Time waits for no man, and the seasons flow like a river. Once again, it was midsummer, with gentle breezes and flourishing greenery. On this day, at an ancient ferry crossing named Dayi in Yazhou, a ferryboat carried a dozen passengers across the river. The boatman pushed the boat away from the shore with his pole, slowly steering it toward the middle of the river, when a voice called out from the bank, carried by the wind: "Boatman, wait!"
The boatman turned and saw four or five people approaching quickly. They were dressed plainly, their clothes dusted from travel. Among them was a slightly slender young man with calm brows and bright eyes, clearly the leader, as the others followed closely behind him.
"Boatman, come back! We need to cross!"
A man beside him shouted at the boatman, his voice booming.
Though this ancient ferry was close to the roadside and the only passage from the west bank to the east, it was remote, with few passengers. The river was wide—spanning dozens of zhang—and the currents were swift. A single crossing took at least half a shichen, and sometimes the boatman made only a few trips a day. Seeing more passengers now, his face lit up with delight. He called back loudly, quickly poling the boat back to shore. With a thick local accent, he bowed to the group and said, "Honored guests, my boat is small. I can only take two more at most—it won’t fit all of you. The currents in the middle are strong, and too many people would make it unsafe."
The others all looked to the young man. He narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the distant opposite shore, then nodded.
The boatman quoted the fare and urged the earlier passengers to squeeze together, making room for the newcomers.
The young man said to his companions, "Yang Yun and I will go first. The rest of you can take the next trip." He thanked the boatman with a polite "Apologies for the trouble" and boarded the stern.
This man was Pei You'an. Seven or eight days prior, he had left Ü-Tsang, taking the shorter route through Yunzhou, heading toward the capital. But this stretch of the journey was slow due to treacherous terrain—mountains and rivers blocking the post roads—and only today had he arrived at this ancient ferry crossing to the east bank.
The boatman bowed repeatedly, murmuring deferential words, and once the passengers were aboard, he pushed off again with his pole, letting the current carry the boat slowly toward the opposite shore.
As the boat neared the middle of the river, the wind grew stronger, and the currents turned turbulent. Some of the more timid passengers grew nervous. But the boatman, seasoned from years of crossings, remained unperturbed. Barefoot and steady at the stern, he poled while regaling the passengers with local tales. He was quite the talker, and his storytelling soon distracted the passengers from their fear.
Yang Yun, ever vigilant, stayed close to Pei You'an by the gunwale, scanning their fellow passengers. At the stern sat a young woman dressed as a local, fair-skinned and in her early twenties. Frightened, she clutched a bundle tightly to her chest, eyes shut and unmoving. The others were ordinary travelers, nothing suspicious about them. Thinking that once they reached the other side, the post road would become smoother and they could switch to horses to speed up their journey, Yang Yun began to relax—when suddenly, Pei You'an asked the boatman, "Uncle, have you been ferrying here long? Once ashore, how far is it to Huayang Prefecture? And which road is most convenient?"The boatman laughed and said, "I've been steering this boat for half my life—you've asked the right person! Once ashore, keep going straight for dozens of miles until you reach a fork in the road. Take the eastern path for another two hundred miles, and you'll arrive at Huayang Prefecture. Are you traveling for business, sir?"
Pei You'an gazed at the boatman and smiled faintly. "Indeed. Thank you, boatman."
As the boat reached the middle of the river, the hull swayed slightly with the current. The boatman's expression grew serious, and he stopped chatting, carefully pushing the bamboo pole through the water. Suddenly, there was a sharp crack —the pole, as thick as a man’s calf, had bent too far and snapped in two. The unexpected break stunned everyone, even the boatman, who stood frozen at the bow, motionless.
Without the pole’s support, the boat immediately spun in the river’s whirlpool, rocking violently from side to side. The passengers panicked, and the young woman shrieked in terror.
Yang Yun was startled but quickly spotted a spare bamboo pole lying across the bottom of the boat. "Boatman, don’t panic! Catch!" he shouted, grabbing the pole and thrusting it toward the boatman.
The boatman snapped out of his daze and hurried to take the pole. But as he passed Pei You'an, disaster struck—he suddenly bent down, swiftly drew a dagger from his waist, and slashed at Pei You'an’s throat.
Yang Yun was horrified but reacted instantly. "My lord, watch out!" he bellowed, eyes wide with fury. He dropped the pole and lunged forward to intervene, but it was too late. The boatman was too close, and his dagger strike was lightning-fast, precise, and ruthless—no longer the demeanor of a simple boatman but that of a trained assassin.
Just as Pei You'an seemed destined to bleed out on the deck, the situation changed again. He appeared to have anticipated the attack—a glint flashed in his eyes as he leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blade. The boatman faltered, but before he could react, Pei You'an seized his wrist in an iron grip. With a twist of his hand, the dagger plunged into the boatman’s chest with a sickening thud , sinking to the hilt.
The boatman stiffened, his own hand still clutching the dagger’s handle as if he had driven it into his own heart.
Hunched over, the boatman stared at Pei You'an with wide, disbelieving eyes filled with terror.
A wave crashed against the boat, tilting it sharply. The boatman staggered backward and, with a thump , toppled into the water, swiftly swallowed by the current.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Only after the boatman vanished beneath the waves did the passengers erupt into screams again, the young woman now sobbing uncontrollably.
"My lord! Are you unharmed?"
Before Yang Yun could even exhale in relief, the boat lurched violently, nearly throwing him off balance. He turned to see several panicked passengers standing up, destabilizing the boat further. Just then, another whirlpool surged beneath them, capsizing the vessel. With a chorus of screams, four or five people tumbled into the water, flailing and crying for help.
"Steady the boat! I’ll save them!"
Pei You'an barked the order at Yang Yun without hesitation.Yang Yun was not as adept in water as Pei You'an. With a shiver, he snapped back to attention and hurriedly responded. He grabbed the bamboo pole from earlier, positioning himself at the bow of the boat. Pressing the pole against a protruding rock in the river, he strained against the current. Gradually, the boat stabilized and stopped spinning. Meanwhile, Pei You'an had already leaped into the river, swiftly rescuing the nearby drowning passengers one by one and bringing them back to the boat. Finally, he climbed aboard himself. Just then, a faint cry for help reached his ears. Turning toward the sound, he spotted the young woman from the same boat. She had been swept to the stern by the current—unnoticed by him—but miraculously managed to grab hold of a trailing rope, preventing herself from sinking. Pei You'an immediately moved to the stern and reached out to pull her up.
The moment he grasped the young woman's hand, Pei You'an's brow furrowed slightly. Instead of pulling her up immediately, he glanced at her and suddenly let go.
The young woman, who had seemed weak and on the verge of drowning, revealed a fierce glint in her eyes when Pei You'an released her. Gripping the rope, she agilely vaulted onto the stern of the boat. Like the boatman earlier, she now brandished a dagger and lunged at Pei You'an.
Screams erupted once more on the boat.
With a soft crack of a broken wrist, the young woman shrieked in pain and tumbled back into the river. Her head bobbed above the water a few times before slowly sinking beneath the surface.
The remaining passengers, ordinary folk who had never experienced such a heart-stopping ordeal, realized they had unwittingly boarded a pirate vessel today. Witnessing Pei You'an dispatch two assailants without hesitation, his gaze now sweeping over them like a sharp blade, they turned pale with terror. The quicker-witted among them scrambled to their knees, kowtowing and pleading for mercy, calling him "hero" and desperately proclaiming their innocence.
Pei You'an knew the remaining passengers posed no further threat. His expression gradually softened as he returned to the bow, wringing out his soaked clothes.
Yang Yun steadied himself and, leveraging the current, slowly but determinedly guided the ferry toward the shore. Finally, they reached land.
The moment the boat touched the bank, the passengers grabbed their belongings and fled without a backward glance. Yang Yun rowed back to fetch the remaining attendants. Once ashore, he found Pei You'an standing by the riverbank, gazing thoughtfully at the water. Recalling the earlier dangers, Yang Yun approached him, still shaken.
"My lord, I've long suspected we were being followed on this journey. Today proved it! Fortunately, you emerged unscathed. It's a pity both assailants died—we couldn’t interrogate them. Do you know who might be targeting you?"
Pei You'an withdrew his gaze and replied calmly, "I don’t have many enemies, but they aren’t few either. It’s hard to say for now. A shame, indeed. I may have struck a bit too hard earlier—otherwise, we could have questioned them."
Hearing his composed tone, as if the assassination attempt had barely fazed him, Yang Yun relaxed slightly. Unable to resist, he asked, "When the boatman attacked, you seemed prepared. How did you suspect him? I noticed his steady stance, but for someone who poles boats all year, that’s not unusual, so I didn’t think much of it. Thank heavens you were alert—had anything happened to you, my death wouldn’t have atoned for my failure."Pei You'an said, "That boatman is indeed a local, with dark skin and proper rowing techniques, appearing utterly ordinary at first glance. But did you notice? The skin on his feet and calves is noticeably lighter than his face and arms, indicating he doesn't usually go barefoot or wear shorts. Think about it—why would a boatman wear shoes and long clothes all year round? So when I asked if he'd been ferrying here long-term and he said yes, he was clearly lying."
Yang Yun looked impressed. "I'm far from matching your insight, my lord! Please guide me more in the future! But how did you spot the issue with that young woman?"
Pei You'an replied, "Simple. Her fair complexion clearly wasn't that of a laboring peasant woman, yet she traveled alone—that's the first oddity, though special circumstances might explain it. When I grabbed her hand to pull her aboard, her palm had calluses in places typical of someone who practices swordsmanship regularly. So I concluded she and the boatman were accomplices."
Yang Yun suddenly understood. "I observed the passengers too but didn't pay much attention to her. This is a lesson learned—I'll be more vigilant from now on."
Pei You'an said, "Remember, anomalies signal deceit—especially with women. You'll come to see that extra caution around women is never misplaced."
Yang Yun was utterly convinced and said sincerely, "Your wisdom is unmatched, my lord. I'll remember this."
Pei You'an smiled faintly, then glanced ahead. "If I'm not mistaken, His Highness the Prince has likely entered the capital by now. No need to linger here. There should be a relay station ahead—let's secure some horses, stay alert, and make haste."
Yang Yun assented, and the group hurried along the post road.
Time flowed like an unceasing river, and soon it was midsummer again, with gentle breezes and lush greenery. One day, at an ancient ferry crossing called Dayi in Yazhou, a boat carrying a dozen passengers prepared to depart. The boatman pushed off from the bank with his pole, heading slowly toward the river's center, when a voice called from shore, "Boatman, wait!"
Turning, the boatman saw four or five figures approaching swiftly. They were dressed plainly, their clothes dust-stained. Among them was a slightly slender young man with calm brows and bright eyes, clearly the leader, flanked by the others.
"Boatman, come back! We're crossing!" one of the men shouted, his voice booming.
Though this old ferry lay close to the road and was the only passage from the west to the east bank, its remote location meant few travelers. The river was wide—dozens of zhang across—with swift currents, making each crossing take at least half an hour. Some days, the boatman made only a few trips. Delighted at the new customers, he quickly rowed back and said in a thick local accent, bowing, "Sirs, my boat's small—it can only take two more at most. The current's strong; too many would be unsafe."
The others looked to the young man, who narrowed his eyes slightly, scanned the distant opposite bank, and nodded.
After settling the fare, the boatman urged the earlier passengers to squeeze together, making room for the newcomers.
The young man said to his companions, "Yang Yun and I will go first. The rest of you take the next trip." With a polite "Thank you" to the boatman, he boarded the stern.The man was none other than Pei You'an. Seven or eight days prior, he had left Ü-Tsang and taken the shorter route through Yun River, embarking on the journey to the capital. However, due to the treacherous terrain—filled with mountains and rivers—and the absence of official roads, progress had been slow. It was only today that he arrived at this ancient ferry crossing leading to the eastern shore.
The boatman hurriedly bowed, repeatedly expressing his humility. Once everyone had boarded, he pushed the boat away from the shore with his pole and, following the current, slowly steered the ferry toward the opposite bank.
As the boat gradually reached the middle of the river, the wind grew stronger, and the current became more turbulent. Some of the more timid passengers began to tense up. The boatman, however, was accustomed to the journey and remained unfazed. Barefoot, he stood steadily at the stern, skillfully maneuvering the boat while regaling the passengers with local tales. He was quite the talker, with a gift for storytelling, and soon the passengers were so engrossed in his tales that their initial fear began to fade.
Yang Yun, ever vigilant, positioned himself protectively beside Pei You'an near the gunwale, scanning their fellow passengers. At the stern, he noticed a young woman dressed in local attire, fair-skinned and seemingly in her early twenties. She appeared frightened, clutching a bundle tightly to her chest, eyes closed and motionless. The rest were ordinary travelers, showing no signs of suspicion. Thinking that once they reached the opposite shore, the official roads would gradually become passable again, and they could switch to horseback the next day to speed up their journey, Yang Yun began to relax. Just then, he heard Pei You'an ask the boatman, "Uncle, have you been ferrying here for many years? Once we disembark, how far is it to Huayang Prefecture, and what's the best route to take?"
The boatman chuckled. "I've been steering this boat for half my life—you're asking the right person! After landing, just keep going straight. After about ten miles, you'll reach a fork in the road. Take the eastern path for another hundred miles, and you'll arrive at Huayang Prefecture. Are you traveling for business, sir?"
Pei You'an gazed at the boatman and smiled faintly. "Indeed. Thank you for the information."
As the boat reached the middle of the river, the hull swayed slightly under the pull of the current. The boatman's expression grew serious, and he stopped chatting, focusing intently on steering the boat forward with his bamboo pole. Suddenly, with a sharp crack , the pole—as thick as a man's calf—bent too far and snapped in two. The suddenness of it stunned everyone, even the boatman, who stood frozen at the bow, motionless.
Without the pole's guidance, the boat immediately began spinning in the river's whirlpool, rocking violently from side to side. Panic erupted among the passengers, and the young woman shrieked repeatedly.
Yang Yun was startled but quickly spotted a spare bamboo pole lying across the bottom of the boat. "Boatman, don't panic! Catch!" he shouted, grabbing the pole and tossing it toward the boatman.
The boatman snapped out of his daze and hurried to catch the pole. But as he passed by Pei You'an, the unexpected happened—he suddenly bent down, swiftly reaching into his waistband and pulling out a dagger. In a flash, the blade slashed toward Pei You'an's neck.
Yang Yun was horrified but reacted instantly. "My lord, watch out!" he bellowed, eyes wide with fury. He dropped the pole and lunged forward to intercept, but it was too late. The boatman was too close to Pei You'an, and the dagger strike was executed in the blink of an eye—precise and ruthless. There was no trace of the boatman left in him; he was clearly a trained assassin.Just as Pei You'an was about to be bloodied on the deck, the situation took another turn. He seemed prepared, a glint flashing in his eyes as he leaned back, narrowly avoiding the blade. The Boatman froze in shock, but before he could react, Pei You'an had already seized his wrist in an iron grip. With a swift twist, the dagger plunged into the Boatman’s chest with a sickening thud, buried to the hilt.
The Boatman stiffened, his own hand still clutching the dagger’s handle as if he had driven it into his own heart. His hunched form trembled, eyes wide with disbelief and terror.
A wave crashed against the boat, tilting it sharply. The Boatman staggered backward and with a loud splash, toppled into the water, vanishing beneath the currents.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Only after the Boatman disappeared did the passengers erupt into screams again, the Young woman even bursting into tears.
"My lord! Are you unharmed?"
Before Yang Yun could even exhale in relief, the boat lurched violently, nearly throwing him off balance. He turned to see several panicked passengers standing, destabilizing the vessel. Just then, a whirlpool surged in the river, tilting the boat dangerously to one side. With a chorus of shrieks, four or five people tumbled overboard, flailing and crying for help.
"Steady the boat! I’ll save them!"
Pei You'an barked the order at Yang Yun, who, though less adept in water, snapped to attention. Grabbing the bamboo pole, he braced himself at the bow, pressing it against a protruding rock to resist the current. Slowly, the boat stabilized.
Meanwhile, Pei You'an had already dived into the river, swiftly rescuing the drowning passengers one by one and hauling them back aboard. As he climbed back onto the deck, a faint cry for help reached his ears. Turning, he spotted the Young woman, swept toward the stern by the current. By sheer luck, she had managed to grab a trailing rope, keeping herself afloat.
Pei You'an moved to pull her up—but the moment his hand closed around hers, his brow furrowed. Instead of hauling her aboard, he released his grip abruptly.
The Young woman, who had seemed moments from drowning, suddenly glared with murderous intent. With unnatural agility, she scaled the rope and lunged onto the stern, brandishing a dagger—just like the Boatman—and thrust it toward Pei You'an.
Screams erupted anew.
A sharp crack echoed as her wrist snapped. She shrieked in pain before plunging back into the river, her head bobbing briefly before sinking beneath the waves.
The remaining passengers, ordinary folk who had never witnessed such harrowing events, realized with dread that they had boarded a ship of killers. Seeing Pei You'an dispatch two assassins without hesitation, his piercing gaze now sweeping over them, they turned ashen with fear. The quicker-witted among them scrambled to kowtow, pleading for mercy and swearing their innocence.Pei You'an, now certain that there were no more anomalies among the remaining people, gradually relaxed his expression and returned to the bow of the boat. He sat back down slowly, wringing the water from his soaked clothes.
Yang Yun steadied himself and, taking advantage of the current, pushed the ferry forward with great effort until it finally reached the shore.
As soon as they landed, the passengers grabbed their belongings and fled without looking back. Yang Yun then rowed back to fetch the remaining attendants. Once ashore, he noticed Pei You'an standing by the riverbank, gazing thoughtfully at the islet in the river. Remembering the successive dangers they had just faced, Yang Yun still felt a lingering fear. He walked over to join him.
"My lord, I've sensed someone following us along the way. Today's incident proves it! Fortunately, you're blessed by heaven and emerged unscathed. It's a pity both assailants died before we could interrogate them. Does my lord know who might wish you harm?"
Pei You'an withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "I don't have many enemies, but neither are they few. It's hard to say for now. Indeed regrettable—I struck slightly too hard earlier, otherwise we might have questioned them."
Hearing his composed tone as if the assassination attempt meant nothing, Yang Yun relaxed and couldn't help asking further: "When the boatman attacked, I noticed my lord seemed prepared. How did you detect his deception? I observed his steady stance too, but boatmen often develop such stability—it didn't seem unusual, so I remained unguarded. Thankfully my lord was vigilant, else my death couldn't atone for failing you."
Pei You'an replied, "The boatman was indeed local—dark-skinned with proper rowing technique, perfectly ordinary. But did you notice his feet and calves were paler than his face and arms? Clearly he didn't go barefoot or wear shorts regularly. Would a real boatman wear shoes and long clothes daily? So when I asked if he'd long worked this ferry and he said yes, he was obviously lying."
Yang Yun looked awestruck. "I'm far inferior to my lord! Please instruct me more in future! But that young woman—how did you discern her deceit?"
"Simple," said Pei You'an. "Her fair complexion marked her as no laboring peasant wife, yet she traveled alone—first anomaly, though not impossible. When I grabbed her hand to pull her aboard, her smooth handback bore sword-practice calluses on the palm. She and the boatman were clearly accomplices."
Yang Yun exclaimed in realization: "I observed passengers too but overlooked her. This lesson teaches me greater vigilance hereafter."
Pei You'an said, "Remember—where there's strangeness, there's deception. Especially with women. In time you'll learn: extra caution with females never goes amiss."
Utterly convinced, Yang Yun said earnestly, "My lord's wisdom humbles me. This subordinate will remember."
Pei You'an smiled slightly and looked ahead. "If I'm not mistaken, His Highness has likely entered the capital by now. No need to linger—there should be a post station ahead where we can get horses. Stay alert and let's make haste."
Yang Yun assented, and the party swiftly proceeded along the courier route.
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