Chapter 4: Playing the Role of Lady Feng Again

  In Xiaoye Village, Xia Xiu spent two months recovering from his injuries.

  During this time, he learned as much information as possible about this era from the villagers who saved him and Uncle Hu, including sitting, walking, talking, and behaving. Until his injuries healed, his movements were no different from those of people in this era. He bid farewell to his benefactors and entered the city with confidence.

  The result was a great disappointment to him, he had no identity, in the early Ming Dynasty, like him, black households were more difficult than finding a job without a household register and going out without an introduction letter in the 60s and 70s of our country. He found it hard to move forward, and several times he was almost caught by the patrol officers as a vagrant or an escaped prisoner and put into prison, under the helpless situation, he returned to Xiaoye Village again.

  The villagers of Xiaoye Village have mostly become numb to their lowly status, but there are also those who refuse to accept it. Hu Da Shu, the one who saved his life, is among them. Hu Da Shu's real name was Hu Jiuliu, and he used to be a general under Zhang Shicheng's command. He couldn't bear the fact that their family would forever be stuck in this lowly status, nor could he accept that even becoming a farmer was just a luxury for his children, and they could only do small jobs like fishing, catching frogs, selling soup, blowing sugar, etc., while his wife and daughter could only become matchmakers, slaves, or even prostitutes. Therefore, he remained unmarried all his life, willing to let the Hu family line die out.

  Xia Liu returned to Xiaoye Village, helping Hu Dajiu with fishing and frog catching to make a living. The old man had no relatives and treated him like his own son. From Hu Jiuliu, Xia Liu not only learned excellent water skills but also the killing skills that Hu Jiuliu used when he was roaming the desert. Xia Liu did not want to spend the rest of his life here, so he found a way out from some historical events that only he knew were going to happen. He had been preparing patiently for a long time and was about to bid farewell to Hu Dajiu and venture into the world again when Hu Jiuliu fell ill with a chronic disease.

  Mr. Hu was a helpless old man, his lifesaver and the only relative he had in this world. At this time, Xia Xun could not abandon him no matter what, so he stayed to take care of Mr. Hus life until six months later when Mr. Hu passed away due to illness. Xia Xun held a funeral for Mr. Hu as a filial son.

  Former General Hu, the last thing left in this world is a mound of yellow earth in the wilderness. After paying respects to Uncle Hu, Xia Chuan didn't even return to the village and directly set off on his journey, just like when he first came, disappearing silently and without a sound.

  He traveled north, braving wind and rain, enduring hardships, inquiring about the road to Beiping Prefecture, because there was a Prince of Yan named Zhu Di. Xia Jun knew that one day this Prince of Yan would rise up in the name of suppressing rebels and eventually become the Yongle Emperor.

  He also knew that the Yongle Emperor, although as ruthless as his father, the Hongwu Emperor, was not a good master to serve. However, this master had an advantage over many founding emperors in history, including his own father Zhu Yuanzhang: he did not do things like "shooting the arrow after the bird has flown" or "killing the chicken to scare the monkey".

  To his enemies, Zhu Di was as ruthless and heartless as autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves. However, to those who were loyal to him, he was generous and gracious, rewarding them with boundless favors, even if they had died before he achieved greatness. He would remember their contributions and bestow rewards upon their families and descendants. Many of the heroes who helped him in his time of need, such as Zhang Yu, Duke of Hejian, Zhu Neng, Duke of Dongping, Wang Zhen, Marquis of Jinxian, and Yao Guangxiao, Duke of Rongguo, were able to enjoy the temples and courts with their descendants, whose honors and privileges remained undiminished throughout the Ming dynasty.

  Such an emperor, from ancient times to the present, can be counted on one's fingers, only Qin Shi Huangdi Ying Zheng, Tang Taizong Li Shimin and this Yongle Emperor Zhu Di. Even with the kind-hearted Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, although his hands were not stained with the blood of his own meritorious officials, his breadth of vision was inferior to that of these three people. Since this is the case, why not go and surrender to the Prince of Yan?

  This was Xia Jie's idea, the only way to truly blend into this world and live a fulfilling life:

  Once the war breaks out and the army passes through, the local government is in disarray. At that time, who will still investigate his identity? If he can join the army at this time, his identity will naturally be whitewashed. At that time, it's not a problem to fabricate an authentic identity for himself without worrying about being exposed. But whether this opportunity can be grasped and whether it can really change his fate is uncertain.

  He couldn't remember how many more years Zhu Yuanzhang had to live, nor could he recall when Zhu Di would start his rebellion. He knew that if he arrived in Beiping ahead of time, he wouldn't be able to enlist as a soldier; was he supposed to spend the rest of his days begging on the streets? Heaven only knew whether he'd freeze to death on some winter street before Zhu Di even started his rebellion. Even assuming he managed to survive until Zhu Di's rebellion began, would he necessarily be able to join the army? And after joining the army, would he be able to live long enough to see the day when the war was won? The Yan King's campaign against the Ming wasn't an easy one - many times even Zhu Di himself had narrowly escaped death on the battlefield. Zhang Yu, a great general under the Yan King who was known for his bravery, had died in battle; what chance did ordinary soldiers like Xia Zhen have of surviving?

  As they approached their destination, these thoughts inevitably came to mind. Xia Xun was deep in thought when he suddenly heard footsteps. He opened his eyes in surprise and immediately saw four people standing in front of him: an official, a servant, a government employee, and a small vendor...

  Xia Fu's abdominal muscles tightened, wanting to make a carp jump up, but he immediately saw the four people scattered around him, their movements and postures surrounding him. Except for the fat employee, the other three had agile hands and feet, and all had good martial arts skills. Xia Fu immediately dispersed his strength, his expression and body language completely that of an ordinary rural strongman.

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  "What's your name?"

  "Xià Jiǒng."

  "How old?"

  "Twenty-two years old."

  "Where are you from?"

  "Nanxun Xiaoye Village, Huzhou."

  "What business are you engaged in?"

  "A humble villager by birth, I followed my father to catch frogs and fish, occasionally helping with odd jobs."

  Feng Xihui wore official attire and was the leader of the four, so he naturally took charge. Although this was just a small hotel, when Feng sat down, he had an air of a high-ranking official presiding over a trial.

  "Zhang Thirteen suddenly interjected and asked, 'Nanxun Town? I've heard that the soil there is fertile, with canals crisscrossing everywhere, and the rice grows extremely well. Are all the local families growing rice?"

  Xia Fu replied honestly, "Nanfu is indeed suitable for growing rice, but planting mulberry and raising silkworms, making silk fabrics, the profit is more than ten times higher than farming. So in our place, every household plants mulberry and raises silkworms, as for grain, actually not much is planted."

  Zhang Shisan said: "I heard that the Iron Buddha Pagoda in Huzhou was struck by lightning a few days ago and more than half of it was burned down, is this true?"

  Xia Liu said with some confusion: "I've only heard that Huzhou has Tiefo Temple and Feiying Pagoda, but... but I've never heard of any Iron Buddha Tower being struck by lightning. I don't know anything about it. Although I was born and raised in Huzhou, I've never even been to the city of Huzhou."

  Zhang Thirteen and Feng Xihui exchanged a glance, pursed their lips and stopped talking. Xia Jie responded cautiously on the surface, but was also secretly speculating about the purpose of these four people bringing him to the small hotel: "The combination of these four people is also a bit too strange. One is an official from the government office, one is a wealthy and arrogant employee, one is a shopkeeper with a weathered face, and the other is a young servant in a green robe and hat. Such a group of four people can't be ordinary robbers, and I'm currently penniless, worse off than a beggar. What do they want from me? There must be something unusual going on..."

  Feng Jianxiao saw that he had to answer every question, and was very clever, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. He picked up a draft written by An Yuanwai just now and threw it down, saying: "Xia Liu, come and take a look, what is this."

  Xia Fu did not take the indictment paper, but bowed his head and said: "In response to Master Da's words, I, a humble commoner, am illiterate."

  The characters were traditional, and in fact, most of the traditional characters Xia Zhen recognized. Occasionally, there would be a few that he didn't recognize, but by looking at the context, he could still make out the meaning. However, with his current identity, he shouldn't have been able to read them, so he didn't even hesitate for a moment or make any movement to take the paper.

  Undercover Training Article Self-Protection Clause 1, Section 8: Your behavior and demeanor should conform to the identity you are using. Simply changing your appearance is not enough; you must transform from within to become the role you will be playing. You can only deceive others if you can deceive yourself. These clauses Xia Zhen had long since memorized, and the bloody experience of his last failed undercover mission had deeply engraved them in his mind.

  Feng Jianxiao didn't think he should recognize the character, so he smiled and said: "This is a petition, this young man is helping his master to file a complaint."

  Xia Xian hesitantly said: "Yes, just... I don't know what you mean by showing this petition to a humble commoner like me?"

  Feng Jianxiao said lightly: "You don't understand? Perhaps after you've seen the corpse of his family's master, you'll understand."

  Liu Xu and Zhang Thirteen temporarily played the role of yamen runners, carrying out Yang Wenxuan's body. When Xia Chuo saw Yang Wenxuan, he was truly shocked. In that era, news spread far less than in later generations, and two people who looked exactly alike were a rare experience at the time, enough to surprise anyone who saw them. However, Xia Chuo did not feel this way; although encountering someone on the road who looked identical to oneself would give one a sense of novelty, it wouldn't be shocking. But if that person was a corpse, then he couldn't help but be shocked.

  Feng Jianxiao said in a deep voice: "This gentleman is Yang Wenyuan, the son of Qingzhou, a scholar with a good reputation. You, a wicked commoner, saw that he looked similar to you and harbored evil intentions, wanting to kill him and impersonate him to swindle money. That's why you killed him. This young man is the victim, and those two, An Yuanwai and Liu Zhanggu, are eyewitnesses. Now we have both human and material evidence, what else do you have to say?"

  "Innocent! The common people are innocent!"

  Xia Jun was both shocked and angry, loudly shouting his grievances. However, Feng Jianxiao burst out laughing: "Xia Jun, even if you don't admit it, this matter is still ironclad evidence. Once reported to the authorities, you will be doomed! Even ants want to live, I think you wouldn't want to take this path of death. I have arranged a way for you to survive, do you want to know?"

  Xia Xian quietly lifted her knee and then put it back without a trace, but her arms still held a hidden force. She asked dazedly: "I don't know what kind of 'way to live' the old master is talking about..."

  Feng Jianxiao said in a low voice, "As for this person's identity, I didn't deceive you. This person is indeed a wealthy merchant from Qingzhou Prefecture, named Yang Xu, styled Wenxuan. He was unexpectedly stabbed to death, and he had great use value to me. Seeing that you look almost identical to him, I intentionally let you impersonate him, to do things for me. Will you agree?"

  "This is a heaven-sent opportunity for wealth and nobility! As long as you nod your head, not only will you avoid the disaster of death, but from now on, you'll have endless glory and riches, and with one step, you'll ascend to the heavens and become a superior being. What's there to hesitate about in such a good opportunity?"

  "I... I..."

  Xia Yu looked at the corpse with some trepidation, and Feng Jianxiao laughed: "You don't have to worry, I'm not a bad person, I won't let you do anything wrong. To be honest with you, we four people, including the late Yang Wenyuan, are actually all imperial envoys!"

  Xia Yu suddenly said: "Imperial decree, what's the difference?"

  Feng Jianxiao said: "Alright, Liu Xu, show him your official status and waist card, let him take a good look!"

  Liu Xu, who had long been prepared, responded with a loud "yes" and immediately took off his outer robe, casually discarding it to one side. Underneath, he was wearing a bright red official uniform, adorned with coiled dragons and flying fish, and a wide leather belt around his waist, from which hung a plaque. He pulled out a black hat from his sleeve, opened it up, and put it on straight, transforming the humble and unassuming shopkeeper into an awe-inspiring figure who seemed to be above the world.

  Xia Xun said vaguely: "I don't know which department's officer you are?"

  Deep down, he was secretly shocked: "Brocade Guard? Didn't Uncle Hu say that the Brocade Guard had already been disbanded by Emperor Hongwu?"

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  "Ordinary people... ordinary people listen to father..."

  Xia Jie stuttered out his question, and Feng Jianxun sneered at him: "That's just ignorant commoners spreading rumors."

  Feng Jianxiao said, "The morning court, the imperial tour, the ceremonial guards, the attendants who follow the emperor, and the shifts of the palace guards on duty. The emperor's personal bodyguards at dawn and dusk, during plowing and harvesting ceremonies, and when reviewing the sacrificial animals - all these are carried out by the Tianwu General (the Tianwu General is also known as the Dahanyu General, whose main responsibilities include guarding the Meridian Gate and serving as a palace guard; they were mostly composed of the sons of meritorious officials. It was only during the Yongle era that they were renamed the Dahanyu General), the Xiaowei, and the Lishi. All these are under the command of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Are you saying that the emperor no longer needs ceremonial guards or attendants on duty?"

  "Is, is... Grass citizen... Grass citizen heard father say..."

  Feng Jianxiao said: "Among the people, there is indeed such a rumor. The reason why it's said this way is that in the 20th year of Hongwu, His Majesty publicly burned the torture instruments of my Embroidered Uniform Guard and forbade us from using cruel methods to interrogate again. In the 26th year of Hongwu, His Majesty issued another edict stating that all criminal cases, whether big or small, must go through the Ministry of Justice, and my Embroidered Uniform Guard no longer had the special privilege of having its own prisons. On the surface, it seems that the original duties of my Embroidered Uniform Guard, including attending to the emperor, making arrests, and handling prisons, have been reduced to just one item: attending to the emperor's ceremonial affairs. In this sense, it can be said that we exist in name only but are actually defunct... Hehe!"

  "Actually, it's just because the civil and military officials have been wary of us, the Imperial Guards, for a long time. To ease their minds, we were ordered by the Emperor to operate in secret. In fact, investigating treason is still one of our important duties. We were sent to Qingzhou in secret because we received some information about suspected treason, which involves some people from the Qi Wang Fu. The Emperor ordered us to take charge of this case. Yang Xu was someone we arranged to get close to the Qi Wang Fu. He secretly joined us three years ago. It's precisely because he had our support behind the scenes that his business has been thriving, and he gained the favor of the Qi Wang, managing the Qi Wang Fu's businesses."

  Feng Jianxiao saw Xia Chou's confused face and explained: "Doing business is a lowly occupation. People with status and position, even if they want to do business, must first have land and a fixed identity as a good citizen. Doing business can only be considered a sideline for them. Otherwise, they would be classified as a low-born person. As for the sons of the emperor and the nobles, it is absolutely impossible for them to engage in such occupations. If a vassal king were to do business, wouldn't it be a shame to the imperial family if it got out? Therefore, we need someone who appears to have nothing to do with the palace to take charge of the business on behalf of the prince. The prince's shops and workshops must all be registered under this person's name, and they will operate in his name. Yang Wenxuan has this identity, so he can grasp many secrets of the Qi Wangfu. Unfortunately... we used three years of effort to make Yang Wenxuan successfully become the confidant of the Qi Wangfu, with the opportunity to access some secrets..."

  "Understood? If Yang Wenguang hadn't died unexpectedly, how would such a great opportunity have fallen into your lap? Director Feng is showing you favor and intentionally offering you a path to wealth and glory. Why aren't you eagerly accepting it and instead making a fuss about something?"

  "Will he believe it?" Liu Zhuang and An Yuan looked at each other, thinking to themselves: "Even if there's a flaw in this explanation, it's not like that unsophisticated country bumpkin would be able to discover it."

  "Feng Jianxiao said: 'If you agree, from now on you will be a person of the Brocade Guard. Not only can you become an official, but you can also enjoy the wealth of the Yang family's tens of thousands of taels. These two paths, one life and one death, one noble and one humble, how do you choose?'"

  The dimly lit small shop fell silent for a moment, and after a long time, Xia Fu said: "Yes, I agree, I am willing to serve the adults."

  Zhang Thirteen smiled slightly and bent down to pick up the document: "Since you've agreed, then sign it!"

  Xia Fu exclaimed in great surprise: "I, a humble commoner, have already agreed to serve Your Excellency, why... why do I still need to sign... this thing?"

  "Wait until you've completed this task, and Director Feng will report your achievements to the higher-ups and request a reward for you. Only then can you be considered one of my Brocade Guards. If you're two-faced or harbor ulterior motives, this warrant will become your death sentence. Do you understand?"

  Xia Yu listened and couldn't help but hesitate, Zhang Thirteen said with a gloomy tone: "What? Are you going to choose the path of death?"

  Xia Yu hesitated for a moment and asked: "If Xia Yu serves the master, can he really... remove his humble status and join the Brocade Guard?"

  Zhang Thirteen once again revealed the warm and gentle, sunny smile he had when facing Tingxiang: "Of course, General Tong would not deceive you, would he?"

  Xia Liu bit her teeth and nodded heavily: "Good! I'll sign!"

  Watching Xia Yu bow his head and sign, Feng Xihui and Zhang Shisan's faces flashed with a sly smile.