A Different World - Chapter 4: Bandits

Winter was nearing its end, yet the cold wind in the south remained bone-chilling. It seeped through the cracks in the carriage curtains, covering the lightly sleeping person inside like a thousand silver needles piercing their skin. Even breathing tugged painfully at their organs, the agony almost unbearable.

Ye Chang’an halted the carriage, adjusted the curtains, and tucked the edges under the seat, shielding Ye Yin from the cold wind. They truly had no money left. It was Ye Yin who had pawned his sword to fund their journey thus far.

“Chang’an, have we arrived?” Ye Yin stirred faintly, pulling his collar tight to retain some warmth.

Ye Chang’an looked ahead and replied, “Almost. I can see the city walls.”

A weak response came from within the carriage, and he continued driving forward.

Outside the city gates, the defensive barricades lay askew by the roadside, decaying leaves covered the gravel, and no one had come to clean up. The banner hanging atop the city tower was tattered. If not for the word “Jianzhou” carved on the city wall, Ye Chang’an might have mistaken it for an abandoned city.

He had worried about being questioned at the gates but found Jianzhou unguarded. Their carriage passed into the city without obstruction.

As soon as they entered, Ye Chang’an smelled a strong stench of decay. Looking toward the source, he saw walls covered in moss and lanterns hanging in front of houses, broken and swaying in the wind as if about to fall at any moment.

Although they were traveling on the main road, none of the shops were open, and not a single pedestrian was in sight.

Ye Chang’an drove the carriage, glancing around in puzzlement. “Why is Jianzhou deserted?”

They had passed through many towns on their journey, and Jianzhou was considered a major city. How had it fallen to such desolation?

Ye Yin slowly lifted the curtain to look outside. “Jianzhou and Yuezhou are coastal regions engaged in foreign trade. They were once very prosperous, but in recent years, the East Sea islands have caused constant disturbances. Coupled with the wars along the coast and the flooding that comes each spring as the snow melts, this place gradually lost its vitality.”

He recalled how his father had led troops in various battles. When he returned triumphantly, knowing Ye Yin’s interest in military affairs, he would recount his experiences. Ye Yin had grown up immersed in these stories and developed a basic understanding of Qi’s military matters. He once hoped to join his father on the battlefield to protect the country.

But now, everything had changed.

“Doesn’t the court care?” Ye Chang’an asked, perplexed.

“Your fa…” Ye Yin sighed and corrected himself, “The late emperor cared. The court discovered that the military funds and provisions allocated to Jianzhou and Yuezhou were being heavily embezzled, leaving almost nothing by the time they reached the battlefield. Soldiers were full of complaints. Although the court had indeed allocated the funds, the late emperor sent an imperial inspector to investigate the matter. However, before the investigation concluded, Jianzhou and Yuezhou, crushed under the pressure, chose to rebel.”

Ye Yin vaguely sensed that this rebellion might have been linked to official corruption. The court ministers, pillars of the Qi dynasty, could not be easily moved. Perhaps that was why the late emperor had tried to investigate quietly, intending to deal with them one by one after gathering evidence.

The General’s Manor, under the late emperor’s orders, cooperated in the covert investigation. That was how Ye Yin had learned of the matter. But the soldiers and civilians of Jianzhou and Yuezhou were unaware. They could only see the late emperor’s apparent inaction, and their resentment grew.

When the previous dynasty fell, how many cheered, and how many felt grief? Those hiding in the shadows, reaping the benefits, had now taken high positions, untouchable by anyone.

Lost in thought, Ye Yin’s expression grew colder. He wanted to uncover the true cause of this rebellion and identify those involved. Even if he became a vengeful ghost, he would drag them to the underworld to atone for their sins.

Noticing Ye Yin deep in thought again, Ye Chang’an feared he was recalling painful memories. He changed the subject, asking, “There’s no one here. Should we keep going?”

Ye Yin snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice and pointed to a smaller path. “The locals likely avoid the main road for fear of foreign invaders. Let’s take the side road.”

“Yes.” Ye Chang’an obediently turned the carriage, steering it onto the side road.

The carriage rocked as it entered the path, prompting him to steady it quickly and turn to check if Ye Yin was all right.

Seeing Chang’an’s apologetic expression, Ye Yin chuckled softly and reassured him, “I’m not that fragile. It’s you who’s worked hard, driving the carriage all this way.”

He glanced at Chang’an’s hands, wrapped in cloth, and felt deeply guilty. Raised in the palace with meticulous care, a prince like him had never endured such hardship.

Ye Yin had offered several times to drive the carriage himself, but Chang’an always refused. Their journey from Lizhou to Jianzhou had taken nearly a month, with many stops along the way. Chang’an had been looking after him almost the entire time.

“It’s no trouble at all!” Chang’an declared without hesitation. He glanced at Ye Yin’s hand holding the curtain and said with concern, “It’s cold. Go back inside so you don’t catch a chill!”

He didn’t remember his past, but his conscience remained. He knew who truly cared for him. Though he didn’t know the cause of Ye Yin’s injuries, he suspected it was related to him. This only deepened his sense of debt and his determination to repay it.

Moreover, he didn’t know if he had any other relatives. Until his memory returned, Ye Yin was the closest person he had.

Ignoring Chang’an’s advice, Ye Yin instead changed the topic, pointing ahead. “There’s someone under that awning!”

Following Ye Yin’s gaze, Chang’an saw a group of people gathered under an awning in front of a row of low houses. They appeared emaciated and anxious, speaking hurriedly. When they noticed the carriage approaching, their expressions turned wary.

The people fell silent and stepped back when they heard the carriage, staring curiously when they saw two children. Though still on guard, their expressions softened with curiosity.

“Where are you from? Whose children are you?” an elderly man among them asked.

Chang’an said nothing, turning to Ye Yin for guidance.

Ye Yin coughed softly and replied, “Elder, we’re from Lizhou. I fell gravely ill last year and haven’t recovered. We heard that the famed physician Zuo was recently seen nearby, so we came to seek treatment.”

Seeing that it was just two children, the younger looking no more than eight or nine years old, the people relaxed slightly and spoke more politely.

“There was someone claiming to be a divine doctor here, but they’ve been taken away!”

“Where are your parents? Why are you traveling alone?”

“This place isn’t safe. You’d best head home early!”

Hearing someone in the crowd mention a “miracle doctor,” Ye Chang’an asked urgently, “Taken away? Who took him?”

“It’s the bandits outside Jianzhou City! Those scoundrels come down from the mountains every so often to loot, burn, and kill. They commit every atrocity imaginable.” At the mention of the bandits, the townsfolk were filled with anger. Once one person started cursing them, the rest joined in, venting their frustrations.

These days, no one was having an easy time, and they all just hoped to get through the floods with the little grain they had left. But those bandits were utterly unreasonable. They stormed into Jianzhou City, going house to house, and took all the food. Taking food was bad enough, but if they took a liking to a family’s daughter-in-law or young women, they would abduct them too.

Ye Chang’an was infected by the townsfolk’s indignation and asked angrily, “What about the city guards? Aren’t they doing anything?”

Speaking of which, when they entered the city, they hadn’t seen any guards. Such a large city, yet no one was defending it!

Among the crowd, some townsfolk couldn’t suppress their sorrow and covered their faces, weeping. “The soldiers have all gone to war, and the officials in the city don’t care about us. They’ve left us—old folks, women, and children—to fend for ourselves…”

“My daughter-in-law is in her confinement, and my grandson has just been born. Now there’s no food left at home—what are we supposed to do?” An elderly woman cried, having just been trying to beg her neighbors for some grain.

The neighbors were in a tough spot. Everyone’s food supplies were running low. If they gave some away, how were their own families supposed to survive?

“Woooo—”

A piercing horn suddenly sounded, seemingly from outside the city.

Ye Yin tilted his head to listen closely and faintly heard the sound of approaching hooves.

The townsfolk’s faces changed dramatically at the sound. Ignoring the two unfamiliar youths, they turned and hurriedly ran back to their homes, slamming their doors and windows shut in hopes of avoiding this impending disaster.

An old man, unable to bear it, cracked his door open slightly and said softly to the two youths on the street, “Quickly, come hide! If those bandits catch you, it’ll be the end of you!”

Ye Chang’an stared intently at Ye Yin, ready to follow wherever Ye Yin went.

Ye Yin lowered his gaze, deep in thought. The Miracle Doctor Zuo was highly likely to have been taken by the bandits. If he wanted to cure the poison, he had to find out where the doctor was. It seemed he would have to venture into the bandits’ lair.

However, this plan was risky, and he couldn’t involve Chang’an. Without saying much, he dismounted from the cart and led Chang’an into the old man’s house.

“Thank you, sir!” After entering, Ye Yin bowed slightly to express his gratitude.

Ye Chang’an followed behind him and also thanked the old man twice.

“It’s nothing,” the old man waved them off, shaking his head. He firmly locked the door and even propped it with two wooden rods before feeling reassured. After scrutinizing the two youths for a long moment, he asked, “It’s getting late. Do you have a place to stay? My son has gone off to war, and his house is empty. If you don’t mind, you can make do here for the night.”

In these times, everyone was struggling. Helping out a little was the least one could do, a way of accumulating merit for the son fighting on the battlefield.

Ye Yin bowed again in gratitude. “It’s already a great kindness that you’re willing to take us in. How could we possibly mind?”

As they spoke, there was a sudden knock at the door. The three inside immediately fell silent, not daring to make a sound. The person outside banged on the door a few times, swore viciously when it didn’t budge, and then moved on to the next house.

The group wandered around the city until nightfall. When they left, faint sounds of women crying and pleading could be heard among them.

Hearing this, the old man sighed helplessly and looked up at the pitch-black sky, lamenting, “When will these dark days ever end?”

Ye Chang’an clenched his fists tightly, wishing he could rush out and stop the bandits right now. But he knew very well that he didn’t have the ability to do so at the moment. The more he thought about it, the more determined he became—he had to grow stronger as quickly as possible. He needed to be able to protect Ye Yin and save the townsfolk from their suffering.

With this resolve, Ye Chang’an looked toward Ye Yin and saw him with his head lowered, seemingly deep in thought.

The bandits left, and Jianzhou City returned to its uneasy peace. Occasionally, the sound of someone crying in despair could be heard, but others, preoccupied with their own troubles, could only sigh, pull their blankets over their heads, and try to sleep through their growling stomachs.

No one noticed a young man climb out of a small courtyard and follow the hoofprints on the ground, heading out of the city.

Ye Yin planned to investigate the bandits’ lair and assess the situation before deciding on a course of action. He aimed to return before dawn to ensure Chang’an’s safety.

In the small courtyard, on the bed inside, Ye Chang’an slowly opened his eyes and looked in the direction Ye Yin had left.

Author’s Note:

Apologies for being late.

Thank you for reading!