On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

At the mouth of the Yangtze River, the darkest moment before dawn.

The thick sea fog was like a damp and cold shroud, covering the rough sea heavily.

The wind was not strong, but it carried a biting chill and a strong salty smell, rolling up turbid waves that repeatedly beat against the jagged black reefs outside the Chongming sandbar, making a never-ending, low roar like a giant beast grinding its teeth.

In this forgotten and forbidding place, where even seabirds are seldom seen, waves and rocks wrestle in an eternal struggle.

Deep in this rocky beach shrouded in thick fog and darkness, in a hidden bay surrounded by huge rugged rocks, like a natural city wall, the water surface ripples slightly, breaking the silence.

A low, narrow, Goryeo-style "plank-house ship" painted in matte black that almost blends into the inky sea water slid silently into the bay like a ghost emerging quietly from the abyss.

There were no lights or markings on the ship, the low cabin was closed, and the sails had been lowered. Only four heavy wooden oars extended from both sides of the ship. Under the silent and powerful control of several elite sailors, the oars entered the water silently, leaving only a few imperceptible ripples on the water surface.

The bow of the ship was as sharp as a knife, breaking through the thick fog and approaching the slippery and cold rock wall accurately and gently like a lover. The hull made contact with the rock, making an inaudible sound like a sigh.

On the bow deck, a figure stood motionless like a reef, letting the cold wind carrying salty water vapor blow the hem of his dark gray straw raincoat.

He wasn't tall, even a bit thin, but he stood tall and straight, like a javelin stuck on the bow of a ship. His dark blue, finely textured Japanese "straight tail" casual clothes were faintly visible beneath his straw raincoat, outlining his tight figure.

The sea breeze rustled his slightly graying sideburns, meticulously combed back close to his scalp, revealing a face as angular as if it had been cut by a knife or an axe. Time had carved deep lines on his forehead and around his eyes, but it had not diminished the sharpness of his eyes.

At this moment, those eyes, under the cover of thick fog and darkness, flashed with a cold and sharp light like an eagle, as if it could penetrate all the fog, and were fixed on the huge brightly lit outline in the distant sky outlined by the faint morning light - Huxian Deepwater Port!

Even at such a great distance, the noisy voices, the deafening sirens, and the hideous silhouette of the huge crane in the morning light all impacted his senses as if they were real!

A mixture of shock, fear, and a deeper fire of greed and conquest burned silently in his eyes. He was Shimazu Yoshihiro (alias Shimazu Hisusuke, a Goryeo merchant), the most trusted brother of Satsuma Lord Shimazu Yoshihisa, and the special envoy sent to Daqianhu County on a top-secret mission.

"Sir, we have arrived at the designated anchorage." A low, hoarse voice, like the friction of sandpaper, sounded behind him.

The speaker was short and stocky, like a moving piece of granite. The hideous scar on his face, which ran diagonally from his brow to the corner of his mouth, looked like a twisted centipede in the dim light. He was none other than Akaboshi Tadanao, a retainer of the Shimazu family and a samurai known for his bravery and ruthlessness.

He held the Japanese sword at his waist and glanced vigilantly at the rugged rocks and surging waves around him.

Shimazu Yoshihiro nodded slightly, without turning around. His voice was low and steady, carrying the majesty of someone who had long held a superior position: "Has the 'rat' been released?"

"Hattori-sama has led the Rat Group to infiltrate. Targets: the Port Materials Department, the Cement Factory, and the Jinwu Guard's East Camp Outpost." Akaboshi Tadanao bowed and replied in a very low voice, "According to the plan, there should be a response within three days."

"Very good." Shimazu Yoshihiro's gaze still did not leave the distant port, as if he wanted to imprint that boiling land in his mind. "Where is Jin Shunyi?"

"We've contacted using the newly agreed upon codename 'Osprey' and confirmed we're safe. His men are meeting us in the back alley of the 'Fuchang Fishing Company' at the new dock."

"Prepare for landing." Shimazu Yoshihiro finally withdrew his gaze and turned, the hem of his raincoat drawing a cold arc. "Remember, we are now the Korean ginseng merchant from Busan, Shimazu Hisasuke. You are my bodyguard, Akaboshi Nao."

"Yes! Master Hisasuke!" Akaboshi Tadanao immediately bowed in response, his expression and tone instantly changing to that of a taciturn and loyal guard.

A moment later, a small dinghy, also painted black and capable of accommodating only three or four people, was silently lowered into the water.

Shimazu Yoshihiro and Akaboshi Tadanao boarded the sampan. The two sailors rowed the oars skillfully. The small sampan was like a flexible black fish. It stuck to the wet and cold reef wall, slid out of the bay silently, merged into the foggy sea, and headed towards the old city of Hu County.

The sky was just getting light and the thick fog had not yet completely dissipated, but the old city of Hu County had already begun to make noisy sounds like a giant beast that had awakened.

Crowds began to gather on the narrow, sewage-strewn streets. Vendors pushing wheelbarrows hawked hot breakfasts (fried dough sticks, soy milk, and glutinous rice balls). The air was filled with the aroma of fried dough, the smoke from cheap coal briquettes, and a murky, underworld odor of sweat, garbage, and cheap cosmetics.

Today is the day of the deep-water port opening ceremony. The air is filled with a restless excitement, and even the beggars on the street seem to be more energetic than usual.

Shimazu Hisasuke and Akaboshi Nao blended in among the crowd entering the city, remaining inconspicuous.

Shimazu Hisasuke changed into an indigo-blue brocade robe with a blessing character pattern, which was of decent quality but ordinary style. He wore a half-worn black cotton jacket on the outside, a common melon-shaped hat on his head, and a brass pipe in his hand in a pretentious manner. He looked like a busy middle-aged traveling merchant.

Chi Xingzhi was wearing a short tight-fitting outfit, a half-worn sheepskin coat, and a long sword wrapped in cloth on his waist (disguised as a self-defense weapon). He was pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with several large wooden boxes. The wooden boxes were pasted with red paper with the words "Goryeo Top-Grade Mountain Ginseng" on them. They looked heavy and indeed contained some ordinary-quality Korean ginseng as a cover.

The two followed the crowd, passed through the noisy street market, and turned into an even narrower back alley with sewage flowing everywhere and garbage and broken baskets piled on both sides.

Deep in the alley, there is a small shop with a faded sign that reads "Fuchang Fishing Shop". The doors and windows are closed, exuding a sense of desolation and shabbyness that is incompatible with the surrounding hustle and bustle. The strong fishy smell is almost nauseating.

Chixing walked forward and knocked gently on the closed door with a special rhythm - three long and two short, a pause, and then one long.

There was silence for a moment, followed by a rustling sound and a suppressed cough. Then, with a soft "creak," the door opened, a gap just wide enough for one person to pass sideways. A thin face with a flattering smile, but unable to conceal its nervousness and fear, peeked out. It was none other than the Goryeo spy, Kim Sun-yi.

He quickly glanced at both ends of the alley, making sure no one was paying attention. Then he lowered his voice and said anxiously, as if crying, "Master Shimazu! You're finally here! Come on! Please come in!"

Shimazu Hisasuke had a blank expression on his face, nodded slightly, and was the first to squeeze sideways into the door.

Chi Xingzhi followed closely behind, pushing the wheelbarrow in. Jin Shunyi immediately and nervously closed the door, inserted the bolt, and moved a heavy, broken wooden cabinet to prop up the door panel, his movements frantic.

The shop was dimly lit and filled with a strong, suffocating smell of fish and salt.

There were a few dried salted fish hanging sparsely on the shelves, and a few dilapidated fish baskets and foul-smelling fishing nets were piled on the ground.

Obviously, this is just a cover.

Jin Shunyi didn't bother to greet them and quickly led them into an even smaller secret room in the back hall, where only a small window covered with thick paper let in a dim light.

There was a low table and a few cushions in the middle of the secret room, a few dusty sacks were piled in the corner, and the air was filled with a strange smell of fish and stale tea.

"Sir! Please save me!" As soon as the door curtain was lowered, Jin Shunyi fell to his knees with a plop, tears streaming down his face, his voice filled with extreme fear.

"Hu County is now a den of wolves and dragons. That Jinwu Guard's Mao Mengji is no human! He's a mad dog! His nose is sharper than a shark's! That idiot Park Changfan's head is still hanging on the East Gate Tower to dry. That's a lesson for us! I almost got implicated by him! Fortunately... fortunately, I was smart and burned all the correspondence in advance. I also spent fifty taels of silver to bribe a jailer to shut him up... That's how I escaped!"