Chapter 22 Traveling and Enjoying the Scenery
As soon as the morning light touched the eaves of the ten-mile-long pavilion outside the capital, the Pei family's carriage rolled out, crunching through the morning dew.
Madam Pei lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, looked at the scenery by the roadside, and turned to Pei Zhiwei beside her, speaking gently.
"The autumn scenery is really nice, but the wind is chilly. You should put on that plain cloak and be careful not to catch a cold."
Pei Zhiwei responded softly, draped the cloak over her shoulders, and looked out the window.
Just then, the carriage passed a roadside tea stall, and she caught a glimpse of a man in a gray cloth shirt wiping the table with his head down.
The man's coarse cloth sleeves were frayed, but his exposed wrists were dazzlingly white, unlike the skin tone of someone who works on the roadside year-round.
What's even more suspicious is that the man kept glancing towards the carriage, his gaze constantly trying to slip through the gap in the curtain.
She was on guard, but showed no emotion on her face. Instead, she simply opened the curtain of the car window wider and pretended to leisurely enjoy the scenery.
At this moment, Xiao Yunzhan tugged on the reins, slowing the horse to run parallel to the carriage.
Seeing Pei Zhiwei lift the curtain, he glanced at the gray-clad man without leaving a trace, then deliberately raised his voice.
"I heard there's a red leaf slope about twenty miles ahead. If you're not in a hurry, Lord Pei, why don't we stop there for a rest around noon and enjoy the scenery?"
As he spoke, he flicked his riding whip lightly, seemingly casually pointing to the southeast—the very fork in the official road.
At the fork in the road, two men carrying loads on their shoulders were taking a break to catch their breath. However, they deliberately placed their carrying poles across the middle of the road, their eyes clearly watching the pedestrians and vehicles passing by.
Pei Lin understood what was happening inside the car and replied with a "Alright," pausing slightly as he twirled the jade thumb ring on his finger.
He came from the Pei clan of Hedong and had been involved in criminal law for many years.
From the moment the Emperor issued his decree yesterday, he knew that the Jiangnan Grand Canal was a lucrative business that no single entity could afford to take.
Every move they made on this trip was under surveillance, and sure enough, they realized they were being watched as soon as they left Beijing.
Fortunately, he and Xiao Yunzhan had made preparations in advance. After discussing it with his wife and daughter yesterday, they decided to take the whole family south together.
On the way, he acted as if he only wanted to go through the motions and didn't want to make too many enemies, which was a special way to lull his spies into a false sense of security.
The carriage traveled at a leisurely pace until 9 AM, and sure enough, it stopped at Red Leaf Slope.
Madam Pei enthusiastically directed her maids to spread out blankets and set out food boxes, making sure they were ready to enjoy the autumn scenery.
Pei Lin and Xiao Yunzhan stood side by side on the slope, seemingly gazing at the red leaves covering the mountain, but their eyes were actually fixed on the path below.
"Which group is the next one?" Pei Lin stroked his beard, his voice extremely low.
Xiao Yunzhan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the man who had just changed into a long robe down the slope, and said in a low voice.
"They've had a tough time since they left Beijing. They must have sent so many people to make sure we recognized them."
He lightly tapped the jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips and continued, "The more we travel and enjoy the scenery, the easier it will be for them to lower their guard, giving us more opportunities to find evidence."
As he spoke, he looked at Madam Pei, who was busy at work, and said with a hint of apology, "It's just that Madam Pei and Lady Pei have had to go through all this trouble."
“It’s alright.” Pei Lin smiled, his tone full of pride. “Ever since I met Madam, she has often said that rather than worrying at home, it’s better to take risks together.”
As they were talking, Pei Zhiwei came over with a map in her hand. She pointed at the map and then casually pointed in a direction, pretending to be studying where there was a good view.
She said softly, "The three red dots on the map are the key canals I recorded in the 'Jiangnan Canal Transport Records': Xuzhou Canal, Suzhou Canal, and Sizhou Canal."
At this moment, the wind lifted the corner of the map, revealing the dense markings on it.
Pei Zhiwei pointed to the location of the Sizhou Canal with his fingertip and continued:
"These three places are all essential routes for grain transport boats to enter the capital, especially the Sizhou Canal, which was dredged last month under the leadership of the Grain Transport Office."
According to records, the riverbed was dredged to a depth of twelve feet, and theoretically, nothing should have gone wrong.
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the figure peering down the slope, and her voice lowered even further.
"Moreover, the banks of the Sizhou Canal are mostly clay soil with poor water permeability. If the cargo boat really had an accident, or was dismantled and transported, the wheel ruts and scattered nails would definitely leave traces."
Xiao Yunzhan lightly tapped the location of the Sizhou Canal on the map with his fingertip, then leaned closer, using the wind as a shield, and asked, "Tell me the details again, so that Li Rong doesn't miss anything."
Pei Zhiwei lowered her eyes, her finger tracing the dirt road marked on the map as she explained in detail.
"Each plank of the canal boat is twelve feet long, three feet wide, and three inches thick. According to regulations, it should be made of nanmu or camphor wood."
If transported by horse-drawn carriage, the carriage must be at least six feet wide to accommodate the entire plank, and each plank weighs about two hundred pounds.
A vehicle must carry at least five pieces, with a total load capacity exceeding 1,000 jin (500 kg).
She looked up at Xiao Yunzhan and added, "With such a heavy cart, the ruts must be more than three inches deep. And the ship nails are all made of wrought iron with a rust-proof black paint finish."
Xiao Yunzhan nodded thoughtfully, tapping his fingertip on the mud road markings at the edge of the map.
He whispered, "I've already had Li Rong bring two veterans who are familiar with the terrain of Sizhou. They've been helping people transport goods along the Sizhou canal for years and know which sections of the road are key areas for investigation."
Even after half a month, it's still possible to tell whether old tire tracks were left by a heavy truck.
Pei Zhiwei looked up at him, her eyes meeting his smiling gaze.
Without needing to say much, the two filled in the details of the investigation, and this tacit understanding made her feel much more at ease.
At this moment, the maid Qingdai called them to have some snacks, and Pei Zhiwei took the opportunity to put away the map.
As he turned around, he caught a glimpse of the man in the long robe down the slope, staring at the map in their hands.
When she looked over, the man immediately lowered his head and pretended to eat his dry rations. All the muscles in his body tensed up. He was obviously very nervous because it was the first time he had been monitoring such an important person.
She found it somewhat amusing, but her smile deepened as she turned to help Madam Pei weave a flower wreath, her tone light and cheerful.
“Mother, these red leaves and chrysanthemums look beautiful together. I’ll weave them for you to wear; they’ll perfectly match your clothes today.”
As Xiao Yunzhan watched the mother and daughter chatting and laughing, he picked up a piece of flatbread and ate it slowly, but his eyes kept glancing down the slope at the path.
In the days that followed, the group became increasingly relaxed and at ease.
Along the way, they encountered a light drizzle, and the official road became muddy and impassable due to the rain, making it difficult for the wheels to move forward as they sank into deep puddles.
Pei Lin simply instructed the driver to drive the carriage into the courtyard of the inn, saying, "The roads are difficult to travel in the rain, and there's no rush to investigate the case."
The group chatted idly with the door open, and Xiao Yunzhan even took out his chess set and played several rounds of chess with Pei Lin and Pei Zhiwei.
When it was his turn to play chess with Pei Zhiwei, he secretly gave Pei a few pieces to win, but in the end he lost without leaving a trace.
Madam Pei leaned closer to look and couldn't help but laugh, "Your Highness, are you perhaps intentionally letting Zhiwei win this game?"
When the rain stopped, Pei Zhiwei took the chess manual to the backyard to air it out. She quietly walked to the corner of the wall and pried out a piece of oiled paper from a crack in the brick.
Upon unfolding the document, one could find a message from Li Rong: a group of unfamiliar craftsmen had recently appeared at the mouth of the Sizhou canal. They claimed to be inspecting the Huisha sluice gate, but they often worked at night.
She calmly tucked the note into her sleeve, and upon returning to her room, immediately burned it without leaving a trace.
On the evening of the fifth day, the carriages and horses arrived at a post station in the territory of Sizhou.
This post station stands by the water, connecting both land and water. Three post boats are moored on the shore in the courtyard, and lanterns have already been lit on their masts.
Several horses were tethered on the bank, munching on hay with their heads down. The copper "驿" (post station) badges around their necks jingled with each movement, and a peaceful atmosphere prevailed all around.
As night deepened, the sound of wind began to rise outside the window.
A dark figure silently pushed open the window and entered, bringing in a damp, misty atmosphere; it was clear that the figure had just swum in from the Yihou River.
The man lowered his voice and reported in the lamplight, "We have news from Guard Li's side."
Near the old wharf in the west of Sizhou City, some villagers mentioned that around the 15th of last month, they saw more than ten large trucks parked there late at night.
The vehicle was heavy, and when it drove over the muddy road, the ruts became deep, more than half a foot deep.
Xiao Yunzhan listened quietly, his face showing no emotion, only nodding slightly, his voice extremely low: "Understood. Wait two more days. We'll see the outcome at the Xuzhou canal mouth."
Two days later, the group finally drove to Qukou in Xuzhou.
The morning mist was like a veil, the water surface shimmered, and boats of all sizes shuttled back and forth in the hazy mist.
A blue-lacquered official ship was quietly moored on the shore, with a flag bearing the words "Prince Rui" flying high on its mast, the edge of which was embroidered with dense waves.
It was immediately obvious that it was an official ship allocated by the Naval Affairs Bureau of the Capital Waterway Administration.
A man dressed in a blue cloth short-sleeved shirt and with dark skin strode forward and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.
His leather belt was worn, but it held a bronze boat-shaped token, which was the symbol of a ship's captain.
"My name is Wu, and I am the captain of this ship. I am here to await Lord Pei and Your Highness on the orders of the Transport Commissioner."
He spoke respectfully, but his eyes quickly swept over the luggage of the group, pausing briefly on the map box in Pei Zhiwei's hand.
Xiao Yunzhan took a step forward and reached out to help Pei Zhiwei as she stepped onto the boat.
He lightly touched the inside of her wrist with his fingertips, then quickly withdrew.
Their eyes met, and they understood everything.
Once everyone was on board, Wu Chuan was calling out to the boatman to set sail.
He himself stood at the bow of the boat, watching the Xuzhou Canal Head gradually disappear into the distance.
With his back to the crowd, his shoulders were slightly tense, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the token at his waist.
Xiao Yunzhan's gaze swept over the figures of several boatmen outside the cabin.
Those people kept their heads down and remained silent. Occasionally, they would look up and make eye contact, but they would immediately look away, as if afraid of being seen through.
He already knew what was going on.
Before long, Wu Chuan turned around and approached with a big smile on his face.
"Your Highness and Lord Pei have had a long journey; your cabins have been prepared."
Dinner will feature freshly caught fish and rice wine specially supplied by the Grand Canal Transport Office. When would you two like to dine?
Pei Lin waved his hand: "Let's rest for a while. We've had a bumpy journey and we're all tired."
He pretended to yawn, but his peripheral vision silently locked onto Wu Chuanzheng's face.
Wu Chuanzheng readily agreed, but as he turned to leave, his steps faltered almost imperceptibly. His gaze swept quickly over the map in Pei Zhiwei's hand, and he then quickened his pace toward the bow of the ship.
Pei Zhiwei stood by the gunwale, his gaze fixed on the water, intently observing the distance between the hull and the waterline.
Normally, if such an official ship were empty, its draft should be around five feet, but it is currently more than six feet deep.
Her heart sank suddenly. What else was on this boat?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com