Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Wang Ergou held his breath, his fingers like the most delicate instruments, gently brushing against the cold ship's pillars, trying to detect the source of the sound from above through the subtle vibrations. However, the boat's gentle swaying with the current seriously interfered with his determination of the sound's origin. After a moment's deliberation, he decisively drew his short blade and carefully inserted the tip into the crack of the wooden pillar. Then he pressed his ear firmly to the cold metal handle. Through the solid body, the sound was indeed much clearer.

He moved silently through the cabin like a cat, and finally, he locked onto the point where the sound was most clearly transmitted. He quickly and nimbly climbed up the nearby support structure and pressed his ear against the top wooden board.

Not long after, he slid down silently again with a serious expression.

Zhang Jingwei immediately asked in a low voice: "How is it? What did you hear?"

Wang Ergou quickly reported, his voice low, "Master, there are indeed two people in the cabin above. Judging from their voices, they are both middle-aged men. What they were talking about... seems to be about a miracle doctor known as 'Medicine King Sun', as well as 'life-extending medicine', 'incurable diseases' and so on..."

Zhang Jingwei pressed on: "What do you mean by 'something like'? Explain clearly!"

Wang Ergou shook his head in frustration. "I couldn't quite hear it... It felt like someone upstairs was constantly shaking their legs, creating a lot of noise and interference. But... but I vaguely heard the most crucial sentence - they mentioned 'the army is about to march north'!"

Zhang Jingwei's heart trembled. "Moving north?! Such important news, why didn't you listen carefully before coming down?"

Wang Ergou said helplessly, "Not long after they finished saying this, they stood up and seemed to be leaving. And..." A strange look appeared on his face, "Master, I don't think those two people above are the King of Jin himself!"

Zhang Jingwei frowned. "Oh? Why do you think so?"

Wang Ergou scratched his head and said with some difficulty, "Uh... because... I heard them say a lot of... obscene words that were hard to bear. The discussion about women was extremely vulgar. If the Prince of Jin was really present, he wouldn't be so reckless even in private... let alone when discussing such a confidential matter..."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liang's face suddenly turned pale. He suddenly grabbed Zhang Jingwei's arm and said in a trembling voice, "Sir! We... I'm afraid we've been tricked! We've fallen into their trap!"

Zhang Jingwei understood instantly and said through gritted teeth, "Moving the River Ghost... what a 'Moving the River Ghost'!"

Qian Ming was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan: "What should we do now? The boat belongs to someone else, and we are in the middle of the river!"

Liang Dahai added with a sad face: "Master, they also took our horses away. Now we can't run away even if we want to!"

Ding Xu looked at the tightly closed hatch and portholes and whispered in despair: "We...we are trapped..."

Zhang Jingwei forced himself to calm down and looked at Yuan Liang: "Tang Jing! How much do you know about the Prince of Jin? What kind of person is he? Have you ever met him?"

Yuan Liang shook his head repeatedly, his voice dry. "Sir, how could I possibly have come into contact with a figure like the prince? I've only met the prince from a distance a few times. However...rumors say that the Prince of Jin is quite easygoing, especially when it comes to his maids and servants, often giving generous rewards. He's known among the people for his kindness."

Huangfu Ling drew out the dagger he carried with a swish, his eyes determined: "It's a blessing, not a disaster. If it is a disaster, it can't be avoided! At worst, we can fight our way out!"

At this moment, Lin Kuo, who was in charge of checking the exit, ran back in panic: "Sir! This is bad! The hatch is locked from the outside! It can't be opened at all!"

Almost at the same time, another young constable, Yang Xiaoshuan, came running over, splashing through the water. His voice was filled with fear: "Sir! The cabin... the cabin is taking on water! The water level is rising!"

Everyone looked down and saw muddy river water gurgling in from the cracks in the bottom of the cabin and some unknown holes. Although the speed was not extremely fast, at this rate, it would not be long before it would submerge their ankles, and then their knees...

Zhang Jingwei watched the rising water level and listened to the panicked cries of his men. Even with his tough mind, he couldn't help but panic. He suddenly looked at Yuan Liang, the most quick-witted member of the team, and practically shouted, "Tang Jing! Quick! Find a solution! What should we do?!"

Yuan Liang's face was as pale as paper. He looked at the continuously pouring river water, then at the tightly closed hatch. Calculations flashed through his eyes. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke very quickly, "Sir! For now, perhaps... perhaps we should beg for mercy!"

"Beg for mercy?!" Zhang Jingwei could hardly believe his ears.

"Yes! Beg for mercy!" Yuan Liang said urgently. "My lord, if the King of Jin really wanted our lives, he would have had countless opportunities on shore or just now. Why would he go to such great lengths to trick us onto the boat and then use this 'slow' method? This shows he must have other motives! He must want something from you, or... force you to agree to some conditions!"

Zhang Jingwei was anxious and angry: "I am a seventh-rank official with no power or influence. What can he get from me?!"

"This... I don't know! But this is the only way to survive at the moment! Showing weakness may give us a chance to negotiate!" Yuan Liang's voice was filled with despair.

The water in the cabin grew thicker, already reaching his calves, icy cold. An atmosphere of despair spread like the river. Huangfu Ling no longer hesitated, channeling his inner strength. With his fists and the hilt of his dagger, he desperately pounded against the heavy cabin door and reinforced portholes, sending muffled thuds but to no avail.

Just when the water level was about to submerge the thighs and everyone was about to go crazy -

With a light "click", the hatch was opened from the outside.

Banjiang Gui, or rather, the now-completely different "Shopkeeper Wang," stood majestically at the door. Behind him stood two expressionless, burly men, holding wooden buckets. It was obvious they had just "added water" to the cabin. The river was flowing in through the doorway, but at a noticeably slower pace.

Zhang Jingwei was soaking wet and in a state of disarray. He looked at the calm figure at the door and instantly understood everything. He pushed aside the water in front of him and took two difficult steps forward. Then he bowed deeply to the man, his voice filled with fatigue and a hint of subtle humiliation:

"Your Highness, I am Zhang Jingwei, the magistrate of Gaoyang County, and I pay my respects to His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin!" He directly revealed the other party's identity.

"Banjiang Gui", or King Sima Xuan of Jin, showed an unfathomable smile on his face and raised his hand: "Please stand up, Magistrate Zhang, there is no need to be so polite." His voice was calm, but with the majesty of someone who had been in a high position for a long time.

Zhang Jingwei stood up, wiped the water from his face, and said with a wry smile, "Your Highness, you are truly cunning. I... admit defeat." He looked at the muddy river water at his feet. "But I wonder if my brothers and I, your wife, could leave first? I, Zhang Jingwei, am the only one who has stood against Your Highness. You can kill me or chop me up, as Your Highness wishes. I beg Your Highness to show mercy and spare these irrelevant people."

Upon hearing this, the King of Jin chuckled softly, as if he had heard something amusing. He pointed to the cabin and said, "Zhang, Magistrate, you are indeed clever, but you lack experience. A large ship like this must have watertight compartments within its hull. If, as you imagine, the hull is damaged and water has entered, and if it has reached this main cabin, the entire ship would have capsized and sunk at an extremely fast speed. How could it allow you to struggle here for so long?"

Zhang Jingwei was stunned for a moment, then looked down. Sure enough, the water level, while frightening, was actually rising very slowly, more like a deliberate attempt to create psychological pressure. He felt a mixture of anger at being tricked and a sense of relief at having escaped a desperate situation.

"Then... Your Highness," Zhang Jingwei raised his head and looked directly at Prince Jin, "Can they leave now? What exactly do you plan to do with me?"

The Prince of Jin looked at Zhang Jingwei's bewildered appearance with great interest and said slowly, "Punish you? When did I ever say I would punish you?"

Zhang Jingwei was completely confused by his words, and his anger was reignited. "Since Your Highness didn't intend to punish me, why did he set up this trap, trapping us here, and even using this... method to intimidate us?"

The smile on King Jin's face deepened, a kind of cat-and-mouse playfulness and condescending amusement in that smile. He took a slow step forward, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Because... it's fun."

He looked at Zhang Jingwei's expression, which froze for a moment, and continued slowly:

"Isn't it a great pleasure to witness with my own eyes a man who prides himself on his intelligence and audacity, someone who dared to humiliate even this prince in public, panicking like a headless fly in a difficult situation, racking his brains but finding no solution... and finally having to bow his head and surrender?"