After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 13
Qun Qing walked through the Eastern Market, unaware of the events unfolding behind her.
“Miss, how about a candied hawthorn? It’s the freshest and sweetest in all of Chang’an!” a vendor called, handing her a skewer.
She lifted her veil and inspected the bright red treat. “Fresh? The sugar’s already melted. Is there nothing fresher?”
“Not fresh enough for you, Miss? Come inside, I’ll get you one straight from the sugar pot!” The vendor lifted a curtain, inviting her into the shop, and called to the woman outside, “Yue Niang, mind the stall!”
A voice answered, and Qun Qing followed him inside. The shop was small, with a living space attached where the vendor’s family resided. After securing the door and windows, the vendor lifted a pot lid and handed her a candied hawthorn.
“Here you go, Miss Qing. Made fresh this morning.”
His tone and expression had completely changed. His voice was soft, his eyes sharp.
“I got your letter a few days ago. I’ve been expecting you. It was smart of you to remember the empty wax pill I left. What happened? Why did you leave the palace so suddenly?”
As it turned out, this vendor was no ordinary man—he was An Lin, a spy from Southern Chu stationed in the Eastern Market.
Qun Qing didn’t reveal much. She only asked about the “Celestial” within the palace.
An Lin replied, “Of the dozens of spies I sent in under false identities, fewer than ten remain, all of them small players. I have no idea who the two ‘Celestial’ in the palace are.”
Qun Qing lifted her veil slightly and looked at him, her expression tense and controlled.
“Brother An, I left the palace because I can no longer tolerate Lin Yujia’s ways. You’re the only ‘Celestial’ I know. Could I… serve under you from now on?”
An Lin paused, surprised.
“I warned you before you entered the palace—it’s dangerous, and Lin Yujia is a hypocrite. But you insisted on going, saying you needed to find your sister, that she wouldn’t survive without you.”
The reminder hit Qun Qing hard, like a slap in the face.
Seeing her knuckles whitening as she gripped her teacup, An Lin softened. He voiced his suspicions carefully,
“Miss Qing, you’re not someone who gives up easily. What did Lin Yujia do to force you out? I’ve long known he takes credit for your efforts before the Master. Did he give you another impossible task?”
Qun Qing trembled with anger, but she kept her lips tightly sealed, refusing to speak.
An Lin studied her for a moment, then relaxed. Admiration crept into his eyes.
“With your discipline and ability, any ‘Celestial’ would be lucky to have you as an ‘Elite.’ Lin Yujia is a fool, trying to break the very person who brings him success. People like him will always be replaced.”
Qun Qing’s heart stirred.
“So you’ll let me follow you?”
This was her plan—to escape the palace using the power of another ‘Celestial.’
An Lin had once served as a Golden Guard for the Chu Kingdom before becoming a spy. After the fall of Chu, Qun Qing had almost lost her life at Qingjing Temple, but An Lin had found her and saved her. He’d been the first to help her after she left the palace.
It was An Lin who told her about Crown Prince Zhao’s efforts to re-establish Southern Chu. He had invited her to join their cause and had helped her return to the palace, making him someone she could trust—at least for now.
Before entering the palace, An Lin had trained Qun Qing in close-quarters combat, admiring her resilience and sharp mind. He had hoped to keep her as his subordinate outside the palace, but she insisted on going in to serve the princess.
Regretting this decision, An Lin left her an empty wax pill—a way to contact him if she ever changed her mind.
However, given the nature of their roles as spies, trust was rare. Their relationship remained distant and cautious. Over time, Qun Qing wasn’t sure if An Lin still cared, so she sent the wax pill to test him, hoping he still valued her.
Now that she had taken the risk to meet him, Qun Qing’s sincerity was evident. An Lin hesitated for a moment before saying,
“I lost an ‘Elite’ half a month ago. If you’re willing to take their place, that would be great… But that ‘Elite’ was stationed in Ping Kang Fang’s siye lou—an entertainment district. For someone like you, a proper young lady…”
“It’s fine,” Qun Qing replied without hesitation. “I’ll do it.”
No matter where she went, it couldn’t be more dangerous than the palace. Her priority was to escape the palace’s treacherous politics as soon as possible, survive in the increasingly prosperous Da Chen, and eventually find a way to reunite with her mother and plan her escape.
Her immediate answer caught An Lin by surprise. After thinking for a moment, he said,
“Miss Qing, even if I agree, leaving the palace won’t be as easy as you think. There’s something you need to take care of—your palace registration.”
Qun Qing looked at him, confused.
“You didn’t think you could just walk out of the palace, did you?” An Lin chuckled as he opened the wooden window and gestured for her to look outside.
She saw several silver-armored soldiers questioning a woman holding a child, inspecting her documents in the busy marketplace.
“You’ve been in the palace for almost a year now, and for the past year, the Ministry of Revenue has been enforcing the pass system. Anyone entering or leaving major cities or checkpoints needs a pass. Even within Chang’an, officials conduct random checks. Without a pass, people can be detained on the spot—especially those suspected of being spies like us,” An Lin explained.
“When you entered the palace, it was during a time of chaos, which is how you could assume the identity of that deceased maid so easily. But now, things have changed. The six department of palace services have regained control, and with Princess Consort Yan overseeing palace affairs, finding any loopholes is nearly impossible.”
“That piece of paper is the pass, and it has to be carried at all times?” Qun Qing observed the woman for a moment and then pointed, asking,
“What about the palace registration? Is that like the document proving her status as a maid? Similar to how commoners had household registrations in the past?”
“Exactly.” An Lin nodded. “But now, all the city’s commoners have been registered and issued special passes they have to carry every day. Even courtesans, shamans, and the displaced have different types of passes. If you want to leave the palace, you first need to get past the guards inside, who will give you a palace registration stamped with an expulsion mark.”
“All I can do is help you exchange your palace registration for a pass as quickly as possible. By the time Lin Yujia finds out, you’ll have already entered the Siye Tower. That place is notorious for swallowing women without a trace, and even Lin Yujia won’t be able to get anyone out of there. I’ll report back to the Master afterward and bring you in,” he said.
Hearing An Lin’s explanation, Qun Qing’s heart sank, realizing how hard it was to leave the city without that pass. After thinking for a moment, she asked,
“Brother An, it’s just a piece of paper. Can’t it be forged?”
“Do you think the Li family is so easily fooled? The Ministry has ways of verifying the passes that no one knows. The Minister of the Ministry was once under the Yanzhou Prince’s command, and a strategist named Lu from the Yanzhou Manor devised this method. We’ve tried forging passes and learning their verification process, but we lost several people in the attempt. Now, there’s no one left in the Ministry to infiltrate,” An Lin complained.
They watched as the woman and child were taken away by the soldiers, causing an uproar in the western market. But once it was revealed the soldiers were investigating spies, order was quickly restored.
A chill ran through Qun Qing’s heart, as if it was her being taken away. This harsh system was suffocating. Could this strategist named Lu be Lu Huating?
“Since the palace registration needs to be stamped with the expulsion mark, it’s better to leave through the legitimate route,” Qun Qing decided, giving up the idea of forging a pass.
“I have a plan, but it will take some time.”
She recalled the grand celebration at the end of the year, when some palace servants would be released. But she couldn’t mention that just yet.
“Managing palace affairs is no easy task,” An Lin said, trying to comfort her.
“There’s no need to rush… I’ve heard the Lord has already assigned me a new ‘Elite’ to replace the one who died. She’s already on her way. If she proves useless, I’ll call on you. I’ll need to rely on you then, Miss Qing.”
Qun Qing glanced at An Lin, realizing why he had hesitated earlier. He already had a new subordinate lined up.
Though An Lin valued her skills, if this new ‘Elite’ sent by the Crown Prince turned out to be highly competent and succeeded in her missions, what place would Qun Qing have? If that happened, An Lin wouldn’t have as strong a reason to help her escape the palace.
“Brother An, since the mission was dangerous enough to cause a loss among your spies, it must be challenging. Could you tell me what this ‘Elite’ task is?” Qun Qing asked, her dark eyes steady.
“I’m willing to compete with her. I believe I can accomplish it faster.”
An Lin gave her a surprised look. Missions for spies were always grueling and dangerous, requiring mental preparation before accepting them. Yet here she was, eager to compete for one.
“What on earth did Lin Yujia do to make you so desperate to leave?” An Lin couldn’t help but ask.
“Could it be that… he used the engagement as an excuse to take liberties with you?”
Seeing Qun Qing lower her head in silence, he grew more sympathetic. A flash of disgust crossed his face.
“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I’ll report Lin Yujia to the Lord for you. What a disgrace…”
As they spoke, a young girl suddenly ran out from the inner room. She spotted Qun Qing and, with a look of grievance, tugged at An Lin’s sleeve.
“Father, you promised to save me the candied hawthorn…”
Qun Qing, surprised, quickly handed the candied hawthorn to the little girl.
“Brother An, you have a child?”
An Lin carefully straightened the girl’s clothes, slipped her tiger-head shoes back on, and adjusted the bone whistle hanging from a red cord around her neck before sending her off to play. He replied, somewhat awkwardly,
“The oil cake seller, Lady Yue, lost her husband. We joined together as a family to support each other.”
Mentioning his family softened An Lin’s expression with an awkward tenderness—a gentleness that made Qun Qing, for a fleeting moment, daydream about convincing Brother An to elope with her one day…
Their conversation was interrupted, so An Lin discreetly handed her the wax pellet containing the mission details. In return, Qun Qing placed a wrapped candied hawthorn in her basket and took her leave.
Leaving the palace was no easy feat. Seizing her opportunity, Qun Qing followed the familiar path through the winding alleys, making her way to the Apothecary Pavillion.
Here, people bustled about, carrying medicine bundles, while monks in simple robes exchanged greetings with the common folk.
The Apothecary Pavillion had once been Lingdao Temple. Two years ago, when Chang’an fell, the city had suffered heavy losses. Healers and medical monks voluntarily gathered at the temple, turning it into a refuge for the wounded. Over time, the temple evolved into a cluster of medical halls, constantly filled with patients.
Li Langzhong’s medical hall was among them.
The gates of the Apothecary Pavillion stood wide open, with a lotus pedestal stone monument in the courtyard. Beneath the monument were offerings of red candles. Those seeking treatment entered from the right of the stone monument, while those who had been treated exited from the left.
Qun Qing followed the flow of patients into the East Hall.
The East Hall had been expanded, now connected to the rear hall, making it several times larger than when she had last been there. It could now accommodate even more patients. Inside, three doctors sat at their desks, with long lines forming in front of each. Clean straw mats were laid against the walls for those waiting to rest.
Qun Qing sat down with a few women, her gaze scanning the crowd until she spotted Fang Xie taking someone’s pulse.
The young boy was dressed in a cyan robe. Because of his youth, his hair was not yet tied in the formal style, hanging loosely behind his neck. Yet, his movements as he took pulses and wrote prescriptions were already quite practiced.
Qun Qing lifted her veil slightly for a better look, astonished. When she had left, Fang Xie still resembled a delicate porcelain doll. In just a year, he had grown into a handsome young lad.
Sensing something, Fang Xie looked up. The moment he saw Qun Qing’s face, his breath caught.
Qun Qing gestured for Fang Xie to continue writing prescriptions. If she needed a large amount of castor oil, obtaining it from someone familiar would certainly be safer.
Fang Xie, however, was clearly distracted, casting glances at her, his eyes full of unease, as if afraid that if he looked away, she might disappear again.
Qun Qing sighed and gave him a small smile. But in the next moment, her smile froze.
In another queue, someone had noticed Fang Xie’s reaction and turned to look at her.
This person wore a simple white hemp garment, yet his upright posture made him stand out. His clothes were thin and light, with sleeves that lifted slightly like wings. As he moved casually, the robe traced the slender lines of his waist and back. A high-tied belt held a dagger, and a scent pouch swayed beside it. Qun Qing shifted her gaze and found herself staring at an ethereal, almost godlike face.
His eyes were a deep black, with slightly upturned corners, like flames ignited in the night—vivid and stunning.
She had seen Lu Huating.
And he had seen her too.
For a split second, Qun Qing’s heart seemed to stop. Sweat formed on her back, her entire body tense—a natural reaction to encountering a mortal enemy from her past life.
But—so what if he saw her? In this life, they had never met. They wouldn’t have the chance to be enemies again.
Her emotions settled, like a receding tide. Qun Qing didn’t avoid his gaze but stared back at him, unwavering, through the throng of people.
Lu Huating’s eyes scanned her face before turning back to continue his conversation with the person beside him.
Qun Qing lowered her veil. She could no longer stay. Moving with the crowd, she made her way out of the inner hall.
Inside the medical hall, the clamor continued—the sounds of people talking, groaning in pain, and pounding medicine blended together, forming a dense web of noise.
“Master, what are you looking at?” Juan Su noticed Lu Huating’s tension, his right hand resting on the sheath of his sword.
Lu Huating adjusted his sleeves and said casually,
“Keep an eye on the woman wearing a veil behind us.”
“Which woman with the veil?”
Lu Huating turned around. Sure enough, Qun Qing was nowhere to be seen on the straw mats. He scanned the entire medical hall, and after a while, a faint, cold smile appeared on his lips.
She had run away…