Searching the Small Cargo Ship

On the deck, several soldiers said, "We're acting on orders to capture fugitives from the imperial court. No one is allowed to move—stand where you are. If our search confirms there are no fugitives on your ship, then you may leave."

The ship captain bent low, bowing repeatedly as he followed beside the soldiers, saying, "Sirs, you see, we're all honest folk just trying to make a living with small business. How could we possibly dare to harbor fugitives from the imperial court?"

One of the soldiers snorted, "It's not enough for you to say so. We won't know until we've searched!"

Then came the sound of chaotic footsteps descending the stairs.

Zhao Mingting, terrified and at a total loss, clung to Imperial Grand Tutor Gu's sleeve. "Imperial Grand Tutor, what should we do? Those soldiers must have been sent by Alexander Hayes to hunt us down! It's just you and me here—there's not even a guard with us. If they find us, we're dead for sure! Imperial Grand Tutor, I don't want to die, I don't want to die! Please, think of something!"

Imperial Grand Tutor Gu quickly covered Zhao Mingting's mouth and whispered, "If you don't want to die, then shut up and do exactly as I say!"

Several soldiers descended into the ship's hold. This cargo ship was cramped, with no separation between the cargo and living quarters—they were all mixed together.

"Sirs, this is where we sleep—there's nothing worth searching here," the ship captain said with a forced smile.

The soldiers casually pushed open several cabins. Inside, it was dark and damp, with a musty smell, but there were no fugitives to be seen.

Then they reached the innermost cabin. One of the soldiers asked, "Captain, who stays in this cabin?"

The captain hurriedly explained, "This cabin belongs to a married couple. They paid extra silver for privacy. The wife seems to be ill, so the couple rarely comes out."

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards sensed something was off. Their expressions hardened, and several of them immediately surrounded the cabin and kicked the door open.

Once the door opened, they realized the space inside was even more cramped than the cabins they'd seen before, and a foul, unidentifiable stench filled the air.

A filthy, trembling man knelt by the bed. When he saw the Imperial Guards, he was so terrified that he immediately dropped to his knees, unable to utter a coherent word.

One of the Imperial Guards sized up the man—he was scruffy, thin, and looked utterly pitiful. Faced with the Imperial Guards, he was so scared he couldn't speak, nearly wetting himself.

Then they looked to the bed. Someone was lying there.

The Imperial Guards stared at the bed, suspicion written all over their faces. "Who's lying there?" one of them demanded.

"It's—it's my wife..." the thin, frightened man stammered, his voice trembling.

"Your wife? Lift the blanket and let us see for ourselves!" ordered one of the Imperial Guards.

The thin man, shaking all over, reached out and lifted the patched hemp blanket covering the woman on the bed. She had been lying on her side, but startled by the commotion, she turned over, facing the door and the Imperial Guards.

"Good heavens, what is that!" one of the Imperial Guards exclaimed, recoiling in shock. The woman wore ragged clothes, her face sallow and dark, with hideous sores covering most of it. Just one look was enough to terrify anyone.

Seeing strangers, the woman was utterly terrified. She covered her face with the blanket and cried out, "Don't burn me! Please don't burn me!"

"What happened to this woman's face?" one of the Imperial Guards asked the captain, unable to bear a second glance at her grotesque features.

The captain shook his head. "Sir, I truly don't know. When they boarded, the woman kept her face covered. This is the first time I've seen her face so clearly. Could it be some kind of contagious disease?"