At this moment, far away in Haian, the ships were ready to set sail. Originally, six vessels had been planned, but because Wang Xian had offered Feng Ji the “big fish” that was Duan Pingchang, Feng Ji took the risk of adding four more ships.
Who could have imagined that on the day before departure, someone from Duan Wang’s camp would come to inquire about the batch of silk attributed to Qi Wang?
Feng Ji was feeling guilty. He initially wanted to come up with an excuse to delay for a few days, intending to first pocket Duan Pingchang’s silver and then replenish Qi Wang’s goods later.
Unexpectedly, Duan Wang sent someone to inquire, forcing him to grit his teeth and add two more ships to the shipment. These two ships, however, were paid for out of his own pocket.
The ships departed from Haian, heading north. After a brief stop at Bogu for resupply, they continued toward Jiangtian.
***
“Wangye, the ships will arrive in Jiangtian tonight,” Qi He reported hurriedly upon returning to Duan Wang’s residence.
Xiao Muchen remained focused on the object in his hand, not even looking up. “Are the preparations in place?”
“Yes, but I noticed other parties at the ferry tonight. Fearing we might alarm them, I refrained from investigating further,” Qi He replied.
Xiao Muchen frowned. “Other parties? Have they noticed our presence?”
“Our ambush was set up in advance. They haven’t detected us.”
Raising his gaze to the palace lanterns, Xiao Muchen contemplated for a while before speaking. “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Let’s see what they’re planning.”
“Understood.” Qi He left, his demeanor stern and brimming with latent hostility—a stark contrast to the harmless image he presented when facing Duan Mingxi.
Tonight in Jiangtian was destined to be sleepless.
At Haian, the ships made a brief stop for resupply, lasting only an hour.
Xiang Wentai hid in the shadows, while the guards from his Biaoju had already entered the water, lying in wait. He kept an eye on the movements of his old rivals, Wantong Biaoju, only to discover yet another group of people hidden in the darkness.
In that moment, Xiang Wentai realized something was amiss. However, having accepted the escort mission, he had no choice but to see it through. He signaled his team, instructing them to stay hidden and wait for the opportune moment.
The Wantong guards were the last to arrive, unaware that multiple groups were already lying in ambush in the surrounding waters. They took the lead in entering the water, moving toward the ships.
As the night deepened, the water’s surface turned pitch black, with unseen undercurrents swirling beneath.
Qi He stood at the highest point of the port, his eyes fixed on the distant ships. He carried a longbow slung across his back, a quiver of arrows at his waist, and his handsome face hidden behind a mask, leaving only his sharp eyes gleaming in the dark.
“Sir, when do we make our move?”
“Wait,” Qi He commanded, his gaze locked on the distant ships, his eyes cold and calculating.
Every passing moment felt torturous, yet Qi He remained still.
Another quarter-hour passed when sudden cries of alarm broke the stillness on the water. The last ship in the convoy began to tilt, followed by the eruption of flames, shattering the calm of the night.
The Wantong guards made the first move. Xiang Wentai, still holding back, finally acted after observing the situation. “Go! Once you’ve succeeded, swim far away before coming ashore. The shores are swarming with others, and rushing in recklessly could cost your life.”
The team nodded in unison, vanishing beneath the surface.
Their target was only two ships. If they moved quickly, they could finish the job in a quarter-hour—just enough time to scuttle the vessels and make their escape.
Qi He watched the successive capsizing of the ships, a chill running down his spine.
Who was behind this? The Crown Prince? Or Qi Wang?
The goods aboard the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau’s ships weren’t just silk and fabric—there were other items of importance as well.
“Sir, are we moving now?”
“Only the rear ships are in trouble for now.”
His target was the foremost ships. He would wait.
Once the personnel on the lead ships were summoned to aid the rear, Qi He finally gave the order.
He drew his longbow, steady and deliberate, lighting an arrow soaked in oil. His taut shoulders and back exuded a smooth, powerful energy.
Whoosh!
The arrow struck the wooden window of the lead ship’s cabin, the flammable oil igniting instantly. Flames burst forth, illuminating the dark night.
Chaos erupted across the dock as people scattered in panic. Xiang Wentai surfaced from the water, stunned by the scene. Without hesitation, he dove back into the water, rallying his team to flee.
Their mission had only been to sink the ships, not set the dock ablaze. But this—this was an all-out assault.
By dawn, the docks at Jiangtian were engulfed in flames, and the local authorities arrived too late. The following day, news of the incident reached the capital.
The Internal weaving and dyeing bureau’s government fleet had been attacked and burned—a major event that prompted local officials to report to the court immediately.
At Dingyuan Marquis’ residence, Duan Mingxi received the news early from Li Quan.
Li Quan didn’t know why the young lady had instructed him to monitor Jiangtian County, but he hadn’t expected anything this serious to occur.
“Fire? All the ships burned?” Duan Mingxi’s heart skipped a beat. The guards would never escalate to this extent. That meant another player had stepped in.
Who could it be?
Who else was paying attention to the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau’s fleet?
Duan Mingxi thought back to Qi Wang’s words from the other day. Could it have been him?
No, Qi Wang had goods aboard those ships. He would be the last person to want trouble for the government fleet.
Then who else?
That day, when Duan Mingxi visited the Biaoju, she had carefully disguised herself, altering both her voice and walking posture. Unless someone was very familiar with her, it would be nearly impossible to recognize her.
Moreover, she was generous, paying the full amount upfront. There would be no further interactions with the Biaoju. No one would suspect that a young lady from the Marquis family could have any connection with such a place.
Duan Mingxi suppressed the urge to have Li Quan investigate the Biaoju and instead instructed him to continue monitoring the developments of the Jiangtian case.
After Li Quan left, Duan Mingxi immediately sent Xiangxiang to invite the third madam. However, she soon learned that the third madam had gone out.
It seemed likely that the Xie family had received some news and had sought the third madam’s help to relay it to her.
Duan Mingxi patiently waited, and sure enough, the third madam arrived hurriedly, carrying a small basket of fresh peaches, presenting herself as though she had come just to deliver fruit.
Once the third madam was invited into the inner room and all the servants were dismissed, her expression turned grave. She said urgently, “Mingxi, there’s trouble with the government ships. Xie Fang told me that Chen Yisheng was summoned by Xu Donglin early this morning and was reportedly scolded harshly. Immediately afterward, Xu Donglin was summoned by His Majesty.”
He asked me what to do next. The Internal weaving and dyeing bureau is in complete chaos, and only now did I hear from Xie Fang that the official ship not only carried fabrics and silk from the bureau but also items prepared for the emperor’s Longevity Festival a month from now.”
Duan Mingxi was stunned. “Items for the Longevity Festival?”
The third madam urgently replied, “Exactly. That Feng Ji is utterly despicable! He dared to smuggle private goods on an official ship carrying such important items. If anything goes wrong, everyone will be doomed!”
The third madam was genuinely terrified. She initially thought she was cleverly leveraging someone else’s strength, but who could have guessed this “strength” came with a hidden blade.
Duan Mingxi shot to her feet, cold sweat forming on her back.
This was a colossal unforeseen disaster.
No wonder, no wonder there was such a massive fire last night.
Not only had she inadvertently paved the way for someone else’s success, but now her father might also be in danger.
Looking at the third madam, Duan Mingxi decisively said, “Have Xie Fang immediately take the contract Feng Ji signed to wait for Xu Donglin outside the palace. Under no circumstances can Chen Yisheng find out. Make sure Xu Donglin gets the contract before Chen Yisheng takes action.”
In this catastrophe, the one with the toughest backbone would be the one to survive!
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