Chapter 41

On the last day of the first lunar month, Su Ci set off south to the river with Yang Yanzong. She was quite happy; she loved going on missions, especially when the Prince of Qian arrived at the dock in a simple black crane cloak, feeling as bright as the sunny weather. Unfortunately, Yang Yanzong pulled her into the cabin before she could get a good look. There were indeed many people heading south to the river. To avoid drawing attention, she wore men’s clothing. When they arrived at the large dock in Yangdu with the main group, the Fourth Prince’s heir, Ji Ying, was already there, along with several people Su Ci didn’t recognize but could tell were key advisors from the Seventh Prince’s residence. Including guards and other officials from their faction, there were probably seventy or eighty people. And that was just on the surface; some secret guards and other personnel were likely departing separately.

Additionally, the Fourth Prince’s heir and Ji Yuanhao had also arrived. This was the first time Su Ci saw the Fourth Prince’s heir, Ji Lin, a young man with natural nobility and a heroic demeanor. He seemed to have a rather ordinary relationship with Ji Yuanhao—though they stood together, with Ji Yuanhao smiling and Ji Lin nodding occasionally, they appeared close and harmonious. However, Su Ci felt their actual relationship wasn’t as amicable as it seemed.

Su Ci gossiped, “Some say Ji Yuanhao is the Fourth Prince’s illegitimate son. Could that be true? Is that why the Fourth Prince’s heir feels uneasy?”

Yang Yanzong: “False.”

He easily leaped onto the deck and pulled Su Ci up. This was a large ship, and even though the port was deep, the large ship couldn’t dock as snugly as a small one, leaving a gap of about three feet between the deck and the dock.

Su Ci jumped onto the ship, the river wind blowing cold but refreshing. Her eyes were busy, constantly looking around. She saw her sister jump onto the ship with Yang Yanzhen and quickly head to the lower deck. After exchanging an “OK” gesture with her sister, Su Ci’s eyes wandered back to the other ships when she suddenly heard the urgent, chaotic sound of hooves on the shore.

The last group had arrived. They were people from the court, specifically from the old emperor’s side. The leader was Imperial Uncle Kun, accompanied by several high-ranking civil and military officials. Su Ci’s gaze swept over them and immediately landed on the fair-faced Prince of Qian, whose black crane cloak fluttered in the wind. Her eyes lit up. But before she could get a good look, Yang Yanzong pulled her into the cabin.

No more admiring the handsome man, and Yang Yanzong’s tone was indifferent, “What are you looking at?”

Su Ci’s reaction was quick. She hadn’t forgotten the last time Yang Yanzong caught her peeking at the handsome man from the attic. She immediately put on a confused face, “Looking at what? What’s wrong?”

A fleeting glance, so many people, it was normal she didn’t recognize him clearly.

Yang Yanzong squinted at her for a moment, but Su Ci’s acting was convincing. She blinked innocently, “Looking at what? Did someone arrive?” She even pretended to lean out to take another look, but Yang Yanzong pulled her back.

Alright, she passed.

“Who else? Imperial Uncle Kun.” Yang Yanzong decided to believe her for now and led her to their cabin. The ship was large, with three levels of cabins. Their room was a large cabin in the innermost part of the second level. Since it was a government ship, others followed after the people from the Sixth Prince’s residence boarded.

Su Ci, being a woman, didn’t disguise herself, but neither she nor Yang Yanzong wanted her to attract attention. So, without needing his reminder, Su Ci planned to stay in the cabin unless necessary.

“How many days to the river?” After entering the room, Su Ci ran around the inner and outer rooms. The cabin was quite nice, worthy of a government ship. To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, she reluctantly said goodbye to the handsome man and opened the window on the other side, peeking out. Seeing that most people had boarded, she turned to ask Yang Yanzong.

“Downstream, barring any accidents, about six days.” Government ships heading south would have smooth sailing, so there shouldn’t be any accidents.

Yang Yanzong stood behind her, facing the cold river wind, squinting at the two large ships opposite, and answered casually.

That was quick. She remembered their trip to Wuchuan, which took several days by water, and the river was even farther downstream than Wuchuan.

Everyone boarded the large ship, and finally, the ceremonial team carrying the bright yellow imperial flag and five hundred imperial guards. Despite the various factions in the team, they were essentially an imperial envoy sent by the court to salvage the sunken silver and handle subsequent matters. Each ship had a bright yellow imperial flag.

It was mid-afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly. The spring sun cast a golden glow on the yellow dragon-patterned flag, making it very eye-catching.

Yang Yanzong squinted at it for a moment, then lowered his head and whispered to Su Ci, “Things are different now…” He didn’t say what was different, but after experiencing the palace intrigue together, Su Ci understood immediately. He lowered his voice, “The emperor likely has spies, possibly right under our noses. Be careful, and keep secrets to a minimum. Understood?”

He should have reminded her of this a couple of days ago, if they hadn’t been busy getting married.

Su Ci understood immediately, nodding vigorously. Of course, she knew, but… why did he say “perhaps right under our noses”?

“What do you mean? Do you suspect someone?”

The river wind howled as they stood close together by the porthole, their clothes fluttering, making a picturesque scene of a handsome man and a beautiful woman. However, their whispered conversation was far from ordinary.

Yang Yanzong listened for a moment, ensuring no one was around, then said, “No specific target, but the former emperor had spies when he was the crown prince. They were active in the court, military, and among commoners, with members from all walks of life, including those who entered through the imperial examination, joined the military, engaged in commerce, and more.”

This highly successful spy network played a crucial role in the former emperor’s suppression of the Zhenjiang King’s rebellion, which once threatened half the empire. The network gradually faded from public view when the current emperor took over. However, reliable sources indicated it was never truly disbanded. The old emperor believed being too well-known was unsuitable for spies, so he streamlined the network and made it more covert.

“These people’s identities are unknown, but it is certain that this organization still exists. Members have a plum blossom mark, mostly on their arms or shoulders.”

The emperor had been in power for forty years. Officials had been promoted or demoted, generals had killed enemies or died, merchants had traveled, and other identities had emerged. Over the years, these people had perfectly integrated into their surroundings. Even though Yang Yanzong had repeatedly cleaned his ranks, he couldn’t be sure there were none left, so he specifically warned Su Ci.

“Plum blossom secret guards?” It seemed the Tang Dynasty had them, too. But why did everyone prefer plum blossoms over peach or chrysanthemum blossoms? Was it because plum blossoms sounded more elegant and grand?

Su Ci suddenly understood, but she was sure Yang Yanzong had no plum blossom marks on his shoulders or arms. She blinked, “How do you know?”

This should be very confidential, right?

She leaned in closer, gossiping. Yang Yanzong, seeing her sneaky look, smiled, lowered his head, and kissed her, closing the window and deepening the kiss. Su Ci endured it for the sake of the secret.

But who knew this rascal, after kissing her, smirked and said, “Not telling you.”

Yang Yanzong had more to do. He let go of her, turned, and left, leaving Su Ci fuming. She stood with her hands on her hips, puffing up like a pufferfish.

Yang Yanzong smirked and quickly closed the door before she could chase him.

…

Yang Yanzong was in a good mood as he stepped out, a slight smile on his lips. But unfortunately, the smile didn’t last long.

Besides Yang Yanzong, there were many court officials, including the Left Guard Commander, Zhang Boqian.

Yang Yanzong was the Deputy Commander of the Left Guard, meaning Zhang Boqian was his superior. But their first private meeting was not pleasant.

As the ship moved, the sails filled with wind, and they quickly left the port. Yang Yanzong glanced at the anchor being pulled up, climbed the steps, and reached the first cabin on the top deck. There were four Left Guard officers on this ship, including Zhang Boqian. As the new deputy, Yang Yanzong naturally came to pay his respects first. But the meeting was not as expected.

Zhang Boqian, in his early forties, with slightly dark skin and sharp eagle-like eyes, glanced at Yang Yanzong indifferently. His gaze was not warm but rather cold and condescending, treating Yang Yanzong more like an outsider than a subordinate.

This man was the emperor’s confidant, long in power, and clearly aware of the secret knife incident.

“Yang Yanzong, right?” Zhang Boqian, holding a dossier on the sunken silver, glanced up, showing no friendliness. He coldly mentioned some Left Guard rules and ended with, “Remember your duties, and don’t think of delaying!”

You can’t afford to delay; the emperor is not someone you can fool.

The meeting, filled with veiled threats, lasted less than ten minutes.

Yang Yanzong left.

Zhang Boqian, huh? Passing the guards, Yang Yanzong smirked coldly.

---

Yang Yanzong had been out for most of the day. When he returned, his expression was indifferent, showing no signs of emotion. But Su Ci, now very familiar with him, could tell at a glance that he was in a bad mood.

“Poor guy,” she thought.

Su Ci quickly poured him a cup of hot tea to help him relax. “What happened?”

But then she remembered Zhang Boqian. Earlier, A Kang had given her a rundown of the key people on the ship. “Zhang Boqian?”

“Does he know our background?” Su Ci recalled the brief glimpse she had of him when they boarded. He didn’t seem like an easy person to get along with. She had a sense of it. Yang Yanzong pulled her onto his lap and sipped his tea, while she wrapped her arms around his neck and said with a smile, “Don’t be mad. Let him have his moment. We don’t know who will have the last laugh!”

Based on the original story and her current understanding of Yang Yanzong, he was good at pulling down the top dog and taking their place. Who knows what he was planning?

Yang Yanzong was amused by her, his dark mood lightening a bit. He snorted and gave her a sidelong glance, “You have that much faith in me?”

Su Ci raised her eyebrows and gave him a smug look, “Of course, if I don’t trust you, I trust my own judgment!” She didn’t forget to praise herself in the end.

Who was she trying to compliment? Yang Yanzong snorted. He knew her weakness well. He placed his hand on her ribs, and Su Ci immediately sprang up like a spring, but unfortunately, she couldn’t escape. Yang Yanzong held her down and gave her a good tickling.

They tangled on the bed, ending up with disheveled hair, and eventually, things got heated.

Afterward, Yang Yanzong’s mood was completely restored. Regarding Zhang Boqian, he said indifferently, “Let’s wait until we get to the river and salvage the silver.”

As for what comes next, they would deal with it as it happens. It was too early to discuss it now.

“Do you think the old emperor will make any other moves?” Su Ci asked, her hair sticky with sweat, as she leaned close to Yang Yanzong’s ear and whispered.

Yang Yanzong wasn’t a confidant, so logically, the old emperor wouldn’t put all his trust in him.

Yang Yanzong said indifferently, “I don’t know.”

Indeed, it was too early to say. First, they needed to salvage the silver. The disaster victims were still waiting. Although she doubted whether countries like Annam and Tiga would sell such large quantities of medicinal materials and food, they would buy as much as they could.

---

Su Ci wiped her sweat with a cloth, but the stickiness still made her uncomfortable. She nudged Yang Yanzong with her foot, “Go get some water.” She pointed with her chin towards the nearby warming stove.

Yang Yanzong gave her a sidelong glance. Su Ci, looking lazy, had one white, tender foot propped up, her toes wiggling leisurely. He was exasperated. Other women served their husbands after the act, but she dared to order her man around!

Seeing his fierce expression, Su Ci quickly understood. She glanced at her foot, giggled, and pounced on him, coquettishly whining, “Husband, I’m sore~”

She whispered, “You were so rough! Okay, okay, go get the water~”

Yang Yanzong, both annoyed and amused, pinched her chin and chuckled. After some playful tussling, with Su Ci laughing and begging for mercy, he finally got up, slipped on his shoes, and brought the warming stove over, pouring water into the copper basin.

Such trivial matters didn’t bother him. He didn’t mind compromising a bit for her. He wrung out the cloth, and they cleaned up and put on fresh clothes. It was already dark. Yang Yanzong opened the door and called for dinner to be brought in.

Su Ci opened the window to air out the room and was surprised to see the sky dotted with stars. The dark blue sky was beautiful. She leaned on the ship’s rail, gazing up for a while. It was so pretty.

With such good weather, they should reach the river in about three or four days, right?

…

Of course, the weather wasn’t perfect every day. After two sunny days, it turned cloudy and then started to drizzle. But whether it was sunny or rainy, the common feature was the strong wind.

The light rain didn’t hinder their speed. The strong wind filled the sails, and on the third day after leaving Yangdu, they entered the river from Lingshui, following the great river winding between the vast mountains and plains. On the sixth afternoon, they reached their destination at the river’s Qu County section.

At the temporary dock in the deep water area of the river bend, local officials crowded to welcome them. Imperial Uncle Kun wasted no time, dismissing formalities and immediately streamlining the personnel. Only the relevant leaders remained, while unrelated officials were sent away to avoid hindering the salvage operation.

The rain had stopped, and clouds swirled in the sky. Spring weather was often like this, and no one thought much of it. Su Ci followed Yang Yanzong ashore, looking around. The river was wide and calm, the sky and water blending together, with misty green mountains at the horizon. The air was fresh and moist.

From what she had learned on the way, she knew this part of the river was particularly deep, reportedly nearly a hundred zhang (about 300 meters) at its deepest. That was indeed very deep.

The strong wind, likely a hurricane or typhoon, possibly accompanied by a tornado, could have caused the heavily laden silver ship to sink. Qu County was about a hundred li (about 50 kilometers) from the estuary. With ancient shipbuilding techniques, the heavily loaded silver ship could have easily sunk in such a storm.

The first task was to understand the local wind conditions, but Su Ci didn’t need to do that. Imperial Uncle Kun, Zhang Boqian, Ji Lin, Ji Yuanhao, and Yang Yanzong had already split up to handle it.

Su Ci followed Yang Yanzong, but he wasn’t responsible for inquiring about the wind. She looked around, blending in with A Kang and the others, not drawing attention. Yang Yanzong, Ji Lin, and Ji Yuanhao quickly organized the skilled swimmers into several small teams and immediately distributed water gear and other equipment. Salvaging the sunken silver couldn’t be delayed and began immediately.

Two groups were responsible for the salvage operation. One group, urgently assembled from around Yangdu, had traveled south with the large ship. The other group, urgently recruited by the local government, had just arrived after a hurried journey over the mountains.

In short, the first batch of salvage personnel was in place, and the local authorities had already pinpointed the sunken ship’s location. The sailors quickly got to work, with the first eight skilled swimmers diving in to determine the depth and exact location. The initial salvage area was focused on the three ships clustered together in the central part.

The eight swimmers first dove in to inspect the environment. The waiting time was a bit long, so the local officials quickly directed their subordinates to bring over armchairs and tables, inviting the higher-ups to sit while they stood by.

Yang Yanzong now had a place among these officials. The local officials thoughtfully placed the seats for the Sixth Prince’s party together, so Ji Yan and Yang Yanzong ended up sitting next to each other. They exchanged a glance, each wearing a faint, knowing, and false smile, their eyes cold and deep.

Ji Yan and his advisor, Mr. Fang, took their seats, while Ji Ye, standing behind Ji Yan, briefly met Yang Yanzong’s gaze before looking away and sitting down silently.

Su Ci stood behind Yang Yanzong. Some people noticed her, but no one said anything. After the incidents with the old emperor and the young Prince Zhao, it was hard for people to view her as an ordinary woman, so they pretended not to see her.

The commotion gradually subsided, and soon, the eight swimmers returned to shore. Their task was to survey the area, and the results were promising. The sunken ship was embedded in the riverbed’s mud and sand, but the ship was one of the largest government vessels, with more than four-fifths of it exposed, making salvage operations feasible.

The water was about thirty zhang (approximately 90 meters) deep. They found the broken mast at a depth of seventeen or eighteen zhang. Part of the ship’s deck had been damaged during the sinking, and in some places, the silver chests were visible, ready to be retrieved.

Imperial Uncle Kun nodded, “Very good. Begin the salvage operation immediately!”

Over a hundred skilled swimmers in water gear jumped in, working in pairs, with two teams forming a group. They dove to retrieve the sunken silver chests, each team carrying a thick rope. Once they reached a certain depth and buoyancy decreased, they would pull the rope to signal for help from above.

The silver chests were hefty, requiring many hands. Even Yang Yanzong’s personal guards, including A Kang, were divided to help pull the ropes. The remaining people quickly cleared an area, and the imperial guards with bright yellow flags took their positions, ready to store the salvaged silver.

All preparations were in place. Everything was ready except for the east wind. But who knew they guessed the beginning but were far from imagining the end?

In fact, whether it was Yang Yanzong, Su Ci, Ji Yan, Ji Lin, Ji Yuanhao, or Mr. Fang, they had all anticipated unexpected situations. They were unwilling to let the emperor easily take advantage—how many lives had they sacrificed in Wuchuan to be the first to discover the large silver mine? They even had to pay for the compensation out of their own pockets, while the emperor effortlessly took half into his national and private treasury. Not to mention the other third already transported to the capital and Yangdu, just the fifty-six million taels of silver on these seventeen ships would be more than enough to buy medicinal materials and food! Could Annam and Tiga sell you that much? Even with three harvests a year, they couldn’t sustain such a purchase!

So, at least half of the fifty-six hundred taels of public and private silver in front of them would be returned as a formality. How could the princes be content with that? They must have made some moves, at least to recover the compensation, right? However, since it was already registered as official silver, any tampering had to be justified, such as losses due to fire or transportation. If they couldn’t come up with an excuse, it would be considered theft. So the amount wouldn’t be much, and the scapegoats were already arranged. Yang Yanzong and his team could fill the gap immediately, and if they couldn’t, they would deal with it on the spot.

They had anticipated many unexpected situations, but they never expected this one to be so quick, sudden, and shocking!!

Before long, the first batch of over ten large camphor wood silver chests, reinforced with iron, was salvaged. Due to the short time underwater and the solid fire lacquer and beeswax, not only were the seals not completely torn, but many of the silver chests were still dry and intact.

But when these intact chests were opened, everyone was astonished!

With a “pop,” a bit of water shot out, and the inside was dry. When the silver chest was turned over, a large pile of stones rolled out!!!

Except for the shallow top two rows of silver ingots used for cover, the entire inside of the silver chest was filled with stones!!

Large and small stones, some deeply embedded, reportedly from the silver chests dragged out from the inner part of the ship, didn’t even have the covering silver ingots!!

As the chest was opened, the weight of the silver chest caused a shovel to snap with a “crack,” and the chest tipped over, spilling out a pile of stones of various sizes. All the unspoken words were caught in everyone’s throats. Everyone’s eyes widened simultaneously!

Yang Yanzong, Ji Yan, and the others sitting in front of Su Ci stood up in an instant. Everyone stood up, some even knocking over their chairs, momentarily speechless, with only the sound of chairs clattering to the ground.

It was as if someone had pressed the pause button. Then everyone rushed forward, and Imperial Uncle Kun’s face changed dramatically, “Quick, go down! Continue the salvage. Get the other ships!! Go!!”

The bewildered sailors found their backbone at his stern command and hurriedly turned to dive back into the water.

Not just Su Ci but everyone present was stunned by this sudden and drastic turn of events. A sense of panic quickly enveloped the entire riverbank!

This development made Yang Yanzong furrow his brows. He quickly stepped back and called out to Yang Yanzhen and A Zhao, “Our people, immediately arrange for the skilled swimmers to dive and investigate the situation with the sunken silver!”

“Yes!”

A Zhao and Yang Yanzhen obeyed and quickly turned around. Su Yan, who was among the crowd, raised her hand, “I, I can go down!” She had spent a long time by the river during her father’s campaigns in the southwest. Su Yan, who was outgoing and talented in martial arts, was an excellent swimmer.

Su Ci was anxious, “Sister!”

But Su Yan insisted. She wasn’t here to play; she was thrilled to have this opportunity her sister had fought for, and she couldn’t make herself an exception.

Su Ci understood the reasoning but was momentarily speechless when Su Yan glared at her. Yang Yanzong had already given the order, “Alright, prepare and dive immediately!”

After a brief discussion, they selected seven people, including Su Yan. The Fourth and Seventh Princes’ residences made similar arrangements, clearly intending to investigate and grasp the most accurate situation personally.

Su Yan stretched her limbs and silently slipped into the river. She was indeed an excellent swimmer, diving first and moving with ease. The group quickly reached the sunken ship, circling it and opening several chests on the periphery, all filled with stones. Finally, A Zhao used a dagger to pry open the cabin door, intending to inspect the deeper parts of the ship.

Due to the deformed passageways, only Su Yan and two slender companions could enter. She led the way, swiftly swimming through the narrow corridors. When she reached the center, she grabbed a silver chest and pried it open with a “bang!” She reached inside and felt only rough, uneven stones in the murky water.

The three of them opened over a dozen chests, all filled with stones. Their lungs were nearly out of air, so they quickly surfaced!

After diving over a dozen times, Su Yan surfaced for the last time, and it was already completely dark. Su Ci rushed to help her, draping a dry coat over her. Su Yan took a few breaths and shook her head, “All the chests below are filled with stones, every single one. Not a single chest contains silver!”

Su Ci’s heart sank, and she quickly looked at Yang Yanzong.

Yang Yanzong’s face was as dark as water upon hearing this. He then looked around at the others. Clearly, Imperial Uncle Kun, Zhang Boqian, Ji Lin, Ji Yuanhao, and the others had already received the same news.

Fifty-five million taels of silver had all turned into stones. No way, everyone’s hearts sank!