Li Sheng's fingers rested on the hilt of his sword. With his thumb pressing against the guard, he pushed the blade out half an inch, revealing a sliver of cold, autumn-water gleam.
The gatekeeping captain stood behind the barricade, not even batting an eyelid. The long spear in his hands remained perfectly steady, its tip pointing directly at the chest of Li Sheng's horse.
Behind him, the thirty city gate soldiers were completely motionless, turning a blind eye to the travel pass from the Commander-in-Chief's office.
The wind at the north gate was fierce, sweeping up yellow sand and broken grass from the ground and stinging people's faces.
Li Sheng did not draw his sword immediately. He knew very well that once the blade fully left its sheath, this north gate would truly become a slaughterhouse.
He turned his head slightly, glancing at the carriage behind him from the corner of his eye.
Right at this moment of stalemate, the horse Li Sheng was riding suddenly gave an uneasy snort, its front hooves scraping restlessly against the bluestone slabs.
Li Sheng timely looked toward the end of the long street.
At first, there was only a very faint, muffled thud coming from the end of the street. It started like distant thunder, but in just a few breaths, the muffled sounds merged into a continuous roar. It traveled along the ground, vibrating so intensely that it made the soles of their feet numb.
At the end of the long street, a cloud of grayish-yellow dust billowed into the sky.
Through the dust, a dense formation of iron-clad cavalry charged forward, their armor gleaming as one solid mass, sweeping straight toward the north gate.
Horseshoes pounded against the dusty bluestone slabs. Two hundred warhorses galloped in unison, whipping up a fierce wind that tore at the shop banners on both sides of the street, making them snap loudly. The air around the north gate grew heavy and stagnant, and every breath drawn into the lungs was filled with the choking taste of sand and dirt.
Upon seeing the large banner bearing the character He fluttering in the wind, the gatekeeping captain's tense shoulders instantly relaxed. He tapped his spear against the ground and stepped aside.
Li Sheng pulled his reins, turning his horse sideways to block the front of the carriage. Behind him, thirty-two guards drew their waist swords in perfect unison, the blades flashing together in the morning light.
Goudan and fifteen veteran survivors of the vanguard camp directly pulled the long spears from their backs, locking their eyes onto the charging cavalry.
Whoa!
He Minghu lightly pulled his reins. The magnificent black horse beneath him reared high on its hind legs, letting out a long neigh, and came to an abrupt halt less than ten paces away from Li Sheng.
Sitting on horseback, He Minghu looked down at Li Sheng. However, paying absolutely no mind to the half-drawn sword in Li Sheng's hand, he dismounted directly.
His heavy iron armor clanked loudly with his movements.
Taking large, domineering strides, He Minghu walked straight past Li Sheng and headed toward the carriage bearing the imperial envoy's insignia.
Just as Li Sheng was about to block him with his sword, over a dozen of He Minghu's personal guards immediately thrust their spears forward, the tips pressing uniformly against the head of Li Sheng's horse.
If Li Sheng dared to make a single move, his warhorse would instantly be stabbed into a sieve.
He Minghu walked up to the carriage and stopped.
Lord Xu, He Minghu said, his voice booming with energy. I, General He Minghu, offer my greetings.
There was no movement from inside the carriage.
He Minghu revealed an undisguised, sinister smile. He took a half step closer, his voice carrying an innate sense of oppression.
Lord Xu, I received a secret report stating that an official from the capital is colluding with foreign enemies, intending to shake the foundation of our Great Qian's border defense. The matter is of grave importance, and I am merely acting under orders. Forgive my offense!
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the entire north gate instantly dropped to the freezing point.
Colluding with foreign enemies—if this accusation were pinned on someone, let alone an imperial envoy, even a prince would be stripped of a layer of skin.
The curtain of the carriage finally moved.
A pale hand reached out from within, its fingers grasping the edge of the heavy cloth curtain.
The curtain was pulled halfway open, revealing Xu Qinghuan sitting inside. Her face was so pale that it lacked even a trace of color.
Her lips trembled slightly as she stared at He Minghu standing outside the carriage.
He Minghu! Xu Qinghuan's voice quivered a little. How incredibly bold of you! I am an imperial envoy of the royal court, holding the Emperor's Sword, touring and inspecting on behalf of the Son of Heaven! You dare to block my carriage?!
Her chest heaved violently, as if she were intimidated by this grand display of force.
Seeing her like this, the smile at the corners of He Minghu's mouth deepened.
He knew these pampered officials from the capital all too well. They acted high and mighty during normal times, but once they encountered a situation with real swords and spears, their true cowardly nature would immediately be exposed.
Please calm your anger, Lord Xu! He Minghu cupped his hands with a fake smile. I am only doing this for the safety of Zhenbei City.
The secret report stated it with absolute certainty. If I do not investigate, and those treasonous thieves truly manage to exploit a loophole, I would not be able to bear the blame.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Xu Qinghuan's pale face, and his tone grew even more forceful.
Furthermore, if you have nothing to hide, Lord Xu, why would you fear my inspection? Could it be that there really is something shameful hidden inside your carriage?
Xu Qinghuan's breath hitched. She bit her lower lip, her eye rims even turning slightly red from anger.
You... you insolent fool! How can my carriage be searched just because you say so? Do you have any regard for the law? Do you have any regard for the royal court?!
Although this reprimand was harsh, to He Minghu's ears, it felt like nothing more than empty bluster.
He Minghu tapped his fingers against the hilt of his sword twice, producing a crisp, metallic clinking sound.
The law? Here in Zhenbei City, the sword in my hand is the law!
He drew the saber from his waist, pointing the tip straight at the ground.
Men! Search it for me!
Hold on!
Just at this moment of explosive tension, a gentle voice called out from behind the iron-clad cavalry.
Ma Jin'an, dressed in a scarlet civil official's robe and riding a docile roan horse, slowly made his way out from the crowd.
This attire looked entirely out of place among the heavily armed, iron-clad personal guards surrounding him.
Ma Jin'an dismounted, walked up to He Minghu, and reached out to gently press down on the wrist holding the sword.
General He, you must not be reckless.
He turned his head, looked at Xu Qinghuan sitting in the carriage, and offered a deep bow, his posture exceedingly humble.
Please calm your anger, Lord Xu. General He is a rough man who does not understand the rules. He has offended you, and I apologize on his behalf.
Xu Qinghuan looked at Ma Jin'an. Her body seemed to relax slightly, but the wariness in her eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
Ma Jin'an straightened up and sighed, a somewhat troubled expression appearing on his face.
My Lord, General He is also thinking of the safety of Zhenbei City. Over the past few days, wild rumors have been spreading rapidly through the city, claiming that someone intends to use the border trade as a cover to transport contraband materials beyond the pass.
As a Vice General, General He has a duty to defend this territory. If something truly goes wrong and the Ministry of War lays down the blame, we subordinates will be the ones to lose our heads.
He took a step forward, lowering his voice a fraction, his tone filled with earnest persuasion.
You are an imperial envoy, My Lord, with a noble status. Naturally, you would not do such a thing as colluding with the enemy and betraying the country.
It is just that there are many people and mixed hands in this convoy. It is hard to guarantee that there aren't a few petty scoundrels smuggling illicit goods behind your back. If General He searches and finds them out, you can take precautions early on, so as to avoid being implicated, right?
Ma Jin'an's words were comprehensive and meticulous. On the surface, he was absolving Xu Qinghuan of blame, but in reality, he was backing her into a corner.
If Xu Qinghuan continued to stop them, it would mean she had something to hide; if she agreed to the inspection, it would mean she was bowing her head to He Minghu.
Xu Qinghuan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened them again, the anger and panic in her eyes had faded, leaving behind only a bleak emptiness.
She slowly released her grip on the carriage curtain. As if all her strength had been drained away, she slumped back against the wall of the carriage.
"Fine... what a fine excuse, acting for the safety of Zhenbei City," Xu Qinghuan squeezed the words out through gritted teeth. "I would like to see just what exactly you manage to find!"
Seeing her finally yield, He Minghu threw his head back and let out a burst of brazen, unbridled laughter.
"Hahahaha! Official Xu truly understands the greater good!"
He turned around and, with a sweeping wave of his large hand, pointed at the eight large wagons heavily laden with goods.
"Do not let a single wagon slip by! Search them thoroughly! Even if it is just a single needle, I want it turned up!"
However, outside the carriage, no one noticed.
Behind the barricade, Li Sheng's unblinking gaze was fixed in the direction of the carriage, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
Simply because, upon seeing his young lady put on such a scene, Li Sheng genuinely could no longer hold back his amusement.
