"What should we do? I heard Xiqi has already sent troops to attack."
"What are you afraid of? We're only passing through. If we've paid the full customs duty, surely they can't stop us?"
"But I heard the inspections are very strict."
"So what? What could happen, however strict the inspections are? We've paid the customs duty and have travel permits. We'll be fine. Only Xiqi Infiltrators get arrested. Don't tell me you have a guilty conscience?"
Under Ji Gao's righteous questioning, the old woman waiting to be inspected before passing through was actually left speechless. She even began to wonder, Could I be a Xiqi spy?
Ji Gao held his head high. This was his strategy: he kept his voice just loud enough for the soldiers on the perimeter to barely overhear. Who would ever suspect someone speaking with such righteous conviction of being a young lord of Xiqi?
He continued speaking to the old woman. "You don't really look the part, either. Judging by your appearance, you must be a merchant scouting trade routes?"
This, too, was a strategy. Once he said that, the guards conducting the inspections would subconsciously judge identities by appearances, making it easier for him to pass through.
Clutching her bundle, the old woman beamed. "Yes. I've earned some money running a stall in Chaoge these past few years. When I saw that merchant caravans earned even more, I thought I'd organize one and open up a trade route. Others can say what they like, but as a woman, I could never speak a single word against His Majesty. If not for him, I would probably have starved to death long ago. His Majesty has much of the bearing of the former king, Wu Ding. He's an enlightened ruler for the ages!"
Ji Gao