knife

Chapter 538 Traveling on the River

Status and power are indeed good things.

Back then, when Li Dachui and Jiang Qian traveled south together under assumed names, they mostly traveled by boat.

However, the two of them had traveled on cargo ships and passenger ships, and without exception, the conditions were extremely poor. Not to mention cargo ships, even passenger ships could only guarantee you a seat; it was impossible to lie down.

The two weren't afraid of being tired, but the taste inside was something that most people couldn't stand.

Li Dachui admired Jiang Qian quite a bit; a pampered young lady like her had managed to hold her nose and get through it all.

Now, when the two go to Yunwu Mountain together again, the treatment is completely different.

It was a three-story warship transferred directly from the navy, and many preparations had been made beforehand. Many combat facilities had been removed and replaced with living facilities.

Warships are built to win battles, so comfort is not a consideration. But this modified warship is designed for maximum comfort and convenience.

"It seems the young princess's reputation is indeed extraordinary!" Li Dachui chuckled, fiddling with a barbecue grill in the cabin. "They even prepared this?"

"Once you've tasted the marrow, you'll crave more!" Jiang Qian said. "Once you've cooked it, anything else will just taste bland. Anyway, this trip to Yunwu Mountain will take several days, so we might as well just relax! Don't you think so?"

"Not bad!" Li Dachui said, "After we've been to Cloud Mist Mountain, it's time for us to go our separate ways. I'm grateful for your care during my time in Danyang, so it's only right that I serve as your cook for the last few days! There's a full set of cooking utensils on the ship, right? I'll let you taste my real cooking skills!"

"You can do other things too?" Jiang Qian's eyes widened.

"Once you've tasted my cooking, you'll realize that barbecue is nothing special, not worth mentioning!" Li Dachui said proudly.

"Then I'll wait and see how your skills compare to those imperial chefs in the palace. Li Bao, don't overpromise!"

"I'll give it a try today, but do you have the ingredients and seasonings I need on your ship? If not, then even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice!"

"Give me the prescription!" Jiang Qian stretched out her palm and laughed, "Even if you get dragon meat and phoenix marrow, I can pile them all in front of you!"

"As expected of the Little Tyrant of Danyang, his spirit is truly unmatched!" Li Dachui laughed.

A moment later, a small boat was launched from the side of the warship. An officer boarded the boat with the list written by Li Dachui and watched as the boat shot towards the shore like an arrow. Then the officer leaped ashore and ran off into the distance. Li Dachui couldn't help but sigh, "This must be what you call extravagant luxury!"

“I do use a lot, but I have ways to earn even more!” Jiang Qian said with a smile, “Is there any problem with that?”

"No!" Li Dachui said, "I'm just afraid that you earn very little but spend a lot, which will cause public resentment to boil over. In fact, the common people are very easy to please. If you eat meat and they can drink soup, they will be very happy. Even though they are only barely making ends meet, they can slap their thighs and shout that this world is good and that this is a rare golden age!"

"You're just a wanderer, why are you so concerned about the country and its people?" Jiang Qian looked at Li Dachui and laughed. "From beyond the Great Wall to Danyang, the journey has been more than ten thousand miles," Li Dachui said. "Having seen so much, I can't help but feel a lot of emotions."

"How does our Great Chu compare to the Qin state?"

"Most of the Qin people are starving now, but in Chu, they are still struggling to survive, having crawled from the ground onto straw mats, just a little bit taller!"

"It's only a little bit higher?" Jiang Qian said with dissatisfaction.

"Have you forgotten that old couple in Yongxing County?" Li Dachui looked at Jiang Qian with a half-smile. "Jiang Jiang, the situation of that old couple is a true reflection of the most ordinary people in your Chu Kingdom."

"The Lin family has been wiped out by us, and the people there will get better day by day!"

"If the Lin family falls, there's still the Zhang, Wang, Zhao, and He families!" Li Dachui sneered. "Can you kill them all?"

“I can’t possibly follow He Zudao’s example and wipe out all the powerful families in the world, can I? If I did that, I’m afraid the common people wouldn’t even have soup to drink, let alone food!” Jiang Qian shook her head. “The world would be in chaos! Li Bao, you don’t agree with He Zudao’s approach, do you?”

“From the current perspective, He Zudao’s method is indeed extremely harmful to the world,” Li Dachui said. “However, if you look at it from the perspective of the long river of history, his approach is actually beneficial to the world. It’s just that we probably won’t see these benefits manifest. Moreover, this person is indecisive, prone to worrying about gains and losses, and fickle. He will definitely not have a good end in the future.”

"That's it!" Jiang Qian clapped her hands and laughed. "My cousin said that He Zudao is just a troublemaker. He's good at causing trouble, but when it comes to the chessboard of fighting for the world, he's far from being a worthy opponent. He lacks both breadth of mind and magnanimity."

Li Dachui looked at the other person thoughtfully and asked, "So, who does your cousin think is important enough?"

“Li Dachui from outside the pass and Linghu Ye from inside the pass are worthy of being my cousin’s rivals!” Jiang Qian looked at Li Dachui with a smile and said, “However, my cousin also said that Li Dachui can only be considered a rising star. Although he has been very powerful in recent years and has schemed against Linghu Ye and Bei Yuan, his preference for scheming and trickery is not very respectable. If he uses it too much, he may suffer the consequences.”

"Is that so?" Li Dachui narrowed his eyes.

“Of course!” Jiang Qian continued, “Look at my cousin, she wants to rectify the internal affairs, then enrich the country and strengthen the army, and finally launch a righteous expedition to the north, crushing all enemies. That is the army of a true king!”

"You're certainly blowing your conch shell quite loudly!" Li Dachui chuckled. "I'd like to see how your cousin leads a righteous army on a northward expedition! I heard that fighting has broken out again in your Yong'an County. A few days ago, the naval fleets on the river were sailing upstream in rows. Judging from the flags, even Wang Pu has been mobilized?"

“I told you, He Zudao’s minor ailment is nothing to mention. As for the navy, they’re just causing trouble in Sichuan. With Wang Pu’s army united, they will definitely back down. They just want to entangle us and create opportunities for He Zudao!” Jiang Qian laughed. “But they underestimate the strength of our navy too much.”

"You're quite confident!"

“Of course!” Jiang Qian said, “Alright, alright, Li Bao, let’s not talk about these unromantic topics. Look how beautiful the scenery is on both sides of the river. Why don’t we enjoy this beautiful view and have a few drinks?”

"Excellent! Enjoying wine with such a beautiful view, Jiang Jiang certainly has a refined taste!"

(End of this chapter)