Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

A constable who had been sent ahead to scout the way came galloping back, his face filled with shock and excitement. He pointed at the towering silhouette in the distance and announced loudly, "Sir! Taiyuan City is just ahead!"

Upon hearing this, everyone craned their necks to look. On the distant horizon, they saw the outline of a massive city emerging in the sunlight. Its scale was far beyond their imagination.

Liang Dahai's eyes widened. He stretched out his fingers and counted the city gates one by one, which looked like the mouths and snouts of giant beasts. His voice changed. "Oh my god... 1, 2, 3... six city gates! This... how big must this be!"

Ding Xu, who was usually calm and composed, was now filled with astonishment. He took a deep breath and sighed, "I've traveled a lot and seen a lot, but this is the first time I've seen such a magnificent city. Today has really opened my eyes!"

Zhang Jingwei reined in his horse and gazed at the towering city wall stretching for countless miles. The lines on his face, once tense with anxiety, were now replaced by a deep shock. He muttered to himself, "I originally thought that Yunzhou City, relying on the power of the army, had been continuously expanded and it was already a magnificent city... But seeing Taiyuan today, I realize that I'm just a frog in a well, sitting in the well and looking at the world from afar."

Seeing this, Yuan Liang, standing nearby, habitually twirled his nonexistent beard, flaunting his erudition with a touch of historical nostalgia in his tone, "Don't underestimate yourself, sir. Yunzhou is a crucial town on the northern frontier, and Taiyuan was once the ancient capital of the State of Zhao! It has always been a place of rise and fall, a place where heroes and brave men vie for power in times of chaos. It's naturally rich in history."

Zhang Jingwei recovered from his shock and refocused on the purpose of their trip. He took a deep breath and began to assign tasks. "Qian Ming, once we get into the city, immediately find a large teahouse that can restock our water and rations, and temporarily house our horses. We desperately need a break and a breather." "Ergou, you'll be in charge of finding Li Can's address. If you can find him, it might be very helpful in our search."

Qian Ming and Wang Ergou immediately clasped their fists and accepted the order: "Yes! Master!"

Taiyuan City, the sole capital of Hedong Province, was several times larger than Yunzhou City. If Zhang Jingwei hadn't known it, it was the undisputed "provincial capital" of Hedong Province, the absolute center of politics, economy, and culture.

The fatigue from the constant journey was etched on everyone's face. One constable, observing Zhang Jingwei's noticeably thinner face and bloodshot eyes, couldn't help but advise again, "Sir, now that we're in town, why don't you at least rest for a night? Or... hire a carriage? Even a strong body wouldn't be able to endure this kind of non-stop riding!"

Zhang Jingwei shook his head, his tone was tired but extremely firm: "The carriage is going too slowly, we can't wait. After passing the Hump Pass, the official road conditions are much better, we can still hold on. It's okay." He waved his hand, indicating that he could still hold on.

Another younger constable whispered to Liang Dahai behind him, "Master Liang, to be honest, with all the horses we have, we'd never be able to catch up with the Young Madam's Western Region horse, 'Chasing the Wind.' Instead of chasing aimlessly like this, we might as well wait for the Young Madam to relax and come back when she's figured it out, don't you think?"

Their chatter was quiet, but it caught Yuan Liang's ears. He sighed and lowered his voice to explain to the runners, "You only know one side of the story. Our master isn't entirely afraid of Madam running away. He's truly worried about Madam's whereabouts! Look at the direction we've been rushing all the way. After passing Taiyuan, where is the next place south?"

The bailiff was stunned for a moment, then tentatively replied, "Is it...Jinzhou?"

"That's right!" Yuan Liang's eyes narrowed slightly, his voice deepening. "The six states south of Jinzhou all belong to the Jin Prince's vassal state. And as far as I know, the Jin Prince has a son who is a childhood acquaintance of my wife. It's said... they have a very close friendship."

The bailiff suddenly understood, his eyes widening as he blurted out, "So... Your Excellency is afraid that Madam will get angry and go to Jinzhou to find that prince?"

Their discussion had already been heard by Zhang Jingwei, who was standing in front of them. He hadn't turned around, but suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it carried an indescribable bitterness and fragility, which was clearly heard by everyone:

"No... maybe, I should put it another way."

He paused, as if he had exhausted all his strength, and then he slowly said:

"I'm afraid she'll really leave me behind if she leaves."

As soon as these words were spoken, the yamen runners who had been whispering to each other just now turned pale with fear and hurriedly bowed on their horses: "Please forgive me, sir! I deserve to die! I shouldn't have discussed your private affairs!"

Just then, Qian Ming rode back from the front and reported loudly, breaking the slightly heavy and awkward atmosphere: "Master, we found a large teahouse! The backyard is spacious, we can tie up our horses and rest, and we can also get some food and water!"

Zhang Jingwei suppressed all his outward emotions, regained his usual composure, and nodded:

"Let's go, first into the city, have some salt tea, and rest our feet."

He took the lead in urging the exhausted packhorse under his crotch, which was already foaming at the mouth, to walk towards the huge city gate that seemed to be able to swallow everything.

……

They had just sat down in the teahouse, barely sipped their scalding salt tea, and their fatigue hadn't completely dissipated when Wang Ergou hurried over with a man. The man was none other than Zhang Jingwei's old acquaintance from Taiyuan, the commander of the Imperial Guards—Li Can.

As soon as they met, Li Can didn't bother to exchange pleasantries. His face was filled with obvious anxiety and reproach. He lowered his voice and began to scold, "My brother Jingwei! You... do you know what you are doing now? You are now an official appointed by the court, and so many eyes are watching your every move! How can you act so willfully? Without a warrant from the Censorate, how can you, a county magistrate from another county, leave your jurisdiction and come to Taiyuan without permission?! This is a taboo!"

Zhang Jingwei had been traveling for days, exhausted. When questioned by his friend, he simply rubbed his brows wearily, his tone nonchalant, "Alright, my brother Li, relax a bit. Does anyone in Taiyuan City know that I'm Zhang Jingwei, the magistrate of Gaoyang County? I'm just an ordinary traveler looking for a friend. Don't make such a fuss."

Seeing his expression, Li Can was both angry and helpless. He said earnestly, "My sister-in-law...after all, she is my sister-in-law, Li Can! If anything happens to her, you only need to write to me. Would I not do my best to help you find her? Why bother coming here in person and taking such a big risk!"

Zhang Jingwei sighed, his eyes dim, and his voice carried a hint of stubbornness that Li Can couldn't fully understand: "Alas... Brother Li, you don't understand. There are some things that I have to do in person. You... haven't started a family yet, so you don't understand what it's like."

"Even if I don't understand, you can't act this way!" Li Can said firmly, "I'll personally escort you out of the city in a moment! Before we alert the officials in the city, leave quickly and return to Gaoyang!"

Just then, a slightly frivolous voice interrupted, breaking the slightly tense atmosphere between the two.

"Hey! Li Can! Why are you hiding in a place like this? These are just shops where rough country guys stop by to rest and drink tea. It's so boring! Come on, brother, I know a newly opened elegant room. It's quiet and elegant. How about we go there and chat?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a brocade robe and a jade crown walk in, waving a folding fan. He looked quite respectable, but there was a noticeable black eye socket on his left eye and a bit of skin on the corner of his mouth, making him look a little disheveled. However, this did not affect the pampered arrogance between his brows.

Li Can frowned slightly upon seeing the newcomer, then put on a polite smile: "It's Brother Cui. I'm meeting some friends here and won't be moving for now."

The young man named Cui Yi glanced at Zhang Jingwei and his companions. Seeing that they were dressed in ordinary clothes and looked exhausted, a subtle glint of contempt flashed in his eyes. But when he heard Li Can call him "friend", his expression immediately changed. He bowed to Zhang Jingwei and the others and smiled, but the smile made the wound at the corner of his mouth tug at him, making him bare his teeth. "Oh! So you are Brother Li's friends! I just said something wrong. Please forgive me, brothers. Please forgive me!" His attitude changed swiftly, which could be called skillful. "I am Cui Yi. Like Brother Li Can, I work in the Taiyuan Imperial Guard and hold the position of commander. I have not yet asked for your names."

Not wanting to cause any trouble, Zhang Jingwei politely returned the greeting, "My surname is Zhang, and my given name is 'Qi' (Zhang Jingwei's name was too famous, so he had to use his real name). Since you're Brother Li Can's friend, you're naturally mine, too." His gaze fell on the wound on Cui Yi's face, and he casually asked, "Master Cui, was this wound... caused by a fight with the bandits?"

When this was mentioned, Cui Yi felt as if a sore spot had been struck. His previous carefree demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of gloom and indignation. He leaned closer and said in a low voice, "Hey! Don't mention it! What a damn bad luck! Yesterday on the street, I saw 'Black Bull' from afar—oh, that tomboy Tielihua. I wanted to avoid her as much as possible. But hey! I didn't expect that she would be accompanied by such a beautiful woman who was as beautiful as a flower and even made me feel pity for her!"

His eyes lit up, as if he saw the scene again: "That young lady, she was so beautiful! Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water. Although her expression was a little cold, her temperament... was absolutely amazing!"

Li Can, who was listening from the side, couldn't help but sneer and interrupted, "You weren't tempted by her beauty and went up to tease her, and ended up getting beaten up by Tielihua, right?"

"Tsk! Am I that kind of lecher?" Cui Yi immediately retorted as if his tail was stepped on, but his eyes were obviously flickering, "I... I just wanted to make some friends and get to know her. I just stepped forward and wanted to hold the lady's arm to show my courtesy, who knew... Alas!" He sighed heavily, pointing at his black eyes and mouth corners, "Before I could say a few words, I got slapped several times by that beauty! Crisp and loud! I was furious at the time, and immediately called the brothers of the Imperial Guards nearby, wanting to surround them and argue with them. I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it..." His voice was filled with tears, "That beauty's skills are stronger than iron pear flowers! In no time, she pinned me to the ground and beat me up! Oh, I won't say anymore, it's embarrassing, so damn embarrassing!"

Li Can laughed out loud: "How surprising! The son of a prefect, in Taiyuan, was beaten up in the street by a girl of unknown origin. If this gets out, hahahaha..."

However, the more Zhang Jingwei listened, the gloomier his expression grew, and a wave of unease surged in his heart. He interrupted Li Can's laughter, stared intently at Cui Yi, and asked in a hurried tone, "Master Cui! What exactly did the woman who hit you look like? What were her characteristics?"

Although Cui Yi was curious about Zhang Jingwei's interest, he still tried to recall: "Appearance? Of course she was very beautiful! But not that kind of delicate beauty. There was a sense of... a sense of heroism between her eyebrows. Yes, sharp eyebrows and cold eyes, the way she looked at people was like a small knife. Since she was hanging out with Tielihua, she must be a daughter of a noble family. But her temper, wow, it's a fierce horse that not everyone can control!"

Wang Ergou's face turned pale as he listened, and he couldn't help but exclaimed: "Master! That sounds like..."

The smile on Li Can's face froze instantly. He looked at Zhang Jingwei's ashen face, his heart suddenly sank, and he said in a lost voice: "No way... Could it really be..."

Zhang Jingwei stood up suddenly and grabbed Cui Yi's arm with such force that Cui Yi cried out in pain: "Where is she now?! Tell me!"

Cui Yi was startled by his sudden action and stammered, "She? She ran away a long time ago! Just talking about this makes me angry! The black horse she rode was so majestic and ran like a gust of wind. We couldn't catch up with her even if we rode horses! Judging from the direction she left, she ran towards South City! Don't let me catch her again, or I will... wuwuwu!"

He couldn't finish the rest of the words because Li Can, who was standing next to him, was quick-witted and quickly reached out to cover his mouth tightly, blocking all his nonsensical and harsh words.