Chapter 11: The Master Detective

“Remember, you are our brother, surname Li, named Li Chun. What are we here for?”

“I know... Big brother, we’re here to find our family.”

“Which family member?”

“My uncle... named Li Chengshun.”

“What does your uncle do?”

“My uncle guards the stronghold; he is a squad leader there.”

“Where is our ancestral home?”

“Fufeng in Guanzhong... and Hemen County.”

“Your memory’s not bad. From now on, no matter who asks, say this—there’s no one named Qingchun in the world anymore, understand?”

“Yes.”

“Also, once we’re inside and meet people, don’t speak. Your accent isn’t right.”

“Big brother... maybe we shouldn’t go in after all...”

Naturally, Li Po wouldn’t let a child’s hesitation sway him. He firmly patted Qingchun’s rear to steady him, then steadily walked into the city gate passageway.

The passageway was long, indicating the city wall was thick. Of course, this was also because the ladder to climb the wall was usually on the inner side of the passage, which naturally extended its length.

The passage was cold, never seeing daylight all year round, naturally filled with a gloomy atmosphere and a strange odor—no border town was exempt from this.

Li Po was curious, having never seen such a place before, but the howling north wind urged him to quicken his pace into the city.

Soon, they saw daylight again. Before Li Po could look around, two men blocked their path.

Li Po was not surprised. After all, such a large city, likely a key northern military fortress, would not allow just anyone to come and go without some guard.

Using his peripheral vision, he noticed a few guardhouses inside the city wall; the men must have come from there.

These two men standing before them were certainly not simple woodcutters, but official soldiers of the Grand Sui guarding the city gate.

They took a quick look. Both figures appeared somewhat bulky—not from fatness, but from wearing many layers.

One was a tall, dark man, arms folded and head lowered, wearing an expression of impatience, even irritation. It was understandable; who would enjoy standing guard in the freezing cold, occasionally stepping out only to get chilled?

The one asking questions was the other man, sporting a goatee and looking quite aged. Holding a booklet that rustled loudly in the north wind, he swayed like a quail next to the dark giant, resembling a bear dragging out a monkey.

Though the sight was somewhat comical, his questions were no laughing matter to Li Po.

“Where are you from? Why enter the city? Do you have travel permits?”

He asked while scanning Li Po from head to toe. Soon, his tone changed.

Li Po knew without thinking: not everyone entering the city had to face such questioning.

Strangers, in shabby clothes—their identities were probably already labeled in this man’s mind.

Li Po immediately bowed, though frozen by the cold, he forced a sincere smile.

“My brother and I are here looking for family in Mayi. Please, sir, grant us passage to the government office for inquiries...”

Before he finished, the dark giant pressed his companion’s shoulder. The goateed man immediately shrank down, gritting his teeth but daring not complain.

He was likely inwardly cursing his bad luck, stuck with such a rough companion.

In fact, their duties were quite different. Besides checking travelers’ origins, the goateed man collected taxes, belonging to the county magistrate’s clerks.

The dark giant, however, was a soldier with military rank—the real city gate guard.

Yet in this bitter cold, the dark giant clearly wasn’t thriving either, much like the goateed man. Both were down-and-outs, barely scraping by at the gate for a few copper coins.

This was still the Daye era. Had it been under Emperor Wen’s reign, they wouldn’t even dare to try earning a few coins.

The dark giant pressed his sword at his waist, frowned, and asked, “From Guanzhong?”

Li Po inwardly rejoiced; old Li had not exaggerated. Showing a Guanzhong accent outside, even if ignored, no one would dare offend them.

It was said this precious reputation was passed down from the time of Western Wei under Yuwen Tai. Several old soldiers said Guanzhong was home to many heroes, and the world’s great figures hailed from the Guanzhong clans.

Naturally, others would show Guanzhong people more respect.

Previously, Li Po had seen few outsiders; the steppe folk didn’t care about Guanzhong origins.

Now, in Sui territory, he finally had the chance to verify these stories.

Guanzhong referred roughly to the old lands before the Qin dynasty.

The Eight Hundred Li of Qin Chuan remained the seat of power and the center of true political and cultural authority. Today, no place in the world could rival it.

“I am Li Po, ancestral home Fufeng in Guanzhong. My uncle left home to serve in the military, and we lost contact long ago. He said he was stationed guarding the frontier in Daizhou. My brother and I have come searching. I wonder if you two could...”

The goateed man, who had begun to show arrogance, immediately shrank back.

Fufeng, though thousands of miles away, was known for producing heroes. And the Li family was a prominent surname there...

For example, the current county magistrate was also from Guanzhong and also named Li.

Moreover, everyone knew the Guanzhong clans intermarried. Who knew if these two ragged boys might be related to the magistrate?

Thinking this, the goateed man hesitated, considering whether to cozy up to them for future favors or at least show some courtesy.

But the dark giant didn’t care. He chuckled, “From the north, huh?”

“Don’t lie to me. Clean your face; your cheeks will be red. Strip your clothes; your inner thighs will have calluses. Your hands bear marks of holding a sword for years. You’ve seen blood, haven’t you? What kind of people have you killed? Carrying that child on your back, I can’t tell much—maybe you picked him up on the road...”

Though large and imposing, the dark giant had sharp eyes. In a few words, he guessed most of Li Po’s story.

Li Po never expected that on his first day entering the city, he would meet such a “detective”...

(The official Northern Hero group chat is now established. Interested parties, please join 527423586. Also, because accents can’t be verified, I won’t try to imitate Qin or Jin dialects. Just know them, hehe.

Finally, I humbly ask for your bookmarks and recommendations. If longtime readers can help spread the word, I would be deeply grateful.)