Chapter 60: The Newly Arrived 1,000 Households
In Linjiang City, a secluded little inn had recently welcomed a group of traveling merchants who directly rented out the entire inn for a full half month.
This group was very generous as well, never bargaining, simply handing over half a month’s rent all at once, nearly making the innkeeper so happy he couldn’t sleep. After all, guests so generous were a rarity, perhaps not seen once in several years.
However, as time slowly passed,
The innkeeper gradually noticed something was not quite right.
These people claimed to be merchants, but they didn’t have any goods, nor did they go out to procure any. Instead, they came and went every day with great secrecy. Gradually, the innkeeper also discovered that these people didn’t really behave like ordinary merchants; every move they made seemed as if specially trained.
Moreover, these people did nothing at all,
Just divided into several groups every day, going out at about the same time and returning at about the same time, rarely communicating with each other.
Slowly, anxiety began to take root in the innkeeper’s heart,
This group was definitely not some ordinary merchants.
Once suspicion took hold, the innkeeper started watching them on the sly. Slowly, he found that every day, these people would split up to act, gathering information everywhere, their movements extremely suspicious.
He held it in for several days,
The innkeeper saw these people had no intention of leaving, and his fear grew. Their behavior and habits were far too similar to the legendary spies.
In recent years, the Xia Kingdom was often at war,
There were frequent rumors of spies being caught, and the government’s disposition toward harboring or failing to report spies was severe—punished as if they themselves were guilty, even to the implication of three generations of kin.
After another night of agonizing thoughts, the innkeeper finally couldn’t bear it. Early that morning, he went to the Prefecture Government to report the case.
The Prefecture Government took the matter extremely seriously,
The Inspection Bureau immediately dispatched over a hundred constables, led personally by an Archivist, and burst into the inn.
However, what surprised them was,
This group, suspected of being spies, when faced with so many constables, showed not a hint of panic. Instead, they stood calmly in the main hall, directly drawing their blades to confront the constables from the Inspection Bureau.
Amid the Archivist’s confusion, he noticed a middle-aged man in an embroidered uniform at the very back.
The reason he noticed him was because, of all those suspected spies, everyone else stood, while that man alone remained seated, slowly drinking a thin porridge, as if entirely unbothered by the intrusion of the Inspection Bureau’s constables.
"Alright, put away your weapons."
The middle-aged man took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped his mouth, his face wearing a mild smile, giving one the sense of a spring breeze.
"It’s about time."
The middle-aged man said softly, then waved his hand.
By his side, a stern-faced swordman immediately produced a token from his breast and approached the Inspection Bureau’s Archivist.
When the Archivist saw the token, his expression changed instantly. He hurriedly bowed and said, "Greetings, Lord Thousand Households, this official did not know you were here. Please forgive the disturbance!"
The Archivist did not suspect much. The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s tokens were specially made, and they’d already received word that a new Thousand Households of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would soon take office.
The Thousand Households smiled and waved, saying, "No matter. Ignorance is no crime. I am newly arrived and haven’t reported to the Prefecture Government, so a few misunderstandings are normal."
The Archivist let out a long sigh of relief. It seemed the newly appointed Lord Thousand Households of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was quite reasonable.
"Let’s go." The Thousand Households stood up and said, "Since things have come to this, let’s go directly to the Prefecture Government."
The Archivist hurriedly cupped his hands and said, "My lord, this official did not know you were on duty and disturbed you. Please forgive our offense."
"It’s nothing, it’s nothing."
The Thousand Households walked over, helping the Archivist up, then glanced at the innkeeper, who was already pale with fright.
The innkeeper had been shaking all over since the Thousand Households revealed his identity; his mind was a complete blank, his body trembling relentlessly.
Now, with but a glance from the Thousand Households,
He went limp, collapsing to his knees and stammering, "My lord... spare me... I didn’t know your identity... I thought you were spies... so I... so I..."
"Old man, quickly rise," the Thousand Households smiled as he helped the innkeeper up, saying, "You’re simply being loyal to the country. To have such vigilance is a good thing!"
The innkeeper trembled as he got up, stammering, "Thank you, my lord, thank you, my lord, thank you... pu!"
Before the innkeeper finished, a red line suddenly appeared on his neck, instantly spreading—blood spurted forth, and filled with unwillingness and confusion in his eyes, he collapsed with a crash.
In that instant,
The Archivist and all the constables went pale with fear, staring at the Thousand Households in terror.
Yet that Thousand Households merely used his silk handkerchief to lightly wipe the dagger in his hand, his face still wearing that gentle, spring-breeze smile.
But now, that smile sent chills down everyone’s spines.
The Thousand Households lightly wiped the blood from his face and smiled, saying, "It’s good for citizens to be vigilant, but if it hinders my plans, that’s not so good, is it?"
The Archivist swallowed hard, stammering, "Yes... yes, my lord, you’re right. This old fool slandered an official and deserved to die!"
The Thousand Households smiled slightly,
Lightly patted the Archivist’s shoulder, then thrust the dagger into the Archivist’s shoulder. After that, he beckoned and left the inn with his men.
Inside the inn’s main hall,
The Archivist was shaking as he gripped the dagger, and only after a long while did he take a deep breath, wipe the cold sweat from his face, and order, "Don’t just stand there—clean this up!"
...
Within the inner courtyard of the Prefecture Government.
The Prefect of Linjiang County, Yang Yuzhi, was having breakfast with his wife and children when a staff officer hurried in and whispered a few words into Yang Yuzhi’s ear.
Yang Yuzhi frowned and said, "After all these years, how is Wan Yan still so bloodthirsty?"
The staff officer replied softly, "If Lord Wan wasn’t so bloodthirsty, how could he only now become a Thousand Households? Even so, he’s restraining himself now. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be just one dead."
Yang Yuzhi squinted his eyes and said, "It’s not that he’s restrained himself, but that he’s already figured out the situation in Linjiang Prefecture and knows the entire Inspection Bureau is under my control."
The staff officer was surprised and said, "My lord, you mean Lord Wan delayed showing himself just to personally gather information on Linjiang City?"
"That’s his nature," Yang Yuzhi said. "He never trusts anyone but himself. No matter how thorough the intelligence I give him, he’ll always investigate personally. Still, it doesn’t matter—now that he’s here, that’s enough. Although I don’t like his ways, right now, Linjiang Prefecture really needs him to break the stalemate."
The staff officer nodded. "Lord Wan’s temperament is rather similar to that new Hundred Households, Gu Zhan..."
Yang Yuzhi got up to leave, saying, "There are some similarities, but Gu Zhan still falls far short of Wan Yan in every way. Enough, we’ll say no more. Let’s go meet Wan Yan!"