Chapter 3, from Long'an Prefecture to Songfan Guard

Outside the eastern gate of the county town stands a bamboo shed. Upon arriving at the bamboo shed, Zhao Ran could clearly sense that Zhao Wu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Zhao Wu exchanged a few words with an official inside the bamboo shed, who filled in Zhao Ran's name and household registration on a piece of yellow paper, asking Zhao Ran to place his fingerprint. Meanwhile, an artist at the table quickly sketched Zhao Ran's portrait on the yellow paper. Zhao Ran stole a glance and found the sketch to be quite accurate.

The thin officer held a water and fire stick, standing by with a cold expression and saying nothing, while the stout officer checked the roster, verifying each person's service. Once the names were confirmed, the stout officer shouted, "Rise!" Thus, the crowd bypassed the county town and set off towards the Songfan Guard.

After resting for a night outside the Qinghe Temple, Zhao Ran woke up the next day to continue his journey. As he walked, he glanced towards the Qinghe Temple, but he never caught sight of a single Taoist priest.

Crossing the ridges of the fields and following the Xiaoqing River upstream, it took a whole day for Zhao Wu to escort Zhao Ran to Qinghe Temple. This was the first Taoist temple Zhao Ran had seen with his own eyes. Although Qinghe Temple was only over 30 li away from Zhao Village, Zhao Ran had never traveled in that direction. His impression of Qinghe Temple was limited to a few Taoist priests in blue who had appeared during the ritual held by the old clan leader at the turn of the year, as well as the abundant wealth that was loaded onto carts and transported out of Zhao Village.

That person nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "It is my folly, it is my folly, what the young brother said is absolutely right... Alas, how did you offend the distinguished official? Since you have grievances, why involve me? Truly, I am unfortunate..."

The stout runner caught up from the back of the line, pulled the person up, and scolded, "Useless," with a smile that was not quite a smile on his face. The thin runner was at the front of the line, turned back to observe coldly, snorted softly, and urged everyone to continue on their way.

Zhao Ran put away the sharp stone, slowly released him, and said in a low voice: "Even as a minor official, one would not dare to kill openly. Do not act foolishly anymore. Just be cautious on the way, and once you reach Chuanling, everything will be fine. Otherwise, you must remember that the laws of the Ming Dynasty clearly state that murder requires a life for a life. How can a mere minor official protect you?"

Traveling northwest along the post road for two days, one exits the territory of Shiquan County and enters Jiangyou County. After passing through the city of Jiangyou, the mountains begin to rise steeply, towering majestically and reaching into the clouds. The riverbed also becomes narrower, yet increasingly perilous. The post road often runs alongside the river, with many sections situated between steep cliffs. Zhao Ran looked down, observing the river water surging backward, swirling into countless eddies and layers of waves.

After waiting another day at the bamboo shed, the twelve laborers recruited from Shiquan County had all gathered. Two officials from the county office arrived, one fat and one thin, each holding a staff for water and fire. They would lead the laborers to Chuanling. The Chuanling copper mine is located in Songfanwei, to the west of Long'an Prefecture, and it requires a walk of over 500 miles from Shiquan County to the Chuanling copper mine

Zhao Ran shouted: "Have you lost your mind? If you have blood on your hands, how could there still be any good for you? If you harm me, you will certainly not survive either!"

Zhao Ran hid within the ranks, proceeding cautiously along the way. He was concerned that the two officials had received benefits from his fourth uncle and were seeking an opportunity to endanger his life. According to custom, when long-distance labor is required, each county, in order to avoid mistakes, would recruit a certain number of additional laborers, which is referred to as "labor consumption." For instance, in the case of the journey to the Chuanling Copper Mine, due to the difficult terrain and the fact that it was a border area rife with conflict, the actual quota for Shiquan County was only ten people, but two additional individuals were recruited.

The greatest fear of those in service is military service and labor in the mines, as the mortality rates for both are exceedingly high. Consequently, the laborers march along with grim faces, and from time to time, lamentations can be heard echoing through the ranks.

This task of escorting is inherently devoid of any benefits; should any mistakes occur, one would instead bear the responsibility. Furthermore, the journey is arduous, and the Songfan Guard, where the Chuanling Copper Mine is located, is a battleground at the border. Therefore, the expressions of the two escorts are equally grim.

The danger has indeed arrived, and it has come quite suddenly

The man nodded, so Zhao Ran released his hand that was covering his mouth and asked again: "Why did you want to harm me today? Was it instructed by the messenger?"

Twelve laborers crowded into one room, while two bailiffs sought another. Zhao Ran waited for about half an hour, then got up in the dark. The laborers were lying in a row on a single bed, and Zhao Ran had already identified his target, reaching for the third figure on the left.

This person did not dare to move again. Zhao Ran took out a sharp stone and pressed it against his temple, whispering, "I will let go of your mouth, but you must not shout. Just answer my questions, and I guarantee you will be fine. Otherwise, we will die together"

On this day, walking between a stretch of cliffs, the path was barely three people wide, with bare rock walls above and a rushing river below. Zhao Ran remained vigilant, and at that moment felt someone slowly approaching from behind, so he held his breath and suddenly leaped forward two steps

If Zhao Ran were to die midway, it would truly be a case of dying without anyone caring

Zhao Ran got up and returned to his spot in the dormitory, only to see five or six figures almost simultaneously turn over on their beds. He couldn't be bothered with these people and simply lay down to sleep.

Through this incident, Zhao Ran has thoroughly understood that the two officials indeed harbor malicious intentions towards him. On one hand, he remains alert, while on the other hand, he quietly picks up a sharp stone from the ground and hides it in his palm. In case of an emergency, he will have no choice but to fight back with all he has

After exiting the gorge, the sun had already set, and the group arrived at a village, seeking lodging at a farmhouse

In mid-April, a group crossed over Qinglong Mountain, leaving the territory of Long'an Prefecture and entering Songfan Guard

After crossing the Xiaoqing River beach, we arrived at the official road. Although this official road was quite rudimentary, only allowing four or five people to walk side by side, the difference between having a road and not having one was indeed significant, and the pace of our group quickened considerably. Within just two days, we reached the city of Shiquan County

Zhao Ran suddenly covered the man's mouth, tightened his grip around his neck, and dragged him down from the bunk. He pulled him a few steps to the corner of the wall and mounted him. The man stammered and struggled desperately, while Zhao Ran whispered in his ear: "If you move again, I will kill you!"

That person lamented: "In two days, when passing by Jiuyun Ridge, the terrain there is perilous... but what can I do..."

The terrain of Jiuyungang was indeed more perilous, but fortunately Zhao Ran had already made preparations, thus they passed the hillock with alarm but without danger. After this point, the attitudes of the two bailiffs, Fat and Thin, towards him became noticeably worse, and the laborers who had been ordered to harm him inexplicably received several beatings. After being beaten, the laborers came to a realization and formed a tacit understanding with Zhao Ran. They walked and slept together, reminding and looking out for each other, making it even more difficult for the two bailiffs to act against them

The Qinghe Temple is not large, situated on a rocky beach by the banks of the Little Qinghe River. A square stone wall encloses a courtyard of about ten zhang in circumference, with a few red-painted eaves protruding from within. The temple door is tightly closed, with only a small corner door left ajar, yet no one enters or exits. Along the east-west direction of the temple wall, many houses and shops have been erected along the southern bank of the Little Qinghe River, subtly resembling a marketplace.

As soon as the person was able to speak, he quickly pleaded in a low voice: "Little brother, spare my life, I am also forced into this... It turns out you already know... It is truly not my fault, the officer is pressuring me, saying that if I do not agree, he cannot guarantee my life..."

The deadline set by the Xuanwei Office in Western Sichuan for the guarding of the Imperial Eunuch's residence is by the end of April, and now it is already the end of March, leaving everyone with only one month. If this were in the plains of the inland, the distance of five hundred li could be covered in ten days, but Western Sichuan is mountainous, and one can only travel along the post roads, which are difficult to navigate, thus the time is still quite tight

A sudden exclamation startled him; when he turned around, he saw a figure behind him stumble and fall to the very spot where he had just stood. This person was also one of the laborers, and Zhao Ran neither knew nor cared where he came from, but his intention to push Zhao Ran into the river had become glaringly obvious. Having failed in his scheme, he nearly fell himself and now sat slumped at the edge of the cliff, gripping the rocks tightly with both hands, his face ashen.

Zhao Ran noticed that the population was gradually dwindling, which made him increasingly vigilant. "Cherish life, stay away from danger," this is truly no joke

Zhao Wu sought out the only large inn in the area and requested a room for the night. As night fell, Zhao Ran lay in the middle of the large dormitory, with a servant on each side. Zhao Wu, on the other hand, moved a wooden table to the entrance, propping it against the door, and lay directly on the table. Zhao Ran could only smile wryly at the sight, as Zhao Wu was keeping a very close watch on him.

Zhao Ran asked: "What should we do next"

From this moment on, Zhao Ran knew that he could no longer escape. If he attempted to flee again, he would truly be violating the laws of the Ming Dynasty, and he would become a fugitive wanted by the authorities. If caught, the lightest punishment would be exile, while the heaviest could be execution; there would be no good outcome for him.