Volume One: The Inspector and the Examination Candidate Chapter Ten: The Great Search at Tongzhou Post Station

Shortly after dawn, as soon as the nightly curfew was lifted, Xu Yunzhi hurried to the Duke of Dingguo’s mansion.

The Xu family of Dingguo traced their lineage directly to Xu Da, the famed founding general of the Great Ming. After his death, he was posthumously granted the title Prince of Zhongshan. Both of his sons inherited ducal titles—one becoming the Duke of Wei in Nanjing, and the other, the present Duke of Dingguo in Beijing.

It could be said that the Xu family stood unrivaled among noble and meritorious houses throughout the two centuries of Ming rule, surpassed only by the imperial Zhu clan itself.

As one of the grandest mansions in the capital, the Duke of Dingguo’s residence was strictly off-limits to ordinary folk; even approaching the gates would earn a swift rebuke from the household retainers. Yet Xu Yunzhi entered with ease, her arrival promptly announced and granted passage.

This privilege was not merely due to her being of the Xu family’s collateral branch, but also because her uncle, the current Duke, regarded her with particular affection, treating her as if she were his own child.

Not long after Xu Yunzhi entered the mansion, a steward hurried out and made his way straight to the Northern Office of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The Duke believed that with his status, no matter if it was to plead for Xu Xingzhi or inquire about the details of the matter, it would be a simple affair.

Xu Wenxiang, the steward, shared this confidence. Yet the outcome defied his expectations.

“You’re telling me that the matter is of such importance that Commander Liu refuses to let me see him or Xu Xingzhi? And he won’t divulge any details?” Xu Wenxiang asked the centurion before him in disbelief.

“My apologies, Steward Xu,” the man replied, his tone apologetic but firm. “This case concerns the White Lotus Sect. Commander Liu gave strict instructions early on—none of us dare reveal a single word to outsiders.”

Seeing the man’s unwavering stance, Xu Wenxiang could only grunt in frustration and take his leave. The Embroidered Uniform Guard, though not as powerful as in years past, was not a force to be antagonized lightly.

All he could do was report everything honestly back to the Duke, leaving the final decision to him.

Unbeknownst to Steward Xu, even before he had arrived at the Northern Office, a detachment of the Guard, together with Ministry of Justice troops, had already donned disguises and, as soon as the city gates opened, set out in haste from Beijing toward South Tongzhou.

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It was once said in a well-known couplet of later generations: “South Tongzhou, North Tongzhou—north and south, all are Tongzhou, linking north and south. East Market, West Market—east and west, markets to buy things.” From this, one could see how vital and prosperous the two Tongzhou districts were, serving as the corridor and gateway to Beijing.

Compared to North Tongzhou, which dealt more with the northern frontiers, South Tongzhou was even more important and bustling, being closely connected to the more prosperous south and the throngs of travelers making their way to the capital.

When Huang Ming arrived with five hundred troops, he was met by a scene teeming with people, horses, and carriages—a place alive with movement and noise. People from all directions flowed in and out of this place, which was more like a large township than a county, and lacked any city walls. The sounds of human voices and beasts of burden filled the air, and a rough estimate put the crowd at several thousand.

Fortunately, they were not required to control the entire South Tongzhou—there simply weren’t enough men for that. Moreover, dressed in plain clothes, their numbers attracted little attention. To the locals, they likely looked no different from a group of court officials passing through on their way south.

Thus, when the whole detachment marched grandly toward the postal relay station, no one found it odd.

Only when the group fanned out, surrounding the post station as planned and blocking all guests coming in or out, did a ripple of unrest begin to spread.

At that moment, Liu Botao stepped forward, holding high the badge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to declare his identity. He shouted in a commanding voice, “The Embroidered Uniform Guard is here to apprehend a wanted criminal! All unrelated persons are to remain where they are—anyone who moves will be treated as an accomplice!”

As he spoke, Xu Xingzhi and Huang Bingkun led their men directly through the main gates, drawing their swords and pointing ahead. “Search thoroughly—leave no corner, not even a privy, unchecked!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than several people rushed out from within the station. At the forefront was a man dressed as an official, his face flushed with anxiety, shouting, “Who dares cause such chaos in my Tongzhou relay station? This is an establishment of the imperial court, under the feet of His Majesty himself—”

But as his gaze fell upon Xu Xingzhi, his expression changed in an instant. Xu Xingzhi, for his part, recognized him at once as the stationmaster—the very man who had negotiated with his family the previous night, luring him and his men outside the station.

A surge of anger rose in Xu Xingzhi’s heart. If not for your interference, would I have ended up in such dire straits?

Without a moment’s hesitation, he lunged forward, swinging his sheathed sword straight at the man’s chest. “Seize them all! Not a single one is to escape!”

The stationmaster never expected matters to escalate so quickly, and instinctively dodged to one side.

But Xu Xingzhi would not let him slip away. With a twist of his wrist, the blade turned sharply and struck again.

This time, the stationmaster faltered and took the blow squarely, letting out a wretched scream as he crashed to the ground. Several officers rushed up and expertly bound him.

The clerks and guards who had followed the stationmaster out, seeing how things stood, dared not resist and were promptly overpowered as well.

Everything happened so swiftly that Xu Xingzhi himself noticed nothing amiss, simply ordering the search to continue.

Only Huang Ming, standing coldly at the entrance, looked on with a discerning eye. He fixed a deep gaze on the stationmaster, committing the man’s image to memory.

With orders from their superiors, both the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Ministry of Justice troops set aside all hesitation and searched the premises with ruthless efficiency.

They kicked open courtyard and room doors, flashing swords and spears as they herded guests into the open for collective supervision, then went through every room, overturning trunks and chests in their search.

They left nothing unchecked—not just the guests’ belongings, but even the floors and walls were scrutinized with the thoroughness of seasoned investigators. Not a corner was overlooked.

The entire relay station was thrown into utter chaos, with shouts and curses ringing out incessantly. The residents and passersby of South Tongzhou grew increasingly nervous, having no idea what great matter had transpired.

Yet even with over a hundred men searching for more than an hour, turning the relay station inside out, the wanted criminal they sought was nowhere to be found.

Instead, several guests’ identities were gradually clarified—two of whom turned out to be high-ranking officials. Furious, they marched up to Liu Botao and his cohort, berating them loudly.

“How dare you Embroidered Uniform Guard flaunt your authority and act so recklessly? Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

“South Tongzhou is such a vital place, and you’ve thrown it into utter chaos. If you can’t give us an explanation, be prepared to face impeachment!”