Chongliguan, the most formidable pass in the Ning Dynasty.

From the capital, heading north, a swift horse could reach it in three days.

Further north, beyond the Damashan mountains, lay Fengshengzhou in Jing Dynasty’s Xijing Dao. The nearest Jing Dynasty city was Baidadan City in Fengshengzhou, about two hundred li away.

On the official road south of Chongliguan, a merchant caravan slowly appeared on the horizon. The mules in the隊 had铜铃 on their necks, jingling incessantly.

Chen Ji, riding Zaozao, walked beside the caravan and tossed a铜板 to a man leading a mule: “Brother, are you all going to Jing Dynasty to do business?”

The man, his face weathered with sun and wind, threw the铜板 into the satchel on his shoulder: “How could that be? To get out of Chongliguan, you need a通关文牒, and that thing requires extraordinary connections.”

Chen Ji was curious: “Then where are you transporting these goods?”

The man remained silent.

Chen Ji smiled and threw another铜板. Only then did the man reply: “These are all transported to the military market of Chongliguan, everything from needles and thread to fine wine and smoked meat.”

Chen Ji looked back at the end of the mule train. Dozens of mules also carried women, who sat sideways with heads bowed, their heads and upper bodies tightly wrapped in large blue scarves, revealing only their eyes.

He tossed another铜板 to the man: “Are these military dependents or…?”

The man grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth: “Sir, you jest. Why ask what you already know?”

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow and threw another铜板: “Chongliguan doesn’t manage this? I heard the Three Imperial Camps have strict military discipline. How can they allow such things?”

The man tucked the铜板 into his satchel and said with a smile: “Sir, you don’t even know this? The Three Imperial Camps usually train in Xuanhua Prefecture. Normally, only the夜不收爺爺們 from various departments are outside the pass. Others won’t go to Chongliguan unless there’s a war.”

Chen Ji let out an “oh.”

He had often heard people say that the Three Imperial Camps were stationed below Chongliguan, and he thought these three京营 had always stayed inside Chongliguan. It turned out they were only in Xuanhua Prefecture, a hundred li away.

Chen Ji asked curiously: “Brother, how many people are usually inside Chongliguan?”

The man suddenly became wary, cautiously sizing up Chen Ji, then confidently declared: “Chongliguan usually holds thirty thousand troops. If Jing Dynasty bandits come, they will surely not return… By the way, sir, what are you doing in Chongliguan?”

Chen Ji casually replied: “I’m coming to Chongliguan to be a夜不收.”

The man scrutinized him: “夜不收? Sir, you’re not joking with me, are you?”

Chen Ji said with interest: “Then what do you think I’m here for?”

The man looked at Chen Ji’s attire, then at Zaozao beneath him: “You look like a young master from the capital, traveling.”

Chen Ji smiled and said no more. He slowed his horse, following beside a carriage in the middle of the caravan to shield himself from the wind and sand.

Chen Ji had not told anyone about his departure from the capital. He set off immediately after receiving the document from the Ministry of War, but Zhang Zheng still intercepted him at the city gate and gave him Zaozao.

He originally didn’t want to accept it, but Zhang Zheng said that without a good horse, one couldn’t be a夜不收.

Chongliguan, which should have been reached in three days by swift horse, took Chen Ji twelve days with the caravan, stopping and starting. By the time he arrived, it was already the first day of the fourth lunar month.

After noon, he saw in the distance a stretch of the Great Wall winding through the towering mountains, like a giant dragon disappearing among the peaks. Each mountaintop had a烽火墩台, on which the red旌旗 of the Great Ning Dynasty fluttered in the mountain wind.

Chongliguan was like a massive gate of青石 embedded in the valley between two mountains, towering a hundred zhang, blocking the Jing Dynasty’s inevitable path south.

Chen Ji, following the caravan, saw dense yellow tents scattered outside the pass before even reaching Chongliguan. Men and women moved among them, and hundreds of plumes of cooking smoke rose into the sky, drifting into the distance.

The caravan entered the military market, and countless people flocked forward. Someone loudly asked: “Did you bring wine?”

The merchant laughed and loudly replied: “Brought some, brought some!”

Someone else shouted from the periphery of the crowd: “I want tea bricks!”

The merchant, leading a mule, said: “Don’t rush, don’t rush. We brought a lot of goods this time, everyone will get some. After you’ve all taken your share, I’ll return to the capital the day after tomorrow. I need to make a few more trips before入伏, otherwise, once入伏, the mules will walk much slower.”

Chen Ji ignored the others and led Zaozao through the military market alone.

The tents here stretched for a li, most of them crude. Only a few large tents, covered with felt, stood out like cranes among chickens.

The women previously carried by the mules were all sent into these large tents.

Chen Ji arrived in front of Chongliguan, its south gate wide open.

In front of the gate stood three layers of拒马, and behind them, twenty city guards stood holding long spears.

Before Chen Ji could step forward, the man he had previously questioned emerged from the side, pointed at Chen Ji and shouted: “Gentlemen of the military, this fellow has been asking about matters inside Chongliguan all the way here, and kept asking me how many defenders are inside the pass. He is probably an enemy spy!”

“Oh, and by the way,” the man added, “he doesn’t even know that the Three Imperial Camps are usually stationed in Xuanhua Prefecture!”

The city guards’ expressions changed upon hearing this. They immediately climbed over the拒马 and surrounded Chen Ji.

Chen Ji looked around, at the cold glint on the spear tips: “A misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” The centurion guarding the city said solemnly: “Why are you inquiring about matters inside Chongliguan? What are your intentions?”

The man beside them shouted: “Military sirs, quickly seize him and interrogate him thoroughly! You’ll surely get something out of him!”

Chen Ji took out a document from his懷: “General, I am Chen Ji, a小旗官 from Chongliguan Weisuo, from the capital. This is my路引 and the Ministry of War document. Please check them.”

The centurion took the document with suspicion, but saw that the envelope was sealed with the Ministry of War’s fire wax, inscribed with “咨崇礼关卫所总兵张澜津.”

An unsealed Ministry of War document was not something just anyone could see.

The centurion thought for a moment and handed the document to his colleague beside him: “Take this to General Zhang for verification.”

A soldier ran into the pass.

The centurion looked Chen Ji up and down. When he saw the boots on Chen Ji’s feet, he suddenly understood: “Another one wearing皂靴 coming to Chongliguan to ‘gild himself’.”

Chen Ji lowered his head and looked at his own皂靴, then at the soldiers’ feet. They were all wearing straw sandals, their insteps and toes exposed to the cold wind, their feet frozen black and blue.

The centurion sneered, pointing at Chen Ji: “Search him! Don’t let a single Jing Dynasty spy into the pass!”

Chen Ji did not resist, dutifully spreading his arms, allowing the city guards to thoroughly frisk him.

The centurion then said: “Take off your boots!”

Chen Ji took off his boots in front of everyone.

A city guard drew a dagger, cut open the sole of the boot, then cut open the boot’s lining, and only after confirming there were no hidden items did he throw it aside.

The centurion still felt it wasn’t enough, so he personally stepped in, using his dagger to peel open the seams of Chen Ji’s clothes, tearing them into tatters.

Chen Ji showed no anger: “Does the general inspect everyone so thoroughly?”

The centurion said gruffly: “Yes, it’s better to be thorough.”

Chen Ji smiled and replied: “Indeed, it’s better to be thorough.”

The centurion froze for a moment. He had already guessed that Chen Ji was a young master from the capital, so he wanted to vent some anger before Chen Ji presented his documents and revealed his identity. Once the documents were confirmed, such actions would be inappropriate.

But he looked at Chen Ji’s face and found that Chen Ji truly wasn’t angry.

At this moment, the soldier who had gone to deliver the documents ran back panting: “The general said it’s real.”

The informant cursed his luck and turned to walk into the military market: “Who knows where this bumpkin came from. I thought I could get a reward.”

At this time, the city centurion said calmly: “Did the general give any other instructions?”

A soldier whispered beside him: “The general said there’s no need to take him to the official yamen. We should directly send someone to take him to the Qianhu Office in front of Xuanfu, find a place to dump him, just don’t let him die on our territory.”

The city centurion understood the unspoken meaning upon hearing this. He looked at Zaozao, whom Chen Ji was leading, and praised: “A good horse. I just don’t know if the man can live up to the horse. Come on, I’ll take you to the Qianhu Office in front of Xuanfu. Settle down there as a小旗, and don’t run around unnecessarily.”

Chen Ji sincerely said: “Sir, I am here to be a夜不收.”

The city guards were stunned by this, then looked at each other, and finally burst into laughter: “You? A夜不收?”

Chen Ji was puzzled: “Wasn’t it written in the Ministry of War document?”

The soldier who had gone to deliver the documents laughed: “The document only says you’re to come to Chongliguan as a小旗官, it doesn’t say you’re to be a夜不收. Besides, what kind of official position is夜不收? Why haven’t we seen it in any document?”

夜不收 was a commonly known term, but it wasn’t written that way in official documents. It could only be noted as a proper official title: Chongliguan Weisuo, Xiaoqi, Chen Ji.

So in the document from the Ministry of War, it only stated that he was to come to Chongliguan as a小旗, but didn’t say he was to be a夜不收. This was the subtle trick of the civil officials; everything the emperor instructed was handled according to regulations, but this particular matter just couldn’t be accomplished.

The centurion patted his shoulder, his tone softening slightly: “Lad, a夜不收 needs to be skilled in archery and horsemanship, and have experienced many battles. There are too many people in Chongliguan who want to be a夜不收; it’s not something you can become just because you want to. The总兵 and副总兵 must approve it. Besides, being a夜不收 is a tough job. You young masters from noble families can’t endure such hardships, so it’s for your own good that you’re not allowed to be one. Come with me, I’ll arrange for you to go to the Qianhu Office in front of Xuanfu first.”

Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then smiled and agreed: “Alright.”

The centurion walked into the pass. Chen Ji looked at the torn皂靴 on the ground, and just like that, he followed, walking barefoot on the cold stone slab road.

He led Zaozao through the city gate arch, and was immediately enveloped by a massive shadow. The pass was so towering it blocked the sunlight, and the entire inside of Chongliguan was gloomy.

The centurion looked back at him and casually instructed: “If you want to earn enough military merits to return to the capital early, go find Hong Zuer and Zhang Baishi to buy ears from them. They have plenty, probably enough for you to get promoted to Qianhu and return to enjoy your life. Although the price isn’t cheap, it saves you from suffering and dying yourself.”

Chen Ji asked curiously: “Who are Hong Zuer and Zhang Baishi?”

“夜不收.”