Li Jin didn't hear a single tiger's roar until they had finished traveling the entire mountain road.
Only then did Li Jin finally let go of his lingering anxiety.
He looked at Xiao Yi beside him, "Your Highness, did you know all along that there were no tigers?"
Xiao Yi opened his eyes and glanced at the deep, dark forest. "Tiger Roar Peak, how could there be no tigers?"
Then, he added, "Perhaps we are just lucky, and the tigers are all asleep."
It was the first time Li Jin had heard Xiao Yi tell a deadpan joke, and he surprisingly found it somewhat amusing.
"Lay the two children flat to sleep. Sleeping on their stomachs like this is uncomfortable."
Xiao Yi frowned as he looked at the two children.
Having passed the most dangerous area, Li Jin's drowsiness also began to catch up with him.
He laid Duoduo and Yingniang flat on the carriage seats and covered them with a blanket.
Leaning against the carriage, he also closed his eyes.
The carriage slowly continued forward into the dark night.
Perhaps Xiao Yi's words had come true, for the rest of their journey went very smoothly.
They arrived smoothly at the dock, where the guards who had arrived earlier were already waiting.
"Your subordinates greet Your Highness!" Seeing Xiao Yi, the excited guards immediately knelt down to pay their respects.
Xiao Yi nodded. "Rise. Have the boats been arranged properly?"
Yunxiao pointed to a large ship by the dock. "Your Highness, that is the large ship we have chartered."
Xiao Yi took a look. "Yunxiao, have them load the luggage onto the ship. We depart immediately."
"Yes!"
Yunxiao led his men to carry the luggage from the carriage onto the ship.
Duoduo pulled Yingniang along, looking left and right with curiosity. It was her first time seeing so many ships and such a wide river.
There were also birds flying back and forth in the sky.
Suddenly, Duoduo's gaze froze.
Because the golden words before her eyes started scrolling again.
[The crew of that large ship has long been replaced by assassins!]
[Moreover, several holes have been drilled into the bottom of the ship, currently plugged with something.]
[Not long after the ship sets sail, the crew will pull the plugs!]
[When that happens, this large ship will sink into the river!]
......
Duoduo's mind began to race.
The most pressing matter was, how should she persuade her father to change ships?
Seeing that the luggage was already being loaded onto the ship one by one, she couldn't wait any longer.
Duoduo had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk up to Xiao Yi.
"Father, can we change ships?"
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo with deep eyes but didn't answer.
Duoduo hurriedly explained, "This ship is too big. Will it be blown over by the wind?"
Yunxiao explained with a smile from the side, "Princess, when a ship travels on the river, the bigger it is, the more stable it will be!"
Duoduo was stunned for a moment. Feeling anxious, she blurted out.
"Father, I don't like this ship! I want to change to another one!"
Yunxiao was shocked and instinctively looked at the Prince of Pingyang.
Xiao Yi rubbed his fingers together. "Which one do you want to change to?"
A flash of pleasant surprise appeared in Duoduo's eyes.
Her father actually agreed to her request without asking anything?
"Haven't decided?" Xiao Yi asked slowly.
Hearing that the Prince of Pingyang actually agreed to Duoduo's suggestion, Yunxiao immediately became very anxious.
"Your Highness, we have many people. Only this large ship can accommodate everyone."
"Furthermore, smaller boats face greater dangers on the journey to the capital!"
"Then we'll just choose two," Xiao Yi said dismissively.
"Your Highness..." Yunxiao hesitated, "In that case, the cost will be much higher."
Xiao Yi remained silent.
Duoduo looked at the golden words and pointed to one of the ships. "Father, I like that one!"
Following the direction Duoduo pointed, Xiao Yi saw a very inconspicuous, pitch-black ship that looked somewhat dilapidated on the outside.
He frowned and instructed Yunxiao.
"Go ask the Shipmaster if he is willing to travel to the capital."
Yunxiao hesitated to speak but eventually bowed and left.
Xiao Yi looked at the smiling Duoduo, and he couldn't help but glance at the sky she had just been looking at.
There was clearly nothing there, so why did Duoduo keep glancing at it from time to time?
The luggage that was being loaded onto the large ship was brought back down and left waiting on the dock for further instructions.
The guards were somewhat confused as to why they were told to bring everything down halfway through.
The large ship before them was the most luxurious one at the dock.
Being able to board such a ship was not only prestigious but also comfortable.
The larger the ship, the more stable the voyage, and the more comfortable the passengers would be.
Soon, Yunxiao returned.
"Your Highness, it is settled. However, they asked for double the silver."
Xiao Yi nodded. "Have the guards move the luggage onto it. Then go rent another smaller boat; the rest of the people will board that one."
"Your Highness, that Shipmaster has another boat, so your subordinate rented it as well."
Xiao Yi nodded. "Let's go then."
Duoduo was delighted. She pushed the wheelchair toward that shabby ship.
Li Jin was somewhat surprised to see them change ships halfway.
Seeing the large ship freed up, someone else immediately chartered it and left the dock ahead of Xiao Yi and his group.
Once everyone was on board, the Shipmaster raised the sails and called out the work chant, and the ship left the dock.
"Yunxiao, why aren't we taking that large ship and switched to this shabby one?"
Li Jin asked Yunxiao.
Yunxiao glanced at Xiao Yi and shook his head.
He also didn't understand why His Highness would change ships solely based on the Princess saying "I don't like it."
Seeing Yunxiao's expression, Li Jin leaned in closer to Xiao Yi.
"Your Highness, why the sudden change of ships? Could it be that there's something suspicious about that ship?"
Xiao Yi lifted his eyelids and stared at Li Jin. "That ship is right ahead of us. Go outside and take a look, and you will know."
Li Jin thought this made sense, so he went out to the deck.
Unexpectedly, he saw Duoduo there.
"Duoduo? Why are you out here?"
Duoduo turned her head. "Teacher, why did you come out?"
Li Jin walked over to Duoduo's side. "Are you looking at that ship?"
Duoduo nodded. "That ship is really beautiful!"
The Shipmaster nearby sneered, "Good to look at, but useless!"
Duoduo looked at the Shipmaster and revealed a sweet, well-behaved smile.
"You're right. A teacher once said that beautiful things are all poisonous!"
The Shipmaster was amused by Duoduo's words.
"You little girl, you suit my taste!"
"I heard from that tall fellow that it was you, little girl, who took a liking to my ship?"
Duoduo wasn't upset by the Shipmaster's rough tone; instead, she showed a happy smile.
"Yes! Your ship just doesn't look good on the outside, but it is very sturdy!"
The Shipmaster lowered his head, looked at Duoduo, and showed a hint of pride in his eyes.
"You little girl, you certainly have a good eye!"
Li Jin looked at the Shipmaster. "That ship isn't bad either! Plus, it's bigger than yours."
The Shipmaster cast a sidelong glance at Li Jin, then looked back at Duoduo.
"The teacher you mentioned just now, is it him?"
Duoduo glanced at Li Jin. "No, it was another teacher."
The Shipmaster snorted. "I figured as much."
"You think that ship is good? Come on, let's just see when it sinks!"
