Chapter 35: Checking Travel Permits
The sky was fully bright now, blue and vast, with the crimson sun hanging high above.
The stone flats were scorching, and the ashen, scraggly weeds peeking timidly through the cracks in the rocks were quickly snapped up and chewed by the camels that had been brought here to avoid the chaos.
The merchants who had fled in haste had no food or water with them. After a full night of running, they were parched and famished. Under the blazing sun, their faces had gone pale and expressionless with exhaustion.
Kang Dolu ordered Podianlu to take out a bundle of Hu flatbread and distribute it among the crowd. Though each man received a portion, their expressions remained anxious and bitter. More than food, what they needed now was water.
Kang Dolu’s remaining supply of clean water was limited. He offered up half, allowing each person only a small sip–just enough to moisten their lips.
The nearest source of water was Lake Mozi beneath Lengquan Post. At this point, returning to Lengquan Post was their top priority.
Around midday, Mishinian finally returned, looking rather battered.
The Turkic soldiers at Lengquan Post were in the process of clearing out the entire post: stripping the inns and taverns of liquor and rations, pillaging merchant bundles, and loading up all the rare treasures the Gaochang emissaries had brought as tribute. They were preparing to retreat back to Turkic lands.
“They’re pulling out?” murmured several voices in the crowd. A collective sigh of relief rippled through the group as hope flickered once again. “So long as they don’t take over the garrison fortress, we’ll be all right.”
“If they don’t leave soon, the reinforcements from Shuangjing Post will arrive. These Turks don’t want a head-on clash with the stationed troops. All we can do now is hope the troops come quickly–then we can return to Lengquan Post safely.”
Chun Tian had not slept the entire night and was utterly exhausted. After reuniting with Li Wei in the morning, he had led her away from the noisy crowd to a shaded spot where she could finally rest. She did not care too much at this point. Overwhelmed from the long night of fear, she curled up in a woolen blanket and collapsed into sleep. She only stirred again around midday, woken by the noise of the others.
Rubbing her eyes, she found Li Wei nowhere nearby. Scanning the crowd, she saw him a short distance away, arms crossed, speaking quietly with Mishinian. Every so often, he glanced in her direction. When their eyes met, she saw that his expression was still grim, with no trace of ease or reassurance.
She felt uneasy as well. If trouble had already struck at the very first post on the route, what could they expect from the journey ahead?
Not long after, Li Wei strode toward her. His expression had softened. “Are you hungry? Eat something.”
She shook her head. Li Wei handed her a waterskin and shared the good news. “The Turks are withdrawing from the garrison. It’s safe now. In a bit, we’ll go take a look at Lengquan Post. But the place has been pillaged and burned, I’m afraid I can’t take you into the post to have a proper meal. The grilled fish they make there is quite good. After all this hardship, I had hoped you could enjoy a decent bite.”
Who would have thought things would turn out like this.
In just a few short days, her cheeks had visibly thinned, barely bigger than the palm of his hand.
Chun Tian knew he was trying to lift her spirits, and she let herself be drawn into the lightness. She blinked and asked, “The next post is Kujing Post Station, right? Can we still have grilled fish there?”
Li Wei rubbed the tip of his nose, a smile in his voice. “Only Lake Mozi beneath Lengquan Post has fish. Kujing Post has only a few water wells, and the cooks there aren’t great. But the beacon guards grow winter melons, and if we’re lucky, the first crop might just be ready.”
Chun Tian smiled, her chin and cheeks lifting. “That’s not bad at all. Winter melons are rarer than grilled fish. In Chang’an, only high-ranking officials can afford them. Sounds like a fair trade.”
Word soon spread that the Turks were withdrawing from Lengquan Post. Some of the bolder merchants began searching the area for lost luggage and animals, while others, tearfully, set out to collect the bodies of family and friends.
Not long after, a merchant spotted a squad of armored cavalry galloping through the barren hills, raising a trail of dust as they sped toward the post.
“Is that the reinforcements from Shuangjing Post?” The people sheltering in the stone flats grew excited. “Come on, let’s go see! If reinforcements are here, we’re safe now!”
The merchants and travelers who had hidden away in the stone flats began emerging, trickling toward Lengquan Post in small groups. From afar, they could clearly see the soldiers’ gear–reinforcements had arrived at last.
The garrison commander of Shuangjing Post, Wang Zhao, spotted the blaze at Lengquan Post through his long-range scope and was immediately alarmed. He personally assembled a squad and rode out to investigate, while urgently dispatching a message to the Yumen Pass garrison for reinforcements.
Upon arrival, he saw that the outer walls of Lengquan Post had been scorched black like charcoal. Half the fort’s walls had collapsed. The city gates stood wide open, and several corpses lay strewn at the base of the wall, sending a chill down his spine.
Inside the post, the scene was even more dire. The entire compound had been ransacked, corpses littered the streets, shattered wine jars were strewn about, and smoldering embers still licked at the eaves. The guest quarters meant for the envoys from Gaochang had been completely incinerated. A number of charred corpses had been laid out neatly in the courtyard, unrecognizable, but the remnants of robes and embroidered fabrics identified them as the very emissaries who had recently passed through.
Seeing the soldiers arrive, survivors who had been hiding within the post slowly emerged, trembling like frightened birds. They bowed and stammered their accounts of the day’s chaos:
“At first, it was said there was a fire in the guest quarters. The post was thrown into an uproar, and many of us rushed to Lake Mozi to fetch water. Who would’ve thought that right then, a troop of Turkic horsemen would charge the gates, loosing arrows in all directions? We scattered in panic. Those who couldn’t flee were cut down and lost their souls where they stood.”
Wang Zhao, finding no sign of Lengquan’s own garrison commander–not even his body–ordered his men to tally the dead and wounded, and to take down survivors’ testimonies. He also had the signal fire relit atop the watchtower and set guards at the gates.
Merchants and travelers who had been hiding in the surrounding countryside saw the beacon fire rekindled and realized that help had arrived. They began streaming back toward Lengquan Post.
As for the missing garrison commander, he had taken an arrow to the shoulder and, seeing the ferocity of the attack, fled in terror with a few personal guards. Now, seeing the beacon fire restored, he also returned. Upon witnessing the carnage and Wang Zhao now commanding the post, his face turned ashen and cold sweat drenched his back.
With over seventy to eighty percent of the garrison lost, the most severe blow was the death of the Gaochang envoys and the complete loss of tribute–a capital offense punishable by death.
“You, you, you–how could you abandon the post and flee? Dereliction of duty by a commander in wartime is a capital offense! Even if it meant dying at your station, you should’ve held the post!” Wang Zhao, long acquainted with him, could barely hide his frustration.
Lengquan Post’s commander collapsed into a chair, face gray and lifeless. “I panicked, Wang-xiong, I beg you, help me, what should I do?”
Wang Zhao frowned. “Tell me everything you saw yesterday–from the very beginning. Leave nothing out.”
A crowd of several hundred merchants had already gathered at the foot of Lengquan Post. Some had been lodging there for days; others had arrived yesterday with Kang Dolu’s caravan. Looking up at the scorched, blackened fortress walls and the blood-streaked chaos strewn across the ground, many had barely calmed their nerves before this harrowing scene rekindled their fear.
To make matters worse, the post’s gates were tightly guarded by grim-faced soldiers, weapons drawn. They refused to let survivors out of the city, nor did they allow the crowd outside to enter. Even access to Lake Mozi at the base of the post was barred–soldiers had encircled it completely, denying anyone so much as a step toward the water.
The crowd had already endured a day of torment. They had hoped that with the Turks gone, they could find rest within the fortress. But now, turned away at the gates, they clamored in protest. The blazing sun climbed ever higher. Hunger, thirst, and heat gnawed at them, and the weary travelers pressed closer to the gate, voices rising in pleas to the guards.
A sharp rasp of steel–“hwa-la!” –and the lead soldier drew his blade, holding it steady before him with a barked command: “Enough noise! All of you, wait quietly!”
A merchant stepped forward, voice hoarse and pleading: “Sir Soldier, we beg you, at least let us fetch some water. We’ve been running all night. Just a bit to drink–please.”
The soldier glanced at the dust-covered, desperate faces before him. After a low word to a comrade, a message was relayed inside the post. Not long after, two soldiers returned, carrying a single barrel of clean water. It was barely enough, each person was allowed one mouthful, just enough to quench their thirst.
With Lengquan Post sealed, the travelers had no choice but to camp at its base for the night. Guards and attendants gathered dry grass and scattered wood to start small fires. Women and children huddled around one another for comfort.
Young Daneng, now deeply attached to the sisterly girl who had saved his life, clung to Chun Tian’s side, chattering non-stop. His mother, filled with gratitude, doted on Chuntian as well, offering what little food she had to share.
Not far off, Li Wei stood watching, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a quiet smile as she was doubled over with laughter by the children jumping around her. He hadn’t realized, until now, how brightly she could laugh–how her eyes arched like crescent moons, her lips curled with joy. She looked nothing like the wounded, sorrowful girl from Ganzhou.
Mishinian strolled over to speak with him, following his gaze toward the laughing girl. Stroking his chin and beard, he chuckled: “Li Wei, your little sister’s not just pretty, she’s kind-hearted too. Who would’ve thought a delicate young lady like her could save a child and escape blade and arrow alike? She’s a special lady, absolutely extraordinary.”
Li Wei withdrew his gaze and sighed lightly. “She takes after her father.”
Mishinian noticed the look of tender concern on Li Wei’s face. He raised an eyebrow and asked with a knowing smile, “She’s not really your sister, is she? Doesn’t look like it to me.”
Li Wei shook his head and gave an awkward chuckle. “Calling her my sister just makes traveling easier. I’m only escorting her on the road. Let’s get a drink.”
By noon the next day, the situation inside Lengquan Post had been fully assessed. Wang Zhao climbed atop the watchtower. Below, a dense crowd of merchants had gathered at the foot of the wall. In a loud voice, he announced, “Travelers below: Lengquan Post has suffered an incursion by Turkic raiders, with heavy casualties. To prevent further infiltration and attacks, anyone wishing to enter the city must undergo document verification. If any part of your travel pass does not match, you will not be allowed entry.”
Travel passes, issued by clerks in each prefecture, recorded one’s appearance, age, departure and destination, number of animals and goods, names of servants and guarantors, making them difficult to forge. Most of the merchants had already lost their animals to the raiders. If each pass were to be strictly verified, more than half would no longer match. Some had even lost their documents entirely.
Voices rose from the crowd below the wall:
“Sir, if we’re still required to present passes, we’re doomed! We lost everything in the attack yesterday, how could we possibly still have our papers? Even if someone kept theirs, the animals and goods listed are either stolen or gone. You’re forcing us to die out here. There’s nothing but desert and wind–no food, no water. Do you mean for us to perish on the road?”
But Wang Zhao had anticipated this. “If your travel pass is lost or no longer matches, I will send soldiers to escort you back to Yumen Pass. There, every entry and exit is recorded. Tell the garrison officer the day, the names, and what was lost. If it matches the records, you can verify your identity and receive a new pass. You’ll then be allowed to continue your journey.”
The crowd mulled it over, then slowly nodded in agreement:
“That works. That’s fair. It’ll take a few more days, but at least it’s a safe solution.”
Chun Tian quietly glanced at Li Wei. Just then, his eyes met hers. Both had slipped past Yumen Pass without official papers, neither had a travel pass. And going back to Yumen Pass to request one wasn’t even an option.
Her brows knit together. She bit her lip and silently asked with her eyes: “What do we do?”
Li Wei crossed his arms and deliberated for a moment before saying quietly, “Let’s wait a little longer and see.”
Afterward, Wang Zhao turned to the crowd to ask about the previous day’s raid on the caravan. “Was it truly the Turks who attacked you? What did they look and sound like?”
The merchants all spoke at once. Several of Kang Dolu’s bodyguards had engaged the attackers and answered, “There were about a hundred of them–big men, hair tied in braids, broad-faced, high cheekbones, earlobes pierced, long blades and animal teeth at their waists. They spoke Turkic. From their appearance and dress, there’s no doubt they were Turks. Judging by their weapons, they weren’t ordinary nomads, they were Turkish soldiers.”
Wang Zhao heard the same from others and collected several testimonies before ordering the gates of the post to open. One by one, merchants were admitted only after strict verification of their travel passes.
Kang Dolu’s pass listed a large number of pack animals, most of which had now been looted. His records no longer matched, so he too was denied entry to the post.
Though Wang Zhao and Kang Dolu were acquaintances, the former acted with caution. He dared not let him into the post but also didn’t want to offend him, so he arranged for felt tents, hot water, food, and wine to be brought outside the gates, asking Kang Dolu to stay camped there a few more days.
Mishinian had originally hoped to help Li Wei get into the post, but seeing that even the great Sabao was barred, he could only offer Li Wei a wry smile. “Commander Wang has always been an easygoing man, gentle and agreeable. Today he’s like a different person. Why so strict?”
Li Wei replied calmly, “Look at all the soldiers guarding Lake Mozi. They won’t let anyone near the water. Anyone whose pass doesn’t match is being escorted back to Yumen Pass for investigation. I suspect someone in your caravan was a spy–using the chaos of the raid as cover to help the Turks from within. They likely snuck in during the turmoil to start the fire. That spy might still be among the travelers. Commander Wang cutting off the water is to flush them out.”
Mishinian drew in a sharp breath. “If that’s the case, this is serious. What will you do, then? Should we just bypass Lengquang and head straight to Kujing Post?”
Li Wei spoke slowly, “Now that Lengquan Post is in chaos, do you think the other beacon posts are any better? The Yiwu Route definitely won’t be peaceful in the coming days. Normally, the ten beacon posts kept everything tightly controlled, but now? Every bandit and cutthroat lurking along the road will seize this moment of disorder to make their move.”
The westbound road carried precious cargo–silks, spices, tea, rhubarb, jewels–and was always crawling with bandits, like mosquitoes clinging to the backs of pack mules. You could swat and swat, but never rid yourself of them. Some merchants even harbored greed for their fellows’ goods, turning on their own to kill and steal.
The Yiwu Route had seen a few years of relative peace thanks to the ten outposts’ vigilance, but after Lengquan Post was burned, there was no telling how many outlaw dens or rogue traders would use the chaos to stir up trouble.
Just as Li Wei had predicted, the next morning at first light, another group of weary travelers stumbled toward Lengquan Post–two or three dozen Han merchants, covered in blood and dust, wild-eyed and frantic, collapsing at the gates crying for help.
Those already gathered below the fortress were shaken, alarmed that yet another caravan had been attacked. The sense that the entire region was descending into chaos began to settle in.
Wang Zhao had the new group brought forward. They were clearly battered and wounded, claiming they had been a caravan returning from Beiting to Hexi, having just departed Kujing Post, only to be ambushed in the middle of the night.
“A few Turks, they took our pack animals and killed many of our people. We barely escaped with our lives.”
The merchants and travelers at Lengquan Post were once again thrown into panic.
“Those damned Turks again? Now they’ve moved on to looting Kujing Post too? Are they trying to start a war with the court?!”
Wang Zhao called for clarification. “Tell us, what did these attackers look like? How many were there?”
“There were about a dozen. It was dark, and we were trying to cover more ground by traveling at night. Suddenly a group charged down from behind a dune, we couldn’t see clearly, but they were mounted on tall horses, hair tied up, wearing armor, swinging long blades, and shouting in Turkic. That armor… it was the kind only Turkish warriors wear.”
But this group of Turks seemed completely different from the ones who had attacked Lengquan Post.
Following protocol, Wang Zhao allowed those with intact travel papers into the city and had the rest remain at the base of the fortress, providing them with drinking water and preparing to escort them to Yumen Pass for formal record checks. Meanwhile, soldiers were secretly stationed on the ramparts, keeping close watch for any signs of mischief, theft, or escape attempts among the travelers below.
TN: Hi everyone!! Super snowy and cold out where I live, so I’ve been holed up working remotely at home. Hope everyone stays safe and has a good week!
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Twin Dragons Translations 