Chapter 311

Before reaching the next city, the group proceeded with extreme caution. Once they entered the city, Li Linshan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He disembarked from the carriage at the city gate, producing a token to request an audience with the city commander. Shortly after, a burly man accompanied by a few soldiers approached the carriage. Upon seeing Li Linshan, he immediately saluted. Recognizing the city commander as one of the soldiers he had trained, Li Linshan wasted no time with pleasantries and directly recounted the events they had encountered that day. Upon hearing this, the commander promptly led his men toward the location described by Li Linshan, fearing that if they delayed, the bandits might escape.

“It’s already dark. Even if we go now, we probably won’t find anyone. Tomorrow, though, even if we don’t encounter those men, we can at least find traces of their passage and track their direction,” Li Linshan stopped the city commander. He had a strong feeling those men were targeting them specifically.

The city commander found the reasoning sensible, so he cupped his fists and allowed Li Linshan’s party to stay in the city for a few days. He also ordered the soldiers from Xiangcheng to return home the next day, promising to dispatch escorts for the journey to the capital. Naturally, the soldiers from Xiangcheng were displeased—they had been assigned this task and were unwilling to let others take over. If they returned too soon, they would surely face harsh reprimands from the city commander. Several soldiers shook their heads in refusal. The commander shot them a stern glare but could do nothing; although his rank was higher, those soldiers were not under his direct command and could ignore his orders.

Li Linshan had no objection to whoever escorted them to the capital; his only worry was that the journey ahead would not be peaceful. Wang Xiujin had remained silent throughout—this matter was not his to speak on—but the more he pondered, the stranger it seemed. It wasn’t until he saw a notice posted outside the city gate that he realized something was amiss. After settling into the inn, Wang Xiujin voiced his suspicions.

“We may have walked into a trap. That letter urging us to return might be a forgery.” Wang Xiujin produced the letter they received in Wang Village. “I kept sensing something was off on the road, and after today’s encounter, seeing the notice in the city confirmed it. If this were truly an imperial decree, it wouldn’t be delivered as a mere letter by a lowly courier. There would be an official edict or at least a trusted envoy—never a minor post station clerk.”

Hearing this, Li Linshan nodded. It was likely tied to someone close to the palace. That person often summoned Wang Xiujin to the palace for casual talks or assigned him tasks. When Wang Xiujin traveled previously, he also received letters from the palace, but even then they were handed by palace guards, not insignificant clerks at a relay station. “If no one from the city guard was assigned to accompany us, it’s likely today’s ambush was premeditated.”

Wang Xiujin agreed with Li Linshan’s speculation. “Should we send a letter to the capital? We need to inform our family. Since we’ve already left Wang Village, going back is no longer an option. We must proceed to the capital, but whether the road is safe is uncertain. Whoever set this trap—posing as imperial decree—risks execution and implicating many others. Who could be so brazen? Surely not a lone wolf, for even the bare-footed fear stepping on thorns.” Despite his sharp mind, Wang Xiujin could not fathom who was behind this. “Could something be amiss in the capital itself?”

“We’ll send the letter and wait here a few days for a reply before making any moves,” Li Linshan said cautiously. With the enemy unknown and the situation unclear, rash action was unwise.

Wang Xiujin said nothing more; waiting a few days was no burden, and “the messenger must be reliable.”

“The city guard sends letters to the capital monthly. Judging by the schedule, the current city commander is due to depart soon. We can entrust him with the letter so it won’t be intercepted.” Both Wang Xiujin and Li Linshan shared this concern, yet they felt the Li and Wang families in the capital were likely safe. If anything serious had happened, news would have spread to the city, and the commander wouldn’t have appeared so calm.

That night, Wang Xiujin and Li Linshan tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Eventually, Wang Xiujin rose and poured himself a cup of water, sipping slowly. An unknown enemy was terrifying precisely because they didn’t even know how to guard against them. Wang Xiujin had never realized he feared death so much. In truth, he ought to be content—who could expect to live a second life after death?

“Don’t worry,” Li Linshan sat beside him, pulling Wang Xiujin into his arms. “The capital should be fine. If you’re uneasy, we can set out at dawn.”

“No need. This is probably my first time feeling this way,” Wang Xiujin shook his head. He was about to say more when a sudden noise came from the room next door. Li Linshan immediately rushed out. The adjacent room belonged to Yachang. Wang Xiujin, slower to rise, stumbled but hurried after him. Li Linshan kicked the door open and saw Yachang clad in shorts, his face cold as he dodged a man in black clothing with his face covered. Li Linshan stepped forward, blocking the man’s arm aimed at his son. “Go to your father!”

Yachang dashed to Wang Xiujin’s side. Somehow finding strength, Wang Xiujin scooped up his son with one arm and pulled the tablecloth off the table to cover him. “Are you hurt?”

“Don’t worry, stepfather. I’m fine.” Yachang smiled lightly at him.

Though reassured by his son’s words, Wang Xiujin still clung tightly to him. He shouldn’t have assumed they were safe merely because they had entered the city. He had given his son a separate room, and was grateful that neither he nor Li Linshan had fallen asleep—they had heard the disturbance. Otherwise, the consequences were unimaginable.

He stroked his son’s head and kissed him gently but did not move, wary of another intrusion. Once Li Linshan subdued the attacker, the people who were supposed to arrive had all gathered. The innkeeper, seeing the intruders, was so frightened his legs gave out. He had heard the two guests were esteemed nobles from the capital, personally delivered by the city commander. Though the prefect hadn’t come in person, he had sent word that no slight should be made against such distinguished visitors. Who would have expected bandits to strike the very first night they stayed?

The innkeeper sent a servant to report the incident to the authorities immediately—this could not wait until morning, lest the prefect grow angry.

Wang Xiujin glanced at the innkeeper and then at the battered doorframe. He stepped forward. “Count today’s damage and settle it when we leave. Don’t worry.”

“No, no,” the innkeeper hurriedly refused, fearing the prefect would shut down his inn.

“It was my man who kicked the door. Naturally, we must compensate.” Wang Xiujin then changed the subject. “Please lend us some sturdy ropes to bind this man.”

“Yes, yes.” The innkeeper nodded rapidly and kicked a servant to fetch the ropes.

Several Li family servants approached, removing the masked man’s face covering and stuffing it into his mouth. Two burly men sat on his legs while others restrained his upper body to prevent escape. Li Linshan approached Wang Xiujin and took their son in his arms. Wang Xiujin retrieved clothes from the bed and dressed the boy. Li Linshan gave a nod of approval. “Well done today.”

The servant who went for the ropes returned shortly. Wang Xiujin tossed the clothes to Li Linshan and expertly tied the man with the ropes. The servants watched in amazement. They hadn’t expected their young master to possess such skill—he bound the man tightly in just a few moves. They circled the captive, assuming the bindings would be somewhat loose, but they were not only secure but difficult to undo.

Li Linshan dressed his son and examined the ropes binding the man before looking at Wang Xiujin. “Where did you learn that technique?”

Wang Xiujin said nothing. In his previous life, he had tied up many before they turned into zombies, practicing relentlessly to reduce their threat. This lifetime, he had few chances to use the skill, and it felt somewhat rusty. Brushing dust off his hands, Wang Xiujin regarded the captive with eyes that seemed to see a corpse. “Who sent you?”

The man closed his eyes, ignoring the question. Wang Xiujin didn’t expect an answer right away. “We’ll take you to the magistrate’s office first thing in the morning.”

As Li Linshan and Wang Xiujin prepared to assign guards to watch the captive, the prefect and city commander arrived at the inn. Seeing that Li Linshan, Wang Xiujin, and the child were unharmed and the man securely bound, the prefect quickly saluted them. Both men outranked him—one a ranking official, the other a military officer—and despite the civil-military divide, he paid full respect. Moreover, he held great reverence for the Li family and the imperial merchants. The city commander’s face darkened, glaring at the bound man as if eager to strike him.

Since the prefect had come, there was no need to wait until morning to transfer the captive. The prefect took him away for interrogation. That night, the city was restless. Officers and soldiers searched the inn and recently rented courtyards, visiting every place where outsiders might be lodging.

The next day, the prefect returned with a scowl, apologizing for failing to catch the culprit. Wang Xiujin had expected this outcome and did not blame the prefect. They planned to move to the military camp, which, though less comfortable, was far safer.

As the group settled into the camp, Li Linshan handed a letter to the city commander.

The Li family in the capital received news of Li Linshan’s situation the next day. Shocked, they immediately summoned their in-laws and explained the matter. Magistrate Wang, with a grim face, entered the palace. When he emerged, he was accompanied by the Fourth Prince and imperial guards, the prince holding an imperial edict.

The magistrate’s anger grew as he pondered the situation but dared not inform his wife to avoid causing her worry. At the same time, he mobilized all his connections within the capital to uncover who had the audacity to forge an imperial decree. The most unfortunate was the surrendered prince, whose compensation had already been negotiated. Because the emperor believed the trusted imperial merchants were targeted due to the prince’s faction, the penalty was doubled in anger.

Author’s note: I just couldn’t resist intervening. But perhaps due to the rough handling, when removing the ointment, a layer of skin came off, causing it to bleed… —166 Reading Network