Chapter 1388: In the End, Still a Lingering Attachment

"By His Majesty's decree, Wei Zhongxian is to be sent to the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum to stand guard." The Centurion's face was stern; at last, before his own subordinates, he put on a show of authority. "You will keep a close watch on him along the road and deliver him under escort to the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum for handover. Understood?"

"As ordered!" The two men clasped fists and bowed in unison.

"Good!" Centurion Liu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as well. He waved a hand, signaling these Embroidered Uniform Guard members to take Wei Zhongxian and charge out through the crowd.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard members understood perfectly. One by one, they held the crowd back, leaving a clear path for Qi Wang, Liu Songping, and Wei Zhongxian.

And so, these two Embroidered Uniform Guards led Wei Zhongxian out through the city gate and onto this long, endless journey.

All along the road, the crowd's curses and shouts never ceased, but Wei Zhongxian's expression remained indifferent, and he walked obediently between the two men.

In his heart, he knew that once he left, he would never be able to return.

"Wei Zhongxian!" At that moment, Qi Wang, unable to suppress the fury in his heart, leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Since we are responsible for escorting you, we will naturally look after you properly. But you, a condemned criminal — don't fail to recognize your own situation. Don't put on airs before us. Understood?"

"Ah yes, I am a criminal... a criminal..." Wei Zhongxian started in surprise, then murmured to himself. "How could I dare put on airs anymore? May I ask how this young brother is called?"

"My name is Qi Wang!" Qi Wang answered decisively. "Don't call me young brother, and stop trying to cozy up to me..."

"Eunuch Wei, he is Qi Wang, my sworn nephew. My name is Liu Songping. We are both Junior Flag Officers. On this journey, we'll all look out for one another." At this, Liu Songping cut off Qi Wang's words. "Young men have fiery tempers; please be patient and forgiving with him."

"Third Uncle?" Qi Wang wanted to say more, but Liu Songping suddenly gave his sleeve a sharp tug, so he had no choice but to hold his tongue for the moment.

Wei Zhongxian looked at the uncle and nephew, then exchanged a glance with Liu Songping, as if understanding something.

"Easy to say, easy to say... I have now fallen to such a state; what standing do I have left to be angry with the Embroidered Riders?"

Just then, the sky suddenly darkened, as if a solar eclipse had occurred.

He instinctively raised his head to look and saw sand swirling everywhere in the wind, spreading like black smoke, blotting out the sky and sun.

As an omen of farewell, this was indeed rather inauspicious.

"Could it be that heaven itself is truly growing dark?" He sighed dejectedly and murmured to himself.

A grain of sand fell into his eye, stirring a single tear that slowly dripped to the ground, seen by no one.

And so the three men walked on, gradually receding into the distance, leaving the capital behind.

After walking for several hours, they were now within the territory of Northern Zhili. By all reason, this was the imperial domain, the heartland of the court, yet all along the road lay desolation, with scarcely a trace of human vitality to be seen.

The grasses and trees were withered and yellow; the wind and sand howled. Everywhere was bleak and desolate, even more shockingly so than within the capital itself.

Ever since the final years of the Wanli reign, the north had been plagued by frequent disasters — if not drought, then flood. On top of that, these past years had been far from peaceful, and not long ago Zhao Jin had run even more rampant. Beset by calamity after calamity, the once-flourishing imperial domain had been reduced to its current state. It was truly heartbreaking to behold.

"If only the court could swiftly annihilate the rebels in Xuzhou and Jianzhou and restore peace to the realm!" Qi Wang thought to himself.

"Eunuch Wei, there seems to be a post station up ahead. Shall we rest there for a while?" Just then, Liu Songping asked the Wei Zhongxian beside him amiably. "It looks like we've been walking for quite a long time, and the day is growing late. We ought to rest."

"Thank you." Wei Zhongxian said nothing more, merely nodding lightly.

His complexion was already very poor; it was plain to see that this kind of exertion had left him utterly exhausted.

No matter what, Wei Zhongxian was already past fifty — an old man by the standards of this era. Even though he had maintained himself well over the years, his body had inevitably aged. Accustomed as he was to a life of comfort and privilege, how could he still endure such a long and arduous trek?

He had long wanted to rest, but because he was a condemned man, he was unwilling to swallow his pride and beg. Liu Songping's suggestion suited his wishes perfectly.

And so, the three men walked a while longer until they reached the post station, then knocked on the door.

A rather elderly post station runner opened the door.

"We are Embroidered Uniform Guards on official business. Please grant us the convenience." Liu Songping showed the other man his waist tablet, and then the three of them walked straight in.

Because it was located in the imperial domain, this post station was of no small scale, with many rooms, and accommodations were casually arranged for the three of them. Looking at its size, one could imagine that during the Great Ming's prosperous years, this station must have been bustling with people coming and going... It was just that now, the grasses and trees were desolate, and not a trace of its former bustle could be seen.

After their identities were verified, the several post station runners said little more. They simply helped them stow their luggage and then led them to their rooms.

Their expressions were all extremely somber, and their speech was flat and indifferent, showing little in the way of courtesy.

This was not surprising. The current emperor had reined in the Depot and Guard upon his ascension, so their fear of the Depot and Guard had likely faded considerably. Of course, no one yet dared to openly challenge them; it was just that their attitude had grown much colder.

Still... this attitude was far too strange, as if they were troubled by some matter.

"Old uncle..." Qi Wang could not restrain his curiosity and directly asked the oldest of the post station runners, "May I ask if something has happened nearby recently? Why do you all look so full of worry?"

"In reply, sir officer..." The old post station runner was briefly taken aback, then gave a bitter smile. "Truth be told, nothing major has happened nearby recently. These years the world has been far from peaceful, with chaos here and chaos there — we've all grown accustomed to it. It's just that..."

"Just what?" Qi Wang immediately pressed.

"It's just that... we recently heard grievous news..." The old post station runner's face was full of worry. "We heard that the court is going to abolish post stations everywhere and send us all away!"

"Abolish the post stations?" Qi Wang was stunned.

He was, after all, only a minor figure in the capital, naturally not well-versed in the court's major policies, so hearing this came as a surprise.

"Yes, we heard that the higher-ups have already decided. The rumors are so detailed they must be true..." The old post station runner smiled miserably, the wrinkles all over his face bunching together even more. "So, sir officer, please don't blame us for our unpleasant expressions — it's truly worry in our hearts! Take me, for example: I'm already past fifty, and I've served here my whole life, relying on the wages and grain issued here to support my family. If the post station is truly abolished, I fear I'll have no means of food or clothing... I don't know, I just don't know what to do!"

Hearing the old post station runner speak like this, the other runners also wore expressions of sorrow, clearly sharing the same grief in their hearts.

Only then did Qi Wang understand that their poor attitude today was not out of dislike for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but because they had encountered such a difficult problem.

"The court... the court always acts with comprehensive measures. Since the court has this plan, naturally... naturally there will be follow-up arrangements. You are all men who serve the court; the court will not make things too difficult for you." In the end, he could only offer them consolation.

The old post station runner nodded lightly, but his expression was deeply skeptical, clearly not quite believing the claim that "the court will certainly resettle you after abolishing the post stations."

"Outrageous! This is truly outrageous! What kind of reckless, foolish act is this!"

At that moment, Wei Zhongxian, who had already entered the room and sat down on the bed, had also overheard their exchange. He was so furious that he leapt up from the bed and walked to the door.

"How can there be such reckless nonsense? Post stations are the foundation by which the state transmits messages. Abolishing them rashly — how much more trouble will that add to communications from top to bottom?! The post station runners are also men of the court; most of them know something of the world's affairs, and some are still strong and able-bodied. To abolish them rashly, leaving them without food or clothing — will that not cause trouble for the court? Is this not forcing them to rebel against the Great Ming? Reckless... far too reckless! The court has only just been wounded in vitality by the chaos of that rebel Zhao — how can it act so recklessly!"

Everyone was stunned, staring blankly as this shrill-voiced old man roared in fury, grieving deeply for the Great Ming realm that was no longer his to manage.

"The higher-ups say that state affairs are difficult now and the court's expenditures are strained, so they want to abolish the post stations to save the court some leeway..." the old post station runner said instinctively.

"Muddle-headed! The ancestors established the post stations precisely to draw in those strong and capable men, to make them bear burdens on their shoulders and backs, to exhaust their energies, and also to give them a mouthful of food so they wouldn't turn to wrongdoing! Even if some among them are unfit, it would be enough to simply weed out those who are merely making up the numbers. Why go so far as to deliberately abolish them all!"

As he spoke, Wei Zhongxian stamped his foot.

"Barely on the throne and already this reckless — have the court ministers... have all the hundred officials lost their minds? Why has no one remonstrated with him? Eating the Zhu clan's salary for nothing — is there not a single one who does his duty?!" Wei Zhongxian's lingering anger had not subsided. "If I were still in power... I would make every last one of them pay dearly!"

"Eunuch Wei, watch your words!" Liu Songping finally reacted, hastily tugging at his sleeve to signal him to say no more.

"Wei Zhongxian, you still dare utter such words!" By now Qi Wang had also reacted and immediately shouted at him. "The court's major policies — is a condemned criminal like you fit to recklessly discuss them? And you even dare speak slander — do you still have any regard for His Majesty in your eyes? Hold your tongue!"

Under his scolding, Wei Zhongxian finally slowly regained his composure from his anger, and in the end even appeared somewhat desolate.

"Indeed. A new emperor brings a new court. This servant can no longer presume to discuss great affairs of state…" Wei Zhongxian shook his head lightly, his smile bitter and sorrowful. "It's just that, this realm of the Zhu clan… this realm of the Zhu clan… this realm of the Zhu clan…"

He repeated the phrase several times, but could not continue. He turned and went back into his room, his back hunched, his steps unsteady, looking utterly desolate.

This sudden storm subsided as abruptly as it had arisen, ending the moment Wei Zhongxian returned to his room. He walked away without a backward glance, leaving the others to exchange bewildered looks.