UCTOOT CH49

The official waited anxiously. Seeing Shi Shu’s attire, he asked, “Has Censor Xie returned?”

“This is Censor Xie’s younger brother…”

“My brother is behind me,” Shi Shu said.

This official waited again. Shi Shu, seeing the urgency of the situation, the emotions from kissing Xie Wuchi behind the rock also dissipated. He changed his clothes and went downstairs. A dim lamp was lit in the post station. Xie Wuchi led the horse to the entrance and took the letter with his head lowered.

“My lord, a letter from Qian’an, extremely urgent!”

“Understood. You go rest first.”

“Yes.”

After the man left, Xie Wuchi showed the letter to his left and right deputies and scribes, and sat on the long bench drinking tea.

“What do you all think?”

Before reading the letter, everyone was calm. After reading it, they were scared into a cold sweat and dared not speak, all showing thoughtful expressions.

Shi Shu straightened his clothes and returned the outer garment to Xie Wuchi, vaguely feeling that the content of this letter was by no means simple.

Xie Wuchi’s face was as grim as water. He sat for a moment and said, “We will arrive at Qian’an Prefecture tomorrow. You go to the prefectural office to report first. I will go alone.”

“What! My lord is going to make an unannounced visit?” Guard Captain Yao Shuai was greatly alarmed. “My lord is the imperial envoy of the court, the inspector of eight prefectures. If anything happens to you alone, this humble one cannot bear the responsibility!”

Scribe Duan Xiuwen also said, “Please reconsider, my lord!”

“Please reconsider, my lord!”

Xie Wuchi’s gaze swept over the group. “A large group travels with great fanfare, and pedestrians must make way. Since we are doing things for the court and the people, how can we serve the people without knowing their livelihood? The main party will go to the prefectural office tomorrow. I will come a day later.”

“…This.” Yao Shuai looked troubled.

Duan Xiuwen also: “This…”

“No more talking. All of you, withdraw.”

In the darkness enveloped by candlelight, this group of people looked at each other in the shadows, unable to fathom the thoughts of this new favorite who had risen from a monastery and as an advisor. Their eyes held ulterior motives. In the end, they seemed to only be able to nod.

Late at night, the bed was scorching hot.

Shi Shu’s back felt like it was being roasted by fire. Just as he felt he could cool down and fall asleep, the door was gently pushed open. Shi Shu’s eyes snapped open and saw a familiar figure. “Xie Wuchi? You scared me!”

Xie Wuchi held a bundle in one hand, his clothes neatly worn, his hair tied up high. He lowered his eyes, appearing calm and natural. “It’s cool in the morning. Time to get up and hit the road.”

Shi Shu: “Holy crap, I haven’t even fallen asleep yet, it’s too hot—”

Shi Shu rolled out of bed. The post station was very quiet at this time, people and horses resting. He went to the well and poured a bucket of cold water, burying his head in it and holding his breath. The icy feeling gave him a jolt and cooled him down.

Xie Wuchi: “Let’s go early. When it gets hot at noon, I’ll find a place to rest and let you take a nap.”

Shi Shu spat out a mouthful of toothpaste foam. “Fine, fine. How would you live without me?”

Shi Shu yawned and followed behind him. It was no different from the time they went to Shukang Prefecture. He and Xie Wuchi traveled by day and rested by night, each with a bamboo staff, stumbling along for ten days.

Outside the post station, a few crows cawed. Under the moonlight, the path was silver. Shi Shu’s eyes were not even open. He let Xie Wuchi lead him for a while before his mind cleared.

When Shi Shu was bored, he couldn’t help but say, “Xie Wuchi, is our friendship a life-and-death one? Am I good to you?”

“Good.”

“Then call me ‘daddy’.”

Xie Wuchi’s voice was calm. “Daddy.”

“………………”

Shi Shu wasn’t fully awake. Hearing this, his mind buzzed. “You—”

“Wow! Xie Wuchi, I’ve never seen such a shameless man.”

Shi Shu had been holding his arm. He shook it off and ran forward. “Don’t harass me. I’m leaving.”

Xie Wuchi watched his back, closed his eyes, and didn’t speak. “Weren’t you the one harassing me? Then you call me ‘daddy’, and we’ll be even.”

“…………”

Shi Shu hadn’t gone far before he came back. “In your dreams. Whether you call me or I call you, you get to enjoy it. Why should I?”

Xie Wuchi was expressionless. They happened to walk by patches of golden paddy fields. The rustling sound of water flowed. In the dim darkness, an old man carrying a hoe was digging a ditch. His shadow would occasionally appear, sitting there like a ghost.

Shi Shu didn’t see clearly at first, only a dark, motionless shadow. He was scared out of his wits and quickly hid behind Xie Wuchi.

“What is that! A ghost?!!?”

It wasn’t until the shadow coughed and slowly continued hoeing that Shi Shu realized. “It’s three in the morning, and grandpa is still not sleeping, farming outside. It’s all because of the hot weather. He’s working while it’s cool at night.”

Xie Wuchi hummed in agreement and wanted to take Shi Shu’s arm, but he was already actively running around.

The mountains and fields were vast. The two of them hurried along the main road. Around eight or nine in the morning, the weather became scorching, and the taverns by the roadside also opened. They had just had a bowl of cold congee at the post station and were already starving. Shi Shu sat down at a table and ordered some steamed buns, white congee, and pickles. Xie Wuchi also temporarily put down his bundle.

As Shi Shu was drinking his congee, he noticed several people sitting in the tavern so early in the morning. They wore short garments with their chests exposed, exuding an air of competence. One of them saw Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi and asked.

“Where are you two from?”

Shi Shu didn’t say anything. Xie Wuchi said, “We’re from Shaoxing Prefecture, visiting relatives in Qian’an.”

The man said “oh,” his eyes darting around. “On your way here, did you see anyone?”

Shi Shu vaguely felt something was wrong. Xie Wuchi drank some warm water. “What kind of person? We saw a procession. I heard it was a court official. Does that count? They were walking and resting, probably at the foot of the mountain. I saw them behind us just now.”

“How many people were in the procession?”

“Probably dozens or hundreds. A lot of them. They wouldn’t let us travel with them, and drove us away with whips.”

“That’s him! He’s here!” The man’s eyes lit up. He slapped the head of the person next to him. “Still eating! Go find Third Brother and set up an ambush. Once they pass Dabai Gang, the Qian’an army will come to escort them!”

Shi Shu remained calm on the surface, drinking his congee without a word, but his back was already drenched in cold sweat.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Shi Shu looked up and saw that these men were all carrying sabers.

It was intentional. They wanted to kill a court official!

As for who had a grudge against Xie Wuchi? Whoever was afraid of the new policy wanted to kill Xie Wuchi—that group of people who owned fertile land and didn’t want to pay taxes.

Shi Shu finished his white congee and drank a bowl of water. The burly man turned his head and squinted at them, eyeing their silk clothes and bundles. He asked again, “Which road are you two taking?”

Xie Wuchi: “We’re also taking the Dabai Gang road.”

“Hahaha, good!” After saying that, the man and his several brothers took their sabers, turned, and left.

As soon as their figures disappeared, Xie Wuchi paid for the meal. The tavern owner cowered in the house, not daring to make a sound.

Xie Wuchi spoke, “May I ask a few questions? Who are these people? What are they waiting here to do?”

The tavern owner just shook his head, not saying a word. After a moment, seeing Shi Shu’s handsome and vibrant appearance, the woman whispered, “You go forward. At the fork in the road, take the small path. Don’t go any further up.”

The next second, her man glared at her angrily. “Shut up!”

Xie Wuchi said no more and led Shi Shu away from the tavern. Shi Shu’s heart was pounding. Not far ahead, there were indeed two roads. Xie Wuchi looked down and carefully examined the small path. But he saw that Dabai Gang was overgrown with vegetation, ancient and towering, gloomy and unpredictable. The cries of eagles echoed in the shade of the trees above.

This was simply a place for ancient bandits to rob and plunder, a place of no return!

Xie Wuchi tossed his bundle, jumped down a slope along a broken, withered tree, and turned back with his arms open. “Jump down.”

Shi Shu slid down the tree branch and jumped, landing in Xie Wuchi’s arms. He helped him stand firm. The two of them, one after the other, walked through the messy pile of weeds at the bottom of the slope.

Shi Shu’s heart tightened. He didn’t dare to speak. He stepped on the rotten leaves, his footing deep and shallow. Xie Wuchi held his hand.

Shi Shu whispered, “Is someone trying to kill us?”

“Yes. And they know our whereabouts. It’s likely that someone with us leaked the information. How dare they kill an imperial envoy. They are audacious. The local snakes in Qian’an want to crush the mighty dragon.”

The sun grew stronger. At this moment, Shi Shu didn’t feel hot, but ice-cold all over. Xie Wuchi handed him the bundle, held a bamboo staff in one hand to probe the path, and held Shi Shu’s hand with the other.

A green snake suddenly darted out from the green grass in front of them, twisting its body and flashing past. Shi Shu’s heart jumped, and his scalp tingled. He clenched his teeth and didn’t make a sound, but the hand held by Xie Wuchi was trembling.

A moment later, voices came from the slope.

“Are those two rich? We’ve waited so long and haven’t seen them on the main road, nor have we seen them on the small path.”

“Could they have been scared and went back?”

“Damn it, I’m dying of heat waiting!”

“Ninth Brother said they were two handsome men, to your liking. You should wait a little longer.”

“…”

Hearing the laughter, there were at least a dozen people.

Xie Wuchi didn’t move for the time being. A few green leaves covered their line of sight. Shi Shu stared at Xie Wuchi’s figure. A moment later, a hand gently touched his face.

Even though Shi Shu was not a coward, this was the first time someone had been waiting to chop them up with a saber, a group of desperate men. The government needed a reason to kill someone, even if it was fabricated. But bandits needed no reason to kill. One slash and you’re dead. It’s your bad luck to run into them.

A moment later, Xie Wuchi found a new path, slowly stood up, and went around a tree branch. Here, Shi Shu smelled a hot, fishy wind.

Corpses piled up at the foot of the mountain, thrown onto the forest slope after being killed. Some of them were very fresh. In the August weather, mosquitoes buzzed around. These wild-tempered bandits were terrifying when they killed, almost torturing, hacking to death, or dismembering. In “Water Margin,” they killed people, cut open their chests, took out their hearts and livers, and hung them on trees. The hell before them was no different.

Shi Shu covered his mouth, wanting to vomit. He turned back to meet Xie Wuchi’s dark eyes. “Close your eyes.”

Whenever Shi Shu was scared, he would freeze on the spot, unable to move. His heart would panic, his legs would go weak, and his mind would go blank.

He closed his eyes. His vision instantly disappeared. The only cool scent was the mixture of soap and sandalwood on Xie Wuchi. At first, Shi Shu was just searching for this scent among the complex smells. Later, he buried his head firmly in his back.

Shi Shu walked with his eyes closed. He seemed to step on something, and a wet liquid instantly seeped into the bottom of his foot.

He didn’t know how long he walked. The road became flat. Xie Wuchi’s voice was very low. “Get on.”

Shi Shu hadn’t reacted yet before he was carried on Xie Wuchi’s back.

Shi Shu closed his eyes, didn’t say a word, and buried his head in his clothes.

He had no strength left, his mind was in a daze. The leg that was wet was stiff and couldn’t walk. A moment later, Shi Shu heard the gurgling of water.

His shoe was taken off, and his entire foot was immersed in the stream. Xie Wuchi said, “Open your eyes. We’re safe.”

Shi Shu opened his eyes. The sunlight instantly stung his eyes, making them red. The water in the stream was also red at first, then it became clear.

Shi Shu rubbed his stiff face and asked, “Are we out?”

Xie Wuchi: “Yes. We’ve passed the most dangerous bend. The terrain here is flat and open. Murders usually happen in the deep mountains and old forests.”

Shi Shu’s back was stiff. He still couldn’t speak. His fair ankle was held in the water by Xie Wuchi, and the filth was washed away. The shoe was also washed clean.

The only drawback was that it was wet and couldn’t be worn.

Xie Wuchi: “We can’t stay here long. Let’s go a little further.”

Shi Shu wanted to walk barefoot, but it was almost eleven o’clock. The stones on the ground were scorching hot, and the soles of his feet burned when he stepped on them.

“I’ll carry you,” Xie Wuchi said.

Shi Shu instantly: “Wuwuwu, Xie Wuchi, without you, who would still treat me like a child?” He wailed and was lifted onto Xie Wuchi’s broad shoulders. He held the bundle in one hand and the dripping shoe in the other.

They walked and stopped. After about half an hour, the sun was so hot that every step made them dizzy. A cool bamboo forest appeared before them. A family was cooking. Xie Wuchi went in and asked for water. He and Shi Shu each drank half a ladle.

Shi Shu regained his strength, but his shoe wasn’t dry. He put the shoe out to dry in the sun and sat with Xie Wuchi in the shade of the bamboo. A moment later, a column of horsemen suddenly galloped past.

“Faster! Faster! If anything happens to the imperial envoy, you and I will all die!”

“Giddy up! Giddy up!”

The family that was cooking had never seen such a grand scene. They came out and asked, “Masters, what happened?”

“The bandits of Dabai Gang actually hijacked the imperial envoy’s convoy! It’s simply outrageous!”

This person was clearly in the hot sun, but he was trembling from the cold.

Shi Shu looked at Xie Wuchi. Xie Wuchi said softly, “The imperial envoy is the emperor’s incarnation. If anyone dares to murder an imperial envoy, their entire family will be executed. In more serious cases, their entire clan will be exterminated. If these officials fail to rescue the imperial envoy, it’s also a dead end for them.”

Shi Shu fanned himself. “So that’s how it is.”

Qian’an Prefecture’s Commander Wang Rui brandished his whip. He saw Xie Wuchi and Shi Shu and asked, “Where are you two from? Have you seen that group of ruffians? Is the imperial envoy injured?”

Xie Wuchi said, “We also came down from Dabai Gang. We didn’t see any bandits.”

Wang Rui couldn’t say more. He cracked his whip and galloped into the distance.

After the people were far away, Shi Shu still sat without moving. After resting, he and Xie Wuchi walked a little further. There was a tavern with a canopy. By this time, Qian’an Prefecture had already been placed under martial law. There were officials guarding the passes, so it was very safe.

Shi Shu finally had a full meal and fell asleep on a cool mat under the tavern.

Xie Wuchi sat quietly by his side, fanning away the mosquitoes for him.

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