Green Mountain-Chapter 596 - 453: Vermilion Bird Tent

Upon hearing Chen Ji agree, Hong Zuer seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "Then it will be the five of us going to Baidadan City—I, Young Master Chen, Zhang Baishi, Ah Sheng, and Star. Star, your master must stay here with me. Go pack your things and return before evening. You know the consequences if I don’t see you by then."

Star hurriedly agreed and turned to leave.

Hong Zuer instructed Ah Sheng: "Be courteous when you seek out the trade caravan. They have extensive connections, and we must rely on them when we reach the Jing Dynasty territory. If they want something, don’t rush to refuse; I’ll find a way."

Ah Sheng nodded: "Understood."

Hong Zuer waved his hand: "Go... If Young Master Chen wants to visit the Military Market, you can go together. You’re more reliable than Ah Sheng in handling matters."

"Wait," Zhang Baishi glanced at Chen Ji: "Second brother, do you trust him? He just mentioned that going to Baidadan City is a one-way trip, yet he agreed just like that. I think he’s up to something."

Hong Zuer was silent for a moment and then spoke softly: "He is more trustworthy than you, say no more, go."

Zhang Baishi was momentarily taken aback.

Chen Ji and Ah Sheng left the room and headed towards the Military Market outside the city.

Along the way, people kept greeting Ah Sheng with smiles, and Ah Sheng responded to them all without irritation, even calling out their names.

The thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy was like the moss on the brick and stone roads of Chongli Pass; he belonged to Chongli Pass from birth, and Chongli Pass belonged to him.

Chen Ji curiously asked: "Why do you remember so many people?"

Ah Sheng smiled and replied: "Because Mr. Hong says, to be a part of the Night Patrol, you have to know more. When I need to pose as a Shan Province local, I have to look like one. When I need to pose as a Lu State person, I have to look like one. So, I often chat with people from all over, talking about their hometowns. Over time, I became familiar with them."

"Mr. Hong also said that the spies from the Jing Dynasty Military Intelligence Department are always trying to infiltrate Chongli Pass, and a Night Patrol member must know more to identify them."

Chen Ji remained composed: "Can you differentiate a Jing Dynasty spy?"

Ah Sheng shook his head: "I can’t, but Mr. Hong can. A couple of years ago, a group of merchants came to the Military Market claiming to be from Shan Province. Mr. Hong discovered they didn’t take midday naps and caught them for interrogation; turns out they were all Jing Dynasty spies."

Chen Ji nonchalantly asked: "Where do you think I’m from?"

Ah Sheng laughed: "Although you’re from the Imperial Capital, you don’t seem like a local. You don’t have the airs of Lord Jing, nor do you chatter as much. Lord Jing likes to say ’you’ with emphasis; he says it with a smile when he’s happy and through gritted teeth when he’s not. You’ve never done that."

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow: "So where do you think I am from?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Ah Sheng thought for a moment: "You don’t have the subtlety and fineness of someone from the South, nor the roughness and boldness of someone from the North. I think you may be from one of the Central Plains provinces, like Shan Province, Lu State, Shan State, or Henan Province. But you don’t have the shrewdness of someone from Shan Province, the scholarly demeanor of someone from Lu State, or the ruggedness of someone from Shan State, so I reckon you’re from Henan Province."

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow: "I’m from Lu State."

Ah Sheng scratched his head: "Ha, that’s what I thought, I’m not entirely sure. Mr. Hong also said there are a hundred kinds of people in every place; some carry secrets in their hearts or are deeply reserved, making it hard to tell."

Something stirred in Chen Ji’s heart.

Though his original body was from Lu State, he was truly born and raised in Luocheng City, so Ah Sheng wasn’t wrong.

If Ah Sheng could spot some clues, what of Mr. Hong? Why did Hong Zuer trust bringing him along? Was it because they were short-handed or otherwise planned?

Casually, Chen Ji asked: "I noticed you always preface your words with ’Mr. Hong says.’ By the way, how many troops are stationed in Baidadan City?"

Ah Sheng led Chen Ji past the Chongli Pass government office: "We’ve already scouted that out; the stationed troops are about the same as Chongli Pass, over eight thousand. You see, this is the office, but the General is usually not there; he likes to be in the watchtower above Peace Gate. There’s a large sandtable there, quite impressive to look at."

Chen Ji didn’t look at the office but rather pondered: "Is it easy to infiltrate Baidadan City?"

Ah Sheng explained: "Not easy. We have to blend with the trade caravan. They have a way to get travel permits, but the permits must match."

Chen Ji was puzzled: "What do you mean by that?"

Ah Sheng explained patiently: "The Jing Dynasty travel permits are extremely detailed, noting a person’s age, place of origin, family relations, where they’re coming from, where they’re going, what they’re doing, who they’re traveling with, and what their relationship is. We must prepare thoroughly before blending in, or one check and we’ll be exposed."

Chen Ji asked: "What happens if we’re exposed?"

Ah Sheng solemnly replied: "They’ll be captured, interrogated until dead."

...

...

The two arrived in front of the Chongli Pass South Gate, and Ah Sheng greeted the gatekeepers with a smile, who then allowed them to pass.

Chen Ji curiously said: "Can Chongli Pass infantry freely come and go?"

Ah Sheng laughed and said: "Of course not. Ordinary infantry need to get a slip approved at the government office, and can only come out once a month. Only the Night Patrol can come and go freely."

Chen Ji looked back up at the top of the gate’s archway.

The South Gate has a formal name, called ’Sushen Gate.’

However, because many infantry couldn’t recognize the characters and found the name awkward, they simply called it the South Gate, forgetting the words ’Sushen’.

Outside the city, the tents were spread out in a forest-like manner. When the merchants saw Ah Sheng, they immediately surrounded him, pushing Chen Ji aside.

One merchant asked in a low voice, "Ah Sheng, do you have any eagle claw items?"

Ah Sheng shook his head, "No."

Another merchant asked in a low voice, "Do you have any message?"

Surrounded, Ah Sheng struggled and shouted, "No, no, none of what you want... Uncle Gu, has the caravan from Changping arrived?"

Upon hearing that Ah Sheng had nothing to sell, the merchants dispersed immediately, leaving only the merchant called Uncle Gu, who pointed at the distance and replied, "Yes, it arrived last evening, right in the Vermilion Bird Tent."

Ah Sheng adjusted his clothes, which had been pulled askew, and loosened his collar, "Young Master Chen, let’s go meet the merchants from Changping."

Chen Ji, curious, asked on the side, "What kind of slang was that just now?"

Ah Sheng took a few deep breaths, "Eagle claw items refer to the spoils taken from the Jing Dynasty thieves, swords and such can be sold, even the wooden identity tags from regular soldiers can be sold, but the best sellers are the armor and blades of the Life-catcher General."

Chen Ji was taken aback, "They dare to buy armor? Aren’t they afraid of losing their heads?"

Ah Sheng led him forward, "Those who dare to buy this stuff are Imperial Merchants; they are the ones who make armor for the court. They buy it to learn from the Jing Dynasty armor. After buying, they don’t take the whole armor away; they dismantle it into separate pieces using tung oil and hemp thread and take it back across the pass. A Life-catcher General’s armor can be priced at 3,000 taels of silver, but the General and Mr. Hong forbid selling armor, and anyone caught selling armor will be thrown into prison for life."

Chen Ji chuckled, "You didn’t tell the truth. If it were completely forbidden, they wouldn’t have asked you."

Ah Sheng, unable to hide it, whispered, "Actually, some armor pieces can be secretly sold to them, one piece for one hundred taels, but they won’t buy too many, just a few pieces at a time."

Chen Ji curiously asked, "What does message mean then?"

Ah Sheng explained, "Message refers to news. The Night Patrol is always the first to know the news. If they discover that the Jing Dynasty is mobilizing provisions and troops, they tell the merchants in the Military Market, allowing them to transport the necessary goods ahead of time and prepare the silver and money in advance to buy the spoils from the soldiers after the battle ends."

Chen Ji thought for a moment, "What is the most valuable item to sell to the Jing Dynasty?"

Ah Sheng lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Naturally, it’s firearms. In Baidadan City, a merchant offers one thousand taels of silver for one tael of gunpowder from the Ning Army. If you can bring a firearm, it goes for ten thousand taels. But all merchants are thoroughly searched before leaving the pass; no one is allowed to take firearms to the Jing Dynasty, and if found, it’s kill on sight... We’ve arrived."

Chen Ji looked up to see that the so-called Vermilion Bird Tent was the largest in the Military Market, as big as a house.

The tent was embroidered with a red vermilion bird, its tail blazing with long flames.

In front of the tent stood a banner with the character ’Qing’ embroidered on it.

Beside the tent were dozens of men collecting goods, occasionally glancing at the two of them, their hands resting on the hilt of their swords, vigilantly wary, not resembling merchants.

Standing in front of the tent, Ah Sheng adjusted his attire and cautioned Chen Ji, "Young Master, this Vermilion Bird Tent was set up by us at Chongli Pass for merchants to stay. Only large merchants can afford to rent it; it is also a matter of reputation among merchants. Every year, there are squabbles for this tent, but when the merchants bearing the ’Qing’ banner appear, everyone tacitly gives up the Vermilion Bird Tent."

Chen Ji watched Ah Sheng straighten his clothes, a more solemn look appearing on the youth’s face, "Who’s behind them? Why are they so imposing?"

Ah Sheng continued his advice, "It’s not about being imposing. They’re not noticeable in the Ning Dynasty, but they have the widest connections in the Jing Dynasty. If other merchants encounter trouble in the Jing Dynasty, they rely on them to resolve it. Moreover, they honor their commitments; they never go back on their word, which is why they’re highly respected at Chongli Pass as well."

Ah Sheng whispered, "Once we’re inside, Young Master, please don’t speak, I’ll handle it. They’re very courteous to the Night Patrol, but they’re very cautious by nature. Slightly misspeaking, and they won’t do business with us."

Chen Ji gave a soft acknowledgment.

In the next moment, Ah Sheng loudly announced outside the tent, "Ah Sheng from Chongli Pass requests an audience."

The flap of the Vermilion Bird Tent was lifted from inside, and a burly man sized up Ah Sheng and Chen Ji, "Carrying any weapons?"

Ah Sheng courteously replied, "No, I’m well aware of the rules of your merchant meeting."

"As long as you know," the man replied, not bothering to search them, and simply stepped aside, "Friends of the Night Patrol, please come inside, our shopkeeper is inside."

Ah Sheng cupped his fists in salute before bowing his head and slipping through the gap in the tent flap into the vast tent.

Inside the tent, stones surrounded a hearth, on which a pot of mutton soup bubbled, releasing a fragrant aroma, though it contained only a few pieces of meat.

A few men sat around the hearth eating pancakes, slowly alternating between sipping mutton soup and biting pancakes.

Others busied themselves with tidying things at the edge of the tent.

By the hearth sat the most striking man, wearing a leather coat, his bronze skin exceptionally robust.

From ten steps away, Ah Sheng cupped his fists and said, "Third Elder, Mr. Hong has sent me to discuss something."

The man lifted his head to look, revealing that he was blind in one eye, the eye revealing only its white.

Chen Ji was slightly stunned, as was the man.

It turned out to be Third Master Hu.