Chapter 27 - 1#

In Hand - He, Xiao Cuan, Is the Idiot!#

For three consecutive days, Yanzhi has not made any new acquaintances.

This indicates that Yanzhi has been staying with the same group of people, in the same place.

Yet, several close ministers, leading thousands of soldiers, have searched both inside and outside the city with no results.

This means Yanzhi has joined a departing group or used a means of transportation.

Either a caravan or a merchant ship.

The horses are moving, the ships are moving, but Yanzhi is stationary relative to them, and the people in the group are the same.

Yanqi Village is south of Liang City. After taking his mother’s tablet, Yanzhi would surely continue forward.

And just further south of Yanqi Village, there happens to be a ferry crossing.

That “Boss Wei” is very likely the master of a merchant ship.

“A-Si” and “A-Ping” are typical southern nicknames, very likely deckhands on the ship.

It all fits together perfectly.

However, if it were a passenger ship, the owner wouldn’t set sail with so few people just to make a profit; Yanzhi would have met more people.

Almost instantly, Xiao Cuan snapped his head up and reached a conclusion—

“South! A cargo ship!”

“A cargo ship heading south!”

Before the close ministers could even react, Xiao Cuan slammed the imperial desk and issued his orders.

“Wang Xing, Liu Zhen, take men to the nearest ferry crossing immediately. Inquire about every ship that has come and gone in the last five days.”

“Liu Xun, Bian Ying, draft documents immediately to be sent to all provincial and prefectural governments. Strictly inspect every ship that docks—”

Xiao Cuan paused, then changed his instruction: “Do not make a grand display. Treat it as routine questioning and conduct the investigation secretly.”

“Yanzhi will most likely change his surname. His mother’s surname was ‘Yu’. Strictly investigate any young master surnamed Yu, eighteen years old, small in stature, and traveling with a black dog.”

“Once Yanzhi’s trail is found, do not act rashly. Send someone to watch him secretly to see where he settles down, then report back!”

“Yes, we obey the command!”

The group of close ministers answered in unison and were about to withdraw.

Xiao Cuan sat on the high platform, his eyes slightly lowered, his arms spread out and pressed against the imperial desk before him.

Sunlight shone in from the window, casting the Emperor’s tall figure onto the floor of the hall, creating a vast shadow.

Like a falcon spreading its wings, or a lead wolf ready to pounce, hidden in the darkness, gathering strength, poised to attack its targeted prey.

He had been too hasty the previous days; this time, everything had to be flawless, hitting the mark in one go.

He had to catch Yanzhi back this time; he could not let him escape again.

Just then, a sharp pain suddenly came from his palm.

Xiao Cuan looked down and saw that his palm had, at some point, pressed against the crack in the imperial desk.

The desk was crafted from a single solid piece of hardwood. A few days ago, in a fit of rage, he had snapped off a corner with his bare hands, leaving a jagged gap.

The palace servants wanted to carry it away and replace it, but Xiao Cuan wouldn’t allow it.

He wanted to personally catch Yanzhi and have him squat obediently before the desk, using glue to fix it.

Once the desk was repaired, he would pick Yanzhi up and set him on top of it to see if his repair held firm.

He would pin Yanzhi onto the desk, hold down his hands and feet, pinch his cheeks, swat his bottom, and ask him if he knew his mistake and if he dared to run away again.

But now, before Yanzhi had even returned, he had been pricked by a splinter from the broken wood.

Xiao Cuan withdrew his hand, opened his palm, and stared fixedly at the tiny splinter.

This splinter was just like Yanzhi.

Small, inconspicuous, but it could bite, and it bit quite painfully.

Xiao Cuan clenched his fist, squeezing the splinter in his palm.

He looked up just as the officials were crossing the threshold and about to descend the stone steps.

Xiao Cuan raised his voice and gave one final order: “Do not harm him!”

*

Today there was no wind or rain, and the river surface was broad and smooth as a bronze mirror.

Yanzhi stood at the bow of the ship, holding his mother’s tablet, with Peanut Cake’s rope looped over his arm and Tanggao following at his feet, gazing toward where the river met the horizon.

They had been on the boat for five days. During the day, Yanzhi would bring them out for a walk and some fresh air to avoid getting dizzy from staying in the cargo cabin all the time.

The further south they went, the more different the scenery on both banks became.

The river was calm, and the vegetation was lush and green.

There were mountains in the south too, but they weren’t the formidable, impassable peaks of Liang City; instead, they were verdant hills layered like folding screens.

Southern villages weren’t on the mountains either, but scattered along the foothills.

This was completely different from the south in Yanzhi’s memory.

Years ago, he had accompanied His Majesty on an imperial expedition and had been here.

At that time, the south was divided between the states of Chen and An. Only the imperial palaces were magnificent, while the commoners’ villages were dilapidated.

Later, His Majesty led his army south. The Liang army was unstoppable, driving straight in. In just three months, both Chen and An surrendered voluntarily, offering up their maps.

At that time, the envoys from both countries arrived outside the Liang army tent simultaneously,降书 (surrender documents) in hand, and even got into a fight over who should go first.

Later, His Majesty executed the royal families of both nations, changed the states into commanderies, and redrew the territorial boundaries so that the borders of the two commanderies were intertwined like interlocking teeth.

If there was any unrest in one area, the other would know immediately and could suppress it in time.

This was one of the achievements His Majesty was most proud of since he began his conquests.

Back then, he had even held up the map and pulled Yanzhi into his arms to show off.

Looking at it now, His Majesty’s planning had indeed been flawless.

Now the people had long forgotten the fall of their nations, living in peace and working contentedly.

Yanzhi widened his eyes, looking at the banks and carefully observing the differences between southern houses and those in Liang City.

The walls in the south were taller, and the roofs steeper.

Southern walls were made of wood, not stone.

The southern roofs were…

“Young Master!”

Suddenly, a familiar shout came from behind him.

Yanzhi hurriedly regained his senses and looked back: “Boss Wei?”

Boss Wei raised a hand, gesturing for the hands to lower the sail halfway: “There’s a town ahead that’s quite lively. I’ve discussed it with the crew, and we plan to stop there for a bit.”

“I see.” Yanzhi was a bit hesitant.

“We can’t just stay on the boat all the time. We need to go ashore, touch the earth, and buy some things while we’re at it.”

“Mm…”

“If you trust us, come ashore with us for a walk. If you don’t, you can stay on the boat, and we’ll bring back whatever you want to buy.”

“Okay.” Yanzhi nodded. “Then I’ll go with you…”

Before he could finish, a sharp crack suddenly echoed from the shore, resounding through the mountain forest.

Yanzhi shivered involuntarily and turned his head to look.

Boss Wei frowned and glanced over as well: “Who’s driving oxen in the woods in the middle of winter?”

“It’s not that,” Yanzhi said softly. “It’s not driving oxen; it’s driving horses.”

Or rather, it was the sound of a whip being cracked, the sound of the whip cutting through the wind.

Yanzhi was very familiar with it.

Many times, His Majesty had taken him riding and deliberately cracked the whip to make the horses run fast.

It was exactly that sound—a sharp crack, urgent and fierce.

Yanzhi dazed for a moment, instinctively taking half a step back.

Just then, a cold wind swept in from behind him, passing through his arms, wrapping around his legs, and constricting his waist.

The north wind came in gusts, cold and forceful, just like the tall and domineering Emperor, pressing him into his embrace, picking him up, and hoisting him onto his shoulder to carry him back to the Daliang Palace.

Yanzhi instinctively looked back and waved his arms, struggling with all his might.

No! He didn’t want to be caught!

Go away! He didn’t want to be held by His Majesty!

But how could the wind be pushed away?

The wind grew stronger, like a rope binding him tightly, or like flowing water, pervasive and teasing him everywhere.

Seeing his fear, Tanggao and Peanut Cake, who were originally by his side, grew alert.

Peanut Cake moved in front of him to block the strong wind.

Tanggao stood up, ears pricked, letting out a couple of “ao-ao” cries toward what was in front of Yanzhi, then baring its increasingly sharp canine teeth to snap at the air.

Boss Wei’s voice came through the wind.

“Bah—what kind of strange wind is this? Young Master, your small frame can’t handle it. Go back into the cabin! I’ll have someone call you when we arrive!”

Only upon hearing Boss Wei’s voice did Yanzhi regain his senses.

He wasn’t in the Daliang Palace; he was on a boat.

“Okay…”

Yanzhi answered, holding the tablet and leading the dog and donkey back, avoiding the wind.

Only after seeing him return safely did Boss Wei shout to the crew: “What are you standing there for? The wind’s picked up! Lower another sail!”

Yanzhi returned to the cargo cabin and closed the door.

Holding his mother’s tablet, he sat leaning against the ship’s wall.

Through the wall, he could still faintly hear the howling of the wind outside.

Yanzhi sat, staring blankly at the floorboards, unable to recover for a long time.

The sound of the whip cracking seemed to still be echoing in his ears.

*

Pa—pa—

Five days later—

The military’s specialized messengers galloped back to Liang City at top speed.

“Reporting to Your Majesty! Your Majesty’s imperial decree has reached all provinces and commanderies. The governors and administrators are personally leading troops to guard the ferry crossings and inspect passing vessels!”

“Mm.”

The Emperor still sat in the Taiji Hall, arms folded, eyes slightly lowered, motionless as a stone statue.

In these past few days, aside from attending court, whether it was eating during the day or sleeping at night, Xiao Cuan had stayed right here.

At mealtimes, the servants would bring food and place it on the desk.

Once His Majesty had finished, they would take it away.

In the dead of night, Xiao Cuan would haphazardly lie down on the cushions without even undressing.

He didn’t sleep long; upon waking, he would get up to review memorials and see if any new news had come from the south.

But the memorials were written and submitted by the ministers; no matter how much he reviewed day and night, how could there be enough memorials for him?

So, after finishing the memorials accumulated over a few days, Xiao Cuan would sit before the desk lost in thought, as if mimicking a Taoist priest in meditation, calming his mind.

But he was so full of hostile energy that no matter how he tried, he couldn’t look the part. Sitting there, he only looked like a sleeping tiger, scaring the servants so much they didn’t dare approach.

Xiao Cuan was strong and fit; despite several days of such strain, he showed no signs of haggardness or weakness.

On one quiet night, looking at the thick darkness outside the hall, he suddenly thought—

He didn’t want to teach Yanzhi a lesson anymore, didn’t want to pin Yanzhi down and swat his bottom.

He now only wanted to hold Yanzhi and have a good sleep.

Ten days later—

Boss Wei’s cargo ship reached the ferry crossing and lowered its sails to dock.

Boss Wei stood at the bow, looking out toward the distant ferry.

“Whoa, there sure are a lot of ships today!”

Before the crossing, cargo ships, passenger boats, and fishing vessels were packed tightly together.

A crew member asked curiously: “Isn’t it winter already? Why are so many people still sailing?”

“Who knows?” Boss Wei said. “Probably they all want to make one last profit before the New Year.”

Boss Wei raised a hand and ordered: “Lower the sails.”

“Yes!”

With a huala, the sails fell, and the cargo boat slowly approached the ferry.

They had just docked and hadn’t even tied the ropes when two men looking like government runners approached them.

“Wait! Hold on!”

Seeing the officials come, Boss Wei hurriedly pulled himself together and cupped his fists in salute: “Greetings, Officers.”

The two runners nodded slightly and returned the gesture: “Greetings. May we ask who the owner of this ship is?”

“That would be me,” Boss Wei said with a smile. “May I ask what business you have, Officers?”

“As the year ends, the various commanderies are suppressing bandits. To prevent bandits from roaming, we are conducting routine inspections.”

“I see…” Boss Wei couldn’t help but feel nervous hearing this. “How shall we be inspected? My crew and I are all from this commandery, and this is a cargo ship; there’s no place to hide anyone.”

“It’s no matter,” the official comforted him. “We just need to see everyone on board and ask their names.”