You size me up, and naturally, I must size you up as well. The man came forward, his gaze scanning from head to toe.
This place was in the borderlands, with a small population, of which half were outsiders. The locals, ultimately, had a certain boldness about them. Many of those who remained initially were prisoners of war whom the court had treated preferentially, giving them land and livestock, living like local kings. As for the person before him, one could tell without asking that he was no ordinary figure. Don’t think you can judge a person by their clothes; what matters is that certain quality. When someone stands before you, with just one look or one movement, you can tell their social class and caliber. An eye that has seen countless people can make this assessment in an instant, without needing detailed scrutiny.
The manager approached and cupped his hands, “Sir, you want to acquire people. What kind of people?”
Hong Ce said, “I need sturdy ones who can not only work the fields but also drive carts and escort goods. I happen to be doing business passing through here and heard that there’s a human market by the Suifen River, so I made a special trip to take a look. Don’t inquire too much about me, manager. I have no acquaintances here; I rely entirely on myself coming and going. If we can do business, consider us friends.”
Upon hearing this, the man’s lips twitched slightly, “It’s good to have no acquaintances. Doing business straightforwardly, a spade is a spade. Let’s get to the point.” He bowed again, “My surname is Yue, Yue Kundu. May I ask yours?”
“My surname is Alatan, which translates to Jin in Chinese.” This wasn’t entirely a lie; if he had given his surname as Yuwen, the business wouldn’t have proceeded. His mother was Mongolian with the surname Alatan, so borrowing it wasn’t inappropriate.
Yue Kundu nodded and pointed behind him, “All of today’s Aha are here. Master Jin, please make your selection, and we can discuss the price afterward.”
Hong Ce merely glanced briefly, “The people I want aren’t among them. The conditions I mentioned earlier—not one of them matches. I hope Master Yue isn’t hiding his best goods, reluctant to bring them out. As long as the merchandise is satisfactory, the price is negotiable.”
For those in this business, while caution was important, profit was the primary concern. Kundu folded his arms across his chest, turned his head, and smiled ambiguously, “I run a small business; all my assets are here. If I were hiding better goods, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy them myself. Though I can’t provide what you seek, I know several big suppliers who have plenty. Together, they could provide enough for Master Jin to choose to his heart’s content. Tell me how many you need, give me a number, and I’ll arrange it. After it’s done, I’ll find you, and we can discuss the details.”
He now had a better understanding; since the conversation had reached this point, the matter seemed promising. Therefore, he extended his hand, making a gesture forward and then backward, smiling, “I’m just passing through and won’t stay long. I’ll spend the New Year here in Suifen and will depart on the second day. If Master Yue is interested, please act quickly.”
“Then it’s settled,” Kundu said. “Where is Master Jin staying? I’ll bring people over tonight. I won’t take the lion’s share; I’m just earning a small middleman’s fee. But let me be clear upfront—the goods won’t be on display. If I say I have them, I do. In our business, there are rules: we agree on the deal, make a deposit, then I’ll show you the goods and let you take them. If there are too many, we’ll filter some out; if too few, we’ll add more. Does that work for you?”
He toyed with his jade bracelet and nodded, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That’s as it should be. Thank you for your trouble, Master Yue. I’ve just arrived and haven’t found a place to stay yet. In any case, at Suifen’s largest post station, ask for Jin Yangxian, and I’ll certainly be there.” As he spoke, he cupped his hands, “Then it’s settled. I’ll respectfully await your arrival tonight.”
“I wouldn’t dare to disturb you at night,” Yue Kundu gestured, “Have a good journey.”
After Jin Yangxian departed elegantly, the pockmarked man approached from behind and called out, “Boss, this guy appeared out of nowhere and couldn’t name any connections. Why did you agree so readily? Yuwen Dongqi hasn’t given us any peace these past six months. What if he’s a disguised imperial agent? If we’re caught in his trap, the consequences would be serious.”
Yue Kundu broke off a withered branch and chewed it slowly, suddenly chuckling, “Not taking money makes one a bastard. As for whether I have people or not, I have plenty, but I’m not bringing them out. Let that long-legged grasshopper Suoluntu, who only sees money, handle it. If we earn money, we all share; if there’s trouble, he bears it. After all, his brother-in-law is the General!”
Everyone has their calculations. If you can outmaneuver others, it’s your skill; if not, you’re at their mercy—the same principle applies everywhere.
A deal was settled with just a few words, almost too smoothly to be reassuring. Hong Ce pondered carefully at the tavern, his fingers tapping on the table with a steady rhythm. After some thought, he instructed Ha Gang, “We can’t just sit and wait. Go follow that Yue fellow and see where he goes after the human market disperses and whom he meets.”
Ha Gang left to carry out the order, and the group set out to find an inn. Suifen’s largest inn was by the riverbank, with a highly Sinicized name: “Guests Come Like Clouds.” Upon entering, registering, and receiving room tags, only three rooms remained. Ordinarily, three rooms would have been enough for six people—Ding Yi, being a woman, needed her room; the Twelfth Lord, being the master, also needed his own; the four guards could reluctantly share, and although crowded, they could manage. Just as they thought this would be the arrangement, the Twelfth Lord unexpectedly said, “Two people per room as if it were pre-arranged.” This statement had an implicit meaning. Ding Yi was very surprised, but the guards were composed, saying nothing as they took their door tags, crossed their hands, and slipped into their rooms.
She stood there, stunned. “What… what do you mean?”
He replied lazily, “I’m tired. Go in and rest.” Seeing her dazed look, he reached out and pulled her, “It’s not the first time we’ve shared a room. What is there to be embarrassed about?”
Ding Yi felt sheepish, thinking to herself: that’s true; she was making too much of herself. He might not even want to use her as garnish for a stir-fry! The Twelfth Lord was just trying to ensure everyone had more space. Four grown men sleeping in one room would indeed be cramped.
So, she entered the room. Since they hadn’t brought luggage, there was nothing to unpack. The inn room had already been cleaned spotlessly, so she didn’t need to do anything. With nothing to do, she stood there somewhat awkwardly, then found two chairs to sit down. An inn attendant came in to deliver tea. Looking up, he saw the two of them sitting formally, which seemed a bit puzzling. He shrank his neck, set down the items, and hurriedly retreated.
Ding Yi looked around inside and out, finally finding a topic of conversation, “How come there’s only one kang? They save on firewood.”
The Twelfth Lord was very straightforward: “This is a single room. The other two rooms both have two kangs. The guards are large, so let them have those rooms. Among all these people, only you are small, and since I’m not fat either, the two of us can make do. I’m a person who loves his soldiers like his children.”
Ding Yi was dumbfounded. This reasoning… one couldn’t say it was unreasonable, as there was no fault to find; but to call it reasonable—she was a woman, how could she just “make do” like this? She understood the implication and suddenly felt that the guards were quite inconsiderate, so clever at pleasing their master, without anyone considering that she was a woman.
She swallowed and said, “I… I’ll ask them to add another bed.”
“Why?” Hong Ce poured another cup of water, gently blew away the steam, and slowly sipped it while holding it in his hands. “It’s the coldest part of winter; two people huddled together will be warmer. If you can’t sleep at night, I can keep you company with casual conversation.”
Was this still the same Twelfth Lord? How had he become so articulate? She gnawed on her fingertips, “I… I’m afraid people will gossip.”
“Who would gossip?” He turned his eyes to her, his expression serious. “The innocent have nothing to fear. Are you worried about people talking behind your back? Besides, who knows you in this place? You’re dressed as a man; they won’t think along those lines. As for the people around me… they all know about our situation. From now on, they’ll only respect you more.”
Ding Yi was speechless. What he said made so much sense that she couldn’t refute it.
He cast a light glance at her, then stood up and pushed open the window to look outside. The river had frozen over, with people, horses, and carts traveling across its surface, which had essentially become a white road. He rubbed his hands and sighed, “Back in Khalkha, I sat on ice beds a couple of times, but after returning to Beijing, I gave it up. Several times while passing by Shichahai, I lifted the curtain of my sedan chair to look out and saw many adults and children playing on the ice. I was quite envious. It’s a pity; once you grow up, with three-eyed peacock feathers pinned behind your head, you worry about being seen if you want to play freely, feeling as anxious as if a cat were scratching inside you.”
She went over to stand beside him, dismissing his concerns, “What’s the big deal? If you’re afraid of being seen when back in Beijing, we can play here. Rent an ice sled, and I’ll pull you. I’m the best at pulling ice sleds; I can run three li without getting out of breath.”
“You did this for a living too?” he asked.
“Yes,” she grinned and said, “Looking back, I’ve done so many things. Pulling for three li earned three hundred copper coins per person, making money quite quickly. I could earn on the way there and also bring passengers on the way back. That’s six hundred men for a round trip, much better than pushing a wheelbarrow.”
Listening to this didn’t sit well with him. Other princes’ consorts were all raised in pampered environments, unaware of life’s hardships. His consort had seen all the fickleness of the world and knew that living wasn’t easy. He tugged at her hand, holding it tightly in his palm, “From now on, I’ll treat you well. You won’t need to struggle for a living anymore.”
She made an affirmative sound, “I know, all princes are quite wealthy.”
His face darkened, “Did the Seventh Lord show off again? This man might as well write the word ‘money’ on his face. Is this how one tries to steal someone else’s sweetheart? Fortunately, you don’t love wealth, so his misplaced affection only embarrasses him.”
His jealousy was in full bloom. Ding Yi teased him, pretending to say, “I do love wealth. Why else would I think about how to make money as soon as I open my eyes? People like us who come from hardship…”
Before she could finish, he pulled her over. The window frame suddenly dropped with a loud slap, and before she could react, she was pinned against the corner of the wall.
At such proximity, the faint, fragrant scent from his body filled her nostrils. She heard his rapid breathing, uneven, like a wronged child. Her heart raced; it had been a long time since she had been this close to him. The Seventh Lord’s omnipresence had been a problem, monitoring them so that even when they had the chance to meet, they couldn’t be intimate.
He was so anxious that his hands were sweating, his tone aggrieved, “I have money too, but one shouldn’t flaunt wealth, boasting everywhere; that makes a person vulgar. Besides, I treat you well not because I have money. Even if I had only one copper coin in my pocket, I would use it to buy you water to drink, not thinking of keeping even half a mao for myself. Could he do the same?”
Ding Yi listened to his explanation; his usual composure in strategic planning had been thrown into some remote corner. She couldn’t help but laugh, “What exactly is so outstanding about me that you favor me so much? Praising me would make me happier than giving me money.”
He thought for a moment, “You’re simple-minded, talkative, and kind-hearted.”
She puffed up her cheeks, “No, I think I’ll go find the Seventh Lord instead!”
“You wouldn’t dare!” he muttered, pressing himself against her so closely that there was no space between them, leaving her nowhere to escape. He traced her cheek with one finger and whispered in her ear, “Wen Ding Yi, there’s nothing wrong with not catching my eye, but once you’ve entered my sights, it’s too late to run away.”
She hadn’t expected that someone who was so dignified and elegant in public would undergo such a remarkable transformation in private. She still remembered their first meeting when he wore a dark blue official robe embroidered with round dragons, with that aura of looking down upon all living beings that she found unforgettable to this day. Later, when Xia Zhi harmed the Seventh Lord’s dog, she went to him for help. He was standing by a blue and white porcelain fish tank feeding the fish, the brilliant light illuminating his face. At that moment, she felt there was no more beautiful man in the world. It was truly love at first sight; the impression etched deeply in her memory could not be erased. He was like the moon in the sky, and even now, she still felt unworthy. One day, the bright moon had fallen to earth, landing straight into her arms. That mixture of anxious joy in her heart was impossible to describe in any tone or stroke.
What could she do? Her face flushed red, but she remained resolute. She raised her hand to hook his neck, pulling him down slightly, and kissed him on the lips, “Yuwen Hong Ce, we’re even.”
He was momentarily stunned, then smiled contentedly, loving her straightforward manner, not petty at all, daring to act on her thoughts. He held her in his arms, pecking slowly, left and right, as if he would never tire of it for a lifetime. When they separated briefly, he couldn’t bear it, and a tidal wave rose from the depths of his heart, making her dizzy with its impact.
She pretended to be so bold, but in the end, she was still a girl. Due to nervousness, she trembled slightly against his chest. He stroked her face, suppressing a laugh, “This is trouble now. Sleeping on the same kang tonight might not be a good idea.”
She made an affirmative sound and looked up at him, “What’s wrong?”
He fidgeted a bit, saying it was nothing, and shifted his gaze elsewhere. She gently shook him and said softly, “Leaving words half-spoken is annoying. Will you tell me or not?”
He looked at her directly again, “If you share a bed with me, are you afraid?”
Afraid or not… she pressed her lips together, her bright eyes slowly turning, transforming into the warm sunshine of winter, “Why should I be afraid? When I pretended to be a man before, it wasn’t like I hadn’t slept in the same bed with someone.”
He frowned, “With whom?”
Ding Yi spoke without thinking, “My martial brother, of course. When I was twelve and became my master’s disciple, for the first two years, there weren’t enough rooms, so I shared one with him. I was young then and didn’t understand anything, and we got along fine.”
His voice was low as he muttered, “If I had known about this earlier, I wouldn’t have saved him… Fortunately, Xia Zhi is dim-witted. If he had discovered it earlier, who knows what would have happened by now.”
His jealousy was extraordinary, surprising even himself. Previously, he had been so decisive and straightforward, but now that he knew he would have a wife, he had become incredibly tender-hearted. When dissatisfied, he needed to vent, and how did he vent? By stamping his mark. With one hook and another twist, they both became dizzy with passion. She pushed him, but he didn’t give up, his arms encircling her, his passion like fire. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed the felt curtain on the door being lifted. The dim daylight from outside leaked in through the raised corner of the curtain. Turning around, he saw it was Deputy Squad Leader Dai Qin, who had just stumbled upon his master behaving indecorously and stood there, caught in a dilemma.
His face remained calm, though his tone wasn’t particularly pleasant, “What kind of rule is this, barging in so directly?”
Dai Qin shivered, and glanced at Ding Yi, who was thoroughly embarrassed but still had to defend him, “Deputy Squad Leader Dai announced himself before entering… I was just pushing you away, but you wouldn’t move!” It was too embarrassing. After speaking hurriedly, she covered her face and ran out.
Although the Twelfth Lord’s pleasant mood had been disturbed, he was still in good spirits. He turned and sat down in a round-backed armchair, picked up his teacup again, took a sip, and asked leisurely, “Any progress?”
Dai Qin bowed and said, “Yes, in response to my lord. That human trafficker Yue has found someone called Suoluntu, and they are heading toward the inn. Ha Gang has thoroughly investigated; Suoluntu is the elder brother-in-law of Dao Qin, the acting Deputy General of Ningguta. My lord’s calculations were correct. It seems that a large portion of the Aha went through the Suifen human market, not just from Ningguta, but potentially also from Changbai Mountain and Jilin Wula. Once we catch them, those man-eating monsters will have nowhere to hide.”
He bit his lip, his fingertips resting on the fox fur trim of his sleeve, stroking it against the direction of the fur, and said slowly, “We’ll discuss the details later. We need to draw out the information. Once confirmed, we must remain calm; we don’t have enough manpower and can’t use force. I’ll stay in Suifen for one more day to delay them. You return to Ningguta and order Lu Yuan to bring troops. We must catch them all in one sweep.”
Dai Qin responded loudly, “Yes,” and withdrew from the room. Looking up, he saw their lady drawing water by the well and quickly called out, “Mu Guard, do you need my help?”
Seeing him made Ding Yi feel very embarrassed. She hastily said no and quickly turned her back. Dai Qin rubbed his nose; he felt even more awkward than they did. The encounter wasn’t intentional, and since she didn’t need help, it suited him perfectly. He turned to go and check on the horses at the other end of the corridor.
Looking back, it was both infuriating and amusing. She steadied herself, muttering, “So what if he saw? In any case, I have thick skin and can withstand scrutiny.”
She poured the water into a basin. In such cold weather, well water was relatively warmer. As she carried the basin up the steps, she wasn’t paying attention and ran straight into someone coming from the opposite direction with a thud, splashing water all over them. She was startled and looked up to see a big, sturdy man with a long face and large eyes, with a mole the size of a needle’s eye above his eyebrow. Her mind suddenly jolted—why did this person look so familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before?