Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 091

Chapter 91: Reunion

Cui Zi Xuan was coming back? No wonder the Three Mothers lifted her ban; it turns out Cui Zi Xuan was returning.

More than a year had passed, and thinking back to that man, Jiang Mi felt a strange sense of bewilderment. She stared blankly at the three overjoyed mothers, a thought suddenly nagging at her: the Three Mothers were so hopeful about Cui Zi Xuan… but with his captivating looks and noble status, and so much time having passed, he probably already had someone he truly loved. The Three Mothers were likely just in vain.

Thinking this way, Jiang Mi naturally would not voice it and upset them.

Jiang Mi was released from confinement, but she did not immediately think of returning to the Princess’s Mansion.

After gaining her freedom, Jiang Mi put on a gauze hat and, accompanied by a few guards, left the Taoist temple.

On the Official Road below Qingcheng Mountain, amidst the bustling crowds, Jiang Mi rode for a while, then suddenly realized that she had been in Cheng Capital for so long without seeing the Yangtze River. She turned and ordered, “Let’s go to the dock.”

The guards replied, “Yes.”

At the dock, amidst the hustle and bustle, gazing at the vast Yangtze River and watching the fully loaded boats dock, Jiang Mi saw countless sails, yet she did not know what she was expecting.

After watching for a while, Jiang Mi suddenly froze!

Seeing her completely stunned, several guards rushed forward and whispered, “Princess, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Mi just stared blankly. Suddenly, she grabbed one of the guards’ arms tightly and said in a trembling voice, “Look at that boat! Isn’t that my elder brother?”

The guards followed Jiang Mi’s gaze.

But the dock was crowded with boats and people; how could they see clearly at first glance?

At this moment, Jiang Mi was unwilling to wait any longer. She plunged into the crowd and rushed towards the boat like a madwoman.

But just as Jiang Mi arrived, she saw the boat gradually disappear into the river amidst the shouts of the boatmen. Jiang Mi could not catch up. Without hesitation, she jumped onto a boat on the left.

Seeing Jiang Mi board the boat, which was about to depart, the guards were startled and jumped aboard as well.

Almost as soon as they were on board, the boat beneath their feet plunged into the water with the boatmen’s shouts. The guards squeezed to Jiang Mi’s side, and, seeing her still staring intently at the boat ahead, one guard muttered, “Princess, how could you get on the boat? Now look what’s happened; the boat has started moving. We cannot get back.” He paused, then added, “Princess, the boat you are looking at might not be going in the same direction as ours. If you are really in a hurry, you could have asked someone to find out where the other boat was going before looking for yours.”

The guard’s tone was clearly annoyed, but Jiang Mi did not turn around. She gripped the gunwale tightly, her voice firm. “No, you are wrong! Our boat’s going in the same direction as the one ahead! And we are in the same convoy!”

As the guards stared wide-eyed, Jiang Mi turned and explained, “Look closely at the bottom left side of both boats; they both have a common marking.”

The guards were taken aback.

They were all seasoned veterans, and the one who had spoken had even served as a spy in the army. He truly did not believe that Jiang Mi, this seemingly frail woman, had sharper eyes than him!

So, the guards went to check.

When they returned a short while later, their gazes towards Jiang Mi held a hint of respect. The group stopped behind Jiang Mi, thinking to themselves, “Everyone said the Princess was only alive because of good luck; they certainly did not know that the Princess was also quite intelligent!”

Everything went as Jiang Mi expected. As they gradually entered the Yangtze River, their boat began to approach the one Jiang Mi had been watching closely.

However, although the two boats were close, there was still a distance between them. Adding to this, the wind on the river was strong, making it impossible to communicate. Jiang Mi craned her neck, searching, and saw that the man who looked so much like her elder brother was no longer at the stern, and she was deeply disappointed.

After a while, the guard who had spoken rudely earlier approached Jiang Mi and respectfully asked, “Princess, we left in a hurry. We wonder how much is left after paying the fare? This man will need money everywhere he goes.”

Jiang Mi replied gently, “Do not worry; I always carry some gold with me. It’s not much, but it should be enough for the return fare.”

Jiang Mi thought that once they reached the next dock and confirmed whether the man was indeed her elder brother, they could prepare to return to the Mansion.

The guards thought this made sense and stopped worrying.

…

The wind was particularly strong today, making the two ships, sailing with the wind, extremely fast.

Gazing at the billowing sails, one of the guards muttered, “At this rate, it must be several hundred li in a day.”

Jiang Mi was unaware of this. To her disappointment, she did not get a chance to speak with the people on the other ship until the boat stopped to rest that evening.

The next morning, the ship set off again.

As the ship sailed smoothly with the wind, moving further and further away from Cheng Capital, the guards grew increasingly worried. Only Jiang Mi, for her, while her home in Shu Capital was important, valued her elder brother even more, so she did not seem to mind.

Thus, amidst Jiang Mi’s anticipation and the guards’ anxiety, the Wanzhou Wharf gradually came into view.

According to the captain, this dock was their rest stop; the two ships would rest here for two days before setting sail again.

In other words, the opportunity Jiang Mi had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Jiang Mi stood at the bow of the boat, gazing at the setting sun. She thought to herself, “It will be dark by the time we reach Wanzhou Wharf, but it does not matter. We will rest there for two days anyway, and I can go see Elder Brother tomorrow.”

The sun was already beginning to set, and a thin layer of night mist shrouded the dock.

Wanzhou was a mountainous and forested place, especially around the dock, where lush forests stretched as far as the eye could see, even reflected in the river.

Wanzhou Wharf was not large; only three boats were approaching the dock ahead of the two smaller ones.

Like everyone else, Jiang Mi went up to the deck, looking expectantly at Wanzhou City in the night.

But, but!

Just as the three boats ahead docked, and as their passengers disembarked, suddenly, lights blazed all around!

It was a true blaze of lights; countless torches appeared on the dock, in the streets, and even in the woods along the riverbanks, along with soldiers carrying torches!

Especially the soldiers emerging from the river; their boats were so densely packed that they completely blocked the path of the other boats!

They were surrounded!

Jiang Mi glanced at the three boats that had just docked and thought: “We’ve been caught in the crossfire! Those people must be after the people on those three boats!”

Jiang Mi’s thought was shared by everyone else, and a clamor erupted.

A deep, middle-aged scholar’s voice rang out, “I heard earlier that Southern Chu was in turmoil, and the Southern Tang was waging war against it. They even said that the Zhou ruler was tempted to act. I never imagined that just because it’s not far from these two states, my Shu State’s Wanzhou would also be in turmoil.”

Beside him, a young man said with a wry smile, “Uncle, why are you still talking about this at a time like this? Quickly tell me how to break this predicament!”

The middle-aged scholar looked back for a moment, then said, “These people surrounding us are wearing Southern Tang attire. Judging from their banners, they should be General Changching’s troops.”

“General Changching?” the young man suddenly exclaimed. “I’ve heard that Changching’s extremely strict in disciplining his troops; especially this past year, he’s been incredibly successful, winning every battle! I never expected to encounter his army here today!”

The middle-aged scholar sneered, “Changching’s just a brute! The reason he’s suddenly become so powerful is because he has a very talented strategist by his side!”

The young man became even more excited, saying repeatedly, “I know, I know! I’ve heard about that strategist too. He’s said to be an extremely handsome young master, but he always wears a mask in public, so I think it’s mostly a rumor.”

Just as he finished speaking, his eyes, which had inadvertently glanced ahead, widened. In an instant, the young man was completely stunned. He pointed ahead, making “ah ah” sounds, but could not utter a single word.

Everyone quickly followed his gaze.

Upon closer inspection, they were astonished to see hundreds of black-painted, dagger-like ships silently approaching from the bushes on their right. The young man, staring in disbelief, was pointing at the very ship at the lead, and on it stood the young man in black robes—a Young Master.

In the thick night fog, torches on the ships illuminated the surroundings. Although the Young Master wore a mask, obscuring his features, anyone who glanced at his tall, elegant figure and the indescribable, seemingly noble yet nonchalant aura he exuded would immediately sense that he was an exceptionally handsome young master!