Pan Yun gripped the rope expressionlessly, trying to steady herself, only for the cart to hit several small potholes in a row and jolt violently up and down.
After dropping into a pit with a bang, Pan Yun went with the flow and let go. Then her entire body was flung outward...
She landed steadily on the ground and got to her feet. Silver stars flashed before her eyes, and it took her quite a while to recover from the dizziness. Looking ahead, she saw that the mule cart had already rattled far into the distance.
Pan Yun:...
She saw the black cat bobbing up and down on the cart roof. When it saw her fall, it shrieked repeatedly, trying several times to jump down and chase after her, only to discover that it could find no foothold.
Pan Little Black:...
Who understood its suffering? It could walk across roof beams as though on level ground, climb roofs and descend ditches, yet it could not jump down from a mere mule cart.
Hearing the black cat's piercing cries, Tao Ji waved the reins and shouted, "Stop yelling. It's only this stretch of road; it'll be smooth after we pass the front. I told you to lie in my arms, but you refused. I didn't even mind you scratching people..."
As Tao Ji muttered on and on, Xuan Miao's heart stirred. She suddenly craned her head to look behind them. Pan Yun, who had been sitting off to the rear side, had vanished.
Tao Ji jumped in fright. He hurriedly reined in the mule, leaped down, and looked behind the cart. "She ran off again!"
"Junior Sister, didn't you say you'd already persuaded her? Why did she run off again?"
Xuan Miao said, "Shut up. Turn around and go find her!"
"Can we even find her?" Though he grumbled, Tao Ji still hurriedly led the mule around and rushed back. The already bumpy cart became even bumpier.
Fortunately, the black cat had used the chance while he stopped to jump down, then ran ahead first.
Pan Yun walked a few steps along the roadside, decided there was no need to wrong herself so much, and found a clean patch of grass to sit on while she waited for them to come back.
Tao Ji hurried the cart back. Seeing Pan Yun sitting obediently by the roadside, he quickly pulled the mule to a stop with a long "Whoa—." The two of them stared at each other across seven or eight small potholes.
Tao Ji breathed a sigh of relief and asked gently, "Why did you get off the cart?"
Pan Yun remained expressionless. "What do you think?"
Pan Little Black leaped into Pan Yun's arms and meowed at Tao Ji.
In the end, Pan Yun held the black cat and squeezed into the front with the other two. Tao Ji sat in the middle, compressed into a ball between them. He said, "When we reach the next post station, I'll rearrange the cart and clear out a place for you to sit."
Pan Yun snorted. "Does Mount Sanqing have nothing to sell? Why do you have to buy things from so far away?"
Tao Ji sighed. "You'll understand after living on the mountain for two years."
A bad feeling rose in Pan Yun. She turned to Xuan Miao and said, "At the next place, I want to send a letter and money to my father."
After considering it briefly, Xuan Miao agreed.
They had traveled for several days and were already far from both the Capital City and Kaifeng Prefecture. By now, no one should still be watching them.
Though she thought so, before Pan Yun exchanged the money, Xuan Miao still performed a divination. Only after confirming it was auspicious did she take Pan Yun to the money house.
"How much silver note do you want to exchange?"
Pan Yun thought about it. Unsure whether the money could reach them safely, she said, "Exchange one hundred taels first."
That was one whole tray of silver.
They would exchange the silver for silver notes, then entrust the money house to deliver them. Naturally, there would be a handling fee.
It was Pan Yun's first time sending money in her life. After asking and learning that the fee was five percent, she handed over all the silver notes and took the receipt.
That night, Pan Yun stayed at the inn, troubled as she considered how to write the letter so that it would not arouse suspicion, yet would still let her father know that she was herself.
Alas, it was her own fault for being too obedient over the past eight years. She had never arranged any secret code with her father.
Pan Yun could only write: Old Pan, after many years apart, the next news I heard of you was that you had been exiled to Datong. My heart aches deeply...
Writing under the name of an old friend, Pan Yun told him that she was now secluded deep in the mountains cultivating the Dao. She ate well, lived well, and grew healthier by the day, so he should not worry. If nothing was wrong, he could write to her more often; if something was wrong, he should write even more.
Pan Yun told him in the letter that she had deposited money at Changde Money House. If he took the receipt and matched the passphrase, he could withdraw it.
As for the passphrase, Pan Yun wrote: "The name of my pitiful, adorable, deceased niece."
When signing her name, Pan Yun paused before writing "Three Bamboo."
She had always been sickly as a child and was obsessed with cultivation. She could neither go out nor wished to go out.
Her two brothers wanted to take her out to play, yet did not dare to take her out. Caught in such a tangle, the three siblings often talked together about how they would play once she recovered.
This world placed immense restraints on women, especially women of official families. If one wanted to enjoy oneself outside, the best choice was to dress as a man.
Her second brother had not only prepared clothes, hats, and shoes for boys, but had also given her many names. Since she was the third child, every name included Three, though they were all terribly unpleasant.
Alas, having too many names was troublesome too. But since she had written it this way, if her two brothers were not fools, they should understand.
Pan Yun also put the receipt into the letter. After sealing the envelope, she went with Xuan Miao and Tao Ji to the Civil Mail Bureau to send it.
Walking beside Pan Yun, Tao Ji reminded her, "Did you write Mount Sanqing's address in the letter? There's no Civil Mail Bureau below Mount Sanqing, only an Express Post Station."
The so-called Civil Mail Bureau was a privately run postal bureau. It was especially prevalent throughout South of the Yangtze, with branches spread across the country. They also had a branch in Datong, and their letter delivery was quick and convenient.
This was a Civil Mail Bureau in Guangxin Prefecture. The reason she had chosen it rather than the official Express Post Station was merely one final test.
She did not know whether the Imperial Guards in the Capital City suspected the Pan family. To avoid suspicion, she had deliberately avoided contacting them for the past two months.
If all had gone smoothly, her second uncle should have returned to their ancestral home in Changzhou Prefecture by now. If not, he might still be stranded in the Capital City.
Pan Yun looked at Xuan Miao.
Xuan Miao returned her gaze calmly.
Pan Yun grinned and said ingratiatingly, "Immortal Master Xuan Miao, how about I treat you to a meal after we leave the Civil Mail Bureau? You've truly worked hard these past two months, running back and forth for my safety."
Xuan Miao calmly looked away and quickened her pace. "Let's go."
Beside them, Tao Ji widened his eyes. He hurried ahead of Pan Yun by one step and kept turning back to look at her.
Pan Yun frowned at him. His dawdling, hesitant manner was irritating, so she quickened her pace and passed him. "If you have something to say, say it. If you don't want to speak, then close your face."
"Heh." Tao Ji caught up from behind. "What does 'close your face' mean?"
"Faces are for looking at, while mouths are for speaking. Yet you're using your face to speak."
Tao Ji paused, steadied himself, then chased after her again. "Why are you only treating Junior Sister and not me? I've put in plenty of effort these past two months too."
Pan Yun thought for a moment and asked sincerely, "Can you help me investigate what happened to my second uncle's family?"
Tao Ji froze, then shook his head. "The Capital City is over a thousand li from here. How could I investigate?"
Pan Yun said, "Then forget it."
Only then did Tao Ji realize what she meant. He was speechless for a long while. So that was it—she wanted something from Junior Sister. No wonder it was Immortal Master this and treating her to a meal that.
But Junior Sister really could help her learn about Pan Tao's family.
The Civil Mail Bureau was very busy. One clerk was receiving mail at the counter, while the others sorted letters in the back.
An old woman's envelope had been written improperly, and the clerk was rewriting it for her. When he saw Pan Yun's group enter, he immediately greeted them warmly. "Honored guests, please wait a moment."
Only after he had rewritten the old woman's envelope and accepted her letter did he attend to the three of them. "Are the three honored guests sending a letter or an item?"
Pan Yun's eyes brightened. "You can send items too?"
The clerk smiled and nodded. "We can send anything here."
Tao Ji immediately stopped her. "Don't send anything unless it's particularly special. It's expensive. They have money—what can't they buy over there?"
Pan Yun glanced at him and asked, "Then what if I wanted to send a person?"
After staring blankly for a moment, the clerk said, "That would not be difficult either. The escort agency is right next door. Where are you headed, honored guest?"
Pan Yun understood. For travel, people were best off hiring an escort agency. She took out her letter. "I'm sending a letter."
The clerk served her just as enthusiastically.
Seeing that she had written the address in detail, he calculated the cost. "From here to Datong, the delivery fee is fifty-five copper coins. Would you like insurance, honored guest?"
Country bumpkin Pan Yun asked, "What is insurance?"
The clerk smiled broadly. "It guarantees that your letter or item will be delivered safely and without error to the recipient. If there is any loss or damage, our Civil Mail Bureau will compensate you."
He looked at Pan Yun eagerly. So, would she be sending an item?
Pan Yun was not sending an item, but she still paid for insurance.
The insurance for one letter was not much. Once she had paid it, they stamped the envelope with a seal of another color and placed it alone in a separate box.
Letters with insurance would be distinguished from the others and given special protection.
Pan Yun watched with complete satisfaction and asked, "About how many days will it take to reach Datong?"
The clerk smiled. "At most seven days. If it's quick, it can arrive in five."
Pan Yun finally relaxed. After leaving the Civil Mail Bureau, she began looking around for a restaurant to treat Xuan Miao to a meal.
Xuan Miao could not be bothered with the trouble. Once she understood Pan Yun's intentions, she said directly, "Just give me the money you would spend treating me to a meal. Count it as having treated me."
Pan Yun looked conflicted. "Wouldn't that be improper? Treating someone is for building affection..."
"There is still some distance to Yushan County, and the road ahead is difficult. I do not want to delay any longer. I'll go investigate the news for you shortly."
Pan Yun immediately took out money, her face blooming like a flower. "Many thanks, Immortal Master."
She took out a string of coins and stuffed it into Xuan Miao's hand. When she saw Xuan Miao accept it without finding it too little, her smile became even brighter.
Tao Ji could not bear to watch and shifted his gaze away. Pan Little Black also meowed before looking away.
Xuan Miao did not want to waste time. She turned at once. "I'm going to find someone. You two can eat and buy whatever you need. We'll meet back at the mule cart in one hour."
Pan Yun and Tao Ji looked at each other. Neither wished to treat the other to a meal, so they simply turned and went to a bun shop to buy several buns. Each paid for and ate their own.
Pan Yun wandered around while eating. Tao Ji fed Pan Little Black a bite and kept looking at her. "You... are a sheltered young lady?"
Pan Yun said, "My family has no young lady of a thousand gold. My father is only a censor, poor as can be. The house is rented, the whole family has only one servant, and every month we still need support from my second uncle, who teaches for a living. Do I look like a child from a wealthy family?"
Tao Ji nodded. "Then you really don't resemble one in the slightest."
He looked around and asked, "What exactly are we shopping for? I've already bought everything I need. Let's just go back to the cart and wait."
All this walking had exhausted him.
Pan Yun said, "I need to buy cinnabar."
Before you continue