Chapter 9: The Delivery Person

Given the circumstances, it is certain that this is not the arrival of a minor figure. According to Ren Hong's experience, it could either be an official of the rank equivalent to that of a Duwei of Yumen or Yangguan, or a court envoy affiliated with the Nine Ministers passing through

At this moment, all the lamps on the bronze lampstand were lit, and the hall was filled with flickering light and shadows

In the year 2000, even the delivery personnel would not arrive this early

No!

Ren Hong muttered quietly, just as he was about to discuss countermeasures with Xu Fengde, unexpectedly, this old man, who was rather carefree, yawned and said

At this moment, the horizon had already revealed a fish-belly white, Xu Fengde watched the courier depart, but suddenly turned back, intending to kick Ren Hong, who nimbly dodged the attempt

The courier knocking at the door has been welcomed in by the night watchman. Under the light of the pine torch, a face tanned dark by the sun is reflected, with sweat solidifying sand and salt grains on the skin.

The message was delivered to Ren Hong: "Record this promptly!"

This is the standard format for transmitting documents during the Han Dynasty, issued one year ago by the Grand General Huo Guang through the Ministry of Justice. It stipulates that all prefectures along the route must provide accommodations according to the specifications for the court envoy Fu Jiezai traveling to the Western Regions, regardless of whether they are arriving or departing

Tomorrow, no, that's not right

Such urgency must indicate an important matter

However, it is racing at a speed of two stations per day!

At the Xuanquan Station, time was further divided into thirty-two segments! For instance, the morning hours (from 3 to 4:30) were divided into two points: the crowing of the rooster and the early dawn.

It is completely consistent with the numerous "Transmission Letters" unearthed from the Xuanquan Han Bamboo Slips.

Ren Hongfang had already inquired with the night watchman; even the latest rooster had crowed long ago, yet the sky remained shrouded in darkness. Thus, he reported: "On the 7th day of the 6th month, it is dawn!"

The courier's lips were chapped, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins. After greeting Ren Hong, he took out a red lacquered wooden box from the satchel hanging from his body

Xu Fengde angrily shouted:

Because they must confirm the specific time of arrival and departure for each message, if it is not precise enough, any issues that arise later will lead to disputes over accountability

Without waiting for him to think deeply, Xu Fengde had already commanded:

He glanced at the words above, his eyes wide open, and then glared fiercely at Ren Hong.

After all, even the familiar and adept strategist Zhang Qian, known for his ability to navigate automatically, was delayed and lost his title during the campaign against the Xiongnu.

On the way to the office hall of the steward, Ren Hong inquired about the origin of the courier, only to learn that he had set out from Dunhuang early yesterday morning and had traveled one hundred and thirty li to reach Xuanquan Zhi in a single day

He must hurry to the next stop, changing horses but not riders, and must continue running until he reaches Jiuquan County in the east to complete his mission

He raised his head: "The seal of the Grand Inspector, indeed!"

There is no mistake; a similar record of the transmission of the book already exists in Xuanquan, which Ren Hong has repeatedly reviewed

"Ren Hong, regarding the seal."

That time was a record of the journey to the Western Regions, and now seeing this letter again signifies that Fu Jiezai has returned

The courier took a mouthful of water and shook his head

Ren Hong skillfully opened the cabinet, took out the ink pads that needed to be backed up for each location, and compared them with the seals on the message to confirm they were identical

Starting from midnight, they are: midnight, crowing of the rooster, morning, dawn, sunrise, early meal, meal time, before noon, noon, after noon, late afternoon, evening, dusk, night meal, and human settled time

Ren Hong hurriedly asked the courier, "When will Supervisor Fu arrive at Xuanquan? Can we still manage to slaughter the sheep and pigs in time?"

The Grand Inspector ordered the establishment of stables in the prefectures of Youfu Feng, Longxi, Anding, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang, to accommodate the horses for the imperial carriage, and to ensure that the carriage is provided with three sealed transport vehicles, in accordance with the laws and regulations

This is the courier of the Han Dynasty, wearing a black cap, dressed in a wide-sleeved robe with a right lapel, donning long boots, and carrying a bag that is red and white striped. You must admit, it bears some resemblance to the packages from JD.com

Xu Fengde adjusted his attire, received the red lacquered wooden box with both hands, respectfully placed it on the table, and opened it in front of the postal worker

The county government has sent a letter, which must be personally delivered to the steward for review! Additionally, I hope you can prepare a new horse for me, as I need to hurry to the next location shortly!

To elaborate specifically is somewhat complicated; it is better to adopt Ren Hong's summary

Dunhuang County stretches several hundred miles from east to west, with nine designated stations. From the Yumen Pass to this location, there are sequentially the Longle Station, Dunhuang Station, and Zheyao Station, followed by the Xuanquan Station, approximately every sixty miles, allowing for a day's journey to reach each station

The courier hurriedly had a meal and splashed cold water on his face, not bothering to rest, and mounted the newly changed relay horse to leave. He carried a red and white satchel on his shoulder containing the message, with one hand raised high holding the pass token, tightly pursing his lips, guiding the chestnut horse, like an arrow, swiftly heading eastward!

In the second year of the Yuanfeng era, on the day of Guihai in August, the Grand Marshal Chen Guang and the Chief Censor Chen Xin, acting on the imperial edict, addressed the attendant censors saying

The words of the courier further corroborate this point: "The supervisor of the horse relay has already arrived at the prefectural office, and he is eager to return to Chang'an, having only rested for one night in Dunhuang City, and he intends to set off eastward at dawn"

However, speaking of which, Fu Jiezai only arrived at Yumen the day before yesterday, reached Dunhuang City yesterday, and today he has to rush to Xuanquan Zhi. Isn't this too rushed?

In this day and age, with no telegraphs, even if both parties agree on a specific time, it is quite common for their meetings to be staggered by a few days

You little rascal, didn't you say that Fu Jiezai would arrive in eight or nine days?

Ren Hong had received night-traveling couriers on multiple occasions, and he was well-versed in the procedures. While calling for the eastern kitchen to pour water and prepare food, he also instructed the stable assistant to ready the horses

The Han dynasty had a well-established system for sending messages, with one to five letters representing different levels of reception: one letter for riding a horse, two letters for a sedan chair, three letters for a carriage, four letters for a fast carriage, and five letters for a special carriage

However, inside the lacquer box, there are two bamboo slips tightly pressed together, each measuring 1 foot 5 inches in length, sealed with red ink and a seal at both ends, with a letter in the middle of each.

I shall not concern myself with this matter; you have taken it upon yourself. Regardless of whether Fu Jiezai arrives today or tomorrow, ensure that everything is prepared properly for me

By the time they reached the hall used for daily office work and banquets, Xu Fengde had already limped down from the upper floor. His official robe was not worn properly, and his Liu-style cap was slightly askew.

The county magistrate and the supervising postal official instructed me to arrive ahead of them and notify each station along the route to make the necessary reception preparations in order.

Ren Hong watched closely from the side, and his eyelids involuntarily twitched

Three Letters of Transmission

... ...

In the eyes of later generations, regardless of the dynasty, ancient times were divided into twelve different time periods. At least in the Hexi Corridor, people followed a "sixteen-hour system," where a day consisted of sixteen time designations

He knows that today, the 7th day of the 7th month in the year of the Rabbit, will be an extremely busy day at Xuanquan Zhi

Ren Hong put on a robe while complaining and hurriedly left the house. The temperature difference between day and night in the Hexi region is significant; the Dunhuang Gobi is extremely hot during the day, yet somewhat cold in the early morning

The Book of Han, annotated by Yan Shigu: "According to the law, all those who are to ride in a conveyance and dispatch a vehicle must hold a wooden token measuring five inches, sealed with the seal of the Grand Inspector. Each conveyance token is sealed three times. 'Three' refers to the number three. For scheduled meetings, there are two seals at each end, totaling four seals. For a riding conveyance, there are five seals, with two at each end and one in the center. For a carriage drawn by two horses, it is sealed twice, with one seal for each horse."

Ren Hong explained: "In theory, it should be this way; it is all due to Su Yanniang and Chen Pengzu arriving too late, which caused me to miscalculate the time"

Correspondingly, it reflects the varying levels of busyness at Xuanquan Zhi in handling different specifications of correspondence

After confirming that the seal was intact and noting the time, Xu Fengde gently opened the message.

A trivial matter, two letters causing a commotion, three letters leading to slaughter...

... ...

Seeing Xu Fengde becoming a hands-off manager, with only himself left to bear the burden, Ren Hong couldn't help but take a deep breath, but in the end, he revealed a smile

Xu Fengde checked again and asked, "What time is it now?"

The steed supervisor, Jiazi, was commanded to journey to the northwest kingdom.

Is this Fu Jiezai in a hurry to return to the capital for the examination

It is the seventh month of the year, today in the evening

Therefore, Ren Hong believes that the Xuanquan site still lacks a position for loudly announcing the time with a gong for the "Thirty-Two Time Signals of Xuanquan"

I am feeling a bit nervous

Having said that, he stretched lazily and went back to catch up on his sleep

Ren Hongying sat on the mat, preparing to write, but upon seeing the message, he was taken aback.

He even patted Ren Hong on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Ren Hong, if you cannot handle such a minor setback, then it is best for you to stay in your place at Xuanquan and take care of my position, and do not think about becoming a great man and achieving merit in foreign lands!"

In summary, upon receiving three letters of conveyance, the Xuanquan Zhi is required to prepare one official sedan chair with "four horses and a full load," along with several pigs, sheep, chickens, and wine.

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