The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 57
After being dragged into the boat by Xie Shao, the villager suddenly pulled out a dagger and spun around to stab him.
Xie Shao had already been on guard. Leaning back, he kicked sharply at the man’s wrist. The attack failed, and the man stumbled backward into the cabin. Seizing the chance, Pei Qing stepped forward to subdue him.
But just as he approached, a flash of white light appeared, and the dagger was already thrusting toward Pei Qing’s throat, swift and ruthless. It was clear the man was trained.
Having served as a patrol inspector for so many years, Pei Qing was no amateur. He tilted his neck aside to avoid the blade. Before the man could react, Pei Qing swiftly seized his wrist and squeezed hard. The man cried out in pain, his fingers loosening as the dagger clattered onto the cabin floor.
Xie Shao bent down to pick it up. At the same time, Pei Qing kicked the back of the villager’s knee. The man staggered and dropped to his knees in the cabin. Just as he tried to struggle back up, the tip of the dagger in Xie Shao’s hand was already pressed against his throat.
Their eyes met. The man seemed ready to gamble everything in a final move. After a brief standoff, he suddenly turned his head. Before he could leap into the river, Xie Shao drove the dagger straight into his throat without hesitation.
The blade pierced his throat, and a gurgling sound of struggle could still be heard.
All color had drained from Wen Shuse’s face. She closed her eyes, slow to react.
The body was kicked into the river by Pei Qing. Minzhang successfully wedged the pole against the wooden plank where they were meant to disembark. Xie Shao leaned over and washed his hands in the river water. Turning back, he saw the young lady gripping the edge of the boat tightly with both hands, her eyes squeezed shut.
Knowing she was nervous, he couldn’t help teasing her. “Well, my wife has seen quite a bit of the world. Even witnessing a killing wouldn’t make her blink.”
He leaned closer to inspect her tightly shut eyes. “True enough, you haven’t blinked at all.”
Wen Shuse: …
Back then, just to follow him, she had indeed boldly made such a declaration.
Before she could think of how to retort, her husband’s tone returned to seriousness. He held out his hand toward her. “Give me your hand and watch your step.”
As the boat reached the shore, Pei Qing jumped down first. Turning back, he asked curiously, “Brother Xie, how did you figure it out?”
“In the village, there were piles of ginkgo nuts drying in the sun. Since he was the village chief, and we were a rare merchant caravan passing through, why didn’t he try to promote the village’s goods? Instead, he was eager to send us away as quickly as possible.” Then he added, “And when the other villagers saw the wound on my forehead, each of them avoided us, their hearts must have suspected our identity as merchants. Yet he, the village chief, believed it without question and even seemed to deliberately cover for us, steering the conversation away. Why? Because he was afraid of alerting us.”
Most likely, people were already waiting for them near the ferry crossing.
Pei Qing listened with admiration written all over his face and sighed. “Brother Xie, it’s truly a pity you never became the detective inspector.”
Xie Shao did not take the compliment. He had no interest in being an inspector. Instead, he took the hand of the frightened young lady beside him and helped her ashore.
Ahead of them, Jing Wang had already disembarked. His guards were interrogating the village chief with the broken wrist.
“How many men are waiting down there?”
The village chief clenched his teeth and refused to speak.
One of the guards drew his blade and struck the back of his head with the hilt. The chief cried out in pain, clutching his head as the words burst from his mouth. “More than a hundred men…”
Then he added bitterly, “You won’t escape.”
In that case, they could no longer take the river route. If they were blocked while on the water, there would be no chance of survival.
Taking the official road at least left them some possibility.
Without heading down to the ferry crossing, the group turned around and went back into the forest.
Jing Wang walked ahead to scout the path, the others following behind. They had barely gone a few steps when a sudden scream rang out from behind them.
Jing Wang’s expression tightened. Turning around, he saw that one of Xie Shao’s feet was planted firmly on the village chief.
The chief lay face-down on the ground, half of his face pressed into the dirt and distorted beneath the pressure.
No one knew what had just happened. Xie Shao had already bent down and pulled from the chief’s robes a signal flare that the man had just begun to bite open with his teeth.
The guard who had been escorting the chief had just been kicked from behind by Xie Shao and still hadn’t understood what had happened. Seeing the flare, his face turned pale. Furious, he lifted his foot and kicked the chief hard.
“You still tried to light a signal flare, you treacherous dog…”
—
At dusk, just as darkness began to fall, a signal flare suddenly shot up near the river ferry.
With a loud burst, brilliant sparks exploded in the sky, visible even ten miles away. All nearby forces poured out at once, sealing off the ferry crossing so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through.
More than a dozen boats sped downstream, blocking the entire surface of the river. Every vessel was searched; not even a bird was spared.
Meanwhile, Jing Wang led Xie Shao and the others away on newly acquired horses. They rode through mountains and valleys through the night, and by the next morning had completely left the small town behind them.
This tactic of feinting to the east while attacking to the west proved quite effective. The next stretch of their journey was much easier, and on the morning of the third day, the group arrived safely at the foot of Nancheng.
The Crown Prince’s Dongzhou residence was located in Nancheng. Beyond Nancheng lay the Eastern Capital of Great Feng. Compared to Weicheng behind them, the gates of Nancheng were even more imposing and formidable.
Just a single gate bar weighed over four hundred jin.
Dozens of guards patrolled before the gate. Everyone entering or leaving, whether merchant caravans or common folk, had to be inspected one by one. The defenses were so tight that not even a drop of water could slip through.
Even an army of ten thousand might not be able to force its way in, let alone their small group of barely a dozen people.
Jing Wang did not rush recklessly. Instead, they took shelter in a hidden safe house outside the city, waiting for the right opportunity. It also gave the group a chance to rest and recover.
During the final two days and nights, they had barely stopped on the road, resting altogether only two or three hours.
Everyone was exhausted. Wen Shuse was so worn out that even the dizziness she had suffered earlier seemed cured. Last night, while on horseback, she had nearly dozed off several times, only to be awakened by her husband, who insisted she look at the scenery.
The moonlight had been thin, leaving only the faint glow of dusk across the sky. Gazing upward, there was nothing but darkness. Apart from the wind whistling past her ears, what scenery was there to see?
She knew her husband only feared she might fall asleep and tumble off the horse. Secretly, she had pinched her own thigh countless times to stay awake, and it still ached now.
At last, after dismounting and finally having a bed to lie on for a while, she cherished the moment deeply.
After hastily finishing her bath, she came out intending to tell her husband it was his turn. Instead, she saw that he had already fallen asleep, still fully dressed, reclining in the armchair beside the bed.
On this journey, compared to her, Xie Shao had been far more exhausted.
Although she had tried not to burden him, she had still caused him quite a bit of trouble.
Because of her, he had been restrained at every turn, forced to devote part of his attention to her.
The day they left Weicheng, he had carried her on his back for an entire hour. The day before yesterday, when they fell from the horse, he had taken the impact beneath her so she wouldn’t be hurt at all. Whenever there was water or food, he always handed it to her first. When they camped in the wilderness, she rested against his shoulder…
There were simply too many such small, attentive gestures.
Seeing the weariness on his face now, her heart ached with a sour tenderness, and she couldn’t help blaming herself. If she hadn’t insisted on following him, he would surely have had a much easier time than this, but regret was useless now, and they had already come this far. All she could do was tell herself to be stronger, cause her husband fewer troubles, and pray that they would reach the Eastern Capital safely as soon as possible.
She had originally wanted to wake him and tell him to sleep on the bed, but seeing how deeply he slept, Wen Shuse didn’t disturb him. Instead, she took a thin blanket from the bed and gently draped it over him.
She herself was exhausted as well. Returning to the bed, she collapsed onto it and fell fast asleep.
She didn’t know how long she had slept. Half-awake, she heard movement in the courtyard. These past few days on the run had made her especially quick to wake. Struggling to open her eyes, she saw that it was already dark outside.
The glow of torches from the outer hall flickered into the room. Wen Shuse turned over and sat up. The armchair was empty. Quickly dressing herself, she had just slipped her cloth shoes onto her feet when her husband pushed the door open. “Gather your things. “We’re entering the city.”
—
Along the way, the group had been hiding and avoiding pursuit, unable to gather any news.
Only today did Jing Wang finally learn from the people at the hidden outpost that the Crown Prince had incurred the emperor’s wrath over the war in Luo’an and the issue of grain supplies. A few days earlier, the emperor had expelled him from the Eastern Capital. He was now staying at his residence in Nancheng.
The document from Deputy General Xiao of the Liao army at that time had indeed been delivered to the emperor by Jing Wang.
He had done so only because he believed the Crown Prince’s actions were far too reckless, showing no regard for the lives of soldiers or common people. It was easy to start a war, but far harder to bring it to an end. The Crown Prince had been born in times of peace and had never seen what a true battlefield looked like. Jing Wang’s original intention had merely been for the emperor to reprimand him and guide him onto a better path.
He had never expected the emperor to drive the Crown Prince straight out of the Eastern Capital.
The fact that he himself had gone to Luo’an would surely not remain hidden. By now, the Crown Prince must already know that the document had been handed to the emperor through him.
Jing Wang had always conducted himself openly and uprightly, with nothing to hide. But the Crown Prince would surely bear a grudge and likely wished nothing more than to cut him to pieces.
From this, they could also deduce that the imperial edict ordering the reduction of the feudal princes was false.
The edict might be fake, but the military uprising in Fengcheng was real. The news would reach the Eastern Capital by tomorrow at the latest. Once Xie Daoyuan was confirmed to have committed treason, even if the emperor wished to protect the Xie family, he would have no grounds to do so.
Even if it meant walking through a sea of blades and flames, they had to make this journey. Jing Wang sent the hidden outpost agents out to gather information, no matter what, they had to find a way to enter the city tonight.
The agents returned at dusk with some news.
Ever since the Crown Prince returned to Dongzhou, he had been flying into rages every day. It was said that the people serving under him hardly dared to breathe. The attendants by his side had been changed again and again, and even the cooks had been replaced in batches.
Having learned that a shipment of ingredients and cooks would be delivered into the city tonight from outside the walls, the contact at the hidden outpost immediately returned to report.
This man was an old soldier who had fought alongside the Jing Wang on the battlefield in years past, so his information was reliable.
If something went wrong, it would surely be one of the Crown Prince’s schemes. If that happened, they would have to turn the trap to their advantage. Even if entering the city meant walking into an ambush set by the Crown Prince, it was still better than their small band trying to storm the gates alone.
—
Everything entering Nancheng had to be inspected.
The baskets of vegetables were checked one by one, followed by body searches. Just the group delivering food into the city had already been delayed at the gate for quite some time.
Behind them, another group of soldiers carrying coffins had been waiting for a while. Seeing that the inspection was still unfinished, they grew impatient and walked forward to speak to the guards.
“These are the fallen soldiers from Luo’an awaiting burial in their homeland. Please open the city gate.”
Since the fighting in Luo’an had ended, the emperor had issued a proclamation: all those who had died on the battlefield were to be returned to their native places for burial.
The guards naturally knew this. But lately, many soldiers had returned from the front lines, and whenever one died, it was treated as if it were some grand matter. The soldiers carried themselves with arrogance, and the guards had endured quite a bit of irritation over the past few days. Now they seized the chance to vent a little.
“Can’t you see I’m busy?” one guard snapped. “Get back in line behind.”
The soldier was not one to be easily bullied. “Behind us are heroes of Great Feng who died on the battlefield. His Majesty, in his benevolence, was deeply grieved when he learned that these soldiers had sacrificed their lives for the country, and he specially ordered that they be brought home for burial. Yet the officials here delay us. I wonder if this is your own decision, or that of His Highness the Crown Prince?”
After the truth about the Luo’an war and the grain supplies came out, the soldiers at the front and the officials stationed in Nancheng had been at each other’s throats.
Their argument reached the ears of a nearby military officer.
Just a few days earlier, the Crown Prince had been demoted to the Dongzhou Prefecture because of this very matter. If the dispute escalated and reached the emperor again, the officer suspected he might not even keep his head.
He quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, offering apologies and immediately ordering the coffins to be opened for inspection. As soon as one was opened, a pungent odor rushed out. The officer glanced inside hastily before ordering it sealed again. After saying a few polite words, he courteously allowed them to pass.
The vegetable farmers and cooks had been delayed and ended up at the back of the line. After their inspection was finished, they had barely entered the city when soldiers suddenly surrounded them from all sides.
“Don’t let a single one escape!”
The farmers and cooks had never seen such a scene before and were terrified out of their wits.
—
While the commotion was happening behind them, the soldiers carrying the coffins in front had already slipped into a dark alley.
Wen Shuse climbed out of one of the coffins. When Xie Shao reached out to help her, she pinched her nose in disgust.
“Husband, don’t come near me…”
Xie Shao let out a soft hiss. “And you think you don’t smell?”
“I finally got used to this smell. I don’t want to start getting used to yours now…”
To make the disguise convincing and avoid being recognized, everyone had smeared themselves with varying degrees of a rotten stench. The odors really were different. As each person climbed out of the coffins, their faces were filled with mutual disgust, and they instinctively kept their distance from one another.
Another clever deception.
Although Pei Qing could hardly stand the stench clinging to him, he admired Xie Shao from the bottom of his heart. “I’ve said it before, if Brother Xie ever devoted his mind to the proper path, he’d surely achieve great things. I knew I hadn’t misjudged you. Keep it up, Brother Xie. Whether I live or die this time, I’m counting on you.”
Xie Shao: …
The young lady had been right, the new smell was indeed difficult to endure. He shoved Pei Qing away without ceremony. “Stand farther off! Let the smell disperse a bit…”
Once the officers realized the vegetable farmers posed no threat, they would soon suspect the coffin carriers instead. They first needed to find a place to change into new disguises.
After this commotion, the main gate from Nancheng to the Eastern Capital would surely be sealed tight as iron. They could no longer take that route. But in the front mountains, there was a narrow mountain path that led to an underground river within the Eastern Capital’s territory.
It had been personally dug years ago by Jing Wang and the emperor together. Aside from the two of them, no one else knew of it.
Later, when Nancheng built its gates, the emperor had unexpectedly never ordered that path sealed.
Jing Wang knew it was a sign of the emperor’s trust. But the situation was urgent—left with no choice, they would have to use it this once.
—
In the latter half of the night, the group disguised themselves once more as a merchant caravan and set out toward the front mountains of the Eastern Capital.
Wen Shuse had changed into a clean robe, still one belonging to Second Master Wen. The wide sleeves swayed as she lifted them and sniffed herself, making sure the earlier stench was gone before feeling reassured. Out of habit, she hugged her bundle close to her chest.
Xie Shao had already noticed several times. Sensing something unusual, he asked, “What is so precious that you’ve been hugging it all the way without letting go?”
The young lady smiled at him and hugged the bundle even tighter. “A handful of soil from my hometown. It brings me good fortune. Its value rivals gold. Tell me, isn’t that precious?”
Having finally relaxed for a brief moment, he didn’t quite control his mouth. “Then it probably won’t be of much use.”
The young lady looked puzzled. “Why wouldn’t it be useful?”
“Wasteful soil. Bringing it to the Eastern Capital, won’t that just keep you bankrupt?”
The young lady drew in a sharp breath and stared at him for a long moment before sighing. “Husband, you’re actually more likable when you don’t speak.”
Perhaps realizing that he had dampened the mood, he didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he patted his thigh. “Wife, want to sleep for a while?”
Ever since she had rested against him several times along the journey, this young master, whether in his tone or expression, had become especially smug about it.
“Thank you for the offer, Husband, but I’m not sleepy.” Wen Shuse couldn’t fall asleep anyway. The closer they got to the Eastern Capital, the more excited she felt. Even the urgency of their flight had faded somewhat. Leaning closer, she began to speak about the future.
“We probably won’t be able to return to the Xie Mansion in Fengcheng,” she said thoughtfully. Before he could answer, she continued, “But maybe it’s not so bad. Do you think we might be able to stay in the Eastern Capital for good?”
After a moment’s consideration, she went on without waiting for his reply. “Actually, that would be quite nice. You could become an official in the Eastern Capital, and I could stay at home tending flowers and plants. When you come back, I’ll keep you company and chat with you…”
She certainly was thinking far ahead. “Who said I’m going to become an official in the Eastern Capital?”
“What’s wrong with being an official in the Eastern Capital?” the young lady encouraged him. “I’m counting on Husband to rise swiftly through the ranks. Then I can bask in my husband’s glory and become the foremost lady in the Eastern Capital, envied by everyone.”
The young master paused in surprise. “I can see now, my wife’s ambitions are quite large.”
“So could you really bear to let my ambitions come to nothing…?” When she one day amassed a great fortune, he would have to help her guard it, after all.
“How about you try changing your ambition instead?”
“Careful, Husband, aren’t you afraid such words could get your head chopped off…?”
She truly seemed ready to reach for the sky. The young master had not yet recovered from her audacity when he suddenly felt a tremor beneath his feet. His expression changed instantly as he pushed open the carriage window and leaned out.
Faint hoofbeats sounded in the distance, accompanied by the flicker of torchlight, drawing steadily closer.
He had not expected the pursuers to arrive so quickly. Xie Shao’s heart sank, and he immediately shouted to the driver, “Faster!”
The others had noticed as well. The convoy sped forward, the carriage jolting violently. Xie Shao braced one hand against the wall of the carriage while the other held the young lady’s arm.
Ordinary horses with carriages in tow had no chance of outrunning armored cavalry.
The approaching torchlight grew clearer and clearer, illuminating half the sky. The thunder of hooves sent a chill down one’s spine.
There was no escaping now. The convoy slowly came to a halt. Xie Shao released the young lady’s hand. “Stay hidden. Don’t come out.” Taking a curved blade from the carriage, he lifted the curtain and jumped down.
Jing Wang also stepped out of his carriage. The group gathered together, watching the fierce pursuers closing in behind them.
There was no shortcut left, only a direct confrontation.
Several hundred against barely a dozen of them. If they fought, they would all likely die here. Xie Shao’s expression turned solemn as he turned to Jing Wang and said, “Your Highness should leave first. Enter the Eastern Capital and see His Majesty.”
At a moment like this, there was no time to weigh matters carefully. Casualties were inevitable. The only question was whose survival mattered more.
Jing Wang had faced such decisions countless times on the battlefield. He knew what was most important. Turning, he said, “Miss Wen, come with me.”
From Fengcheng to Nancheng, they had encountered countless dangers, yet each time they had narrowly escaped harm.
But this time, it was clear things had turned deadly serious.
Wen Suse could tell this time was serious. Though terrified, she did not dare close her eyes. Leaning against the carriage window, she was watching when she suddenly saw her husband return. Lifting the carriage curtain, he reached his hand toward her. “Come down.”
Wen Shuse did not dare ask about the situation. She simply obeyed him.
Xie Shao pulled her all the way to Jing Wang’s horse before turning to her and saying, “Go with His Highness first.”
Wen Shuse froze, her heart sinking sharply. “Then what about you, Husband?”
Xie Shao did not look at her. “I’ll come soon.”
With such a commotion behind them, she wasn’t blind, nor was she a fool. If he stayed behind, how could he possibly survive?
Wen Shuse’s mind went blank. Her heart hung suspended, and for the first time, she felt so panicked that she could not find her bearings. Instinctively, she shook her head. “No. I won’t. I want to stay with you…”
“Be obedient!” Xie Shao suddenly barked.
All along the way, she had done whatever he said, because she had been the one begging to follow him. Now that he was scolding her, she had no right to argue.
She clenched her teeth tightly. Tears burst from her eyes and streamed down her face, yet she stood stubbornly in place, refusing to move.
The sight of her like this was simply unbearable.
The young master swallowed hard. He had to admit that somehow, at some point, the young lady before him had found her way into his heart.
Unable to bear her aggrieved expression, his chest felt as if someone were tearing at it with bare hands, a throbbing pain spreading through him. Reaching out, he cupped her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the tear tracks on her face. His voice turned hoarse as he said softly, “Second Wen, don’t be afraid. Go to the Eastern Capital first and wait for me.”
She knew she could not defy his words. The sob rising in her throat choked her, leaving her unable to speak.
Unable to stop himself, Xie Shao grasped her shoulders with both hands, pulled her closer, and gently pressed his lips to her forehead.
The softness against her forehead burned frighteningly hot, making it even harder for her to breathe. Wen Shuse could finally hold back no longer and cried out through her tears, “You said we would share both joy and hardship together…”
He had indeed said that.
But now he had changed his mind, he could not bear for his young lady to suffer.
With this parting, he had no certainty that they would ever meet again.
He pulled her into his arms. Knowing that she had a strong will and was extremely clever, he spoke to her carefully, word by word. “When you reach the Eastern Capital, you are the Third Young Madam of the Xie family, my wife, Xie Shao’s wife. Follow His Highness to meet the emperor. You know everything that has happened. Don’t be afraid, and don’t try to conceal anything. Tell His Majesty exactly what occurred, truthfully and in full. Only if the Xie family clears its name will you be cleared as well.”
Only then would she have a place to stand.
Even if he could not return, she would still be able to marry again in the future.