Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

When the people of Jiangyin Prefecture found Su Tianjue, he was traveling and looked relaxed and carefree.

Upon hearing the news, he readily agreed and arranged a time.

June 10th, early morning, Chengjiang Post Station.

Su Tianjue got up very early.

Although the courtyard of the post station was not large, it served as the face of Jiangyin and the place where officials and messengers were received most frequently. It received annual funding for repairs and was generally quite nice: the ground was paved with blue bricks, and a pomegranate tree was planted in the corner, its flowers in full bloom, bright red, like a ball of fire. Several staff members were sweeping the courtyard, and the air was damp with dew and had a faint scent of grass.

"Vice Minister, the carriages and horses are ready." The accompanying clerk came over and asked, "Prefect Zhu sent someone to ask if the prefectural government should send troops to escort us?" Su Tianjue shook his head and said, "There's no need to make a fuss. Huangtian Port is not far from here, a light entourage will suffice."

The clerk acknowledged and turned to make the arrangements.

Su Tianjue returned to the house and changed into casual clothes: a moon-white straight robe, a black horn belt, and a Dongpo turban on his head.

He stood in front of the bronze mirror for a moment, straightened his clothes, then picked up a scroll from the table and put it down again.

He was actually somewhat looking forward to it.

Shao Shuyi's reputation was growing, especially after he became involved with some supernatural and bizarre things. Today, he wanted to see for himself what this man really looked like.

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Su Tianjue finished his breakfast and left the post station.

In front of the inn is a bluestone-paved road with shops and residences on both sides, where early risers are already busy.

An old woman was cooking over a fire at the doorway, and the smoke billowing from the stove made her cough.

A peddler carrying a load on a shoulder pole passed by the alley entrance, shaking a rattle drum in his hand and shouting "Needlework and cosmetics!"

The carriage was already waiting at the door.

The carriage, pulled by two chestnut horses, was of "luxury" specifications. I don't know where it came from, but it definitely shouldn't have been in Chengjiang Post Station.

The horse's mane was neatly trimmed, and the carriage was a small sedan chair with blue curtains, not particularly eye-catching.

Su Tianjue quickly got into the car.

Chen Zi, the patrol inspector of Chengjiang, led a group of people to clear the way.

He got up much earlier than Su Tianjue and waited outside the post station.

He had once complained to his superiors that a major burden of the patrol and inspection department was escorting officials and prisoners. And now he had run into one of them, who was a provincial councilor.

But there's no other way; those who make a living as government officials have no choice but to do this.

Su Tianjue was accompanied by several attendants, two of whom were clerks. One of them got into the carriage with him, while the other sat next to the coachman. Behind the carriage were two archers and four guards who had come with Su Tianjue. The group followed on foot, which was quite tiring.

The carriage slowly drove out of the alley and headed north.

It's about five li from Chengjiang Post Station to Huangtian Port.

Beyond the city lies an official road, flanked by farmland where the rice stalks have already sprouted, a lush green expanse that ripples like waves in the morning breeze. Several farmers are working on the ridges of the fields; seeing the carriage pass by, they straighten up and glance at it before returning to their work.

Su Tianjue lifted the carriage curtain and looked out at the fields, his mood suddenly improving.

When he served in Huguang, he enjoyed going to the countryside to inspect the crops and ask about the harvest. This down-to-earth life, full of the scent of the earth, was much more comfortable than the backstabbing and intrigue of officialdom.

He even considered that when he retired and returned to his hometown, he wouldn't live with his children, but would find a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains, build a thatched cottage, and spend his leisure time reading, growing melons and beans, tending to flowers, occasionally meeting with friends, and devoting most of his energy to writing and publishing.

You don't need too many people around you. One or two lovely maids are enough to entertain you in your old age, and a few male servants to help with some chores are sufficient.

This kind of "secluded" life is quite nice, and it suits his aesthetic taste very well.

The carriage moved forward in a steady stream, and when it reached a stone bridge, the road suddenly narrowed.

The bridge is a single-arch stone structure, with only enough space for one vehicle to pass at a time. A small river flows beneath it, its waters clear and water plants swaying gently at the bottom. The banks are lined with reeds, taller than a person, lush and verdant, rustling softly in the wind like countless people whispering.

"Vice Minister, we've crossed the bridge," the clerk sitting next to the coachman said, turning around.

Su Tianjue hummed in agreement, not paying any attention.

The carriage crossed the bridge, its wheels churning over the stone slabs with a dull thud. The bridge had a slight incline, so the driver whipped the horse, and the horse pulled hard, causing the carriage to tilt slightly.

Just as the carriage reached the middle of the bridge, there was a sudden commotion in the reeds.

"Whoosh!" An arrow shot out from the reeds and embedded itself in the carriage floor, penetrating deep into the wood, its fletching still trembling.

Then came the second and the third arrows, the sharp, piercing sound of arrows whistling through the air.

"Assassins!" Chen Zi shouted, drew his sword, and ran back towards the carriage.

Su Tianjue suddenly lowered his head, pressing his body against the car floor.

He didn't shout; he gripped the edge of the carriage tightly with one hand and pressed the sword at his waist with the other.

He didn't know martial arts, but holding this thing in his hand made him feel more at ease.

The third arrow pierced the carriage curtain, flew over Su Tianjue's head, and embedded itself in the rear wall of the carriage. Had his head been two inches higher, the arrow would have killed him.

"Hurry! Get across the bridge!" Chen Zi rushed over, patted the driver's back hard, and said anxiously.

The driver cracked his whip, the horse neighed, and the carriage surged forward. The wheels slammed against the stone slabs of the bridge, nearly throwing Su Tianjue off the carriage. Seven or eight men emerged from the reeds, their faces covered with black cloth and wielding knives and spears.

The two men at the front were wearing brownish-yellow leather armor, which was very similar to the clothing of Shao Shuyi's men.

"Kill that corrupt official!" someone shouted.

Su Tianjue's four guards rushed up from behind and engaged the assassin in combat.

The steel blades clashed, and sparks flew out.

A guard was slashed in the arm, blood streaming down his arm and staining his sleeve red, but he gritted his teeth and refused to back down, slashing his blade at the assassin's face. The assassin dodged to the side, then thrust his spear into the guard's thigh with a backhand motion. The guard groaned, fell to one knee, but still raised his blade to block.

His followers rushed over and joined the battle, narrowly saving the man's life.

The archers of the patrol office also realized what was happening, their faces filled with fear.

In his desperation, Chen Zi cursed, "If Councilor Su gets into trouble, your entire family will surely perish!"

Upon hearing this, several archers suddenly found great courage, their eyes reddening as they charged forward and engaged the thieves in fierce combat.

But the assassins were no fewer in number and were just as skilled, so they couldn't break through for a while.

As luck would have it, the carriage wheel got stuck in a crack in the stone slabs at the bridgehead. The horse neighed, its hooves slipping on the stones, sending sparks flying. The coachman pulled on the reins desperately, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Vice Minister, get out of the carriage and run!" The clerk who was with him lifted the carriage curtain, his face covered in sweat.

Su Tianjue did not move.

He glanced furtively at the reeds below the bridge. The reeds were swaying wildly in the wind, but he could vaguely make out that there were people moving deep within the reeds, seemingly two archers.

A boat was approaching from afar on the river, and the boatman was looking in their direction.

The archer immediately fired an arrow and shouted, "The Yellow Armor Army is on a mission, do not disturb them."

The boat slowly came to a stop, then turned around and headed straight back.

The boatman was covered in sweat; that arrow had been terrifying, flying right past him.

The archer's voice sounded a bit strange, a mix of Wu dialect and Jiangbei dialect, which sounded very awkward.

"Ah!" A scream rang out behind the boatman.

He couldn't help but turn his head to look, only to see that the archer who had threatened him earlier had been shot down by an arrow, and after struggling for a couple of moments, he lay still.

A slightly hunched man appeared on the bridge, his arms reaching past his knees, carrying a foot bow, searching for another archer in the reeds. What a fierce battle! The boatman shuddered, straining to propel the boat further and further away.

The fighting continues at the north end of the stone bridge.

Of the four guards who came with Su Tianjue, two were dead and one was wounded, leaving only one standing beside the carriage, staring intently at the battlefield.

The coachman, whip in hand, trembled as he hid on the side of the carriage shaft.

Chen Zi suffered a minor injury.

Having practiced martial arts since childhood, he actually had a good foundation. However, in middle age, he had been weakened by alcohol and women, and by this point in the battle, he was already panting heavily. But he dared not run away and continued to fight desperately, gritting his teeth.

Two of the four archers who cleared the way were also dead. The remaining two were gathered around Chen Zi, with the body of a clerk lying at their feet. The two regular archers from the patrol office were standing at the rear of the carriage.

One of them detached himself to help Chen Zi deal with the remaining five bandits, while the other hunchbacked archer had already found his opponent in the reeds. The two exchanged two arrows, and finally he fired the fatal arrow, pinning the bandit to the reeds.

After dealing with the two most threatening archers, he looked ahead, nocked an arrow, and shot down a bandit who was jumping around.

The bandit leader was slightly startled. After stabbing the archer to Chen Zi's left to death, he looked up at the carriage and knew that the battle was over. He then told the remaining three to retreat.

Chen Zi felt relieved and wanted to give chase, but found that his legs were weak and he had no strength left.

The archer standing next to him quickly reached out to help him up, almost losing his balance himself—luckily, the thieves had already fled far away, otherwise, seeing this scene, they would probably have turned back to attack.

The room gradually quieted down.

Exclamations arose in the distance, as if some people had noticed the commotion and were pointing and whispering in this direction.

Su Tianjue lifted the carriage curtain, first secretly checking the outside to make sure the thieves had fled, before getting out of the carriage.

The arched bridge was a mess after the fierce battle, and the stench of blood was nauseating.

Su Tianjue's face was a little pale, but his mind was still clear, and he had thought of many things in an instant.

His whereabouts were not something that ordinary people could keep track of; apart from those around him, only people in the prefectural government or post stations knew his whereabouts.

Of course, Shao Shuyi also knew in advance that Su Tianjue had just heard the words "Yellow Armor Army".

However, he did not draw any conclusions easily, even though the person could not be completely cleared of suspicion.

"Go back!" Su Tianjue ordered as he got back into the carriage.

People were already approaching from afar; they were archers from the patrol office who were inspecting Jiangxia City. Hearing that someone had committed a crime, they rushed over. Soon, the Jiangyin Prefecture government also received the news and fell silent for a moment.

That afternoon, Su Tianjue canceled his trip and sent someone by boat back to Hangzhou via the Grand Canal to report the matter to the provincial government.