Quick Transmigration: Leisure

Chapter 378 The Runaway Princess is Forcibly Taken Away (27)

Shuifu Town

"Miss, the cabin has been arranged," Zhu Cang said in a low voice.

He was still somewhat bewildered. Had he really gone along with these two people closely connected to his master in their "folly"? He recalled how he'd gone to the Fourth Prince's residence to deliver a message only to find it empty; the letter he'd left was left in the study, and there was no indication it had been sent out urgently. The timing of his trip was too coincidental; anyone could sense something fishy was going on.

However, being in a position of authority, he should be taking good care of the young lady.

"Are we leaving already? I'm a little reluctant to go. This place is so much fun!" Nianzhen said with regret.

"How about I leave you here?" Xia Youmi said with a smile.

“Miss! This servant will only follow you!” Nianzhen quickly expressed her willingness and even offered her suggestion, “Why don’t we let Zhu Cang stay? He’s so clever and resourceful, he’ll definitely be able to make a good living!”

"..." Zhu Cang did not respond. He knew that even if the two guards stayed behind, he would not be abandoned. Because Zhu Cang had already entrusted something trustworthy to the Fourth Prince.

No one is as safe as him.

He persisted in riding horses all the way, even though it was painful, but his increasingly steady riding skills were proof that he could stand on his own.

"Hmm, what should we do then? We need someone we trust to stay. Should we send Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu instead?" Xia Youmi looked at the two guards protecting her in the distance. They were sent by Chunyu Huai and were like invisible men, rarely saying a word.

Out of a morbid sense of humor, these two were nicknamed "Little Five" and "Little Six".

“They’re so stubborn, that’s not good.” Only Nianzhu analyzed seriously, “If all else fails, Miss, I’ll stay! When Steward Luo goes south, I’ll go with him to find you.”

Rosamund Kwan spoke with conviction, but tears were already welling up in her eyes.

She didn't want to miss the opportunity to travel with the young lady, but without someone she could trust to help her, she was more composed than Nianzhen and willing to prioritize the bigger picture.

"Haha! It's alright, you five should come with me. If any one of you stays, we won't have an even number, and how can we play cards?" Xia Youmi smiled and patted the prayer beads on the head.

The communication and arrangements along the way were naturally left to Chunyu Xi, as they didn't trust Xia Youmi to control too much. So they simply left all the dirty and hard work to him for the time being, letting him help build the bridge first.

This saves you the trouble of having to go through the handover process again at the last minute.

They had been enjoying themselves in Shuifu Town for five days. According to the plan, she would leave Beijing first, under the pretext of returning to her hometown to visit her maternal grandfather.

Even the evidence was readily available; by copying the letter from his maternal grandfather, removing some of the wording, he could obtain Xia Ji's reluctant consent. He felt somewhat guilty for not helping to establish a connection between his wife and her family.

His wife passed away early; her illness stemmed from mental distress and overwork.

In fact, both her maternal and paternal families were equally guilty. They ignored her suffering and only cared about their own interests.

The time she spent living in the capital was unfortunately not as long as the years she spent in that water town.

Similarly, Xia Ji ran before the emperor, weeping and pleading, feigning remorse. Finally, he made it public that Xia Youmi had returned to her hometown to visit her deceased mother. They then proceeded discreetly, ensuring no outsiders knew that the Xia family's unmarried daughter had left the capital without observing proper mourning.

Those in positions of power don't care about the intricacies of things; they are trivial matters to them. As long as their son's wife is filial, that is of great benefit.

In addition, thinking about the fourteenth prince's marriage, the old emperor felt that he still owed the Luo family something.

Thus, by first sending a sweet treat, and then using the guise of a royal dowry to win them over, whether the fourteenth prince benefits or indirectly contributes to the fourth prince, it wouldn't be a case of years of hard work going to waste.

It can only be said that although the father and his two sons did not discuss it, they all had the same plan.

Xia Ji's actions went smoothly, and he didn't even need to use the reason Chunyu Xi had arranged for Xia Youmi to pray at the temple. This made him realize once again that the Xia family father and daughter had been pretending to be stupid before. Their abilities shouldn't have resulted in such a shabby reputation.

The only explanation is that the Xia family deliberately concealed their strengths; otherwise, a family with shallow roots would be too conspicuous and would surely be crushed.

Having clearly planned his "business," Xia Youmi took the lead and led his men by carriage to Shuifu Town. This was a port town with a well-established shipping route; it would take twenty to thirty days to reach Zhongjiang City, where the Luo family was located, by waterway.

It will pass through three stops, with the route evenly distributed, and normally arrives at one stop every seven days.

She traveled from the capital by carriage, which took three days. She stayed for five days, and after waiting for two more days, it was time to set off.

Leaving first was simply to avoid any interaction with Chunyu Xi.

After finishing his official duties, he would cycle for a day to Shuifu Town and board a boat together.

Although this slight time difference could not escape the notice of those who were keenly investigating the situation on the ship, in the eyes of the people in the capital, the two were not considered to be in cahoots.

Xia Youmi didn't stay for nothing for five days. She was there to prepare a gift for her maternal grandfather, which required the craftsmanship of local artisans. The five days were considered an expedited process.

Manager Luo was a step behind them.

He also needed to work with Chunyu Xi's subordinates to set up dedicated personnel and liaison stations at the three stops along the route, which was a necessary condition for stabilizing the trade route.

At least three months later than the two of them.

......

On the day the ship set sail, Chunyu Xi only brought a servant boy with him.

In addition, she was clean and neat, and her light-colored clothes were more understated and dignified than the robes worn in mourning, so it was clear that she had taken the opportunity to freshen up when she arrived in Shuifu Town.

He didn't meet Xia Youmi directly, but he accepted Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu into his group. It was as if the guards were scouting ahead for him, and their arrival around the same time as Xia Youmi and the other three was just a coincidence.

Layers of paper coverings are merely a means to confuse the public and create unnecessary secrets to mislead those with ulterior motives.

The servant boy brought by Chunyu Xi was called Xiao Qi. Since we're going to have a wicked sense of humor, let's go all the way!

Xia Youmi brought Nianzhu Nianzhen and Zhu Cang with her.

Chunyu Xi was with three people.

The group of eight was just enough for two mahjong tables. Xia Youmi even modified the local way of playing, simplifying the heavy form of entertainment by using paper and bamboo strips to make the game smooth and lightweight.

I didn't bring any books or ledgers with me on this trip. Everything was in my head; carrying them would only add to the burden.

Therefore, their luggage mainly consisted of leisure items—mostly food and toys—and they didn't bring many clothes, planning to buy them at any stop they reached. Furthermore, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu were responsible for the heavier items.

The other four were so relaxed that Chunyu Xi was astonished. His mind was torn between Xia Youmi's unreliability and the reason for her overconfidence.

I blame myself for overthinking, yet I can't help being curious about why.

until,

He smiled contentedly when he saw Xia Youmi become dizzy and pale within half an hour of boarding the ship.

No matter what, we are still just mortals.

He really didn't need to be so harsh on a young girl. Even if she was unruly and had planned a daring escape, she ultimately only had rudimentary methods. Fourth Brother was able to easily bring her back, and he even felt a little amused when he heard about it.

That's outrageous, nothing to worry about.

He decided to find a ship's doctor to prescribe a remedy for the ship's disease so that everyone could recover their strength and get back to work.

He only started learning about business strategies after setting his itinerary, and his understanding was still very superficial.

presumably,

Conversation can broaden one's perspective.