Chapter 2672: The Capital (Part 28)

Zhou Lezhi had not witnessed the scene of the name being chosen. He only learned of it later, when the Teacher recounted it to him upon bestowing that very name. During the telling, the Teacher's expression had been grim, shadowed by what seemed to be a vague regret. But what exactly weighed on the Teacher's mind—that, only the Teacher himself could know.

At this moment, Zhou Lezhi had been idly chatting with Wang Liang on the stern deck. When he spotted Mr. Zhou emerging from Master Wang's cabin, he hurried to follow. The two returned to their own quarters, where Mr. Zhou instructed him to pack their belongings in preparation for departure.

"Where are we going?"

"To Guangzhou!" Mr. Zhou's face lit up with undisguised delight. "Aren't you a native of Guangzhou?"

"Truly?" Zhou Lezhi had been away from home for nearly a year. At the mention of Guangzhou, his spirits soared. "I'll pack at once!" He set to work gathering their luggage, only to discover that the two pairs of powder compacts taken from Master Wang's cabin remained among their things. He quickly wrapped them in silk cloth, intending to return them.

He crossed the gangplank to Master Wang's vessel and made his way along the gunwale walkway toward the central cabin. Just as he was about to step onto the deck, he noticed that Wang Liang—who usually stood guard outside the cabin door—was nowhere to be seen. The deck itself was also deserted.

"That Uncle Wang! Where has he slipped off to this time?" Zhou Lezhi thought with secret amusement. Wang Liang had recently taken up with a servant woman and would disappear to secluded corners of the fleet for romantic trysts whenever he found the opportunity. This was likely another such occasion.

However, with Wang Liang absent, Zhou Lezhi wasn't certain whether he should disturb the Master over something as trivial as returning powder compacts. As he stood hesitating, he suddenly heard voices from within the cabin. The speaker was unmistakably Liu Zhao:

"...What other orders does the Master have?"

"When you escort Jin and Wei southward, take a detour through Shaoxing and deliver a message to the Second Master. Tell him: 'Second Uncle cannot inherit the title; find a way to make them shut up.' You must deliver this message personally. Let no second person hear of it, and leave absolutely no written evidence."

"This subordinate understands."

"There is another matter you must arrange properly." Master Wang's voice turned cold and ominous. "In a few days, I will have people escort Miss Wei and Mr. Jin in separate batches to settle in that new manor in Dongyang. You must assign reliable men to guard and protect them. Keep them separated, order them to remain indoors with few outings, and ensure no word of their presence leaks out."

"Yes! I intend to assign Chen Mo to oversee the manor. He handles matters with discretion and keeps his mouth shut."

"Mm..." From his tone, the Master seemed satisfied with this arrangement. Silence followed, and Liu Zhao offered no further words. Zhou Lezhi's nerves drew taut. He knew that eavesdropping on the master's conversations was a grave transgression. He wanted to leave, but the narrow walkway was constructed entirely of boat planks—any movement risked a telltale creak or bump. Being discovered now would be far worse.

After weighing his options, he held his breath, pressing himself into the shadows to wait for the conversation to end.

"Tell Chen Mo this: around the twelfth lunar month, I will send him a letter. If the letter says 'Need to send festival gifts to the capital for New Year, send thirty hams,' then all is well. But if it says 'Freezing weather, roads difficult, no need to send hams, send silver instead'—then let him end the lives of Jin and Wei immediately."

The words struck Zhou Lezhi like a bolt of lightning. His entire body went rigid. Though he was not well acquainted with Mr. Jin or Miss Wei, the Master had treated them as honored guests these past days—not only providing them with excellent accommodations and greeting them with utmost courtesy, but even arranging a proper residence for them during the day. Yet here, under cover of night, he was already laying plans to take their lives.

"As for that Sorcerer, when you reach Guangzhou Prefecture, if the treasure is found, first find a way to detain him. Do not hand him over to that Rough Stock. Wait until you bring him back to the capital before making further decisions. Should this person attempt anything strange, I trust you have ways to ensure his obedience." Wang Yehao delivered these critical instructions in a voice barely above a whisper. But the river lay quiet at night, and the cabin wall was nothing more than thin wood with no insulation—every word carried clearly through to where Zhou Lezhi stood frozen.

"Master may rest assured. We of the Jinyiwei are not all noble relatives who idle about collecting their stipends," Liu Zhao replied.

"Exercise restraint. Unless absolutely necessary, do not take his life. If a situation arises, use your secret channels to relay the news to my Fourth Uncle."

After a moment of silence, Wang Yehao spoke again. "With your connections in the capital, do you know any Feng Shui eccentrics? Someone whose background you can vouch for—I don't want swindlers."

Liu Zhao considered before answering. "I have a clan brother who also serves in the Jinyiwei, named Liu Sha. His ancestors made their living helping people survey Yin Residences [Graves]. He's said to possess genuine expertise. May I ask what purpose the Master has in mind?"

"Good. Just write me a letter of recommendation." Wang Yehao offered no explanation, and Liu Zhao, knowing his place, did not press further.

Cold sweat trickled down Zhou Lezhi's back. It seemed his own Teacher was safe for the moment, but this Master acted with such ruthlessness. If the Teacher encountered any difficulties in the future, he would likely be "ended" with equal mercilessness.

"How are matters with that Procuress and Youqing?"

"Already settled. The Procuress offered up Youqing, and Prefect Zhou let her off the hook, closing the case as a simple theft." A note of envy crept into Liu Zhao's voice. "We men faced danger, yet he's the one who walked away with the prize! Getting such a beauty for nothing. Miss Youqing's price would be at least one or two thousand taels of silver!"

"Hehe, Master Zhou won't be keeping her for himself. A courtesan queen of that caliber isn't something ordinary men can enjoy..."

"I wonder which distinguished gentleman has such romantic fortune."

"Hehe, you scoundrel—what business is it of yours!" Master Wang laughed. "Stop dreaming about things that don't concern you. Do your job well. If you succeed, your rewards won't be lacking!"

"Yes, many thanks to the Master for his patronage!"

Liu Zhao took his leave and departed. Zhou Lezhi waited a long while more. When he was certain there was no further movement inside the cabin or on the deck, he lowered himself and crawled back to Mr. Zhou's boat on hands and knees.

Mr. Zhou knew nothing of any of this and continued packing his belongings in cheerful spirits.

There wasn't much to prepare on their end. Mr. Zhou's two maids had already organized everything properly. The Teacher had decided against bringing them to Guangzhou this time—taking female companions on such an extended journey was neither convenient nor safe. Reluctantly, he arranged for the Wang household's southbound party to escort them back to the Dongyang manor. Still, at the moment of parting, the Teacher addressed them with earnest emotion: "Zhiling, Jieyi, if you get pregnant, I will take responsibility!"

In the past, seeing the Teacher's shameless behavior would have drawn a snicker from Zhou Lezhi. But what he had overheard today weighed heavily upon him. The life he had once believed held a bright future now seemed dim and shrouded in shadow.

The following day, Mr. Zhou's party transferred to a smaller vessel heading west, traveling along the Yangtze River. The scenery on both banks was magnificent, but the Teacher had no mood to appreciate it, only lamenting that this water route was far too slow. Hearing his complaints, Liu Zhao came forward to explain: "Although post horses can cover two or three hundred li in a day, that requires proficient riding skills—which I fear the Teacher lacks. If we traveled by sedan chair, we would need to stop and lodge at inns each night. The water route, however, allows the boatmen to work in shifts, enabling travel both day and night. Moreover, our party is small and the boat rides light; all things considered, this is faster than going by carriage."

Faced with this reasoning, the Teacher had no choice but to resign himself to sitting at the bow each day, wearing a look of anxious longing as he gazed at the distant horizon. Then one afternoon, he suddenly leaped up from his spot at the bow and called urgently to Zhou Lezhi: "Quick, prepare the four treasures of the study!"

Back in the cabin, he bent over the table, sketching and calculating for the better part of the day. Finally, he announced with confidence: "Look at this. I plan to add two paddle wheels to the boat. By pedaling with human power, we can accelerate! There are many similar pedal boats in parks. I've done the calculations—the efficiency should be acceptable."

Zhou Lezhi listened in bewilderment. He studied the paper covered in diagrams, scratched his head, and asked, "What park is the Teacher referring to? And what exactly is a pedal boat?"

"This page shows the calculation process; the following pages are three-view drawings," Mr. Zhou explained patiently. "Views from the front, from above, and from the side. It's been a while since I've drawn these, but the concept should be clear enough. How does it look? Quite vivid, wouldn't you say? Perhaps we could find a carpenter when we dock tonight, and I'll explain it to him."

Zhou Lezhi thought to himself that this Teacher truly produced one wild notion after another. Where would they find a carpenter on this journey? And mounting wheels on the boat—the boat owner would never agree to such a thing. But having followed the Teacher for some time now, he had grown quite familiar with his temperament. Three-view drawings were not unfamiliar to him either. He examined the sketches carefully, grasped the general idea, and ventured, "Is this paddle wheel similar to a waterwheel?"

"Exactly! You're quite perceptive!" The Teacher grew animated with excitement. "If I draw it this way, do you think a carpenter could understand it?"

"A carpenter should have no difficulty. Only—with this device of the Teacher's, could we travel a thousand li in a day?"

"No."

"A hundred li?"

"Unlikely."

"Then what use would installing it serve? Besides, stopping the boat to install it would cost time, and afterward we'd need additional boatmen..."

At this, Liu Zhao laughed. "If the Teacher is anxious, I'll simply offer the boatmen extra wine money and have them row faster."

After seeing off the Hearthstone Daoist's party, Wang Yehao did not hurry back to the capital. Instead, he lingered in Yangzhou for several more days, seeking opportunities to cultivate a relationship with Tian Hongyu. He intended to win over this man who, according to Mr. Zhou's account, was destined to become an "Imperial Father-in-Law." Not only did he present him with lavish gifts in private, but he also hinted to Prefect Zhou that Youqing should be given to Tian Hongyu.

Tian Hongyu came from a martial background. Though he was fairly well-known in the pursuit of pleasure and counted as a royal relative with some connections in officialdom, most civil officials who had risen through the imperial examinations did not truly regard him as their equal, treating him instead as one of the idle hangers-on at court.

Now this Master Wang not only showed him great respect but also presented valuable gifts. Tian Hongyu found himself quite flattered. He understood, of course, that the other party intended to cultivate his favor—yet he could not fathom what he might offer in return. Though he was a royal relative, his daughter was merely a secondary consort of Prince Xin. To speak plainly, even the father of the proper consort, Lady Zhou, or even the father of the current Empress Zhang, could not be considered particularly influential figures. This left Tian Hongyu both moved and uneasy.

When Wang Yehao departed for the north, Tian Hongyu went to the pier to see him off. He spoke of how he had received much kindness from Master Wang yet had no means to repay it, a situation that truly left him ashamed. Wang Yehao laughed warmly:

"Master Tian, a fortunate man is blessed by heaven itself. Right now is merely a period of ill luck. In the future, great fortune will surely descend upon you. Before long, I expect you and I shall meet again in the capital."

"Then I shall embrace Master Wang's auspicious words." Tian Hongyu did not fully comprehend the meaning behind these words, though he sensed they contained some deeper wisdom. He dared not inquire further and immediately bowed low to the ground. "Wishing Master Wang fair winds all the way and ever-rising fortune!"

(End of Chapter)