Chapter 232: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 232: I’m Quite Famous, Actually
On their way to the training ground to receive their punishment, Chang Suining and her two companions suddenly heard a burst of commotion behind them.
When they turned, they saw countless soldiers rushing toward one direction, shouting as they went—
“Quick! There’s an assassin!”
An assassin?
Chang Suining was stunned. Without hesitation, she turned and ran after the chaotic crowd.
Chang Ren and the other soldier immediately followed.
It wasn’t that Chang Suining enjoyed throwing herself into chaos, but the claim of an “assassin” was strange—and judging from the direction the soldiers were rushing, it led straight toward the command tent, where the main general and deputy general were stationed. She feared this might be targeting Chang Kuo.
As she drew closer, the sound of clashing steel reached her ears.
A few steps more, and she could finally see what was happening. Her eyes darkened in shock.
The masked attackers were all dressed in black—there must have been at least a hundred of them!
Even if Li Yi’s military discipline was lax, how could so many assassins have infiltrated the camp in broad daylight?
Something was clearly off.
“Milady, do not go any closer—” Chang Ren caught her arm amid the chaos and pulled her back a few steps, whispering anxiously.
Chang Suining’s eyes scanned the brutal melee ahead as she quickly assessed the situation.
She saw Li Yi being escorted backward by his guards, his face pale and panicked as he shouted, “Protect the esteemed officials!”
Chang Suining followed his gaze toward those “esteemed officials”—a group of eunuchs, easily identified by their attire. Among them stood one man she recognized instantly—
General He Wei!
He Wei was surrounded by assassins.
He Wei, here in the Shouzhou camp, accompanied by eunuchs…
Then this assassination—
With a loud “bang,” He Wei kicked one of the black-clad men flying. The man hit the ground heavily, but more assassins surged in to replace him.
The eunuchs screamed and fled in terror; many were already lying dead in pools of blood.
The soldiers who rushed in tried to cut down the unknown assassins, but the attackers were all highly skilled, their strikes merciless and deadly.
More soldiers fell beneath their blades. The air filled with the stench of blood as the western sun sank faster toward the horizon.
Those dying soldiers would never know—the ones taking their lives were not enemy assassins, but… their own commander.
Chang Suining could almost be certain now: the mastermind behind this so-called assassination was none other than Li Yi himself.
Protected by his confidants, Li Yi had long since vanished from sight.
Surrounded and overwhelmed, He Wei was eventually struck across the back by a blade. Bleeding heavily, he fought desperately to carve a narrow path of retreat and momentarily escaped the encirclement.
“After him!” shouted the leading assassin, brandishing his weapon.
Chang Suining broke free from Chang Ren’s grasp.
Moving swiftly and nimbly, and dressed like the other soldiers, she blended into the chaos. Within moments, she had disappeared.
He Wei’s steps grew unsteady, but he dared not stop.
The assassins’ footsteps thundered closer; his breathing became labored.
Just as his vision began to blur, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and yanked him into a narrow gap between tents.
A small hand quickly covered his mouth and nose. “Don’t speak,” came a soft voice—young, perhaps a boy’s.
The “boy” swiftly stacked nearby barrels and straw mats to conceal them.
They were squeezed between two tents, a cramped space that reeked of urine—the resting spot for low-ranking soldiers.
He Wei collapsed to the ground, exhausted. The “boy” pressed a pill between his lips. “For the bleeding. Swallow it.”
He Wei didn’t hesitate—he swallowed. Or rather, he no longer had the strength to doubt.
His voice came out hoarse and weak: “Don’t bother, lad… the blade was poisoned. I won’t make it.”
Chang Suining frowned and quickly checked his wound. The blood was blackened.
The gash on his back was the worst, but not the only one—all his wounds showed signs of poisoning.
Soon, blood gushed from He Wei’s mouth, thick and dark. Even the pill he had swallowed came back up.
Struggling to remain upright, he took a yellow silk scroll from his chest and handed it to the young soldier before him. “...Li Yi has rebelled. Deliver this to General Chang. Remember—it must be to General Chang himself. Only he can expose Li Yi and keep the army from falling apart…”
He already understood clearly what had brought about his death.
To replace another as commander in the midst of war was dangerous enough—but Li Yi had planned this ambush in advance. The only explanation was that someone had leaked the news to him.
So instead of meeting Chang Kuo, He Wei was about to meet the King of Hell.
Seeing the young soldier frozen, He Wei gave a weak chuckle and pushed the scroll into his hand. “Don’t be afraid. This is great merit. Do it well, and you might earn yourself a proper suit of armor someday… fortune favors the bold.”
Even in dying, he tried to make light of it.
It wasn’t very funny—but Chang Suining gave him a faint, strained smile and clutched the bloodstained scroll tightly.
She hadn’t hesitated out of fear—she simply couldn’t bear watching such a capable general die helplessly before her eyes.
Though they weren’t close, she knew He Wei was a man of talent.
Perhaps that was why Her Majesty had chosen him to replace Li Yi—entrusting him with hope, believing he might yet turn the tide.
But now, before he could even step onto the battlefield, this outstanding general would die here—in a narrow, filthy crevice between tents.
Li Yi’s treachery was crude, transparent—but crude methods were still deadly when aided by circumstance.
No one knew better than she how difficult it was to raise a capable general—one needed both courage and wisdom, and the luck to survive a hundred battles without losing heart.
After another set of footsteps passed and faded away, He Wei coughed weakly. “Lad… why don’t you speak at all?”
Chang Suining lowered her eyes. “I’m not fond of talking.”
The air was thick with the memories of countless comrades who had died beside her. She and He Wei had never shared deep friendship, yet grief still pressed heavy on her chest.
He Wei smiled faintly. “...A man facing death grows fearful, I suppose. Just want to hear a voice… anything will do. Don’t you have a question for me?”
When the “boy” stayed silent, he gathered what little strength he had left. “Then let me ask—what’s your name? You saved me, at least in part. I’d like to remember my savior’s name, even in the afterlife…”
Chang Suining said flatly, “So you plan to watch me from the underworld, see if I deliver your message?”
He Wei blinked, then chuckled again. “You’re not only quiet, lad—you’re suspicious, too. Fine, I promise not to watch. Just tell me your name.”
“Chang Suining.”
“Chang…” He Wei looked faintly startled, though his face was too pale to show much expression. His mind was fading. “So you’re a Chang too… the name sounds familiar…”
“Of course,” she said lightly. “I’m quite famous, actually.”
“I see…”
After a long pause, He Wei’s final breath left his lips. “So it wasn’t a boy after all… Seems my luck isn’t so bad today…”
Moments later, Chang Suining reached out and gently closed his lifeless eyes. “Rest well, General He.”
She tucked the scroll safely away and, timing her move carefully, slipped into the gathering dusk.
By now, the last of the assassins were being cut down in the camp.
Li Yi put on a show of grief, frantically asking after General He’s whereabouts. When He Wei’s corpse was finally found, Li Yi stared at it for a moment—then covered his face and broke into sobs.
“...Those assassins were meant for me, yet it’s General He who died in my place!”
While he feigned despair, Chang Kuo strode into the tent. “General Li, what happened here?”
“General Chang…” Li Yi looked at him in apparent confusion. “Your injury—is it healed?”
Chang Kuo frowned. “I’ve long recovered. If you hadn’t ordered men to guard my tent day and night, would such a minor wound need so long to heal?”
He had heard faint sounds of fighting earlier, but the guards barred him from leaving, claiming it was on Li Yi’s orders. When chaos finally erupted outside, he broke through by force.
“Damn it! The camp’s in uproar, and you still block me? Have you turned traitor?!”
With some loyal subordinates assisting him, he’d managed to get free. But he had arrived too late.
Now he looked down at He Wei’s corpse, listening to Li Yi’s pitiful excuses—“I only wished for General Chang to rest… perhaps my men were too strict in following orders…”
Chang Kuo ignored the excuses and asked coldly, “You claim the assassins targeted you. Then you know where they came from?”
Li Yi replied, “I’ve already questioned the survivors—they were sent by Xu Zhengye to kill me!”
Chang Kuo said nothing, merely staring at the trembling, cowardly man before him.
Was this weakling truly as simple as he appeared?
Finally he asked, “General He and the others—did they come under the Holy Emperor’s decree?”
“There must have been an order, but he died before explaining…” Li Yi’s voice broke again. “General Chang, how am I to face Her Majesty now?”
To his own surprise, Chang Kuo found himself momentarily speechless.
…Playing the fool really was the best disguise.
He knew Li Yi was acting—but to expose him now would mean certain death.
To expose him, he’d need both evidence and the strength to control the aftermath. He had neither.
If He Wei had lived, they could have worked together. But now that He Wei and his men were dead, Chang Kuo alone could not prove anything—and accusing Li Yi would only make him the traitor, a crime punishable by execution.
Realizing this, Chang Kuo saw through Li Yi’s performance entirely—and almost admired his audacity.
He forced himself to calm down. At this moment, survival came before justice.
If pretending meant living to fight another day, then so be it.
He took a deep breath and clapped Li Yi on the shoulder. “Enough. Let’s sit down and talk this through.”
If he had to act, he’d act well. Survival was no shame.
Li Yi blinked, caught off guard, his sobs faltering.
Then, as Chang Kuo produced a handkerchief—apparently to wipe his tears—Li Yi flinched and quickly took it himself. “No need, General Chang. I’ll manage. Please, sit.”
Chang Kuo nodded and was just lowering himself when a messenger’s voice rang out—
“Report!”
“The Xu rebels have taken Jiangning! Their army is marching on Hezhou!”
Chang Kuo froze mid-sit, his body jerking upright. “What?! Jiangning has fallen?!”
Impossible!
It had only been seven or eight days!
Seeing Li Yi’s face pale, Chang Kuo’s mind roared in disbelief. “Don’t tell me—you never sent reinforcements?!”
They had agreed to send aid to defend Jiangning!
“I thought… Jiangning was well-fortified, with fifty thousand men, and Hezhou would surely send troops too, so they could hold off Xu Zhengye’s rebels…” Li Yi’s voice trembled. The rebels’ advance had been too fast—terrifyingly fast!
But he was certain now: keeping his forces close had been the right call.
Chang Kuo could see the calculation in his eyes and nearly exploded with fury.
This coward hoarded his troops instead of sending help—what did he expect them to do, breed more soldiers for him?!
“Hezhou must not fall!” Chang Kuo barked. “If it does, Huainan will be lost!”
“Y–Yes…” Li Yi stammered, looking helplessly at him. “Then—who should we send to defend Hezhou? I’ll follow General Chang’s advice!”
Chang Kuo stared at him in silence.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
…
Outside, night had fallen. Lines of soldiers stood waiting for inspection.
Li Yi had failed to find the imperial decree He Wei carried and suspected someone had hidden it during the chaos. So he ordered all soldiers who might have been near the site to be gathered—under the pretext of “searching for infiltrators.”
One by one, they would be searched and interrogated.
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