No taboos

Chapter 495 Heaven Has Opened Its Eyes (10,000 words)
Outside the south gate of Hue, a horse-drawn carriage was parked along the wide official road.

The area outside the walls of such a large city was by no means desolate.

The poor built low shacks along the city wall, and then somehow managed to get half a door panel.

Door gods are pasted on the door panel.

Many of the laborers who made a living on the canal lived here.

The official road was lined with shops.

Restaurants, inns, teahouses, taverns, and so on—there's something for everyone.

The cost of living here is much lower than in the city.

Many caravans would choose to rest outside the city to save money.

The carriage seemed to be very "sensible" as it didn't stop in front of any shop.

Instead, it was on an open space on the left side of the street.

It is said that an owner has already bought this vacant land and plans to build a three-story brick and wood building.

Construction has not yet started.

The carriage stopping here doesn't bother anyone.

Moreover, the carriage looked very simple, with no horses pulling it.

However, after more than an hour, no one came to take it away.

The owner of a nearby tavern scratched a large mole on his cheek and began to have wicked thoughts.

He called over two of his waiters.

One was named Zheng Bao, and the other was named Chen Silang.

Both of them were burly, rough-looking men with menacing faces.

Business is tough outside the city; all sorts of people walk by.

If a shop doesn't have some seemingly powerful people in it, its business will definitely go bankrupt within three months.

Zheng Bao and Chen Silang, along with the shopkeeper named "Hua Le," were all well-known figures outside the south gate of Hue.

The shopkeeper, Hua Le, in particular, was treacherous and ruthless, and had a nickname: "Hua She Kou'er" (meaning "Flower Snake Mouth").

With these three people in charge, their tavern might not go out of business, but it certainly won't be doing very well either.

But Huashekou always manages to find ways to generate some "extra" income for the shop.

In the morning, the tavern wasn't doing much business.

But just as the city gates opened, a couple who performed street acts hurriedly passed by their gate.

Hua Shekou had a sharp eye and could tell at a glance that this person was a "running gang".

The term "running around" refers to someone who travels from place to place making a living.

The couple, who looked to be in their early thirties, usually set up a stall in a bustling part of the market, where the man would perform acrobatic tricks.

The woman would bang a gong and shout to attract customers; after a performance, she would offer auspicious greetings and ask for tips from the audience.

They don't have many special skills, and often after performing for three to five days, the local audience gets tired of it, so they move on to the next place.

The rent in the city was too expensive for them, so they stayed outside the city, trying to get into the city early when the city gates opened at dawn to secure a good spot.

The people bullied at Huashekou were exactly like this.

Just as the couple walked past, there was a sudden "crack" sound behind them.

With just a glance from Hua Shekou, Zheng Bao and Chen Silang charged out menacingly.

They insisted that when they passed by the door, they broke a wine bowl on the counter.

There were indeed some broken pieces of porcelain on the ground.

No matter how the couple tried to explain, it was no use. The two insisted on their claim, saying that the wine bowl was the owner's treasure, an antique from the Song Dynasty, and demanded that the couple pay five taels of silver in compensation!

The couple were indignant and wanted to report it to the authorities, but Hua Shekou said calmly, "Fine, go ahead and report it. Our boss is good friends with Chief Constable Ma in the city. I'm sure Chief Constable Ma will uphold justice for us and punish you lawless outsiders according to the law!"

The couple were naturally intimidated and dared not report it to the authorities.

But where would they get five taels of silver?
Seeing that the woman's face, though weathered, still retained her charm, Chen Silang lewdly reached out and touched her cheek: "No money? No problem. Your wife can stay and live a life of luxury with us brothers. It's much better than her following a useless piece of trash like you, enduring wind and rain..."

The juggler gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, but his wife held him tightly.

We can't afford to mess with them.

The woman forced a smile and pleaded, saying she really didn't have five taels of silver and couldn't afford to pay.

Zheng Bao and Chen Silang refused to listen, insisting that they would keep the person there if they had no money!
The woman burst into tears.

Seeing that the fire was almost done, Hua Shekou coughed slowly and said, "Alright, seeing that you outsiders have it tough, here's two taels of silver, I'll cover the rest."

"You can't go any lower, or I'll have to sell your wife to the brothel next door."

The couple carefully took out a white cloth bag from their pockets, opened it layer by layer, and found loose silver and copper coins inside, finally managing to scrape together two taels of silver.

Chen Silang snatched it away and kicked the man in the butt: "The shopkeeper is kind-hearted and spared you, now get out of here!"

The couple left in tears.

The three men at Huashekou, beaming with joy, hid behind the counter dividing the silver.

These two taels of silver represented the couple's entire savings.

If we lose money and the harvest is bad today, we will have nothing to eat or wear.

The juggler, filled with grief and indignation, looked up at the heavens and cried out, "Heavens, why are you so blind? Why don't you take these beasts away..."

His wife tugged at him: "Let's go quickly. If we get into the city sooner, we can find a good place. Otherwise, we'll starve to death in the next few days."

The two hurried past with their heads down.

The man's words were overheard by the carriage next to him.

The carriage seemed to sway slightly back and forth.

Inside the tavern, Hua Shekou received a tael of silver, happily poured himself a pot of wine, and sat behind the counter to drink it.

As he drank, he noticed a carriage parked diagonally opposite the tavern.

He craned his neck to look several times. Although there were no horses and the carriage looked very simple, Hua Shekou had some experience from his days of street life.

The area around Jiaozhi is famous for its rosewood.

Selling timber from Jiaozhi to Zhengzhou via the canal was also a lucrative business.

Huashekou discovered that the carriage was made of high-quality wood.

He then had another idea and chuckled to himself, "Master Hua is having a lucky day; he'll be able to make another sum of money."

"Abao, Silang." He then called over two of his men: "Go and move that carriage to the backyard."

The two henchmen didn't want to work: "That carriage isn't worth much, and if the owner comes looking for us, we'll probably tear it apart..."

"Idiots! Just go because we tell you to!"

The two men grumbled as they came out, and when they reached the carriage, they made no attempt to hide their intentions, brazenly attempting to drag back the carriage that didn't belong to them.

Strangely enough, this carriage was enormous and made of solid wood, so it should have been exceptionally heavy.

But with a little effort from the two of them, the carriage started moving smoothly.

Without giving it much thought, the two were dragged to the backyard of the tavern.

Upon arriving here, Chen Silang also had an idea: "Let's see what's inside the car first."

Huashekou'er also came over, and Chen Silang went forward but found a copper lock hanging on the carriage door.

"I'll go get the hammer."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the brass lock clicked open automatically!
The cunning snake immediately sensed something was wrong: "Something's not right, let's go..."

But it was too late. The car door opened, and a chilling, mournful melody began to play.

The juggler's "dream came true".

The three of them, Hua Shekou, immediately felt that the surroundings were eerie and ghostly, with Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and other underworld officials, some holding chains and others wielding mourning sticks!
"Hua Le!"

"Zheng Bao!"

"Chen Silang!"

"You have committed numerous evils and deserve to be cast into the eighteenth level of hell, to be boiled in oil, ground in stone mills, and burned in a sea of ​​fire!"

The three were terrified and turned to flee.

But then the mourning staff was raised high and instantly became as huge as a pillar. With one blow, it came down, and the three men immediately fell to the ground, their heads bleeding profusely.

Then the little devils swarmed forward and bound them with chains.

Flames roared up on the chains, burning red and scorching hot.

The moment it landed on them, it burned their skin and flesh to a crisp!

It was as if all the sins they had committed in the past had become firewood to scorch their flesh and blood at this moment!

The three screamed in agony as the little devils tore them apart and dragged them into the carriage.

Bang!

The car door closed, and the brass lock flew up from the ground and locked the car door again.

Meanwhile, after entering the city, the juggling couple inquired several times and found a bustling market in the city.

But it was too late.

They were late because they were in front of the tavern.

All the good spots in the market have already been taken.

They tried to squeeze in, but were driven out by the other street performers.

We're all suffering people. If it were them, they would drive anyone who tried to squeeze in.

The couple were filled with sorrow, but they could only find a place on the edge of the market to set up their stall.

There were few people around, and the man exerted all his strength, but there were very few onlookers.

After the performance, the woman forced a smile, held up the gong, and asked for rewards from those around her.

The few onlookers shook their heads and turned to leave.

The woman pleaded desperately, but no one turned back.

The woman returned sadly to her husband's side, but suddenly heard the gong in her hand clang. Looking down, she saw a piece of silver and dozens of copper coins fall into the gong!

The couple recognized it at a glance—it was the money they had just paid to the tavern hooligans!

The couple were dumbfounded!
Then they quickly looked around, and there was no one within three zhang (approximately 10 meters) of the couple!

The man was overjoyed and blurted out, "Heaven has opened its eyes!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than another clanging sound came from the gong, and even more silver coins fell down.

This is the money on the three people from Huashekou, a total of seven or eight taels!
The woman's expression changed, and she quickly pressed down on the gong: "Let's go, we need to get out of the city now, we can't stay here any longer."

……

A moment later, the neighbors on the street saw that the carriage that Zheng Bao and Chen Silang had dragged away had inexplicably reappeared in the same spot!
"Weird!"

The neighbors all found it strange, and indeed no one dared to go and check.

In this age rife with evil spirits, don't be too curious about things you don't understand.

Then they saw a figure rush out of the venue, the car door opened automatically, and the figure plunged inside.

Immediately afterwards, flames burst forth from the wheels of the carriage, and without the horses pulling it, the carriage rumbled and sped southward!

Immediately afterward, another large white goose came chasing after them.

The carriage ran even faster.

The big white goose flapped its wings and tried its best to catch up, squawking anxiously.

If it really can't catch up, it will flap its wings a few times and take off into the air for a while.

The neighbors stared in disbelief: What's going on?

Why did that person run away?

Was it chased by this goose?

Surely not? Even though being pecked by a goose hurts, it shouldn't scare you this much...

When Xu Yuan boarded the train, "Dream Come True" had already taken advantage of him and eliminated all traces; there was not a trace of blood in the carriage.

Xu Yuan thoroughly humiliated the Shanhe Division of Shunhua City, and then, without lingering in the city for a moment, fled outside.

They were preparing to "flee" directly back to their old stronghold in Champa.

"Dream Come True" was arranged by Xu Yuan to meet him outside the city.

After rushing for more than ten miles, Master Xu suddenly remembered: Dafu!

Xu Yuan rolled down the car window and looked out; sure enough, Da Fu was panting and chasing after them.

His tongue was so tired it was hanging out.

This time, there were no geese to carry it; Grandpa Fu had to rely entirely on himself.

"Dreams come true!" Xu Yuan roared.

Just as Xu Yuan guessed.

"Dream Come True" certainly knew that Dafu was behind it, but it proactively closed the carriage.

Nothing from the outside world, such as Dafu's shouts, could be heard inside.

"Dream Come True" wants to throw away the Dafu.

However, now that Xu Yuan had discovered it, the carriage had to slow down.

However, it resolutely refused to let Dafu get on the bus.

Xu Yuan "escaped" all the way back to Champa.

In Hue, things were in an uproar.

Li Mouzhong was transformed into a large black dog, a transformation that lasted only a few breaths.

But the dozens of captains of the Shanhe Division, as well as the dozen or so passersby who were passing by at the time, all saw it!
Xu Yuan secretly followed Li Mouzhong last night, intending to turn him into a dog on the spot if he went somewhere indulging in debauchery.

The effect will be even more explosive.

But Li Mouzhong also knew that he was no longer able to perform well. How could a dignified commander not have any nighttime pleasures?
I went home and slept peacefully.

After the news spread, several members of the Zhu family, including Zhu Yangping, Zhu Yangshun, and Zhu Ben, gathered together, closed the door, and burst into laughter.

Especially the brothers Zhu Yangshun and Zhu Yangping, who have been ruthlessly schemed against by Li Mouzhong in recent years.

He harbored deep resentment towards Li Mouzhong.

Zhu Yangshun has cherished his daughter since she was a child.

Especially as Zhu Zhanlei became increasingly useless, while his daughters showed remarkable talent that rivaled any man, he became even more fond of them.

The thought of marrying off his daughter was like a knife cutting into his heart.

But now, I feel that if it's Xu Yuan, I can barely accept it.

Zhu Ben was becoming increasingly satisfied with Xu Yuan.

"Reckless and impetuous in youth," Zhu Ben commented, seemingly saying something rather unpleasant, but he spoke with a rather spirited air.

This is clearly something I projected onto myself.

If I could return to my youth, I would certainly be just as "young and vigorous".

happy!

"Get ready, I'm going out for a bit to visit some old friends and help you out."

On the Shanhe Division's side, the gates of the yamen were tightly shut, and the captains who had been guarding outside had all retreated inside.

How embarrassing...

What a shame!

Ah, no, it's not that I'm embarrassed, it's that I'm embarrassed...

Oh dear, this is such a mess! I just can't lift my head.

From the outside, Shanhe Si appeared to be a silent, timid turtle.

However, the Department of Purification was in an uproar.

Everyone, from top to bottom, especially the lower-ranking officers, was celebrating their promotion!
"I've long heard that Xu Zhanglu of Champa is a man of extravagance! Indeed, his reputation is well-deserved!"

"This was done...not quite right—but it's very satisfying!"

"Those bastards from the Mountain and River Division used to bully us at every turn. Let's see if they can still hold their heads high when we meet again!"

"Lord Xu has avenged Lord Bi!"

Ma Tianshou hadn't even left Hue City when he heard the news, and he didn't even suspect that it was "fake news."

This sounds exactly like something that kid Xu Yuan would do!

But Ma Tianshou was also puzzled: "What benefits did the Zhu family give that kid that made him work so hard?"

Old Yan smiled wryly and asked, "Sir, why don't you think about how to handle this matter first?"

Inside the duty room sat a middle-aged man whom Xu Yuan had never seen before.

This is the newly appointed "Chief Administrator" from the General Administration, named Zhu Tongchang.

The position of "Duzhi" was not previously held in the Jiaozhi Southern Office.

This position is second only to the commander, and even higher than the deputy commander.

This position is pronounced "du zhi", but it is actually "dou zhi".

He needed to know everything that happened in the government office.

If Zhu Tongchang had no ambition, or came with no mission, then he would have been a relaxed and idle bureaucrat.

By simply looking around on a regular basis, one can be considered to "know everything".

However, if this is not the case, then Zhu Tongchang could build a relatively independent team within the government office.

This team only obeys Zhu Tongchang. If Zhu Tongchang has any suspicions, he can investigate anything or anyone in the government office!
He was appointed a month ago and just arrived in Luocheng to take up his post ten days ago.

Bi Bojie's murder was caused by a case within the Exorcism Division itself. Zhu Tongchang then volunteered to come along.

When asked how to handle the situation, Zhu Tongchang replied without hesitation, "That kid must have escaped back to Champa. Send someone to capture him first..."

Ma Tianshou glared at him: "What are you going to do with him?"

Zhu Tongchang did not have any particular intention to target Xu Yuan.

His arrival in southern Jiaozhi was, of course, on the mission of certain people.

The Exorcism Bureau in Jiaozhi South was quickly becoming Ma Tianshou's personal fiefdom. Naturally, some people in the headquarters couldn't stand it.

He and Ma Tianshou will inevitably become adversaries.

But Zhu Tongchang never intended to use Xu Yuan's incident as a pretext to cause trouble.

The reason is simple: Zhu Tongchang had not yet established himself firmly.

He is currently in the southern office of Jiaozhi, and is still in the stage of observing, listening and understanding the situation.

If we were to clash with Ma Tianshou now, defeat would be inevitable.

Therefore, his proposed plan was fairly conventional—he felt it was a gesture of goodwill towards Ma Tianshou, since they had only taken Xu Yuan away; although they said he was locked up, it was really just house arrest.

There was no further action taken against Xu Yuan.

This is to help Ma Tianshou "protect" Xu Yuan.

Unexpectedly, Ma Tianshou still disagreed with this approach!
Zhu Tongchang couldn't help but chuckle: "Old man, you're being too protective of your own. Young people, if you don't give them a good talking-to, they won't amount to anything."

Ma Tianshou looked at Zhu Tongchang with a strange expression and said, "Do you think I, the commander, am protecting Xu Yuan?"

"Is not it?"

Ma Tianshou retorted, "If you want to arrest Xu Yuan, then I, the commander, ask you, what crime has Xu Yuan committed?"

Zhu Tongchang blurted out instinctively, "He turned Li Mouzhong into..."

Zhu Tongchang stopped halfway through his speech, realizing the problem.

Ma Tianshou and Old Yan laughed together.

"Do you understand now? Don't let that kid's seemingly reckless behavior fool you; he's actually as cunning as a monkey."

He turned the dignified commander of the Shanhe Division into a black dog right there in the street.

In reality, Li Mouzhong is alive and well, and has not been injured.

On what charges did you arrest him? Was it for humiliating a high-ranking official?

Regardless of whether my imperial dynasty has committed this crime, even if it has, Xu Yuan is the head of the Exorcism Division, and his position is not much different from that of the Commander of the Mountain and River Division.

This can only be considered a minor conflict between colleagues, right?

Zhu Tongchang crossed his hands, twisting all ten fingers together.

This is just like the inner turmoil he felt at that moment.

That kid did something so big, completely ruining Li Mouzhong's career!
But you can't find any substantial evidence of his crimes?

In an instant... Zhu Tongchang had already foreseen the situation in which he would be fighting against Ma Tianshou in the future, with Xu Yuan, Ma Tianshou's favorite general, charging into battle and causing him a great deal of trouble.

Zhu Tongchang sighed: "Fine, my idea won't work. You guys figure it out yourselves."

Everyone knows the adults have set it up.

I can't think of a solution. Xu Yuan is one of your men, so you'll have to figure it out yourself.

Ma Tianshou hummed and said, "We still need to send someone to reprimand them."

Old Yan straightened his chest.

Ma Tianshou pointed at him and said, "You go."

Old Master Yan immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your subordinate obeys."

"When you go to Champa, warn that kid to behave himself. The Shanhe Division won't let this go."

Old Yan laughed and said, "I don't think he needed any reminder at all—look at his behavior. After humiliating Li Mouzhong, he immediately ran out of the city, prepared a cart full of craftsmen and horses outside the city, and fled very decisively. He was obviously afraid of being entangled by the Shanhe Division, hahaha..."

Ma Tianshou gave a wry smile and waved for Old Yan to leave first.

Then, the old man perked up.

Next, it will be his turn to battle the Mountain and River Division.

Ma Tianshou did not intend to passively respond; he countered Shanhe Si's moves.

He needs to take the initiative!

The magistrate of Shanhe was at fault first!
Your indulgence of the repentance sect has led to the death of one of my chief disciplinarians in the Exorcism Division.

So what if Xu Yuan humiliated Li Mouzhong? It was because Xu Yuan was a man of great righteousness, standing up for his comrade, and his heart was filled with indignation that he couldn't hold back for a moment.

Besides, you, the commander of the Mountain and River Division, were humiliated by the head of our Purification Division—and you still have the nerve to jump out and complain?

Shouldn't we reflect on whether we've cultivated ourselves properly over the years?

Has the standard improved?
If prices rise, how can they be humiliated by young people?
……

Xu Yuan rushed back to Champa that very evening.

Mr. Yan arrived the next morning.

Old Yan did not enter the yamen, but instead pretended to be on the orders of the commander at the gate and called Xu Yuan out.

At the yamen gate, in front of dozens of officers and a dozen passersby, Xu Yuan was severely reprimanded.

He was criticized for "disrespecting his superiors" and "acting recklessly," and was told to "reflect on his mistakes."

Then it was gone.

They were indeed scolded, but there wasn't even a punishment like being confined to their room to reflect on their mistakes.

It's just "reflecting on mistakes".

Moreover, this reprimand revealed everything Xu Yuan had done in Hue!
The people in the yamen, such as Lang Xiaoba and Zhou Leizi, were initially a little puzzled, but they kept a very low profile when the magistrate returned yesterday.

Lord Miao Yu and Zhu Zhanlei came to the yamen to invite him out for drinks to welcome him back.

In the past, the adults would have gladly accepted the invitation, and when they were drunk and in high spirits, they would casually boast about what they had done in Hue.

But the adults refused last night.

I only realized it today. Good heavens, the adults really messed up a big deal!
This kind of act of avenging one's own people is most admired by the lower-ranking officers.

Xu Yuan was scolded, but instead of losing face, it made him even more respected among his brothers.

However, on the surface, the Department of Purification had given the Department of Mountains and Rivers an explanation.

You, Li Mouzhong, were humiliated by Xu Yuan at the main gate of the government office, so we'll humiliate him at the main gate of the government office too—isn't that fair?
After giving the reprimand, Old Master Yan went into the yamen with Xu Yuan.

The captains swarmed forward, chattering excitedly, "Sir, you've done something amazing, we should celebrate! At noon..."

"Shut up, all of you!" Xu Yuan yelled. "Keep your mouths shut! We've already gotten the better deal!"
Your grand celebration will give the Mountain and River Division a clue!

"Hehehe!" Everyone chuckled together, "The adult is right. We'll buy our own drinks and have some on our own!"

Xu Yuan: "No drinking while on duty!"

……

Xu Yuan was actually quite unhappy when he came back this time.

Because he was away for a few days, Grandpa Shen came by once, and then his stepmother and Aunt Wang couldn't wait for Xu Yuan to return, so they went back with Grandpa Shen.

Xu Yuan had a vague feeling that something must have happened.

When Old Yan arrived, Xu Yuan discussed with him, "I'd like to take this opportunity to go back to Shanhe County. Could you give me your advice? Is it appropriate?"

Old Master Yan thought for a moment and said, "Alright. Although the Mountain and River Division can't find any substantial evidence against you, we still need to make some gestures."

Go back to Shanhe County, I'll keep an eye on things in Zhancheng for you.

From the perspective of the Shanhe Division, it's as if we've punished you by sending you home to retire—we're just putting on a show and haven't issued an official document.

"The Shanhe Division is more likely to accept this, and we can quell the impact of this incident as quickly as possible."

Xu Yuan nodded and called Yu Yunhang over: "Help me pack my luggage."

……

Ten days ago, a fleet of ships departed from Beidu on the canal.

There were twelve ships in total, eleven of which were fully loaded with cargo.

As they passed through the major cities along the way, one or two of these cargo ships remained behind.

The rest continued south along the canal.

When they were almost at Jiaozhi, there were still four cargo ships left.

In addition, there was a comfortable large ship on which passengers enjoyed a pleasant journey, sightseeing and sightseeing.

The person in charge on the ship was a woman in her late teens.

She was slender and quite tall.

Her skin was as white as snow, and her appearance was absolutely stunning.

Besides her, there were four other talented young men and a large number of staff members on board.

Hidden in the lower deck were three hundred armored soldiers, who served as escorts.

The woman spent her days eating, drinking, and having fun, while the others on the ship simply entertained her.

The fleet received news on the border of Jiaozhi that the officials under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Censorate had already returned.

The advisors then suggested, "Your Highness, Miss Jinxi has already returned to the capital. There's no point in us going to Jiaozhi again. Why don't we turn back and return to Beidu?"

“You’ve had a great time along the way, and the goods we brought out have already yielded a profit of more than ten times the initial investment. This trip was definitely worth it.”

His Highness leaned lazily against a soft couch, gazing at the rolling river outside the boat.

Four mastiffs lay obediently on the soft couch.

This is a special breed cultivated in the Royal Animal Garden.

It is huge, as robust as a calf.

It has a broad head and a short, sturdy snout.

It can crush a goat's skull in one bite!

Moreover, they are exceptionally loyal to their owners.

At a single command, they will pounce and bite their prey tightly. Even if they are killed, they will never let go unless their owner gives the order.

Her Highness seemed not to hear her advisors' suggestions, and with a wave of her hand, a maidservant handed her a peeled grape.

After she finished eating, she said with dissatisfaction, "Who told you that I was going to Jiaozhi because of that wretched girl Jinxi?"

I wanted to go and have fun myself!

They want me to go back before we even reached Jiaozhi? And they even said this trip was worthwhile.

So what if I make ten times the profit? Do I need that little bit of money?

The surrounding staff dared not speak.

Everyone knows that you and Miss Jinxi have been secretly competing with each other in Beidu.

Anyone with eyes can see that although His Highness comes from a noble family, when people in Beidu mention the most noble lady, they all think of Miss Jinxi.

His Highness has been resentful since childhood.

In Beidu, no matter what Miss Jinxi was involved in, His Highness would always get involved, trying to suppress Miss Jinxi.

After all this fighting and arguing... when Miss Jinxi suddenly left the capital, His Highness immediately lost his enthusiasm.

During this period, the phrase His Highness has uttered most often is: "How boring..."

Upon hearing of Miss Jinxi's exploits in southern Jiaozhi, His Highness immediately pleaded with the old prince to secure this assignment...

"Hurry up, I need to go to Champa to take a look."

"As ordered."

The fleet then increased its speed.

The propellers on both sides of the ship spun at high speed, propelling the large ship through the waves.

Just as Yan Lao was "reprimanding" Xu Yuan at the entrance of the government office, the fleet arrived at the Champa Canal wharf.

As the fleet entered the dock, His Highness instructed, "Do not reveal my identity."

"As ordered."

Everyone at the canal docks knew that this fleet was powerful, but no one knew that the person on board was even more powerful.

The dock gave priority to unloading four cargo ships.

His Highness's ship has also docked, but His Highness is not in a hurry to enter the city.

One of his advisors led a group into the city first to make all the arrangements.

The four talented young men who followed His Highness on the ship were also very famous in Beidu.

Moreover, each of them comes from an impressive background.

Miss Jinxi has many suitors, and His Highness is no less so.

The four of them, like peacocks displaying their plumage, tried their best to show themselves off to His Highness.

The staff members watched with amusement.

Today, when the boat stopped, Xu Bo, a man from a prominent family in Songjiang, opened a long, narrow rattan box.

He took out a spliced ​​fishing rod from inside and sat down on the side of the boat to start fishing.

He had boasted to His Highness several times along the way about his various fishing techniques.

But he never had the chance to use his skills on the road.

Now that the ship has finally stopped, he can finally show off his skills.

So, it all starts with "baiting".

Xu Bo is a scholar, but he has a somewhat impetuous personality.

Therefore, his teacher taught him this method of cultivating one's character through fishing.

As Xu Bo cast bait into the river to "catch" the fish, he turned back and smiled at His Highness, saying, "I've heard that a type of yellow mandarin fish grows in the Jiaozhi Canal. Its flesh is tender and it has very few bones. I caught one, and I'll cook a fish soup for you tonight. Please enjoy it, Your Highness."

Today, Your Highness wore a sky-blue long dress. Standing on the deck, the river breeze blew the hem of her dress, making her look noble and ethereal, like a fairy.

"Alright." His Highness smiled and nodded.

Unlike Miss Jinxi, His Highness is quite friendly to his suitors.

Generally speaking, those who pursue His Highness are not as "high-quality" as Miss Jinxi's admirers.

Our Ming Dynasty has its own national conditions.

Marrying His Highness is practically tantamount to cutting off one's career.

Therefore, those truly ambitious and talented young people will not follow His Highness.

Take Xu Bo for example. Although his ancestors were once wealthy, no one in his family has ever held a rank of fourth grade or higher in the past twenty years.

But his family's wealth continued to grow.

The area near Songjiang was convenient for sea travel, and the Xu family made a fortune from maritime trade. Gradually, their children became less willing to study hard.

Then he realized that the legacy of his ancestors was coming to an end, and he might not be able to hold onto his wealth.

Xu Bo is the most outstanding member of the Xu family in this generation.

He made a name for himself in the capital, and then pursued His Highness relentlessly, all for the sake of finding a new protector for the Xu family.

His Highness is aware of these things, so he treats his suitors very well, hoping to make up for his innate disadvantages.

But looking at the people around him, he always felt that they were a level below Jinxi's admirers.

His Highness turned around, and several mastiffs surrounded him, wagging their tails happily.

His Highness affectionately rubbed the dog's head.

Then he instructed the maid, "Go, have someone thoroughly investigate that Xu Yuan."

"As ordered."

His Highness had made the arrangements when he suddenly heard Xu Bo, standing by the ship behind him, shout, "Good!"

Whether it was because Xu Bo's fishing skills were truly superb, or because there were just too many fish in the canal, a fish took the bait not long after he cast his line.

Xu Bo suddenly lifted the rod, and the fishing rod immediately bent into a bow.

Noticing His Highness's gaze, Xu Bo felt a surge of pride: "Your Highness, this fish is huge! Now we'll have to reel it in, and that'll be a test of patience..."

Before he could finish speaking, the big fish suddenly plunged into the water. Xu Bo was caught off guard and felt his hand go empty. The fishing rod flew out with a whoosh and fell into the river water several feet below the boat!
"Eh...this..." Xu Bo's face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Hahaha!" Laughter came from three other people not far away.

His Highness shook his head, thinking, "These useless people..."

His Highness whistled.

The mastiffs surrounding her feet immediately darted out like arrows and jumped into the river without hesitation.

One of them took the lead in the river, bit the fishing rod, and turned to pull it toward the boat.

The big fish was still on the hook, and it was pulling at the mastiff.

The other mastiffs plunged into the water, and soon two of them bit the head and tail of a large fish, which was bleeding profusely and was already dead.

The mastiffs climbed onto the boat.

The first one dropped its fishing rod at Xu Bo's feet.

His eyes were full of disdain.

With your skills, you think you can fish?
The other two wagged their tails and together placed the large fish at His Highness's feet.

The fish was four feet long, but the deck was stained with blood and smelled foul.

His Highness covered his nose, waved his hand, and said to the two mastiffs, "Here you go."

The two mastiffs looked bewildered. "We caught fish, but we don't want to eat them."

So a mastiff carefully used its paws to push the fish away.

Give it to your companions.

Its companion then pushed it back with its paws...

After several attempts, the fish was pushed onto the deck. A mastiff turned around, seemingly unintentionally, and with a flick of its tail, the big fish fell back into the river!

Xu Bo was even more embarrassed. What kind of fishing am I supposed to do? Even a dog wouldn't want to go fishing...

His Highness, feeling rather disheartened, affectionately patted his dog's head and ordered, "Never mind, let's go ashore."

Once ashore, the mastiffs frolicked along the official road.

They couldn't run freely while on the ship.

Rabbits and chickens resting in the grass along the official road were caught in the crossfire.

A mastiff suddenly spotted a white thing in the grass.

He immediately lowered his body and crept over silently.

Once behind the creature, it lunged forward—but the creature seemed to have already spotted it, and slowly turned around, twisted its neck, and pecked the mastiff on the forehead.

The mastiff has a broad, heavy head and an extremely strong skull.

But when this thing pecked it, it let out a painful "ow!" and fell to the ground, tucked its tail between its legs, and ran away whimpering.

But mastiffs are violent and aggressive. If I can't beat one, I'll go back and call my brothers!
Soon, a group of mastiffs were summoned by it.

All the mastiffs formed a circle, growling softly, and kept approaching the thing.

Dafu raised his head, his eyes full of confusion.

I've only been in Hue for a few days, how come these evil spirits in Champa don't recognize me anymore?

Dare to provoke me?!
The geese and waterbirds started arguing again today.

Dafu tried everything he could, but he couldn't appease either side.

When I get really annoyed, I just ignore it and sneak out to find some peace and quiet.

A lone goose, walking along, eventually left the city.

Let's leave the city then.

I've been eating too much evil stuff in the city lately, and I'm looking for a change.

Unexpectedly, while he was catching insects in the roadside grass, a pack of strange dogs suddenly approached him.

Dafu had never seen this kind of mastiff before, so he thought they were strange creatures from the wild.

Dafu held his head high, his eyes gradually turning disdainful: "Outsider, huh? You have no idea how powerful your Master Fu is!"

……

The procession proceeded at a leisurely pace along the official road into the city.

His Highness sat in the carriage. The climate in Jiaozhi was hot and humid. The wind blew in through the carriage window, but His Highness still felt uncomfortable. So he opened the carriage door and found a bronze ice chest.

This is also a work of art.

White, cool air automatically emanates from inside.

Outside the car, however, came the pitiful howls of mastiffs.

His Highness's expression changed, and he looked out of the carriage.

Then I saw my beloved dogs, each with their tails between their legs, darting out from a patch of tall weeds.

"What's going on?!" His Highness roared. "Send someone to investigate immediately!"

Just as Xu Bo was about to make his move, another talented man beside him took off into the air, taking three steps in mid-air before reaching the top of the patch of weeds.

Xu Bo and the other two curled their lips in disapproval: Brainless brute!

This fellow's name is Meng Zhi, a sixth-rate martial arts practitioner.

He had already drawn the greatsword from his back in mid-air.

Reaching the top of the bushes, he looked down and grinned: "Your Highness!"

"This is a really fat goose. I'll catch it and invite Your Highness to have roast goose tonight..."

In his entire life, Dafu can't stand hearing anyone mention "roast goose"!
Meng Zhi's body fell, and at the same time he had already put the sword back in. It was just a goose; he could fight it with his bare hands!

Everyone in the group saw it; a white shadow suddenly shot out of the bushes.

It crashed into Meng Zhi.

Then, this sixth-rate martial artist, whose body was as large as a bull, let out a blood-curdling scream—

He covered his crotch with both hands and slammed heavily onto the grass.

He continued to scream in agony.

His Highness covered his face with his hand: Why are all the people who like me this kind of trash!

They're nowhere near as good as Jinxi's!
(End of this chapter)