East of the River: Home of the Sun Clan sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne

-

JavaScript is off/unavailable on your browser. You will not be able to experience this website as it was intended without JavaScript enabled.

Taishi Ci smiled and said, “I have a letter to deliver. Where can I find a man to take me down the Ji to Chenliu?”
The trader laughed and said, “You’ll definitely need me to give you a good price! There’re men that’ll do that, but it means losing time earning from regular crossings. Actually, you’re lucky you came here when you did; nowadays, everyone ‘round here that’s dangerous is too busy hating our new administrator, same as most of us do. So long as that letter isn’t from Cao Cao, you’ll not have too much trouble; it isn’t, is it…?”
“I’m from Donglai,” Taishi Ci insisted. “It’s the Donglai Administrator’s letter.”
“…He’s a good sort, I hear, who runs that place,” the trader noted. “Alright, well then you’ll get a very good price!”
“Great, thank you sir,” Taishi Ci replied impatiently.

Taishi Ci’s next objective was securing a boat, and that meant haggling with the boatmen that lined the riverbank.
“Chenliu?” a boatman said with surprise.
“Yes,” Taishi Ci replied wearily. “Please, I’m in a hurry; you’re the third man I’ve asked, so-”
“You’ll pay whatever I ask?” the boatman prompted.
“…Yes,” Taishi Ci replied nervously.
“And if we’re stopped by pirates, you’ll take on all the trouble,” the boatman asked further. “Are you a messenger from Cao Cao?”
No!” Taishi Ci chortled. “I’m from Donglai, I just want to-”
“Donglai?” the boatman exclaimed. “I have extended family in Donglai! Alright, then, Mister…?”
“Taishi, Taishi Ci, official in the administrator’s office,” Taishi Ci said impatiently.
“I think it would take time to check!” the boatman chuckled. “Alright, I’m losing a lot of crossing work doing this, but if you’re paying… let’s go. Where is your luggage?”
“Thank you,” Taishi Ci said with relief. “No luggage, I’m delivering a letter.”
“I don’t want to know,” the boatman insisted. “What I don’t know, I can’t repeat. Let’s just go… and you’d better not be working for Cao Cao!”

Taishi Ci travelled down the Ji River with the aid of the boatman; the journey should have offered some sort of rest, but the Ji River - like all rivers in that chaotic age - was continually harassed by pirates, and only a fool would sleep longer than he had to anyway, since he did not truly know the boatman either.
“Well, here we are… Chenliu,” the boatman said as he surveyed the waters nervously. “Pay me quickly, so I can get back.”
Taishi Ci paid a fairly handsome sum for the journey downriver and jumped onto the dock to begin a search for a place to rest briefly; he knew that his rival had to stop and rest as much as he did, so he asked around for a tavern or inn of some sort.

Taishi Ci finally found a place to rest and approached the owner to request refreshments.
“You look like a man who hasn’t slept in days!” the tavern keeper said with amusement as Taishi Ci struggled to keep his weary body upright.
“I just need an hour to sleep,” Taishi Ci explained. “Nothing else, just sleep… oh, well, if you have a little rice…”
“Wine?” the tavern keeper prompted.
“No wine… I’m in a hurry,” Taishi Ci insisted. “I have a message… deliver to… capital, quickly, have to.”
“…I’m presuming a lot here, but if you need to rest and move, why not get a carriage?” the tavern keeper suggested. “You have no luggage, right?”
“None,” Taishi Ci confirmed. “But… bandits…?”
“Pay a man to provide security if you must; but the White Wave Bandits around the capital are really only interested in wealthy travellers, which you most certainly are not,” the tavern keeper explained. “I can get you a carriage right now; then you can sleep on the way without losing time.”

<< Main Product Page

<< Previous Page

Next Page >>