Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

The names listed under "Recommendation" are all familiar, while the "Recognition" column is often empty.

"Why is 'seeing' empty?" Hao asked the shadow.

“It’s based on the inner seal,” Li Gong said. “The inner seal requires someone to bring a ‘copy’ from the capital. After the new seal is issued, the old one must be left blank. — You burned it.”

Zhu Han spread the paper out under the lamp, his finger pausing over a few places where "recommendation" was written.

"These names are usually inconspicuous 'couriers,' but once they are all gathered together, it means that the Yan people are about to transport a large shipment."

"What item?" Hao asked Ying.

“A person.” Zhu Han closed the box. “Or a letter. — In short, something that can move the border town.”

"What do you want me to do?" Li Gong asked directly.

"After the ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple tomorrow, take a man to receive a box one li outside the Shenwu Gate, under the Stone Buddha Bridge."

Zhu Han said, “There is only blue cloth and white powder in the box. Follow the ‘sample’ we gave you to go through Yanmen Pass. Before midnight on the third day, go to ‘Yuci Beach’ and put the box on the iron ring of the second locust tree. Take three steps back and wait for three quarters of an hour.”

"Who will answer?" Li Gong asked.

“Look at the ‘slip teeth’.”

Li Gong looked at him and said, "You're using me to force out that secret agent at Yanmen?"

“It’s not about forcing, it’s about pulling,” Zhu Han said. “If you force him out, he’ll immediately back down; if you pull him in, he’ll find his own rope.”

"What if I'm exposed?" A cold glint appeared in Li Gong's eyes. "The people of Yanmen are not to be trifled with."

"You don't need to bring the whole team."

Zhu Han said calmly, "Just deliver the box, and we'll send you a 'receipt' from Juyong Pass later. Also—"

He pulled out a very thin piece of lead from his sleeve. On the lead was engraved a line of shallow marks: "'Yanbei Pass Fish Talisman - Right Half'".

"This is a sign-in reward." Zhu Han handed him the lead plate. "It'll match the half on your chest. It'll allow you to pass through the two hidden gates of Yanmen Pass, but only once, within three days."

"Enough." Li Gong tucked the lead sheet into his waistband, looked up, and said, "I'll trust you this once."

"Why?" Hao asked Ying.

“You changed the coffin in the back room of Yonghe last night.”

Li Gong said calmly, "It was done cleanly."

Zhu Han stared at him for two breaths, then looked away, tapped the edge of the lamp with his finger, and the flame flickered. "Signed."

He turned and walked away, but after taking only three steps, a soft rustling sound suddenly came from the old road entrance.

Immediately afterwards, three beams of light shot out from the brick hole and shone directly at the lamp wick.

"Turn off the lights," Zhu Han said in a low voice.

As soon as the lights went out, a series of whooshing sounds echoed through the old road.

The hidden arrow wasn't aimed at people, but at lamp bases and corners.

In an instant, Li Gong lunged forward, flipped his left hand to grab the lamp base, and flicked a short chain out of his right sleeve.

There was a small iron anchor on the short chain, and the anchor foot hooked onto a loose brick on the top of the wall. He used the momentum to flip himself up and land on top of the lamp holder, and casually threw the lamp holder towards the direction from which the arrow came.

"The third brick from the bottom left is empty," Li Gong whispered. "He's inside."

"I'll do it." Hao Duiying pressed himself against the wall, and with a push of his palm, the third brick shattered. Before the dark figure behind him could retreat completely, Hao Duiying's arm locked his throat and he was forcibly pulled out.

The shadowy figure made a "clunk" sound from its throat, and was still clutching a short crossbow in its hand, the hub of which was coated with black oil.

"Who sent you?" Hao pressed Ying.

The shadowy figure didn't answer, a wisp of white foam appearing at the corner of its mouth.

"Arsenic." Zhu Han reached out and pinched the back of his cheek with two fingers, forcing his jaw to open and causing more white foam to spill out, but the man was still panting.

He pulled out a thin bamboo stick and stuck it under the shadowy figure's tongue to hold it down. "Speak."

The shadowy figure rolled its eyes upward, revealing the whites of its eyes, as if it were about to faint.

Li Gong reached out and pried open the shadowy figure's wrist, twisting off a dark ring from his index finger that had no visible pattern. The inner wall of the ring was engraved with the character "阙" (Que).

“From Quezuo,” Li Gong said. “Not a Yan person, but a ‘fake official’ from the capital.”

"Whose head?" Zhu Han asked.

"...Lu." The dark figure forced out a syllable, "Lu—"

The sound that followed was abruptly cut off with a "crack".

Li Gong snapped the shadowy figure's neck with his fingers.

Hao Duiying was taken aback: "Why?"

“A nail man,” Li Gong said calmly. “This man has a bite tooth in his mouth; he’s a menace to the living.”

Zhu Han didn't blame him. He just took two steps forward, squatted down, and lifted the black figure's collar—a thin black thread was sewn inside the collar, and the end of the black thread was connected to a small iron box, inside which was inserted a very short piece of tinder.

“‘Death’,” Zhu Han said. “If he were alive and in our hands, we could pull this thread, light the tinder, and the people outside would know we’d ‘failed.’”

“Now they’ll think we’re dead too,” Li Gong said.

“Perfect.” Zhu Han stood up. “You go through the ‘well passage’ from the north side. Hao Duiying, come with me to the ‘Stone Buddha Bridge’ outside Shenwu Gate and give him the box.”

"What a mess this place is!" Hao pointed to the corpse.

"The people who signed the contract are here to collect it." Zhu Han looked up. "They'll be here on time."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint light appeared in the crack in the wall, like a star, which vanished in an instant.

Two breaths later, extremely light footsteps came from the depths of the old path, as if they had never been there, yet as if they had always been there.

Li Gong clasped his hands in a fist and bowed: "Three days later, at Yuci Beach."

He crawled under the well platform in the corner of the wall, and his figure quickly disappeared.

Hao listened intently to Ying for a couple of breaths: "They left cleanly."

“He’s a former striker,” Zhu Han said. “He’s reliable.”

One mile outside Shenwu Gate, under the Stone Buddha Bridge.

The river was frozen, leaving only a small opening in the center of the bridge.

Hidden in a crevice under the bridge was a cloth bag containing blue cloth and white powder, with a thread tied around it. The thread end was red—a "red receipt" from the "signing website".

"It's for Li Gong," Hao said to Ying.

“He will follow the route we give him.”

Zhu Handao said, "What we need to do is to receive the 'receipt' outside Juyong Pass."

Is there anyone guarding the Stone Buddha Bridge?

“It doesn’t matter if we stay put.” Zhu Han said coldly, “They think we’re sending people, but we’re sending ‘emptiness’ and ‘models’.”

He stuffed the cloth bag back into the crevice, slightly adjusting the angle so that the end of the red thread was less than an inch protruding, just enough for an expert to see but not for a layman.

“Let’s go back to the palace.” He turned around. “I need to keep an eye on Lu Ting after the ‘event’ at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.”

Half a quarter after the morning drum, in the alley to the left of the palace.

Lu Ting felt uneasy as he stepped into the snow.

The group of "leftists" he sent out last night has not responded.

"Dead?" He shuddered. "Or was he intercepted by the Marquis of Nan'an?"

“My lord,” the boy behind him leaned closer, “the Ciyun Temple says that a coffin will indeed be delivered within three days.”

Lu Ting narrowed his eyes: "What about this morning?"

"This morning... empty."

"Empty?" Lu Ting's previously uneasy heart suddenly calmed down a bit. "It's good that it's empty. It means they're putting on an act."

“But the Imperial Ancestral Temple…” the boy’s voice was even lower, “the Crown Prince has returned to his throne.”

“It’s fake.” Lu Ting gritted his teeth. “He tricked me with an empty coffin, making me believe it was fake. The ‘Crown Prince’ at the Imperial Ancestral Temple was also fake.”

The words had barely left his mouth when a gust of wind carrying snow dust swept in from the alley entrance.

Someone walks slowly and deliberately in the wind, their footsteps light, as if stepping on paper.

The man was holding a black umbrella with thin, long ribs and an extremely old canopy, with two pieces of cloth patched along the edge.

The person came in front of me, tilted the umbrella to the side, revealing half of their face.

"Prime Minister Lu," Zhu Han said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Good morning."

A gust of wind brought tears to Lu Ting's eyes, but he forced a smile and said, "Good morning, Your Highness." "Are you satisfied with the empty coffin at Ciyun Temple?" Zhu Han asked.

Lu Ting's heart skipped a beat, but his smile remained unchanged: "Where did you begin?"

"If I were to lie to you, I wouldn't leave an empty coffin."

Zhu Han said gently, "I'll only leave one person for you to catch."

The color drained from Lu Ting's face inch by inch.

Zhu Han's smile faded: "Prime Minister Lu, you can't catch anyone within the 'signature net.' The only people you can catch are your own people."

"Your Highness, what is this—"

"I hereby inform you," Zhu Han said calmly, "that anyone in the Imperial Court who used a 'fake signature' should not go out tonight."

If you still want to use it, I will send every single account and every single sum of money with the 'fake signature' to the gate of the Censorate.

"The Censorate is under my control," Lu Ting retorted stubbornly.

"Is it yours?" Zhu Han tilted his head. "Try it."

Lu Ting pressed his tongue down and didn't make a sound.

Snow fell on the brim of his hat, pressing down on it like it was pressing down on his back.

He then realized that the "empty coffin" was not meant to persuade him, but to "prove" himself.

"Prime Minister Lu, go home early tonight."

Zhu Han shoved the umbrella into his hand, "Don't catch a cold. It's not good for the court if we don't have someone who can write."

"Your Highness wants to harm me?" Lu Ting's hand holding the umbrella trembled slightly.

"I won't touch you." Zhu Han turned around, "I'll touch your 'signature'."

He walked into the snow, his figure disappearing into the wind. Lu Ting stood there for a long time, his teeth aching from clenching them, before finally uttering two words: "Bastard."

He turned around and walked back, but as soon as he turned the corner, his foot slipped and he stepped on a thin piece of ice.

In the afternoon, at the "Saihu Inn" outside Juyong Pass.

The coal smoke from the inn made one's eyes sting.

Three tables were joined together to form a long strip, on which were placed lamb bones that were so hot they had turned white.

A customs officer with a small mustache sat by the window, a half-finished fish tally hidden in his sleeve.

A gust of wind blew in through the doorway, and two carriage drivers came in, their shoulders covered in snow.

The cart was covered with a blue cloth, and the area underneath was bulging.

"Sign." The customs officer lazily raised his eyes.

The driver rolled up his sleeve, revealing a thin mark on his wrist, with a lead pellet pressed into it.

The customs officer's eyes lit up: "'Right half pair'?"

The driver pulled the cart to the backyard, lifted the cloth, and inside was a box covered with white powder.

"What is this?" The official poked the white powder with his chopsticks. The powder swayed slightly, and a wisp of smoke rose up.

The customs officer took two puffs, his eyelids drooped, and he smiled: "Good stuff."

"Sign." The repetition of rushing to catch the train.

The gatekeeper laughed, stuffed the half-finished fish tally into the window, and before he could pull his hand back, there was a sudden "thump" outside the window, as something heavy fell to the ground.

Two people climbed down the courtyard wall and landed silently.

The official was startled and reached into his sleeve, only to find his cuff pinned by a black "nail"—the "nail" was not a nail, but the "tooth" of a "net".

The teeth caught on the fabric, slipped inside along the seam, and pushed upwards inch by inch.

"Don't move," the person behind the wall said calmly.

He pulled down his scarf; it was Li Gong.

The gatekeeper broke out in a cold sweat: "You're not from Yanmen?"

“‘Signature’ is up to you.” Li Gong stepped on the gatekeeper’s chair, knocking it over, and casually slipped half of the fish-shaped tally into his sleeve. “Where’s the receipt?”

The customs officer, his hands trembling, pulled a card from his pocket. One side of the card was blank, while the other side had the character "wild goose" engraved on it, so finely that it was almost invisible.

"Thanks." Li Gong stuffed the card back into the driver's hand. "Three quarters of an hour later, 'Yuci Beach'."

The driver nodded, pulled the reins, and the carriage plunged back into the snowstorm.

Only the gatekeeper and Li Gong remained in the courtyard.

The customs officer swallowed hard, his voice low and menacing: "You're not delivering goods, you—what do you want?"

"Sign in." Li Gong stared into his eyes. "Receipt."

"What receipt?"

"Who will take over your Yanmen line?" Li Gong asked. "Name a name."

The customs officer's lips turned pale, and his eyes trembled: "...'Bai San'."

"Where to see?" Li Gong asked.

"The silted beach. The second locust tree. How—how did you know about it too?"

“We wrote it.” Li Gong turned and climbed onto the wall. “I’ll see him tonight.”

The official collapsed to the ground, half of his fish tally was gone, and a thin line had been worn into his sleeve by the "teeth".

A gust of wind swept in from outside, a handful of snow poured into the room, and a lamp went out.

Night, silted beach.

The river surface was frozen and glistening. Two old locust trees stood in the exposed soil in the middle of the riverbank. The second one was thicker, and a rusted iron ring was nailed to its trunk.

Li Gong closed the box, took three steps back, and his breath turned into white mist inside his cloak, which was then blown away by the wind.

Before three-quarters of an hour had passed, footsteps appeared on the beach, first one, then three or four.

The leader was a thin man with a fox fur draped over his shoulders, the tail of which trailed down to his knees.

The skinny man walked over, but instead of looking at the box, he looked up at the sky. There were no stars in the sky.

He looked down at the snow; it wasn't fresh. Then he raised his hand and pointed to the box: "Open."

Li Gong remained unmoved.

The skinny man smiled, turned around, and nodded to a dark figure behind him.

The shadowy figure flicked his sleeve, and a thin iron rod popped out. He pried the box open half an inch with the rod.

A wisp of white powder drifted in the wind, and the skinny man in the fox fur twitched his nostrils slightly, nodding in satisfaction: "Genuine product."

"Receipt," Li Gong said.

The skinny man flipped his hand, revealing a small card with the character "雁" (wild goose), then quickly put the card back into his sleeve: "Your people don't know the rules; the receipts need to be exchanged."

"What are we exchanging?" Li Gong asked.

"People," the skinny man smiled, "We brought the people you wanted."

He clapped his hands, and the shadowy figure behind him pulled out a human figure and stuffed it into a snowdrift next to the second locust tree.

The man's hands and feet were bound, his mouth was stuffed with a rag, and his head was covered with a black cloth, leaving only half of his nose exposed.

The black cloth was lifted half an inch, revealing not the faces of the old soldiers of the Northern Garrison, but rather those of a clerk from the capital.

"Who?" Li Gong asked.

"The person who signed the document can see for themselves," the skinny man laughed. "You let us open the box, and we let you see the person. That's the rule."

Li Gong didn't move, but glanced at the man under the locust tree's nose out of the corner of his eye. There was a very light gray mole in the center of the nose.

He recognized the gray mole—it belonged to Lu Ting, the Left Chancellor of the Central Secretariat, whose personal clerk was named "Sang Er".

"Return." Li Gong said.

The skinny man narrowed his eyes, his smile fading away bit by bit: "You're not following the rules."

"Press." Li Gong flicked the fish-shaped tally with the "right half" in his sleeve. Half of the tally slid from between his fingers into the wind, spun around, and landed right at the skinny man's feet. "I'll return you a 'half-pair,' that counts as a 'reply.'"

The skinny man glanced down at the half-finished fish-shaped tally, then his smile slowly returned: "Let's be reasonable. Okay, let's go."

He tossed the "wild goose" card toward Li Gong, stepped back, and waved his hand.

Two shadowy figures stepped forward, lifted the "person," and stuffed him into the shadows beside the box. (End of Chapter)