Chapter 28: City Seal
Dawn, after the snow had cleared, the weather was unexpectedly good.
“I’m so hungry.”
Guo Xin clearly hadn’t fully grasped the seriousness of the situation. He sat astride his horse, hands raised high, stretching lazily and yawning as he muttered to himself.
He turned his head to look at Guo Wuniang and said, “I’m hungry and sleepy. How about you? You played dice all night.”
“A little.”
“Since the city gates aren’t open yet, shall we go to the side street to eat Hu bing? And have a bowl of soup noodles with it, it’s delicious.”
Guo Zongyi’s eyes widened as he listened, staring longingly, his mouth watering. He then turned to Xiao Yi and whispered, “Benefactor, shall we go eat?”
“That’s right, Mother asked you to lead the team, let’s go,” Guo Xin patted his chest and said, “I’ll treat.”
Xiao Yi sensed that they didn’t have much sense of crisis. After all, they were young and had always been protected by their families, unaware of the vastness of the world.
He took provisions from his luggage and casually threw them to them, saying, “Eat this if you’re hungry.”
“Ah? This is cold and hard,” Guo Xin said, “My stomach isn’t good, and we still have a whole day’s journey. Let’s eat something hot. It’s on the way to Fengqiu Gate, and it won’t delay us at all.”
“You just assume we’re going through Fengqiu Gate?”
“Of course, that’s the North Gate, and it’s the closest to Baima Port.”
“Tell me about the situation at the city gates.”
“Huh? You’re leading the team but you don’t know? Alright, Kaifeng has seven land gates and two water gates. To the north are Fengqiu Gate and Suanzao Gate, to the east are Song Gate and Cao Gate. Hmm, these are the names from the Tang Dynasty. Liang, Jin, and Han dynasties gave them many other names. For example, Cao Gate, my father said it was called ‘Jianyang Gate’ before, and now it’s called ‘Yingchun Gate’. It’s in the northeast of the city, and it’s also very convenient to go there.”
Xiao Yi pondered for a moment. While going through other city gates would be safer, he could try to gain a time advantage and strike fast.
“Let’s go to Fengqiu Gate first. After we cross the Yellow River, you can eat whatever you want.”
“Xiao Yi…”
Xiao Yi raised his hand to stop him and said, “Call me ‘Young Master’ on the way. We might encounter checks later, this is for safety.”
“Huh?”
“Young Master,” Guo Zongyi was very obedient and called out honestly.
Guo Xin looked helpless and said, “Alright, as long as I’ve eaten well, I’ll call you ‘Young Master’ sweetly.”
“My surname is Xiao, my given name is Yi. The Xiao from Xiao He, the Yi from ‘to play chess’. I’m from Kaifeng, a Jinshi from this year’s imperial examination, recently appointed as an official scribe. I’m on my way to Fengqiu to deliver a private letter at the command of my mentor, Su Fengji. You are newly hired servant guards from my family. I know nothing else, understand?”
“Understood.”
“You are a guard, named Zhan Zhao.”
“What a good name!” Guo Xin was quite satisfied and said, “The ‘Zhao’ from ‘taming cats and dogs’?”
“The ‘Zhao’ from ‘bright sun and moon’… Yi Ge’er, you are my page, Ming Yan.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Guo Wu Xiaoniangzi, you are my maid, Qing Wen.”
“Oh.”
Xiao Yi asked, “Do you have any items in your luggage that could reveal your identity? Jade pendants, talismans, give them all to me.”
Guo Xin and Guo Zongyi both shook their heads. Guo Wuniang hesitated slightly and said, “Sister-in-law asked me to bring a… betrothal letter.”
By the end, her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
Xiao Yi didn’t know what a betrothal letter represented, so he reached out and said, “Give it here.”
It was a red invitation card. When unfolded, the small calligraphy was elegant.
“Female horoscope letter. We hereby list the birth years of three generations of my youngest daughter: great-grandfather’s posthumous name Yun, grandfather’s posthumous name Jian, father’s posthumous name Wei, given name Xin, courtesy name An’er, fifth in line, born in the year of the Monkey, on the day of Gengchen in the month of Xinchou in the year of Bingshen, at the hour of Yiyou.”
So her name was Guo Xin.
After a moment of thought, Xiao Yi took out flint from his horse’s saddlebag, turned his body away from the wind, and ignited the betrothal letter.
The flame licked at it, and only when the red card was down to its last corner did he casually toss the ashes into the wind.
“You!”
Guo Xin was a little angry. She urged her horse forward, raising her hand to point at Xiao Yi, but unable to scold him, she swallowed the words in her mouth and said stubbornly, “I could have burned it myself.”
Xiao Yi reached out and plucked the small gold hairpin from her head.
“I’ll keep it for now, Qing Wen.”
“Okay… Young Master!”
Guo Xin was a little angry, and she deliberately emphasized the last two words, as if she wanted to bite him.
Xiao Yi didn’t mess around with her and said again, “Zhan Zhao.”
Guo Xin was yawning, completely unaware.
“Third Uncle,” Guo Zongyi waved his hands repeatedly, “No, no, it’s Guard Zhan, Young Master is calling you.”
Guo Xin then cupped his fists and said, “Zhan Zhao is here!”
“Does anyone in Kaifeng City recognize you?”
“Don’t worry, all my friends are chivalrous wanderers. They’re just waking up at this hour.”
“Ming Yan.”
“Here.”
“Don’t be nervous.”
Guo Zongyi smiled shyly, seeming to find playing the role of a page quite amusing…
By the time they reached Fengqiu Gate, the morning bell had just struck.
The early risers heading out of the city had just begun to queue.
The four of them rode their horses to the back of the queue. Guo Xin took a bite of Hu bing and said vaguely, “That’s right, queue up early, get out of the city early. I know of a soup noodle shop in Chenliu Town that’s incredibly delicious.”
Xiao Yi looked around and observed, then said in a low voice, “The city gate probably won’t open.”
“How do you know? Maybe it will open soon.”
Xiao Yi raised his hand and pointed to a group of Imperial Guards by the city gate, who were surrounding a scribe diligently copying a notice.
Before long, the scribe finished copying a notice, and an Imperial Guard took it and posted it directly on the notice board.
It was a wanted poster, depicting a burly man with a thick beard, grinning as if about to devour someone. The few strokes were quite vivid.
“The wanted criminal Zhang Mantun, who rebelled and committed sedition, resisted arrest and injured officials. He is thirty-two years old, nearly nine feet tall, with a broad back and powerful build, dark skin, a dense, bushy beard, round eyes, a flat nose, and multiple fangs in his mouth, with a missing front tooth. Anyone who captures and presents him to an official will be rewarded with a thousand strings of cash. Those who report his whereabouts and lead to his capture will be rewarded with three hundred strings of cash. Anyone found to be hiding or assisting him will be executed along with their families, and their property confiscated. Neighbors will be held jointly responsible! This notice is to be dispatched to all city gates, posted quickly, and strict measures are to be taken for his apprehension. Do not be negligent!”
Xiao Yi finished reading and was surprised that Zhang Mantun had actually escaped.
Then he thought, this matter was very strange. Why would such a fuss be made for a mere guard?
Unless, Zhang Mantun had taken the Imperial Guard Military Tally.
But if the Shi family father and son and their subordinates were all arrested, the military tally would likely be of little use.
The morning bell had finished ringing, but the city gate still remained closed.
Xiao Yi’s gaze deepened as he assessed the guards at the gate, looking for someone suitable to exploit or bribe.
After observing for a long time, he was not satisfied and simply urged his horse forward, asking directly, “Why isn’t the city gate open today?”
The guards at the gate, however, were arrogant. Glancing at his green official robe, they casually cupped their fists and said, “Can’t you see? We’re searching for a wanted criminal.”
Xiao Yi also displayed his official authority and said, “What kind of wanted criminal? You’re not even opening the city gate, delaying this official’s important matters. Can you bear the consequences?”
“I can’t bear it, Officer. You can go and ask the Prefect for an explanation! Oh, and he’s wearing a purple robe.”
Unable to find an opportunity, Xiao Yi immediately turned his horse and rode back.
“Let’s go and check out the East Gate.”
“Are they searching for us? Then how will Mother and the others get out of the city?”
“Don’t panic, the Guo family hasn’t been implicated yet.”
The streets of Kaifeng in the early morning had only a few scattered vendors pushing carts for the early market.
The distance from Fengqiu Gate to Cao Gate was six li. Xiao Yi and the others urged their horses to a trot, and after about fifteen minutes, they saw the city gate in the distance.
Here, the queue of people leaving the city was even longer, and the four of them again joined the end of the line.
They could hear people whispering and complaining about the city being sealed today.
Some people also quietly mentioned that something had happened in the city last night, several mansions had been raided, and the Imperial Guard had chased after escaped criminals galloping wildly through the night, causing quite a commotion.
Xiao Yi cautiously looked around, noticing that the soldiers on the city walls were intently watching the queuing crowd, while some robust men disguised as ordinary civilians walked back and forth, searching.
Among the crowd, one person caught his attention.
The man was nearly two meters tall, wearing a scholar’s robe that looked like it was about to burst, a headwear on his head, and was trying hard to curl his body up.
Just by the back, Xiao Yi recognized him and shook his head inwardly, thinking that this disguise was a complete mess and the role-playing was ridiculous. Trying to sneak out of the city like this was too naive.
Accidentally, Zhang Mantun looked back, his face full of beard now shaved, his skin whitened, likely from applying makeup. The technique was unexpectedly good, but it strangely clashed.
From a distance, an Imperial Guard looked at the notice, then turned towards the city wall, nodding. The guards on the wall then made a gesture.
Xiao Yi saw that Zhang Mantun seemed oblivious, so he lowered his head and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to him, suddenly shouted in a deep voice.
“Take him down!”
This sudden alarm startled Zhang Mantun, and he turned to run.
“Damn it!”
“Stop him!”
“Neigh—”
The disturbance suddenly broke out, startling the horses. Xiao Yi and the three others quickly pulled on their reins and retreated to the side.
They dismounted and held their reins, then turned back to find the long street in disarray.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
Zhang Mantun knocked over countless people, scattering entire squads of Imperial Guards to the ground.
But he was finally exhausted and cornered. Over a dozen whistle sticks were aimed at his lower legs, tripping his towering, iron-like physique to the ground.
“You bastard! Hold him down!”
“Fuck!”
Before he could get up, the Imperial Guards swarmed him like hungry wolves. With swords and spears, they pressed down on him fiercely, binding his hands and feet tightly with thick hemp ropes.
Zhang Mantun still struggled violently, roaring like a wild beast, even managing to nearly throw off the men pressing on him several times, until a sword hilt was slammed hard into the back of his head, and his frenzied struggle gradually weakened.
A sound of horse hooves came from the long street, and several riders galloped over.
Xiao Yi saw them and quickly crouched down, hiding in the crowd.
The leader was Liu Zhu, wearing a fine scale iron armor over his official robe, exuding a fierce aura. He arrived in front of Zhang Mantun and impatiently shouted, “Search!”
The soldiers patted down Zhang Mantun, scattering provisions, silver, and other miscellaneous items on the ground.
Liu Zhu dismounted to inspect himself, and in the end, he angrily kicked Zhang Mantun in the stomach and barked, “Where are the things?”
“Haha… I’ve already taken them to mobilize troops to kill you all!”
“Search the street carefully for his horse and armor! Escort him to the Prefect’s yamen, I will interrogate him personally.”
“Yes!”
Zhang Mantun was dragged away like a dead dog.
On the side of the street, Xiao Yi silently watched all of this, a guess forming in his mind.
