Beside the official road, Chen Ji stared blankly at the two unfamiliar figures. They were leading an ox cart, entering Mengjin Pass with a large group, completely unaware of the intense gaze fixed upon their backs.

The two escorts were burly, one tall and one short. The taller one seemed more relaxed, like an experienced veteran; the shorter one spoke with a muffled voice and acted meticulously.

Before today, Chen Ji had never seen what they looked like, yet he found them incredibly familiar.

To be precise, it was their manner of speaking that struck him as particularly familiar.

Er Dao, Pao Ge. These were two people Chen Ji had believed he would never see again in this lifetime.

Their appearances had changed, making Chen Ji unsure if his guess was correct. What if there really was someone else in the world who spoke exactly like Er Dao?

Yet, the yearning to reunite with old acquaintances in a foreign land made him want to chase after them immediately and get a clear answer.

But after just a few steps, Chen Ji slowly stopped.

He stood in the biting wind, taking several deep breaths, letting the icy air fill his lungs. This helped him clear his head a little.

Chen Ji, leading Zaozao, braved the cold wind and passed through the city gate arch, catching up to the two men. He smiled and asked, “Are you two escorts from the Liang Escort Agency?”

The taller escort turned to Chen Ji and replied with a polite smile, “That’s right, we both work for Escort Leader Liang.”

Chen Ji casually asked, “What are your names?”

The shorter escort was about to answer but was subtly pulled back by the taller one.

The taller escort, still pulling the ox cart, introduced them as they walked. “To answer your question, esteemed sir, you can call me A-Da, and my brother here is A-Si. We are four cousins in our family; I’m the eldest, and he’s the fourth.”

A-Da looked Chen Ji up and down. “And you are?”

Chen Ji smiled and said, “I am Chen San, the third son of the Chen family. My elders have recently been transferred to official positions in the capital, so our entire family is moving there. By the way, A-Da and A-Si are your nicknames, aren’t they? What are your full names?”

A flicker of vigilance appeared in A-Da’s eyes, yet he smiled as he replied, “So you are the Third Young Master of the Chen Estate. My apologies for not recognizing you. For small folk like us, living in the mud, using nicknames helps us live longer. A fortune teller once told our parents that our lives are humble, and using our proper names might be too much for us to bear, so it’s better not to mention them.”

The more cautious the other party was, the more Chen Ji wanted to get to the bottom of things.

Leading Zaozao, he walked alongside them, striking up a casual conversation. “As escorts, you must have traveled to many places, right? I haven’t traveled far myself yet, so I wonder if you could share some stories of your travels to broaden my horizons.”

A-Da’s fingers suddenly tightened. “What would the young master like to hear about?”

Chen Ji smiled and asked, “First, tell me about all the places you’ve been.”

A-Da chuckled, “We just returned from Runan. How about I tell you about Runan? It’s a beautiful place, surrounded by water on all sides, and the county seat resembles a gourd scoop floating in a lake…”

Chen Ji suddenly asked, “Besides Runan, where else have you delivered escorts before?”

A-Da and A-Si instinctively exchanged a glance, but A-Da continued speaking without pause, “Previously, we delivered someone to Jincheng—it was the second young master of the Qiao family, a merchant from Jin. That trip was quite dangerous, with mountains and many bandits along the way. Oh, and we also went to Jinling, where we were responsible for escorting the silver of Master Yao from Luocheng…”

Chen Ji’s interest was piqued. “I haven’t been to Jinling yet. I’ve heard that the Qinhuai River there is full of singing girls, and at night, it’s lit up like a firework display. Is that true?”

A-Da also became interested. “Absolutely! The Qinhuai River is incredibly lively at night. Both banks are bustling with activity and merchants. There are gilded pavilions, varying greatly in height; taverns and tea houses hum with merriment, songs last through the night, and there’s a constant buzz of wine and revelry. On the river, the larger boats are called ‘Zoucang,’ and the smaller ones ‘Tenpeng.’ They hang bright horn lanterns, and women sit beneath them playing the pipa. Those women, with their graceful figures and faces veiled by thin gauze, are hard to make out from a distance… It’s a pity my brother and I are short on money and couldn’t ask them to row their boats closer.”

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, then curiously asked, “I heard that the Imperial Academy on the south bank of the Qinhuai River is very popular, and many scholars and stipendiary students visit it for blessings before the imperial examinations, as it’s said to be very effective.”

A-Da glanced at him. “Young master, you must be mistaken. The Imperial Academy is on the north bank, not the south bank.”

Chen Ji exclaimed, “Did I remember incorrectly? Is there a ‘Tianxia Wenyun’ (Literary Fortune of the World) archway in front of the Imperial Academy?”

A-Da chuckled, “Young master, your memory truly isn’t great. The archway in front of the Imperial Academy is called ‘Tianxia Wenshu’ (Literary Hub of the World), not ‘Tianxia Wenyun’!”

A-Da spoke fluently, clearly knowing the Qinhuai River like the back of his hand.

Chen Ji fell into deep thought. If A-Da and A-Si were indeed Er Dao and Pao Ge, they shouldn’t have personally visited Jinling. Why then could he describe it so perfectly?

Moreover, he had set two traps, and the other party had managed to easily evade both.

Was it truly just a coincidence?

Or perhaps Pao Ge was meticulous, and despite being a stranger to the area, he had filled in the gaps in his identity to avoid exposure? Chen Ji himself had previously checked the Secret Service archives for the same reason—to conceal his identity.

This A-Da had already shown a flaw.

Unlike later generations where everyone was literate, in these times, few people could read, and illiteracy was widespread. In professions like escorting, if you picked ten escorts, you’d be lucky to find one who was literate.

When A-Da described the Qinhuai River earlier, he spoke with a refined, almost literary tone, as if reciting a text. He even remembered the ‘Tianxia Wenshu’ archway. Could this be the knowledge of an ordinary escort?

A-Da and A-Si were definitely suspicious!

Chen Ji was tempted to ask them directly, “Are you Er Dao? Are you Pao Ge?”

But what then?

In his previous life, before his death, Pao Ge had expressed great admiration for him, lamenting that they hadn’t met sooner. But for Chen Ji to consider Pao Ge a good person based on that would be a grave mistake.

It was precisely because of Pao Ge’s notorious reputation in the underworld that Chen Ji had chosen him to be a crucial part of his plan.

Years ago, this man was a Sanda fighter who had killed someone in an illegal fight and was imprisoned. After his release, he followed a gang boss, dealing in loan sharking and specializing in violent debt collection. He had been to jail six or seven times. Eventually, he became a gang leader himself.

If someone like him knew Chen Ji’s true identity, there was no telling what might happen.

As he pondered, the caravan stopped at the Mengjin Courier Station. Under the setting sun, Escort Leader Liang waved his arm and shouted, “Don’t just stand there! Drive all the carts into the backyard. We’ll take turns eating a hot meal. Tonight, we’ll sleep in the woodshed and cow shed, keeping a close eye on the master’s goods!”

Seeing this, A-Da turned to Chen Ji and smiled, “Third Young Master, we must get to work. If you wish to hear more, you can find us after we’re done.”

Chen Ji cupped his hands and bowed. “Thank you for your trouble.”

A-Da and A-Si lowered their heads and entered the backyard. A-Si whispered, “Brother, didn’t you say all officials and nobles are bad people? I think this young master is quite nice.”

A-Da’s eyes were serious. “Someone who probes into everything is never just being friendly… I’m afraid our cover has been blown. Strange, where did we slip up?”

A-Si quietly asked, “Should we get rid of him?”

A-Da sighed and scratched his eyebrow in exasperation. “I’ve told you before, don’t always think about fighting and killing. You need to ‘tuck your tail between your legs’ and behave!”

A-Si looked back at his own backside, looking troubled.

A-Da sighed, “I was speaking metaphorically!”

A-Si asked, “So what do we do now?”

A-Da did not answer.

He stood in the backyard, gazing thoughtfully beyond the compound.

All courier stations in the Ning Dynasty were government-run, one of the largest military institutions, responsible for three main functions: ‘yi’ (courier), ‘zhan’ (station), and ‘pu’ (post).

‘Yi’ referred to verifying identity with a ‘postal token,’ hosting guests, arranging supplies, and transporting personnel.

‘Zhan’ meant verifying identity with a ‘Board of War dispatch token’ or ‘Secret Service plaque,’ and was exclusively for military use, handling urgent documents and military intelligence.

‘Pu’ was for regular official document transmission, managed by county magistrates and prefects.

The scale of the Mengjin Courier Station exceeded Chen Ji’s imagination. It was far beyond any ordinary inn; even a dozen inns combined wouldn’t be as large. For example, the most famous ‘Jimingshan Courier Station’ in the Ning Dynasty was even known as a ‘courier city,’ effectively a small town.

As dusk settled, Chen Ji settled Xiaoman in their accommodations and immediately went out to the backyard where the ox carts were parked. He walked among the carts for a long time, smelling the cow dung, but found no trace of A-Da and A-Si.

He called over Escort Leader Liang. “Escort Leader, where are A-Da and A-Si?”

Escort Leader Liang froze for a moment. “Third Young Master, who are A-Da and A-Si?”

Chen Ji’s heart sank. He lowered his voice, “They are the two escorts in your group who always stick together, one tall and one short. One of them speaks and acts very meticulously. Do you remember them?”

Escort Leader Liang’s expression changed. “Why are you asking about them, young master…? Did they offend you?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “No, not at all. I just had a good conversation with them on the road today and wanted to hear more about their travels.”

Escort Leader Liang visibly relaxed. “I see… In that case, I’ll help you find them.”

With that, he raised his voice and called out, “Daozi? Chongzi?”

He called for a long time, but there was no reply.

Escort Leader Liang grabbed an escort. “Have you seen Daozi and Chongzi?”

The escort, loudly slurping a bowl of buckwheat noodles, swallowed a mouthful and pointed with his chopsticks towards the courtyard gate. “They said they were going out to buy some wine.”

Escort Leader Liang asked, “How long ago did they leave?”

The escort thought for a moment. “Oh, it must have been an hour ago. The sky wasn’t even dark when they left. Why aren’t they back yet?”

Chen Ji looked out into the night beyond the courtyard, hesitating for a long time… They ran away?!