Jinyu City

Taking advantage of the dark night and the obscured moon, Zhang Ling and Song Linjie quietly led the two horses they had brought up the mountain along a secluded path, descending quietly to continue their journey to the capital. Yet, just as they slipped away, a tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped out from the house, watching them as they gradually disappeared into the distance.

As they traveled further, the sky began to grow lighter. The two mounted their horses instead of leading them, quickening their pace. Song Linjie asked, “On this trip to the capital, will you kill that man?” Zhang Ling nodded. “After all, the men of Qingfeng Fort treated me as a brother. Consider this as repaying that bond. But the Lu family holds high office; I can’t act rashly. It will have to wait until I enter Chengdao Academy.” Song Linjie rode closer, clapped him on the shoulder, and laughed. “Count me in. After all, I stole so much wine from them. It can’t all be for nothing.” Zhang Ling suddenly fell into deep thought. Song Linjie asked, “What’s wrong?” Zhang Ling answered gravely, “I’m just wondering if they can understand the letter I left behind. I taught them all the characters, but with those bandits’ intellect, I worry for them!”

...

Mangniu Mountain, Qingfeng Fort.

At that moment, finding the teacher’s usual seat in the classroom empty, the bandits rushed to Zhang Ling’s former quarters only to find the room deserted, a pot of tea gone cold, and a letter with several banknotes left on the table. None of them paid any attention to the money, scrambling instead for the letter, struggling to make out the characters as they poured out of the house. One held the letter aloft while the others gathered around, arguing over the words. As they argued, a hand snatched away the letter, and the group immediately fell silent.

One asked, “Chief, what does it say? Where is the teacher?”

Hou Liu read the letter carefully and addressed the group. “They’ve left.” The men continued to ask, “Why did he leave? Where did he go? Was he disappointed in us?” Each blamed himself, convinced their stupidity must have driven him away. Hou Liu explained, “If I’m not mistaken, they were planning to go to the capital from the start. We just happened to cross their path and bring them to the fort.”

He paused, then added, “Also, the letter says Ersha’s real name is Song Linjie.” The group fell into a somber mood. Two brothers had just died, and now even the teacher was gone. Even as bandits, they were loyal and true to each other. As Hou Liu walked on, he encountered Xu Ying, who had come looking for Zhang Ling to practice boxing. He called her over and explained what had happened. Xu Ying, unlike the others, did not seem saddened. She simply told the chief, “Once I master my boxing, I’ll go find Brother Ling.” Hou Liu calmly agreed.

Xu Ying ran off to continue her practice. She knew it would be lonelier now, but then she remembered—hadn’t she always come alone before? What was there to fear?

Throughout the journey, Zhang Ling kept consulting his map, checking distances and verifying the route, worried about making mistakes on his first long journey. He never hurried the horses, always pausing to match landmarks, ask directions in every village, and confirm his path. Only when they reached the main imperial road did he finally relax. After a month’s travel, the two finally arrived.

The capital of the Chen Kingdom, called Jinyu, was famed as the most prosperous city in the world. No other city in the Central Plains could compare.

Once on the main road, they saw more and more carriages passing by. After asking along the way, they soon reached the southern gate of Jinyu. Compared to the security in Liufeng City, both inside and outside the walls stood dozens of city guards, inspecting every passing carriage and traveler without exception. As they approached, Zhang Ling looked up at the towering city walls, rising as high as a four-story building, and could not help but marvel.

While Zhang Ling and Song Linjie were being inspected, a carriage carrying swill to the outskirts passed by. When it rolled over a stone, the barrel inside shook violently. Zhang Ling found it odd; had the barrel been full of swill, it should have made a muffled sound, yet this one sounded hollow and light. As he was about to mention it, he saw a squad of thirty cavalrymen ride out from the city and keep a measured distance behind the swill cart. Zhang Ling immediately understood, and the guards urged them to hurry into the city.

Song Linjie, noticing Zhang Ling’s reaction, asked about it and learned that people were hiding inside the barrel. The cavalry’s intent was clear: they were waiting to catch a bigger fish, to bring in the whole lot at once.

After entering the city, Zhang Ling observed the bustling streets. The prosperity here far surpassed any other city he had seen, though it was not as if everyone wore silk and brocade—most people still wore clothes made from ordinary fabrics, albeit finer than the coarse hemp and cotton of the common folk. Nonetheless, those dressed in splendor could be seen everywhere; the name Jinyu was well deserved.

The shops along the streets appeared to have their own managers, but in truth, they were mostly properties of court officials. The imperial court never paid salaries in hard silver or gold; instead, officials were rewarded with land and businesses, whose profits, in part, still flowed back to the state treasury.

Even knowing these businesses belonged to officials, there were still young wastrels causing trouble in the shops. One reason was that, apart from the most luxurious establishments or prime locations, those officials who spent their days enjoying themselves had no interest in such trivialities. If anything was damaged, it could simply be paid for. Who in the capital would care about a few coins? The other reason was pride—among the sons of the capital, who would ever back down from another? If they ran into someone truly formidable, an apology and compensation would follow, and then they could return to their carefree revels.

As Zhang Ling pondered his future, he suddenly realized they had no place to stay. He turned to mention finding an inn, only to learn that Song Yutian had given Song Linjie a letter of introduction to a Commandant in the Ministry of War. But when he looked for it, he discovered it was lost. What he had thought was a sweet favor became a bucket of cold water. Zhang Ling could not help but mutter, “Good for nothing, all you do is mess things up.”

Song Linjie smiled with resignation. “It’s alright. We can explain everything when we reach the Yu residence. I met Commandant Yu before; he’ll remember me.”

Zhang Ling asked, “How long ago was that?”

Song Linjie thought for a moment. “Probably five or six years ago.”

“…”