Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

"Qiongju, you should go and rest for a while too." Zhao Qiyan pushed open the door and came in, carrying a bowl of ginger soup. He wasn't in much better shape either; his usually meticulously styled hair was now somewhat disheveled, and he had two large dark circles under his eyes.

"I'm not tired." Shen Qiongju took the ginger soup and gently moistened Pei Zhihui's lips with a handkerchief. "The tribute wine..."

"Don't worry." Zhao Qiyan plopped down in the chair, slumping down without any regard for her image.

"I've had those dozens of precious jars stored in the warehouse and heavily guarded. I just went to check on them, and apart from two jars having a few minor scratches, the rest are all intact. The fermentation process wasn't in vain; the aroma of the wine is making even the horses at the post station neigh with envy."

Shen Qiongju nodded, feeling half relieved, but her gaze never left Pei Zhihui's face.

The next morning, when it was broad daylight.

Pei Zhihui's fever finally subsided a little. Although he was still unconscious, his breathing had become much more stable.

A series of noisy footsteps came from outside the door.

The prefect of Tongzhou, accompanied by several officials, stood outside the gate, looking terrified. When Shen Qiongju and Zhao Qiyan came out, the prefect's knees buckled, and he almost knelt down.

"Your humble servant, Liu Mao, Prefect of Tongzhou, pays his respects to the young Marquis! I have caused the young Marquis and the Imperial Envoy great distress; it is my dereliction of duty, and I am guilty beyond redemption!"

Zhao Qiyan snorted coldly, twirling a folding fan in her hand. Although she was dressed in plain clothes, her air of nobility was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Lord Liu, what an imposing official you are! Tongzhou is a vital waterway connecting Beijing and Hangzhou, yet it harbors so many armored bandits? If I hadn't been lucky last night, I'd probably be reporting to the Dragon King by now!"

Prefect Liu wiped away his cold sweat and bowed repeatedly: "Young Marquis, please calm down! To tell you the truth, the Southeast Navy has been secretly suppressing bandits in this area these past few days. Those bandits were driven to desperation, which is why they resorted to such desperate measures and crashed into your ship. Those warships last night were the vanguard of the navy."

Seeing that Zhao Qiyan remained silent, Prefect Liu smiled ingratiatingly, "Last night, the navy lay in ambush in the reeds for three whole days, just to wait for those bandits to walk into the trap. Unexpectedly, the young marquis's ship ran right into the encirclement... This misunderstanding is truly..."

"A misunderstanding?" Pei Zhihui leaned against the headboard, his voice weak but cold. "If it weren't for the timely arrival of that divine crossbow, Lord Liu would probably be retrieving our corpses from the river today."

Upon hearing the mention of the Divine Arm Crossbow, Pei Zhihui's eyes narrowed slightly. He asked, seemingly casually, "Who was the person giving orders on that central warship last night?"

Prefect Liu paused for a moment, then realized: "Oh, this young master is referring to that masked official, isn't he? He is the naval ordnance supervisor specially appointed by the navy, with the compound surname Gongsun and the single given name Yan."

"Gongsun Yan?" Pei Zhihui frowned slightly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the quilt cover.

"Indeed," Prefect Liu hurriedly explained, "This Lord Gongsun is quite an extraordinary man. I heard he came to our territory two years ago, specifically to improve warships and crossbows. The incredibly powerful Divine Arm Crossbow we saw last night was his creation."

Two years ago.

Pei Zhihui's fingers, which had been clenched tightly, loosened in that instant.

He and Shen Qiongju, who was standing to the side, exchanged a glance and both saw a fleeting glimmer of hope in each other's eyes that quickly vanished.

Two years ago, my brother was still guarding the northern border. Although the figure looked similar, the timing didn't match up.

It wasn't him.

"Gongsun Yan..." Zhao Qiyan, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke, her tone tinged with a hint of wistfulness, "No wonder. The Gongsun family of Jiangnan has been skilled craftsmen for generations. It is said that the descendants of Gongsun Liu have hands that can create works of art beyond compare."

He sighed, fiddling with the folding fan in his hand, but didn't open it: "Brother Zhi Chao mentioned this person to me before he died. Back then, when Brother Zhi Chao was improving the repeating crossbow in the army and encountered a bottleneck, he corresponded with this Mr. Gongsun. Although the two never met, they considered each other close friends."

Zhao Qiyan looked out the window at the gray sky, her voice lowering: "If we knew Brother Chao was still alive... with these two joining forces, what worries would there be about unrest at the border, or the failure to wipe out the river bandits?"

A deathly silence fell over the room.

Shen Qiongju lowered her eyes, feeling as if her heart was stuffed with a wad of wet cotton, making her feel suffocated.

Pei Zhichao, in the end, can only become a regret in this life. If only he had been reborn a month earlier.

Just then, a high-pitched voice came from outside the door.

"Hey, what time is it? Still catching up?"

A middle-aged man dressed in a gray-blue eunuch's robe walked in. He had a fair complexion and held a whisk in his hand. Although he was smiling, his eyes and brows revealed a shrewd and calculating nature.

This is Eunuch Li, sent by the palace to escort the tribute wine. Last night, when the river bandits attacked the ship, this gentleman hid behind a wine jar in the hold and was unharmed. Now that the crisis has passed, he's putting on airs again.

"Eunuch Li," Zhao Qiyan said lazily, bowing slightly. "You've been frightened."

"Our family's fright is a small matter, but the Emperor's mission is of utmost importance!" Eunuch Li pointed to the sky outside with his delicate fingers raised. "Young Marquis, Manager Shen, we've already been delayed at this post station for most of the day. According to regulations, the tribute wine must be stored and sealed in the warehouse by noon three days from now, and then reported to the Emperor for inspection."

He paused, his tone turning serious: "If we miss the appointed time, that's a grave crime of deceiving the emperor. At that point, not only will my head be at risk, but even you, young marquis, will likely face difficulties before His Majesty."

Shen Qiongju's heart tightened.

Three days.

If the waterway had been used with favorable winds and currents, there would have been enough time. But now that the large ship has sunk, the only option is to travel by land.

Although the land route from Tongzhou to the capital is not far, the roads were muddy and difficult to travel after the recent snowfall. If the caravan were carrying heavy wine jars, it would certainly not be able to move quickly.

"Eunuch Li is right." Zhao Qiyan put away her folding fan, her expression becoming more serious. "The land route is difficult to travel, so we must split into two groups."

He turned to Shen Qiongju: "Manager Shen, you take the wine and ride in my specially made shock-absorbing carriage. We'll travel light and go quickly. The remaining supplies and the wounded can be escorted by Prefect Liu's men, who will follow later."

This is the safest method.

After Zhao Qiyan finished speaking, her gaze swept over Pei Zhihui on the bed. She looked somewhat troubled, but still said frankly, "Pei Erlang, your body can't withstand such a bumpy ride. If we follow the forced march, we'll have to stop halfway to take care of you. You should stay at the post station to recover, or take the slower train later."

Pei Zhihui remained silent.

He simply leaned there quietly, his face as pale as paper, yet he exuded an undeniable sense of oppression.

I'm not staying.

After a long silence, he uttered four words.

"Are you crazy?" Zhao Qiyan exclaimed anxiously. "This is a journey, not a spring outing! With you panting for every step you take, what if you die on the way? Wouldn't that be bad luck?"

"To die on the way is my fate." Pei Zhihui threw back the covers and tried to get out of bed.