Lin Xiangzhi knew Xiao Jingzhao's personality and way of doing things all too well.
Returning to Beijing to report on his duties, Guo Baoxian knew this trip would be his last.
Once Guo Baoxian leaves Jiangzhou, won't I be safe?
Xiao Hu's move was truly brilliant. To catch the thief, first catch the kingpin. He brought Guo Bao, who had deep roots in the government, into the capital and detained him.
Fearing the consequences, the Li family, despite having many men under their control, dared not oppose the imperial court.
With this evidence in hand, no amount of sophistry from the other officials will help.
"Young Master, what are you laughing at?"
Lin Xiangzhi quickly suppressed the smirk on his lips. "It's nothing. Hei Bai is right. We can set off this morning."
"That gold?"
Lin Xiangzhi waved his hand at Wuchang, "Don't worry, that's evidence. Someone will come to settle accounts soon."
The two were indeed childhood friends; Xiao Jingzhao's secret messengers were already on their way, and the corruption in Jiangzhou had reached a very serious level.
A group of Imperial Guards also traveled to Jiangzhou.
Black and White and Impermanence went back to their room and rested for an hour. Zhu Xi packed her things and went downstairs to get a few baskets of steamed buns, a basket of steamed bread, a few side dishes, and a large portion of braised pork.
Black and White Impermanence looked at the sumptuous breakfast.
"Isn't this... too much?"
"Not much. We'll be going to the dock to catch a boat soon. The food on the boat is expensive and not very good, so we should eat more. We can take the steamed buns with us if we can't finish them."
Zhu Xi divided the steamed buns into four portions, placing two steamers in front of each person, and then picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into his young master's bowl.
Lin Xiangzhi teased him, "You want so much braised pork so early in the morning? How are we supposed to live?"
"Yes, of course we'll pass. With the big boss providing the money, we can't let the young master suffer."
As Zhu Xi spoke, she looked at Wu Chang with a pained expression and said, "If only you had brought back a few gold ingots last night."
Black and White: "..."
Wuchang: "At the time, I was thinking that it was something unclean, and I never intended to take it away."
Seeing that Wuchang was being led astray by Zhuxi, Lin Xiangzhi picked up a steamed bun and placed it on top of the small steamed bun in front of Zhuxi, saying, "Eat quickly, or we'll miss the boat."
"Young Master, where are those people? They just arrived. Are they coming back with us too?" Zhu Xi was referring to the guards who had arrived last night.
Lin Xiangzhi glanced at the window. "I've already notified them. As for how they get back, there's no need to make any arrangements."
Hei Bai said, "Young master, rest assured, I have met with them. They will follow us all the way, and they will not show themselves unless there are special circumstances."
Perhaps because of the braised pork, there were quite a few steamed buns left over from the basket, so Zhuxi actually found some oil paper to pack them up and take them away.
Black and White somehow obtained a leather trunk, put all the evidence inside, locked it, and carried it by Black and White Impermanence.
The group arrived at the dock, where people were bustling about and boats were moored in an orderly fashion. Laborers on the dock were scrambling to get work.
After the goods and people were disembarked, a man stood on the deck and shouted out the ship's destination.
Not far away, the cries of vendors rose and fell, and the inn's waiter, sent out to solicit customers, enthusiastically asked passing travelers.
"Sir, are you staying overnight or just looking for a meal? Our inn has clean superior rooms and a spacious backyard where you can rest and store your goods."
Some people stopped to inquire about the price, while others thought the price was acceptable and followed the waiter to the inn not far away.
Looking around, the docks are bustling with activity, a scene of prosperity that resembles a vivid painting.
Zhu Xi followed closely behind her master without stopping.
He looked around.
Huh! Why don't I see anyone dressed in black or like a guard?
Wasn't he supposed to be protecting his master? Where is he now?
Zhu Xi was lost in thought when Lin Xiangzhi turned around and urged, "Stop looking, the ship heading towards the capital is about to depart."
Although the canal does not directly reach the capital, a long stretch of waterway is much more comfortable than the bumpy ride in a horse-drawn carriage.
Lin Xiangzhi had already found out that there were two boats heading towards the capital every day.
One trip is in the morning, and the other is in the afternoon.
Once on board, Lin Xiangzhi requested two superior rooms on the second floor.
The two rooms were right next to each other, and the leather trunk was still being carried by the Black and White Impermanence.
Zhu Xi entered the room, closed the door, and placed the rattan trunk containing clothes on the table between the two beds.
Looking at the three-foot-wide wooden bed, Zhu Xi looked at her young master and said, "Young master, please bear with us for a few days. Once we get off the ship, we'll buy a large carriage to take us back to the capital."
Lin Xiangzhi smiled faintly, took off his shoes and clothes, and lay down.
"When you're traveling, you don't need to be so particular. It's much better than traveling by land."
Lin Xiangzhi paused for a moment and then said, "When buying a carriage, you should look for one with a comfortable interior."
Zhu Xi: "..." Who just said that you don't need to be particular when you're traveling?
Lin Xiangzhi said to Zhu Xi, "You didn't sleep well last night either, go back to sleep."
Zhu Xi yawned. "This servant is not sleepy. Young master, you can take a nap first. I will call you when it's time for lunch."
"It's okay, you can lie down by yourself."
Lin Xiangzhi put his hands behind his head and looked up at the roof.
This ship has three decks.
He had specifically observed the people boarding the ship when he got on, but he didn't see Guo Baoxian.
When he asked the waiter on the ship for a room, he was only assigned to the second floor, which shows that someone was already living on the third floor and was of high status.
With limited space on the boat, seeing Lin Xiangzhi lying down, Zhu Xi simply lay down as well.
The hard wooden board pressed against her back, and Zhu Xi opened the bedding on the bed and placed it behind her.
Soon, even breathing mixed with soft snoring filled the air.
In the next room, Black and White let Wuchang stay inside, but he opened the door and went out himself.
Standing under the second-floor corridor, Hei Bai looked down to the third floor and saw a man dressed as a servant standing on the third-floor staircase.
The boat left the dock and headed north, the scenery of the two rivers receding into the distance.
Hei Bai glanced down and saw several men dressed as merchants gathered on the deck, whispering to each other as if they were discussing a big business deal.
On the other side, several men dressed in plain clothes stood by the railing, gazing into the distance as if admiring the scenery along the way.
Today, Hei Bai was dressed as a servant, so ordinary that he wouldn't attract attention if he stood in a crowd.
He did not see Guo Baoxian in the crowd today.
He pretended to go up to the third floor to enjoy the view, and started walking up the stairs.
"Stop! Step back immediately! You've disturbed the distinguished guests above; you can't afford to offend them."
They had only gone halfway when they were stopped by a man who looked like a servant at the top of the stairs.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know there were important people above me. I'll go back now."
He bowed and scraped, his attitude extremely humble and respectful, showing no trace of his upright and heroic bearing.
Turning around and returning to the corridor, he hesitated for a moment before raising his hand to knock on the door in front of the room where Lin Xiangzhi and Zhu Xi lived.
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