Chen Ji leaned against the railing on the second floor of the restaurant, quietly watching Brother Pao raise his fists high in the crowd, not even breathing hard. For some reason, he also felt joy in his heart.

Outside the wrestling arena, the enforcers from Heji looked at each other, bewildered. They simply couldn’t understand how their own man was casually choked out and fell unconscious in a matter of seconds.

Furuixiang’s side pointed at the wrestler on the ground, loudly jeering, “Your Heji’s ‘Scraper Li’ even calls himself ‘General Conqueror of Fortune’! We’ve never seen a general lying on the ground!”

“General, it’s cold on the ground, don’t sleep! It’s two wins out of three throws, you still have one more match to fight!”

“Hahahahaha, what a load of rubbish, ‘General’! No need for the rest of the matches!”

The Heji enforcers glared angrily at them, suddenly drawing axes and iron rulers from their waists. “What the hell are you saying? Have you forgotten how we’ve been suppressing you for years?”

Furuixiang’s men also drew daggers from their waists and pushed forward. “A true hero doesn’t boast about past glory! Your Heji uses too many dirty tricks outside the arena; all fighting gang members should shun you!”

Both sides were on the verge of violence, their curses bringing them closer and closer until the Heji and Furuixiang enforcers were practically nose-to-nose, spitting as they yelled.

Not far away, customers from Shi’s Tripe Stall came out, bowls in hand, eating and watching the commotion. A steamed cake vendor rushed over with his carrying pole, and the old man who had been watching the red-tasseled spear performance earlier hurried over, losing one of his straw sandals along the way. Even folk acrobats, who loved a good show, stopped their own business and began beating drums from a distance, as if two armies were about to clash.

Upstairs in the restaurant, a waiter approached Chen Ji and asked, “Sir, what kind of tea would you like?”

Without turning his head, Chen Ji politely declined, “I don’t drink tea. I’m just here to watch the excitement.”

The waiter smiled and said, “Sir, the spot you’re standing in is the best place in our restaurant to watch the wrestling. If you’re not ordering tea, please consider moving.”

Chen Ji turned to look at him. “How many coppers for a pot of tea and a plate of melon seeds?”

The waiter, with a white cloth draped over his shoulder, smiled and replied, “Six hundred coppers.”

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you just rob me? Six hundred coppers can buy a dozen chickens!”

The waiter also raised an eyebrow. “Sir, that’s a bit stingy to say. This railing spot is specifically for watching wrestling. How can one watch for free without ordering tea?”

Before he finished speaking, someone not far away asked with a laugh, “Young brother, which side are you supporting?”

Chen Ji looked and saw a young man, about twenty-eight or twenty-nine, sitting at an eight-immortals table. Beside him stood a robust man holding a saber, making the young man appear quite aristocratic. He thought for a moment and replied, “Furuixiang.”

The young man smiled and said, “Then we are friends. Waiter, bring this young brother a pot of Longjing tea and four kinds of pastries and preserves, put it on my tab.”

Chen Ji didn’t decline. He cupped his hands across two tables and said, “Thank you.”

The young man no longer paid attention to him, turning back to look downstairs. “Furuixiang has been suppressed by Heji for so many years, and they’ve finally turned the tables. But the ‘protection money’ collected from Li Shamao Alley alone is over a thousand taels of silver a month. It’s likely that even though Heji lost the wrestling match, they won’t give up easily.”

Chen Ji’s heart stirred. Businesses in the outer city… make so much money?

He turned his head back to look. Brother Pao was indeed sharp; he had already exited the arena. The short and sturdy Erdao was putting a black short jacket on him. The two, one tall and one short, hid outside the circle, watching the commotion.

Chen Ji silently pondered. Last time, he had only just approached before the other party immediately fled. If he appeared rashly again this time, he might scare them away again. What should he do?

As he pondered, the argument in the wrestling arena by Tianqiao grew more intense. Hundreds of ‘enforcers’ crowded together, a major conflict on the verge of breaking out.

The old man who had been presiding over the wrestling earlier cleared his throat, and the two factions, Heji and Furuixiang, suddenly separated.

A man from Furuixiang cupped his fists and said, “Elder Qi, according to our prior agreement, the ‘protection money’ from Li Shamao Alley will belong to Furuixiang from now on.”

Elder Qi nodded and hummed in acknowledgment, “That’s what was agreed.”

Someone from Heji said coldly, “Don’t tell me you invited an ‘official’ here, did you? Our fighting gangs’ wrestling arenas don’t allow ‘officials’. If anyone brings an ‘official’, they’ll face three knives and six holes. Elder Qi, please identify whether this person is an ‘official’.”

Elder Qi shook his head. “Whether someone is an ‘official’ is evident from their first move. This Brother Pao, a traveling performer who came to the capital, indeed has peerless wrestling skills and won by skill.”

With that, the skinny Elder Qi announced loudly, “Today, my Sanshan Association was entrusted by Furuixiang’s gang leader Zhu Guan and Heji’s gang leader Wang Huan to preside over fairness here. Since Furuixiang has won, from tonight onwards, the protection money from Li Shamao Alley will be collected by Furuixiang.”

A burst of cheers erupted from Furuixiang’s side. The middle-aged gang leader named Zhu Guan looked for Brother Pao in the crowd. “Chongzi, come here!”

Brother Pao put on his clothes, fastened the buttons, and cupped his fists, saying, “Gang leader.”

Zhu Guan said with a smile, “What I promised you earlier: if you could take control of Li Shamao Alley, the protection money from this alley would be collected by you. Seventy percent of the profits go back to the guild, and the remaining thirty percent is for you to reward your brothers.”

Brother Pao calmly said, “Thank you, gang leader.”

Zhu Guan laughed heartily. “Today, you’ve established yourself as a ‘pillar’ in Li Shamao Alley! From now on, you’ll be someone of note at the foot of the Imperial City!”

Upon hearing the words “establish a pillar,” the wrestling arena suddenly fell silent.

The young man upstairs sighed regretfully, “This Brother Pao seems as steady as an old hand, but in the end, he’s still an outsider.”

The guard beside the young man casually said, “Master, the money from Li Shamao Alley might be a bit hot to handle.”

The young man smiled. “Of course it’s hot. Heji has controlled the Eight Great Alleys for about seven years now, right? Although Li Shamao Alley isn’t as good as Baishun Alley, the protection money it collects is significantly more than Yanzhi Alley, Shitou Alley, or Shanzhou Lane… How could Heji genuinely spit out such a juicy piece of meat just because of one wrestling match? But then again, none of this matters to that Brother Pao. He won’t live past tonight.”

The guard whispered, “Master, should I try to recruit this Brother Pao? Protect him a bit?”

The young man shook his head. “No, no. We mustn’t interfere. If discovered, impeachment memorials against me would fly everywhere again.”

At this point, Chen Ji no longer cared about anything else and curiously asked the young man, “Excuse me, may I ask why this Brother Pao won’t live past tonight?”

The young man was raising a wine cup to his lips. Hearing this, the hand holding the cup suddenly paused, and he said meaningfully, “Young brother, you’re not from the capital, are you?”

Chen Ji politely replied, “I’ve only just arrived.”

The young man laughed. “Then let me tell you. The fighting gangs in the outer city are divided into seven factions: four belong to Heji, and three to Furuixiang. And these fighting gangs have their own rules.”

Chen Ji inquired, “What rules?”

The young man pointed to the seat next to him. “Come over, have a drink, and we can talk?”

Chen Ji walked over and sat down but didn’t drink. Instead, he pushed the wine cup back. “Sorry, drinking leads to mistakes. I’ve quit alcohol.”

The young man didn’t mind, drinking another cup himself. “The rules for fighting gangs are more numerous than those for street hangers-on. For example, if someone from the ‘lower nine trades’ from outside the city comes to the capital, they must first present a visiting card to the Sanshan Association before they can make a living on Tianqiao. You see those performers on Tianqiao, whether they’re knife throwers, stone breakers, or jar carriers, they’ve all presented their visiting cards.”

The young man slowly poured another small cup of wine. “Then there’s the rule of ‘establishing a pillar.’ ‘Establishing a pillar’ means declaring to all fighting gangs that from now on, you are also a prominent figure, no longer just an enforcer. But once you ‘establish a pillar,’ all seven fighting gangs can come to challenge you. Before fighting, they must let you have three moves first. This is called the ‘Beijing lord’s magnanimity.'”

Chen Ji was puzzled. “Doesn’t giving three moves mean immediately conceding defeat?”

The young man laughed. “But they have too many people! Tonight, the four Heji fighting gangs, hundreds of men, will surely scour the city looking for trouble with Brother Pao. They’ll come in waves; even an ‘official’ wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Chen Ji frowned. “Then why did he ‘establish a pillar’? That’s truly unwise.”

The young man smiled mysteriously. “This is Zhu Guan setting him up, knowing he’s an outsider who doesn’t understand the rules. Zhu Guan is notoriously intolerant of others’ talent. He’s probably worried that Brother Pao staying in Furuixiang would steal his thunder, so he deliberately had him ‘establish a pillar’ in front of everyone, playing a trick of ‘discarding the mill after the donkey is used’ and ‘killing with a borrowed knife.’ Young brother, this rule was originally set to exclude outsiders.”

Chen Ji lowered his gaze. Rules, always rules.

Chen Ji didn’t understand. “Brother Pao is from Furuixiang. What good does it do Zhu Guan to set him up?”

The young man laughed. “You don’t understand this, do you? If someone in the underworld can’t keep their subordinates in check, they’ll be overthrown in a couple of years. Do you think those ‘lower nine trades’ value loyalty? All they think about is how to make money and how to sleep with other men’s wives. Zhu Guan has managed to stay as Furuixiang’s manager for fourteen years precisely because of his ‘jealousy of talent.’ Of course, that’s also why Furuixiang has been suppressed by Heji.”

Chen Ji quietly asked, “Since Zhu Guan is the manager, who is his backer? Why would they allow him to betray his own people?”

The young man shook his head, calmly picking up a cup of wine. “I don’t know that.”

Chen Ji then asked, “Then, may I ask, what is the Sanshan Association?”

The young man laughed heartily. “The Sanshan Association is a ‘crossing-the-river dragon’ that emerged in the last ten years or so. They don’t collect ‘protection money’ themselves, only operating their own security escort services, taverns, brothels, and inns. As for why they can preside over such matters… naturally, it’s because they have the biggest fists and employ some retired soldiers.”

Saying this, the young man pointed to Elder Qi downstairs. “Look, that’s Elder Du Qi, the manager of the Sanshan Association. In his early years, he served in the Myriad Year Army. Later, he lost an ear and two fingers and left the army. With his Myriad Year Army background, he’s naturally the toughest around the Imperial City.”

Chen Ji nodded. No wonder the members of the Sanshan Association had disabilities; they were veterans from the army.

The young man scrutinized him with interest. “I sense a bloody aura about you, young brother. Could it be that you’ve just come from the army? If you’re looking for a place to join, the Sanshan Association is most suitable. Go to Baishun Alley and find a ‘qingyin’ courtesan house called ‘White Jade Garden.’ Elder Du Qi is usually there.”

As they spoke, the wrestling match ended, and Brother Pao and Erdao walked north. Chen Ji cupped his hands to the young man, bid farewell, and went downstairs to follow them.

The young man raised his wine cup and drained the clear liquid in one gulp. The guard beside him bent down and said, “Master, that young man is probably an ‘official’.”

The young man smiled as he put down the wine cup. “There are plenty of ‘officials’ in the heart of this empire. One more or one less doesn’t make a difference. Don’t be so startled.”

Chen Ji walked along Zhengyangmen Street, occasionally dodging oncoming pedestrians, his gaze steadily fixed on Brother Pao and Erdao ahead, through the crowd.

Brother Pao had his black short jacket draped over his shoulder, while Erdao carried a bulging white satchel on his back, the contents unknown. Several thieves tried to pick Erdao’s satchel, but all were caught by him. Erdao was about to break the thief’s hand when Brother Pao stopped him with a smile. “It’s not easy for anyone. We’re happy today, so let’s not hit them.”

With that, Brother Pao even pulled out two coppers from his sleeve and tossed them to the thief. “Now scram.”

The thief took the two coppers, grinning cheekily. “Brother Pao is righteous! I wish Brother Pao success in establishing his name!”

Brother Pao laughed and swore, “Now get lost!”

The two found a roadside wonton stall and ate a full twelve bowls of wontons, the ceramic bowls stacked like a small mountain on the table.

After eating, the two were not in a hurry to leave. Brother Pao sat in front of the stall, while Erdao, on his own initiative, took out a dry pipe from his satchel, filled it with tobacco for Brother Pao, and lit it.

Brother Pao took a drag, letting the smoke swirl in his lungs before slowly exhaling. He watched the sun set, his mood seeming a little low. “Erdao, do you miss home?”

Erdao hummed, “Yes.”

Brother Pao tapped off the ash with the sole of his shoe, sighing. “We’ve finally established ourselves in the capital, but it still feels like something’s missing, it’s boring.”

With that, he got up and walked towards the Eight Great Alleys, short-changing the owner by ten coppers as he left.

The owner chased after them from his stall. “Hey, you ate twelve bowls, why are you ten coppers short?”

Brother Pao turned back and pointed at the wooden sign next to the stall. “Next time I eat here, if I find you’ve mixed random meat into the wontons again, I’ll overturn your stall. Now scram.”

The owner recoiled.

As dusk settled, the two got up and walked towards the Eight Great Alleys. Outside Zhengyangmen Gate, carriages were driving out from the inner city, heading straight for the Eight Great Alleys.

Going to Baishun Alley to find ‘clean courtesans’ for music, or to Hanjia Tan Alley to find ‘male actors’ for opera – these were the favorites of the inner city’s gentry. Li Shamao Alley, however, was a famous ‘backdoor brothel,’ specializing in business for the lower classes, filled with poor prostitutes.

Brother Pao led Erdao leisurely into Li Shamao Alley. He looked at the narrow alley, wide enough for only three people to walk abreast, and heard the melodious voices of women from the two-story buildings. He suddenly sighed, “Erdao, I’ve finally carved out a place for us brothers to settle down and make a living.”

Erdao looked around at the green bricks and grey tiles on both sides and the red lanterns filling the street. “Live here?”

Brother Pao retorted irritably, “Of course not here! This is where we brothers make our money. Once we’ve saved enough, I’ll take you to Panjiayuan or Liulichang to find a way into becoming ‘officials.’ Then we’ll be respected ‘official lords’ too.”

Erdao simply said, “Oh.”

As they spoke, a man rushed out of the alley, followed by a woman behind him, fastening her buttons and shouting, “Catch him, this shameless scoundrel isn’t paying!”

As the man passed Brother Pao, Brother Pao casually grabbed his collar and forcefully yanked him back. “Erdao, slap him.”

Erdao asked curiously, “To what extent should I slap him?”

Brother Pao sneered, “Slap him until he pays. I’m not a good person, but I can’t stand scum who bully women, children, and old people.”

He held the man, and Erdao swung his thick hands, slapping left and right, until the man begged for mercy, “I’ll pay, I’ll pay!”

The man pulled a string of coppers from his pocket and threw it to Brother Pao, who then handed it to the woman who had arrived. The woman, around thirty with heavy makeup, thanked him profusely.

Brother Pao waved his hand. “Don’t mention it. From now on, Li Shamao Alley is under my control. No one will bully you.”

Just then, rapid footsteps came from the end of Li Shamao Alley. Four or five men, holding axes, pointed from a distance. “There he is!”

Brother Pao’s expression grew cold. He looked back behind him, seeing four or five armed men blocking the path there as well. He threw the black short jacket he was holding onto the ground, stretching his shoulders and neck. “You bet and now you won’t concede? By the rules, this Li Shamao Alley belongs to my Furuixiang.”

The axe-wielding man sneered, “It doesn’t matter who Li Shamao Alley belongs to. But since you ‘established a pillar,’ you must die tonight! According to our Beijing fighting gang rules, we’ll let you have three moves first!”

Brother Pao strode towards the man. “Does your father need you to ‘let’ him?”

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens more men appeared from behind the Heji enforcers, a dense, terrifying mass. Brother Pao turned and ran. “Erdao, run!”