The Bian River surged mightily, its waters churning as far as the eye could see.
Passenger boats, official vessels, and merchant ships of every design crowded the river, masts standing like a forest, sails billowing in the wind—a scene bustling with life and noise.
Merchants and peddlers who frequented the area were already directing their men to unload goods while loudly hawking their wares on the spot.
As for returning home, Jiang Zhuo had previously reported her intention to the Empress Dowager, and so this journey was made aboard an official ship.
Before returning to his hometown, Jiang Dun had already dismissed the household servants. Moreover, Jiang Zhuo’s title as a County Princess had only recently been conferred, and there were no truly trusted hands within the residence.
Because her father had been murdered shortly after resigning from office and the funeral had been kept simple, Jiang Zhuo did not wish this trip to attract too much attention. Therefore, she only requested four highly skilled guards from the Court of the Imperial Clan, along with Tonghua, who attended her closely. Altogether, there were only six of them.
As for Black Eagle?
Jiang Zhuo glanced around. Ever since Ling Heng left, Black Eagle had disappeared as well, no one knew where he had gone to hide again.
Although in her previous life Jiang Zhuo had never possessed a shadow guard, she had spent many years by Ling Heng’s side and knew that such guards rarely appeared before their masters.
By the time she looked again, the passenger ship had already docked, and the officials traveling afar aboard the same vessel were boarding one after another.
Casting a final glance back at the flourishing capital of Bianjing, Jiang Zhuo was just about to step onto the ship when a sudden gust of fierce wind swept in, tearing away her veil curtain.
She reached out to grab it, but her foot suddenly slipped. Fortunately, Tonghua caught her in time.
“Miss—!”
Watching helplessly as her veil curtain flew farther and farther away, Jiang Zhuo let out a soft sigh.
Her looks were strikingly beautiful, and with so many travelers around, standing out too much would only invite trouble.
So be it. At worst, she would go out less while on the ship and make plans after reaching Hangzhou.
Just as Jiang Zhuo lifted her foot to leave, a man dressed in tight black attire appeared before her, holding the veil curtain she had lost.
“The wind on the river is strong, Miss. Please be careful.”
His face was half-covered by a mask, a faint smile at the corners of his lips. His upright figure, however, gave Jiang Zhuo a strange sense of familiarity.
Jiang Zhuo froze.
Earlier, when she had watched it fly away, the veil curtain had already been carried more than seven zhang away. For this man to retrieve it in such a short time, and then return it precisely to its owner, meant his lightness skill and eyesight were both exceptional.
Jiang Zhuo hurriedly took back her veil curtain. Before she could even thank him, the man had already vanished from sight.
Could it be him?
The one who, amid wind and snow, had erected a grave for her?
Jiang Zhuo was not certain.
After all, that had happened thirteen years later—and today, he was wearing a mask.
But no matter what, the person who had erected a stele for her back then might very well be aboard this very ship.
Jiang Zhuo shook her head and stopped thinking further.
The veil curtain was inconvenient on board the ship. After boarding, Jiang Zhuo changed into plain white mourning clothes in a man’s style and pulled Tonghua along to the passenger cabin to eat.
Though she said it was for a meal, in truth, she was there to gather information.
The ship did have provisions, but aside from some fish and shrimp, none of the food was particularly fresh.
To Jiang Zhuo’s right sat several young scholars dressed in blue robes, seemingly traveling south for leisure.
“They all say Jiangnan has the finest scenery. I refuse to believe it can compare to the splendor of Bianjing!”
“Have you heard? Starting last month, girls have been going missing in Western Shu. By now, there are nearly twenty cases!”
“When you reach Hangzhou, you must visit Zuixian Pavilion! Not only are the girls beautiful, the poetry and music there are peerless as well!”
On Jiang Zhuo’s left sat two middle-aged men in blue robes. They appeared to have been demoted and were sighing endlessly.
“The struggle between the old and new factions has only grown fiercer at court. Rather than being caught in the middle, it’s better to be cleanly demoted!”
“Officialdom is like rowing upstream—if you do not advance, you retreat. If you truly harbor thoughts of withdrawal, Brother, then Minister Jiang is the cautionary example!”
At the mention of her father’s name, Jiang Zhuo could not help but focus intently.
“Hush! Careful with your words! Do not forget that walls have ears.”
“You are far too nervous, Brother. The officials heading south are either small figures like us with stalled careers, or some aimless aristocratic dandies. Who else could there be?”
“Minister Jiang may be dead, but the new policies remain. I hear the newly appointed Inspector heading south has just returned from the northern battlefield. Judging by the timing, he should be traveling south with us.”
“A general back from the northern front? Could it be that one as well?”
Their conversation was deliberately obscure, leaving Jiang Zhuo feeling as though she were hearing through layers of mist.
Still, she had obtained the key information.
The general returned from the northern battlefield—the one who had erected a stele for her in her previous life—had also been clad in armor. Thinking back now, he was very likely the masked man who had retrieved her veil curtain when she boarded the ship.
As for the Inspector heading south, his rank was surely not low.
There were four superior cabins on this ship. As a titled member of the imperial clan, Jiang Zhuo occupied one. That left only three others to investigate.
Having finished her analysis, Jiang Zhuo immediately stood up to ask the attendant for information.
She left behind Tonghua, who still had not reacted and was eating with her face full of pastry crumbs.
“Miss, why aren’t you eating anymore? Is the pastry not good?”
“…You keep eating. I’ll pack some pastries to take back for Black Eagle.”
Back when they were still at the Jiang residence, Jiang Zhuo had once tried feeding Black Eagle dinner and breakfast.
Shadow guards neither ate with maids and guards nor with their masters. But then what did they eat every day?
Jiang Zhuo, having never kept a shadow guard before, could not make sense of it, and she was also worried she might starve to death the shadow guard Ling Heng had given her.
Thus, she often prepared meals for Black Eagle.
Red-thread bótuō, plain steamed flatbread, wontons and dumplings, jade-well rice…
Jiang Zhuo had tried them all, yet Black Eagle had never touched any of the dishes she prepared.
Was it because he had eaten too well at the Marquis’s residence and looked down on them?
Jiang Zhuo was puzzled.
It was not until after boarding the ship that she once left out pastries.
The next morning, she discovered that two pieces were missing.
So shadow guards like pastries—Jiang Zhuo finally understood!
From then on, after every meal, she would pack some pastries for Black Eagle.
To the attendant, Jiang Zhuo only said that she was a guest in a superior cabin and would be staying on the ship for a month. Being bored, she wished to make some new acquaintances, but feared accidentally offending some powerful figure. Therefore, she had come to ask which officials were staying in the superior cabins alongside her, so that if anything happened, they could look out for one another.
The attendant skillfully accepted the silver, assuming Jiang Zhuo to be a well-connected young nobleman.
“The superior cabins are divided into Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum. You’re staying in the Orchid cabin. The Plum cabin opposite yours seems to be occupied by some newly appointed Judicial Commissioner—around forty or so, quite intimidating. As for the Chrysanthemum cabin, it’s occupied by a civil official about your age, apparently heading to Hangzhou to take up a post. Judging by his attire, he’s from an aristocratic family. I’d say you and the guest in the Chrysanthemum cabin would get along better.”
“Aren’t there four cabins?” Jiang Zhuo asked curiously. “What about the guest in the Bamboo cabin?”
The attendant shook his head.
Seeing this, Jiang Zhuo slipped him another piece of silver.
Only then did the attendant lower his voice. “The guest in the Bamboo cabin is very strange. He rarely goes out, and every meal is delivered to his room. It’s not that I don’t want to say more—it’s that I really don’t know.”
Jiang Zhuo nodded, understanding in her heart.
The person she was looking for was most likely staying in the Bamboo cabin.