One hundred li outside Lin Yuan's capital lay the Yuan Hai, which led directly to Yùnán Commandery.
By boat from the sea mouth, traveling southeast, one could arrive in about ten days.
Zōu Chéngyī had been adrift at sea for nearly three days.
The rocking of the ship made him nauseous. Zōu Chéngyī sat up slowly from the bed, clutching his chest. Recalling the assassination he had survived a few days prior, even though His Majesty had explained the situation, he still felt a lingering sense of dread.
However, upon learning of the situation in Yùnán Commandery, Zōu Chéngyī accepted the assignment without hesitation, though he remained worried about his family.
After all, his two children were not particularly wise or resolute.
He could only hope that during this time, they would be cautious and clever, not placing themselves on the brink of a precipice due to his sudden demise.
Compared to Yǔn'er in the palace, he was actually more concerned about Míng'er.
He wondered if his son had done anything foolish in the past few days.
"Alas!"
Zōu Chéngyī sighed. The wound from his left chest all the way to his abdomen, deep enough to expose bone, still caused unbearable pain despite being sutured and bandaged. Moreover, the cabin was damp, and the moisture seemed to seep into the wound. The gauze changed just yesterday was now stained again with the moisture and blood.
Hearing movement in the room, a maidservant dressed simply parted the curtain and entered. She placed the basin she was holding aside, wrung out a towel, and walked to Zōu Chéngyī's side.
Zōu Chéngyī took the towel and wiped his face.
"Master, the boatman said we'll reach Yúchéng in another day. We'll have half a day for provisions. He asked if we needed to go ashore to stretch our legs." The maidservant squatted in front of Zōu Chéngyī, unbuttoning his clothes. Seeing that the gauze changed yesterday was now stained with blood again, she got up, took scissors to cut open the gauze, and then turned to get an absorbent cloth. She dipped it in hot water, wrung it out, and carefully wiped Zōu Chéngyī's chest wound. While changing and bandaging his wound, she relayed the boatman's inquiry.
Initially, Zōu Chéngyī was not entirely accustomed to her service. After all, this was not a maidservant meant for attending to others, but rather His Majesty's personal hidden guard. Even though she was merely a hidden guard, Zōu Chéngyī felt it was presumptuous for her to serve him in this manner. However, according to her, His Majesty had instructed her to play the role of his maidservant, so she was his maidservant now. It was only natural for a maidservant to attend to her master; why should he be unaccustomed to it?
Furthermore, if he didn't get used to it now, would he only get used to it after making a mistake in Yùnán Commandery?
Zōu Chéngyī no longer resisted and allowed her to attend to him.
"Yúchéng?"
Zōu Chéngyī mused.
Yúchéng was located between the capital and Yùnán Commandery. Due to its proximity to the sea, trade flowed smoothly, making it a prosperous region. Although Lin Yuan did not emphasize commerce, it did not suppress it either. Several areas along the coast had produced immensely wealthy merchants. Some of these wealthy individuals aspired to official positions, which led to a particularly rampant practice of buying and selling offices in these places.
The prefect of Yúchéng, Chéng Huànzhì, was a greedy man. It was rumored that he had engaged in many deals involving the sale of offices, to the point of even considering renting out his own position as prefect.
Under normal circumstances, Zōu Chéngyī would have wanted to visit Yúchéng and see what Chéng Huànzhì was like. However, he was no longer the Minister of Justice. Instead, he was an unfortunate soul returning home in borrowed finery, only to encounter bandits. He had narrowly escaped death and was left with only this personal maidservant and his remaining silver. Furthermore, he was severely injured. Why would he go to Yúchéng?
Merely to stretch his legs?
"If you wish to go, feel free to visit. I shall not be disembarking." Zōu Chéngyī had no intention of leaving the ship. Firstly, his current physical condition was not suitable for excessive movement. Secondly, he was on a mission and feared causing unnecessary trouble if he disembarked.
As for her, Zōu Chéngyī did not know if His Majesty had secretly developed any influence in Yúchéng, so he felt it was best to let her move freely.
"I heard that the roast duck in Yùnán Commandery is particularly delicious. I'll go ashore and buy some for you," the maidservant said with a cheerful smile after skillfully bandaging Zōu Chéngyī and helping him dress.
Zōu Chéngyī nodded. "Go, be careful, and don't miss the departure time."
"I understand!"
After watching her leave, Zōu Chéngyī lay back down on the bed, thinking of Fèng Luán.
Fèng Luán had not escaped.
According to His Majesty's plan, after his death, Fèng Luán should have known he would be framed and should have left the scene. But now that he was alone, Zōu Chéngyī knew of Fèng Luán's choice.
He recalled that person who appeared serene and refined on the outside, yet was ruthless and cold within.
Perhaps what he perceived as the inner self was merely a limited view, like the tip of an iceberg. In fact, when he learned of His Majesty's plan, a voice in Zōu Chéngyī's heart told him that Fèng Luán would not run.
The moment Zōu Chéngyī awoke and learned of her choice, he felt an inexpressible emotion, simply realizing that the depth of human interaction was not determined by time.
...
A day later, the ship docked at Yúchéng.
Zōu Chéngyī watched the maidservant disembark, then asked the crew to move a chair to the deck. He sat by the railing, engrossed in a book.
His Majesty's hidden guard, whose real name was Xuán Xuān.
Currently, she was using the alias Xuān Xuān.
She was slender with plain features, barely noticeable in a crowd. Such a woman would not be suitable as a personal maidservant due to her lack of striking beauty. However, as a hidden guard, this unnoticeable appearance became an advantage.
Yet, he wondered where she was going.
Zōu Chéngyī collected his thoughts and stopped pondering such matters.
Xuán Xuān disembarked and inquired from those around her, finding Yúchéng's largest restaurant – Zhèng Dé Chūn! According to the people of Yúchéng, the roast duck here was the most delicious and authentic.
"Waiter, a half roast duck, a small pot of Huādiāo wine, and two of your restaurant's signature vegetarian dishes!" Xuán Xuān entered and found a seat, then called to the waiter.
"Coming right up!"
The waiter hurried over with a teapot, wiped the table with a rag slung over his shoulder, scalded a teacup, poured Xuán Xuān a cup of tea, and then said, "Does the guest have any dietary restrictions? Our restaurant offers a wide variety of vegetarian dishes, but our most famous are the Crispy Tofu Rolls and the Boiled Greens.
"Don't let the simple ingredients fool you; the oil we use in our kitchen is not ordinary oil, but oil made from peanuts. Most common oils can mask the flavor of vegetarian dishes, but peanut oil can greatly restore the original taste of the ingredients. You just have to try it to know."
"Alright, I'll have those two dishes."
"However, the Crispy Tofu Rolls need to be fried when the oil temperature is at three parts hot, and the soup for the Boiled Greens should be made with old black chicken broth."
Upon hearing this, the waiter couldn't help but give a thumbs-up. "The guest is knowledgeable! Alright, I'll go to the kitchen and brief the chefs. With a discerning patron like this out front, we mustn't falter!"
The waiter said, then carried the teapot towards the kitchen.