Chapter 30: Shopping And Lodging
Full from eating and drinking, the four continued towards the market.
Xiao Yi was not just wandering; his gaze swept around, and he spotted a sign that read “Raw and Cooked Medicinal Herbs, Authentic Herbal Slices,” and immediately went over.
It was a small apothecary shop.
“Zhan Zhao, watch the horses, and don’t get into any conflicts.”
“What are you saying? Who would I get into a conflict with?”
Xiao Yi entered the apothecary, and the fragrance of herbs filled his senses, invigorating him.
“Old sir, I’ll buy some Phellodendron, turmeric, morning glory seeds, and alum.”
“May I ask, Official, what is your ailment? And how much of each do you require?”
Xiao Yi was unsure of the quantities and hesitated.
Guo Xin, seeing this from behind him, stepped forward and said, “Just get three liang of each, no need to ask further.”
The old doctor didn’t suspect anything, skillfully scooped the herbs, wrapped them in paper, and tied them securely with hemp rope.
“Phellodendron is three hundred cash per jin; turmeric is bought from Lingnan, priced at five hundred cash per jin; morning glory seeds are two hundred per jin; alum is one hundred fifty cash per jin… a total of two hundred sixteen cash. The shop does not haggle.”
Xiao Yi saw Guo Xin pay the money and let her handle it, thinking to himself that the medicine was very expensive.
“Ming Yan, carry this.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Leaving the apothecary, they went directly into the silk shop opposite.
Xiao Yi selected two sets of rough linen dresses and skirts, four sets of coarse cloth tunics, four sets of fine linen robes, four pairs of new shoes, and four sheepskin felt blankets.
Afterward, he went to a stall and bought four pairs of semi-worn cloth shoes for a few coins.
Hanging the items on the horses, Guo Xin yawned and said, “Are we done buying?”
“Let’s get some gifts too.”
Xiao Yi looked around and saw a bookstore with elegant decor. A plaque above the door read “Bao Han Tang” in large characters, with “Rare Editions and Fine Collections” in smaller characters below. He walked in and first bought writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Glancing at the bookshelves again, he suddenly saw a shelf with a label that read “Written by Wang Renyu, Duke De Nian,” and a thought struck him.
He had seen information about Wang Renyu in Shi Deyu’s study; he was a Hanlin Academician in the current court, and he was surprised that such a high-ranking official also published books. He directly bought three volumes: “Kaiyuan Tianbao Yishi,” “Yutang Huahuo,” and “Wang Shi Jian Wen Lu.”
The books were printed editions, but they were not cheap, costing as much as seventeen guan, over seventeen thousand cash.
Xiao Yi was initially surprised by the price, but then his eyes lit up.
He intended to give Hua Nong, the city gate guard, a generous gift, hoping to gain some information even if he couldn’t open the city gate.
“Shopkeeper, please wait a moment. May I ask where there is a pawnshop?”
Arriving at the pawnshop, Xiao Yi handed over the two gold ingots and three pearls he had taken from Xie Hui, as well as the small gold hairpin he had removed from Guo Xin’s hair.
Finally, he thought for a moment and took back one pearl for backup.
Walking through Pig Slaughter Alley, he bought a cheap pottery bowl with a chip from a small stall, and added some black steamed buns and preserved vegetables as provisions, along with various miscellaneous items.
On the way back, passing a jewelry stall, Xiao Yi casually bought the most ordinary wooden hairpin and put it in Guo Xin’s hair.
Guo Xin looked up and glared at him, pouting in dissatisfaction.
“Thank you, Young Master, for exchanging my gold hairpin for a wooden one. I’ll give you… this.”
She turned and looked around, saw a funny, chubby baby mask hanging at a mask stall a couple of steps away, grabbed it, and put it on Xiao Yi’s face.
Xiao Yi’s demeanor changed instantly.
Guo Xin couldn’t help but chuckle and clap her hands, saying, “It looks good, it suits you.”
Guo Zongyi also giggled, picking a scary monster mask.
For a few moments, they seemed to forget they were on the run.
After finishing the shopping, it was time to find lodging.
Xiao Yi didn’t dare to stay at the Official Posthouse, as it was too easy to reveal their identities. He also didn’t choose a large inn by the street. Instead, he led his horse into the depths of Hangtu Alley, looking for a discreetly located small inn.
Looking up, he saw a sign that read “Ping’an Inn,” which meant “Peaceful Inn,” a very good omen.
“This is the place.”
Upon entering, the inn had a storefront facing the alley that also served as a dining area, with elm tables and stools. A group of traveling merchants and several plainly dressed travelers were eating breakfast. The diverse clientele made it difficult to conduct an inspection.
There was a stable in the back courtyard. The first floor had east and west wing rooms, all communal beds. The upper floor had private rooms.
The shopkeeper was behind the counter, rattling an abacus. Seeing customers arrive, he quickly came forward, startled by the three people behind Xiao Yi who were wearing masks.
“Welcome, Official. May I ask your business?”
“We need a private room for one day. Four people, master and servants, to rest and feed the horses.”
“Staying at… our humble inn?” the shopkeeper asked, surprise in his eyes.
“That’s right. Is there a problem?”
“No, no, Official, please rest assured. Our inn is clean and fair. The stable in the back courtyard has fodder, but it will be an additional charge.”
“Feed them good fodder. Don’t unfasten the saddles; we’ll leave as soon as the city gate opens.”
“Yes, yes, I will instruct them to take good care of the horses… However, we must record your stay in the inn ledger; it’s a rule set by the yamen.”
“My surname is Xiao, a Secretary Province Textual Editor. I was on my way out of the city on my mentor’s orders when the city gates were sealed. I can’t be bothered to return to the inner city.”
“Very well! Please come this way!”
The private room was simply furnished: a long bed spanning the room, a square table, two stools, a pottery oil lamp, and a kettle, with nothing else.
After bolting the door, Xiao Yi immediately took out the pottery bowl he had just bought, crushed the Phellodendron, turmeric, and alum, poured in water, and mixed a yellowish-brown liquid.
“Come here.”
Xiao Yi beckoned Guo Xin first and said, “Bring your face closer.”
“What for?”
“Close your eyes.”
Xiao Yi dipped a cloth into the medicinal juice and applied it to Guo Xin’s face.
After a while, the juice dried, and his skin took on a waxy yellow hue, as if he were malnourished.
This was a little trick he had learned in the film crew before.
He then mixed the morning glory seeds and alum with water, stirred it into a black paste, and gave Guo Xin a large mole on his face, also darkening his eyebrows.
“Ew—”
Guo Xin was quite disgusted but also curious. She watched and shook her head. The next moment, Xiao Yi looked up and met her gaze.
“Your turn.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Close your eyes.”
“Ouch, it’s so cold… Will I become ugly too?”
“Don’t worry, you can wash it off after we leave the city. Pull down your collar.”
“You pervert, taking advantage of me.”
“Don’t move, pull up your sleeves.”
“Ah, it tickles so much, don’t smear my palms.”
Xiao Yi looked, and Guo Xin’s once fair skin had turned dark yellow, but she still looked pretty.
He then added a mole at the corner of her mouth.
But it wasn’t enough.
“I need to shave off half of your eyebrows.”
“No!”
“Madam said to listen to me.”
“Shaving my eyebrows is going too far!”
“…”
After the disguise, the temperament and appearance of the three Guo family members finally differed significantly from their original looks.
Xiao Yi yawned, unpacked all the luggage, and sorted the copper coins and silver ingots separately. He said, “Divide the copper coins into eight small bags; each person takes two bags. I and Qing Wen will hold the silver ingots. Each person will hide a small piece in their hair in case we get separated.”
“How could we get separated?” Guo Xin yawned in agreement.
“Just in case. If we get separated and lose contact, we’ll meet at the snack stall. If no one appears after two days, find a way out of the city on your own and meet at a soup noodle shop near the South Gate of Liyang Town.”
“Got it, got it. Can we sleep now?”
“We’ll sleep in shifts and stay alert. We’ll leave as soon as the city gate opens,” Xiao Yi said. “I’ll sleep first. Make sure to wake me before shen shi, so I can go see that gate guard.”
“What’s the use of seeing him? He’s just a guard; he can’t open the city gate himself.”
“He’s a messenger.”
“So what?”
Xiao Yi had a hunch that he was someone he could persuade and didn’t want to say more. He said, “Qing Wen, Ming Yan, you two stay on watch.”
“Okay.”
Xiao Yi, having been busy all night, could finally lie down.
Listening to Guo Xin’s even breathing and the sounds of the Kaifeng City South Market coming from outside the window, he soon fell asleep.
He didn’t know how long he slept before he heard a fierce banging on the door in his dream.
“Open up!”
“Imperial soldiers are searching the inn, open up quickly!”
The banging was urgent, and the shouting was rough.
Xiao Yi was woken by Guo Xin and suddenly opened his eyes.
The afternoon sun was bright outside the window. Guo Xin next to him also woke up, sitting up alertly.
“Everyone, don’t panic. Remember your roles.”
Xiao Yi instantly sobered up, tidied his slightly wrinkled official robe, sat by the window, picked up a copy of “Yutang Huahuo,” and began to read.
He took a deep breath and said, “Zhan Zhao, open the door.”
“Yes,” Guo Xin slid the bolt open.
Six armored soldiers standing at the door strode in.
Xiao Yi unhappily threw the book onto the table, raised his head slightly, exuding some official authority, and said with an annoyed tone at being disturbed, “What is all this commotion?”
The captain at the head of the group scanned the room with sharp eyes. His imposing manner slightly softened, and he cupped his fist in a businesslike manner, his voice stern.
“We are under orders to search for suspicious individuals and inspect their belongings. Please cooperate.”
“What do you mean by suspicious?” Xiao Yi retorted, unwilling to back down.
“Anyone who checked into the inn today is considered suspicious.”
Xiao Yi’s heart sank slightly. He produced his forged official document, unfolded it, and said calmly, “This Official is Xiao Yi, a Secretary Province Textual Editor. I was sent out of the city by my mentor to deliver a letter. Due to the city gates being sealed, I am temporarily lodging here.”
The captain’s gaze swept over Xiao Yi, then glanced at Guo Xin and the other two. His eyes did not linger, and he stepped forward, squinting to examine the fine silk paper.
“Where are you heading, Scholar Xiao? And who is your mentor?”
Xiao Yi frowned impatiently, his tone turning cold, “Do I need to tell you about Minister of Works Su’s affairs?”
The captain’s expression became respectful for a moment. Then, after surveying the humble lodging, his eyes turned mocking.
“Oh? So you are from Minister Su’s faction, my apologies. However, my superiors have given strict orders, and we must conduct our search. Well then… a simple search.”
“Yes!”
The soldiers were overjoyed and immediately opened the luggage and bedding, searching everywhere.
Xiao Yi’s peripheral vision caught sight of their clear objective. They didn’t search their bodies. Small bags containing Hu Bing and medicinal herbs were merely lifted and weighed briefly before being ignored. It was clear that what they were looking for had some weight.
Indeed, it was likely a Military Tally or Command Seal.
As he pondered this, Xiao Yi saw a soldier pocketing the silver ingots and pearls from his luggage.
“Bang.”
He immediately slammed the table, feigning great anger.
“You scoundrels! You dare to take the travel expenses of an imperial official! How will you treat the common people then?! Are you Imperial Bodyguards or Capital Region Patrol Inspectors? Which unit? Which place? Report your names to this Official!”
His outburst earned him a little more respect from the captain.
“Scholar Xiao, you misunderstand. My brothers have also worked hard, it’s just a small matter.”
Although he apologized, he did not return the money, as if as long as Xiao Yi didn’t know who they were, they wouldn’t be held responsible.
After a moment, a soldier said, “Nothing found.”
“Thank you for the tea money, Scholar Xiao. Farewell… Let’s go!”
Xiao Yi’s eyes narrowed as he memorized the faces of the captain and the soldier who stole the money.
One had high brow bones, narrow, sharp eyes that showed defiance, sparse yellow whiskers that stood out distinctly; the other was tall and hunched, with a narrow, cone-shaped face, a wide distance between his eyes, and large whites with small pupils, always looking away from people.
“Safe travels,” Xiao Yi said, his anger contained, “This Official will remember you.”
“No need for your concern, Superior.”
With a light sneer, the imperial soldiers left.
The door was bolted shut again.
The anger on Xiao Yi’s face vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.
Guo Zongyi was stunned by this instantaneous change in expression and exclaimed softly, “Wow,” and whispered, “Amazing.”
