Chapter 12: Crossing the Undercurrents of the Sea: Mr. Wuyin and his fake wife...
Regarding Jiang Wuyin's disconnection, Min Shi'an was not worried at all that he had met with an accident. Instead, he prepared backup arrangements at home, left Chuntao at home, and went to Guangchuan first.
She kept to her time very punctually, stopping and walking along the way, collecting some rare folk items and quietly sending them to the princess's mansion, but she was in no hurry to travel.
Jiang Wuyin arrived on time the day after she arrived in Guangchuan. Although he still looked pale, he was obviously in much better condition than the last time he had a bumpy journey back and forth.
Min Shian was originally over seven feet tall [1], which was considered tall for a woman, but now she has shrunk by nearly an inch, and standing next to Jiang Wuyin, she looks even more petite and charming.
"My dear, you are finally back. I have been waiting for you for so long!" Her bright almond eyes were shining with water, and her soft and sticky tone with a hook at the end made people's body feel numb.
Jiang Wuyin was indeed unable to move after hearing this, but it was not because he was hooked, but because he was scared.
He bent down stiffly, put his arm around Min Shian's waist, and whispered in her ear, "Your Highness, is there no other way?"
"This method is the most credible, so cut the crap."
"Yes, Your Highness."
And this scene, reflected in the eyes of Song Sheng and his group who were not far behind the two of them, was like the sweet whispers of a young couple who were newlyweds after a long separation.
Jiang Wuyin's face flushed red as he walked quickly to Song Sheng with Min Shian. After bowing, he introduced him with some genuine embarrassment, "Sir, this is my wife Cailian."
Min Shian, who was standing by, tilted her head to watch the whole thing, then imitated the bow, which was a bit awkward, but barely acceptable. She said sweetly, "Greetings, sir~"
Seeing this, Jiang Wuyin's voice trembled, and he said in a panic, "Please forgive me, my wife is a country woman and doesn't know the rules."
As soon as "Cailian" appeared, the smile on Song Sheng's lips faded a little, and the low pressure he exuded made it hard for the people following him to breathe.
It was not until Jiang Wuyin came to pay his respects that he returned to normal.
"Mr. Wuyin is so lucky."
I don’t know if Jiang Wuyin was too sensitive. It was just a normal greeting, but he heard something complicated for no reason.
He caught a glimpse of Min Shian's expression, which remained unchanged, and even blossomed into an innocent smile. He felt relieved and replied, "Thank you, sir."
If he is a court official, he cannot bring his family with him when he goes out because of his important position. But if he is a commoner with superb skills and mystery, and has a clingy wife who dares not live alone, then it is normal.
Therefore, Song Sheng readily agreed to Jiang Wuyin's request to take his wife with him. He also praised the harmonious relationship between the two and praised Jiang Wuyin for his responsibility and the act of a real man.
Min Shian has been laying the groundwork for many years, just for this day.
The battlefield is changing rapidly. The Northern Witch will sooner or later plan to cross the sea. The noble families know this very well, but they have been slow to respond. It is simply because they are unwilling to waste resources before the disaster is imminent.
He won't cry until he sees the coffin!
However, it was precisely because of the frequent occurrence of situations like this that Min Shian had many opportunities to take advantage of loopholes.
However, Song Sheng was a cautious and far-sighted person. Since he came to power, everyone from princes and nobles to common people were in his chessboard. Min Shian was also imprisoned in it, so it was difficult for him to make any small moves.
Along the way, everything went smoothly except that Jiang Wuyin vomited twice due to his inability to bear it. It was a pity that Min Shian could not buy the little toys he liked when he occasionally saw them in the carriage, especially the rabbit drum [2], which was very cute.
Seeing that she liked it, Jiang Wuyin wanted to stop her and buy it for her, but before he could do anything, the dizziness and nausea came over him again. He blinked weakly, indicating that he was powerless.
Song Sheng was in the carriage in front. Min Shi'an looked at Jiang Wuyin lovingly and whispered in his natural voice, "Xiaowu is fine. He will be well soon. Just be patient."
A quarter of an hour later, the towering city walls came into view and we arrived at Haicheng.
The guards saw from afar that the Song family's carriage had already opened the city gate and entered the city unimpeded, otherwise Jiang Wuyin would probably have vomited again.
When getting off the carriage, Min Shian supported him, but she didn't expect that her arms had become shorter after the bones were shrunk. Before she could fully adapt, Jiang Wuyin staggered, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the ground.
Song Chen was quick-witted and quick-handed. He carried Jiang Wuyin on his shoulders and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Min Shian paused his outstretched hand, withdrew it as if nothing had happened, and followed Song Sheng closely.
Although she had read many storybooks and had a basic understanding of matters concerning love between men and women, she had never had much intimate contact with men. The more she spoke, the more mistakes she would make. She decided to hide behind Song Sheng and act like a quail.
She lowered her head, and at her current height she couldn't even see Song Sheng's shoulders. Her entire body was completely blocked. Why didn't she think Song Sheng was so tall before?
While she was lost in thought, she didn't notice that the person in front of her had stopped, and she just bumped into Song Sheng's strong back.
"hiss……"
She rubbed her head, secretly complaining that Song Sheng's flesh was a lump of iron.
He pretended to be panic-stricken, then lowered his head, pretending to kneel down and apologize, and said in a pinched voice: "Sir, please spare me, I didn't mean to do it, please spare me!"
She wailed "miserably" and bent down on her knees, but she never got a response from anyone.
So she just stood there in mid-air, neither kneeling nor not kneeling, and kept shouting in a low voice, "Sir, spare my life," waiting for Song Sheng's next words.
Song Sheng lowered his eyes and looked at Cai Lian. He didn't know whether he was amused or angry. He said in a hoarse voice, "Is this how you apologize? Did Mr. Wu Yin teach you?"
Min Shian kept cursing his bad luck and hitting his head so hard that it hurt like crazy. Before he could even try to blackmail him, he started questioning him first!
But she was a commoner after all, so she bowed and apologized as she had done at the beginning, saying, "It's my fault. I was afraid of disturbing you and causing you displeasure. I wanted to kneel down and apologize, but then I remembered what my mother said: Cailian can only kneel before Heaven and Earth in this life. Please forgive me, sir!"
As long as she doesn't poke a hole in the sky, Song Sheng won't do anything to her at this critical juncture, not to mention that Song Sheng is only cruel to his enemies. Now that she is considered one of his own, he will not really punish her.
As expected, Song Sheng chuckled and said, "No problem, Mr. Wuyin is resting in the room, young lady, please do as you please."
After saying that, Song Chen came out of the room upon hearing the sound, floated over silently like a soul, and followed Song Sheng.
Jiang Wuyin was lying on the couch, his complexion looking slightly better. He was holding a blueprint of a warship in his hand, studying it carefully. When he heard the voice, he turned to look at the person who came. Seeing that it was Min Shian, he put the blueprint aside, struggled to sit up, and said, "Your Highness..."
Min Shian glared at him, and Jiang Wuyin immediately changed his tone and said, "Is everything in the store arranged properly?"
Cai Lian ran a grocery store for Mr. Wu Yin to cover his daily expenses. Min Shi'an then said, "How could I fail in my work?"
Then Min Shian picked up the drawings, took a quick glance and felt dazzled. He quickly put them back in their place, then picked up a book at random and started reading.
The experiences and rumors about "Mr. Wuyin" were not exaggerated and spread by her, but were created by Xiaowu with his scarred hands.
When she was young, she named her children according to the order in which she picked up the children who were about to starve to death. Xiaowu was the most withdrawn among the many children. He often huddled in a corner and scribbled with a tree branch. Min Shian couldn't go there often, and it was by chance that she discovered that he was out of tune with his other companions.
From then on, every time she came, she would take extra care of Xiaowu, and gradually discovered that he was extremely talented, so she spent a lot of money to hire a teacher for him. Later, when Empress Xie learned about and acquiesced to the existence of these children, Min Shian immediately sent Xiaowu to Guangchuan for further studies.
It is true that she saved these children out of kindness, but she never kept idle people. Those with special talents like Xiaowu were cultivated, and those who were not good at anything were left in the yard, and they were divided into groups to take care of everyone's food and daily life.
The candlelight in the house lit up, and Min Shian was shocked to realize that it was already late. She closed the storybook she had picked up at random and put it back reluctantly.
She held her breath and listened carefully to the movements around her. Fortunately, Song Sheng did not have any special habits of sending people to eavesdrop on the couple at night, and the people who hid in the dark and watched during the day had disappeared.
"Your Highness, you sleep on the couch and I will sleep on the floor in the outer room." Jiang Wuyin was very conscientious. He put the drawings in his pocket and went to the outer room to spread the bedding on the floor.
Fortunately, the Song family still adheres to the style of being wealthy and generous. Wherever Song Sheng is, the place will be magnificent and there will definitely be more than enough mattresses.
Min Shian stretched her muscles, and after a few "crackling" sounds, her body returned to its original state. She touched behind her ears and neck, and after making sure that she could not find the human skin mask, she fell asleep peacefully.
The next day.
Jiang Wuyin went to the main hall to discuss relevant matters with Song Sheng and the accompanying Luzhou Mu and others. Before leaving, he left a note for her, asking her to take people to the Haicheng market for fun.
Since she had nothing to do, the maids standing on either side of her said in unison, "Miss Cailian, what do you need?"
Min Shian was still thinking about the rabbit drum he saw when he came here, so he said, "Let's go to the market and buy some things."
Then Min Shian thought of the guide mentioned in the note left by Jiang Wuyin, and thought it might be them. He said very considerately, "Please, ladies, lead the way!"
It goes without saying that this is what Song Sheng meant.
Min Shian came here not only because he was worried that Jiang Wuyin would have to face Song Sheng alone, but also because there was a high probability that he would be able to witness a real battlefield with his own eyes.
As long as she had seen an actual battle between Da Jin and Bei Wu, she would be able to continuously deduce and transform the knowledge based on the ancient books. If she encountered such difficult problems in the future, it would not be just empty talk.
From hull design, construction, improvement to final large-scale reproduction, every step must be meticulous and without any mistakes.
I'm afraid that yesterday would be the last good night's sleep that Song Sheng, Jiang Wuyin and others had in recent times.
Having not seen Jiang Wuyin for several days, Min Shian had already visited the Haicheng market, bought some strange-shaped colorful stones, and eaten many local delicacies, nothing else.
Sometimes when she was bored at home, she felt like writing something, but she was afraid of leaving traces that would be noticed by Song Sheng. Whenever this happened, she would go to the coast and stay there for two hours.
The two girls were really determined and stood there for two hours without saying a word.
In fact, Song Sheng did not allow her to cross the sea at the beginning. Firstly, he was afraid that she would happen to encounter a surprise attack by the Northern Witch, and secondly, the ebb and flow of the sea were irregular, which made it too dangerous.
But for some reason, two days ago, he suddenly gave in and allowed her to go with Erya. Maybe the two girls couldn't stand it anymore.
Min Shian was still passionate at first and talked to them, but they seemed to be mute and didn't say another word except the first sentence they said to her.
Gradually, she stopped talking, and the three of them were like a mast, motionless.
As for the name, she just picked it randomly when she was bored. They didn't know it anyway, and they probably wouldn't object even if they knew.
The sea breeze made Min Shian's clothes rustle and his hair flew all over the place. Why didn't Song Sheng allow Erya to answer?
Min Shian thought quietly, if it were her...
Unless you know from the beginning that there is something wrong with this person, and then you always guard against and monitor this person!
Where did I reveal myself?
Min Shian was a little puzzled.
She started practicing disguise since the first time she sneaked out of the palace. Now it is so easy for her to transform into anyone she wants. Even if the real person comes, she will not be able to tell the difference.
She even specially learned the local language and customs of Guangchuan, so no one could tell she was speaking Huailin dialect.
Min Shian was so sure that he was completely safe that he even used bone-shrinking skills to fit the average height of local women.
There was a loud thunder, and heavy rain fell without warning. The sky was covered with dark clouds, and the surroundings suddenly became dark. The sea breeze was howling, and the dark waves were rolling continuously. Arya immediately held an umbrella for her, but the strong wind blew the heavy rain into the umbrella, and the three of them were soon wet.
The sound of horses neighing came from behind him. It was the carriage of the Song Mansion.
After Erya escorted her to the carriage, she drove the horse back to the city.
“Enlightenment…”
Min Shian immediately stopped talking after seeing the person in front of him clearly, and another girl came.
The maid placed the clean clothes in front of her, bowed, and went to ride the horse with Erya without saying a word.
…
Min Shian leaned quietly against the wall of the carriage[3] and sighed. It was no wonder that Song Sheng had been looking for someone to keep an eye on her. Logically speaking, she was Mr. Wuyin's wife and shouldn't be like this.
But despite all her calculations, she still missed one thing.
Song Sheng served as the governor of Bingzhou.
He did not rely on the Song family, but relied on his own real sword and gun skills to pass the five military ministers' test, crushing the candidates who took the test with him with absolutely overwhelming strength, and finally became the governor of Bingzhou with a far superior result.
However, he only served in this position for half a year before being transferred back to the capital by Duke Ling of Song to serve as Shangshu Pushe.
His political achievements were too outstanding, and he was too thin and had a refined temperament. Over time, people gradually forgot about this matter.
It's not surprising that such a person could tell that she used the skill of shrinking bones.
Given Song Sheng's personality, the reason why "Cailian" is still alive is entirely because of her identity as Mr. Wuyin's first wife.
It seems that even if the Northern Witches launched a surprise attack during this period, it would be difficult for her to find a reason to follow the war camp.
By then, Song Sheng would have suspected that she was a spy for the Northern Witch.
But it doesn't matter, she has plenty of ways.
She was drenched by the rain. Although she changed her clothes in time, she still caught a cold from the biting sea breeze and had to stay in bed for several days.
During this period, Jiang Wuyin came several times, and under the pretext of feeding her medicine, he came close to her and reported on the recent shipbuilding plans and progress.
The time was short, and he spoke discontinuously each time because he had to run back and forth many times.
Now the first new battleship has been completed, but has not yet been named and is in the final verification stage.
According to Jiang Wuyin's description, the hull of this ship was covered with raw cowhide, and the three-layer cabin was also covered with raw cowhide except for the crossbow windows and spear holes, which effectively prevented fire attacks and resisted arrows.
Unlike the previous heavy and huge warships, this warship is smaller and powered by oars. It can turn flexibly and sail quickly while crossing the sea. Its speed is comparable to that of the Ferghana horses. It can not only deal with the Northern Witch's water raids, but also counterattacks.
Considering that close combat cannot be avoided in any case, a sharp iron ram is installed on the bow of the ship, which can directly hit the warship of the Northern Witch.
If this ship could be mass-produced, it would be invincible in water battles [4].
Soon, Jiang Wuyin disappeared again. Min Shian could now judge the progress of the warship based on the number of times he appeared.
With nothing to do, she started thinking about other things.
In the past, the Jin Dynasty had never considered naval warfare, and good generals were already scarce. Now they all hold important positions. How should General Song Sheng deal with this?
If he couldn't find a suitable solution, then she could only reluctantly help Lord Song.
There is a group of little tails eager to try in the courtyards outside Beijing.
After more than a month, the warship problem was finally solved perfectly. Jiang Wuyin was appointed as the governor of Duhai County, stationed in Haicheng, and rewarded with 1,000 taels of gold.
Jiang Wuyin was extremely anxious. In this case, his first wife "Cailian" would have to stay in Haicheng as well. Song Sheng would not be able to find a woman of similar stature for a while. He was worried that Song Sheng would find out after returning to Beijing.
Moreover, he didn't want to stay in Haicheng. He wanted to return to the suburbs of Beijing, or to Guangchuan, or to travel around with Min Shi'an. In short, he didn't want to stay in Haicheng and be a county magistrate.
Min Shian raised his eyebrows and said, "Don't worry about Cai Lian. I have a backup plan. I also know that you don't want to stay in Haicheng alone."
She paused and whispered, "Xiao Liu should be here in a few days, just wait."
Seeing this, Jiang Wuyin had no choice but to agree. He went to Song Sheng to collect the reward, kept it carefully, and secretly thought about how to repair some flood prevention measures.
The issue of the naval commander has not yet been decided, but the training of the Sea Guard has never been interrupted.
Song Sheng was well-versed in various military books and was also proficient in naval warfare. Some time ago, when the warships were still being manufactured, he took time out every day to supervise the training of the guards and explain and simulate various battle situations that might be encountered on the water.
Nowadays, he spends almost the entire day on the training ground, personally supervising the training of the guards.
Min Shian never thought that even as the wife of the county magistrate, Song Sheng would not let down his guard. Erya always followed behind her, and Song Sheng called it protection.
“I’m going to take a sea crossing.
Do you have a way to get Erya out of here?"
Erya was waiting outside the door, so Min Shian simply took a pen and wrote to Jiang Wuyin. Now that he was in the county magistrate's mansion, he didn't have to worry about Song Sheng noticing the lack of ink.
Jiang Wuyin thought for a moment and also wrote on the paper -
"You can give it a try. I'll lead them away. Your Highness, please hurry and be careful!"
Min Shian nodded and listened carefully to the sounds outside the door. When there was no movement at all, he broke through the window and went out.
She frowned and shrank another foot, blending into the night and quickly slipped out of Haicheng.
Besides the sound of waves crashing on the shore, there was the clanging sound of Min Shian taking off his pearl hairpins and jewelry.
Min Shian moved very quickly. She dismantled the things as she walked, and soon the things belonging to "Cai Lian" were scattered all over the floor, with some everywhere.
The people of Haicheng were all saying that the wife of the county governor was very vulgar. As soon as her husband became an official, she adorned her head and body with gold, silver and jade ornaments. Jiang Wuyin was furious about this at the time, but she only gave up after Min Shian said that she had spread the rumor deliberately.
This was her backup plan.
Everyone knows that Cai Lian likes to stand on the beach and feel the sea breeze. Then she quarreled with her husband in the middle of the night. In order to relieve her depression, she sneaked to the shore of the beach in anger. However, she was not careful and was swept into the sea by the waves.
She could then fake her own death and escape, then come back with Xiaoliu under a different identity.
Min Shian took off the jade pendant from her waist, raised her hand and threw it behind her, intending to go forward to meet Xiaoliu. Suddenly, she dodged and retreated quickly.
She didn't even hear the sound of the jade pendant falling to the ground!
There is someone nearby!
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