Chapter 412: Lights of the Inn

Nationwide arrest warrants were rarely issued outside the capital.

County magistrates and prefects could only issue "notices" to a few counties. A provincial surveillance commissioner could only issue "broad arrest warrants" across a few prefectures. Only Emperor Ning, the Ministry of Justice, and the Directorate of Ceremonial held the authority to issue nationwide arrest warrants and pursue fugitives across the entire country.

Such warrants were typically issued only for major crimes like treason, the murder of capital officials above the third rank, local governors, or imperial envoys, or in severe cases involving the extermination of entire families or village massacres.

Once issued, they indicated capital crimes punishable by confiscation of property and annihilation of the entire clan.

At that moment, two fast horses galloped out from each of the capital's nine gates, dispatching the nationwide arrest warrants in all directions!

From Anding Gate, two fast horses left the city, heading north towards Changping County!

One rider was from the Jie Fan Guard, the other from the Secret Service. They dared not speak to each other, each carrying a black lacquer tube indicating an urgent "four hundred li per day" dispatch, and rode swiftly.

They both arrived at the Changping County yamen, where yamen runners came out to greet them. The Jie Fan Guard rider pulled out a nationwide arrest warrant from the tube and handed it over, declaring sternly, "By order of Lin Chaoqing, Commander of the Jie Fan Guard, a nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect Chen Ji!"

After speaking, he handed over the warrant and immediately left, turning his horse to ride out of Changping County and continue north!

The secret agent glanced at the departing Jie Fan Guard rider, then took a nationwide arrest warrant from his lacquer tube. Instead of handing it to a yamen runner, he said in a low, firm voice, "Tell your county assistant magistrate to come out here."

The yamen runners exchanged glances. "It's just for receiving an arrest warrant; our county assistant magistrate isn't needed!"

The secret agent sneered, "Does your county assistant magistrate not value his head?"

A yamen runner quickly ran into the yamen. A brief moment later, the county assistant magistrate rushed out, asking, "What instructions does the superior have for me?"

The secret agent leaned down from his horse, gesturing for the county assistant magistrate to come closer. "I am Haidongqing of the Imperial Secret Service in the capital. Last year, you accepted three thousand taels from Master Liang!"

The county assistant magistrate's face changed drastically. "Please just give your orders, sir."

The secret agent slapped the nationwide arrest warrant against the county assistant magistrate's chest and whispered into his ear, "Lord Bailong has instructed that the culprit is most likely to come to your Changping County! Remember, get the best artist to copy the likeness of Liao Zhong. If you catch Liao Zhong, all will be well. If you can't catch him, you can go to Lingnan to boil salt next year."

The county assistant magistrate quickly agreed, "This subordinate understands!"

The secret agent wasted no more words. He turned his horse and headed north!

The county assistant magistrate and the yamen runners stood in front of the yamen, holding the two nationwide arrest warrants and exchanging bewildered glances, momentarily unsure of what was happening.

Someone whispered, "Aren't the Jie Fan Guard and the Secret Service part of the same yamen? Why did each issue a separate nationwide arrest warrant?"

The county assistant magistrate angrily ordered, "Don't ask too many questions! Quickly call for an artist to copy the portraits and post the nationwide arrest warrants in all districts!"

A county clerk tentatively asked, "Should we find the best artist to copy both portraits?"

The county assistant magistrate looked at the seals on the two nationwide arrest warrants and remained silent for a long time. "Just make sure Liao Zhong's likeness is clearer!"

In the evening!

Chen Ji, wearing a bamboo hat, mingled with the crowd in front of the Changping County yamen, quietly watching the yamen runners post the nationwide arrest warrants.

When the first nationwide arrest warrant was properly posted, a slightly yellowed paper showed Chen Ji's portrait, which bore a sixty percent resemblance to him. Even a direct comparison would be inconclusive, looking both alike and unlike him.

One could say it was him, or say it wasn't.

The common folk in front of the yamen exchanged glances; none of them could read.

A clerk from the yamen pointed at the nationwide arrest warrant and announced loudly, "The criminal Chen Ji attempted to assassinate the Crown Prince. He is from Shuntian Prefecture, eighteen years old, five feet nine inches tall, thin as a crane, with a sesame-sized black mole at the corner of his left eye. A reward of fifty thousand cash is offered to anyone nationwide who can report this traitor."

"Those who conceal him and do not report him will be executed as accomplices!"

Chen Ji pulled down the brim of his bamboo hat and frowned.

How had he suddenly become a suspect in the Crown Prince's assassination? It must be the Crown Prince's doing, framing him for many things!

He had come here pursuing Master Liao, but he never expected that before finding any trace of him, he would first encounter his own nationwide arrest warrant!

Chen Ji closed his eyes in thought, having already reviewed all the statements the Crown Prince could have made.

Only he, the Crown Prince, and Master Liao were left at Xiangshan in the end. Now that he and Master Liao were absent, the Crown Prince's account would naturally be taken as truth.

The crucial point was that it seemed no one could testify to clear his name right now, except for Master Liao!

Chen Ji glanced around, seeing no one noticed him, and turned to squeeze out of the crowd.

But just then, the yamen runners finished posting the second nationwide arrest warrant!

His gaze swept over it, and he suddenly froze.

Chen Ji had initially thought both nationwide arrest warrants were for him, but he never expected the second one to be for Master Liao!

Moreover, unlike his own portrait's sixty percent similarity, Master Liao's portrait bore a ninety percent resemblance!

He heard the clerk announce loudly, "The criminal Liao Zhong has a severed arm. A reward of two hundred thousand cash is offered to anyone nationwide who can report this traitor."

The surrounding common folk gasped, "The last one was fifty thousand, but this old man is worth two hundred thousand!"

"Both are criminals involved in the Crown Prince's assassination. Since the reward for this old man is higher, he must be the main culprit."

"If I catch these two, I could become a wealthy landowner myself."

These two nationwide arrest warrants confused Chen Ji. It was understandable for the Crown Prince to frame him, but why would he frame his own man, Master Liao? Master Liao had done too many dirty deeds for the Crown Prince. If he were caught and brought back, not only would Master Liao be in trouble, but the Crown Prince might not even be able to retain his position as heir!

Strange!

What was going on with these two nationwide arrest warrants?

Chen Ji pushed forward as if no one else was there, wanting to see the full details of the warrants.

As he pushed through the crowd, others only grumbled but didn't think much of it. No one expected that the criminal on the nationwide arrest warrant would dare to linger there!

Only when Chen Ji reached the nationwide arrest warrants did he discover that the one for him was signed by the Jie Fan Guard, reading: "Respectfully inscribed by Lin Chaoqing, Commander of the Jie Fan Guard, on the third day of the third month of the thirty-second year of Jianing!"

And the one for Liao Zhong was signed by Bailong!

So that was it!

It was a good thing that he and Master Liao were being sought together. Master Liao's portrait was clearer and more distinct, and since he had a severed arm, he would be even easier to identify than Chen Ji.

Just as he was contemplating, he heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance!

The common folk turned to look and saw a team of Jie Fan Guards and a team of secret agents approaching side by side on the rammed-earth road of Changping County. The one leading the Secret Service team was none other than Xuan She, while the one leading the Jie Fan Guard team was Wu Xuange, Commander of the Right Valiant Guard of the Imperial Forest Army, who had previously been arrested by Xuan She and taken to the Imperial Prison!

Wu Xiu's paternal cousin!

He didn't know how Wu Xuange had been released or how he had joined the Jie Fan Guard. He wondered what kind of deal Xuan She had made with Wu Xiu. If Jiaotu, Yunyang, Jinzhu, or Bailong had come, Chen Ji could still have sought them out for details, but it was Xuan She who had arrived!

Seeing the Jie Fan Guards and secret agents, the common folk scattered like birds and beasts. Chen Ji mingled with the fleeing crowd and hurried away.

Before nightfall, he had to find a place to stay.

Otherwise, once night fell and the streets were empty of pedestrians, he would stand out.

Although Chen Ji's portrait was crude and inaccurate, nationwide arrest warrants didn't rely solely on portraits to catch people, but on those last five characters: "Reward of fifty thousand cash!"

Few people in the Ning Dynasty roamed widely; in any given district, all households knew each other. A stranger would be recognized immediately, and a reward of fifty thousand cash was offered for reporting him, making it impossible for suspects to hide!

Even if one became a bandit, they had to beware of their own comrades selling them out to the authorities for money!

Where could Chen Ji hide?

Inns were out of the question. The innkeepers and their staff were precisely the people to be most wary of now; as soon as a suspicious person checked in, they would immediately report it to the authorities!

Supposedly, Chen Ji's birth mother, Lady Lu, had left him several hundred mu of fertile land in Changping. If he had taken possession of it, he might have been able to hide on the estate, but he didn't even know where that land was now!

Finding an unoccupied private residence to hide for the night was the best option!

Chen Ji walked with his head down along the street, quietly observing the private residences on both sides.

It was dinnertime; any house without smoke rising from its chimney could be his lodging for the night.

However, as he walked, Chen Ji suddenly saw an inn named "Lamplight." The inn had a couplet hanging. The right side, the first line, read: "Observe matters, observe objects; observe heaven, observe earth, observe sun, observe moon; observe above, observe below; observing others, there are always highs and lows." The left side, the second line, read: "Laugh at ancient, laugh at present; laugh at east, laugh at west, laugh at south, laugh at north; after all the laughter, laugh at oneself, originally ignorant and unknowing!"

He froze.

He had seen this couplet at Dragon Gate Inn and at Drum Belly Tower in the capital!

The twilight slowly faded. Chen Ji stood under the eaves, carefully considering.

The Jie Fan Guard and the Secret Service came and went on the streets, sealing off the city gates.

Clearly, someone had guessed that he and Master Liao had most likely come to Changping.

When the last bit of twilight faded completely, Chen Ji finally walked towards the Lamplight Inn.

He lifted the door curtain and saw that the furnishings inside the inn were almost identical to those of Dragon Gate Inn!

Chen Ji felt a little disoriented, as if he had returned to Guyuan, seeing the innkeeper behind the counter, dressed in a black tight-fitting outfit, leisurely working the abacus.

"Guest, are you just stopping for a meal or staying the night?" The waiter's voice rang out beside Chen Ji, pulling his thoughts back.

This was not Dragon Gate Inn, and the person behind the counter was not that innkeeper, but a young man.

Chen Ji calmly said, "Staying the night!"

The young innkeeper behind the counter asked with a smile, "Guest, will you be paying with silver or copper coins?"

Last time, Chen Ji had asked, "What about copper coins, what about silver?"

But this time, he walked to the opposite side of the counter and stated with certainty, "Copper coins!"

The innkeeper asked with a smile, "Our humble establishment has dinner prepared. Please see what you'd like to eat!"

As he spoke, the innkeeper pointed to a wooden board behind him, covered with dish names.

Chen Ji looked up to examine it. He knew this was the Lamplight Inn's secret code, just like Dragon Gate Inn's 'Burning Knife Liquor' and 'Grape Brew' – if you couldn't figure out the trick, they wouldn't continue the conversation. He observed carefully: on the left side of the board were listed Crystal Pork Hock, Braised Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, and Sour and Spicy Cabbage.

Amidst a list of meat dishes, there was surprisingly a vegetarian dish listed!

He then turned to look at the right side. On the right side were listed Braised Oyster Mushrooms in Oil, Pan-fried Stuffed Tofu, and Braised Crucian Carp!

Amidst a list of vegetarian dishes, there was surprisingly a meat dish listed!

Chen Ji pondered for a few moments. "Braised Crucian Carp!"

The innkeeper smiled broadly and asked, "A new distinguished guest, arriving from the south, what business do you have for our humble establishment?"

Chen Ji calmly said, "I want to find someone within Changping's borders!"

The innkeeper looked puzzled. "Who are you looking for?"

Chen Ji said softly, "Someone with a severed arm."

The innkeeper's face stiffened in surprise. Nationwide arrest warrants had been posted; how could the Lamplight Inn not know? He looked at Chen Ji by the candlelight and saw that Chen Ji had a black mole smaller than a sesame seed near the corner of his left eye. He was immediately startled again.

The innkeeper hesitated for a long time, then reached out to Chen Ji. "Guest, let me see your copper coins!"

Chen Ji shook his head. "I don't have any. Put it on my tab first!"

The innkeeper waved his hand. "Guest, please go back. Our humble establishment does not extend credit. I will just pretend you never came. If anyone asks, our humble establishment knows nothing!"

Chen Ji suddenly spoke. "I have been to Guyuan. After the innkeeper of Dragon Gate Inn in Guyuan died in battle, I was the one who collected his body!"

The innkeeper froze on the spot.

He remained silent for a long time. "Guest, please wait a moment!"

With that, the innkeeper turned and went to the back courtyard, passed through the courtyard to the stables, and then pushed open a secret door behind the stables.

Inside the secret door was a hidden room. On wooden shelves on both sides of the room were ledgers. A candle flickered on the table in the center of the room, where a woman wearing a black veiled hat sat quietly checking accounts.

Old Man Hu was dozing off on a nearby bookshelf.

Hearing the door creak, Old Man Hu suddenly drew his saber, and seeing it was the innkeeper, he immediately snapped, "No manners! Is this a place you can just come into?"

The innkeeper looked awkwardly at the woman. "Boss, we have an uninvited guest at our inn. I don't know what to do!"

Old Man Hu frowned. "Who is it?"

The innkeeper explained, "This evening, the Jie Fan Guard and the Secret Service came to Changping County and posted nationwide arrest warrants. They are seeking a young man named Chen Ji and an old man named Liao Zhong, claiming these two are criminals involved in the assassination of the Crown Prince. The uninvited guest in the inn right now is precisely Chen Ji. I originally wanted to send him away, but he said he collected the body of Second Brother!"

As his words fell, the woman slowly raised her head. "What does he want at Lamplight Inn?"

The innkeeper explained, "He wants to find the other person on the nationwide arrest warrant, Liao Zhong!"