Seven Young Envoys

At the brink of collapse, Shinian was overwhelmed. No matter how much she had planned, she never expected Liu Che to come knocking on their door himself. If Tian Fen truly ordered them to perform later, it would be bad enough if they weren’t chosen, but what if he did take a liking to them… that seemed equally dreadful!

She tried to recall the original history—Wei Zifu was famously noticed by Liu Che during a banquet and taken to his chambers immediately, wasn’t she?

“Mother, I’m scared!” Shinian clutched the sleeve of Su Geng, nearly in tears. “Think of something. We can’t go… maybe we should run away…”

“We can’t run. If we leave now, that path is closed for good! Don’t you see why the captain was so eager to bring us in? It won’t be long before the Xiongnu arrive in Chang’an. We don’t have much time.” Su Geng’s rare seriousness stunned Shinian.

“So, if we go up there, Liu Che really…” Shinian hesitated.

“Go first, and act according to the situation,” Su Geng said calmly.

Shinian was stunned. Such a bold move—she was dumbfounded!

Nervously sitting in the room, twisting her fingers and unwilling to speak, Shinian noticed that Lian Qiao and Yue Rong were also unusually quiet. Unlike Yue Rong, who wore a worried expression similar to her own, Lian Qiao looked excited, almost impatient.

Shortly after, a man entered. Shinian recognized him as one of Tian Fen’s attendants. Ignoring Lian Qiao’s expectant gaze, he walked directly up to Shinian and Su Geng. “The Lord commands that the two ladies attend in the main hall.”

Shinian’s scalp tingled, but Su Geng smiled calmly. “Yes.”

As Su Geng rose to leave, Shinian followed, her mind racing over what would come next. Suddenly, she tripped over something, the world spinning around her. Before she could react, Su Geng caught her. “Careful!”

They both fell heavily to the ground. Shinian felt pain shoot through half her body and was about to speak when she saw Su Geng’s face turn pale, her forehead slick with sweat.

“What’s wrong, Su Geng?” Shinian asked, alarmed.

Gasping, Su Geng looked down. “My ankle… I think I twisted it…”

Sure enough, her ankle was swollen. When Shinian touched it, Su Geng trembled from the pain. Panic fluttered in Shinian’s chest. “What do we do now…?”

The sudden mishap left the messenger stunned. Recovering, he snapped, “What do you mean what to do! The emperor is waiting ahead. How can you still…”

His anger shook him, but Su Geng’s injury was less important than the situation at hand. Gritting her teeth, she said, “It’s alright. We can go… I can get up…”

“Enough! Even if you dare, I won’t let you go! No one wants to bear the blame if there’s a breach in protocol before the emperor!” The man’s gaze shifted to Lian Qiao and Yue Rong across the room. After a moment’s thought, he said, “You two, come with me. Be careful to serve well.”

Lian Qiao looked momentarily confused before brightening. “Yes!”

The man ignored the two still on the floor and left with his escort. Shinian held Su Geng gently, whispering, “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If I had been more careful, you wouldn’t have…”

“It’s not your fault. It was Lian Qiao,” Su Geng interrupted.

Shinian was stunned. Su Geng patted her hand. “I saw her from across the room. She tripped you deliberately.”

Suddenly everything made sense. Shinian had thought she wasn’t clumsy enough to trip like that, and after they fell, Lian Qiao’s panicked expression had seemed like fear—not guilt. But now it was clear: she was the culprit.

Shinian hadn’t expected Lian Qiao to behave this way. After all, they hadn’t had conflicts recently. And such a lowly trick—tripping someone—wasn’t even common in palace dramas. How had she fallen for it?

Anger and resentment welled up in Shinian. Su Geng said, “She must have acted on impulse, probably didn’t even expect to be so lucky—to seize our chance for both of us.”

Shinian hadn’t wanted the chance in the first place, but hearing that made her anxious. “Can we still enter the palace? Is this path closed to us now…?”

Su Geng took a deep breath. “Wait and see. Let’s assess the situation first.”

They didn’t have to wait long. About an hour later, someone arrived. None other than the master of the residence, the Marquis of Wu’an, Tian Fen.

Shinian had only met him on the day they arrived at his manor. Then, he was mild-mannered, but now he spoke coldly: “Nie Cheng said you two have great potential. I was willing to support you because I respected him. But I never expected you nearly caused me trouble.”

Shinian clenched her teeth, unwilling to argue. Su Geng had said only she had seen Lian Qiao trip her, and without evidence, accusing her might only backfire—Tian Fen might think they were fabricating stories.

Su Geng said, “My lord, forgive us. We were careless. I humbly ask for another chance. I would be eternally grateful.”

Tian Fen looked at her coolly. After a moment, he said, “You have no chance, but your companion does. The emperor has agreed to summon three of you to the palace. You will leave shortly.”

Shinian was stunned. “Only—only me? Su Geng isn’t going?”

“Being injured before the audience is truly inauspicious. If it weren’t for Nie Cheng, I wouldn’t even want you,” Tian Fen said.

Shock after shock left Shinian unable to respond. Su Geng tried to interject, “My lord, perhaps this matter—”

Tian Fen raised an eyebrow. “What? You won’t say you’re not going if only one person is going?”

His tone was dangerous, as if daring Su Geng to say such a thing would be suicidal.

Su Geng pursed her lips. Pale and still in pain, she thought of the mission. Yet when it came to Shinian, she wanted to give up on her behalf.

Shinian’s emotions were conflicted. If not for protecting her, Su Geng wouldn’t have been injured. Her eyes flicked behind Tian Fen, where Lian Qiao had entered unnoticed. Her face was no longer panicked but triumphant. She had every right to be: she was said to have danced before the emperor and received his high praise, earning permission to enter the palace. Other maids whispered that she might even become a wife.

Noticing Shinian’s gaze, Lian Qiao lifted her chin in challenge.

A surge of anger shot through Shinian. Without hesitation, she said, “Of course not.”

Su Geng looked surprised. But Shinian felt a strange calm wash over her as she spoke. There was no turning back now—they had a greater mission to accomplish. And this woman had bullied her friend in front of her; would she just let that go?

She looked at Tian Fen resolutely. “Thank you, my lord, for granting this favor. I am willing to enter the palace and serve His Majesty!”

Shinian had always known she was impulsive. Friends had warned her it would lead to trouble. She hadn’t believed it before, but now she did.

She leaned over the loom, gazing at the slowly setting sun in the distance, and sighed deeply.

Three days had passed.

Since she had left Tian Fen’s manor with grand words, parted from Su Geng, and entered the Weiyang Palace alone, three days had slipped by.

“Shinian, don’t zone out. If you don’t finish soon, the Prefect will be angry,” Yue Rong said worriedly.

Shinian turned to her with a smile but felt utterly crushed inside. Lu Zhiyiao had told her that beauties presented to the emperor would become his concubines automatically upon entering the palace, and she had prepared herself for this. But she never imagined such a concubine’s life involved actual work—how could that be?

She had entered following Liu Che’s carriage, but he never saw her and left her to be arranged by the Director of the Inner Court. The next day, Shinian was summoned to weave cloth. Seeing the room full of looms, she was utterly bewildered. Others told her weaving was expected of all palace women, even the high-ranking wives.

The script was wrong—wasn’t it in palace dramas that those granted to the emperor were waited on hand and foot?

Shinian had no idea how to use the looms—she didn’t even know how to operate a modern sewing machine! She had thought herself doomed, but Yue Rong, who had barely interacted with her at Tian Fen’s manor, surprisingly offered to teach her. Shinian was surprised to discover the girl was warm-hearted.

Thinking of this, she grabbed Yue Rong’s hand. “Forget it, I can’t weave any longer. Let’s have dinner first.”

Yue Rong hesitated slightly, but Shinian said, “Don’t worry. I’ll catch up tomorrow. If I’m late, there won’t be any food left. I’m fine, but I can’t hold you back.”

In the courtyard, several women gathered in small groups—watching the sunset, talking, their expressions bored, even numb. This was the Yeting north of the Jiaofang Palace, occupied by low-level palace maids like Shinian, whose title of imperial concubine was nominal—they had never even seen the emperor. For newcomers like Shinian, it was bearable, but those who had been here for years had grown somewhat unhinged.

Except for one.

Shinian saw a familiar face in the crowd. Before she could hide, the woman spotted her and called out, “Lady Shao!”

Shinian took a deep breath and smiled. “Greetings, Lady Ba.”

The woman was none other than Lian Qiao.

They had entered the palace together and been granted titles together. Shinian held the lowest rank of Shaoshi, only a step above the servants, while Lian Qiao was Ba Zi—three ranks higher. But that wasn’t the issue. More importantly, Lian Qiao had been summoned by the emperor today.

The whole Yeting had been gossiping all day, a mix of envy and jealousy. Hearing this, Shinian’s heart sank.

Indeed, Lian Qiao returned from the emperor’s presence like a triumphant scholar returning from abroad, her demeanor even more haughty. “Lady Shao, you’ve already finished weaving? Is today’s task done?”

Everyone knew Shinian couldn’t weave—a rarity in Han times when all women wove. She had already been mocked quite a bit.

The enemy was riding high, but Shinian wisely avoided confrontation. “Thank you for your concern, Lady Ba. I have a little left and will continue tomorrow.”

Lian Qiao’s expression suddenly darkened. “What do you mean ‘continue tomorrow’? If you don’t finish, the Prefect will blame us for inefficiency! No dinner for you tonight. Finish it whenever you can, then you can sleep.”

Shinian was dumbfounded.

This Lian Qiao, once a mere maid, had changed too fast—like a slave who suddenly gained freedom and sang!

No one spoke up for her. Or rather, no one dared defy Lian Qiao in the Yeting. Even Yue Rong only cast her a worried glance before lowering her head in silence.

Shinian said nothing, turning back to the weaving room and sitting down at the loom.

Outside, Lian Qiao’s laughter rang sharp and harsh, mingled with the flattering voices of other women. Some were asking what the emperor had said to her, and soon the courtyard was filled with laughter.

Shinian listened for a while, then pressed down hard on the pedal.

If it weren’t for the mission, she wondered how long she could tolerate this!

Su Geng had said that even inside the palace, Nie Cheng would try to contact them. By now, he must have received news that she had ventured alone into the tiger’s den. Yet no movement had come—was something delaying him? Or was it truly impossible for outsiders to infiltrate the palace?

Shinian did not worry they would abandon her. After all, Wei Zi Fu was here, and Nie Cheng would come for him. Thinking of Wei Zi Fu changed her expression. They had agreed before that the primary task after entering the palace was to win Wei Zi Fu’s trust. Now she was alone, that responsibility rested solely on her.

She glanced outside. Night had fallen and everyone had returned to their rooms. Slipping back into her chamber, she retrieved her stun baton from the lowest drawer, carefully hiding it, then slipped out again.

Though afraid, she was determined. If she did nothing but wait for rescue, what was the difference if they never came?

She hoped to complete the mission quickly—and maybe give Lian Qiao a good beating before leaving!

The moon shone brightly over the sprawling palace halls. Shinian had already chatted with others and learned that the princess chosen for the marriage alliance lived in the north of the palace, in the Pixiang Hall. She had familiarized herself with the route during the day.

The journey went smoothly. In the distance, she saw a clear pool flowing through the palace grounds—she knew it was the Cang Pond’s stream, with Pixiang Hall on the opposite side.

Victory was in sight. Shinian’s heart leapt, but suddenly a sharp voice called out, “Who goes there?”

A patrolling guard.

Panicking, Shinian instinctively turned and ran. But her movement only aroused suspicion, and soon several men gave chase!

Shinian: “...This is bad, so bad! Is it too late to stop now? Would anyone believe I was just taking a walk after dinner?”

Beside the Cang Pond’s flowing water, Liu Che stood with his hands behind his back. Beside him was the chief eunuch Yang Deyi.

“It’s late. The Empress Dowager just instructed earlier that you should rest in the Jiaofang Palace,” Yang Deyi said smoothly.

Liu Che gazed at the night sky without a word. “I won’t go.”

Yang Deyi was unsurprised and continued, “Then what of the other consorts? The three beauties brought by the Marquis of Wu’an—His Majesty has met Lady Ba and Lady Shao, but has yet to summon Lady Shao.”

“I already brought them back to show respect to my uncle. Do I have to meet each one personally?”

Having said his duty, Yang Deyi fell silent. Liu Che paused, then asked suddenly, “Any news on that matter?”

His words were vague, but Yang Deyi understood perfectly. In a low voice, he said, “The scouts have been dispatched day and night, searching Chang’an and nearby counties. But so far, no woman matching your description has been found…”

“How long has it been? No woman found? What are those scouts doing?”

Yang Deyi was in a bind. “We can’t blame them entirely. She is unknown and nameless. Without even a portrait, finding her is truly difficult…”

Liu Che snapped, “Didn’t I give you a portrait?”

Yang Deyi was speechless but thought bitterly, ‘Who could recognize that sketch you made?’

Liu Che sensed the thought and was momentarily silent. He wanted to kick him but instead waved his hand in annoyance. “Forget it. Go away. I’ll walk alone.”

The Weiyang Palace was always quiet at night. The Cang Pond’s water babbled gently, petals drifting on the surface. Liu Che looked at the jade moon hanging in the sky and thought back to that night—the woman who seemed to stand within the moonlight.

Since that night, he had wanted to find her. Yet her disappearance had been as sudden and untraceable as her arrival. No matter what he tried, there was no clue.

At his most helpless, he even wondered if she was real—could she be the legendary Guya Fairy?

Suddenly, sounds approached—guards chasing someone. Liu Che frowned and walked toward the noise. From afar, he saw a slender figure, likely a woman, running with several men pursuing her.

The scene was strange. Liu Che sneered inwardly—palace guards were getting worse; soon they would be dealt with.

As they neared, the woman was caught by the lead man. Liu Che expected the matter to end, but she suddenly produced something and pressed it against him. A crackling noise sounded, and the man collapsed weakly, revealing the girl behind him.

She hadn’t expected anyone else and met Liu Che’s gaze head-on.

Under the bright moonlight, the girl’s panicked expression was imprinted clearly in his eyes.