Crickets played their nightly melody by the time we reached the little village set between the dip of two mountains. In my mind, all the minute details of my plan to reclaim power had been laid out and pored over, nothing left to chance. With little left to do that could be accomplished riding on the back of a horse, I turned my attention to the surroundings.

     The scene painted in front of me was a refreshing change from dark, insidious plots. The sun’s slow descent below the horizon casting a reddish tint on the swaying stalks of barley in the fields, it brought back warm memories from my childhood. Serenity, simplicity… something I wasn’t used to seeing behind the walls of the Forbidden Palace.

     On a whim, I told Li Wai to halt. As he pulled back gently on the reins, I swung my leg over and jumped to the ground. Landing with a light thump, I stretched my arms and wriggled my legs as I did to get rid of the slight numbness in the muscles.

     As Li Wai watched quietly, I made my way towards the barley field. Holding out an arm and running it through the golden colored stalks, the familiar feeling of strings plucking against my palms tickled my senses. A reminiscent smile dancing on my lips, I walked faster, letting the stalks flow continuously until it became a blur in my vision, the golden barley mixing with the red sunset a beautiful blend of colors.

     On the main road, Li Wai kept up with my pace, having dismounted from the horse as well. The clip-clop of the mare’s hooves on the dirt path setting a nice rhythm, I hummed an old harvesting tune under my breath. It was something my mother had taught me when we were out in the fields, its melody simple but haunting.

     Too engrossed in my own thoughts, I almost failed to notice movement disturbing the stalks of barley, jumping backwards as a tall figure dressed in the Tufan peasant garb stepped out a few feet in front of me. Holding a sickle in hand with a basket of harvested barley on their back, the figure turned towards me, a large straw hat obscuring their face.

     In a flash, Li Wai had stepped in front, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. As the figure slowly raised their head, he tensed in preparation for a fight.

     “Li Wai?”

     An eyebrow raised, I peered over his shoulder, seeing a pair of brown eyes under the straw hat shine in excitement.

     “It’s you, right?” A hand removing the hat to reveal long brown hair tied in a bun, the young Tufan woman was all smiles, pearly white teeth exposed to the maximum.

     My eyes shifted to Li Wai and I saw him relax his hold on the sword, his hand dropping to his sides.

     “Han Ge,” he greeted shortly before being enveloped in a tight hug by the woman, his breath coming out in a harsh wheeze.

     Amused, I watched them exchange pleasantries or rather, barbed jabs in Li Wai’s case. I took it that this woman was our contact spy, quite surprising given the fact that women were not allowed in the military. But since my reign as Empress Dowager, I had been constantly elevating the status of women, be it in terms of culture, art, or politics. Perhaps my campaign had paid off, influencing other officials and generals to adopt the same philosophy as me.

     A thin smile of satisfaction on my face, I tucked my hands into the pockets of my coat. My eyes wandered around, catching sight of another peasant man stepping out of the fields ahead of us. Seeing him, Li Wai raised a hand in acknowledgement. Probably another of our spies.

     As the other man headed our way, the woman finally took notice of me. Her index finger extended at me, her eyes gleamed mischievously. “Ah, Li Wai, is that your woman?”

     Li Wai took a step back and turned towards me. His eyes wide in apprehension, fearing my reaction to the audacious statement. The other spy, a brown-haired man, had just stopped beside Han Ge’s side when he heard her words. His mouth dropped open upon seeing me, recognition in his eyes.

     Tickled as I was by the awkward situation, I maintained a straight face. Li Wai’s lips parted, ready to admonish Han Ge, when her companion harshly whispered to her, “That’s the Empress Dowager!”

     Han Ge’s smile fell and the two spies hurriedly bent down. As they did, I noticed several other peasants on the road, curiously looking on, attracted by the ruckus. Hurriedly, I raised my hand, speaking in a low tone so that only Han Ge and the man could hear. “Stop. Don’t attract any attention and treat me like a normal person. This is an order.”

     The two spies halted in their movement. Han Ge’s brown eyes met mine and she whispered, “Please forgive my rude actions then.”

     When I nodded in acknowledgement, the woman stood up with a guffaw and stepped closer to me. Her hand wrapped around my shoulder, which took me by surprise. My body froze, unused to such intimate contact. Talking to me as if I were an old friend, she led me down the road. As we passed the two men, their shocked expressions almost made me chuckle.

     No one had ever dared to treat me as an equal since the Emperor had passed on. I sneaked a look at the woman named Han Ge.

     An intriguing woman, no doubt.