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“You there!”
The messenger turned and observed Taishi Ci, who had tidied himself and
haggled with a trader in the queue for an azure silk robe; his new attire and
lofty attitude made him look enough like a junior official for the messenger to
be fooled. He had a knife tucked into his belt, but the messenger failed to
notice it.
“Did you not hear me?” Taishi Ci asked with false irritation. “Aren’t
you the fellow claiming to be from Qing Province?”
“I am, I am!” the messenger said excitedly. “They-”
“Necessary checks,” Taishi Ci insisted. “What is the nature of your
request?”
“I have this letter to deliver from the office of the Inspector of Qing
Province!” the messenger explained as he produced the wooden tube containing
the petition. “This must reach the offices of-”
“That could be anything, and you could be anyone,” Taishi Ci chortled.
“We’re tiring of the false petitions: day after day, the-”
“This is genuine!” the messenger protested as Taishi Ci subtly backed
him further and further away from the crowds and further and further away from
the gates.
“Isn’t everything genuine?” Taishi Ci retorted. “Let me see it.”
The messenger was hesitant, so Taishi Ci shook his head and said, “I
thought not. You’re obviously another fraud, another-”
“Alright, alright!” the messenger whined as he passed the letter to
Taishi Ci, who immediately opened the tube, took out the cloth letter, and
started to turn around.
“…Mm, well, this is certainly convincing,” Taishi Ci said as he held the
letter with one hand and quietly reached for the knife in his belt with the
other.
“So can I pass?” the messenger said excitedly.
Taishi Ci did not answer; he quickly stabbed the cloth letter with his
knife, and cut it down the middle.
“Ayah!” the messenger exclaimed as he realised what Taishi Ci
was doing. “HELP! GUARDS! THIS-”
“You’ll be quiet if you don’t want to die,” Taishi Ci hissed as he spun
around and confronted the messenger, who was immediately struck dumb with fear.
“You’ve just handed a piece of official documentation over to a total stranger
to be destroyed; think about it.”
The messenger allowed Taishi Ci to back him away from the inquisitive
crowd.
“Why…?” the messenger whined.
“No, wait, you… you’re from…!”
Taishi Ci smiled and nodded silently.
“Why should I be quiet?” the messenger decided. “You’re the guilty man…
you have motive… you tricked me!
You’ll just hand over your petition
now, and-”
“When my superior learns what I did to your petition, he’ll not reward
me, friend… I’ll be in as much trouble as you are,” Taishi Ci said calmly. “I
stopped you submitting yours; that’s all I could do. But now, I’m a fugitive,
we both are.”
The messenger started to sob.
“Accept your fate!” Taishi Ci
barked. “Now come on: I owe you some help, I think, so let’s work together.”
The distressed messenger nodded as he sobbed.
“We must both flee immediately,” Taishi Ci said as he gestured toward
two approaching soldiers. “They know something is amiss: should we run, or
would you rather explain what has happened?”
The panicked and confused messenger was only made more frightened by
Taishi Ci’s ominous words and calm demeanour; he turned and fled, and Taishi Ci
followed him.