"Brother Liu, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. I was tied up with some trivial matters, so I'm late."
"Brother Huang, you flatter me. There's no need for such formalities between us. Come, please take a seat, and let's drink and talk."
The two returned to their seats, raised their glasses, clinked them together lightly, producing a crisp sound, and then each drank.
The atmosphere became more harmonious, and the conversation gradually unfolded with the aroma of wine.
As the aroma of the wine slowly filled the air, the conversation gradually deepened, and the voices grew softer and softer, as if they were discussing some unspeakable secret.
Li Xi sat to the side, pouring herself a drink, her gaze occasionally sweeping over the two of them.
At 9 PM, the two men bid farewell and left the tavern.
After leaving the tavern, Liu Yicheng walked towards another alley.
Night had fallen, and the moonlight was faint, barely illuminating his path. He had been on leave for the past two days and had drunk a bit too much, so his steps were unsteady.
Li Xi followed him through many twists and turns before finally arriving at a residential house.
He pulled up the brass ring and knocked gently, the door making a low, rhythmic sound in the quiet night.
A short while later, a soft footstep sound came from inside the door, accompanied by the sound of the brass lock being gently turned, and the door slowly opened a crack.
Through the dim light shining through the crack in the door, Li Xi could vaguely see the figure of an old man.
He was hunched over, his eyes filled with a mixture of wariness and doubt.
The old servant recognized Liu Yicheng and a smile immediately appeared on his face. He quickly opened the door fully and bowed respectfully, saying, "Master, you're back. Is there anything I can prepare?"
Liu Yicheng waved his hand, indicating that it was not necessary, but his feet involuntarily walked into the courtyard.
Li Xi leaped onto the courtyard wall and landed in the shadows on one side of the courtyard.
Liu Yicheng returned to his room, where a woman's voice rang out: "Master, it's so late, is there something urgent?"
The voice carried a hint of concern, clearly indicating that she was someone Liu Yicheng knew very well and cared about.
Liu Yicheng sighed softly, sat down at the table, took the hot tea handed to him by the woman, and took a sip: "Nothing serious, I just had some wine with Brother Huang."
Upon hearing this, the woman was overjoyed: "Is Sheng'er's matter resolved?"
Liu Yicheng: "Madam, don't worry. Although Sheng'er's matter is troublesome, we've finally made some progress. Brother Huang's backer has some influence in the court, and he has promised to do his best to help. However, the affairs of officialdom are complex and ever-changing, and it will take time."
"As long as there is hope, that's good." The woman smiled reassuringly, then frowned slightly. "But, sir, you must also take care of your health and not overwork yourself. If Sheng'er knew how much you've done for him, he would be heartbroken."
Liu Yicheng nodded: "This is the position I'll hold for the rest of my life, but Sheng'er is still young and should have a better future."
After saying that, the people in the room soon fell asleep.
Seeing that there was no movement, Li Xi left quietly.
Liu Yicheng is forty-five years old and has been serving as the postmaster at the post station outside Yunjin City for more than ten years.
He has a son named Liu Qisheng, who is a constable in the northern part of the Five Cities Garrison of the capital.
According to reliable sources, the missing scout had a short meal at a post station on the outskirts of Yunjin City, then changed to a fast horse and headed towards a post station outside Yunshu City. However, he lost track of the scout en route.
However, recently, Liu Yicheng has been acting out of character, frequently returning to the city and maintaining close ties with the merchants there.
It seems they've gotten in touch with someone in Kyoto to secure a future for their son.
It is only known that Liu, the postmaster, is just an ordinary postmaster. He passed the imperial examination in his early years and later became a postmaster here. He has not been promoted in more than ten years and his family has no prominent background.
Besides managing the daily affairs of the post station, he usually dealt with travelers and messengers.
He rarely interacted with merchants in the city, so this action was quite unexpected.
After returning home, she wrote an urgent letter and had the golden eagle deliver it to Chen Quan.
After lunch the next day, Li Xi arrived at the post station outside the city.
"Sir, this way please." The courier took the horse she was leading.
She was wearing the "work clothes" of a letter carrier, with a specially made copper plaque hanging from her waist, engraved with the words "Urgent Messenger".
Seeing the enthusiastic courier, Li Xi casually gave him a handful of copper coins.
The courier smiled even more broadly and quickly thanked him, "Thank you for your generosity, sir. Are you about to embark on another long journey? Tea and food have been prepared for you. Please rest for a while."
Li Xi nodded, handed the horse reins to the courier, and stepped into the post station.
Although the post station was small, it was clean and tidy, and several letter carriers dressed in different "work clothes" were already sitting around a few wooden tables.
Some were taking a short nap with their heads down, while others were talking in hushed tones, the air filled with the faint aroma of tea and food.
She found a seat by the window and sat down.
The courier quickly brought her a pot of hot tea and a few simple yet exquisite dishes, placing them in front of her.
"Sir, please enjoy your meal. It's windy today, so please be careful on the road," the courier reminded him with concern.
"Thank you for reminding me, I will pay attention. This food is a real lifesaver; I've been traveling for a long time and I'm quite hungry." She ate heartily.
After a while, the courier came and refilled her tea.
Thinking the timing was perfect, she asked, "Hey, where did your postmaster go?"
"Oh, sir, you're asking about the postmaster? He should be busy in the backyard right now taking stock of next month's supplies. Lately, for some reason, there have been more officials passing by than usual, so we have to make some urgent preparations."
The courier answered her with a simple, honest smile as he carefully poured her more tea.
Presumably, the war on the frontier was intense, so there was an increase in the number of people traveling back and forth to deliver messages and supplies.
"I see. May I ask the postmaster to come over? I have something I'd like to discuss with him." Li Xi decided to get straight to the point and ask him about the scout.
Upon hearing this, the courier was slightly taken aback, then nodded and said, "Please wait a moment, sir, I will go and fetch the postmaster immediately." After saying that, he turned and strode quickly toward the backyard, his steps carrying a mixture of urgency and respect.
The urgent messenger was specifically tasked with delivering messages to His Majesty the Emperor; this could not be neglected.
Before long, Liu Yicheng arrived in a hurry.
Upon seeing Li Xi, he quickly cupped his hands in greeting, his voice steady and calm: "This humble official, Liu Zhang, greets Your Excellency. May I ask what important matter Your Excellency wishes to instruct me on?"
Li Xi put down her chopsticks and gently wiped the corners of her mouth.
Looking directly at Liu Yicheng, his tone was serious: "Liu Yicheng, I am Li Xi, an urgent messenger from the Imperial City. I have urgent military business to attend to here, and there is something else I need to verify with you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yicheng's expression became even more solemn. He gestured for Li Xi to continue: "Please speak, my lord. I will do my utmost to accomplish anything within my power."
"Recently, some scouts have gone missing. I wonder if the postmaster is aware of this?"
As Li Xi spoke, she took out a token from her bosom and gently placed it on the table to show her identity.
Upon seeing this, Liu Yicheng quickly stepped forward and, after carefully verifying the token, confirmed Li Xi's identity.
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