie Cheng said, “Oh?”
“Just wait and see. A pheasant is a pheasant, can’t become a phoenix. Our budget’s limited. No need to waste it.”
After a long wait, voices finally came from inside. Lu Zhiyao’s smirk was still there, but when he looked, he froze.
The girl stood at the door, the dull ruqun gone, replaced by a bright crimson quju. The dye was exquisite, dazzling; the belt was white with embroidery; the skirt trailed elegantly. Her waist was slender, posture graceful and poised like an arrow bamboo; long hair pinned at the back with a long hairpin, framing a clear, lively face.
But she was nervous, fiddling with her sleeves. “Strange? These clothes are complicated; it took me a long time to put on...”
Su Geng smiled, “Not at all. Very beautiful. I knew red suited you.”
She had also changed, wearing a glazed white deep robe, lips red, teeth white, a picture of classical beauty.
Shinian stared for a few seconds, sincerely said, “You’re too kind.” She couldn’t handle complimenting others when she looked like this!
“Don’t believe me? Let the boys say if these clothes suit her.”
Shinian expected Lu Zhiyao’s usual mockery, but he snorted and turned away, seemingly at a loss for words.
Was that an admission she looked good?
Shinian’s heart skipped; she glanced at Nie Cheng. The man studied her for a moment, then showed satisfaction. “Quite good.”
Joy surged within her. She had noticed the dress enhanced her temperament; Su Geng had even styled her hair, making her much more beautiful than usual.
She shouldn’t have refused Zhou Xiaohui’s invitation to buy Hanfu earlier!
Caught up in vanity, she admired herself in the bronze mirror, then noticed several men passing outside the shop—long hair loose, left-over-right collars, tall and rugged features, clearly non-Han.
“Those are Xiongnu.”
Shinian turned; Lu Zhiyao said, “Two months ago, after talks, the Han and Xiongnu agreed to another marriage alliance. In half a month, Xiongnu envoys will arrive in Chang’an to escort the marriage princess.”
Marriage alliance? Why mention this now?
Shinian didn’t fully understand but vaguely recalled that the Han dynasty had such history, usually sending royal relatives or palace maids, not actual princesses, like the famous Wang Zhaojun.
“I remember the marriage princesses often had a hard time. The one chosen this time is pretty unlucky...”
“Certainly unlucky. She could have been empress but now must marry far away, living primitively.”
Shinian: “Uh... huh?”
Lu Zhiyao sneered, “Destiny has patterns. Wei Zifu didn’t become the emperor’s woman but was chosen as the marriage princess to the Xiongnu as a consort.”
Shinian was dumbfounded.
She stared at Lu Zhiyao before snapping back, “What’s going on? You brought me out to meet Wei Zifu, but if she became a marriage princess, how do we meet her?!”
“She’s a princess now, living in the palace. Of course, we enter the palace to meet her.” Nie Cheng said.
“Enter the palace? How? We’re commoners. Sneak in secretly?”
“No need for that; there’s a legitimate way.”
“What?”
“Prince Wu’an, Tian Fen, the Dowager Empress’s brother, was dismissed last time but wants to make a comeback. Recently, he’s preparing to present several beauties to his imperial nephew. We discussed and agreed this is a rare opportunity.”
Nie Cheng smiled slightly. Shinian looked down at her clothes, suddenly feeling a foreboding.
Nie Cheng said, “You and Su Geng look decent. Dress up well, and you might be chosen as one of these beauties to sneak into the palace...”