Chapter 389: Chapter 301: The “House Slave” Under the Ship?
The Tongzhou Pier is one of the most prosperous piers along the entire canal.
Even close to midnight, the river was still brightly lit. Due to the preference for sailing during the day and docking at night, the merchants and boatmen boarding and disembarking were even more crowded than during the day. The riverside taverns and tea houses were still bustling with guests, while the ladies of Lianxiang House were all dressed to the nines, lined up and leaning against the railings, waving their small handkerchiefs.
Fu Zhen arrived at the pier, where Liang Zhi was dressed in a boatman’s short attire, inconspicuously sitting by a stall drinking tea. The guards were all similarly disguised, dispersed everywhere, some sitting, some standing. Both Fu Zhen and Pei Zhan had also dressed up, with her posing as a worker from the trading house, while Pei Zhan smeared kiln ash on his face, making him appear as just an ordinary fierce protector under the various lights, bright and dim.
At this time, it was nearing midnight. The moonless sky was dotted with a few stars. As Fu Zhen sat down and looked up, she asked Liang Zhi, "Where is He Qunying?"
"Inside the room," Liang Zhi indicated with his gaze to the opposite side of the inn, "The third room from the light on. An hour ago, the Xu family’s guard also came. They’re upstairs now. I’ve already sent someone to scout the road, and if Xu Yin arrives, they won’t escape our eyes."
Fu Zhen glanced at Pei Zhan, who was crossing his arms, and said, "Then we don’t need to hurry. Let’s wait until the boat docks, and they make their move."
Liang Zhi said, "I have already greeted the shopkeeper of Ning’s Trading House. Once the boat docks, he will take a few of us on board, and then you two will find an opportunity to stay on the boat.
There are too many people at the pier, and I didn’t tell him who’s coming, so make sure not to give yourselves away. I will meet you at the pier, and Xiao Si and the others are at various key points. When the time comes, let Guo Song and the others follow me. I’ll sort it out to ensure there are people at your disembarking spots."
After the three of them finished their discussion, they heard the boatman shouting from below the pier, followed by a swarm of trackers carrying ropes and other tools rushing down the stairs. The previously quiet girls of Qin Building stood up again, and the river was filled with the sounds of boats docking!
At this moment, the guards sent out also returned to Liang Zhi’s side: "The Xu family’s carriage has arrived in Tongzhou!..."
Xu Yin had taken the carriage to Tongzhou, and went directly to the inn where He Qunying was staying.
The two guards who arrived first welcomed him at the door: "Master has arrived just in time. The ship has docked and is about to take turns boarding. It won’t be long before we can board it."
Xu Yin walked into the room, and He Qunying stood up: "You actually came yourself? Just to bring a person, you didn’t trust me?"
"How could I not trust you? It’s been so many days from south to north, plus the delay from Tanzhou to Hangzhou. I’ve been anxiously waiting, so I just couldn’t help coming over."
As Xu Yin spoke, he sat down.
Just as he stood up on the chair, he got up again and walked to the window to look down. The river at the pier was packed with boats, their masts flying the flags of major trading houses, making it impossible to distinguish which two were the ones they rented.
"Are you sure it will arrive tonight?" he turned to look at He Qunying.
"Of course," He Qunying replied, "I received news again two hours ago, and everything is going smoothly. Among the densely packed ships you see, ours is included."
Xu Yin took a deep look, walked back, and said, "I’ll board the ship with you shortly."
"What’s the need for that?" He Qunying looked at him, "Just wait here, there’s no need to show your face and draw attention."
"No worries," Xu Yin spread his hands, "I specifically changed my clothes, and it’s just to board with you. It won’t draw much attention."
He Qunying looked at his ordinary silk robe and said nothing.
Just then, someone came to say the ship had docked, so the two of them stopped talking, stepped down the stairs, and walked towards the pier.
Liang Zhi had already invited the shopkeeper of Ning’s Trading House in Tongzhou to the pier. With the shopkeeper greeting the boatmen, Fu Zhen and Pei Zhan boarded the ship effortlessly along with them.
The ship had already been lent to He Qunying, and most of the escorts were his people. In theory, no one from the Ning family should board, but since the helmsman and some sailors were still from Ning’s shops, it was not hard to find a reason to board.
The lights on the ship were dim, and with the shopkeeper bringing a large group of people, Fu Zhen and Pei Zhan quickly found a spot to hide, without attracting attention.
Having only made a short round and exchanged a few words on the pretext of seeking to arrange goods with the helmsman, the shopkeeper led the group off the ship again. He Qunying’s people overseeing the ship said nothing either.