Someone had already noticed what Ji Zhaoxi and the others were up to.
Not long ago, the group had gone to the gambling house and gotten into a fight there. Recently, they had visited Yongchang Trading House, and they had also been wandering the streets all day like a bunch of wastrels.
Though these places seemed unrelated, to those in the know, their activities were conspicuous enough.
Yet the county office showed no sign of panic.
In the rear hall, a man wearing an official hat lounged against his chair and asked indifferently, “What trouble have they caused this time?”
The man standing before him lowered his head and replied quietly, “None. They’ve only been asking questions here and there… and eating sesame cakes.”
The seated man gave a mocking laugh before flipping through the account book.
One was simple-minded, possessed of nothing but a strong martial skill, and knew nothing besides fighting and killing.
One was an indecisive young master who had apologized to a dead man after killing him.
One had a little intelligence, but was a delicate young lady who could not even kill a chicken.
And the last was someone they had no idea where they had picked up—a sickly-looking man who seemed as though a gust of wind might knock him over.
What could these people possibly uncover? Could they determine which shop sold the tastiest sesame cakes, whose dates were the sweetest, or which street vendor liked to swindle out-of-towners?
“Keep a close eye on them, but there’s no need to pay them too much attention,” the seated man said disdainfully.
“If they really stumble across anything important, make sure they never return.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, the four-person group was standing by the roadside, eating sesame cakes. Many others were standing nearby, chewing on theirs as well.
The morning streets were especially lively. Even standing off to the side, they still felt cramped by the crowds.
Ji Zhaoxi sneezed and frowned. “I feel like someone’s cursing me.”
Qin Qiwu said awkwardly, “I feel a little itchy in my nose too.”
Xu Ancheng finished his sesame cake in just a few bites and smiled. “That can’t be, Miss Ji. We haven’t harmed anyone. No one would curse us.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he sneezed.
The atmosphere fell silent.
Fu Xianyan yawned. Ever since he had started following her, he had not enjoyed a single full morning lie-in.
Once they had finished eating, the group immediately hurried toward the relay station.
The relay station stood in the western part of the city. Several carriages were parked against the base of the wall, their axles caked with mud. A few dirty clothes hung beneath the covered walkway. Two relay-station attendants were squatting on the ground repairing a carriage. When they saw Ji Zhaoxi and the others approach, they merely glanced up before returning to their work.
The group crossed the courtyard and entered the front hall.
The man behind the counter was keeping accounts. Hearing their footsteps, he raised his head.
“May I ask what brings you here?”
Xu Ancheng said politely, “I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
At those words, the man’s expression immediately turned serious.
Xu Ancheng took a token from his sleeve and waved it briefly before the man’s eyes, then put it away again.
“On the seventh day of the month, did a convoy transporting government silver stop at the relay station?”
The man stared blankly at Xu Ancheng, then scratched the back of his head. “What was that thing you just showed me?”
The object had appeared before his eyes for only a moment, and he had not gotten a good look at it at all.
Xu Ancheng hurriedly apologized and took the token out again, this time holding it where the man could see it.
The relay-station officer studied the token thoughtfully. After pondering for a moment, he finally nodded.
“There was indeed a convoy transporting government silver here on the seventh.”
“What time did it arrive?”
“The Hour of the Monkey.”
“How many carriages were there?”
“Four,” the officer answered promptly.
As he replied to Xu Ancheng’s questions, he also observed the group.
In truth, he did not recognize the token at all. It merely looked as though it carried a great deal of authority. More importantly, these people looked as though they were not to be trifled with…
The officer continued, “There were also two miscellaneous carts following behind.”
Qin Qiwu frowned. “How long did they stay?”
“They only stayed one night. They left the next day.”
Ji Zhaoxi was already beginning to lose track of the questions. She walked outside and began looking at the horses. The air was filled with the smell of them, and she suspected there might even be a hint of horse manure mixed in.
She suddenly remembered learning to ride as a child. That particular horse had disliked her. Every time it saw her, it would pin its ears back, and whenever it got angry, it would simply sit down and ignore everyone.
But she had thick skin. She liked that horse precisely because it did not like her. Out of all the horses, it was the one she insisted on clinging to.
At first, whenever the horse saw Ji Zhaoxi appear at the riding grounds, it would flop onto its back with all four legs in the air, refusing to let her ride. Later, when it had no other choice, it simply threw her off its back.
Her mother had been heartbroken and told her to switch to another horse.
Her father, however, had grown happier the more he watched. “As expected of my daughter! You’ve inherited your father’s spirit!”
That was how horseback riding worked. After enough falls, you got better.
Meanwhile, the relay-station officer was still being interrogated.
He had been questioned until his eyes were beginning to glaze over. How many more questions were there? His mind was nearly unable to keep up.
“Someone did go out that night, but I can’t remember clearly. I only remember that he was a young man with very large, round eyes. He was wearing a blue cotton jacket.”
Xu Ancheng’s eyes lit up. “What time was it?”
“Perhaps the Hour of the Boar…” the officer replied uncertainly.
“And how long before he returned?”
The officer felt a headache coming on. He knitted his brows tightly. “Less than an hour.”
“But that isn’t particularly unusual. The escorts transporting government silver often went out to attend to business.”
Qin Qiwu lowered her head. The stretch of time they truly needed to investigate was precisely that blank interval.
Fu Xianyan yawned sleepily. He felt a weight settle onto his shoulder. The person beside him was already on the verge of falling asleep, her head bobbing gently.
That famed sword of hers was currently serving as a support for her nap.
Fu Xianyan let her lean against him. As he watched people come and go across the courtyard, he breathed in the scent of dry grass and suddenly felt a pleasant warmth spread through him.
As Ji Zhaoxi slept, she gradually began to pitch forward. Fu Xianyan sighed and instinctively caught her with one hand, settling her back into a comfortable position.
The sun was warm, and she slept deeply. A few strands of her hair had fallen across him. He lowered his head, freed her precious sword from the dry grass and dust, then took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the blade.
The sword gleamed in the sunlight as Fu Xianyan patiently removed every speck of dust from its surface.
Ji Zhaoxi’s sleep was somewhat restless. Whenever she moved, her hair brushed across his face.
Fu Xianyan’s hand paused. He glanced at her. The few strands lifted again in the breeze, making his skin itch, but he did not reach out to move them away. He merely sighed softly.
The relay-station officer lay sprawled across the table, utterly devoid of hope.
Xu Ancheng felt rather embarrassed too. He had indeed asked too many questions this time. He took out several silver pieces, and the officer’s eyes lit up at once.
“Gentlemen, is there anything else you’d like to ask? I promise to tell you everything I know.”
Even if he did not know the answer, he would have to make one up for them!
They were paying him, after all. It was only right to do his job.
Qin Qiwu was about to ask Ji Zhaoxi for the official document when she glanced at the scene behind her and froze.
