Old Acquaintances in Chang'an

When the grain boat rounded the tip of the Lantern-Burning Pagoda, Li Yan stood at the bow, gazing into the distance at Tongzhou City.

After leaving Jinmen, they had traveled northward against the current along the North Grand Canal, passing through Wuqing, Xianghe, and other prefectures and counties before finally reaching Tongzhou.

The entire journey covered more than two hundred and forty li and took a full five days.

That was despite traveling on an official vessel and encountering hardly any checkpoints or obstructions along the way.

The reason was simple. The North Grand Canal was relatively gentle, but since they had to travel upstream, boatmen had been needed to tow the vessel.

The locals described it as "a hundred thousand howling demons crying to the heavens." The towline chants never ceased, day or night.

Regardless, they had finally arrived in Tongzhou.

The canal was packed with grain boats flying all sorts of official pennants.

The rammed-earth banks of the earthen-dam wharf had been polished smooth by tens of millions of straw sandals. The porters' backs glistened with sweat as they carried burlap sacks across the gangplanks, each step producing a creaking wave of noise. Yellow flags filled the continuous rows of blue-tiled government granaries onshore, stretching beyond sight.

This was the Ministry of Revenue's insignia. The importance of Tongzhou's grain transport was obvious at a glance.

Outside the granaries, tax clerks pierced the sacks with iron rods, while the grain-hauling porters stood nearby, bowing and scraping with smiles plastered across their faces.

"Brother Yan, look at those three iron-headed boats."

Sha LiFei pointed at several small boats hidden beside the larger vessels and said cheerfully, "Their draft is wrong. There must be illicit salt padded beneath the grain sacks."

"Don't meddle in other people's business."

Li Yan gave a