He Weifang hurriedly rode her horse home, recalling the kindness her father had shown her before her marriage. She felt a surge of hope, but to her surprise, Liu Shen’s men arrived at her home before she did. They scolded her for defying her mother-in-law, neglecting her duties as a wife, and causing a disturbance in public by seeking a divorce. They did not mention the harsh treatment she endured from the Liu family or the unauthorized use of her dowry. Her father, unaware of the true situation, mistakenly believed that Mudan had excessively run away from home and agreed to search for her alongside the Liu family.
He Weifang knew she already had a family she couldn’t return to, so she took advantage of a moment when no one was watching to leave behind some money and silk. She then rode her horse, adorned with flowers, towards the edge of a cliff. Later, Liu Shen dispatched his men to the cliff, where they found one of He Weifang’s hair ornaments and assumed she had fallen to her death. Liu Chang was skeptical of this conclusion and suspected that his father, Liu Shen, had forced He Weifang to commit suicide.
Throughout his life, Liu Chang had never disobeyed his father. From trivial matters like clothing, food, and housing to significant decisions such as friendships, social engagements, and marriage, he had always followed his father’s arrangements. However, this time, he resolved to no longer be a puppet controlled by his father. He declared that he would rather die than marry the county lord. Enraged, Liu Shen punished Liu Chang with caning, but Liu Chang steadfastly refused to relent. Mrs. Liu, deeply loving her son, tearfully pleaded with him to marry the county lord. Frustrated and overwhelmed with anger, Liu Shen angrily explained that if it weren’t for Liu Chang’s reckless actions that angered Prince Ning, the Liu family would not have been exiled to Luoyang. He insisted that this marriage was the only opportunity for the Liu family to restore their former status. Hearing this, Liu Chang was moved, and Liu Shen immediately arranged for officials to send three letters of betrothal to the county lord, insisting that Liu Chang marry her. As for He Weifang, Liu Shen assured that arrangements would be made for her as well. Reluctantly, Liu Chang ceased his vehement refusals.
Meanwhile, He Weifang had not actually fallen off the cliff. The hair ornament left behind was a deliberate tactic to mislead those searching for her, allowing the Liu family to stop pursuing her whereabouts. She found a village in the wilderness and changed into plain clothing. Using her resources, she secretly made her way to Chang’an. Her mother had left her a property in Chang’an named Fangyuan, but upon visiting, she discovered that there were no senior stewards or servants to recognize her as the mistress. Struggling to establish herself in Chang’an, He Weifang searched for work but found that many shops were unwilling to hire someone without a household registration.
One day, He Weifang saw a woman bustling about in a large tavern and asked if they needed extra help. The woman decisively refused, but the shop owner, Wang Qing, kindly took her in to work. He offered to help He Weifang obtain a household registration through officials if she was willing to mortgage her jade abacus. However, He Weifang was not easily deceived and demanded a written agreement. A hostile woman named Wunang harbored resentment towards He Weifang and deliberately bumped into her, causing her to break a bowl. Wunang falsely accused He Weifang of stealing money. He Weifang calmly defended herself with reason, and shop owner Wang Qing chose to believe her. That night, He Weifang sensed that Wang Qing and his wife were scheming behind the scenes, but she decided to focus on earning money while keeping a close watch on them.
Jiang Changyang captured Chu Dalan, the leader of the Righteous Assassin Society operating in Chang’an, and handed him a letter from Dabei. The next day, he arranged for Chu Dalan to meet Dabei at Kaiyuan Temple. Chu Dalan agreed to join Jiang Changyang’s ranks. With this group of dedicated individuals, Jiang now had informants in the Western Market, making his operations much more convenient.
Half a month passed, and Wang Qing had failed to fulfill his promise regarding the household registration. Instead, he attempted to seize He Weifang, claiming that he could divorce Wunang and make He Weifang the legitimate wife, sharing the family’s property between them. He Weifang firmly refused, leading Wang Qing to violently beat her. Under the pressure of Wang Qing’s fists and his brutality, He Weifang had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
