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Chapter 537 Planting the Dragon Flag and Heading North (10,000 words)
“If you encounter any difficulties after arriving in Beidu, go to the General Administration and find Minister Ji Chuan, the Left Vice Minister.” Ma Tianshou introduced Xu Yuan, his biggest backer in the Exorcism Division: “He will help you.”

Ma Tianshou never told anyone, but he felt guilty towards Xu Yuan.

When Xu Yuan was recruited in Shanhe County, the old man boasted that as long as Xu Yuan made contributions in the Exorcism Department, he could write a letter on his behalf to ask His Majesty to pardon the "criminals" in Hegong Lane.

He thought that things that happened a hundred years ago were probably forgotten by most people in the court, and that there was still a group of criminals in Jiaozhi, far away in the south.

If I simply submit a petition and ask Lord Ji to speak on my behalf, removing the label of "criminal" should be an easy task.

As a result, when he mentioned this matter to Lord Ji, he was given a lecture!
The more he learned, the more he realized how tricky this matter was!
Now, Xu Yuanyuan has gone to Beidu, about to step into the vortex of that huge political storm called "establishing an heir"—ultimately, it's because I, this useless old man, can't keep my promise and can't shake off the label of a criminal on the head of Hegong Lane.

Therefore, Xu Yuan had to find a solution on his own.

Xu Yuan had already packed everything, so without further ado, he immediately gave the order: "Xiao Ba, tell everyone to set off!"

"Yes!" Lang Xiaoba answered loudly from outside the door.

The final selection includes
Lang Xiaoba, Yu Yunhang, Di Youzhi, Zhou Leizi, and Liu Hu.

Lang Xiaoba and Zhou Leizi were brought along because of their special magical abilities.

Although Yu Yunhang's presence in the Zhancheng Bureau was not strong, he had followed Xu Yuan the longest and had always been steady and reliable, effectively playing the role of Xu Yuan's "chief steward".

Upon arriving in Beidu, Yu Yunhang will be responsible for handling all the welcoming and farewell ceremonies.

If it were Old Qin who was brought along...

This fellow has been "training" in the gatehouse for a long time, and he has truly mastered the skill of misinterpreting the adults' meanings!
It's fine in Champa, but if we take him to Beidu, it will be the death of Old Qin.

Liu Hu, of course, did so because he needed to take care of his stomach.

I don't know if I'll be able to get used to the food in Beidu.

Moreover, the reason I recruited Liu Hu was because I was often on the road handling cases and I could sleep outdoors but didn't want to endure the elements.

Liu Hu is not only a good cook, but his "Ghost Banquet Method" also has some other abilities, which may be of great use in a place like Beidu.

Moreover, Liu Hu's destiny is "Noble Bamboo," meaning his growth requires the support of a benefactor. Xu Yuan wanted to try his luck; perhaps there was a benefactor in Beidu willing to help Liu Hu.

Everyone had assembled.

Although they were all wearing the uniforms of the Exorcism Bureau, each person's state was different.

Lang Xiaoba was the biggest, so he stood at the very front.

He was carrying several large bundles on his back.

Lang Xiaoba was actually the simplest person; he didn't bring anything with him!

They didn't even bring a change of clothes.

She came wearing this uniform.

Lang Xiaoba's thinking was very simple:
Liu Hu is the one who provides the food.

My clothes are all dirty. Does that mean the General Administration won't issue me another set of uniforms?
All of these are available at the inn.

So you don't need to prepare anything.

All the bags he was carrying belonged to Yu Yunhang.

Yu Yunhang had too many things to worry about, so he brought the most luggage.

Then, they confidently attributed everything to Lang Xiaoba.

When Lord Xu first arrived at the Champa government office, it was Lang Xiaoba who stopped Yu Yunhang at the gate with his eyes wide open and his hand on his sword.

Lang Xiaoba always felt somewhat ashamed towards Yunhang.

Yu Yunhang always felt that nothing was convenient when he was out and about, so he brought everything he could.

Even now, he's still muttering to himself, head down, wondering if he's forgotten anything...

The second most numerous item on his person was Liu Hu.

The cook not only brought pots and pans, but also some local specialties and seasonings from Kochi.

I'm worried that if we go to the north, the adults won't be used to the food.

Di Youzhi and Zhou Leizi, on the other hand, were more conventional and only brought a change of clothes.

Among the people under Lord Xu's command, Lang Xiaoba's martial arts skills have already reached the seventh rank. Liyuan Fa was originally seventh rank, but after impersonating Lord Xu many times, he has improved and is about to become a sixth rank.

Lang Xiaoba also grasped some of the methods of cultivating "Liyuan Method". It seems that by playing a person of higher status and greater strength than himself, he can improve his skills in this method very quickly.

The more convincing the performance, the more people will believe it, and the greater the boost.

But if this act is seen through, the more people who see through it, the greater the backlash!

For example, if Lang Xiaoba were to play the role of a third-rate character like the Third Senior Brother, and someone could see right through him, the terrible backlash could even cause him to fall directly from the seventh-rate to the eighth-rate!
This method of cultivation is a double-edged sword.

Yu Yunhang was already a seventh-rate cultivator.

Di Youzhi only obtained the position of head of the West City Patrol Office after he was promoted to the seventh level of Danxiu.

He then received tremendous training and is now a sixth-rate alchemist.

He was the most skilled under Xu Yuan.

Zhou Leizi's "male farming method" has also risen to the seventh rank.

Liu Hu's "Ghost Banquet Method" is still considered low-level, but with his previous foundation, he is not far from becoming a low-level practitioner.

This group of people in southern Jiaozhi truly deserves the description of "strong army and powerful horses".

Di Youzhi, in particular, already has the ability to be promoted to head of law enforcement.

The "Dream Come True" carriage swayed and rocked beside them, seemingly excited as it knew it was about to embark on a long journey.

Seeing his "dream come true," Ma Tianshou said to Xu Yuan, "I've brought you two custom-made horses."

Dreams don't need horses to come true; you can move them yourself.

But that would be too eye-catching, so it's better to cover it up.

Xiang Qinghuai stood to the side, leading two handcrafted horses, ready to harness "Dreams Come True".

Crafting horses is essentially a kind of physical object crafted by artisans.

It was modified by craftsmen using fine horses.

Of course, they are still living things.

After undergoing this transformation, they became much stronger, faster, and fiercer, daring to fight wild beasts and evil spirits.

Besides horses, other wild beasts and birds of prey can also be modified.

However, the success rate of this kind of live artifact modification is extremely low, so the number of such artifacts is very small.

Places like southern Jiaozhi are even rarer.

These two handcrafted horses were acquired by Ma Tianshou at great expense.

Because they remain alive after being modified, the probability of them undergoing strange transformations increases significantly.

Therefore, each batch of horses made by craftsmen wore a "danglu" on their heads, which was a forehead ornament with Wenxiu's calligraphy engraved on it, to suppress any unrest.

The two horses that Ma Tianshou gifted were made of bronze, simple and elegant, and very beautiful.

The most common type of animal crafted by artisans is actually a fine horse.

Although in theory various birds of prey and beasts can be modified, their wild nature makes them difficult to tame. Even if they are suppressed by something else after modification, they will almost certainly change completely very quickly.

Therefore, it is not feasible to use this method to create a batch of "war beasts".

Xiang Qinghuai led the horse forward, but the horse, "Dream Come True," emitted a grating creak.

It's like a cat encountering a daring two-legged creature that wants to pet it, making a shriek as if it's ready to punch at any moment!

Xiang Qinghuai dared not step forward, and with a wry smile handed the two hand-crafted horses to Xu Yuan: "You do it yourself."

Xu Yuan rubbed a spot on the door of the "Dream Come True" car a few times, and a faint "rumbling" sound came from inside the car.

It was as if he was deliberately suppressing it.

Xu Yuan knew it was about time, so he beckoned to Xiang Qinghuai, who brought over two hand-crafted horses. Xu Yuan harnessed them to the carriage, and his "dream come true" made him a little restless.

Xu Yuan rubbed them to comfort them, then whispered, "They're your accessories."

The "dream come true" incident immediately stopped.

This craftsman possesses exceptional intelligence.

Previously, they had also found two horses and pretended to tie them to the front of the cart.

There was no commotion when "dreams came true".

If anything unexpected happens, it can get rid of those two horses at any time, and Xu Yuan will never blame it.

Because it knew its horse was "more expensive" than the two horses.

But these two craftsmen-made horses are different.

They are also very expensive.

Now that Xu Yuan says they are just ornaments, he is relieved that his "dream has come true".

After harnessing the horses, Xu Yuan sat in the carriage and bowed to Ma Tianshou, saying, "My lord, take care of yourself."

Ma Tianshou returned the greeting: "Have a safe journey and a victorious start!"

Xu Yuan waved to the Champa officials again: "Guard the homeland well for me!"

Most of the people were unaware of the situation and assumed that their master had been favored by the headquarters, so they chattered and laughed:
"Please go with peace of mind, sir."

"The adults at home don't need to worry."

Xu Yuan waved his hand again, and without hesitation, he jerked the reins and shouted, "Giddy up!"

Two craftsmen-made horses spewed out bright red steam from their nostrils, pulling the carriage away at breakneck speed.

Lang Xiaoba and the others mounted their horses and followed their master.

Lang Xiaoba, a martial arts practitioner, has a large and heavy body, which makes him very difficult to ride.

A good horse, if carefully fed and its strength appreciated, can usually last for ten years or so.

For martial arts practitioners, it only takes three to five years.

This only applies to martial arts practitioners like Lang Xiaoba, who are at the seventh rank or below.

Once you reach the seventh rank or higher... you can no longer ride ordinary horses.

He's so tall that when he sits on it, his feet drag on the ground.

They were also too heavy; ordinary horses couldn't run on them at all.

Therefore, the horses among the crafted animals were actually prepared for these martial arts practitioners.

The carriage was relatively slow within the city, but once outside the city, the two handcrafted horses galloped off at full speed.

Lang Xiaoba and the others behind needed to hang calligraphy scrolls on their horses' legs to keep up.

The two craftsmen were incredibly powerful, and once they started running, the carriage behind them felt as light as a feather!

He then assumed that he had become stronger.

It ran at full speed, letting out joyful hissing sounds.

Then, music started playing in the "Dreams Come True" carriage behind.

They were both very happy, and they were also very happy that their "dream came true".

These two are silly and easy to tease.

The entire team sprinted at full speed, and no one noticed that Dafu was desperately chasing after them from behind.

It swung its two large webbed feet and ran wildly for a while, then fell further behind. It suddenly flapped its wings, took off and glided for a while, caught up a bit, and then landed, making a series of "plop plop plop" sounds on the ground.

Dafu was so tired that he stuck out his tongue.

I deeply regret it: I should have brought the goose sisters with me.

In that case, I, Fu Ye, can comfortably fly in the sky, carried by the wild geese.

Fortunately, the Champa port wasn't far, and they arrived in less than half an hour.

The Champa port is busy every day, with hundreds of ships waiting to load and unload cargo.

There are also ferries that make dozens of trips between the two banks every day.

Previously, berths at the dock were crowded and piers were in high demand.

But today, no matter how anxious the merchant ships were in line, there was always one pier that was empty, with a fast ship moored there.

With noon fast approaching, some merchants who hadn't yet loaded their goods were getting anxious.

A caravan manager approached a high-ranking official at the Grand Canal Administration, his words carrying a hint of threat: "Our boss is Lord You, the Inspector of the Grand Canal Administration in Shunhua City. This shipment must be delivered to Guizhou Province within three days. If it is delayed, not only you, but even your Inspector You cannot afford the consequences!"

The sight of the large table made my scalp tingle.

The inspectors of the Grand Canal Administration were not of very high rank, but they wielded considerable power.

Indeed, even the River Supervisor couldn't afford to offend him.

He hurriedly nodded and bowed, saying, "Please wait a moment, I'll go and coordinate to make room for you and load you onto the ship as soon as possible."

But the head steward pointed towards the fast ship and said, "What's there to coordinate? Make that ship move aside first..."

"This..." the head of the gang hesitated.

"If you can't make the decision, go to your River Supervisory Office!" The head steward handed him a waist token: "This is Lord You's token. The River Supervisory Office will know what to do!"

Suddenly, a cold voice came from the side: "Get out of the way, you dog, don't bring trouble to your master!"

The head steward flew into a rage, turned around abruptly—his face immediately changed, he trembled, obediently took back his waist token, and slunk away into the crowd queuing next to him.

The merchants who were all in line burst into laughter.

The man who reprimanded the head steward was wearing a distinctive robe, somewhat similar to, yet different from, that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

In southern Jiaozhi, ordinary people might not recognize it, but the managers of these trading companies, who had traveled all over the country, knew that it was the official uniform of the "Imperial City Guard".

Judging from his official robes, this person is a commander of a thousand men in the Imperial City Guard.

The Imperial City Guard was established by the current emperor twenty years ago.

To obey His Majesty directly is to be a true henchman of the Son of Heaven!
Although their numbers were small, their power had long surpassed that of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern and Western Depots.

The river supervisor followed beside the commander.

Even without the intervention of this commander, the river supervisor knew what he had to do and would never move the fast steamer as the head steward had instructed.

That was prepared for Lord Xu.

Just then, a yamen runner from the canal administration office came running up quickly: "We've arrived! We've arrived!"

Behind him, Xu Yuan's team sped towards him.

Upon approaching, the speed was reduced.

The commander had already spotted Xu Yuan in his official robes and turned to ask the river supervisor, "Verify his identity."

After pretending to examine it carefully, the river supervisor bowed and said, "No problem, the person who came is indeed Xu Yuan."

Qianhu waved his hand: "Board the ship!"

Suddenly, a large group of brightly armored Imperial City Guard officers rushed out of the cabin door of the once calm steamship.

They lined up neatly in two rows from the deck all the way to the pier.

This imposing atmosphere immediately stunned everyone on the dock.

The noisy and chaotic queue immediately fell silent.

The crowd that had been mocking the head steward just moments before all fell silent, shrinking their necks and behaving like quails in the pouring rain.

Xu Yuan alighted from the carriage, and the commander stepped forward, clasping his hands in greeting: "Lord Xu, I am Zhao Beichen from the Imperial City Guard, and I have been ordered to welcome you to the capital!"

He stepped aside to make way, gesturing with his hand: "Please, sir!"

Xu Yuan nodded and quickly boarded the boat.

The group moved swiftly and efficiently, even their carriages and horses boarding the ship.

After they all boarded the ship, the two rows of elite captains from the Imperial City Guard quickly withdrew.

The whole process took only a short while. With a loud bang, a huge cloud of black smoke shot out from the mouth of the proud beast carved on the bow of the fast ship, and the twenty-foot-long ship left the dock and gradually began to accelerate.

The River Supervisor, along with all his subordinates, stood on the riverbank to bid farewell to Lord Xu.

Only after they had gone far away did the River Supervisor lead his men back to the yamen.

The crowd that had been holding back on the dock finally erupted in a loud bang.

"Who is that lord? How extravagant! He's actually being escorted by a commander of the Imperial City Guard and seen off by the River Supervisor!"

"You don't recognize him? Lord Xu from the Champa government!"

"Lord Xu? The head of the Exorcism Department? That can't be true..."

"You have no idea how important Lord Xu is in Champa!"

Many young men stood under the blazing sun at midday, watching the fast ship gradually disappear into the distance on the rolling river until it was no longer visible.

My heart is filled with longing and envy: This is how a true man should be, so that his life will not have been in vain.

Then, most of these young doctors were slapped on the back of the head by the elders behind them: "What are you looking at? Get back to work!"

"Stop having wild thoughts and daydreaming!"

"Just follow your uncle on the boat, save up some money, go home and marry a nice, big-breasted wife, have a bunch of kids. Someone like Lord Xu is from a different world than us..."

Thus, grand dreams were instantly reduced to the dust of the mundane world.

Such figures are ultimately unattainable.

……

On the ship, individual cabins had already been arranged.

Xu Yuan stayed in the best room at the highest point of the bow of the ship.

Even the cabins for Lang Xiaoba and the others were quite nice.

In fact, Zhao Beichen's position as a commander of a thousand households was higher than Xu Yuan's within the entire bureaucratic system of the Ming Dynasty.

It's even more than one level higher.

However, Zhao Beichen arranged the best room on the entire ship for Xu Yuan.

Even on either side of Xu Yuan's room, two slightly smaller rooms were specially reserved.

This was specially prepared by Zhao Beichen for Xu Yuan's maids and attendants.

However, Xu Yuan boarded the ship without any servants.

Zhao Beichen was quite surprised.

"Lord Xu...doesn't he need anyone to serve him?" Zhao Beichen asked.

Xu Yuan shook his head: "I don't have that habit."

If the civil officials of the Ming Dynasty heard Xu Yuan's answer, they would surely look down on him in their hearts: "Humble origins."

However, Zhao Beichen, being a soldier, greatly admired Xu Yuan's manner.

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Beichen said, "Then I will stay in the room to the left of Lord Xu. If you need anything, please feel free to call me anytime."

"it is good."

The two had only exchanged a few words and hadn't had a chance to talk further when a commotion broke out on the deck.

Immediately following was a series of hurried footsteps, and a captain from the Imperial City Guard clasped his hands and reported, "Lord Xu, Commander, there's been a problem..."

He looked embarrassed.

"What's wrong?!" Zhao Beichen asked, displeased. His men were well-trained and elites within the Imperial City Guard.

Compared to those pampered soldiers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they were worlds apart.

But how come something went wrong as soon as we picked them up on the boat?

"This..." The captain stammered, finding it difficult to speak.

……

Xu Yuan and Zhao Beichen followed the captain quickly onto the deck.

A dozen or so officers from the Imperial City Guard were gathered around "Dreams Come True".

The noise came from another group of people nearby.

"Commander Qi, Commander Qi, what's wrong with you...?"

"Where is Danxiu? Danxiu, come quickly and treat Commander Qi!"

Four or five captains surrounded a man dressed in the uniform of a centurion from the Imperial City Guard. The centurion, Qi, lay stiffly on the deck with his eyes closed.

But there were no visible injuries on his body.

Lang Xiaoba and Zhou Leizi, these two good-for-nothings who love to watch the drama unfold, stood on the sidelines with their arms crossed, gloating as they watched the show.

"What's going on?" Zhao Beichen shouted angrily, and everyone immediately fell silent.

No one answered.

Zhao Beichen shouted again, "Mao Qi, you speak!"

A junior officer, steeling himself, stepped forward and whispered to Zhao Beichen, "Sir, we wanted to move Lord Xu's carriage to the warehouse downstairs, but somehow, Commander Qi suddenly fainted..."

"Hey!" Lang Xiaoba sneered from the side, his face raised.

Zhao Beichen glared fiercely at Mao Qi.

He could clearly see that things were definitely not as simple as his subordinates had described.

"A bunch of idiots, they've embarrassed me!"

Zhao Beichen scolded his subordinates before apologetically saying to Xu Yuan, "My men are ignorant, please forgive them, sir."

Xu Yuan could see that too, but since it was their first meeting, he didn't want to make a big deal out of it. He said calmly, "Lord Commander, you flatter me. It's my fault for not making it clear beforehand that this carriage is a craftsman's work."

Xu Yuan looked at the "dream come true" carriage, which swayed a couple of times in a wronged manner, and a few pitiful sobs came from inside the carriage, as if it had really suffered a great injustice.

Xu Yuan was a bit of a headache. "Dreams Come True" has become more and more spoiled lately, even more difficult to deal with than Dafu.

Xu Yuan walked over and asked, "You don't want to go down?"

"Dreams Come True" shook twice more.

I'm not going to the storage area; it's stuffy and I can't see any scenery there.

Xu Yuan then returned to Zhao Beichen and said, "Commander, don't worry about it, just leave it on the deck."

“This…” Zhao Beichen carefully chose his words and said, “Lord Xu, this boat is not like the land. If we encounter a big storm, the carriage may be thrown into the river.”

Xu Yuan smiled calmly and said, "Please rest assured, Lord Commander, this situation will not occur."

"Alright then," Zhao Beichen agreed.

He thought Xu Yuan's craftsmanship was very strange; perhaps he really wasn't afraid of the wind and waves.

Xu Yuan went back and scolded "Dream Come True": "Alright, Commander Zhao has already agreed to let you stay on the deck. Quickly heal Commander Qi's injuries!"

"Dreams Come True" swayed twice, and suddenly a small yellow bird flew out of Qi Baihu's body!

This startled the captains surrounding Qi Baihu.

The yellow-bodied warbler fluttered back into the "Dreams Come True" carriage, and Qi Baihu cried out in surprise, sitting up abruptly. Still in shock, two folding blades shot out from under his arms, each seven feet long when unfolded!
"Who! Who ambushed me..."

Zhao Beichen's face flushed red, and he rushed over and kicked Qi Baihu in the stomach.

Qi Baihu sat down hard on the ground and slid several feet away.

"You idiots have completely disgraced me!"

"Get out of here!"

"Yes!" the Imperial City Guards responded, and they all slipped away quickly.

Only Qi Baihu remained bewildered: "Sir, why did you hit me..."

Fortunately, he had always treated his brothers well, so they didn't abandon him at this time.

Two captains came forward, one on each side, and lifted him up and carried him away.

"Sir, please don't ask anymore, we're doomed."

……

Half an hour later, in Qi Baihu's room, Zhao Beichen sat in a chair with a dark face, while Qi Baihu and Mao Qi stood to the side, rubbing their hands together and smiling obsequiously.

Mao Qi poured a cup of tea ingratiatingly: "Sir, please have some water..."

Zhao Beichen slapped the teacup away: "Tell me the truth, what exactly happened?"

"Yes." Mao Qi was splashed with tea, but he smoothly continued Zhao Beichen's question, telling the whole story like beans spilling from a bamboo tube.

The boss is really famous now, and he dares not hide anything anymore.

Xu Yuan and his group boarded the ship, and Zhao Beichen accompanied Xu Yuan to see the rooms.

The carriage and the horses remained on the deck.

Mao Qi then led his men and, as was customary, drove all the horses to the warehouse.

When it was Xu Yuan's turn to ride in his carriage, Zhou Leizi saw it and reminded him: "Don't move around. Those two horses are handcrafted, and the carriage is also a work of artisans from my master."

But Mao Qi and his men laughed, unconvinced.

In the Northern Capital, what kind of craftsmen haven't we seen?
What kind of craftsmanship hasn't been manipulated?
So he ignored Zhou Leizi's advice.

Zhou Leizi said it several times, but they just wouldn't listen.

Those two custom-made horses were indeed a bit unruly, but the Imperial City Guards were certainly capable; after some effort, they managed to drive them away.

Therefore, they paid even less attention to Zhou Leizi's advice.

People from small towns haven't seen much of the world.

When the dream came true, trouble ensued.

Such a large carriage was incredibly agile on the narrow deck!
With a few quick maneuvers, Mao Qi and his group of five or six people never even managed to touch the carriage!

Zhou Leizi stood to the side with his arms crossed and sneered.

Mao Qi was now losing face, and ordered his men to use a combined attack method employed by the Imperial City Guard when facing enemies.

In the end, they still couldn't even get close to the carriage!
Zhou Leizi laughed even louder.

Lang Xiaoba also came out and laughed along with them.

Mao Qi gritted his teeth in anger, thinking to himself, "Isn't this a craftsman's work? Then I'll go and ask a craftsman to fix it!"
There was indeed a skilled craftsman on the ship, Qi Baihu.

He was a sixth-rate craftsman.

Mao Qi turned around and went to invite Qi Baihu over.

When Qi Baihu heard that repairing a craft item was a piece of cake, it was a piece of cake.

So they went up to the deck, hoping their "dreams would come true."

You know what, Qi Baihu was indeed quite capable. He quickly figured out the trick and directed Mao Qi and the captains to corner "Dream Come True".

Mao Qi was smug, and Qi Baihu felt he had the upper hand, so he reached out to grab the cart shaft—

Then everyone heard a sudden, sharp scream, like a cat's fur standing on end, erupt from inside the carriage.

Before Qi Baihu's hand could even touch the car body, he suddenly fell straight down onto the deck with a thud!

No matter how I call him, he won't wake up.

After Mao Qi finished speaking, he stood obediently to the side, letting the commander decide his fate.

Zhao Beichen slammed his fist on the table in anger: "What did I tell you before I came out?"

Keep your head down! Don't act all high and mighty like that once you leave Beidu!
This time I'm working for the Emperor, so I can't afford to make the slightest mistake!

"And what do you guys do? You just picked them up and you pull this stunt on me?"

Mao Qi was scolded and dared not utter a sound. Qi Baihu coughed and whispered in defense, "We didn't cause any trouble. We just moved the carriage to the hold. That's how it is on ships..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Beichen pointed at his nose and cursed, "Lord Xu's men have already warned you, why didn't you listen?"
Do you think I don't know what you're up to?
You just look down on them, thinking they're a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen the world?
Trying to intimidate them?

Now look what's happened! They've really broadened your horizons!

Qi Baihu and Mao Qi shrank back, neither daring to utter another word.

Zhao Beichen said viciously, "I'll remember these thirty lashes for you two. After you finish this mission, you can get another beating when we get back to Beidu!"

"Ah—" The two of them cried out in despair.

Zhao Beichen glared angrily: "One more word and it'll be sixty!"

The two immediately shut up.

Zhao Beichen paced back and forth in the room a couple more times with his hands behind his back. His anger finally subsided a bit before he sat down and stared at Qi Baihu: "Old Qi, what did you see in that carriage?"

Qi Baihu looked puzzled: "I thought I understood it at first..."

That's why they can keep "dreams coming true" out of reach.

"...But then, I suddenly fainted, and I didn't even know how I got infected."

Later, Mao Qi and the others told me that a strange bird had gotten inside my body.

Zhao Beichen was speechless again, then asked, "So, what level do you think Master Xu's work of art is?"

Qi Baihu said with great certainty, "Above the fourth rank, it's very likely the third rank!"

Zhao Beichen glared at them both again: "Now you know there are heavens beyond heavens and people beyond people, right?"

Mao Qi remained silent, but Qi Baihu was truly convinced: "Understood."

Zhao Beichen got up and left: "You two, go and tell Lord Xu's two subordinates... what are their names?"

Mao Qi: "Zhou Leizi, Lang Xiaoba."

"Yes, go apologize to them—be sincere!"

Qi Baihu was somewhat reluctant: "Should I go apologize to them?"

I am a centurion of the Imperial City Guard, and what are those two even? They're not even patrol inspectors.

"Huh?" Zhao Beichen glared at him.

"Fine, I'll go, okay?" Qi Baihu admitted defeat.

Zhao Beichen then walked away with his hands behind his back.

After scolding his two subordinates, Zhao Beichen returned to his room, closed the door, unfolded a document, and began to write respectfully.

He recorded everything that happened that day truthfully.

It's just a record, without any personal feelings involved.

This memorial will be sent back to the Northern Capital as quickly as possible through secret channels and presented to the Emperor.

The entire Imperial City Guard knew that His Majesty disliked using craftsmen's tools; otherwise, he could have directly reported this through the "Harmony Wheel".

In fact, Zhao Beichen had a vague suspicion that the Emperor might "distrust" those craftsmen.

But this was just his private speculation, and he dared not tell anyone.

After finishing his memorial, Zhao Beichen let out a soft breath, though he felt somewhat uneasy.

"From what I've seen today, Xu Yuan's abilities and strength are quite remarkable."

"His Majesty has truly chosen a capable person this time."

"But... the more capable someone is, the less likely they are to achieve the results His Majesty desires."

Zhao Beichen actually believed that the censor's investigation results... were true!

Although the matter involves various parties and no one has been able to be selected to investigate, how could the Imperial City Guard possibly remain inactive?

Zhao Beichen had heard some news before making this judgment.

However, the Emperor's affections for Consort Yi were clearly expressed over seven consecutive days.

The Emperor must protect Consort Yi and Prince Zheng.

The person in charge of investigating this matter should ideally not arrive at a result that contradicts the Emperor's wishes.

But Xu Yuan is the kind of person who can actually uncover the truth.

What decision will he make then?

……

The fast steamships sped along the canal.

A dragon flag was hanging on the bow of the ship.

This flag is a token of the Dragon King of the Canal.

As long as this flag is hoisted, not only can one travel freely on the canal, but at each dock, priority will be given to berthing and resupply. Moreover, all kinds of evil spirits in the river will be naturally afraid of a certain aura emanating from the flag!

Even at night, when the evil spirits are at their most frenzied, they dare not attack this ship.

Therefore, this ship can sail day and night without stopping.

This was Xu Yuan's first time spending the night on a boat, and because he was running fast, the boat was rocking more violently.

Xu Yuan felt a little uncomfortable and couldn't fall asleep while lying in bed.

Outside, the sound of huge waves and the screams and hisses of evil spirits could be heard.

Xu Yuan got up, opened the window, and looked out at the vast river.

A large group of strange fish, their bodies ablaze with emerald flames, floated on the river, forming a fiery trail a hundred feet long, which slowly drifted past the left side of the boat, about two or three miles away.

Before long, a huge shadow suddenly rose up in front of them.

The shadows cast long, wet hair that cascaded down like a waterfall from the sky.

It is hundreds of feet tall, and with a single swoop, it can cover the entire ship.

Its body would occasionally split open with strange mouths, making a "coo-coo" sound like bubbles being expelled by a drowning person before they die.

At the bow of the ship, the dragon flag fluttered in the night wind.

The giant demon opened its enormous, blood-red eyes.

Looking down at the fast ship from its high vantage point, it was as if two "blood stars" had appeared in the sky!
The fast ship ignored it and rammed into it without slowing down at all.

The great demon ultimately lacked the courage, and at the last moment, its entire body exploded, turning into a sky full of yin energy that dissipated.

The fast ship seemed to have entered a black fog.

A few moments later, it drove out safely.

Xu Yuan heard Zhao Beichen sneer from the room on the left: "Overestimating yourself!"

Xu Yuan couldn't help but smile.

Zhao Beichen seemed to know that Xu Yuan was not asleep, and said, "Lord Xu, the river wind is strong at night, and it is easy to catch a cold if you open the window. You should rest."

Tomorrow we will make a brief stop in Qianyang Prefecture, Guizhou Province, where you may go ashore for some fresh air.

It doesn't matter how strong the river wind is, but leaving the windows open will give evil spirits an opportunity to take advantage.

That dragon flag functions similarly to a door god.

At night, everyone is in the cabin, and it's fine to keep the doors and windows closed. But if the doors and windows are opened, evil spirits might sneak in.

Xu Yuan couldn't sleep, partly because he was not used to being on the ship, and partly because he felt somewhat lost about the power center of that ancient and vast empire after actually embarking on the journey to Beidu.

But after looking at the canal under the night sky and feeling the river breeze, my mood calmed down considerably.

"Okay," Xu Yuan replied with a smile, closed the window, and lay back down on the bed.

Xu Yuan blew a breath of air onto the oil lamp on the table, and the lamp immediately went out from seven feet away.

Before long, Xu Yuan drifted off to sleep amidst the rocking of the boat.

We set sail from Champa in southern Vietnam yesterday at noon and arrived in Qianyang, the capital of Guizhou Province, at noon today.

Guizhou and Yunnan provinces are considered "frontier" in Zhengzhou, and their prosperity is far less than that of other places.

But compared to Jiaozhi, especially Champa in southern Jiaozhi, it was still overwhelmingly superior.

The wharf outside Qianyang Prefecture was as large as twenty wharves in Champa.

The docks were teeming with people and piled high with goods.

There were countless horse-drawn carts and donkey carts carrying goods, but they couldn't move very fast, making the entire dock incredibly crowded.

Everyone seemed busy and anxious, with each stall owner trying their best to load the goods onto the ship as quickly as possible and then hurry away, leaving a long line of cargo ships waiting to be loaded and unloaded...

The laborers and porters were exhausted, their faces blank, and they didn't even have the strength to speak.

However, at such a busy dock, there were special small boats of officials from the Qianyang Canal dock, with eye-catching red flags flying, marking out a regular waterway that no one was allowed to cross!
The number of powerful and influential people in Qianyang Prefecture was more than ten times that of Champa. On the large boats crammed on both sides of this empty waterway, people would occasionally stick their heads out and shout to the small boats of the officials below: "My master is so-and-so, let my family go first."

The officer on the small boat would then reply coldly, "This waterway is reserved for dignitaries from the Northern Capital."

"Are the nobles of Beidu really this domineering? This is Qianyang Prefecture!"

The clerk then replied sarcastically, "A nobleman from the Imperial City Guard, I wonder if your master can afford to offend him?"

Upon hearing this, the people on the large ship immediately shrank back and never dared to show their faces again.

When the fast ship flying the dragon flag sailed into this waterway, a group of "people who had come to the countryside" from Champa were truly astonished and overwhelmed by what they saw.

On the docks and even on the cargo ships along the waterway, there were many novel things that they had never seen before!
Xu Yuan was naturally not among these "dazzling" people.

Lord Xu sat quietly in his cabin, with all the windows tightly closed.

The Provincial Treasurer of Guizhou Province, the Prefect of Qianyang Prefecture, and the Supervisor of the Canal Wharf of Qianyang Prefecture, along with a group of subordinate officials, waited respectfully at the wharf.

Zhao Beichen invited Xu Yuan to disembark, and the local officials gave him an extremely warm welcome.

Even Lang Xiaoba, Zhou Leizi, and others around Xu Yuan received extremely high-level treatment.

The provincial governor greeted them with a smile and spoke warmly with them.

Lang Xiaoba and the others were flattered.

However, the fast ship made some resupply at the Qianyangfu Wharf, mainly clean drinking water, and then continued its journey.

After getting back on the ship, Zhou Leizi couldn't hide his excitement: "That's a high-ranking official from Zhengzhou! He actually held my hand and called me his nephew!"

One of his aides privately told me that if I had any difficulties in Guizhou Province in the future, I could go to the Provincial Administration Commission to find him.

I, Old Zhou, can finally say I've brought honor to my ancestors!

Xu Yuan glanced at Zhou Leizi indifferently and said, "The whole officialdom in Guizhou Province is focused on Zhao, the commander of the Imperial City Guard."

The people in Guizhou Province probably don't know that their trip is to Beidu to investigate the case of Consort Yi.

“In their eyes, we were just Zhao Qianhu’s ‘person in charge’.”

"Believe it or not, if we come to Qianyang Prefecture ourselves, we'll have to queue up obediently just like those boats outside, and we won't receive any special treatment."

"The pearl is worth a thousand pieces of gold, but the box that holds the pearl is worth only a dozen or so coins."

“Zhou Leizi, don’t take that advisor’s words seriously. You don’t think he’s the kind of fool who would buy the box and return the pearl, do you?”

(End of this chapter)