The silence of the Chángchuān (长川) Pass was heavy and spectral, broken only by the ghastly howl of the wind. Atop the stone watchtower, the Empire's ancient dragon-standard snapped violently in the gale.
The duty officer, shading his weary eyes, peered down the empty, winding road that vanished into the heart of the mountains.
Suddenly, the rhythmic thud of hooves on hard stone shattered the quiet. A rider appeared, clad in a thick layer of dust and sweat. He reined in his half-dead mount right before the outpost. The officer rushed towards him, his voice laced with anxiety.
"Well, What news?"
The man gasped,
"Officer... I have scoured the entire mountain pass... there is no sign of the Crown Prince and his retinue!"
The officer's face went pale. "Impossible," he whispered, a tremor in his voice.
"They were due here this morning. If they have not arrived by now, something unforeseen must have occurred."
Driven by a fury born of fear, he donned his helm, leapt into his saddle, and bellowed:
"I shall search the path inch by inch myself. If anything happens to the Prince, they'll bury us alive!"
With a sharp dig of his heels, he vanished into the dust of the road.
After covering a great distance, where the road bifurcated towards the forest, something caught his keen eye. He pulled the reins, bringing his horse to a halt. His gaze locked onto a tree trunk; a simple, unfamiliar arrow was embedded halfway into the wood. The officer dismounted, pulled the arrow out, and stared at it with suspicion.
"What happened here?"
As he twirled the arrow between his fingers, he noticed deep ruts on the ground—wheel marks that had abruptly veered off the main road towards the dark maw of the Mòguǐ (魔鬼) forest.
At that moment, the persistent, grating creak of wooden wheels drifted through the air. A rickety cart, groaning under a massive load of wheat, turned the corner. It was hitched to a weary donkey, led by a sun-scorched old man in a straw hat.
"Halt, old man!" the officer barked, raising his hand. The farmer pulled the reins in terror.
"Do you pass through this place often?", officer asked.
"Yes, sir. This road runs between my lord's farmland and the mill.", farmer replied.
"Have you seen a nobleman and his escort in these parts lately?"
The old man removed his hat, clutching it with trembling hands.
"Aye... I saw them."
"When? Which way did they go?" the officer's eyes sharpened.
The farmer sighed with bitterness.
"It was two days ago. That wealthy, cunning rogue... he insisted on buying our old cart for 5,000 Wǔzhū (五銖) coins. In fact, we had two carts, as my son and I work together, so we thought ourselves lucky. We reckoned we could buy two brand new ones with that money, but today… we found the coins are all shams—mere iron! We lost our cart for nothing. If you find that swindler, I beg you, take our revenge."
Losing his patience, the officer roared,
"What are you prattling on about, old man? I am speaking of a high official and his soldiers, not some petty thief who nicked your worthless cart!"
The farmer paused to collect his thoughts.
"My apologies. So… I did not see them here. He then said, while slowly scratching his thinning scalp, But perhaps my son can help. He passed this way yesterday."
"Where is your son now?" the officer snapped.
The farmer pointed to a distant wheat field.
"Over there. His name is Fù (福), Ask anyone; they'll show you."
The officer vaulted into his saddle and galloped off. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting long, eerie shadows. He pulled up near a woman working the soil and inquired after the young man. She pointed towards a youth wearing a simple white tunic, a cloth tied around his brow to keep the sweat at bay.
The young man was loading sacks of wheat onto a donkey. The officer approached him.
"Are you Fù?"
The youth stopped what he was doing and looked up :
"Yes... I am. What can I do for you?"
"I am looking for a nobleman heading towards Chángchuān. Have you seen them?"
The youth paused, as though replaying the scene in his mind, then said: "Aye; a wealthy man was here a few days ago, looking to buy a cart..."
"No… I heard that from your father!" the officer interrupted.
"I am looking for the nobleman and the armed guards with him!"
The youth said firmly,
"I saw both... Since they were together!"
The officer was stunned. "What are you saying? What do you mean 'together'?"
"The man who bought our cart was with that nobleman and his soldiers," he explained.
He turned back to his donkey and began cinching the ropes of the wheat sacks and he went on: "They went towards the Mòguǐ forest at the crossroads. In fact, I saw them from a distance... and they had a massive chest with them, which they had loaded onto our old cart."
A cold shiver ran down the officer's spine. "That cart-thief... had you seen him here before?"
"No…, He looked like a traveller, a stranger." He replied.
The officer stood frozen. Why would they abandon the safety of the main road for the heart of the cursed Mòguǐ forest? he mused to himself.
"Why did they not take the highway?" Officer asked.
The youth shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest."
The officer asked with deep suspicion,
"Before buying your cart, how were they transporting that large chest?"
"When he came to buy the cart, he had no chest with him. Perhaps it belonged to the nobleman you are seeking."
He then added,
"The chest I saw was so large that, if filled, it would likely slow their caravan. I believe that if you ride at once, at full speed, you may find them."
Trembling at the grim reality he had uncovered, the officer muttered, "Damn it… I must go at once."
He wheeled his horse around and spurred it into a gallop. As he vanished into the encroaching blackness of the dusk, the youth's voice echoed behind him:
"Oi! When you find that rogue, get our cart back... or at least the money, will you..!"