I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

After it was completely dark, Chen Yuan began to prepare.

He took out two worn-out cotton coats from his baggage—they were taken from the luggage left behind by the people of Xuanfu—and put them on.

They smeared mud on their faces and hands, making them look like refugees fleeing from war.

"Hide the knife, only carry a dagger," he told Chen Jin. "If questioned, say we are civilians who escaped from Xuanfu and are coming to the city to seek refuge with relatives."

"Where's your travel permit?"

"Just say you were in a hurry to escape and got lost," Chen Yuan said. "Remember, you have to be afraid, you have to be pitiful, but you can't be too shrewd."

Chen Jin nodded.

At midnight, the two set off.

The sentry post on the official road was lit with lanterns, and two garrison soldiers huddled in their posts, warming themselves by a fire. Chen Yuan, holding Chen Jin's hand, walked quickly past with their heads down.

"Halt!" a guard stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

"Sir...Sir..." Chen Yuan said in a trembling Hebei accent, "We escaped from Xuanfu...we want to get into the city..."

"Xuanfu?" The guard sized them up. "Where's your travel permit?"

"I was in such a hurry to escape... I lost it..." Chen Yuan pulled out a few copper coins from his pocket and quietly slipped them over. "Please, sir... my brother is injured and needs a doctor..."

The guard weighed the copper coin in his hand, glanced at Chen Jin's pale face, and waved his hand: "Go in, go in. This world...sigh."

The two thanked him quickly and hurried past.

After walking quite a distance, Chen Jin finally dared to catch her breath: "That's... over?"

"Yes," Chen Yuan said. "Remember, sometimes the dumbest method is the most effective method."

Instead of entering Changping City—which would have been more dangerous—they bypassed the city and lodged in a village ten miles south of it.

This time, Chen Yuan didn't give money. Instead, he helped the family repair their roof, provided them with a hot meal, and offered them a night's lodging.

Chen Jin slept soundly at night.

Chen Yuan sat by the window, looking towards the capital.

One hundred and twenty li is a journey that a fast horse can cover in a day.

But this 120-mile stretch might be the most dangerous part of the road.

The closer you are to the capital, the more spies the Eastern Depot has.

Cao Jixiang is a meticulous and ruthless man; he will never let them enter the capital easily.

We must find a way.

Chen Yuan recalled that letter—a letter from the Eastern Depot to Yang Hong, stamped with the official seal.

If you imitate handwriting, you can forge a letter...

He shook his head.

It's too risky. The Eastern Depot has special secret markings that he doesn't understand.

What other options are there?

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the window.

It was very light; there was only one horse, which came from the north and stopped outside the courtyard.

Chen Yuan immediately became alert and gripped the dagger tightly.

A knock came at the door.

"Is anyone home? Can I stay the night?"

It was a woman's voice, clear and crisp, tinged with a hint of weariness.

The homeowner went to open the door, and Chen Yuan looked through the crack in the window.

Outside the door stood a young woman, about twenty years old, dressed in a light blue outfit and wearing a cloak, leading a white horse.

Although he looked travel-worn, he had delicate features and an elegant demeanor.

Unlike ordinary people.

"Young lady, what is this...?" the old man asked.

"I was passing through Changping and missed my lodging." The woman cupped her hands in greeting. "Sir, please do me a favor and give me a bowl of hot water."

The old man was kind-hearted and let her in.

The woman entered the courtyard, her gaze sweeping over the room where Chen Yuan was. She paused for a moment, but said nothing.

The old man ushered her into the main room and poured her some hot water.

Chen Yuan retreated to the bedside, woke Chen Jin, and gestured for him to be quiet.

Voices could be heard coming from the main room.

"Where are you going, young lady?"

"The capital city."

"Traveling so late?"

"I have something to attend to and can't delay." The woman paused. "Sir, have you seen two young men pass by these past few days? One is in his early twenties, and the other is eighteen or nineteen. Both of them are injured."

Chen Yuan's hand rested on the hilt of the knife.

Chen Jin also became nervous.

The old man's voice said, "Well... I didn't notice. There were so many people fleeing, coming and going."

"They might have a Xuanfu accent, and one of them is surnamed Chen," the woman said. "If you see them, please let me know. I am... their relative."

Relatives?

Chen Yuan frowned. He had no relatives in the capital, except...

No, it's impossible.

"Don't worry, young lady, if I see it, I will definitely tell you," the old man said.

The conversation ended. The woman rested in the main room, while the old man returned to his own room.

Chen Yuan waited for a while, and only relaxed slightly after confirming that there was no movement. But he didn't sleep; he remained vigilant.

In the early hours of the morning, the woman got up and left. Chen Yuan heard the sound of her mounting her horse, and then the sound of hooves faded into the distance.

He quietly opened the door and went outside into the courtyard.

On the snow, the hoofprints pointed south, indeed the direction of the capital.

But next to the hoofprints, there was a line of small writing, penned in the snow with a twig:

"Outside Xizhimen, Yuelai Inn, Room 3 (Tianzi). Tomorrow at noon."

The handwriting is neat and elegant, yet the strokes are powerful.

Chen Yuan stared at that line of text for a long time.

Then lift your foot and erase the words.

Back inside, Chen Jin asked in a low voice, "Who was it?"

"I don't know," Chen Yuan said, "but she said...it's our family."

"Relatives? We don't have any in the capital..."

Chen Jin suddenly stopped, her eyes widening: "Could it be...?"

"Don't make wild guesses," Chen Yuan interrupted him. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow, we'll go into the city."

He lay down, but couldn't fall asleep.

Who is that woman?

How did they know their whereabouts?

Friend or foe?

Countless questions swirled in my mind.

But one thing is certain: someone in the capital is already waiting for them.

Outside Xizhimen Gate in Beijing, the ice on the moat was thick enough for carriages and horses to pass through. However, the number of guards at the city gate was twice as many as usual, and the checks were much stricter. The line of people waiting to enter the city stretched for more than a mile, all shivering in the cold wind with their necks hunched over.

Chen Yuan and Chen Jin mingled in the crowd, wearing their worn-out cotton-padded clothes, their heads down.

"Have you heard? Xuanfu has fallen," a merchant in front whispered to his companion.

"Really? Xuanfu is a crucial border town!"

"Absolutely true! I have a cousin who works in the Ministry of War. He told me yesterday. The Tatars have breached the city, and General Zhao... has fled."

"They ran away? What about the garrison?"

"Some died, some fled... Alas, what a tragedy."

Chen Yuan clenched his fist.

Chen Jin quietly tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to calm down.

The procession moved slowly. When it was their turn, the gatekeeper was a lean man with a hooked nose, triangular eyes, and a piercing gaze.

"Road permit".

Chen Yuan pulled out a crumpled piece of paper—a forgery he'd made overnight, using blank documents seized from agents of the Eastern Depot to imitate the travel permit of a fallen night scout. His hand was steady, but his heart was pounding. Forging a travel permit was a capital offense; if discovered…

The centurion took the travel permit, squinted at it, then looked up at them and asked, "From Xuanfu?"

"Yes... sir." Chen Yuan bowed and scraped, "I fled here."

"The Xuanfu accent doesn't sound right."

"I'm from Henan, and I run a small business in Xuanfu."

The centurion then looked at Chen Jin: "Where is he? His face is so pale, is he sick?"

"My younger brother caught a cold on the way..."

The centurion remained silent, took the travel permit, and walked to the side, whispering a few words to a clerk-like figure. The clerk checked the register, then shook his head.

Chen Yuan placed his hand on the dagger at his waist. If they were exposed, they would have no choice but to force their way in.

But the centurion returned and handed the travel permit back to him: "Go in. Things haven't been peaceful in the capital lately, so behave yourself."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

The two hurried into the city and blended into the crowd. After walking quite a distance, Chen Jin whispered, "That scared me to death... Why did he just let him go?"

Chen Yuan didn't answer. He also found it strange; the centurion was clearly suspicious, so why did he let them pass?

Unless...someone has given prior notice.