The two ate a simple meal. Zhu Linglan took out her money bag from her embrace and placed a few copper coins inside.
"Where are we going?" Er Gou asked.
"To find a place to stay."
Linglan was a woman of few words, not one for idle chatter. Er Gou, with his sociable nature, came into his own. Before long, he had inquired about which street was suitable for living and the rent costs.
The two rented a small courtyard. The courtyard was fully equipped, only needing a few odds and ends such as pots, bowls, bedding, and pillows.
After tidying up and purchasing supplies, they finally had time to rest.
Er Gou asked Linglan to boil some water. Linglan looked at him, then at her own leg. Er Gou slapped his forehead; he had forgotten she was injured.
"Alright, alright, I'll do it myself!"
He got up to boil water and make tea. It was all work he was accustomed to, and he didn't seem to mind. After boiling the water, making the tea, and handing a cup to Linglan, Er Gou picked up his own tea bowl and took a large gulp.
"The shopkeeper went with that living Yama..."
Linglan's gaze was sharp. Er Gou swallowed nervously, ultimately not finishing the words "living Yama."
Feng Luan had led the shopkeeper towards Changming Mountain, deliberately leaving them behind. It was both a test and a trial, but none of that was truly important, at least not to Linglan.
The fact that the other party had taken the shopkeeper was the most crucial matter.
"Go inquire tomorrow about where people are needed."
"Go back to our old profession?"
"Anything is fine!"
Er Gou looked at Linglan. She disliked the name Zhaodi. Did she like Linglan more?
...
Border Barracks.
To reach Changming Mountain, one had to skirt around the barracks. The barracks were guarded every five paces with sentries every ten paces. Without a travel permit from the county magistrate of Wucheng, not even a fly could pass.
"From the capital?"
A soldier took the travel permit from Nan Shiying and sized her up.
In Wucheng, there were merchants who dealt in imports. Occasionally, caravans would travel from Wucheng to the Yuhe ferry crossing, where two cargo ships were docked.
Only these two ships, and they were controlled by the border guards!
The import business manager had granted permission; this was not smuggling. Lin Yuan's warhorses were mostly brought in from Liao Jiang. However, these few people before them looked nothing like merchants.
Nan Shiying's eyes flickered upward. With a flip of her wrist, she unfurled her fan with a swish. The fan ribs were a jade green with gold accents, seemingly crafted from a mixture of the finest jade and gold. The fan surface was made of the best silk brocade, and as she fanned, the scent of gilded gold slowly permeated the air.
Yes, it smelled of gold.
"What, can't we pass?"
A hint of mischief appeared in her eyes, a rebellious and arrogant flair of a spoiled noble. It was as if, should the soldier dare to utter a single "no," she would use the jade-ribbed, brocade-covered fan in her hand as a weapon to slap him, framing him for damaging someone's property.
"You can pass, you can pass!"
The soldier returned the travel permit to Nan Shiying with both hands and then pointed at the steeds being led by Xiaoman and Situ Kong, saying, "But the horses must be left behind!"
"Can't bring the horses?"
"Cannot bring them!"
"You expect me to walk?"
"It's not personal, sir. It's our barracks' rule!"
The soldier deliberately emphasized the words "barracks," a subtle hint of threat.
"Heh~"
Nan Shiying sneered. With a flick of her wrist, the closed jade-ribbed fan accurately and forcefully struck the soldier's hand that was holding the travel permit. As she withdrew her hand, the permit flew up with the fan. Nan Shiying swept her sleeve and caught the permit within her flowing sleeve.
A long, thick red mark appeared on the soldier's palm.
Nan Shiying let out a satisfied snort through her nose, waved her hand, signaling Xiaoman and Situ Kong to leave the horses behind, tapped the soldier's shoulder with her fan, pushed him aside, and swaggered in.
"You..."
Beside the soldier, a young, green recruit spat fiercely, wishing he could spit on Nan Shiying's face. This dog, relying on the influence of his ancestors, how dare he act so imperiously outside their barracks?
If he didn't put him in his place today, it would be an insult to the reputation of their border army.
"Don't be rash!"
The soldier grabbed the furious recruit. He was the youngest son of Deputy General Cheng Chongyu of the border army and held a prominent position in the Wucheng border army. He had indeed never been treated this way. However, what could the young son of a mere deputy general compare to the powerful figures from the capital?
"What is that thing!"
Staring at the retreating figure, the recruit spat again and then turned to the veteran soldier, "Old Lu, you..."
The soldier glanced at him and pulled him closer, whispering in his ear, "Go tell the General that three individuals have unclear identities and require close attention."
The recruit's eyes lit up. "Alright, I understand!"
With that, he turned and ran back into the barracks.
...
"Brother..."
Xiaoman wanted to say something, but Nan Shiying raised her hand to stop her. This was not a good place for conversation.
They had only passed the outer entrance. Now, to their left was open wasteland, and to their right was the border barracks, enclosed by wooden posts. Perhaps it had rained recently, as the ground was still damp, marked with footprints. It seemed someone had just passed through.
Changming Mountain and Yuhe were southwest of the barracks. They still needed to turn right to enter the inner gate to fully traverse the barracks and reach the border.
In other words, even if someone bypassed the outer gate by traversing the wasteland on the left, they would be stopped before the inner gate.
Beyond the inner gate, the noise intensified. There were civilians setting up stalls at the border.
"This young brother looks unfamiliar. First time here?"
Just as Nan Shiying and the other two hesitated, a smiling inquiry suddenly reached their ears.
Nan Shiying turned her head. Before her appeared a fat face that looked as if it had landed face first at birth and had been chased by dogs during its growth. A胖子, smiling, looked at her, his eyes narrowed to mere slits. The flesh on his cheeks was piled up, giving him a particularly humorous appearance.
Nan Shiying nodded slightly. "First time!"
The胖子's wide, thick hand reached out to pat Nan Shiying's shoulder, but as he felt the frostiness emanating from Nan Shiying's brows, his hand changed direction and patted his own left hand. "I knew this young brother looked unfamiliar. It's not that Fatty is bragging, but I can tell at a glance who is a regular and who is a stranger when people enter and exit the border!"
Nan Shiying looked at him noncommittally. She wondered what he was up to!
Seeing all six eyes—two large ones and one small one—fixed on him, the胖子's face twitched slightly. But who was he? He was Fatty Li Si, a rogue of the border. What was this awkward little scene to him?
He coughed and continued, "Young brother, do you see that! That boat!"
Nan Shiying followed the direction of his finger and saw two cargo ships.
"One of them belongs to our Hengyuan Chamber of Commerce!"
"So?"
"Aren't you, my young brother, and your companions intending to cross the river to Liao Jiang? Although our Chamber of Commerce's ship is a cargo ship, seeing as I feel an instant kinship with my brother, if you wish to cross the river, I can put in some effort and sacrifice some face to get you all onto the ship!"
Nan Shiying remained silent for two seconds and then spat out a perfectly enunciated word from her lips: "Scram!!"