264 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Ning Songwu walked up to Ran Fanyin's carriage, knocked on the door, and handed a few oranges he had picked up the night before inside. He said, "Madam, we are almost at the Zhanzhou border, just a few miles away from the official post station. Have some fruit to stave off your hunger; we will have breakfast at the post." Ning Songwu feared that the bandits might follow them, but resting at the official post station would be safer. Ran Fanyin had no objections and only wished to find a place to settle down quickly. She responded calmly, "Everything according to your arrangements." As Ning Songwu had said, it took only a short while before they arrived at the Tianfu Official Post in Zhanzhou. The Tianfu Official Post was nestled in a deep pit, surrounded by rugged and jagged rocks, exuding an ominous and somber atmosphere. From a distance, the small courtyard enclosed in a square formation looked uneven in height, but upon closer inspection, a high pole in front of the courtyard bore a flag with large characters reading "Tianfu Official Post." The walls were gray-white, the roofs were tiled with green, and the corners of the eaves curved upwards. Cha Le announced, "Sir, we've arrived." The group of seven approached the gate and was promptly stopped by the post guard who extended his hand to block their way. "Sir, do you have the official pass?" the guard inquired. "Yes," Ning Songwu replied, handing over a silver fish token to the guard. The Tianfu Official Post had not received a high-ranking official in a long time. Upon seeing that Ning Songwu held the rank of fourth grade, the guard's demeanor changed immediately to one of utmost respect and friendliness. "Sir, please, come inside. Madam, young master, mind the threshold," he smiled warmly. "Our horses have been running all day. Feed them well and take good care of them," Ran Fanyin instructed, tossing a small piece of silver from her pouch to the guard. Two guards quickly came over, took the carriage reins, and led the horses to the stable. "Rest assured, madam, we'll take good care of them," the guard assured. Stepping into the courtyard, they saw moss growing in the crevices of the flagstones, and the sounds of light conversation drifted from the front hall. "Please wait a moment, sir. At present, there is only one vacant room in the premium section. We will make arrangements for you," the guard explained. The court's rules stipulated that "Should a higher-ranking official or a larger group arrive later, the lower-ranking or smaller group must yield the better accommodations." Given that there were seven people in Ning Songwu's party, they required four rooms. As Ning Songwu was a fourth-grade official, the highest-ranking currently at the post, two more rooms from the premium section needed to be vacated. "There's no need for that," Ning Songwu said. "We are only staying for one night. Just prepare four adjacent rooms and ensure they are clean. Bring some food over first." Ning Songwu did not want to cause a major stir. The conditions at the official post were all similar; the difference between premium and regular rooms was negligible—mostly in terms of space and decoration. The distinction between upstairs and downstairs was not overly significant either. Choosing the official post to rest was primarily for safety; comfort was secondary. "Yes, sir," the guard replied. "Let me carry your luggage, sir. I'll take it to your rooms," another guard offered. "Thank you," Ning Songwu handed the luggage to the guard. "Cha Le, lend a hand." "Yes, sir," Cha Le responded. They chose a spot by the window, sat down, and waited for the meals to be served. At that moment, four burly men entered the post. One of them had a scruffy beard and a face that seemed scarred. As Ning Songwu locked eyes with this man, he felt a sharp, fierce gaze. Unlike the rustic bandits from Liangshan Village, this man exuded an air of threat. The four men handed their passes to the guard, ordered a pot of tea, and sat down, pulling out a cloth bag from their waists to eat with their tea. Occasionally, they glanced over at Ning Songwu’s group, particularly focusing on the bundle on Ran Fanyin's back. Noticing their strange glances, Ran Fanyin turned her head and saw that there were bloodstains at the hem of their trousers. The color of the mud on their shoes was very similar to the red soil of Liangshan Village, causing her eyes to flicker with suspicion. After a simple breakfast, Ning Songwu's group each returned to their rooms to rest. As Ning Songwu passed the four men’s table on his way out, he accidentally noticed bloodstains on the boots of two of them. Inside their room, Ran Fanyin threw the bundle she had been carrying to Ning Songwu, stretched and yawned, then lay on the bed. Ning Songwu hugged the bundle containing the "Splendid Rivers and Mountains Map" to his chest, lying down on a long bench with his eyes closed, though his brows were furrowed. Around noon, a post guard knocked on the door and asked, "Sir, it’s time for lunch. Would you prefer to dine in the hall or have the food brought to your room?" Ning Songwu placed the bundle on the table, opened the door, and asked, "Let me ask you, what is the identity of the four men who checked in this morning?" "Sir, I do not know," the guard replied. "Do not know? Admission to this post is by official pass. If you did not verify their identity, allowing them to stay here is a serious offense, punishable by death," Ning Songwu warned. "There is only part knowledge. They showed jade fish tokens, so we dared not ask further," the guard explained. Fish tokens are classified into five types: gold, silver, bronze, iron, and jade. Officials of third grade and above carry gold fish tokens, those from sixth grade to below third grade carry silver fish tokens, bronze fish tokens are for those from ninth grade to above seventh grade, and officials below ninth grade carry iron fish tokens. Officials below ninth grade are only provided meals and tea, not lodging. Jade fish tokens, however, are held by the emperor's shadow guards, obeying only the emperor, with no specific ranks. Post guards are not to inquire about their identity, refuse them, or question them. Shadow guards? Ning Songwu's heart skipped a beat. If they were indeed shadow guards sent by the emperor, how would he handle it? The "Splendid Rivers and Mountains Map" was meant to be presented to the emperor in the capital; he had not reported it earlier to ensure its safety. But how did the emperor's shadow guards know the map was in his possession? No one except a few officials under him knew, and they had been explicitly told not to leak the information. If this is the emperor’s doing, then it’s straightforward—hand it over. But if not, handing it to the wrong person could bring disaster. He feared that these shadow guards might not be what they claimed.