Chapter 195
Chapter 195
Chapter 195 - Seagoing
Teng Yu had his men prepare an official two-story ship. It stood out among the smaller boats, and all the passengers couldn't help but glance at it.
The Cloud Bridge Pier had a special area for official ships, so everyone was curious about which lord was mingling so closely with the citizens.
Once Teng Yu and his group boarded the boat, the surrounding crowd began to gossip about the origins of this group.
Since Teng Yu and Yin Xu hadn't been in Yunjin City for long, they didn't appear on the streets often. When the boat Yang Fan set sail, no one could guess their identities.
Yin Xu stood at the bow of the boat, enjoying the sea breeze. Although the sun was scorching, he didn't feel uncomfortable due to his physique.
Teng Yu walked over with a plate of iced pear, inserted a piece into his mouth, and said, “The weather in the south is really hot. It's already autumn, but there's no sign of it.”
“That's still better than the extreme cold in the north.” Yin Xu had heard it was snowing in An County. It seemed his decision to leave was the right one.
The old man had a strange attachment to that quiet, remote manor. Seeing that he was old and had raised the original owner, Yin Xu sent a few people to accompany him back to An County so he could live peacefully.
As for his former attendant, Wu Sheng, he was still in the capital's Treasure Pavilion and had become an expert in handling accounts.
Having grown up with the original owner, Yin Xu trusted him more than others. He planned to let him learn to live in the outside world first and take care of him after a few years.
“If there's nothing urgent this winter, let's spend some time at the hot spring village in the southern suburbs.” Teng Yu missed the days of leisurely bathing in the hot spring.
“For me, even if the sky falls, it's not a big deal,” Yin Xu joked. Given the current situation, the palace was on the brink of major changes, with intense battles among the princes.
Such a situation was inevitable, and he had to be vigilant every day.
“That's natural. Even if the sky falls, I'll support it, so you'll be fine.”
“Who are you calling short?” Yin Xu glared at him, clearly displeased with the comment.
Teng Yu laughed and drew a diagonal line, “Look at this prince's angle… Isn't it short enough?”
“Hmph, bullying me because of my age? Just wait two more years for a competition if you dare!” Yin Xu firmly believed he would grow stronger with his own efforts. Even the official Huo Yidao wasn't weak, and he was sure he would also reach that level.
Teng Yu stuffed another pear into his mouth and retorted, “Maybe your mother, Xiao.”
“How do you know if my birth mother was tall or short? Have you seen her?”
“Someone has seen her. Your information is still in the study room. If you don't believe me, you can check it out.” Teng Yu knew that Huo Tian's mother had died of an illness shortly after his birth.
However, Yin Xu wasn't very interested in this matter. If the woman were still alive, he would show filial piety for the original owner's sake. But since she was no longer in the world, he didn't feel the need to do anything unnecessary.
After they finished eating the pear, the ice fragments on the plate had melted into water, dripping down through Teng Yu's fingers.
He passed the plate to a servant, took a handkerchief to dry his hands, then poked Yin Xu's face with his ice-cold fingertip, “It's so hot here. How long are you going to stand here?”
“If it's too hot, you can go inside. I didn't ask you to stand here.”
Teng Yu hugged him and shook him playfully, “It's rare for me to come out and relax. Are you going to let me grow mushrooms alone in the cabin?”
Isn't that too cruel?
Yin Xu's mouth curved into a smile, “After coming out for such a rare trip, you want us to grow mushrooms together in the cabin? Enjoying the sea scenery isn't bad either.”
In the Cultivation World, there were seas too, but they were dangerous places filled with powerful species.
Cultivators had to be very careful on the sea and couldn't relax and enjoy the view like this.
“Look, are there a few ships ahead?” Yin Xu pointed into the distance.
His eyesight was exceptionally good, better than Teng Yu's. Teng Yu woke the guard up and looked in that direction. Soon, he also saw a few small black dots.
“We'll know once they get closer.”
“Do you think they've just returned from other countries?”
“It could also be a fishing boat that went out to sea.”
Yin Xu looked at it again and shook his head, “It doesn't seem like it. The boat is much larger than the fishing boats I've seen at the pier before.”
Teng Yu instructed the guards, “The boat should head in that direction quickly. You all should change into guard uniforms.”
After hearing this, Yin Xu asked in confusion, “What are you trying to do? Isn't it clear that this is a government ship? What's the point of changing clothes?”
Teng Yu blinked and said meaningfully, “You'll understand soon.”
Teng Yu didn't have to wait long.
It was only then that Teng Yu and the others saw clearly that the other boat was indeed not a fishing boat.
Teng Yu waved his hand, and immediately, someone stood at the highest point of the bow and shouted, “Friends on the opposite side, where are you from? Do you have any good things?”
Teng Yu smiled, “So it's the Xiao Family's caravan.”
“How did you know?” Yin Xu carefully read the words on the flag but didn't recognize them.
Just as Teng Yu was about to mock him, he suddenly remembered that this master wasn't a commoner and could only recognize about eighty to ninety percent of the words written by Da Liang.
“May I ask which family you are from?” someone shouted from the opposite boat.
The guard who was in charge of shouting, following Teng Yu's prior instructions, replied immediately, “We are relatives in Prefect. My Young Master and Lord Mu are cousins. We're just here to play and borrowed a boat to go out to sea.”
Upon hearing they were from Prefect, the other boat immediately came closer. Since their boat looked like an official ship, the other party didn't suspect anything.
As the two ships docked, a man who seemed to be in charge walked over on a plank. “May I know who this is?”
Teng Yu didn't answer directly but instead asked, “Where did your boat come from? What goods did you bring back?”
The manager was not foolish. From the youth's attire alone, he could tell that this youth was their master.
“Young Master Qing, we went quite far this time. There are several tribes there, and we traded some cloth and tea leaves for many precious stones. Would you like to see them? If you like any, we can give you a few small ones.”
Teng Yu was naturally willing to see such treasures. His goal at sea was to enjoy the scenery and see how the ships departed.
Although Dazhalan was far from other countries and the sea served as a natural barrier, it wasn't guaranteed that the other side wouldn't use this passage for future attacks.
There was no army on the main beam that could fight at sea, and the coastline was long. If the enemy sneaked in, it would be challenging to deal with them in time.
One by one, the chests were brought out and placed on the deck. The manager personally opened two chests, revealing different colored gems. These gems were uncut and radiated a natural beauty.
Teng Yu spotted a green gem and immediately thought of Yin Xu. Why he associated Yin Xu with a green stone, even he didn't know.
The perceptive manager picked out similar gems from several boxes. “This kind of stone doesn't have a name yet. It was found on an island and exchanged for just a few bags of rice. If you like it, you can take it.”
Teng Yu fancied a slender, palm-sized rock, dark green in color. He thought of polishing it into a hairpin for Yin Xu.
The manager then invited the other guards, “Brothers, come and take a look too. Each of you can pick one. I can make this decision myself.”
When Teng Yu heard this, he couldn't help but look at the manager a few more times, feeling that this person was very warm and generous.
Could it be that the relationship between the one surnamed Mu and the Xiao Family had improved to this extent?
Or perhaps, there was something on this ship that he didn't want to be discovered?