Chapter 79: Storm is Coming
Before daybreak, carriages and horses stood in silence in the quiet manor.
Prince Huainan changed into an ordinary drug dealer's attire and stepped out.
This outfit was also prepared by Ruan. It was midsummer, and Luoyang City was plagued by frequent diseases. Medicinal materials from all over the country were flowing into the city in large quantities. Disguising as a medicine merchant was indeed the best strategy.
The accompanying soldiers were also dressed as guards, with all their weapons hidden under the carriages, and layers of rare medicinal herbs that were special to Huainan were laid on top, making the cover perfect.
Commander Xiao was familiar with the rules for inspecting goods by the generals guarding the pass. He checked three times before going to welcome the prince to the carriage. He did not notice the few strands of frost that had quietly appeared on his master's temples. Seeing that the prince was as calm as ever, all his doubts from yesterday were dispelled.
Commander Xiao almost failed to recognize Feng Yanyuan, who was waiting beside the carriage. His face was painted a pale white, and his long, sword-like eyebrows were drawn in dark black, like two lines drawn thickly on rice paper with an ink pen. Most strikingly, the area around his eyes was delicately smudged with dark blue, making him look like an actor about to perform on stage.
Commander Xiao was stunned for a moment before he suddenly realized what was going on. Feng Yanyuan's portrait had been plastered everywhere, presumably by that clever maid—no, should I call her the pharmacist—who had done the makeup for him.
Although this kind of powdered and rouge-covered attire was exactly what those dandy young men were wearing—Commander Xiao stole a glance at Feng Yanyuan's face, which looked like a porcelain doll. Thinking of this stern young man who had killed three night wandering gods with a single palm wind, now having to flaunt his greasy and powdered appearance in public, Commander Xiao felt a smile rising to his throat.
He quickly put his fist against his lips and pretended to cough a few times, but a muffled laugh still escaped him, startling the horses pulling the cart and making them snort.
Feng Yanyuan glanced at her coldly, his eyes as sharp as a knife, which, combined with her powdered face, made her look a bit funny.
Commander Xiao quickly turned around with a serious expression and didn't dare to look at him again.
As a show of force, the King of Huainan invited Feng Yanyuan to ride in a carriage. Yun Yuan, however, disguised herself as a clever maidservant serving the two young masters. Whenever she encountered a checkpoint, she would lift the curtain and emerge, adopting the demeanor of a shrewd young woman to handle the situation. Seeing her, a little maidservant, intimately knowledgeable about the market for medicinal herbs, and the generosity of her "master" within the carriage, and most importantly, the seal of the Ruan family of Chenliu, the guards eased the situation, even treating the inspection of the herbs as a mere formality. The journey northward, up the Ying River and then along the Bian River, was smooth and uneventful.
With Luoyang only a couple of days' journey away, a torrential downpour hit, and the riverbank ahead burst, halting all carriages and horses. The caravans crammed the posthouses, some groaning and fretting over the ten-day delay before they could enter the city, and the resulting loss of money. Meanwhile, fearing the rain would damage their goods, they scrambled for the sheltered stables at the innermost corner, creating a chaotic scene.
Commander Xiao was terribly anxious. He couldn't wait even three days, let alone ten. Hulao Pass was so close, and if he couldn't get anywhere, he'd even resort to a light cavalry expedition through the canyon at night. It was a shame that all those weapons were buried beneath the carriage. With so many people watching, he couldn't act rashly. He had to wait until the dead of night to make his plans. With this in mind, he parked his carriage at the outermost edge of the stables and watched coldly as the caravans, one after another, squeezed in from behind him.
The Prince of Huainan had settled into his post house and was standing by the window. He raised his hand and pushed open the carved wooden window, only to see that the sudden rain had just subsided, leaden clouds hung low, and the sky was so gloomy that it seemed to press down on the corners of the eaves.
Suddenly, there was a creaking sound, and the door opened and closed, revealing Feng Yanyuan slipping inside. "We've checked all the rooms, and most of them are ordinary business travelers," he said in a low voice, "but..." He paused, "There are two rooms with rather suspicious occupants."
"But the officers and soldiers?" The eyes of the King of Huainan darkened.
"Not sure." Feng Yanyuan shook his head. "He's dressed like a merchant, but that doesn't hide his spy demeanor." He tapped the window frame with his fingertips. "Judging from his steady steps and the way he holds the cup, he's clearly a martial artist."
The furrows between the eyebrows of the King of Huainan became even deeper.
"But..." Feng Yanyuan raised his brows suddenly, "In the face of natural disasters, it is reasonable that all kinds of people gather here." Before he finished speaking, a burst of muffled thunder suddenly rolled outside the window, startling the birds sleeping under the eaves and making them scatter in all directions.
Suddenly, a loud shout from Commander Xiao came from outside the window.
The two men leaned over the railing and looked down, only to see several officers and soldiers lined up in the courtyard, their hands on the hilts of their swords, surrounding Commander Xiao with murderous intent.
The leading officer nonchalantly played with the document in his hand and sneered, "Where did this wild dog come from who is so ignorant of etiquette? Tell your master to get out of here!" The document snapped in his palm, splashing a few drops of rainwater.
Commander Xiao's eyes flashed with coldness: "Open your eyes and look carefully! This place is not a checkpoint. Even if it were a checkpoint—" He took a step forward, "No one dares to touch our master's carriage!"
The officer scoffed at the words and exchanged glances with his colleagues. A grim smile crossed everyone's face. He picked up the document with two fingers, letting the rain soak through the pages. "Is that all you're talking about? Let alone the Ruan family, even if it was a prince himself—" He snorted coldly, "Today, this carriage will be turned upside down!" The tip of his boot sank heavily into the mud, sending splattering yellow mud flying. "Open your eyes and see clearly. What kind of territory are we in? Here, every inch of dirt is a checkpoint!"
Commander Xiao's eyes were filled with rage, veins popping out on his forehead, and he stood in front of the man, scaring the officer so much that he took a half step back.
I remembered the prince's repeated warnings not to cause trouble, but how could the weapons hidden under the cart be exposed? It would have been fine if these officers and soldiers had appeared suddenly, but somehow, these sycophants, relying on their power, had simply poked the cargo boxes with their sheaths and done routine inspections of other caravans. But when they saw this car, they first gathered together, muttered a few words, and then insisted on unloading the entire truck for inspection. Who knew what evil they were up to?
Seeing the two sides were on the verge of a fight, suddenly heard a hurried cry -
"Sir, calm down!"
Feng Yanyuan approached quickly, his deliberately thick eyebrows adorned with the smooth smile of a businessman. As his wide sleeves fluttered, a heavy gold cake slipped into the officer's sleeve, unnoticed even by Commander Xiao, who was standing nearby.
"This small business can't afford to be harassed." Feng Yanyuan said with a frown, "These medicinal herbs are most afraid of moisture. Once the sealed boxes are opened, most of them will be ruined in this hot weather. Look at the sky—" He raised his eyes to look at the dark clouds that had not yet dispersed, "What if a sudden rainstorm hits when unloading the truck..."
The officer twirled his fingers in his sleeve, secretly weighing the weight of the gold cake, and the frost on his face gradually melted: "Your master is a sensible man." He glanced at Feng Yanyuan and suddenly grinned, "No wonder he can afford such a big business." After saying that, he waved his hand to signal his men to step back, but he was still looking at the carriage meaningfully.
Commander Xiao couldn't figure out why the officer suddenly changed his attitude, but when he heard him recognize Feng Yanyuan as his master, he suddenly felt angry and had to grit his teeth and remain silent.
The officer sighed suddenly and patted Feng Yanyuan on the shoulder: "Brother, you are a sensible man. I won't make things difficult for you." He changed the subject and pointed at the wheel hub of the carriage, "But look at this——"
Where the finger tip pointed, the wheel was stuck deep in the mud, more than three inches deep.
Feng Yanyuan's eyes glared. He glanced calmly around, his heart sinking suddenly. The carriages parked inside and outside the posthouse, whether they were heavily laden with rice or the other caravans carrying medicinal herbs, were all sunk more than two inches deeper than their own. It was normal for wheels to sink in the soft, rain-soaked yellow mud, but their medium-sized carriage, supposedly carrying "medicines," was actually sinking even deeper than those heavily laden rice carts. It was truly strange.
"I'm not being rude, brother." The officer lowered his voice and spoke earnestly, "With so many eyes watching, we must have an explanation." He glanced meaningfully to the north, "This isn't far from the Emperor's feet."
Feng Yanyuan nodded repeatedly with a flattering smile on his face, but his heart was burning like oil and fire - the weapons hidden under the car were naturally heavy. If they were discovered, even if he could make up an excuse, he would inevitably be taken to the government office for questioning. This time...
"Sir, why don't you just speak frankly?"
Yun Yuan had quietly stood beside him without him noticing when, and suddenly interrupted with a sweet voice. Her words were so sudden that not only Feng Yanyuan was startled, but even the officer raised an eyebrow and looked over: "What did you say?"
Yun Yuan bowed calmly, "This officer is in charge of the main road into Luoyang. He's well-informed and won't be surprised." She walked lightly up to the officer and said in a low voice, "My master is from Huainan..."
Upon hearing this, Commander Xiao's pupils suddenly shrank, and his five fingers were tightly gripping the scabbard.
"General, have you ever heard of this?" Yun Yuan suddenly stood on tiptoe, her lips almost touching the officer's ear, her voice clear enough for everyone present to hear. "The Xuanshui...from Bagong Mountain in Huainan?" She added meaningfully, "I'm sure you know who the Ruan family went to Luoyang to offer tribute to."
The officer's brow furrowed, clearly bewildered. The Ruan family was a prominent and prestigious clan, and those who went to Luoyang to pay tribute were naturally members of the royal family. However, the idea of "Xuanshui" was completely unheard of. As he hesitated, a clever soldier leaned forward and whispered, "Sir, Xuanshui is a rare commodity, a treasure used by the Huainan Taoists in alchemy..."
"Well... so what?" Although the official didn't know that the black water was actually mercury, he had heard a lot of rumors that the elixirs of Bagua Mountain could prolong life and strengthen yang, and his momentum weakened by three points.
"I've seen this thing before." The soldier stole a glance at the wheel tracks and lowered his voice. "Not only is it incredibly heavy, it also requires a sorcerer's ritual to unseal. If you rashly open the box..." He made a gesture of wiping his neck, "You could be poisoned at best, or die suddenly!"
The officer's expression suddenly changed upon hearing this, his gaze flickering between the wheel marks, the kite, and the red seal of the "Chenliu Ruan Family" on the document. Having already accepted the "filial tribute," he had already been willing to make concessions, and now he'd been able to get out of this situation, especially since his life was at stake. He feigned realization, raising his voice, "So that's how it is! This kind of medicinal material," he emphasized the word "medicinal material," "is indeed quite heavy." As he handed the document back, he added a meaningful, soft reminder, "This valuable item must be carefully protected."
Feng Yanyuan bowed and replied "Yes", then respectfully escorted the officials out of the posthouse.
Commander Xiao stood there in shock. After the soldiers had left, he lowered his voice and asked, "What on earth is this mysterious water?"
Feng Yanyuan and Yun Yuan exchanged a smile. It turns out that Xuanshui is the alchemist's elegant name for mercury. Although considered a medicinal herb, it's considered a forbidden substance due to its toxicity. Ordinary merchants cannot trade it, and only aristocratic families can privately transfer it. Using the Ruan family's name is a perfect way to conceal their presence. Even more interesting, mercury is heavier than ordinary weapons and requires sealed storage, making it a perfect fit for the current situation.
Yun Yuan's gaze drifted towards the second floor of the inn. Through the slightly ajar carved window lattice, a glimpse of the Prince of Huainan's robes was faintly visible. She said no more, straightened her expression, and quickly followed Feng Yanyuan into the inn.
They did not notice that in the room three or four windows away from the Prince of Huainan's wing, there was also a half-open carved wooden window.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings." A cold snort came from inside the window.
"Border guards have always been like this. They come to check in the rain after receiving the message. They are already doing their duty." Another person responded in a low voice.
Looking through the window, Commander Xiao was inside the courtyard, shouting orders to his soldiers to cover the carriage with oilcloth. His rain-soaked clothes clung to his body, outlining his muscular build.
"This person is definitely not an ordinary guard."
"It's not just him." The man's voice became deeper. "Everyone in this group has unique skills."
"It seems Ruyin's report is true. There's something fishy about that corpse." A sudden gust of wind suddenly knocked open the window, causing the candlelight on the table to flicker violently. A rough-knuckled hand pressed against the window frame. "Do you want to act tonight?"
"Don't alert the enemy." The window was silently closed. "If it really is them... I heard that the Third Young Master Feng is accompanying them. You and I are just asking for our own deaths."
"Then... what should I do?"
"Deliver the message first." A cold snort came from the darkness. "The road ahead will be filled with obstacles."
The sky was filled with dark clouds, which were getting lower and lower. Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance, and a rainstorm was brewing.
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