Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

The boat was rented by Baixi Bridge, and it was not as spacious and comfortable as the official ship. Qi Xiao's room was the best, but it was not as good as the upper room in the post station in Lanquan Town. However, Qi Xiao was not picky. He would feel dizzy no matter what kind of boat he took, so it didn't make any difference.

The room's windows were wide open, providing good ventilation, so it wasn't too stuffy. Qi Xiao's Swift Eagle had come in through the window, landing on the clothes hanger at the head of Qi Xiao's bed. It stepped on Qi Xiao's brocade robe several times, leaving several claw marks on the brand new robe.

Qi Xiao originally wanted to lie down on the bed, but when he saw Xunying, he endured the discomfort and went to feed the eagle first, while asking Zongsheng: "What happened to Fenglin Mountain?"

"Yue Zhilin followed the spy's lead and found a Qi spy hideout in Fenglin Mountain. However, he didn't dare to interfere in Yuanzhou Prefecture. So he reported the matter to Yuanzhou Prefect Nie Guangli and secretly reported it to the capital."

"Oh, Nie Guangli?" Qi Xiao sneered, "It's all in vain. Forget it."

Zong Sheng nodded. "Nie Guangli sent officials from the government office to suppress the rebellion, but they alerted the enemy. When they arrived, the place was empty and they found nothing useful."

"I expected this, so it's alright. Yue Zhilin has made great contributions this time, and perhaps we'll meet in Yuanjing by chance."

"Master wants to use him?"

Qi Xiao didn't answer, but instead asked, "Where's Baixi Bridge?"

“Bow fishing.”

Qi Xiao closed his eyes and murmured, "I'm going to sleep for a while."

On the other side, Tang Ling also returned to her room. The window was open when she left, but it was closed when she came back.

Tang Ling gave Qinglan a wink, Qinglan nodded slightly, retreated, and stood guard outside the door cautiously.

The room was only an inch big, the size of dried tofu, but Ye Huai was able to hide in it, walking silently like a cat.

"Son."

"How is your injury?" For so many days, Tang Ling had almost no chance to say a word to Ye Huai. Qing Lan had already told Tang Ling in detail about Ye Huai's injury, but Tang Ling still couldn't help asking.

"Don't worry, sir. It's okay. I've recovered."

Tang Ling nodded, her brow furrowed. Ye Huai's injuries were serious; how could he recover in a few days? Qing Lan had said he'd need at least a month of recuperation, but since Ye Huai said he was fine, Tang Ling stopped asking questions and simply said, "Okay. Take care of yourself."

"Sir, Yuan Jing has been contacted."

"So soon? I thought we were taking the Qinjiang waterway, and something happened in Lanquan Town. Su Qin was rushing around so fast, so maybe we couldn't get in touch."

Ye Huai said, "It was at the dock. I almost missed it. The carriage couldn't be taken on board and had to be sold on the spot. That's why I had time."

"how?"

"Once Qi Huai disembarks, someone will be there to meet you and escort you safely into Yuanjing."

Tang Ling's brows didn't relax after hearing this; she even shook her head. "I'm not worried about myself, but the situation in Yuanjing. It's also my own fault. A minor injury gave me a high fever that wouldn't go away. I got on the boat in a daze and didn't have time to tell you. When we get to Qihuai, tell them to carefully inquire about the situation in the court and keep an eye on Fenglin Mountain and the west. It would be best if they could find out whether they're sending troops to Yuanzhou Prefecture."

"it is good."

***

"It takes about fifteen or sixteen days to get from Lanquan Town to Qihuai by boat. On the way, we will pass Chuanyang Lake, Qiuzhan, and Jingtang. If we need to resupply, we must go to one of these three places. But I don't know which one Qi Xiao and Su Qin will choose to stop."

Tang Ling frowned as he thought about their route to Yuanjing. He couldn't determine what Qi Xiao and Su Qin were thinking. Qi Xiao was cunning and Su Qin was upright, and it was really hard to predict when they were together. If the two didn't know each other, Su Qin's temper was 99% that he would not obey Qi Xiao's orders, and the boat might not stop at all along the way.

But the two of them were close friends. Qi Xiao was seasick and felt dizzy. He looked pale and thought he would not be able to hold on for a few days. Su Qin was worried and might choose to dock at a pier to rest.

Originally, they were supposed to take an official ship north to Qihuai. Official ships attract attention, and if someone has bad intentions, they will take advantage of the ship docking for supplies to do something. Official ships are much larger and can carry more things. It is not a problem to sail for fifteen days without supplies. To be safe, not stopping at the dock is the best option.

Tang Ling pondered this and suddenly asked Ye Huai, "Have you walked around the cabin these past two days? Do you know how many supplies are on board?"

Ye Huai nodded. "The boat was bought by Qi Xiao. It's much smaller than the official ship. I've explored most of the boat. The original owner of this boat was in the porcelain business. The warehouse on the boat is almost full of goods. With so many of us and the crew on board, I'm afraid there won't be enough food. We're very likely to have to dock."

Tang Ling nodded: "So the key is where will they stop?"

Chuanyang Lake, Qiuzhan, Jingtang...which one?

For decades, the Zhou and Chen dynasties had been locked in a tense, sometimes veiled confrontation. Had it not been for the Taihua River, a battle would have been a stalemate. Tang Ling had been frail since childhood, a condition he'd carried from birth, incurable by medicine and forced to live in pampered care. However, as the son of Marquis Xun An, he refused to resign himself to this fate. Thus, he had been versed in the art of war since childhood, accompanying his father even when he couldn't fight on the battlefield. It was only after ten years of this struggle that he had finally achieved the bitter battle against Lu Fangjin on the Taihua River, earning him the reputation of a "strategic and sage-minded general."

Chuanyang Lake, Qiuzhan, and Jingtang were all strategic thoroughfares along the Qin River. Tang Ling, having spent her early years accompanying her father on campaigns, had recognized the Qin River's importance and devised a strategy to plant spies along the river. With the constant flow of boats along the Qin River, the Feiyu Gang, the well-informed and in control of its waterways, was the obvious choice.

After three years of operation, it has been quite effective. The military intelligence of the State of Chen was transmitted back to the Great Zhou by Qin Jiang's spies, allowing Tang Ling to control the situation of the war, pinch the rhythm of Lu Fangjin's attacks, repeatedly break through, and then maneuver, and also won several battles, making Lu Fangjin grit his teeth in hatred and beat his chest in anger, but he could never imagine how Tang Ling could predict the future so well.

But even so, after nearly half a year of tug-of-war, the national treasury was almost exhausted and the entire Great Zhou was dragged down. They had to seek peace with Chen and even sacrificed Tang Ling herself.

"Sir, no matter where you are..." Ye Huai was about to say that there are branches of the Flying Fish Gang in Chuanyang Lake, Qiuzhan, and Jingtang, and the news can be passed on. In fact, Tang Ling doesn't need to worry too much. As soon as the boat docks, he will find a way to sneak out.

Tang Ling raised her hand to interrupt Ye Huai before he could finish his words, shaking her head. The Feiyu Gang's hidden agents were as powerful as a thousand troops. They were too important to him, his father, Xun Anhou, and the Great Zhou. They were now under the watchful eyes of Su Qin and Qi Xiao. If they discovered anything, not only would all their previous efforts be wasted, but future plans would be extremely difficult. Tang Ling couldn't act rashly. He was shackled, and Qinglan was always by his side, so he couldn't leave the boat. Ye Huai had already been exposed at Hukou Gorge, and Qi Xiao was undoubtedly watching him closely, so he couldn't leave the boat. He had to find another way to pass on the message.

"Let me think about it. Ye Huai, you should go back first and don't let anyone find out."

Ye Huai wanted to say something but didn't. He nodded and jumped out of the window.

Ye Huai climbed onto the wall of the ship, looked around to make sure that no one was around, then climbed up from the side of the ship, gently landed on the deck, walked slowly around the bow and back into the cabin, but after just a few steps he discovered that there was a person hiding in the corner.

Bai Xiqiao leaned against the cabin wall, hiding in the shadows, as if waiting for Ye Huai to come over, and looked straight into Ye Huai's eyes.

"Hey, where did you come from? You scared me." Bai Xiqiao looked at Ye Huai with a smile, and there seemed to be some other meaning in his words.

Ye Huai did not answer, but walked straight past Baixi Bridge, as if he could not see such a living person.

Bai Xiqiao was not annoyed to see Ye Huai being so arrogant. He just shook his head and watched Ye Huai walk into the cabin. He followed him in.