Chapter 175: Taking the Water Route
"Do you think I am willing to come? Otherwise, Xiao Yuan would have coerced me and tempted me. I might be enjoying myself with some other girl now. I am not enjoying myself like I am now."
"You are still a coward. If you have the ability, don't let him coerce you." Shen Anan gave a fair evaluation.
"..." Li Huaiyan was silent for a moment, "Your mouth is really unpleasant."
"It's not you, it should be my aunt." Shen Anan teased jokingly.
How could Li Huaiyan still admit it? "It was all for Xiao Yuan that I made such a huge sacrifice. Now you are married. You saved your man. What does it have to do with me? You should be grateful to me."
Li Huaiyan was waiting for Shen Anan to confront him, but she lifted the car curtain and looked at him intently. Her eyes were full of meaning and made people feel a little creepy.
"You... don't look at me like that. Qingfeng is still here. I will die."
Shen Anan's eyes turned cold for a moment, and he lowered the car curtain and said something ambiguous, "It's not that I'm grateful to you, but you should be grateful to me."
Otherwise, he would have been bedridden and dying by now.
Li Huaiyan was about to say something else when he saw Qingfeng riding his horse back with a serious face and following him. It was obvious from his expression that he was watching over Shen Anan for Xiao Yuan and was on guard against all men.
"...Not really, right? We are brothers." He whispered to Qingfeng, but Qingfeng acted in a businesslike manner.
"My master has ordered that no one can do that, let alone Duke Li." He had to keep an eye on this playboy who roamed around in brothels for his master and not let him talk too much with the princess.
"..." Fearing Xiao Yuan's jealousy, Li Huaiyan sighed and rode his horse a distance away from the carriage before saying, "It's a relationship. Either the east wind prevails over the west wind, or the west wind prevails over the east wind. But I'm afraid your master's wind will never rise again in his lifetime."
"I think... what Duke Li said makes sense." Qingfeng gave a very pertinent evaluation.
The team was moving farther and farther away, and on the city wall a few miles away, a tall figure stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the direction of the carriage, without moving for a long time.
Qing An reminded quietly, "Master, it's getting late. We should go back. The Emperor will leave Beijing tomorrow."
There are still a lot of things waiting to be done in the mansion now.
Xiao Yuan clenched his five fingers into a fist and pounded the wall hard. He took a deep breath before slowly looking away.
After the team completely disappeared, he turned around and went down the tower, "Return to the city."
If he were watching her right under his nose, he would be reluctant to let her go no matter what.
“Have all the officials along the way been arranged?”
"My Lord, everything has been arranged. I have assigned a group of secret guards to guard the princess in secret as ordered by you. There will be no danger at all."
Shen Anan drew a sketch on rice paper based on her memory. It was the route they would take this time. When they stopped to rest at noon, she discussed it with Li Huaiyan.
"We set out a little late. If we take the official road, we will definitely not be able to catch up. Why not take the water route? We can save time and give us a chance."
When Li Huaiyan heard that they were going to take a boat, he felt a little dizzy. "Okay, but I'm afraid it won't help. I get seasick."
I'm the kind of person whose legs go weak as soon as I get on the boat.
Chen Tian came over and said, "I'm not seasick, I can keep watch, you just need to rest."
He looked eager, as if he didn't want to wait even a moment and set out immediately to catch Gu Tan.
Shen Anan cast his gaze towards Qingfeng, "What do you think?"
Qingfeng shook his head. "The master didn't give any special instructions. I'll just listen to my wife."
"Okay," Shen An'an made the final decision, "Then hurry up and get to Linshui before dark. Find a boat and we'll set off tomorrow."
The rest of the people had no objections. They quickly ate something and continued on their journey, arriving at Linshui before dark.
As soon as they entered Linshui, local officials immediately went to the inn where Shen Anan and his group were staying.
At that time, Shen Anan was listening to Qingfeng's report, "Recently, the shipping is quite tight. There is ice on the lake in the morning and the ships cannot sail. There is ice only in the afternoon, and they have been contracted by several merchants to transport goods."
Shen Anan frowned, "If we wait, how long will it take?"
"It will take at least three days."
After three days, Gu Tan's traces had been almost wiped out, and catching him would only become more difficult.
Qingfeng continued, "I tried to negotiate with them with silver, but their goods all have expiration dates, so they can't extend the time limit and give them to us."
There were many of them, and they didn't force themselves to get together.
"However... there is a house that is more spacious, but the owner is not very easy to talk to, and I haven't seen him yet."
"Yeah." Shen Anan lowered his head and was thinking of a solution when Mo Xiang came to report that someone was visiting.
She immediately asked Mo Xiang to invite the person in. When she saw the middle-aged man with a big belly coming in with a smile on his face and his back bent, as soon as he spoke in an official tone, Shen Anan guessed his identity.
"Your Highness pays respect to His Majesty the Crown Princess. Long live His Majesty the Crown Princess."
"Get up, no need to be polite." Shen Anan picked up the teacup and took a sip, wanting to hear what the official wanted.
But from beginning to end, it was all formalities, as well as food, clothing, housing and transportation, and he even asked Shen Anan to go to his government office to rest for a few days before continuing his journey.
Shen Anan knew that Xiao Yuan had already greeted these officials, otherwise the journey into the city would not have been so smooth.
Some government offices were even involved with local bandits, and Xiao Yuan's letter really helped her solve a lot of problems.
"There's no need to stay for a few days. I do have a problem right now. I wonder if you could help me?"
"Please tell me, Princess. If I can help you, I will do my best to help you."
"…It's a serious matter. I'm in a hurry and plan to cross the river to the other side tomorrow. But my men just asked and they said that all the boats are occupied. It will take at least three days. I wonder if you can help me in any way?"
"This..." The man frowned and thought for a while, feeling a little embarrassed. "It's cold in winter, and the river is frozen. The ships are indeed in short supply. But rest assured, Princess. I will go back and find out which merchant ships they are and find a way to make things easier for you."
This means that it can definitely be done, but he said it with such difficulty because he wanted to remember a good thing in front of Shen Anan.
"Well, if you can help me, I will report to you for your hard work."
"Hey, thank you, Princess." He went back without staying long.
Mo Xiang frowned and said, "These officials are so greedy and cunning that they want to be credited for finding a boat."
Shen Anan smiled, "He came here in a hurry, didn't he just want to show his face? When we are out, we should try to have as little trouble as possible, so that it will be convenient for us to do things."
The man acted quickly and sent someone back with the message more than an hour later. After hearing the servant's report, Qingfeng frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?" Shen Anan asked.
Qingfeng shook his head. "Nothing. The Shen family that the servant mentioned is the merchant family that I and the princess just talked about who is not easy to talk to."
Li Huaiyan stepped in and said, "That's nothing. You are an outsider, so your words are not effective. But a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. That fat man is an official. When you interact with him in his territory in the future, your words will be effective."
Shen Anan felt that what Li Huaiyan said made sense. The official knew her identity and would not dare to act recklessly. He must have some understanding of the merchant family.
"In that case, let's set off tomorrow. The journey by water will only take five or six days. With so many of us, we are definitely not afraid of a merchant escorting goods."
After the matter was settled, everyone went back to rest, but Chen Tian stood outside the door, stretching his hands and feet, and was reluctant to leave.
Shen Anan asked Mo Xiang to bring him in, "What's the matter?"
Chen Tian scratched his head and said, "It's nothing serious. I just want to ask, how much do you know about Gu Tan's whereabouts? Do you have any clues?"
Shen An looked at him calmly without saying anything, and Chen Tian slowly lowered his head, "I was a little anxious, I'm sorry."
"Since I brought you here, there is no way I will just sit back and watch. Since you have signed the indenture, you should obey me and not question me."
Chen Tian lowered his head and replied weakly, “Yes.”
"I...oh, slave, I just think that you are of such a noble status that you shouldn't run around for us lowly people."
"This matter has far-reaching implications. Since it is in East City, the Fourth Prince and I will not stand idly by. We have to set off tomorrow, so you should go back and rest."
"Yes." He pursed his lips and left the main hall.
Mo Xiang was a little worried, "Miss, Chen Tian obviously doesn't trust you. Is it right for us to take him with us?"
"Tell Qingfeng to send someone to watch his every move and report to me immediately if there is anything unusual."
"yes."
After returning to the private room, Shen Anan relaxed and thought about the sketch.
According to the news sent in from various places, Gu Tan should be on the other side of the river, in Tianshui City, a hundred miles away, and the woman's ancestral home is also in a village to the south.
If she wanted to find out, she had to come up with reasonable words and explain things clearly to Li Huaiyan and Qingfeng.
——
On the afternoon of the second day, the group packed up and headed for the waterfront.
Apart from anything else, with Xiao Yuan's warning, those officials were very obedient and made very appropriate arrangements along the way. Not to mention black shops and robberies, even strangers in the inn did not dare to approach Shen Anan's private room.
The official had informed and communicated with the inn in advance.
Today, he also came to see her off in person, "Princess, please."
He had a flattering look on his face, and he didn't know how long he had been waiting on the waterfront. When he saw Shen Anan coming, he immediately stepped forward to introduce her.
"The largest ship in the middle is the one I found for you. The Shen family has been doing business in Linshui for many years and has a lot of wealth. They are trustworthy in terms of their background and character. Just rest assured, Princess."
Shen Anan raised her eyes calmly and looked towards the ship, but unexpectedly met a cold and distant gaze.
The man stood on the boat's platform, wearing a moon-white brocade robe. Although it was not top-grade, it also showed his luxury.
The waiter next to him was probably reporting something. There was no trace of expression on his calm face, which made the waiter look even more uneasy.
He quickly looked away, as if what he saw just now was just a casual remark and he didn't take it to heart. He was very gentle and had a scholarly air.
His eyebrows and eyes are also handsome. This is Shen Anan's first impression of this man.
"This is the head of the Shen family. Don't be fooled by his young age. He is an expert in business and has the most strategies. He also has a very good character."
As he spoke, he had already brought Shen Anan and his group ashore, and said to the man, "Master Shen, this is the distinguished guest I mentioned. I'll trouble you to give him a ride for the next few days, and I'll treat you to a banquet later."
The man surnamed Shen nodded slightly, his eyes still indifferent, but he ordered people to take Shen Anan and others to the boathouse that had been prepared long ago.
Chen Tian was indeed a smart man. He put his things down and rushed out, trying to get close to the people escorting the goods on the ship.
As soon as Li Huaiyan entered the boathouse, he fell directly on the bed, while Qingfeng stood guard outside the boathouse vigilantly.
After everything was packed, a maid came to report. She was a soft-spoken girl. It was obvious that the head of the Shen family knew how to enjoy life.
"Young lady, my master has asked me to tell you that the ship is about to depart. If you need anything during the journey, you can send someone to let me know."
"Thank you. Please thank Master Shen for me." Shen Anan replied politely. After the maid left, she asked Mo Xiang to prepare a bag of silver.
"Let's go over and take a look later. We can't just take someone else's boat without any expression."
Mo Xiang agreed.
The boat was sailing very steadily, drifting on the river, causing ripples on the water. Shen Anan looked at it, but felt depressed by the darker color of the river water.
I opened the window to get some fresh air and saw a man wrapped in a cloak playing chess alone on the deck.
It was very cold, especially on the river without any shelter, the wind was even more biting, and he just sat there, with the corners of his cloak and robe blown up by the wind.
Shen Anan felt that his hands were shaking as he held the chess pieces.
Maybe she was not a romantic person, so she did not find this scene beautiful, but felt that the head of the Shen family was not very smart.
Why not play any chess game in the boat room and go out to blow the cold wind?
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