Chapter 99

The inn owner Su Guangju brought over the just-stewed free-range chicken; before anyone even touched their chopsticks, the tempting aroma alone made Hu Xiaotian and his servant drool. Hu Xiaotian called out, "Su Guangju, let's have two drinks together!" He wasn't just being polite—having just arrived in Qingyun Xian, unfamiliar with the place, he was eager to find a way in to learn the local situation.

Su Guangju laughed, "Not yet, not yet—there are still three dishes unfinished; once they're done, I'll definitely come over to toast you two cups, Sir Hu."

Hu Xiaotian said, "Sit down and have two drinks first, then we'll talk."

Su Guangju couldn't resist his enthusiasm; after a few polite words he sat down. This Fulai Inn has always been run by him and his wife alone; because Qingyun Xian is remote, there are few merchants and travelers passing through, so the inn's business is barely sustaining. At present, the only guests in the inn are Hu Xiaotian and his two attendants.

Liang Da Zhuang helped fill the wine glasses; after bathing, Murong Feiyan changed into a Lan military uniform, looking spirited. She sat beside Hu Xiaotian and smiled, "Sorry to keep you all waiting."

Hu Xiaotian laughed, "I've always been patient with beautiful women."

Murong Feiyan gave him a glance, raised her cup and said, "After all our hardships, we've finally reached Qingyun—let's drink together." Everyone responded, downing three cups in a row before stopping. The liquor was Su Guangju's homemade rice wine: clear yellow, sweet on the palate, rich and fragrant. Hu Xiaotian praised it endlessly and asked about its origin.

Su Guangju laughed, "This rice wine is my own brew; the chickens, ducks, and vegetables we eat daily are all grown and raised by us."

Hu Xiaotian blurted out "pure and natural, no pollution," leaving everyone stunned for a moment; he quickly changed the subject to ask about the inn's business situation.

Su Guangju said: "Just scraping by. Although Qingyun Xian is remote, its land is fertile and waters beautiful, mountains clear and waters lovely—it's still a rich region. Nestled among mountains, it's been remote since Dakang's founding, seeing little war; the surrounding peoples are numerous, the Black Miao Tribe and Dongman tribe have long lived in peace. Over a hundred years ago, when Southern Yue was founded, the trade route between it and Dakang passed right through Qingyun, making Qingyun Xian an important hub on that route. But more than ten years ago, a band of horse bandits erupted from Tianlang Mountain to the south; they looted, burned, killed, and did every evil, exploiting Tianlang Mountain's superior geography to guard the throat of the route to Southern Yue, turning what was once a prosperous trade road into a perilous, blood‑stained path. Merchants lost their sense of safety and no one dared to risk the pass, so the route fell into disuse, fewer traders came, and naturally Qingyun's prosperity waned." He set down his cup, sighed, and added: "At its peak, Qingyun Xian had no fewer than two hundred inns big and small; now only six remain in normal operation."

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "If that's the case, why doesn't the government send troops to suppress the bandits?"

Su Guangju replied: "These years the suppression has never stopped; every county magistrate launches a campaign, but each time it's all thunder and little rain—the bandits not only don't dwindle, they actually grow more numerous. A few months ago the higher authorities even sent troops, reportedly from Xizhou Prefecture's army, yet they were likewise routed and scattered. Previously the bandit trouble was confined to mountain trails, but later, as merchants detoured, the bandits' livelihood suffered, so they expanded their raiding range; nearly every village and town around Qingyun has been hit, leaving burnt, slaughtered, pillaged land with not a blade of grass left."

Hu Xiaotian raised his cup to drink with Su Guangju; Murong Feiyan said, "I think the county is still fairly peaceful."

Su Guangju chuckled, "Peaceful?"

Murong Feiyan said: "When we passed the county office today, we heard that Qingyun Xian's government office has had no lawsuits for over a year—its public order seems quite good."

Su Guangju gave a wry smile: "No one dares to sue because going to the office guarantees you'll be skinned alive—whether plaintiff or defendant. Our Sir Xu has the nickname 'Heaven High Three Feet'!"

Hu Xiaotian, hearing this, understood: what does "Heaven High Three Feet" mean? It means digging three feet deep—based on what we've learned, Sir Xu Qinglian is a downright corrupt official.

Su Guangju perhaps realized he'd said too much, rose, took his leave, and went to prepare the dishes.

After he left, Murong Feiyan said: "This county magistrate is no good person; his reputation in the Qingyun area is terrible."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Did you just go out specifically to inquire about this?"

Murong Feiyan shook her head: "Do you remember that skinny fellow who came to file a complaint?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded.

Murong Feiyan said: "I just followed him all the way, and discovered he is certainly no ordinary person."

Hu Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat; earlier, when he saw those two people arguing in the county office, he'd thought they were just ordinary farmers, but from Murong Feiyan's tone it seemed there was more to it.

Murong Feiyan said: "He took ten blows on the bench; at first he seemed to struggle to walk, yet this man was also quite wary. When no one was around, I saw him move with lightning speed—those ten strikes appeared to have caused him no injury at all. Judging by his steps and movements, he definitely knows martial arts. I tailed him behind, watching him leave the south gate and enter a place called Red Willow Village three li away."

Liang Da Zhuang said: "Maybe he just lives there."

Murong Feiyan said: "He entered a large manor in Red Willow Village; at that moment two people came out to greet him, and both appeared to be martial artists."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Could it be that the skinny fellow and the fat one are deliberately putting on an act?"

Murong Feiyan nodded: "I think the same; that fat fellow probably provoked Sir Xu on purpose to get himself jailed, suggesting there's a secret hidden in the prison."

Although Hu Xiaotian had only just arrived in Qingyun, he found this tiny county far more complicated than he imagined. He came here to serve as county secretary, with Sir Xu Qinglian looming over him; from what he's learned, he's basically concluded that Sir Xu is a corrupt official, so Hu Xiaotian naturally conceived the idea of overthrowing him—not just to rid the people of harm, but also to clear obstacles for himself, looking after his own interests while also serving the common folk—surely that's killing two birds with one stone?

After lunch, Hu Xiaotian invited Murong Feiyan to stroll around the city—nominally a leisurely walk, but actually an opportunity to learn local customs. Because of its location, Qingyun has a complex ethnic makeup; Black Miao and Dongman peoples can be seen everywhere in town. Though the market doesn't rival the capital's splendor, the locally distinctive goods still opened their eyes.

Murong Feiyan stopped at a Black Miao vendor's stall, taking great interest in the handcrafted silver ornaments displayed. The various ethnic groups live together in harmony, and the Black Miao merchant was quite friendly toward Han people. She turned a pair of Miao silver bracelets over in her hands, picking them up and setting them down repeatedly.

Seeing how much she liked them, Hu Xiaotian wanted to spend money to buy a few pieces as a gift, but when he felt his pockets he found only a few taels of loose silver left—his purse was thin, his confidence lacking. Even so, he put on a brave face and told Murong Feiyan, "What do you like? I'll buy it and give it to you."

Murong Feiyan shook her head: "I don't want it!"

Just as Hu Xiaotian was about to ask the price, he heard someone ahead shout, "A bride‑snatching! A bride‑snatching!" Looking up, he saw five black steeds galloping toward him, ridden by five sturdy Black Miao men. The leader, dark‑skinned with sharp features, had a red‑clad woman slumped over his saddle, wearing the silver ornaments common among Black Miao; her body quivered with the horse's motion. Four Black Miao men guarded the flanks, and the cries of "bride‑snatching!" came from them.

At first Hu Xiaotian was a bit taken aback, thinking it was the first time he'd seen such an open bride‑snatching, but then he realized it must be the local ethnic custom—many peoples have bride‑snatching traditions. Seeing the crowd smiling and stepping aside to watch, he grew more convinced. He was about to tell Murong Feiyan to step aside and watch the spectacle, but when he turned around he discovered she had vanished. Hu Xiaotian silently cursed his bad luck and began searching for her.

A blue‑clad figure had already leapt into the air, lunging at the lead Black Miao man.

Hu Xiaotian's guess was correct: bride‑snatching is the traditional custom of the local Black Miao tribe. When a young man takes a liking to an unmarried woman of his own clan, he may seize her by force and bring her home, then later ask a matchmaker to negotiate. In fact, before the snatching the couple usually already know and love each other; they merely perform the ritual for show, also to assert dominance and display masculine vigor—otherwise his four companions wouldn't openly shout "bride‑snatching!"

Murong Feiyan didn't understand the local custom; hearing that someone was abducting a woman in broad daylight, she could no longer contain her anger and charged forward. By the time Hu Xiaotian reacted and tried to grab her, it was already too late.

The worst off was that Black Miao man—he didn't even grasp what was happening before someone kicked him off the horse; he landed face first, a humiliating tumble. Murong Feiyan landed steadily on the horse's back, seized the steed, then scooped up the red‑clad Black Miao woman from the saddle and leapt down, asking anxiously, "Miss, are you all right?"

The red‑clad Black Miao woman stared in astonishment at the handsome young gentleman before her, at a loss for words. Although Black Miao women are usually open and outgoing, being embraced by a strange man before everyone's eyes made her feel embarrassed, and her cheeks flushed instantly.

Murong Feiyan usually dresses in men's attire, so it's understandable that others mistake her for a man. She had barely spoken a few words when the four Black Miao men came galloping up—the bride‑snatching was for their friend, and these four had come specially to cheer him on and act as his escort.

Qingyun Xian has long been a melting pot of peoples; having lived here a long time, everyone basically knows each other's customs. Since the locals are aware of the Black Miao bride‑snatching tradition, seeing this scene most just smile and say nothing, treating it as nothing unusual and watching for novelty.

Murong Feiyan's meddling had stirred up a hornet's nest. Even the Black Miao bystanders who had been watching the fun now closed in. She shoved the Black Miao woman toward Hu Xiaotian: "Take her away first—I'll cover the rear!"

Hu Xiaotian could only laugh and cry at once, thinking, "My silly sister, is this not just looking for trouble?" The Black Miao woman, pushed to his side, gave Murong Feiyan a lingering, reluctant glance with her lovely eyes.

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