Yun Shu’s expression shifted slightly, but she quickly returned to normal.
She had expected Shen Yu and the others to transport grain to Wuling Prefecture. They had always been that way—handling whatever they could on their own and never asking her for help unless absolutely necessary.
She simply hadn’t expected them to travel by water.
That was somewhat beyond her expectations.
As far as she knew, Xindu City had spent the past few years focusing mainly on agriculture and industry. Since Zhenbei Prefecture did not border the sea, they had devoted little time or effort to developing shipbuilding technology.
“System, where did Shen Yu and the others get such a large ship?” she asked Little Fox silently.
Little Fox opened the system panel and checked. In a voice only Yun Shu could hear, it said, “Host, they found the Fan family, the leading grain-transportation clan in Liaodong Prefecture. This Fan family is quite interesting. In this chaotic world, where men are respected and women are looked down upon, the Fan family is the only major clan headed by a woman. That’s because all the women of the Fan family are born with exceptional hearing and eyesight. At sea, they can even identify reefs by sound and determine the direction of the wind by listening to it.”
It continued scrolling through the information.
Then, as if it had come across something unexpected, it suddenly let out a strange cry. Its tone grew excited.
“Host, you’ll never guess why the head of the Fan family lent Shen Yu a ship!”
“Oh? Why?” Yun Shu turned her head toward it.
Little Fox leaned close to Yun Shu’s ear. “The head of the Fan family has taken a fancy to Shen Yu and wants him to become her son-in-law.”
“The head of the Fan family certainly has sharp eyes. Shen Yu’s character and integrity are beyond reproach; he really is an excellent man.” Yun Shu lowered her eyes and thought for a moment. “Given the current situation in the north, the two brothers, Shen Jue and Shen Yu, have one taken control of the military and the other control of the government. If Shen Yu wants to become the blade of reform in my hand, he’ll have to sever ties with the Shen family completely. Otherwise, he won’t be able to push the reforms through.”
After a moment’s contemplation, she said, “Perhaps Shen Yu marrying into the Fan family, which is headed by a woman, would be a good thing. At the very least, once he has accomplished the reforms, I may be able to spare his life and let him live out his later years in leisure with the Fan family.”
She had witnessed all of Shen Yu’s efforts along the way. If possible, she naturally wanted to protect him.
“Host, I’m afraid that won’t work.”
Little Fox lowered its head and licked the fur on its paw. “Shen Yu didn’t agree to become the head of the Fan family’s son-in-law, and the head of the Fan family’s daughter, Fan Miaozhen, already has someone in her heart. The reason Shen Yu was able to borrow the Fan family’s ships to transport grain to Wuling Prefecture this time is that he promised Fan Miaozhen he would help her find the man she loves.”
Yun Shu felt a little disappointed.
Little Fox couldn’t help offering her a suggestion. “Host, don’t you have the Moon-Drawn Red Thread Set? I remember its skill can alter people’s red threads of fate. If you tie Shen Yu and Fan Miaozhen’s red threads together, Fan Miaozhen can escape the pain of unrequited love, and Shen Yu can enjoy a peaceful old age. Wouldn’t that be the best of both worlds?”
Yun Shu rejected the terrible idea outright. “When it comes to matters of the heart, both sides have to be willing.”
With that, her gaze turned toward the people on the beach.
Moonlight lay thinly across the rocky shore. The sea breeze carried the salty tang of the ocean, stirring the pale moon-colored hem of her dress. It also stirred the wisps of steam rising from the bowls of rice porridge in everyone’s hands, warming their sallow faces with a rosy glow.
“Pei Du, make proper arrangements for these people.”
This was the first time the Goddess had called his name. When Pei Du stepped forward, he was so nervous that he nearly tripped over his own feet and embarrassed himself.
He bowed respectfully. “As you command.”
The Goddess did not look at him again.
She turned and walked toward the sea. Silver threads embroidered along her skirt shimmered faintly beneath the moonlight.
The great fish in the water let out a low, mournful cry.
Immediately afterward, its enormous tail fin slowly struck the surface. The waves surged, forming a silvery staircase.
It stretched straight from the surface of the sea to the edge of the rocky shore.
The Goddess stepped onto it and walked toward the open ocean.
Seeing this, everyone hurriedly knelt and prostrated themselves.
“We respectfully see the Divine Lady off.”
As soon as the words fell, a flash of white light swept over them, forcing everyone to close their eyes.
When the white light finally faded, only a solitary moon remained above the sea, along with waves that had just risen from beneath the water, scattering and gathering again like broken silver.
It was as though the Goddess had never been there.
And yet the porridge in everyone’s hands was still hot.
An elderly woman with hair white as frost lowered her head and brought her nose to the rim of the bowl, taking a deep breath.
She swallowed several times, but did not drink. Instead, she poured all the porridge into a bamboo tube.
A child of about four or five noticed what she had done and immediately looked puzzled.
“Granny, why aren’t you drinking? This porridge is delicious. Look, I’ve already drunk half of mine.” He held up his bowl, now half-empty, to the old woman’s lips, wanting her to taste it so she would know how good the porridge really was.
“Good boy, you drink it. Granny isn’t hungry.” The old woman stroked the child’s head with her withered, bony hand.
A child’s world was pure. He knew nothing of the lies adults told, and simply believed that his grandmother truly wasn’t hungry.
Zhu Jingzhe watched the scene with reddened eyes. He thought of how his own parents had done the same thing, always lying to him and his younger sister, saying they weren’t hungry.
But if they hadn’t been hungry, how could they have starved to death in their own home?
“Granny, you can have my porridge.” He poured his own bowl into the old woman’s bamboo tube. “The Divine Lady and Her followers are bodhisattvas. They came to save us people of Wuling City. Believe me, life will only get better from here on out. Don’t be reluctant to drink. You have to stay alive so you can lead your grandson into a better life…”
By the end, his voice had grown choked, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.
Afraid the old woman would see him crying, he turned and ran.
But the old woman caught him by the arm. “Child, if you give me your porridge, what will you eat?”
Zhu Jingzhe answered in a muffled voice, “I’m from Dawan Fishing Village. The people in our village wash clothes for the Zhenbei Army, and we receive plenty of grain every day. We’re not short of food.”
“You can trade laundry for grain?”
Everyone nearby was instantly interested. They crowded around Zhu Jingzhe and bombarded him with questions.
“Young man, can you ask the Zhenbei Army whether they still need workers? I can wash clothes too—and I know carpentry!”
“Me too!”
Surrounded by the crowd, Zhu Jingzhe could only say helplessly, “I don’t know whether the Zhenbei Army still needs people, but I can ask Young Master Pei for you tomorrow.”
Everyone agreed enthusiastically.
*
The next morning.
The sea was calm and still.
Six large ships emerged from the white mist in formation. Their bows cleaved through the waves, leaving behind snowy trails that were quickly swallowed by the dark currents.
On the foremost ship, Shen Ying was draped listlessly over the railing, gazing out at the vast, boundless sea.
The moment Fang Shuo stepped out of the cabin, he saw Shen Ying on the deck. Out of courtesy, he walked over to greet her.
“Miss Shen, what a coincidence. Are you here to watch the sunrise too? I heard Young Master Fan say that the sunrise at sea is beautiful.”
