Chapter 321: Not Unexpected

Chapter 321: Not Unexpected

Traveling inevitably meant enduring one bumpy dream after another.

Except for a brief stop in Shuiyang Town to rest for half a quarter of an hour to attend to nature’s calls, everyone remained quiet and disciplined inside the carriages. Even at night, after changing horses at the post station, they raced against the clock, hurrying through the darkness.

By the fourth day, they had bypassed the outer city of Yingtian Prefecture.

On the evening of the sixth day, they arrived at the port of Songjiang Cangcheng. The night sky was dark, and the surroundings were quiet, yet there was an eerie sense of orderliness in the air, as if one were situated in a different time and space.

Upon receiving the order, Xianjin and Hengxi disembarked. Seeing the scene before her, Xianjin’s heart suddenly palpitated, her heart pounding in her chest.

The silence of the river, the vast expanse of the water and the stars, the towering masts, and the busy yet silent sailors...

On the calm river surface, more than twenty junk ships with multiple sails were docked along the inner shore of the port. Riding the undercurrents of the river, they rose and fell slightly. The first three ships were significantly larger than the following dozen or so, tall like buildings, their hulls sharp, their tops wide, and their prows high, resembling an upright phoenix.

Breathtaking.

It was impossible to put into words.

Xianjin shifted her gaze.

The port appeared to have been evacuated. Officials in formal robes or uniformed attendants—were they guards?—stood around.

Xianjin supported Hengxi. After sitting in a carriage for six or seven days, sleeping drowsily and waking up groggily each day, her mind was dull, her eyes blank as she stared at the men in dark blue silk uniforms who hurried past with their heads bowed.

"...Those are the eunuchs."

A voice came from behind.

Xianjin shivered and turned around to see Qiao Hui, dressed in a crimson official robe with a leopard embroidered on his patch, striding forward confidently.

Among the fifth-rank civil officials in green robes, Qiao Hui stood out tall and majestic.

Xianjin, a businesswoman, racked her sparse historical knowledge: Didn’t only officials of the third rank and above wear crimson robes?

A twenty-year-old third-rank military official strode forth, as if from the starry sky.

Xianjin’s tired mind froze for a moment. In that daze, she suddenly wanted to embrace Qiao Hui.

The river breeze chilled her, bringing her senses back. She remembered that night when she hadn’t yet fallen asleep. In her daze, she saw Qiao Hui, who had already left through the door, flip through the window back into the room, doing nothing but crouching in the corner, his gaze fixed on her behind the curtain...

In her reverie, Qiao Hui had already reached her side.

"The eunuchs in the palace have peculiar temperaments. Don’t stare at them, or you might anger them," Qiao Hui said, casually taking two large chests of luggage from the carriage and handing them to the guards behind him.

A guard peeked out from behind Qiao Hui, a young man with bright eyes that seemed curious. He quickly stretched out his middle finger to his lips, then changed it to an open palm, waving it from back to front by his head, and finally pinched his earlobe.

That gesture seemed oddly familiar...

Xianjin nodded with a smile.

Qiao Hui playfully nudged the boy’s knee. "Stop fooling around! Take the luggage to the ship—remember, it’s the Yi Mao vessel."

Hengxi, leaning against Xianjin’s side, tugged at her sleeve.

Xianjin snapped out of it and introduced Hengxi to Qiao Hui. "Qiao Hui, the eldest son of Qiao Shanchang." Then she introduced Hengxi, "Heng Kee’s Boss Heng, also known as Fifth Miss."

Qiao Hui nodded. "Boss Heng."

Slowly shifting his gaze away from Hengxi's hand, which was almost clinging to Xianjin's arm.

Behind them, a group of eunuchs carried large boxes past. Qiao Hui casually reached out and gently guided Xianjin inward, "Let's board the ship first—we can't miss the auspicious time set by the temple."

He carefully freed Xianjin's arm from Hengxi's grip and simultaneously occupied a strategic position, guarding Xianjin's right arm, a territory of great contention.

Xianjin smiled, "Does the Grand Princess actually believe in Buddhism?"

Qiao Hui curled his lips but neither confirmed nor denied, "There are three hundred and four people on this voyage. Many of them believe in Buddhism."

Traveling in ancient times was no small undertaking. Having faith helped prevent one from cursing the heavens during rough seas.

Qiao Hui walked slowly, half a step ahead and to the right of Xianjin, his hoarse voice emphasizing different parts of his introduction to the journey, "...We'll go down the Yangtze River, then turn into the Jian'an sea route, passing through the Min River mouth and heading south through the Min River waterway to reach Fuzhou Prefecture."

They were almost reaching the midstream of the fleet.

Qiao Hui stopped in front of a pier, where a large sign reading "Yimao" hung on the ship's side. Xianjin gripped the ropes tightly and stepped up onto the pier.

Qiao Hui extended his hand, "Want to hold my hand?"

Xianjin, as if electrocuted, quickly pulled her hand back from the rope, "Are you having a seizure?!"

So many people around!

Qiao Hui shrugged, "This ship is high. I'm afraid you might slip, fail to grab hold, and splash into the water, becoming a proud long-haired water imp, lording over the Yangtze River."

Xianjin: ...

Thanks, for making drowning sound so vivid.

Qiao Hui's familiar cheeky remark put Xianjin a bit more at ease. Gripping the rope tightly, Xianjin pouted, "Go to hell!"

Thanks to her strong physique from practicing Ba Duan Jin, Xianjin quickly climbed up the gangplank in just a few steps. Behind her, a soft and delicate voice called out, "Want to hold my hand?"

Xianjin turned around to see Hengxi pouting, her hand almost reaching Xianjin's mouth.

Xianjin laughed and held the young girl's delicate hand, "...We're almost there, and you're still acting spoiled?"

Hengxi took two big steps and leapt into Xianjin's arms, mumbling, "The pier was slippery. I was scared."

Qiao Hui: ...

Damn, when you jumped into someone's arms, you leapt like a monkey!

Scared? Scared of what?!

And...

Qiao Hui swore that just when Xianjin held her hand, Hengxi, the fifth young lady, definitely, absolutely, and undoubtedly gave him a side-eye, with an air of arrogance and complacency!

The waves on the river crashed against the rocks.

Qiao Hui narrowed his eyes and focused on a small boat not far away, casually saying, "Hmm, I heard there's still a vacant cabin on the 'Yibing' ship."

Hengxi clenched her teeth in frustration and tightened her grip, thinking angrily: Using your authority for personal gain, huh? Impressive!

Qiao Hui led them around the "Yimao". The ship was much larger than Xianjin had imagined, though significantly smaller than the first three leading ships. The cabin had only one level, and inside the hull and below the bow were hundreds of sealed boxes, each locked with large copper locks.

Xianjin didn’t ask, and Qiao Hui remained silent, leaving the matter unspoken between them.

The two of them moved in unison as they entered, with four young maids dressed in the same green robes as the inner chamber attendants standing in two rows, heads bowed, along the cabin corridor.

"None of the delegation members are allowed to bring personal servants, long-term attendants, or bodyguards," Qiao Hui stood to their side, "This ship is for the two of you, so only four attendants have been assigned to handle your meals and daily needs. Don’t touch, look at, or ask about anything stored below deck. If anyone asks, just tell them it’s Xuan paper."

Xianjin nodded.

Hengxi narrowed her eyes. "So, where is the actual Xuan paper stored? Xuan paper needs to be kept dry with lime powder, especially on a sea voyage, where moisture is a major concern..."

Qiao Hui didn’t look at Hengxi. "It’s on the Yi-Mao ship. The Xuan paper is wrapped in waterproof oiled yellow paper, and we’ve placed lime powder to absorb moisture. Charcoal is also burned in the cabin regularly."

The Yi-Mao ship was right next to theirs, about the same size.

The two ships were so close that their hulls had notches specifically designed for placing planks between them.

"Where will you be staying?" Xianjin asked.

"I’ll be staying on the Yi-Mao ship," Qiao Hui replied.

Hengxi gave a sly smile. "Figures."

No surprise there!