Half a year later.
First year of Chengxuan reign, eighth month of summer, the capital. At the hour of mao, before dawn broke, over a dozen city magistrates dressed in official robes stood at the capital’s city gate. Each wore a large saber, their expressions stern as they lined up on both sides, blocking the gate. On the left side of the gate sat a wide desk with the four treasures of the study and an inspection record book. Liu Ze, the Recording Magistrate from the Ministry of War, sat behind the desk, squinting with weary eyes, drowsy. He simply slapped his own face hard several times, trying to drive away the sleepiness and make himself more alert.
For the past month, he had been rising early and retiring late—dark circles had emerged under his eyes.
If he continued burning himself out like this, he’d surely drop dead from exhaustion!
Currently, merchants from various regions had begun arriving in the capital in succession about a month early, hoping their goods would fetch high prices. On the day of the Commerce Guild Festival itself, the capital’s major streets would be shoulder-to-shoulder crowded and extraordinarily lively.
To put it plainly, this was the ancient version of Singles’ Day and the foreign version of Black Friday!
City Gate Commander Qiao, holding a long sword and leading a squad, came to the city gate for inspection. He had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, wore a cold expression, and never smiled or joked.
People called him “Cold Tiger”!
He stared at the merchants from various regions who had begun queuing to enter the capital even before dawn broke, his expression alert, and instructed the city magistrates.
“Everyone stay sharp and inspect carefully. Don’t overlook any suspicious details. If anything goes wrong, neither you nor I can bear the responsibility.”
“Yes.”
“It’s just over ten more days until the Commerce Guild Festival. Hang in there.”
“Yes.”
Commander Qiao stayed for a moment, then led his people to inspect elsewhere.
At this time, people at the city gate were entering the city one after another—mostly merchant caravans and horse-drawn carts. Cartload after cartload of goods were being transported into the capital, waiting to make their mark at the Commerce Guild Festival.
A horse-drawn carriage and cargo convoy were stopped by the city magistrates!
They conducted inspection according to regulations.
“Where from?” the city magistrate asked.
A burly man in his forties at the front replied, “Lingnan.”
“What business?”
“Spice trade.”
The city magistrate glanced at the cargo being pulled behind the carriage—a full four carts loaded with many large boxes bound with thick rope. Sniffing carefully, one could indeed smell a faint fragrance emanating into the air.
It really was the spice trade!
The city magistrate extended his hand. “Show me your documents.”
Merchant visitors to the capital for the Commerce Guild Festival all had to obtain documents approved by the local commerce guild, otherwise they weren’t permitted entry to the capital.
The man then pulled a small booklet from his sleeve and handed it over.
Looking through it, it recorded the origin of the goods, quantities, number of traveling merchants, and various details.
The city magistrate then passed it to Recording Magistrate Liu Ze for him to record.
During this interval, the city magistrate scrutinized that horse-drawn carriage, becoming vigilant, and asked, “Who’s in the carriage?”
The burly man said, “It’s our proprietress.”
“Have her come down quickly. We need to inspect inside according to regulations.”
“Sir, it really is our proprietress.”
“Come down.”
“Sir…”
“If you don’t come down, we’ll have to detain your goods according to regulations.” The city magistrate’s expression remained unchanged, his attitude resolute.
The man’s mouth twitched several times.
Several city magistrates found this strange. After exchanging glances, gripping their large sabers, they slowly approached that carriage.
At this moment—
The person in the carriage suddenly lifted the front curtain, extending their body out.
A woman!
A beautiful woman who appeared to be around thirty years old!
That face was even more delicate and exquisite than an eighteen-year-old girl’s. Her eyes were like stars, her nose full and rounded, her lips crimson. At the corner of her eye was a red teardrop mole. Her eyes conveyed an enchanting allure. Just one glance seemed capable of stealing one’s soul, making one involuntarily fall into such a gaze.
Her name was Jiao Shiniang. She was a famous spice merchant from Lingnan!
When the several city magistrates saw that face, they suddenly halted their steps.
Greatly shocked!
Shiniang smiled softly, her eyes curved like crescents, as if carrying one hundred thousand volts of electrical current, making people’s entire bodies tingle.
“Honored officials, I’m the only person in this carriage, along with some clothing and belongings. There’s absolutely nothing suspicious.”
That voice—ethereal and pleasant to hear!
The city magistrates also withdrew their previously stern expressions, saying, “According to regulations, we must not only search your cargo but also search all carriages entering the capital.”
Their tone was clearly not as forceful as before.
Shiniang maintained a faint smile throughout. Then she extended her slender fingers, with a small booklet pinched between her fingertips, and passed it to one of the city magistrates. “Please be accommodating. I have quite a lot of cargo, and it’s all dried and packaged spices—it’s really not suitable to open everything one by one.”
The city magistrate dazedly accepted the small booklet she handed over, then passed it to Liu Ze.
Liu Ze looked through it.
Eh?
He raised the booklet in his hand and asked Shiniang strangely: “This is an authorization document from Lingnan Commerce Guild President Xing Xiyang?”
Shiniang pressed her lips in a faint smile and nodded. “I have some connection with President Xing. He knows we conduct legitimate business, so he gave us this authorization. Please be accommodating, honored officials. We’re hurrying to the capital.”
“Since it’s an authorization from the Lingnan Commerce Guild president, naturally there’s nothing wrong.” So Liu Ze returned both the booklet and that document together, saying to the city magistrate, “Let them pass.”
“Yes.”
Shiniang bowed her head slightly, expressing her thanks, and sat back inside the carriage.
With an authorization document from the Lingnan Commerce Guild president, this batch of goods wasn’t subjected to continued detailed inspection and was directly allowed entry to the capital.
Watching that carriage, several city magistrates remained entranced by the countenance of the woman inside.
“Truly beautiful!”
“If I could marry her, it would be the fortune of three lifetimes.”
“Forget about it. If your wife at home heard that, she’d take a large saber and hack you to death.”
“I’m just thinking about it in my heart. Do you dare say you’re not thinking it?”
“Of course I…”
Before he finished speaking, Liu Ze slapped the back of his head. “Get back to proper business.”
Pulling the several city magistrates’ infatuated thoughts back.
But someone exclaimed: “Why is there so much water on the ground?”
From the city gate into the capital stretched a long trail of water. Following the direction of the water stains, it turned out to be flowing from the cargo cart of that spice merchant just now.
Someone scratched their head in puzzlement: “Eh? Aren’t those in the spice trade most averse to water?”
Isn’t that right?
“Probably because the weather is hot, so they also prepared some water among the cargo.”
“Probably.”
Everyone didn’t think much more about it and continued inspecting the merchant caravans entering the capital in succession!
Recently the capital was truly a chaotic mix. Merchant visitors arriving from various regions were of all kinds, dressed strangely. On the streets one could see many camels laden with goods, or animals locked in cages, and various strange things never before seen in the capital.
Extraordinarily lively!
On the crowded street, a strange voice suddenly rang out. “The eastern household has ghosts, entering at the hour of zi, the western household has ghosts, departing at the hour of mao. At the first watch the candlelight falls, at the second watch buried in earth, at the third watch still wandering in water…”