A smart person needs no further explanation.

"The Anji and Kangji Shenzhou are the result of ten years of hard work by so many craftsmen. Don't destroy them. When the ships return, dock at the South China Sea Port and hand them over to Li Yunmu. He will handle it well."

Xie Zhaozhao said, "From now on, there will be no more Anji Shenzhou and Kangji Shenzhou in the world, only two new large ships with a capacity of 30,000 hu each, which will continue to operate without stopping."

Dong Qin understood.

The ship was advanced and sophisticated, and all the cargo was top-quality. However, once it was out at sea and away from the big sea, it was no longer Princess Meatball's.

Shipyards that can withstand scrutiny, high-quality ships, open and transparent auctions (ship transactions), impeccable porcelain, exquisite silk, and strong boatmen.

Everything is perfect!

All that's missing is a "shipwreck"—a shipwreck that kills only Princess Meatball's escorts, leaves the sailors alive, and destroys the ship and its cargo.

After the "shipwreck," the Anji and Kangji Shenzhou vessels will remain active in the open sea, but they will be renamed and will not be used extensively again until the Wei dynasty is destroyed.

Dongqin felt both admiration and indescribable emotions.

He was narrow-minded.

After explaining how he tricked Princess Meatball, Dongqin began to report on the management of Baiyue City.

"Young Miss, the handover of the Baiyue City troops was completed at the end of March. All the soldiers were handed over to Yun Yao and Yun Yi, and the integration is now complete. They are both highly skilled in martial arts and are very well-liked."

He handed a box of banknotes and account books to Xie Zhaozhao, saying, "This contains the management fees and premium profits of the Baiyue City Commodity Trading Center over the past six months."

The total income over the past six months was six million taels. Two million taels were spent on maintaining troops and horses and on urban construction and management. One million taels were left as working capital. This time, three million taels were brought in.

Xie Zhaozhao left the silver notes, pushed the ledger back, and said, "I won't look at it anymore, maybe next time."

Dongqin was delighted and put the account book away.

Then he took out a small cloth bag and poured out a small wooden box.

Inside are a pair of orange-yellow jade seals, dazzlingly bright, made of Tianhuang stone of excellent quality.

He handed it to Xie Zhaozhao and said, "I happened to acquire a fine stone, so I asked someone to carve two seals for you."

The two seals are a pair, one with a dragon and one with a phoenix, and the "red veins" and "radish shreds" are clearly visible.

It has both seal inscription and side inscription.

It is precious and its value is immeasurable. In terms of carving craftsmanship, Xie Zhaozhao felt that even court artisans could not reach such a level.

"Dongqin, you have excellent taste. I really like this seal and the poem on the side."

Xie Zhaozhao was delighted with the piece, and Dong Qin was overjoyed: "I've always wanted to give you a gift, but I always felt that none of them were worthy of you. I searched for this piece of jade for a long time, and the master pondered it for several months before finally creating this finished product."

"I really like it, thank you!" The master who can carve such a masterpiece must be unparalleled in the world.

Leaving Qingpu Garden, Dongqin reached into his robes and took out a small box containing a white crane hairpin, pure white and crystal clear.

He touched it and then put it back in his pocket.

She just said that he "has changed a lot since we first met. He is more dignified and reserved, and he is more unassuming. He is my most trusted and reliable partner."

In this life, I will respect her and be her strong support.

After Dong Qin left, Xie Zhaozhao returned to the Peony Garden. Gu Shaoyu was reading under the lamp. Seeing the joy in her eyes, he didn't ask what they had talked about.

He helped her remove her hairpins and said, "Let's go, I'll check your swimming ability."

Xie Zhaozhao tied her hair up and changed into a swimming bodysuit.

The pool was built to be larger than the one in the Marquis's mansion, measuring seven and a half zhang in length and three zhang in width. Xie Zhaozhao would swim there for an hour every day.

The bottom of the pool is paved with white jade, and a green jade belt runs through the center. The clear water makes the bottom of the pool very visible.

Xie Zhaozhao swam for a full fifteen minutes, completing sixteen laps in the pool (approximately fifteen minutes, or eight hundred meters).

In Gu Shaoyu's opinion, this speed wasn't particularly fast, but for a woman, this result was basically enough for escape.

He reached out and pulled his wife out of the water. Seeing that she could still walk barefoot on the shore with ease, his eyes deepened, and he said, "Are you tired? Shall I take care of you?"

She blushed and looked around, then whispered, "Are there any hidden guards?"

"I'll leave right away!" she replied with utmost seriousness.

Xie Zhaozhao shook off his hand and went to her room to take a shower.

Watching Gu Shaoyu swim like a swift shark, drawing graceful arcs, was truly a breathtaking sight, especially with his tall and slender physique.

When he looked up from the water, he saw the shyness and admiration in her eyes. He went ashore, gathered his wet hair behind his head, pulled her over, and put her on the swing.

The swing sways gently, the whispers in the wind accompany the ripples on the pond, and time remains as serene as ever...

After bathing and changing, Gu Shaoyu looked radiant. Holding Xie Zhaozhao, he sat on the rooftop, gazing at the vast starry sky, enjoying the moon and chatting in the cool breeze.

"It must be a case of possession and resurrection..."

Xie Zhaozhao was certain that the current "Meatball Princess" was Guan Yingying.

Unexplained arrogance, a strange sense of superiority, and an undisguised "the ancients were just ignorant" look in her eyes! This is Guan Yingying's signature.

Even the most absurd Princess Meatball wouldn't be so easily fooled.

"Yes." He hadn't believed it before, but now he did. The original Meatball Princess was absurd but not stupid.

"Dark Phoenix?"

"It should be!"

Will she be killed?

"It's hard to say."

Princess Meatball was replaced by Guan Yingying, who was resurrected in another body. No one would have thought that, except for the reborn Xie Zhaozhao.

Xie Zhaozhao, who knows Guan Yingying's temperament well, joins forces with the cunning Grand Secretary Gu to set a trap.

Taking advantage of the fact that the Duke of Cheng'en was busy with the funeral of the old feudal lord of the Wei family and that Guan Yingying was new to the area, they used the highly profitable Silk Road as bait to swindle her.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!