Wish You All the Best - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

With a swift motion of the blade, Wang Jin ceased his struggles. The Golden-Faced Dragon King sheathed his weapon and lifted his mask, revealing the face of a middle-aged man. He turned to Xiao Yu, who was watching him, and made to bow, but was caught and held upright by the boy.

Though the man’s face was covered in whiskers, Xiao Yu recognized him at a glance and said in astonishment, "General Dong?"

The Golden-Faced Dragon King was known as Dong Chen’ang. Years ago, he had been a trusted subordinate of the Duke of Wei, known for his bravery and tactical brilliance, earning numerous merits. Before the Duke of Wei died of illness, he submitted a memorial to the Tianxi Emperor, recommending Dong Chen’ang. In the years that followed, under both the Tianxi Emperor and the Young Emperor, Dong Chen’ang had always held high-ranking posts. However, once the Young Emperor was reported to have died in an accident and the Prince of Shunan ascended the throne, Dong Chen’ang was stripped of his position under trumped-up charges of treason. He was being escorted to the capital for trial when his former subordinates intercepted the carriage, and from that day on, he vanished without a trace.

Who would have guessed that the Golden-Faced Dragon King, who had dominated the Nanyang seas for the past few years, was actually the legendary General Dong.

Dong Chen’ang was overcome with emotion. After exchanging a few words, he said, "Your Majesty, over these past few years, I have been secretly searching for your whereabouts, but I never found any leads. Fortunately, the Young Master never gave up. He arrived just in time and had everything planned out; otherwise, Dong Chen’ang would be guilty of a crime so grave that ten thousand deaths could not atone for it!"

Recalling the perilous scene from moments ago, Dong Chen’ang still felt a lingering chill and moved to apologize again, but Xiao Yu quickly stopped him. Dong Chen’ang then said, "Your Majesty, Young Master, please wait a moment. I will go and gather everyone here." With that, he turned and hurried away.

Xiao Yu turned to Pei You’an: "Shao Fu, how did you know I was here?"

Pei You’an replied, "The eyes and ears of the Jinyiwei are extraordinary. Keeping watch on them is akin to having eyes and ears of your own. However, they act with great secrecy, and their hierarchy is strict, with information tightly guarded. Unless those at the top wish for those below to know, even if you have people inside, you may not obtain accurate intelligence. This time, when Wang Jin arrived in Quanzhou, if he simply wanted to catch people, why go through the redundant effort of making merchants register their names? He could have just arrested everyone outright. Furthermore, he stirred up the Jin family, creating quite a commotion—it was entirely unlike his usual methods. I surmised that he must have discovered something and was intentionally casting bait. His actions were a double-edged sword; although he did indeed lure you out, he completely exposed his own intentions. This gave me the opportunity I needed, and it was by following his trail that I found you."

Xiao Yu’s hair, face, and clothes were still soaked, and as a gust of night wind blew past, he shivered uncontrollably.

Pei You’an immediately unfastened his outer cloak.

"No, no, Shao Fu, your own health is what matters. I am not cold..." Xiao Yu hurried to refuse.

Pei You’an smiled slightly: "It is fine. I can still withstand this much wind. You are soaked; do not let yourself fall ill." As he spoke, the cloak was already draped over Xiao Yu’s shoulders, and he tied the strings for him.

The cloak was warm, as if it still carried his body heat. Xiao Yu looked at Pei You’an, motionless, and tears gradually began to glisten in his eyes.

"...Thank you, Shao Fu. It was my stupidity that allowed me to fall into his trap..."

Pei You’an shook his head: "Your Majesty need not be so self-deprecating. Wang Jin has operated for years; his schemes are impossible to guard against. How could you have imagined such treachery? Although you are young, you have a vast landscape within your heart. Even while mired in the mud, you have not forgotten your pure spirit. If the late Emperor knows of this in heaven, he will surely be comforted."

After comforting the boy, he added: "The Prince of Shunan is bent on eliminating the Third Prince, and the Prince is not a man to be trifled with. Before long, there will likely be a battle. The situation is complex, and the outcome is unpredictable. You cannot appear in public yet, and you certainly cannot remain in Quanzhou. Follow Uncle Dong for now and wait for news from me, is that acceptable?"

"I will follow all of Shao Fu’s arrangements."

Xiao Yu replied instantly. He paused, then continued, "Shao Fu will always be my Shao Fu, but I am no longer the Emperor. Please, do not call me Emperor in the future; just call me Yu’er. Besides, whether I am the Emperor or not matters little to me now. That you have never abandoned me all these years, and saved me today, is already the greatest fulfillment of loyalty to my father. I do not wish for Shao Fu to put yourself in danger for my sake again. Can you promise me this?"

Pei You’an watched the boy, seeing him looking up with a solemn and earnest expression. He remembered how the boy used to doze off in the imperial study during his lessons, and a warmth slowly bloomed in his heart. He smiled and nodded.

Dong Chen’ang hurried back quickly and said, "Your Majesty, Young Master, this place is not suitable for a long stay. We should leave quickly." He glanced at Wang Jin’s corpse on the ground: "Young Master, should I dispose of this cleanly first?"

"Uncle Dong, can you guarantee that you will send His Majesty away tonight?"

"Rest assured, Young Master; everything has been arranged. There will be no mishaps."

Pei You’an pondered for a moment and said, "If my calculations are correct, there should be another group of people in Quanzhou city at this moment searching for His Majesty’s whereabouts. If they become aware of anything, it will not be easy to shake them off. Leave the corpses; there is no need to dispose of them."

He spoke somewhat vaguely. Dong Chen’ang was stunned at first, then understood, and laughed heartily: "The Young Master is as thoughtful as ever! Using these corpses to delay those people for a few days should not be a problem."

Pei You’an smiled and led Xiao Yu away.

Xiao Yu walked a few steps, hesitated, stopped, and said in a low voice, "Shao Fu, if the Zhen family’s daughter hadn’t saved me back then, I would have been dead long ago. Now that Wang Jin knew the Zhen family sheltered me—now that he is dead and I have left like this—will she be in danger?"

Pei You’an was startled for a moment, then replied, "Rest assured. There were two groups of Jinyiwei sent south this time. Wang Jin came to Quanzhou, but the other group received incorrect information and went elsewhere to hunt for you. Wang Jin and those people were always fighting for power; to monopolize the credit, they never shared intelligence. Wang Jin is dead, and the two Jin family clerks—who were secretly interrogated by him and had tried to throw you into the sea—have also been killed on the spot. No one else will know the truth of the matter."

Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief and finally smiled: "That is good. I was only afraid of implicating her."

Pei You’an turned his head and said, "Uncle Dong, in the future, when the Zhen family’s ships traverse the sea, I must trouble you to keep a watchful eye over them."

Dong Chen’ang replied, "Rest assured, Young Master. Even without your words, I know what to do."

Pei You’an looked off toward the direction of Quanzhou city, then stepped away, and the figures of the party quickly vanished into the vast night.

Shortly after they had passed, Xiao Yintang arrived nearby with a few men. He discovered the corpses of the Jinyiwei and, with a look of surprise, stood to the side watching his subordinates quickly search the bodies. A moment later, a subordinate stood up and said, "Heir, the bodies are clean; there is nothing on them!"

As Xiao Yintang pondered, a disturbance seemed to drift on the wind from afar. A lookout ran over hurriedly and said, "Heir, government troops are coming!"

Xiao Yintang looked toward the distant, dim figures carrying torches and frowned: "Split up and scatter! Do not reveal your identities!"

...

Two days later was the Lantern Festival. Originally, it should have been a time of lanterns filling the city and fireworks illuminating an endless night. However, this year’s festival was quite different. The government not only ordered the cancellation of the lantern fairs and implemented a curfew but also strictly forbade inns and households from harboring anyone without travel permits. They even sealed off all city gates and the ports leading to the outer sea, subjecting every departing person, vehicle, and ship to rigorous searches. Fear permeated the city, and rumors spread through the streets and alleys that the men of the Golden-Faced Dragon King had entered the city. The government was conducting massive raids for suspects, and anyone found without household registration or a travel permit was to be arrested without exception.

For the past few days, Jiafu had felt anxious and fearful, and to make matters worse, something had happened at home. It was not a major crisis, but it was deeply frustrating. First, a few days ago, the grandmother said she wanted to arrange another marriage for her grandson, but Zhen Yaoting refused. After arguing for a few days—and according to the plan, the Zhen family’s first large ship was to set sail for the ocean at the end of the first lunar month—he was determined to join the voyage. His grandmother and Madam Meng naturally forbade it. Because of these two issues, the household had known no peace since the New Year. Yesterday, Zhen Yaoting went to argue with his grandmother again and naturally failed. Fearing he would sneak onto the ship, his grandmother had him locked in his room temporarily until the ship departed. To everyone's shock, this morning, they found the window pried open, and he was gone. They hurriedly sent people out to find him, but those who went out early in the morning had returned one by one, all saying they had seen nothing. The city had not been peaceful these past few days. The gatekeeper mentioned that he had just seen government troops patrolling the nearby streets. Grandmother and Madam Meng were both quite panicked, and Jiafu was also very worried.

The gatekeepers of the front and corner gates all swore that they had definitely not seen the Young Master go out, and they had searched every part of the house without finding him. Jiafu wondered where he could possibly have gone. Suddenly, a place came to her mind, and she hurried there.

The Zhen family estate was vast. In the northwest corner of the rear garden, there was a workshop that her father had used in his early years.

Jiafu’s father had loved woodworking since he was a child, crafting various models of ships. Zhen Yaoting had inherited this trait from him, and when he was small, he often played here by his father’s side. Later, as his father became increasingly busy, he rarely came once a year, and the place gradually became Zhen Yaoting’s paradise. He was also quite skilled at woodworking, but since his father’s death, the place had slowly fallen into disrepair over the past few years. The doors were usually kept shut, and even the servants rarely passed by.

Jiafu rushed to the workshop and, standing at the doorway, heard the "shhh-shhh" sound of wood being planed. Her heart relaxed instantly. She leaned over to peek through the crack in the door and, sure enough, saw her brother in front of the old sawhorse, bent over and planing a piece of timber with great effort. It was a cold day, yet he wore only a thin undergarment, his outer robe discarded randomly to the side, and he looked drenched in sweat.

Jiafu signaled for Tanxiang to quickly inform the others so that her grandmother and mother would stop worrying, then pushed the door open and walked in.

Zhen Yaoting saw his sister arrive, but did not stop his hands; he only said, "Sister, I know what you are going to say. Say it then; I am listening, but don’t disturb my work!"

Jiafu had been very angry at first, but having truly found him there and seeing him drenched in sweat, her heart softened. She glanced around, sighed, took out her handkerchief, wiped his sweat, and said, "Brother, I have been thinking, why must you go out to sea on the ships? Can you tell me?"

Zhen Yaoting did not reply, continuing to plane the wood with a huff and a puff.

"Are you still thinking that Father didn't pass away, but is just stranded somewhere he can’t return from, and that if you don't go out and search for him yourself, you won’t give up? Is that it?"

Zhen Yaoting’s hands paused.

Jiafu sat on a pile of old timber to the side, hugging her knees in a daze.

Zhen Yaoting continued planing for a moment, but gradually, his movements slowed down more and more, until finally, he stopped and stood motionless.

The workshop was dimly lit, and the air held a faint smell of mold. Jiafu remained lost in thought for a moment, then said, "Brother, you secretly miss Father, and I do too. I also hope he is safe, but that is impossible now. You cannot continue like this. There are some things I have wanted to tell you for a long time; let’s say them all now while it is convenient. If you find my words harsh, it is because I am speaking only the truth. Do you remember what happened when we were passing Fuming Island before the New Year? It is not that you were entirely in the wrong—that man was rude to Uncle Zhang first, and you were right to protect him. But later, that man had already left the ship, and the people behind him did not look like kind-hearted folk. When we are away from home, we should avoid trouble whenever possible; if we suffer a little loss, what does it matter? You couldn't bear it and caused a scene. Fortunately, those few people left on their own; otherwise, who knows what would have happened."

Zhen Yaoting hummed, "Sister, you are wrong. That man provoked the incident first and even threw me to the ground. Is it wrong for me to scold him a few times?"

Jiafu said, "Could you have beaten him? Do you know who those people were? Scolding him satisfied your tongue, but what if you offended someone we couldn’t afford to offend and brought disaster upon the whole family? What would you have done then?"

Zhen Yaoting muttered, "What kind of people could they be? Our family is in Quanzhou; who doesn't give us a bit of face?"

Jiafu sneered, "You only know as far as Quanzhou. Didn't you gain any insight from going to the capital before the New Year? Anyone, as long as they are an official, makes us feel inferior the moment we meet. As for those with slightly more power, if they wanted to make things difficult for us, it would be as easy as pinching an ant. Brother, I didn't say anything before because I knew you were trying to protect me. That day, you rushed in and forced your way to see the Old Madam, and said such offensive things. If we hadn’t been lucky enough to meet an open-minded person like the Old Madam, and hit the nail on the head, what would have happened if you had tried that with someone else?"

Zhen Yaoting was stunned.

"We must first establish ourselves, become strong enough so that others dare not move against us. A person must first be self-reliant before they can stand before others. When you are in Quanzhou, people call you ‘Young Master’ when they hear your name, but that is out of respect for our grandfather and the family business our father left behind, not out of respect for you. To put it bluntly, if something happens, who will buy your name? I won’t say anything else, let’s just talk about Sister Yuzhu. You have taken a fancy to her. She is only a servant girl, but what can you do, Brother? You can only sneak around to find her, and if you get to say a word or two, that is luck. Not to mention whether she fancies you, even if she did, do you have the standing to walk up openly and take her away from there? You do not!"

Zhen Yaoting’s face slowly flushed red.

"If you can’t succeed in your studies, so be it; Grandmother and Mother don’t force you anymore, but at least, Brother, you should shoulder your responsibility as the only son of the Zhen family. I still remember the day the Second Cousin came, when you rushed out and said that if your sister couldn't get married, the worst-case scenario was that you would support her for the rest of your life! Brother, having you protect me is truly my fortune. But Father is gone, and Grandmother is old. If you continue like this, how can I rely on you?"

Coming to a poignant point, tears welled up in Jiafu’s eyes: "Brother, do you know why our family wanted to marry me into their house before? Why Mother was so careful and flattering toward them? It was because Grandmother feared that if you didn't succeed and couldn't take over the family business, she would have to use me to trade for a backer for you! But the waters there were too murky, and Mother couldn't bear it, which is why she brought me back. Brother, if you truly want to love and protect me for the rest of your life, then show me the demeanor of an older brother. Stop having these unrealistic fantasies, work hard, and establish yourself. Otherwise, this time, even if Mother risks Grandmother’s blame to reject this marriage for me, there will be another family waiting for me next time. Because in our family, Grandmother has the final say. Do you finally understand?"

Zhen Yaoting was dumbfounded.

When his sister mentioned Yuzhu, he felt as if his heart had been pricked by a needle, and when she spoke of the Pei family marriage, it was like being struck by lightning.

He had always thought that his sister’s marriage into the Pei family was a result of her good luck, and that she would become someone superior, but he never imagined there were such hidden implications.

He was incredibly ashamed, his head hanging lower and lower, wishing he could find a crack in the floor to crawl into. After a long while, he looked up and gritted his teeth: "Sister, say no more! I know I’ve been a fool! To let my sister trade herself for a backer for me—what kind of person is Zhen Yaoting! Don’t be sad anymore; I will never let you suffer for my sake again!"

Every time before, no matter how the family scolded or pleaded with him, he would only agree on the surface and continue as before. Jiafu had never seen him look so ashamed, and she felt in her heart that this response was completely different from the past.

Everything is difficult at the start. Even if he could not change everything immediately, as long as he was truly moved in his heart, that was a good beginning.

The depression that had weighed on her heart for days finally began to dissipate. Jiafu looked at the ship model he was making and said, "Brother, finish this one first and give it to me."

Zhen Yaoting scratched his head: "I don't make them as well as Father. If you don't mind, I will give it to you."

Jiafu said, "Anything given by my brother, I will like."

Zhen Yaoting grinned and hurriedly began planing again with vigor, saying, "The parts are almost done, Sister, wait a moment, it won’t take long to put together."

Jiafu nodded, sat to the side with her chin in her hands and a smile, watching him busily work. After a while, Zhen Yaoting could not find his carpenter’s ink marker. Jiafu got up to help him find it. Looking around, she saw the marker lying near a pile of timber in the corner, so she walked over. As she bent down to pick it up and raised her head, she inadvertently saw the feet of a man wearing black boots behind the timber pile, with half a toe visible.

Jiafu was shocked, her heart pounding. Regaining her composure, she was just about to pretend to be oblivious and retreat, when Zhen Yaoting walked over and said, "It is right in front of you by your feet, Sister, why aren’t you picking it up?"

Jiafu grabbed the ink marker, stood up, turned around, caught his arm, and led him directly toward the exit, saying, "Brother, I just remembered, Mother was in a hurry, and I have been out looking for you for a while now. Why don't we go back? You can slowly finish this ship and give it to me later..."

After speaking, she gave his arm a heavy squeeze and said in a fast, low voice, "Don’t look back, don’t speak, just get out with me!"

Zhen Yaoting was completely confused, but seeing his sister looking straight ahead with a tense expression, he opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Just as the two were about to leave the workshop door, a voice came from behind them: "Stop!"

Jiafu’s scalp went numb. She yanked Zhen Yaoting, who still didn't understand what was happening, and began to run wildly toward the outside. She opened her mouth to shout, but a figure flashed from the side, blocking the doorway, and a glistening long sword was held horizontally before her.

Jiafu recognized him instantly; it was the man who had caused the conflict while inquiring about the ship at Fuming Island!

Zhen Yaoting was stunned for a moment, then reacted. His eyes widened, and just as he was about to open his mouth, the man stepped forward and struck the back of Zhen Yaoting’s neck with one palm. Before Zhen Yaoting could let out a sound, he fainted and collapsed to the ground.

Jiafu heard footsteps behind her and turned around sharply to see Xiao Yintang appearing from behind the pile of timber, walking slowly toward her.

His cold, ruthless gaze rested on her face like a blade, as if intending to carve through her skin, deep into her flesh, yet his thin lips bore a gentle smile: "Don’t be afraid, little lady. Although I am not a kind man, as long as you do as I instruct, I guarantee I will not hurt a single hair on your head.”