The personal guards moved with agility, perhaps having done this sort of work many times before.
The iron lock on the first large carriage was split open with a single axe strike. The clasp shattered upon impact. Several guards climbed onto the carriage bed, tore off the tarpaulin covering the wooden crates, and revealed the neatly stacked, elongated pine boxes underneath.
With just a glance, the soldiers could tell these boxes were meticulously crafted. The four corners were inlaid with brass, and the mortise and tenon joints were completely sealed with fish maw glue—a far cry from the crude packaging of ordinary military supplies.
Split them!
At He Minghu's command, the short axes in the guards' hands fell. The lids of the crates split down the middle, revealing an interior stuffed tightly with dry straw and cotton wadding.
A guard reached inside, carefully peeling back layers of wrapped coarse cloth, and lifted out an object swathed in Shu brocade from the center of the straw.
As the morning light poured over the object, the guard's hand involuntarily trembled.
It was actually a pristine vase.
Its entire body was crystal clear, without the slightest flaw. The vase was slender, its neck tapering like that of a crane, while its base was thick and steady. The daylight pierced through the walls of the vase, casting a swirling halo of light onto the back of the guard's hand, dancing erratically with his trembling knuckles.
The vase was filled with liquid of a pristine, transparent hue. As the vase tilted, the surface of the liquid rippled slightly, scattering refracted light across the inner walls of the wooden crate in a flickering display.
Holding the vase, the guard dared not grip it too tightly nor hold it too loosely; he froze on the spot like a clay statue.
Bring it here.
He Minghu strode over and snatched the bottle from the guard's hands.
The moment it touched his hands, He Minghu's brows furrowed, because this piece of glazed glass was simply... too light.
The material of this bottle was neither pottery nor porcelain, nor was it any kind of gold, jade, copper, or stone. Having spent over ten years in the Northern Frontier, he had seen all sorts of rare treasures, yet he could not put a name to the object in his hands.
He Minghu raised the bottle to his eyes, examining it closely against the morning light.
The wall of the bottle was so thin that he could see his own fingerprints right through it.
This item possessed a beauty that rivaled the work of the gods!
Keep searching.
He Minghu's voice was no longer as boisterous as before, dropping a few registers.
The guards took the order and successively opened the wooden crates on the second, third, and fourth carriages. The contents in every box were identical.
Each contained a bottle of wine, paired with a glazed glass artifact.
Some were bowls, some were cups, and some were ornaments carved with auspicious beasts. Every single piece was thoroughly translucent, and the origin of every single piece was entirely unknown.
He Minghu stood before the third carriage, pinching a glazed glass wine cup in his hand, turning it over and over for a long time.
He did not speak.
Ma Jin'an walked up from behind, his gaze falling upon the wine cup in He Minghu's hand.
His footsteps paused for a beat.
His folding fan, which had been raised to his chest, now hung in mid-air. The speckled bamboo of the closed fan ribs slightly stalled between his fingers.
Ma Jin'an took two steps forward, reached out his left hand, and accepted another glazed glass vase from a guard. He held it in his palm and gently flicked the wall of the vase with his index finger.
Ding!
A remarkably fine and crisp chime echoed through the tunnel of the North Gate.
He raised his head and met He Minghu's eyes.
Neither man spoke.
But He Minghu read the gleam in the depths of Ma Jin'an's eyes. These things were valuable! Incredibly valuable!
He Minghu shoved the wine cup into the hands of a nearby guard, strode over to Ma Jin'an, and, suppressing his voice, said only one sentence.
Where did she get these things?
Ma Jin'an did not answer. He turned his head and cast a glance at Xu Qinghuan's carriage.
The carriage curtains were drawn, hiding any silhouette within.
Ma Jin'an turned back, his lips moving as he spat out two words.
Confiscate them.
He Minghu's eyes rolled, and his right hand gripped the hilt of his saber. A flush of excitement rose on his face as he was about to speak.
Wait, Ma Jin'an pressed down on his arm.
He Minghu was puzzled.
Ma Jin'an dragged him two steps away, turning their backs to the convoy, and asked in a low shout, Are you seeking wealth, or are you seeking to lose your life?
Naturally, first I...
Weigh your words carefully before you speak. Ma Jin'an interrupted coldly. If you arrest an Imperial Envoy in the middle of the street, once this matter reaches the Emperor's ears, it won't just be He Minghu acting arrogantly to intercept a carriage. It will be an armed rebellion against an imperial decree!
But the origin of these goods is unknown. She is clearly...
Which is why I said, we only confiscate the goods, we do not arrest the person. Ma Jin'an's face was as calm as still water. Escort these items to the Deputy General's estate and seal them in the storehouse. Once they are in our hands, we can plan our next move slowly.
She is an Imperial Envoy. Having lost such shady private contraband, would she dare memorialize the court? What would she write in her report? That she abused her authority over the border markets, carried rare treasures of unknown origin, and intended to make a private exchange with the Helian tribe?
The corners of He Minghu's mouth slowly widened into a grin.
Ma Jin'an continued, Arresting her is treason; confiscating the goods is self-preservation.
You already shouted treasonous spoils in public just now, and the soldiers below all heard it. Good. We will pin this accusation on these goods for now, and let the person go.
If she slinks away in disgrace, it will perfectly confirm her guilty conscience.
He Minghu's breathing grew heavy for a couple of beats, and then he nodded vigorously.
Then we shall do as Lord Ma says.
Ma Jin'an folded his fan, turned around, smoothed the lapels of his scarlet official robes, and strode toward Xu Qinghuan's carriage.
He stood before the carriage and bowed deeply, his posture remaining respectful.
Lord Xu, this humble official has a matter to report.
A corner of the carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Xu Qinghuan's face.
Her face was several shades paler than before, her lips pressed tightly together, and the edges of her eye sockets were tinged with a faint red. She looked at Ma Jin'an, her jaw slightly clenched.
Ma Jin'an sighed, wearing a troubled expression.
General He and I have just inspected the items carried in Your Excellency's carriage. These objects are exquisite, wondrous, and rare; they are not artifacts commonly found in our Central Plains. The border laws explicitly stipulate that any foreign objects of unknown origin passing through the borders must be sealed and inspected by the garrison, and can only be released after being reported to and approved by the Ministry of War.
He offered another deep bow.
This is the strictness of national law, and by no means is this humble official intentionally making things difficult. I boldly ask Your Excellency to be accommodating... Allow these items to be temporarily stored in the storehouse of the Deputy General's estate, sealed and signed. Once the verification is complete without error, I will personally return them to you.
Xu Qinghuan's fingers tightly gripped the edge of the carriage curtain, her knuckles protruding from the sheer force of her hold.
Ma Jin'an!
Her voice rose, carrying unsuppressible anger.
Do you have any idea who these things are prepared for? There is a noble personage in the capital waiting for them! If you confiscate these goods, when that noble asks about them later, can you bear the consequences?
Ma Jin'an's eyelid twitched.
A noble personage in the capital? Coming from the mouth of an Imperial Envoy, those words carried significant weight.
Ma Jin'an's mind raced swiftly: the items carried by the Imperial Envoy did not go through the allocation of the Ministry of Revenue, nor through the military supplies of the Ministry of War, but instead traveled via private carriages and private guards. Now she was bringing up some noble personage in the capital to pressure them. What did this mean?
It meant these goods were not on the official ledgers at all.
Furthermore, it meant that this was Xu Qinghuan's private contraband.
Ma Jin'an felt reassured in his heart, and the troubled look on his face deepened by another three degrees.
This humble official dares not make wild guesses about the noble Your Excellency speaks of. But precisely because it involves a noble, I dare not release them carelessly. If anything were to go wrong with these items at the border, even if I had ten heads, it would not be enough to chop off.
He took a step back and lifted his chin in He Minghu's direction.
General He has already arranged for his men to register the items one by one, seal the boxes, and add signatures. The storehouse of the Deputy General's estate is guarded day and night by armored soldiers. Once the inspection is clear, this humble official will personally deliver them back to Your Excellency's residence.
Xu Qinghuan's chest heaved heavily a few times.
She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something more, but the words were forced back down her throat.
After a long time, she finally released her tight grip on the carriage curtain.
Her pale hand was still trembling slightly.
"Fine."
The word seemed to be squeezed out from between her clenched teeth.
"What a fine display of doing things strictly by the book."
Xu Qinghuan's voice was hoarse, laced with the despair and bitter reluctance of one who had lost the upper hand.
"This official will remember this."
The carriage curtain fell heavily.
Behind them, He Minghu sneered silently and gave a sharp wave of his hand.
His personal guards moved like ravenous wolves, deftly unloading all the pine boxes from the eight supply carts. They nailed them shut once more and transferred them onto the packhorses belonging to the Deputy General's estate.
He Minghu vaulted onto his horse, and Ma Jin'an also mounted his dappled steed.
Two hundred iron-clad cavalrymen turned their horses around. Escorting the pack train heavily laden with wooden boxes, they rumbled down the long street toward the Deputy General's estate.
The billowing dust settled thickly over the roof of Xu Qinghuan's carriage.
The north gate returned to a deafening silence.
The barricades remained exactly where they were, and the gate captain led his guards back to their original posts.
Li Sheng steered his horse closer to the carriage and whispered, "Your Excellency."
There was no response from inside.
Li Sheng waited for a few breaths before calling out again.
"Your Excellency?"
The curtain was lifted.
Xu Qinghuan was leaning against the wall of the carriage, tilting her head to look at him.
The paleness, the panic, and the red-rimmed eyes from just moments ago had completely vanished, leaving not a single trace behind.
The corners of her lips curled upward.
"The fish has taken the bait."
