The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 55
After bathing the previous night, Wen Shuse had changed into Second Master Wen’s robe. She had never worn men’s clothing in her life before, and the novelty delighted her. Taking out a small bronze mirror she had secretly brought along, she examined herself from top to bottom.
The person in the mirror had quite a different charm, truly handsome and striking. She was still admiring the sight when the young man’s voice came from outside, catching her so off guard that she did not immediately respond.
The night before at the inn, she had rarely slept so poorly. Lying on the bed, she did not even dare turn over, and only managed to fall asleep after enduring half the night awake. When she woke up, the bedding from the floor was gone, and the young man was nowhere in the room.
It was only when she boarded the carriage that she spotted his familiar figure in the distance ahead.
She had thought the matter would quietly pass and be forgotten. But now that he had brought it up, the soft, cool sensation from his lips returned vividly to her mind, making her both nervous and guilty.
Thinking that he had finally come to settle the score with her, she leaned toward the window and whispered an explanation through it. “About what happened last night… Husband, please don’t take it to heart. I truly didn’t mean to kiss you.”
She was not some reincarnation of Daji, the infamous seductress. She knew perfectly well what was appropriate in what circumstances. At a moment like this, she certainly would not deliberately try to unsettle his heart.
Besides, judging by her usual conduct, he should believe she was not that sort of person.
Last night, Xie Shao hadn’t slept well either. He did not know what she had put on her lips, but when she suddenly kissed him, it was like igniting a flame. The place her lips had touched burned on his cheek for half the night, and his thoughts had been restless for just as long.
Now, with her single sentence—I didn’t mean to—the tense confusion in his chest instantly vanished, and even the flutter of emotion from the previous night suddenly seemed meaningless.
Though when one thought about her words carefully, they sounded rather suspicious.
Although the rooms in the post station had poor soundproofing, it was not so bad that they could not make a sound at all. As long as she spoke a little more softly, the people next door would not possibly hear.
But she had not spoken. Instead, she had deliberately stayed silent, letting him lean closer only to seize the opportunity to strike.
It was hard not to suspect that she had ulterior motives. He scoffed at the young lady’s explanation from inside the carriage and retorted, “I’m not so sure.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the young lady pushed open the window and looked up at the young man on horseback. “You suspect that I had improper intentions toward you.”
He had not said that.
But there was clearly something wrong with her statement, so he corrected her, “I am your husband. If you had any such thoughts, how could that be called improper intentions? Wouldn’t that be perfectly reasonable?”
Leaning against the window, Wen Shuse sighed in admiration of her husband’s broad-mindedness and could not help but feel relieved. “As long as I didn’t disturb your peace of mind, that’s good.”
“I wasn’t,” he replied firmly, then asked again, “What exactly were you trying to tell me last night?”
“I asked if you wanted to come sleep on the bed.”
Xie Shao: …
The feeling of the hard wooden boards digging into his back the night before still lingered, leaving him sore and aching. A wave of regret passed through his heart, making him feel thoroughly miserable.
He glanced ahead at Jing Wang and Pei Qing, then bent slightly and lowered his voice to the young lady. “Next time you have something to say, be bolder and just say it aloud. We are husband and wife, what does it matter even if someone else hears?”
The young lady seemed to understand, though not entirely, but she still nodded. “All right.”
Yet once an opportunity was missed, it was not so easily found again. The following night, because they were hurrying on their journey, the group only stopped briefly at a teahouse to rest for two hours before continuing onward.
On the morning of the third day, the party arrived at Weicheng, on the border of Dongzhou.
When they entered the city, their group split into two.
Jing Wang and Pei Qing, along with several people from the Prince Mansion, blended into a merchant caravan and entered the city first.
Wen Shuse, Xie Shao, and Minzhang followed behind.
Xie Shao abandoned his horse and sat inside the carriage, a thick beard, typical of merchants, pasted onto his face. Wen Shuse, meanwhile, got down from the carriage and walked beside it, a bundle slung over her shoulder, her face smeared with a layer of yellowish dust, disguised as a young attendant. She walked shoulder to shoulder with Minzhang along the side of the carriage.
After the natural disaster in Qingzhou, many commoners and merchants, like Concubine Gu’s cousin’s husband, had chosen not to turn back, instead pouring into Zhongzhou.
There were simply too many people, and it seemed that the flow of those entering and leaving the city had been divided into time periods.
They saw people going in, but none coming out. The guards at the gate could not possibly question everyone one by one. Only when they saw a carriage did they casually stop it and ask a couple of simple questions.
“Where are you from?”
Minzhang bent slightly at the waist and answered with a smile, “Third Master Liu of the Liu family from Qingzhou, here in Dongzhou to purchase goods.”
Most of the people entering the city these days were coming from Qingzhou, some Master Liu, some Young Master Zhang, some Second Master Wang. As a mere gate guard, how could he possibly know so many people?
He did not ask further questions. He did not even bother lifting the carriage curtain for a look and simply waved them through.
Wen Shuse walked behind Minzhang, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Her face was smeared with yellow dust, dull and unremarkable, and together with Second Master Wen’s drab gray robe, she attracted no attention at all.
Only after they had entered the city did she dare to lift her eyes and look around.
In Zhongzhou, the common people were wealthy; in Dongzhou, it was the officials who prospered. Though the restaurants and tiled buildings along the street looked more imposing than those in Fengcheng, the clothing and appearance of the townspeople were not nearly as refined as those in Zhongzhou.
There were even quite a few beggars along the streets.
She was observing the surroundings carefully when the curtain of the carriage beside her lifted from inside, and the person within called out, “Little servant.”
Wen Shuse turned around. “Master, what is it?”
Master extended an arm and handed her a few copper coins, gesturing toward the steamed-bun stall across the street. “Go buy a few buns.”
Wen Shuse: …
When the master gave an order, a servant could not refuse. Taking the copper coins, Wen Shuse went to the steamed-bun stall across the street. After asking the price, she exchanged all of the master’s coins for buns.
On the steps beside the stall sat several beggars with weary, downcast faces. Strangely, none of them paid much attention to the buns in her hands.
Fengcheng was not without beggars, yet they would always come sniffing after the smell of food.
Seeing that these people truly did not seem like the same sort, Wen Shuse felt puzzled. She paused and turned to ask a woman sitting closest to her, “Auntie, may I ask how far it is from here to the Eastern Capital?”
The woman turned and looked her over before letting out a sigh. “I’m afraid you won’t be able to get to the Eastern Capital. You’d best head back early.”
Wen Shuse froze. “What has happened?”
Before the woman could answer, a middle-aged man beside her spoke up, his face full of indignation. “The gates of Weicheng were closed three days ago. Everyone heading for the Eastern Capital has been trapped inside, no one is allowed out…”
He looked Wen Shuse up and down. Seeing that her clothing marked her as an ordinary working person rather than someone wealthy, he felt a trace of sympathy and kindly advised, “You’d best save your money and spend it sparingly. From what we’ve heard, the gates may stay shut for another month…”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone not far away could not hold back. “A month? Forget the inns, at this rate, we won’t even be able to afford food. We’ll end up sleeping on the streets, begging just to survive…”
So, all these people were travelers trying to reach the Eastern Capital. Wen Shuse asked a few more questions, thanked them, and then returned quietly to the carriage. “Master…”
Inside the carriage, Xie Shao had already noticed the situation. Before she could speak, he lowered the curtain and interrupted, “Get in.”
Entering the city had been easy, but leaving it would be difficult.
Once the imperial edict reached Fengcheng, the Crown Prince would certainly have calculated that Jing Wang and the Xie family would head for the Eastern Capital, and he would also have estimated the date they would arrive. It seemed he intended to trap them like turtles in a jar.
Since they could not leave the city, they had no choice but to stay at an inn first.
That afternoon, Jing Wang and Pei Qing came to the inn to meet with them. Pei Qing’s expression was grave as he spoke first. “The city gates have been closed for three days now. Heavy troops guard them day and night. I’m afraid we won’t be able to get out. At present, there are only two options: either force our way through or withdraw from Weicheng. The waterways are likely blocked as well. The safest method would be to take the mountain paths nearby and circle around the mountains into the Eastern Capital.”
But going around the mountains would likely take too long.
By the time they finished detouring, the news of Deputy Commander Xie’s supposed rebellion would probably already have reached the Eastern Capital.
Jing Wang turned to ask Xie Shao’s opinion. “Third Young Master, what are your thoughts?”
After thinking for a moment, Xie Shao said, “We go through the city gate.”
—
The group discussed the matter for nearly half an hour before Xie Shao finally returned to the room. The dust and grime on Wen Suse’s face remained unwashed. Seeing him come back, she hurriedly stood up and asked, “How did it go? Can we still leave the city?”
Xie Shao did not answer her question and instead asked her, “Can you ride a horse?”
Wen Shuse shook her head, then quickly corrected herself when she realized what that implied. “I… should be able to.”
“Have you ridden one before?”
Wen Shuse nodded.
“How many times?”
This was not the moment to boast. She answered honestly. “Counting the last time when you held me… twice in total.”
Xie Shao: …
“Come out.”
After hearing them discuss matters for so long, Wen Shuse had already grown uneasy. If they were going forward now, the carriage certainly would not make it out.
Thinking that he truly intended to abandon her in Weicheng, she hurriedly said, “Husband, I really will be fine. This time I promise, no matter how you hold me, I won’t move around.”
When she saw him turn and head for the door, her expression changed. She grabbed him tightly and lowered her voice, pleading, “If you leave me behind at a time like this, you’ll be abandoning me to die. I heard those people talking earlier that even if someone wants to return to Zhongzhou, they must first submit an application at the magistrate’s office and carry a travel permit before they can leave. With the grand reputation of being the Third Young Madam Xie, the moment I report my name, forget the permit, they’ll execute me on the spot.”
Yes, it was the illustrious reputation of Third Young Madam Xie that had doomed her.
Xie Shao seized her hand and dragged her toward the door.
“Husband… Young Master…”
“Master…”
Dragged along by him, no matter how she pleaded, Wen Shuse only realized where they had stopped when they came to a halt, it was the stables.
Before she could react, Xie Shao released her hand, stepped forward to untie a horse from the post, and led it over to her. “Three hours. Little wife will have to work hard.”
Wen Shuse took a deep breath.
As long as he did not abandon her, nothing was impossible. She had always learned things quickly. Taking the reins from his hand, she walked toward the horse, lifted her leg, and stepped onto the stirrup. “Husband, rest assured…”
Her spirit was strong, but her ability fell short. Her leg wasn’t long enough to swing over, and she ended up stuck against the horse’s belly, unable to reach the other side of the saddle, no matter how she struggled.
After several attempts, it became rather embarrassing. But she could not lose her dignity. Raising a hand to stop the person behind her, she said, “Don’t move. I’ll do it myself.”
The young master lowered his gaze to the arms folded across his chest. “Which eye of yours saw me move?”
From noon until sunset, Jing Wang and Pei Qing came downstairs from the upper floor. The two of them were still in the stables. Watching the young master in front of them running back and forth beside the horse while holding the reins, Pei Qing could hardly recognize him and could not help but remark in admiration, “He’s suddenly developed quite a bit of patience.”
Everyone was young once, Jing Wang said with a smile. “Back in the day, Zhou Kuang’s mother was even worse than this Second Young Lady Wen.”
—
Three days ago, orders from above suddenly came down to seal the city. A commander personally dispatched from Dongzhou Prefecture had arrived in Weicheng to reinforce the order. The county magistrate of Weicheng dared not show the slightest negligence, and for three consecutive days, the city gates had been tightly guarded and not a single person had been allowed through.
Tonight was no different. Security was tight.
Having been trapped for days, quite a few impatient commoners had stepped forward to plead their cases, only to be driven back by the guards.
Not long after nightfall today, another wooden cart arrived. On it lay a young man, barely clinging to life. The cart was pushed by an elderly man, his voice urgent as he pleaded, “I beg you, officer, show some leniency and let my son and me through. He’s drawing his last breath, keep murmuring for his mother. I beg you, officer, just let him see her one last time before the end…”
The guard swept a glance over them, unmoved. “The notice has been posted for all to see. No one leaves the city. No exceptions.”
“If it weren’t a matter of life and death, I wouldn’t dare trouble you, officer. But my son… Officer, consider it an act of merit. I’ll kneel for you, I’ll kneel…”
Three days after the gates had been sealed, a crowd of people waiting to leave the city had already gathered inside the gates. At the sight of the commotion, all eyes turned toward it.
The Weicheng county guards were, to some extent, affected. Just as they hesitated, the officer sent from Dongzhou Prefecture stepped forward from behind, his attitude unyielding. “Even if he drops dead right here, he’s not leaving the city tonight.”
These words fell upon the ears of the gathered crowd behind him, stirring no small amount of anger.
The old man continued to kowtow desperately. “Officer…”
The Dongzhou commander grew impatient and kicked him to the ground. “Stand back!”
Suddenly, someone in the crowd stood up. “Isn’t this treatment by the officials a bit too much?”
The commander let out a cold snort. “What? Do you have a problem with it?”
The man who had spoken immediately fell silent. He turned his head and plopped back down on the ground, yet he wailed bitterly, “From the way the officials talk, it seems they really intend to seal us in here for good. No one should hold out any hope, just wait here to die…”
Those words stirred up the fear that had already been lurking in everyone’s hearts.
At last, someone else could no longer remain seated. “Why exactly has the city been sealed?”
More people rose to their feet one after another. “When will you let us out?”
“Yes, how long do you intend to keep us locked up?”
Strength in numbers emboldened them. Seeing more people begin to resist, everyone’s courage grew.
“Let us out!”
“Let us out!”
The crowd slowly began moving toward the city gate.
The guards’ expressions changed. Drawing their swords, they shouted, “Stand back immediately, or you will be killed without mercy!”
Just as the words fell, someone suddenly hurled a brick from the back of the crowd. It flew forward and smashed straight toward the commander.
“If we’re going to die either way, we might as well gamble with our lives!”
The brick flew with such speed that the commander had no time to react. In an instant, blood streamed from his fractured skull, and he staggered several steps before the other guards rushed forward to shield him.
Another man seized the opportunity and darted swiftly out of the crowd. He slipped behind several guards and, with a sudden burst of strength, lifted the heavy bar of the city gate, hurling it toward the pursuing guards. Then he spun around, kicked the gate open, and fled outside.
Seeing the gate burst open, the crowd erupted with excitement and surged forward all at once.
In an instant, the entrance of the city descended into chaos.
The Dongzhou Prefecture commander, struck unexpectedly by the brick, was still dizzy and disoriented. Before he had even recovered, the press of the crowd shoved him around. Seeing people escaping through the gate, he turned back and roared in fury, “A bunch of useless fools, go after them!”
“Anyone who causes trouble, kill them without mercy!”
Before the guards at the gate could even mount their horses, a squad of armored soldiers suddenly rushed out from inside the gate, helmets and armor gleaming, and immediately chased after those who had fled. The man leading them urgently called to the still-stunned commander, “Close the gate!”
Still groggy and uncertain how many had already escaped, while many commoners were still squeezing toward the opening, the Dongzhou Prefecture officer clutched his bleeding forehead and bellowed in rage, “Close the gate!”