Zhao Dezhu was no small figure in Jiaxing City. Among the military officials, he ranked fifth, and his endorsement instantly eased the tension atop the city walls. Prefect Zhao and the assembled civil and military officials breathed a sigh of relief, accepting the identity of Xu Hai and his group as the vanguard of the Yangcheng Guard below.
As for the letter hoisted up in a basket, Prefect Zhao had received it and unfolded it. The contents were straightforward:
*Greetings to the esteemed Prefect.*
*Upon receiving your call for aid, I wished I could sprout wings and fly to your rescue right away. But mobilizing an army takes time—too many things to prepare, too much gear to haul. So I sent Wang Tieshan ahead with a light vanguard to assist you. He’s a good, obedient lad with some muscle to back it up. I told him to follow your every order once he arrives. The main force from our garrison will follow soon, so don’t worry, Prefect.*
After reading, Prefect Zhao passed the letter to the officials beside him for review.
They chuckled as they read, commenting, “Pure vernacular—classic Han Heizi, the illiterate brute.”
As for the handwriting, it didn’t matter. Han Heizi was a roughneck who couldn’t read a word, let alone write. All his official documents were dictated, transcribed by others without a single alteration allowed—always in his crude, unpolished style. It had long been a running joke in Jiaxing Prefecture.
Seeing this blunt, dictated letter now, they laughed again. It was so *Han Heizi*. No one harbored doubts.
By this point, the identity of the Yangcheng Guard vanguard below was beyond question.
Of course, protocol demanded a few clarifying questions—a formality to complete.
For instance: Who was the commanding officer of the Yangcheng Guard? How many troops did they have?
Xu Hai answered each one fluently.
He’d grilled Zhao Dezhu for details on the way here, memorizing everything. Naturally, he responded without a hitch.
“Gentlemen, any lingering doubts about the vanguard’s identity below?” Prefect Zhao asked after the questioning, turning to his officials.
“None,” they replied, shaking their heads.
Just then, a voice piped up from the wall. “Hey, you claim to be Han Heizi’s cheap brother-in-law. So tell me—does Han Heizi have a big mole on his left butt cheek or his right?”
The disguised pirates below felt their stomachs churn.
*A mole on Han Heizi’s butt?!*
*What the hell?! How are we supposed to know something that private?!*
Even with all their prep, they hadn’t anticipated such a bizarre, tricky question!
Even the cool-headed Xu Hai paled.
Beside him, Ma Ye’s heart pounded like a death knell, sweat pouring down his face. Regret flooded him. *Damn it, Xu Hai, I told you this was a bad idea! I said we shouldn’t take the risk! Look—now we’re about to blow it! Why did I let you talk me into this insane plan?!*
Regret was useless now—he needed an escape. Ma Ye’s eyes darted, scanning for a way out.
They were within range of the city’s archers—hundreds of bowmen lined the walls. Fleeing through a hail of arrows wouldn’t be easy; no route promised safety from the barrage.
Still, Ma Ye wasn’t hopeless. He’d survived plenty of tight spots. He’d already mapped an escape: the moment they were exposed, he’d stab the scrawny pirate behind him, hoist him up as a human shield, and make a break for it.
He’d target that one because the remaining pirates were battle-hardened—none would just stand there and let him use them as a shield.
As the disguised pirates below wrestled with panic and dread, laughter erupted atop the wall.
“Fatty Wang, haha! What, you think they bunked with Han Heizi at the flower houses like you do?! Asking about a mole on his butt—why not ask how long his ‘tool’ is while you’re at it?!” Zhang, the military registrar, couldn’t hold back his mocking laughter.
“Heh, Lord Zhang, I’m just a crude guy—no fancy words. I blurted it out for fun,” the potbellied General Wang grinned.
“You,” Zhang shook his head, still chuckling.
“Heh, I’m curious now. Hey, Han Heizi’s cheap brother-in-law—left cheek or right?” the lean General Zhao chimed in, laughing.
*Again?!*
Xu Hai’s mouth twitched. *How the hell am I supposed to know which cheek has a mole?!*
He shook his head.
Honesty was the best play here. Admitting ignorance might just mean he wasn’t close enough to Han Heizi to know about his butt moles—it wouldn’t disprove his Yangcheng Guard identity.
Guessing blindly? If he got it wrong, he’d expose himself.
But as soon as he shook his head, a roar of laughter erupted from the wall, startling him. He thought he’d messed up.
“Hahaha! Worthy of being Han Heizi’s cheap brother-in-law! You’re right—Han Heizi doesn’t have a mole on his butt. It’s on his chest! Haha! You’ve definitely hit the flower houses with him plenty—otherwise, how’d you know so well? Your sister wouldn’t spill that to you. Haha! I’m a rare drinking buddy of Han Heizi’s too. His brother-in-law is my brother-in-law. Once you’re in the city, I’ll treat you right!”
Fatty Wang bellowed with laughter, utterly convinced of Xu Hai’s identity, even eager to host him.
Xu Hai’s mouth twitched again.
*What the—?! This actually worked?!*
He double-checked Fatty Wang’s expression—yep, the guy was dead serious, not joking.
Guess tonight, the heavens finally threw him a bone.
Beside him, Ma Ye ducked his head, struggling to hide his *what-the-hell-just-happened* face. He didn’t want the wall to catch it. Inside, he was a mess. *Seriously?! This crap actually flies?!*
“Hahaha! Enough fooling around—talking about butts left and right, where’s the decorum?! It’s the dead of winter out there—freezing cold. How can we let our Yangcheng Guard reinforcements shiver outside? Quick, quick—open the gates! Welcome them in! Get hot soup and food ready for them, warm them up!”
Prefect Zhao laughed, scolded the generals playfully, and waved to order the gates opened, ushering Xu Hai and his crew inside.
