They all agreed that they should disguise themselves, but as for how exactly to do it, everyone had their own ideas.
Li Bowu said, “A merchant caravan would need a large quantity of goods, and none of us looks much like a travelling merchant. I think it would be more appropriate to pose as an official’s family travelling to visit relatives.”
“Quite right.” Commander Wu readily agreed. “That would be a more convincing arrangement.”
While they were discussing it, Cheng Danruo tactfully kept quiet, listening without interrupting. Only after they had settled on the details did she tentatively ask, “In that case, wouldn’t it be more convenient if I disguised myself as a man?”
“Absolutely not!” the three men said in unison.
She asked, “Why not?”
Li Bowu said, “A group consisting entirely of able-bodied men would inevitably arouse suspicion.”
Centurion Zheng said, “Having a woman among us would make us more convincing.”
Commander Wu said, “You carry an imperial order. How could we allow you to demean yourself like that?”
All three arguments made perfect sense, so Cheng Danruo could only nod in acceptance. “Then how should I disguise myself?”
Li Bowu said, “That part is easy. You and the young master can pose as a brother and sister visiting your maternal uncle’s family. The rest of us will be your guards.”
Cheng Danruo asked doubtfully, “Have you ever seen a young lady from a respectable family travel without a maid?”
Everyone fell silent.
“You are right that having a woman among us would make our cover more convincing,” she said tactfully. “But if I’m the only woman, that might actually seem even stranger.”
Her reasoning was sound. Li Bowu hesitated briefly before turning to Xie Xuanying. “What do you think?”
Xie Xuanying said, “Palace Apothecary Cheng makes a good point. We can pose as brothers travelling to visit relatives. We should also pick two of the younger men to act as our servants, so as not to arouse suspicion.”
“Yes, sir.”
He continued, “Although the bandits are mainly active in Qingzhou Prefecture, the Wusheng Cult has been established in Shandong for many years, and its followers are scattered throughout the region. We must be especially careful.”
Only then did Commander Wu ask the question he was most concerned about. “How many men do the bandits have, and where are they concentrated?”
“The enemy forces are mainly made up of three groups. Two are bands of mounted bandits, originally based in Qingzhou. Each has over a thousand mounted men under its command. After capturing Mengyin, the Wusheng Cult now has tens of thousands of followers, most of them gathered around Yishui.”
Xie Xuanying said, “We will have to wait until we reach Shandong before making any concrete plans.”
He offered no further explanation, and the others did not press him. Each pondered the matter for a moment before nodding in agreement one after another, as though they already had their own plans in mind.
Only Cheng Danruo was completely in the dark. She quietly committed the place names to memory, intending to look them up on a map when she returned to her room.
After a full day of travelling, the meeting did not last long. Once the important matters had been discussed, they dispersed.
Cheng Danruo returned to her room and lay down to sleep without changing out of her clothes.
The bed at the post station was rather uncomfortable, and there was a strange smell about it. In the middle of the night, she briefly woke up. She lay still, listening carefully for a long while, until she determined that there was something wrong with the window and that the noise was simply the wind blowing in through it. Only then did she drift back to sleep.
The next day, they set off again.
Cheng Danruo noticed that they were not changing their disguises all at once. For now, they simply removed their armor and dressed as ordinary guards. By the time they left Gujie Post Station, two more quick-witted young servants had joined them. After passing Fenshui Post Station, the eunuchs began attaching fake beards, making themselves look like middle-aged household stewards.
However, although they were supposed to be posing as a brother and sister, Xie Xuanying did not travel in a carriage. He rode alongside the others the entire way.
It was not until that day, when they had just entered Shandong, that it began to rain.
The rain was light, falling in fine, wispy strands, but it was a nuisance all the same.
Li Bowu hesitated before advising, “Young Master, why don’t you take shelter in the carriage?”
“I’m not so delicate.” Xie Xuanying was about to refuse when he suddenly noticed that part of Centurion Zheng’s oilskin cloak had darkened in color, clearly indicating that rainwater had seeped through.
Oilskin cloaks in those days were made from silk coated with tung oil, making them rather expensive. The fact that this one had become damp meant that its oil coating must have worn away. It was probably an old garment that had seen many years of use.
He made a hand gesture, signaling for the procession to stop, while gently drawing on the reins. The fine steed beneath him promptly slowed to an easy walk.
“Young Master Xie?” The others reverted to the familiar form of address they normally used.
Xie Xuanying dismounted.
The others did not understand what he intended, but they dismounted as well.
Xie Xuanying untied the silk oilskin cloak he was wearing and draped it over Centurion Zheng’s shoulders. Without making a fuss over the gesture, he addressed everyone in his usual matter-of-fact manner. “There is nowhere to take shelter from the rain out here in the wilderness. Please bear with it a little longer. We can rest when we come across a village.”
Centurion Zheng looked somewhat embarrassed, yet also touched. He declined, saying, “Young Master, there’s no need to do this.”
“The autumn rain is cold and can easily give you a chill,” Xie Xuanying replied. “We need to make good time. Please don’t refuse.”
“But what about you, Young Master…”
“Brother, why don’t you get into the carriage?” Cheng Danruo said, lifting the curtain at just the right moment to spare them any further awkward refusals. “It gets dark early on rainy days. We shouldn’t have to travel after nightfall.”
Her reasoning made sense. Xie Xuanying hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Then forgive me for the intrusion.”
With that, he lifted the curtain and climbed into the carriage.
The carriage was spacious enough to accommodate two people without any difficulty.
The others remounted and continued on their way.
Cheng Danruo picked up the teapot from the brazier and handed him a cup of hot ginger tea.
“Thank you.” He took it and drank half the cup in one go. The chill brought on by the biting wind and cold rain began to dissipate, and feeling gradually returned to his hands and feet.
Cheng Danruo lifted the curtain and glanced outside. “The roads have become much harder to travel. Will we still reach the post station on time?”
Roads in ancient times were all made of earth. Even the official roads became terribly muddy in the rain, and with visibility reduced, they had no choice but to slow down.
Xie Xuanying glanced at her. “We may arrive a little late, but there are so many of us, and we have swords and weapons. Even a pack of wolves wouldn’t dare approach. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Cheng Danruo nodded, then asked, “Does the Wusheng Cult have more followers in the countryside or in the cities?”
“Mostly ignorant country folk.”
“How do they recruit their followers?” She had been waiting several days for an opportunity to speak with him alone. Now, with the rain falling heavily, its sound would conveniently mask her voice. “Are there many people in the countryside who believe in them?”
Xie Xuanying thought for a moment before replying, “The Wusheng Cult often wins people over with small favors. For example, distributing medicine, performing rites for the deceased, and robbing the rich to help the poor. The country folk are ignorant and easily taken in by such things.”
“When the imperial court fails to fulfil its responsibilities, someone else will naturally step in to do so.” Cheng Danruo did not think much of it, but asked another question. “When they say they rob the rich to help the poor, what exactly do they rob?”
“Money and goods,” Xie Xuanying replied.
“Then they will never amount to anything.” A hint of relief, mixed with disappointment, crept into Cheng Danruo’s voice.
Xie Xuanying agreed with her conclusion, but was curious. “Are you so certain?”
“Distributing medicine only provides temporary relief and treats the illness of an individual. Performing rites for the dead offers nothing more than spiritual comfort. Neither truly addresses the people’s urgent needs,” she explained. “As for robbing the rich to help the poor, if they were taking land from the wealthy and redistributing it, that would be a much bigger problem. But money and goods are easily spent and gone. Without land of their own, how could the people remain wholeheartedly devoted to following them?”
The Wusheng Cult had started out as a religious movement, but having religious followers was not the same as having an army of rebels.
“Believers may be fearless in the face of death, but they cannot sustain that fervor indefinitely. After all, the Pure Land of the True Void is too far removed from their present lives. If they have food to eat and clothes to wear, what reason would ordinary people have to die for an illusory afterlife?”
As she spoke, Cheng Danruo finally abandoned the idea of switching sides.
If they could not even put forward the slogan of redistributing land, they would not last long.
Xie Xuanying: “…”
He could not quite put his finger on what was wrong, but somehow, everything about her reasoning seemed wrong.
“What about Prince Lu?” She lowered her voice until it was barely more than a whisper. “His Majesty intends to invest Prince Lu’s grandson as heir. If Prince Lu is still alive…”
His expression turned stern. “Is that something you should know?”
Cheng Danruo had only been asking out of curiosity. Seeing his expression change, she immediately replied politely, “Then I won’t ask.”
Xie Xuanying beckoned her closer.
She leaned towards him.
“Prince Lu has already been killed by the bandits.” He spoke in a breathy whisper, his warm breath brushing against the curve of her ear, making it tingle. “Do you understand?”
Cheng Danruo gave a slight nod.
“Once we reach Yanzhou, just stay by Princess Dowager Lu’s side,” Xie Xuanying said quietly. “Prince Lu is of no use to them anymore, so they won’t risk kidnapping women and children again. If the situation turns unfavorable, I’ll send someone to escort you and Princess Dowager Lu straight to the capital.”
After a brief pause, he added, “Oh, right. Your hand.”
Cheng Danruo: “?”
He shook his head, seemingly at a loss with her, then took her hand himself. Reaching into his robes, he retrieved an object and pressed it into her palm. “Keep this for self-defense.”
Something cold touched her palm.
Cheng Danruo sensed that something was a little off, but her attention was immediately drawn to the dagger he had given her.
It was a bronze dagger of the kind carried by palace maids. Its hilt was shaped like a woman’s profile, with tiny gemstones set into the eyes and headdress. It was beautiful without being ostentatious.
She drew the blade from its handle. It was about two fingers’ breadth wide, its edge flashing coldly in the light, with a deep fuller running along its length.
“Thank you.” She tried to take it, but he did not release her hand.
“This dagger is sharp. You must keep it somewhere safe,” he said, his expression still stern, as though he would not hand it over until she agreed. “Do you understand?”
Cheng Danruo nodded.
Only then did he let go.
She immediately slipped the dagger inside her robes, tucking it into a concealed pocket.
Xie Xuanying: “…”
Even if she was dressed as a man, casually pulling open her robes like that was rather inappropriate, wasn’t it?
Never mind. There was no one else around, anyway.
After hurrying along as fast as they could, they finally reached Ande Post Station just as dusk was falling.
This time, the travel permit they used was no longer Cheng Danruo’s, but one issued by Shuntian Prefecture. It bore no name and was essentially the sort of thing officials used to give to friends and relatives as a favor. To put it more bluntly, it was another way of adding to the common people’s burden, since the expenses of running the post stations were apportioned among the local taxes.
But that was simply how things were done, and there was little they could do about it.
Li Bowu was an experienced hand. He immediately instructed the post station’s superintendent to prepare some ginger soup. The station was more than happy to earn a little extra money and readily agreed. Before long, a large pot of ginger soup was brought out and distributed among everyone.
The guards drank their ginger soup and asked for hot water to soak their feet and ward off the cold. Their rooms were filled with noise and chatter.
The commotion was too much for Cheng Danruo. Besides, she had no desire to change clothes in a room full of men shouting at the top of their lungs, so she simply went to the rear courtyard to check on the horses.
To her surprise, Xie Xuanying was there too, brushing his horse and feeding it hay.
Unlike the Mongolian horses commonly seen, this one had a fine head, a high-set neck, a slender build, strong limbs and a thick mane. When it walked down the street beside ordinary horses, the difference was like that between a Lamborghini and a Volkswagen.
“What a beautiful horse.” She finally couldn’t resist asking, “What’s its name?”
Xie Xuanying glanced at her. “Take a guess.”
Cheng Danruo studied the horse’s black coat and hesitated. “Black Beauty?”
“Too ordinary.” He rarely sounded so dismissive.
“Black Pearl?”
He replied, “Think again.”
Cheng Danruo put on her thinking cap. In ancient times, black horses were called li. So… “Li Pearl?” She felt sure she’d got it this time.
However, Xie Xuanying merely glanced at her without the slightest change in expression before revealing the answer. “Winter Night Snow.”
She blinked. “…What?”
“There’s a little patch of white here on its mane,” he explained. “Like the first snowfall on a winter night.”
“That’s a fine name.” Commander Wu came over wearing a straw rain cape, full of praise. “This must be one of the horses presented to His Majesty as tribute from the Western Regions, right?”
He examined the slender, handsome black horse, taking a close look at its teeth and build. “It’s still quite young. Oh? And it’s a mare?”
“A mare? How old is she?” Centurion Zheng also came over, carrying a brush and a bucket, intending to groom the horses. “It’s rare for tribute horses to be female.”
Xie Xuanying gently stroked the horse’s face. “She’s not purebred, but she’s a very good cross.”
The finest horses presented as tribute were mostly purebred stallions. To preserve their bloodlines, mares were rarely allowed to leave their breeding grounds. But his Winter Night Snow was a crossbreed. She had inherited her mother’s build, making her agile and nimble, while her coat resembled her father’s, along with his stamina. Apart from her impure bloodline, she was practically flawless.
But he had no need for a purebred horse to demonstrate his noble status.
What did bloodline matter? As long as the horse was good, that was enough.
“Even if she’s not purebred, she’s still a rare find.” Commander Wu hesitated for a moment before asking rather hopefully, “Young Master Xie, could you perhaps give her to me…”
“Now, don’t get your hopes up,” Li Bowu interjected, having arrived as well. He laughed. “Our young master treasures this horse above all else. Normally, he won’t even let anyone touch her.”
Cheng Danruo’s outstretched hand froze in midair, leaving her rather embarrassed. “I only… touched her once.”
Were you not allowed to touch horses so casually?
“She’s a mare,” Xie Xuanying said. “You can touch her.”
“That’s right.” Li Bowu had not noticed what Cheng Danruo had been doing earlier, and hurried to make up for his remark. “Horses are just like women. It’s only that they shouldn’t be touched by other men.”
“Guard Li!”
Cheng Danruo, however, was not angry. Instead, she asked, “And what happens if someone touches them? Are they killed? Or given away to someone else?”
Li Bowu fell silent, not daring to answer rashly.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Xie Xuanying, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed, as though he had not detected anything beneath her question. He answered naturally, “The horse has done nothing wrong. Why should it be killed?”
Cheng Danruo smiled but said nothing more. She simply gazed absently into the distance.
The rain pattered steadily, while mist rose between heaven and earth, making it look like a pot of boiling water.
There was a poem that said, “Heaven and earth are a furnace, all living beings simmering within.” How aptly put.
Xie Xuanying turned slightly, pretending to brush the horse’s mane as he lowered his voice. “The stable is filthy. You should go back. When we get the chance, I’ll teach you how to ride.”
Cheng Danruo looked surprised. “How did you know I wanted to learn?”
“It’s written all over your face.” The corners of his lips curved slightly. “You don’t need to worry about anything. I’m here.”
