CHAPTER 1290: CHAPTER 1289: EXTRA GOODS

Song Wu escorted the group all the way to Zhili, and by then, the sky had already turned dark.

Fortunately, the people who had previously escorted the luggage had already arranged the inn in advance.

When Song Wu delivered the people there, the inn was already well-prepared, with a clean large courtyard fully occupied.

As soon as the people moved in, hot water, hot tea, and hot meals were supplied continuously.

Having set out in the morning and arriving at the inn only after nightfall, the bumpy journey for most of the day didn’t faze Wang Yongzhu and Jinhoo.

However, Old Granny Zhang and Lord Du were quite fatigued. Old Granny Zhang was, after all, somewhat advanced in age, and the time spent on farewells in the morning delayed their schedule, making the latter part of the journey a rush to reach Zhili by night.

They only had a hasty bite for lunch midway and were struggling a bit to hold on.

As for Lord Du, raised in comfort in the Capital City, he was always surrounded by five or six attendants when he went out. This time, venturing far from home, Du Zhongjing only let him bring one attendant student, so he wasn’t used to such a journey and found it quite demanding.

Luckily, he shared a carriage with Jinhoo, who was used to traveling with merchant teams and found carriage rides exceptionally comfortable.

Watching Lord Du’s attendant student being forgetful and clumsy, Jinhoo couldn’t help but offer a hand, which improved Lord Du and his servant’s impression of him considerably.

Old Granny Zhang had a quick bite and went inside to rest.

Lord Du, being young, regained his spirits after washing up once he disembarked from the carriage.

Due to the number of people and a lack of rooms, he shared one with Jinhoo.

Having grown up so privileged, Lord Du had never shared a room with outsiders before and was quite unaccustomed to it.

This was also the first time he left his parents, and besides his attendant student, there was no one close around him. Despite his maturity beyond his years, he couldn’t help but feel a little forlorn.

Jinhoo, noticing Lord Du’s unease, recognized immediately that the young master had never suffered hardships and was likely scared being away from his parents.

Not just Lord Du; Jinhoo himself, the first few nights away from home, couldn’t help but secretly wipe tears under the covers.

He didn’t know why this young master was being sent to Jing County by his father, but that didn’t stop Jinhoo from sympathizing with him.

So he started chatting randomly, sharing tales of traveling with merchant caravans to divert Lord Du’s attention.

At home in the Capital City, Lord Du’s life was comprised of reading and staying at home, with occasional outings with family or friends. Such tales were beyond his experience.

He listened fascinated, quickly forgetting any grievances and sadness.

Wang Yongzhu, having settled Old Granny Zhang, remembered it was Lord Du’s first time away from his parents and figured he might not be accustomed to it, so he came over to check on things.

Approaching the door, he heard Jinhoo’s voice, then peeked inside to see Lord Du and his attendant student totally absorbed.

With a smile, he instructed Li Xia to remind them to retire early and not stay up too late.

Then he returned to his room.

Song Chongjin didn’t stay idle; he checked on the arrangements for Song Wu and the other personal soldiers. Seeing they were also fed, housed, and had night guards stationed at the door, he returned, feeling at ease.

Nothing happened that night.

After breakfast the next morning, they headed for the docks.

The docks had already been cleared by the personal soldiers ahead of their departure, leaving a large area in front of the official ship they were boarding free of people.

All luggage was sent aboard, and Lord Du, Jinhoo, Old Granny Zhang, and Wang Yongzhu boarded the ship first.

Song Chongjin clasped his hands in gratitude to Song Wu for the escort, exchanged a few polite words, then boarded the ship without looking back.

The captain shouted, the boatmen pulled up the ropes, and the ship slowly left the dock.

Song Wu and the personal soldiers stood quietly at the dock, watching the ship gradually recede into a small black dot, feeling melancholic about the princely heir’s departure, who knows how the Capital City would change by the time he returns.

Life onboard was dull yet peaceful.

Initially, Lord Du felt a bit seasick, but he had brought along some medicinal concoction made by Du Zhongjing for just that, so it was no big deal.

Old Granny Zhang, after resting for two days on board, recovered slowly.

Having left the Capital City, it seemed everyone’s spirits lifted a little, allowing themselves to relax more.

Suffice it to say, the two people left by Yang Zongbao were mature and competent, still remaining engaged with the ship’s captain and boatmen warmly.

They handled all matters on the ship and any procurement after docking along the way, sparing Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin from any concerns.

At each stop, they managed to get some fresh local vegetables or specialties aboard.

With Old Madam Ding’s excellent cooking skills, everyone gained some weight, unable to exercise on the trip.

The twenty personal soldiers, truth be told, said that following Song Hong on missions, whether private or official, had never been as comforting as this journey.

They needed only ensure the ship’s safety and check supplies for anomalies.

They had no worries about food and drink, which varied in style, and daily life aboard was more comfortable than being at home.

What’s more, sharing the same boat, seeing each other daily, not only made them familiar with Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin—they became acquainted with the two responsible for procurement, Yao Da and Shitou, and formed some camaraderie.

The last voyage from Jing County to the Capital City was upriver, northward, but this time it was downstream, so the journey was almost half as quick.

Also, being an official ship, with twenty personal soldiers projecting an imposing demeanor, it was particularly intimidating.

Along the way, several merchant ships came to follow their lead, feeling naturally safer behind the official vessel and knowing full well even the bravest water bandits wouldn’t dare raid an official ship, as that would spell ruin.

Following the official ship, safety was naturally assured.

Secondly, these merchants hoped they might be able to forge some connections with the occupants of the official vessels.

Yao Da and Shitou handled all negotiations, and however they managed it, the journey was vigorous, with numerous merchant ships trailing behind, forming almost a fleet.

Even if it wasn’t an official ship, a regular merchant fleet would give those water bandits pause for thought.

Thus the journey was exceptionally peaceful; the mere sight of them caused ordinary vessels to give them a wide berth, let alone bandits.

Arriving at Jing County, as the official ship docked, some of those merchant ships exhibited reluctance to part.

Conversely, once ashore, Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin were baffled by the nearly doubled stash of luggage.

"What’s going on here? How did we end up with so much extra stuff?"

Song Chongjin quickly summoned Yao Da and Shitou.

Yao Da chuckled, his honest face showing an innocent look: "Sir, the extra items include a variety of local goods we procured along the way. Since you and the Madam are returning home in glory, many will visit to offer congratulations and will need returning gifts. So we bought these items en route. They are both affordable and of good quality, suitable for gifting."

"But surely you didn’t buy this much?" Wang Yongzhu’s mouth twitched. Despite Yao Da and Shitou consulting her and Song Chongjin about their purchases, she had given them free rein at the time, trusting them to handle it well.

And this is what they did?

"As for the rest, they’re offerings from the various merchant ships. Since they were attached to our ship, they’re required by custom to pay protection fees, and the extra is all their tribute! Madam, rest assured, it’s a longstanding waterway tradition, and we’ve charged according to market rates. However, due to the many merchant ships attached, the collection ended up being slightly more... plentiful..."

Wang Yongzhu ...

Shitou fuelled the fire: "Madam, rest assured, we’ve only kept quality items; the cheap and worthless were sold opportunely on the way, and here are the silver notes—"

He handed over a box, which Wang Yongzhu opened to discover several hundred-tael silver notes that shimmered, dazing the eyes.