“If I were truly formidable, I’d make him cough up the passage fees too.” Seeing Mo Zi pull out another banknote, Xiao Erlang nodded to let his attendants accept it this time. “Minor punishment as a major warning. Best if he learns his lesson in the future and knows which side to stand on. I’m also looking at our shared boat journey—just teaching him a lesson.”
It seems Mo Ge has thoroughly offended Xiao Baiyu. Seeing Xiao Erlang already walking toward Yuan Cheng, Zhong An hurried to follow.
As he followed, he said, “You saw how he spoke to us just now—that’s the sleazy, slippery little character we’ve always seen in him. But thinking back to that day on the ship when he flew into a rage, he was truly formidable. How could he possibly learn to behave and be taught? Moreover, just now he hadn’t finished buttering us up when I barely dropped a hint and he ran off to the other side to deliver money. I really don’t know if he’s stupid or simply doesn’t take us seriously at all. Doing this, everyone knows everything he just said was lies.”
Xiao Erlang believed it was naturally because they weren’t taken seriously. That fellow surnamed Mo was too clever—how could he be stupid? His gaze swept coldly, stopping on the powerless man being supported. Yuan Cheng—how much passage money did he pay to make someone loyal as a dog? Already a prisoner, yet still bustling about attending to him.
“Zhong An, on this journey escorting that person, you must be extremely careful. He’s full of schemes, sinister and cunning. You never know when he’ll pull tricks to escape. You absolutely mustn’t be careless.” Xiao Erlang reminded his friend. “Also, avoid busy places along the way, lest that group find out and intercept you halfway.”
That group referred to the first batch of masked men who had attempted to free the prisoner that night. If his guess was correct, they should be the Da Qiu people the Yongfu encountered before Jingyu Rapids, or related to them.
“Fortunately we’ve confirmed he doesn’t know martial arts, otherwise even with Shi Lei’s help, I might not be confident—it would have to be you.” After discussion, the six would split into two groups. First, to mislead observers and divert attention. Second, they still had another matter to complete on this journey.
“If you’re thinking that way, I could trade with you.” Xiao Erlang would rather escort the prisoner.
How could Zhong An not understand? Yet he shook his head, seriously refusing, “How would that work? One is your concubine, not mine. The other is your sister-in-law, still not mine. For the Xiao family to escort the bride, naturally it should be led by an Xiao family member. Since your younger brother refuses to show his face, you as the elder brother must take over the task.”
Xiao Erlang ignored Zhong An. When it came to that younger brother of his, there was nothing to say.
At this moment, the two were very close to Mo Zi and could hear her repeatedly saying “please” and “take care of.”
“You two officer gentlemen, whatever silver is left over from this, it’s yours. No need to trouble yourselves too much—just help Master Yuan find a physician, get some medicine, and give him some broth along the way. Though capturing him counts as quite an achievement for you, a living person is always more useful than a dead one, don’t you agree?”
Though those two only accepted the silver after getting approval from above, they had to admit the smuggler made sense—the number one corrupt official was worth far more alive than dead.
Xiao Erlang wanted to say that spending the silver as he suggested wouldn’t leave much remaining. However, in the end he pretended not to know and urged those two to escort the person ashore.
“Wait a moment.” Mo Zi spoke these two words again.
If not for considering his own status, Xiao Erlang wanted to be impulsive like Shi Lei for once—cut off that fellow surnamed Mo’s tongue with one sword stroke and see if he could still constantly say “wait” and stir up trouble.
“What do you want now?” He could turn a blind eye to the bribe money. He’d also tacitly approved the physician matter. Yet this person was endless.
“General Xiao, don’t be angry. I don’t want anything—just to bid farewell to Master Yuan.” Facing Xiao Erlang’s impatience, Mo Zi suddenly became extremely patient, her words no longer exceptionally sharp. The reason was simple—she’d done her best for what she wanted to accomplish, so there was no need to keep needling the other party with barbed words.
Hearing Mo Zi’s tone soften, Xiao Erlang couldn’t adjust for a moment and was actually somewhat stunned.
With him stunned, others took it as tacit permission and naturally had no reason to object to Mo Zi’s next actions.
Mo Zi beckoned, and Cen Er, who had been standing ready, brought over a large wooden tray holding a small bundle, a wine pot with two cups, and an exquisite little wooden bottle.
“Master Yuan, this bundle contains two sets of clean old clothes for you to change into on the road. This wooden bottle can hold fresh water to carry with you—twist the bottle cap like this to open and close it.” Mo Zi demonstrated, drawing several pairs of curious eyes to watch, then continued, “Though I send you off a thousand miles, we must eventually part. I substitute tea for wine to toast you farewell. May you have smooth sailing and turn misfortune into fortune.”
“Wait a moment.” Xiao Erlang finally remembered this fellow was cunning and learned from Mo Zi to say “wait” for once, immediately ordering the two supporting Yuan Cheng, “Check thoroughly that nothing improper is mixed inside.”
So the bundle was opened, the two sets of clothes yanked into complete disarray, then carelessly stuffed back, looking several times more bulky than before. The wooden bottle was examined, twisted left and right. Finding it novel, they repeated it several times, carefully checking whether anything was hidden. The wine pot lid was opened to see if there was anything suspicious inside. Finally, those two shook their heads at Xiao Erlang and Zhong An.
Xiao Erlang’s gaze followed their inspection throughout. After they shook their heads, he stepped forward to pick up the wooden bottle, pointing at the wooden cap and asking Mo Zi, “What is this?”
“A cap.” Don’t underestimate the design difficulty of a bottle cap—without understanding the principle, ordinary people couldn’t immediately comprehend it. Mo Zi was certain this General Erlang Shen didn’t understand.
A cap? Xiao Erlang imitated the attendants’ earlier actions, unscrewing it and examining it in his palm, discovering spiral grooves carved inside. Screwing it back onto the bottle mouth, after two turns it wouldn’t turn anymore. Pulling hard, it wouldn’t come off either. Turning the bottle upside down, not a drop leaked—far more effective than a wooden stopper. He felt this little thing was strange and wanted to find an excuse to destroy it, yet felt it would be a pity. Because no matter how he looked at it, though peculiar, it couldn’t possibly hide escape tools in such a small bottle.
Zhong An also took it to try. He was bolder than Xiao Erlang in speaking directly to Mo Zi and asked, “This bottle cap is interesting. I wonder where Mo Ge obtained it?”
“From an overseas merchant.” Mo Zi casually fabricated.
While they focused on the cap, she poured two cups of tea, delivering one into Yuan Cheng’s hand. “Master, drink it while it’s hot. You still have a long, arduous road ahead.”
Yuan Cheng raised his head, his features still ghastly, weakly thanking Mo Zi before drinking it all. Then, from the slits of those swollen eyes, a flash of brilliance appeared and scattered.
“Thank you for everything Mo Ge has done for Yuan. If Yuan can escape this calamity, I will certainly repay you for saving my life.” His voice was more muffled and unclear than before, as if his internal injuries had worsened, weak and feeble.
“Though your reputation isn’t good, Master, my reputation as Mo Ge isn’t much better either. But trust that yesterday’s affairs die with yesterday. I only feel a connection with you and have exerted this small effort. Now it depends on your fate.” After meeting Yuan Cheng, Mo Zi gained some understanding of how ancient people readily shared wine and sent friends off for a thousand miles in heartfelt friendship.
On the Yongfu, great winds arose and clouds flew. The river waters vast, the sky boundless. The crisp sound of two tea cups touching was so stirring and moving. Lacking material luxuries, ancient people’s spirits were fuller than modern people’s. Traveling thousands of miles to visit an old friend. Years of arduous journey just to view great mountains and rivers. A poem of insight, a lyric sung spontaneously, spreading across ten thousand miles, transcending time and space. Truly the boldness and openness that moved both heart and spirit. Crying when wanting to cry, laughing when wanting to laugh, daring to love and hate—this won the respect and praise of this era.
Even though, to many people, Yuan Cheng was an unforgivable corrupt official and remnant of a traitorous faction. Yet she, with her own eyes, couldn’t see evil in this person. He was merely someone at the end of his rope, someone bearing national hatred and family grievances yet helpless and pitiful, someone who had gained everything and lost everything. Perhaps she wasn’t righteous enough; perhaps she was money-obsessed; perhaps he and she shared some essential resonance; perhaps if he were still in the position of Prime Minister, she wouldn’t regard this person favorably. Of course, she’d initially been willing to help him purely from the idea of mutual benefit. Now though, it seemed a bit like a friendship transcending age? Or kindred spirits?
In the end, whether the bundle or the bottle, both Xiao Erlang and Zhong An agreed to let Yuan Cheng take them. No matter how vigilant, they really couldn’t see what about these things Yuan Cheng could exploit.
Watching Yuan Cheng being led off the ship and onto a carriage that had been waiting on shore, Mo Zi heard Xiao Erlang call her.
“Does General Xiao still have business?” She turned her face, wearing a relaxed expression as if there was nothing more to say.
Xiao Erlang spread his large palm. “You can return my property now, right?”
“What property?” Her mood was too relaxed, so much so that she couldn’t remember. Mo Zi blinked, looking somewhat blank.
“Mo old brother, you’re not thinking of pocketing his family heirloom, are you?” With Yuan Cheng’s matter resolved, Zhong An started joking. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance—absolutely don’t have that idea, otherwise—” He gestured across his own neck.
“Ah, yes, yes.” Mo Zi remembered Xiao Erlang’s collateral and hurriedly pulled a pouch from her bosom, turned it upside down, and the metal lump fell into her palm. “Look at my memory. Definitely not trying to pocket it—I truly forgot.” Anyone could understand pocketing water-purifying pearls. Pocketing this metal piece—bringing it to a pawn shop, it might be worthless. Anyway, she couldn’t see its value.
“General Xiao, original property returned, we owe each other nothing. Please remember your promise—don’t trouble my employer and Wangqiu Tower in the future. Then we people will also keep our mouths tightly shut. Moreover, I don’t know if I mentioned this, but after finishing this shipment, my employer is retiring from the business from now on. If you need to capture some official on someone else’s territory again, you’ll have to find someone else.” Well, everything that needed to be said was said.
Why did this person’s words always sound grating to him? Xiao Erlang snorted, his large hand reaching over to take back his property.
Seeing the atmosphere about to turn bad again, Zhong An pulled Xiao Erlang onto the gangplank, cupping his hands in farewell. “Mo Ge, I see your fragrant pouch is exquisite—it must have been embroidered by your sweetheart. Away from home for several days, she must be longing for you desperately. We won’t delay your return home. We part here—until we meet… never again.”
Mo Zi chuckled at their departing figures. Sweetheart?
At this moment, in the gray carriage, Yuan Cheng spat out an object from his mouth.
It was a round wax ball that Mo Ge had mixed into that farewell tea.
His withered fingers gently crushed the wax ball, revealing a thin, long strip of paper. He unfolded it and silently read, first stunned, then he smiled. With his features almost displaced, that smile was naturally extremely ugly, yet extremely genuine. Especially appearing in his deathly fate, it seemed like an inexhaustible vitality had been injected.
After reading, Yuan Cheng smeared and pressed the wax ball into the cracks of the carriage floor, while the paper strip went back into his mouth, chewed up and swallowed. His head leaned against the carriage wall, his gaze penetrating through the black curtain toward the Yongfu, his pale, cracked lips moving. It was a string of words, but only a few could be heard—
“Presenting the pearl to you…”