Xu Qi An was both surprised and unsurprised by this conjecture.
He was surprised because he had always thought the Consort of the Marquis of Zhenbei was the number one ornamental figure in Da Feng, essentially just a woman who shouldn’t be involved in any confidential matters.
He wasn’t surprised because he had noticed Chu Xianglong bringing along female companions, and after learning from Yang Yan that the Consort was accompanying them, he had mentally prepared himself.
“Since there might be danger, we need to take precautionary measures and be cautious… Hmm, no need to rush now, I’ll focus on my tasks first…”
Xu Qi An picked up the cloth bag and placed eight pieces of Yellow Butter Jade on the table. Then he took out the prepared carving knife and began sculpting.
…
After satisfying her hunger, the old auntie lay down on the bed for a brief nap. Being a light sleeper, she was soon awakened by the noisy shouts from the dock.
Slightly annoyed, she pounded her pillow a few times, got up, and walked to the table. She cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, put them back in the food box, and left the room carrying it.
Descending the stairs to the second floor, she walked along the corridor, glancing left and right at the rooms. This was the living area for the Night Watchmen and officials from the Three Departments.
She wasn’t sure which room Xu Qi An was staying in, but fortunately, she soon found the room of the lecherous Xu Ning Yan. The door was open.
After returning from Yun Province, the young man with an exceptionally refined appearance was sitting at the table, carving several pieces of Yellow Butter Jade.
“Knock, knock.”
She tapped on the door and, when he looked up, said with a stern face, “Here’s your food box back. Th-thank you…”
Seemingly unaccustomed to expressing gratitude, her expression was particularly awkward as she spoke.
“Just leave it by the door,” Xu Qi An responded indifferently, lowering his head to continue his work.
The old auntie entered the room and gently put down the food box. She glanced at the table, where several carved items were displayed: a small sword, two jade steamed buns, an octagonal amulet, a seal, and a jade pendant.
Quite interested, she asked, “What are you carving these objects for? Your craftsmanship is quite poor.”
She then chuckled at her remark.
“They’re gifts for women,” Xu Qi An replied.
Gifts for women… The old auntie stared at the objects on the table, her smile gradually fading.
“Every time I leave the capital, I send some local specialties to the women who fancy me, along with a letter. It doesn’t cost much money, yet it pleases them and makes them like me even more,” Xu Qi An confidently explained his experience in maintaining multiple relationships.
…The old auntie was irritated. She looked at Xu Qi An as if he were the scum of the earth and sneered, “You are a despicable man.”
Xu Qi An retorted, “Too bad there’s nothing for you.”
The old auntie scoffed, “Who would want it anyway?”
She stormed out angrily.
Soon after, all the jade pieces were carved, and Xu Qi An imbued them with soul.
He first stored the “small sword” in the Book of Earth fragment. This one didn’t need to be mailed, as it was a gift for Li Miao Zhen. He would give it to her when they met in the North.
Xu Qi An spread out the prepared letter paper, took out brush and ink, and began writing:
“It’s been five days since I left the capital, and I’ve arrived in Yellow Butter County. There’s a local specialty here called Yellow Butter Jade. This jade has an oily and soft texture, pleasant to touch. I quite like it, so I bought some rough pieces and carved a seal for Your Highness.
“The seal bears an inscription: ‘Your smile is like a flower, sunset glow fills the sky.'”
This was for Huai Qing. He put the seal into the envelope along with the letter.
The second letter was for Biao Biao:
“It’s been five days since I left the capital, and I’ve arrived in Yellow Butter County. There’s a local specialty here called Yellow Butter Jade. This jade has an oily and soft texture, pleasant to touch. I quite like it, so I bought some rough pieces and carved a jade pendant for Your Highness.
“I’m a thoroughly vulgar person. I see mountains as mountains, seas as seas, and flowers as flowers. But when I see you, only four words come to mind: Three Lives, Three Worlds.”
He put the jade pendant into the envelope.
The third and fourth letters, written to Cai Wei and Li Na, had identical content:
“It’s been five days since I left the capital, and I’ve arrived in Yellow Butter County… There are countless delicacies in the world. I’ve heard that in some unreachable distant land, there’s a heavenly delicacy called ‘Fujian people’. If we have the chance in the future, I’d like to take you to search for it, to the ends of the earth.”
He put the jade-carved steamed buns into the envelopes.
The fifth letter was for Zhong Li:
“It’s been five days since I left the capital, and I’ve arrived in Yellow Butter County… During the days I’m away from the capital, stay well in the underground of the Astronomical Bureau. We must believe that the days of hardship will eventually pass. Endure a little more suffering, a little more pain, and everything will blossom from the midst of hardship.
“In the future, be my little princess, only eat XX and never suffer.”
He put the octagonal amulet inside.
Then came the letters for Ling Yue and Fu Xiang, along with their gifts.
The sixth letter was for Ling Yue.
“It’s been five days since I left the capital, and I’ve arrived in Yellow Butter County… Your brother has been safe on the journey, but I miss home and my gentle, lovely sister. When your big brother returns from this trip, I’ll buy you some more jewelry. In my heart, little sister Ling Yue is the most special, irreplaceable by anyone.”
The seventh letter was for Fu Xiang.
“I forget which great scholar said, ‘To find a kindred spirit in life is to have no regrets.’ Miss Fu Xiang is my bosom friend. I hope our friendship will last as long as heaven and earth, more enduring than gold…”
Please maintain our current relationship!
Each fish needed a different message. It was important to fully express care and importance for each of them, making them feel they were the most important. It absolutely couldn’t be perfunctory.
This was the self-cultivation of a player.
After finishing all this, Xu Qi An stretched contentedly, looking at the seven letters on the table with sincere satisfaction.
Last time at the border of Qing Province, he had also written seven letters, two of which were fillers for his Second Uncle and Aunt. Now, there were seven letters just for the girls, and adding Li Miao Zhen, it became eight letters.
Xu Qi An was delighted with the development of his harem business.
…
After carefully storing the items, Xu Qi An left the room and first went to Yang Yan’s room, saying in a low voice, “Chief, I have something to discuss with everyone. How about we talk in your room?”
Yang Yan was still sitting cross-legged, practicing breathing exercises. Hearing this, he frowned, instinctively disliking the interruption to his cultivation, but still slowly nodded, “Alright.”
Xu Qi An immediately ordered a Silver Gong to invite Chu Xianglong and the officials from the Three Departments to the room.
After sitting quietly at the table for a few minutes, the officials from the Three Departments and Chu Xianglong gradually entered. Naturally, they didn’t give Xu Qi An any pleasant looks, just coldly remaining silent.
One of the two Censors, used to meditating, smiled and said, “What matter has Lord Xu summoned us for?”
“I want to adjust our route and switch to land travel,” Xu Qi An dropped the bombshell, shocking everyone right from the start.
“That’s impossible!” Chu Xianglong was the first to object, his tone resolute.
Learning from the previous lesson, he didn’t argue further with Xu Qi An, just standing with his hands behind his back, showing an uncompromising stance.
“Lord Xu, don’t be ridiculous. In another ten days, we’ll reach Chu Province. If we travel by land, we might not even get there in half a month,” the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature and Revision snorted. “Although you’re the lead official, you can’t act recklessly and do as you please.”
They could accommodate and tolerate Xu Qi An’s normal orders, acknowledging his position and authority as the lead official. But this didn’t include arbitrarily changing the route.
Changing from water to land travel was far too troublesome. They would need to arrange horses, carriages, and transport vehicles. After all, with over two hundred people who needed to eat and horses that needed fodder, they couldn’t travel light. That’s why the delegation had initially chosen the faster and more convenient water route.
Moreover, in military operations, only the highest-ranking commander could change the route. Although the delegation wasn’t an army, changing the route was still a major taboo.
Captain Chen from the Ministry of Justice looked at Yang Yan and said in a deep voice, “Yang Jin Gong, what do you think?”
Yang Yan’s face was expressionless. “It’s indeed inappropriate.”
Even Yang Yan, a fellow Night Watchman, didn’t agree with Xu Qi An’s decision. One can imagine that if he insisted on his way, he would only be making a fool of himself. Even other Night Watchmen probably wouldn’t support him.
“Hmph!” Chu Xianglong snorted coldly and said, “If there’s nothing else, this general will take his leave. In the future, try to have fewer of these brainless ideas.”
Captain Chen from the Ministry of Justice scrutinized Xu Qi An and said, “General Chu, please wait a moment. Let’s hear what Lord Xu has to say.”
Chu Xianglong turned back, looking at him in surprise.
As someone who had risen to the position of Captain in the Ministry of Justice, he was naturally an experienced person. The more he thought about it over the past few days, the more something felt off. At first, he had only thought that Chu Xianglong was accompanying the delegation back to the Northern Border both for convenience and to “monitor” the delegation on behalf of the Marquis of Zhenbei.
After all, the case this delegation was investigating in the Northern Border might be targeting the Marquis of Zhenbei.
But the more he thought about it, the more it didn’t seem right. If it was just Chu Xianglong accompanying them, that would be fine, but with the Consort also along, shouldn’t they have dispatched an Imperial Guard unit to escort them to the North?
Why were they mixed in with the delegation?
The ship was full of men, and the Marquis’s primary wife was traveling with them. This was somewhat unreasonable.
The Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature and Revision couldn’t help but look at Captain Chen, slightly frowning, then glanced at Xu Qi An and Chu Xianglong, lost in thought.
Hmm, as expected of a captain from the Ministry of Justice, much sharper than these civil officials… Xu Qi An unfolded the map in his hand and looked at Chu Xianglong, asking:
“General Chu, why is the Consort among the accompanying delegation?”
Captain Chen from the Ministry of Justice, the two Censors from the Censorate, and the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature and Revision all turned to look at Chu Xianglong simultaneously.
Xu Qi An’s question had voiced their doubts or curiosities.
“The Consort is going to the Northern Border to reunite with the Marquis of Huai. Is there a problem?” Chu Xianglong narrowed his eyes, staring sharply at Xu Qi An.
This matter had been kept from those not traveling on the same ship, he was clear on that point. There was also no need to conceal it; as long as they left the capital quietly without anyone knowing, the purpose would be achieved.
“This official is the lead officer of the delegation. Why wasn’t I notified of this beforehand?” Xu Qi An asked again.
Chu Xianglong said calmly, “It’s just a small matter. The Consort is merely passing through on her way north, and given her noble status, it’s naturally best to keep a low profile.”
“If the Consort’s status is so noble, why wasn’t an Imperial Guard unit dispatched to escort her?” Captain Chen suddenly asked.
“Indeed, the official ships are a mixed crowd. If we had known the Consort was traveling, we should have prepared another ship at the very least,” the Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature and Revision said with a smile.
“Hmm… it is indeed inappropriate,” one of the Censors frowned.
These old foxes… Chu Xianglong glanced at the officials from the Three Departments, feeling annoyed.
A few days ago, they had shown hostility towards Xu Qi An and secretly indicated goodwill towards himself. However, once they encountered something that might be disadvantageous to them, their attitudes immediately became ambiguous.
Seeing Chu Xianglong’s silence, Xu Qi An sneered and looked around at everyone, saying:
“As Captain Chen said, if the Consort is going to the Northern Border to reunite with the Marquis of Huai, then His Majesty could have simply dispatched the Imperial Guard to escort her. There was no need to secretly mix her in with the delegation. Moreover, it was even kept secret from us. My lords, did you know beforehand that the Consort was on the ship?”
The Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature and Revision and the two Censors shook their heads.
Xu Qi An continued, “Then do you know what this means?”
The Deputy Chief of the Court of Judicature and Revision quickly asked, “Lord Xu, please speak plainly.”
Xu Qi An said emphatically, “It means we might encounter danger, such as an ambush—an ambush targeting the Consort.”
The two Censors and the Deputy Chief’s eyebrows twitched, their expressions turning serious.
Captain Chen from the Ministry of Justice remained expressionless as if he had anticipated this.
Seeing this, Chu Xianglong realized that continued denial would only alienate everyone. He snorted:
“The Consort’s journey north does indeed have another purpose, but Xu Qi An needn’t use scare tactics. Even you didn’t know about the Consort leaving the capital, let alone others. An ambush requires preparation in advance. We’ve been traveling north by the fastest water route, and the Consort’s presence has been kept secret. How could we encounter an ambush?”
The Deputy Chief and others nodded slowly, finding Chu Xianglong’s words reasonable.
They had only discovered the presence of women on the ship after setting off and gradually realized that the Consort of Huai was among them. If even they only found out after departure, how could potential enemies set up an ambush?
There simply wasn’t enough time.
“False alarm, false alarm…” The Deputy Chief exhaled, his expression improving.
Xu Qi An said with a smile, “My lords, please be patient and hear me out before making your decision.”
He then moved his gaze to the unfolded map, pointing to a certain spot, and said, “At our ship’s speed, we’ll pass through here by tomorrow evening at the latest.”
Everyone gathered around the table to look. It was an area with rapid water flow, narrow, surrounded by high mountains on both sides.
“Here, if someone wanted to ambush us from both banks, given the rapids, we couldn’t turn quickly without risking capsizing. The high mountains on both sides would hinder our escape to shore. They would only need to hide people in the mountains to wait for us to walk into their trap. In short, if there’s going to be an ambush along this route, it will be at this spot.”
Xu Qi An’s words made everyone’s recently relaxed mood tense up again.
Chu Xianglong stared at the map for a moment before countering, “All of this is based on the premise that enemies are lying in ambush, but as I said earlier, the enemy simply doesn’t have time to set up an ambush in advance. Once we pass through here, we can reach Jian Province within ten days, where the Marquis’s army will meet us, mission accomplished. If we take the land route, dragging it out for half a month, that’s when we’d be inviting trouble.”
Both sides stuck to their arguments, unable to reach an agreement.
The Deputy Chief and others hesitated, seeing reason on both sides, yet also drawbacks. Neither choice felt completely safe.
Then I’ll add more fuel to the fire… Xu Qi An sneered:
“Taking the land route might indeed invite more troubles, but it still leaves room for maneuver. If we encounter an ambush here tomorrow, it would mean total annihilation, with no chance at all.”
The expressions of the two Censors and the Deputy Chief immediately changed.
“I agree with Lord Xu’s decision to change the route,” Captain Chen from the Ministry of Justice was the first to say.
“This official also agrees with Lord Xu’s decision. Let’s prepare quickly and change the route tomorrow,” the Deputy Chief immediately echoed.
The two Censors also chose to support Xu Qi An, because his words had struck at the weak point of the civil officials. Compared to the potentially more troublesome and tiring land route, the water route with its possibility of total annihilation was more frightening.
No one dared to gamble with their lives and careers.
Chu Xianglong’s facial muscles twitched, and his heart filled with fury. He glared at Xu Qi An and said, “Xu Qi An, I want to make a bet with you. What if we don’t encounter an ambush in this area tomorrow?”
Xu Qi An placed both hands on the table, meeting his gaze unflinchingly: “Afterward, you’ll have the final say in all matters concerning the delegation. But what if we do encounter an ambush?”
Chu Xianglong said, “I’ll do whatever you say without question.”
Xu Qi An sneered disdainfully, “Even now, I say something and you dare to disagree? Cut the crap, give me something substantial.”
“What do you want?”
“Three thousand taels of silver, and the patrol records of the Northern Border garrison.”
“Fine.”
Chu Xianglong agreed immediately, but inwardly thought about reneging later. Once they reached the Northern Border, wouldn’t he be in charge? He had soldiers and generals under his command and the backing of the Marquis of Zhenbei.
Xu Qi An sneered, “Put it in writing.”
…Chu Xianglong reluctantly agreed: “Fine, but if you lose, you also owe me three thousand taels of silver.”
They drew up the agreement but didn’t sign it, waiting for the outcome the next day.
Xu Qi An turned to Yang Yan, speaking in a consultative tone: “Chief, you’ll lead the boatmen to test the waters tomorrow. How many people can you take at most?”
Yang Yan thought for a moment and said, “Six.”
Six people clearly couldn’t manage this ship… but Yang Yan could only take six. If they encountered an ambush tomorrow, the remaining boatmen would surely die… Just as Xu Qi An was struggling with this dilemma, he heard Yang Yan say:
“Tomorrow I can use my qi to propel the sails and control the ship, so we won’t need the boatmen to row. We just need to leave a few people to steer.”
With the Chief’s level, briefly controlling the ship shouldn’t be a problem… He inwardly sighed in relief: “Good, let’s do that.”
With the plan to change routes settled, the officials from the Three Departments and the reluctant Chu Xianglong immediately went to prepare for disembarking, notifying the guards, female companions, and other accompanying personnel on the ship.
Xu Qi An didn’t leave but sat at the table, took a sip of tea, and analyzed: “If we don’t encounter an ambush tomorrow, it means either the so-called enemy doesn’t exist, or they didn’t have time to set up an ambush. This way, we can also breathe easier. And if the enemy doesn’t exist, even if Chu Xianglong has the final say in the delegation, it won’t be a big problem. At most, we’ll have to tolerate him for a few days.”
The bet wasn’t just a rash decision. Even without this wager, Xu Qi An would have privately asked Yang Yan to test the waters tomorrow.
Yang Yan nodded: “But if there is an ambush…”
“Then we’re in trouble. We’ll be taking the blame for the Consort before even reaching the Northern Border,” Xu Qi An sighed and lowered his voice: “If the situation is that bad, I have another plan. Chief, I’ll only discuss it with you…”
…
The next morning.
The group of two hundred people left Yellow Butter County, with four carriages, eighteen flatbed carts loaded with supplies, and forty horses.
As for the Imperial Guards and the soldiers Chu Xianglong brought, they marched on foot.
This group followed the official road, heading north amidst billowing dust.
“If Yang Yan’s group doesn’t encounter an ambush, then after two days on land, we’ll have to switch back to water travel. The land route is indeed tiring, with all the jolting and bumping…” Xu Qi An mused as he sat on horseback.
The horse beneath him was an ordinary brown horse, far from comparable to his little mare.
At this moment, he saw the curtain of a carriage behind him lift, revealing an unremarkable face that waved at him.
Xu Qi An turned his horse around, slowly approaching the carriage, and said with a smile, “Little Aunt, what’s the matter?”
“Why did we switch to the land route?” she asked, sitting in the slightly bumpy carriage, her chest heaving slightly, hinting at an impressive endowment unknown to others.
“For the safety of your Consort,” Xu Qi An said.
She thought for a moment and surprisingly didn’t instinctively argue. Instead, she nodded solemnly, indicating her agreement with this reason.
…
By evening.
Flowing Stone Beach, where the water flow was so rapid it could wash away stones, hence its name.
Green mountains flanked both sides, the width of the river suddenly narrowing like a woman’s slender waist. The water roared, splashing white foam.
A huge three-masted sailing ship slowly approached, sailing upstream. As it reached the middle of Flowing Stone Beach, the turbulent water surface suddenly surged, and a thick, black-scaled object arched up, then sank back into the water.
After a few seconds of silence, there was a thunderous boom, and the massive three-masted ship was lifted high into the air.
Amid the spraying water, a black-scaled flood dragon burst out of the waves, its horns embedded in the ship’s bottom, lifting it into the air.
“Crack, crack…”
Cracks instantly spread across the ship’s body. This large official vessel, capable of carrying over two hundred people, disintegrated, its fragments raining down.
The moment the ship was lifted, Yang Yan used his qi to envelop six boatmen, soaring into the air. The powerful qi exploded beneath his feet, propelling him higher and higher as he flew away.
The flood dragon plunged back into the water, sending up a sky-high splash of white foam. Shortly after, a man in a black robe surfaced, standing on the water.
He had delicate features, an aquiline nose, and narrow eyes with vertical pupils. His gaze was cold and merciless, with fine scales covering both sides of his face.
The black-robed man glanced at the broken wooden pieces being washed away by the current, sneered, and said in a cold voice, “We’ve been tricked.”
“They can’t escape.”
From the dense forest on the shore, a young man in white robes emerged, standing with his hands behind his back.
The white-robed man didn’t seem angry or disappointed at the failed ambush. He calmly said, “We’ve mobilized enough manpower this time. Even a fourth-rank expert like Yang Yan can’t fight against overwhelming odds. The Consort is as good as in our hands.”
The black-robed man frowned and asked, “Are you sure there are no other fourth-rank experts in the delegation?”
The white-robed man nodded, pointing at his own eyes, and said, “Trust my eyes. Besides, even if there was another fourth-rank expert, with our deployment, it would still be foolproof.”