The West Gate

If the entire continent of Xiangguo had only one city, it would be Changxiang City, written about on the first page of every history book. It stands proudly among the hundred cities, competing with the world. Changxiang City is built against the mountains, with towering cliffs to the north and gates to the east, south, and west. The eastern gate is secluded, the western gate is perilous, and the southern gate is majestic, each offering a different scenery. Among them, the most magnificent is the southern gate. It often astonishes newcomers—the city wall and the watchtower are twenty-six zhang high, the ancient crimson city wall looks like it was split open by a giant axe, the outline of the palace on the mountaintop looks like a golden mark embedded in the sky, and the copper gate is ten zhang tall, with green trees inside...

The text ends here, followed by a large and silly drawing. On the drawing is a rustic country bumpkin dressed in tattered clothes, carrying a bag as tall as a person, with a dumbfounded expression on his face. This kind of expression is all too familiar—those smelly men who go to the western gate, when they see the girls taking off their clothes, each one looks like this, mouth open, with a fake smile, their bellies trembling, then swallowing a mouthful of saliva, "gulp", sounding disgusting.

Cong'er grew up in the west gate and was a maid who made snacks for Master Nie Xiaotao. Three months ago, she had followed a man out. The man's surname is Ling, and nobody knew his full name. Everyone just called him Young Master Ling.

Young Master Ling looked like someone with a background. He had come for Nie Xiaotao, which wasn't surprising. Most men who went to the west gate are after Nie Xiaotao. Nie Xiaotao is nearly forty years old but still a stunning beauty, captivating everyone. When Young Master Ling came, he looked spirited, with his small mustache combed straight like the tip of a brush. But after waiting for a month, he hadn't even seen Nie Xiaotao's face. He was annoyed, barged into Nie Xiaotao's room, and who knows what happened inside. Anyway, Young Master Ling came out with his head down, his little mustache hanging limply on his lips. It's said that Nie Xiaotao lazily said from behind, "Line up at the back."

Fortunately, Young Master Ling was a good man who doesn't get arrogant or discouraged easily. Nie Xiaotao doesn't show up, so be it. He enjoyed himself in the west gate. It was early summer at that time. One night, it was so hot that Young Master Ling, in the pool behind the Peach Blossom Pavilion, spread out gold and silver jewelry and asked the girls to fish freely. There was just one rule: use your feet, not your hands.

This grand gesture stirred up the west gate.

Cong'er wasn't stupid, of course, she followed. After all, it was money. As soon as she dipped into the pool, she knew that the phrase "living a carefree life in the west gate" was no empty boast. The girls took off their shoes and socks, used their toes to pick up gold and silver coins and put them in wooden basins on the water's surface. While doing this, they talked cautiously and meticulously, "This man likes feet. Men who like feet are troubled. Sisters, which ones of us will he choose? Let's not catch his eye."

Cong'er watched Young Master Ling from afar. He lay on a reclining chair, clapping and laughing, tears streaming down his face, pouring alcohol into his mouth recklessly. Cong'er didn't know why she felt sorry for him. She said, "I'll go."

It wasn't her place to go. She wasn't one of the "girls" from the west gate. But a woman's life, sooner or later, will meet someone, and meeting him is fine. He has money, and she has the prettiest feet in the west gate.

When Young Master Ling wanted to take her away, Nie Xiaotao intervened, saying no. What's there to say about this? Even the daughter of a good family who elopes will disown her relatives. Cong'er was determined to leave, not listening to Nie Xiaotao's nagging. She only said, "Sister Xiaotao, I understand, I understand. I'll walk my own path."

She walked from the lower city to the middle city, got three small houses of her own, and Young Master Ling came back every ten days or so, treating her kindly.

That's enough. With a good man and money, she knows what he wants, and she won't waste her thoughts guessing what he wants. He must have a wife at home. What's the harm? As long as she bears him a son or daughter, she'll surely enter the door.

Days are long, and nights are long. Looking east and west, besides this incomprehensible book, she doesn't know what else to do.

The footbath water has cooled. Cong'er fights off a yawn and flips another page with a splash.

Autumn was once the most beautiful season in Changxiang City.

The southern slopes of Xiangshan are lush and covered with trees. From summer to autumn, each layer of cool wind brings out a fresh array of colors: the red, thick leaves of the maple, the white, thin leaves of the white dew tree, and golden leaves swirling close to the ground. When the wind stops, the leaves shatter into proud fragments, revealing the lingering deep green of midsummer within their damp hearts.

On clear days, standing on the highest turret at the southwest corner of the city wall and looking south, you can see seven small lakes, as blue as the sky, linked by the winding Deer Stream, quietly flowing towards the endless Mulan River.

"Liars! All liars!" Cong'er couldn't stand it anymore and threw away the book. What nonsense was this? Every page was filled with lies. She had rummaged through Young Master Ling's clothing bag and only found this thing. Wasn't that just ridiculous? There were no trees outside the south gate, let alone small lakes or streams. There wasn't even a smelly ditch. The southern side of Xiangshan was bare, with nothing but sand and roads. Standing at the south gate, you could see the palace, but it looked as ridiculous as a bald man wearing a pointed hat. Lord Qi had collected taxes for five years, claiming he would repair the moat and divert water from 300 li away to restore the old Deer Stream scenery. But after collecting all the money, where was the river? Now, with the emperor's return imminent, people were shouting about "tidying up the south gate," and the half-dug moat had been completely filled.

She couldn't understand what those officials were thinking. The girls in the west gate often worried, saying, "With the chaos of war, if the moat is gone, what will we do if fighting breaks out again?"

They were truly scared of war. The girls in the west gate, about her age, had lost their parents in the wars. They were considered lucky; the unlucky ones were sold into slavery.

The foot bath had gone completely cold.

A thick wooden basin floated with gardenia flowers, the small white blossoms lit by the flickering candlelight, revealing the characters "peace under heaven" at the bottom. The sight of these characters annoyed Cong'er. Her feet were swollen from running errands, and she had scoured hundreds of shops in the central city but couldn't find a good basin.

She lifted a cloth towel from the back of the chair and carefully dried her feet, then meticulously applied scented balm, dyed her nails a light purple that Young Master Ling liked, and tied a small string of gold bells around her ankles. After painstakingly attending to her delicate feet, she looked down to find only one embroidered shoe by the basin; the other was missing.

Hopping on one foot, Cong'er called out, "Xue'er! You little rascal! Come out here!"

"Woof woof," whimpered a small, fluffy white ball under the bed.

"Come out! You annoying thing! Or I'll spank you!" Cong'er slapped the bed hard. "You're supposed to fetch Young Master Ling's shoes, not mine!"

Xue'er wasn't afraid of her at all. The little dog grabbed the shoe and ran to the other side of the bed, snuggling down to sleep.

Balancing on one foot, Cong'er climbed onto the bed and reached for the dog's tail. But as soon as she got close, the dog barked and ran out of the room with the shoe.

Annoyed, Cong'er thought about how Young Master Ling would be back soon, and these shoes were from Qingcheng and very expensive. Her freshly cleaned feet touched the ground again as she chased after Xue'er.

It was all Young Master Ling's fault. He had so many bad habits. Every time he came back, he kicked the door open without knocking, then took his time coming inside. At first, she thought he was in a bad mood, but after a few times, she realized he just couldn't stand a closed door.

"Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!" Xue'er barked furiously in the middle of the alley, as if it had seen something.

What was it? Cong'er looked around, feeling a bit uneasy. Taiping Alley was peculiar, with tall walls on both sides. You had to walk fifty zhang and turn a corner to see the neighbor's house. These walls were old, covered with thick vines that disappeared into deep shadows. The ground was slick with moss between the cobblestones, making each step feel eerie. Xue'er's barking echoed off the walls, creating a chilling reverberation.

The door behind her creaked shut without any wind.

Cong'er grabbed Xue'er by the tail and pulled it into her arms. She had been sweating from the heat, but now she was cold with fear. She thought, let Young Master Ling break the door if he wanted; it was better than being scared.

As she pushed the door open, she almost screamed. Standing by the bed were five men in gray clothes, standing in the shadow of the lamp, their faces obscured.

She didn't scream because a knife had pressed against her throat from behind.

"Are you Ling Zichong's woman?" a voice asked from behind, dripping with menace.

"Who are you?" she replied.

"I'm asking you, not the other way around."

"I don't know anyone named Ling Zichong! He never told me his name!" Cong'er felt like crying. The man who treated her so well had never told her anything.

"Hah, typical Young Master Ling. Hey, how long have you been with him?"

"Three months."

"Wow, impressive! Where are you from?"

"The west… gate."

"West gate? So, you must be Nie Xiaotao's… What's your role?"

"No, no, no! I'm just a pastry maker! Nobody important!"

"Young Master Ling never makes mistakes." The man seemed to be talking to his companions. "Can't get much out of her. Burn the place down."

"Who are you? Thieves! Help! Help!" Cong'er screamed. This man was different from those she had met before. She could feel him looking at her feet, yet he showed no mercy, dragging her by her hair towards the bed as if she were a corpse.

"Woof!" Xue'er bit the man's wrist. He loosened his grip, and Cong'er ran without looking back.

The man didn't seem to care. He casually told his subordinates, "Start the fire," before flinging the dog against the door frame and chasing after her.

Cong'er dared not look back. Her knees were weak, the wind between her legs chilling her. She felt him behind her, silent and close, raising his hand—

"Ah!" Cong'er closed her eyes and screamed, holding her head.

The blade didn't fall.

Cong'er turned to see the man looking at the shadow atop the wall. She squinted but saw nothing.

The man tightened his grip on her hair. "Commander Qi, you do your business, I'll do mine. No need for conflict."

A voice responded from the shadows, seemingly close yet far, "I recall warning your boss. Causing trouble in the central city is disrespectful to me."

The man snorted. "I wouldn't dare! Disrespecting Commander Qi is disrespecting Lord Xiang. But this girl has to go. Commander, please step aside. It'll be over soon."

Cong'er wasn't stupid. She had been listening carefully. Though she didn't know who these men were, she guessed the man on the wall was significant. She cried out, "Help, Lord Xiang! Commander Qi, help! I haven't done anything, I don't know him—"

The man was furious, yanking her hair and ready to stab, when the man on the wall coughed. "Don't push your luck."

The threat was clear. The man hesitated. "Qi Jiafu, Diding isn't afraid of the Wind Shadow Cavalry."

The wall man's voice was calm, as if explaining to a child, "That may be true, but whether Diding fears Wind Shadow Cavalry isn't relevant. What matters is if your boss keeps his word. Understand?"

The man understood but was reluctant to leave.

The man on the wall patiently continued, "I know you're stubborn, but take this message back. I'm keeping the girl. Leave a mark as a token of our encounter. The situation is tense; it's best to lay low for a while. If Lord Xiang is happy, everyone will be happy."

Grudgingly, the man released Cong'er, slicing off his ear in one swift motion. "Damn slave!"

"A house slave is just a house slave, adding an insult doesn't change that," the wall man said indifferently. "The rest of you, too."

The men inside jumped out, following suit, cutting off an ear each. The man stamped his foot, and they all left.

Cong'er collapsed to the ground, not wanting to think about what had just happened. Women needed to know when to lie down and when to stand up.

But she was curious, peeking through her lashes at the man on the wall. He watched the men leave before crushing a vine underfoot, releasing a green mist that settled on the fresh blood before dissipating into the twilight.

His gaze fell on her. Cong'er quickly shut her eyes.

Since he's from the Wind Shadow Cavalry, this person must be Qi Jiafu. In the West District, this person was often mentioned. He's the leader of the Qi family's personal guard, the Wind Shadow Cavalry, and the trusted aide of Prime Minister Qi Xiang, widely recognized in the city as the sharpest blade.

Five years ago, the He family offered eighteen salt mines plus three hundred famous horses in exchange for him. Qi Xiang immediately refused without hesitation. This incident caused a huge stir in the city. Everyone was talking about it, especially in the West District, where gossip was rampant. Cong'er couldn't understand what they were saying, but she knew that both men and women were not to be sold at any price, yet she didn't expect it to be that expensive. Many people banged on tables and chairs, shouting, "He still dares not to sell? Does Qi Xiang think he's a member of the Lu family? What does he want to do? The mansion is too small for him, so he wants to climb higher, doesn't he?"

The person jumped down, landing on the ground next to Cong'er's face. A slight breeze stirred her hair, tickling her face. He was looking at her, his gaze as if it had thorns that could pierce eyelids, penetrate pupils, and stab into the brain. Pretending in front of him was both embarrassing and exhausting. Cong'er couldn't bear it. She thought, forget it. I'm just a woman. If he wants my life, I'll give it to him. If he wants me, I'll lie down. What else can he do to me?

"Don't follow too closely. If you annoy Shao Yishi, it won't be easy to deal with him. Just let him know I'm looking for him." The person turned his head and ordered the person beside him.

"Yes, sir."

"Did Ling Zichong leave anything behind?"

"No, only this book."

"'Looking Different'? A textbook from the women's school... Hmm, Ling Zichong's taste is getting stranger and stranger." The person flipped through the book in his hand and casually asked, "Did Ling Zichong say he would come back today?"

Cong'er opened her eyes. "No, I guessed."

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know. You all know better than me."

Cong'er saw a look of surprise on the person's face—he was still young, just reaching his full height. His features weren't as sharp as she had imagined. He had short hair that barely reached his ears, and his sleeves reached only halfway down his arms. There was a small "Qi" character on his wrist, which had become part of his skin texture over the years. His gaze quickly shifted from Cong'er's face to the golden bells on her ankles. "Get up, put on your shoes, and come with me."