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Chapter 8: Wu Chu (11:00-11:59) Part 1

Translator: DragonRider

The two horses surpassed one the other, racing on the streets of Fang.

From time to time, they suddenly halted or took a sharp turn, generating huge clouds of dust.

The pedestrians and carriages on the streets hurriedly evaded, which caused a messier riot.

Wu Chu, the 14th day on the first lunar month, Tianbao Year 3.

West Market, Chang’an County, Chang’an City.

The West Market didn’t turn bleak due to the riot happened just now. As the noon approached, folks and gentlemen from each Fang, white-robed purchasers from high-officials’ mansions, officials-to-be waiting in the capital for election, and men of learning from everywhere in the country swarmed up, all hoping to get the newest foreign goods. In the crowd, you could even spot females who wore Chunsheng (a kind of hair accessories). Not trusting others, they came to select the goods in person.

Zhang Xiaojing walked on the street, pacing speedily like flying. Behind him closely followed a round-faced youth that still possessed features of a child. This youth was Yao Runeng, a young low-ranking official who had just been enrolled into Jing’an Department. Originally served as a constable in the capital and neighboring areas, he was a talent able to remember everything immediately after he read for once. Li Bi sent him to follow Zhang Xiaojing to assist the latter, and, of course, also to monitor him.

“Commandant Zhang, where are you going?” Yao Runeng couldn’t help asking. Zhang Xiaojing walked so fast that Yao Runeng carried his legs as fast as he could to keep up with him amidst the bustling crowd of people.

Zhang Xiaojing didn’t stop his feet, “Roujia Yuzhen Fang.”

Yao Runeng heard of the name Yuzhen Fang; it was a shop especially selling medicines of women’s facial treatment and cosmetics. Most of the secret medical creams were bought from the Arab Empire. For its excellent effect, the products were well-known among the noble ladies. The shop owner was also an outstanding figure in the West Market.

Yao Runeng suddenly surpassed to stop Zhang, “Please explain the purpose of going there.” Zhang Xiaojing frowned, “What time is it? Do we have time to waste in explaining everything to you?” Yao Runeng replied seriously, “Because of your special status, our deed must be stated and explained before we take actions, so that Sicheng Li could rest assured.”

“What if I don’t?”

Yao Runeng got hold of the sword at his waist, “I can send you back at any time.” As those words were spoken, Zhang Xiaojing reached out five fingers and grabbed at the sword handle, and by one plucking, the sword was leaving off his body. Yao Runeng stepped forward to take it back in a hurry, but Zhang Xiaojing raised his foot tip. Without noticing it, Yao Runeng instantly tripped down and fell into dust.

Zhang Xiaojing looked down at him and said coldly, “If I really wish to escape, you’ve died for many times already.”

Then he turned and left, and Yao Runeng rose up to his feet awkwardly. Without sparing a moment to pat off the dust on his body, he shouted in a succession of phrases, “Hey, Commandant Zhang, if you do this, I’ll report to seniors!”

Zhang Xiaojing totally ignored him and walked straight ahead. Yao Runeng had no other choice but to follow up in a bad temper.

Yuzhen Fang was situated within a northern alley at Southeast Street 2. To get there, they needed a turn at a corner which happened to shield off the hustle and sight from the outer street.

Upon entering the Fang, what greeted guests were pepper-scented mud walls on three sides. On top were nine rows of long shelves which were wrapped with pink satin, and on the shelves placed glass and porcelain bottles in various sizes. Now there were only a dozen of girls wearing brocade in different colors. Now and then, they lowered their heads and whispered to one another, revealing fair-skinned necks. The aroma of tagara gently spread around to form intoxicating air.

The shop assistant paused for a second in shock when he saw a male guest coming in. Zhang Xiaojing showed him the waist card, ordering in a low voice, “Jing’an Department. Take me to the shop owner.” The shop assistant wanted to say something, but Zhang Xiaojing squinted his eyes to sweep the girls. The shop assisted didn’t dare to bother the customers, so he only had to report to the shop owner, yet Zhang Xiaojing instantly grabbed him in the arm, walking directly to the back of the Fang, “The urgent military affair tolerates no delay. We go together!” The shop assistant wanted to resist, but his struggling body stood still the moment it felt a knife against his waist.

In this way, Zhang Xiaojing dragged the leg-shaking shop assistant and walked blatantly to the back. Yao Runeng followed up closely. He had no objection to this method. Time was pressing. They couldn’t let him walk leisurely back and forth to report the situation.

Behind the shop was a large courtyard. A fat foreign man was leaning against a Persian blanket embroidered with bunch flowers, his left hand holding a goblet, elbow resting on a cushion, and his left leg curved. Next to him stood a boy carrying a wine pot, ready to serve him. In the middle of the yard, a beautiful singer-prostitute was singing Twitter of Spring Oriole while dancing around a plum tree.

Once Zhang Xiaojing, along with others, came in, the song and dance couldn’t go on at once. Two guards went over to stop them, but the shop owner, frowning, waved to let them retreat, “May I know who you are...?”

“Zhang Xiaojing, a commandant of Jing’an Department.” Zhang Xiaojing released the shop assistant, showing him the waist card and gesturing Yao Runeng to shut the door of the yard.

“Oh.... Are you known as Yama Zhang from Wannian County?” The shop owner lived in Chang’an for many years and he knew or at least heard of any person who had a little fame. Zhang Yiyan from Wannian County, also known as Yama of the Underworld, a vicious and heartless person, was a blood-thirsty killer who had suppressed the rogues in the east. However...it was said that he had been imprisoned many months ago and sentenced to hanging. Why was he out of jail now?

Zhang Xiaojing looked deadpan, folding two fists together and lifting up as an etiquette, “May I ask you some questions?”

The owner extended his right index finger, unhurriedly stroking his moustache along the line of his upper lip till the slanting end that pointed up high, then he lingeringly put it down. Yama Zhang didn’t have money to celebrate the festival? He should blackmail my Yuzhen Fang. Didn’t he know my relationship with the imperial palace?

“Come on. Fetch Mr. Zhang a bolt of road silk.”

According to official standard, one bolt of plain silk equaled forty feet and was used for trading. If long-distance transportation was involved, it must be added another forty feet, called road silk. The weight only suited for a mule to carry, too heavy to an ordinary person. The owner deliberately gave him a bolt of road silk, suggesting his intention to humiliate Zhang.

Want money? Then carry it out like an animal.

Zhang Xiaojing stepped forward, posing to take over the silk. The owner sneered, but before his smile faded out, as a lightning of white beam flashed by, a sharp blade was put against his neck.

Not to mention the owner, even Yao Runeng was shocked. He had thought that this prisoner was on good terms with the owner. Unexpectedly, he should go this wild at the very beginning. With a ‘swish’, Yao Runeng pulled out his sword, but for a time he didn’t know whether he should cover Zhang Xiaojing or stop him.

At this time, a group of guards of Yuzhen Fang rushed in. Yao Runeng hardened his heart and his sword, imitating Zhang Xiaojing and scolding, “Jing’an Department. Get away!” Then the guards really stopped at where they were.

Zhao Xiaojing still sounded impassive, “I don’t finish asking questions.”

“You dare to touch me, and you go to hell at once!” The shop owner got irritated from humiliation.

Zhang Xiaojing lowered his head, getting near to the owner’s ear, “To tell you the truth, I’m a prisoner facing death penalty. I’ll die anyway if I can’t complete the task–what do you think I should do?” Gazing at the sullen one-eyed person, the shop owner felt his heart plummeting. The ones he feared most were those crazy dogs that never followed rules. He blinked for many times before asking, “What on earth do you want to know?”

Zhang Xiaojing moved the knife a bit away, “Have you recently gotten in touch with Turks?”

The shop owner was a little surprised at this question, but he replied at once, “No!”

“Do you hear any businessmen have?”

“No. Turks? They haven’t been seen in Chang’an for a long time.”

The Turks had declined and never recovered since Zhenguan period. The western tribes of Turks also fell apart after Xianqing period, leaving only a few small ones sometimes appearing on the grasslands. As for the Turks having stayed in Chang’an, they were already assimilated. Except for captives, envoys and tribe chiefs coming to the capital to pay tributes, the name of Turks hadn’t been heard of for many years.

“Why don’t you call your men over. Maybe they know.” Zhang Xiaojing insisted.

The shop owner had no choice but to summon up the shop assistants and guards to ask them one by one whether they had contacts with Turks. The answers were of course negative. Zhang Xiaojing waved to let them leave, continuing to ask, “Then do you know who in West Market has the map of Chang’an’s Fangs?”

Hearing this question, the shop owner hurriedly shook his head, “I don’t know. And I don’t have.” He added, “This is against the laws, as serious as trying to overthrow the throne. Who dares to hide one copy?”

Zhang Xiaojing took back the knife and stepped back, “To tell the truth. Recently there are a few Turks already sneaking into Chang’an, in an attempt to cause a riot at Lantern Festival. Now all they need is a map of Chang’an’s Fangs. It’d be better if you don’t hide one copy, otherwise if the imperial court figures out who does, that will be a deadly unforgivable crime.”

Only then did the shop owner understand why this officer acted in such a haste. It turned out there was this hidden reason. He stood up straight, putting on an expression of concern, “Though I’m a mere businessman, I know loyalty to the imperial court. May I ask the looks and origins of the Turks so that I can help?”

Zhang Xiaojing answered coldly, “Not necessary. If you meet suspicious people, just report in time. Right, this matter is confidential. Don’t mention it to others.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” The shop owner promised. He just ordered the servants to give them some bottles of hand moisturizer, but when he looked up, the two had already left. Seeing them getting away, the shop owner pulled his smiling face, called over a confidant servant and whispered something to him.

Zhang Xiaojing and Yao Runeng left Yuzhen Fang and stood still at a flagpole opposite the alley, saying to Yao Runeng, “Can you recall the faces of all guards and assistants in that shop?”

Yao Runeng nodded.

Zhang Xiaojing said, “Watch on them at the front and back doors of Yuzhen Fang. If any furtive ones come out, let the Indecent of West Market follow up and see which store they enter. Do remember the name.”

Until now did Yao Runeng really come to the awareness that just now Zhang Xiaojing’s revealing to the shop owner was a deliberate warning. After that, the shop owner must be so started that he would at once go to remind those stores that had drawn a map of Fangs. Therefore, now, as long as they watched closely on Yuzhen Fang’s message-senders, they could know who had hide the map copies. With the initiative actions started by the shop owner, they saved much more time than to inquire one by one.

This method seemed oversimplified but in fact most energy-saving. Even the way Yao Runeng looked at Zhang Xiaojing changed. Unless an experienced officer, no one could think of such a tactic and carried it out just right in terms of both timing and propriety.

“How do you know that Yuzhen Fang had problems?” Yao Runeng asked studiously.

Zhang Xiaojing replied, deadpan, “Just randomly chose one. In West Market, there are few shops or stores that are innocent.”

Yao Runeng breathed in a quick sign, “...What if you guessed wrong?”

“Then the whole Chang’an city will be doomed.”

“...”

Yao Runeng thought Commandant Zhang was kidding, but there wasn’t a slightest smile on his face.