Chapter 158: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 158: 

 

Li Guangcai saw that Cui Fu had also come and hurriedly rushed down the ship, asking after her well-being.

At that moment, Prince Huaiyang, Cui Xingzhou, walked over and frowned at Zhao Quan, who was holding an umbrella for Mian Tang, feeling that it was inadequate in blocking the sunlight. He took the large umbrella from Zhao Quan's hands and properly sheltered Mian Tang under it.

Mian Tang smiled sweetly at him, noticing Cui Xingzhou’s sunburned cheekbones and feeling a pang of sympathy. She pulled out a small porcelain jar from her pocket, dipped her fingertip into the ointment inside, and gently applied it to his face. “Last time I saw you under the sun, your shoulders were burned. I had Li Mama render some goose fat and mix it with snow lotus powder to make this ointment; it can relieve the burning pain. Just remember to apply it yourself.”

Zhao Quan had finally calmed his heart after that night of terror, but looking at Mian Tang's thoughtful and considerate demeanor made him feel somewhat unsettled. The beautiful lady before him, whom everyone envied, was hard to reconcile with the fierce woman he had witnessed that day.

The advice he had been giving to his closest friend during these days was this: never sleep too deeply at night. No matter how strong the bond between husband and wife, nothing could last forever. In other people's homes, it might just lead to minor spats, but if his prince's wife ever got into a quarrel, it could result in someone losing their head.

However, Prince Huaiyang didn't take it to heart. With a half-smile, he replied, “Then that would be even better; Brother Jia Yu would get what he desires.”

However, Zhao Quan shook his head vigorously, finally realizing why he had been so reckless with his words during that heated moment, yet Cui Xingzhou had never truly been angry with him.

It was because Prince Huaiyang had known all along that the woman he married was not someone just anyone could handle.

Now, seeing the affectionate couple before him, Zhao Quan felt less jealousy and more genuine admiration.

Meanwhile, hidden in the depths of the forest, Eikushi-ji watched this scene through his telescope, feeling a storm of emotions inside him.

He had only heard that Liu Mian Tang was Prince Huaiyang's wife, but seeing the couple’s affection for each other firsthand made his heart ache. Watching the slender figure being embraced by another man filled him with an indescribable discomfort.

As the couple walked deeper into the camp, disappearing from view, he stubbornly held up the telescope, fixated on the carriage that the princess had arrived in, his eyes revealing a hint of shadowy emotion.

A Japanese man whispered, "General, we’ve been observing the naval camp for some time now. The others have already contacted the black market merchants to get the food onto the boats. Shouldn’t we be leaving?"

Eikushi-ji lowered his telescope and replied, "Not yet. Let the grain ships return first; we’ll stay here for now. Prince Huaiyang is working tirelessly to build warships. If he succeeds, it will be greatly disadvantageous for us. It’s more important to investigate his next moves and the status of the new ships."

After a pause, he continued, "We should find a place to rest for now. Later tonight, we’ll sneak into the camp. We must locate the new warships and try to destroy them if possible!"

With that, he led his men to a quiet, secluded hillside where they ate the rice balls they had brought and lay down fully clothed, waiting for nightfall.

At night, Eikushi-ji and his men slipped into the water from a distance and swam towards the camp. The dark moon and sparse stars provided good cover for their approach.

The camp’s walls extended straight down to the riverbed, making it impossible to get through from above or below.

However, Eikushi-ji had brought along experienced old pirates, and they took turns submerging themselves in the water. They pulled out specialized short blades designed for underwater cutting and carved a suitably sized circular hole in the wooden walls of the camp. One by one, they successfully entered the naval base.

Eikushi-ji cautiously poked his head out to survey the area. He had thoroughly inspected the camp during the day, taking note of several locations where warships might be constructed. After confirming the direction, he swam towards those specific areas.

He was in luck. Upon reaching the second location, he discovered a massive shipyard, which was indeed the place where the new warships were being constructed. The shipyard was brightly lit, and from a distance, he could see three enormous ship frames towering high, with countless figures busily working inside—laying wooden planks, assembling the keel, and laboring energetically.

In fact, these warships were not entirely new; they were vessels transferred from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, modified on the foundations of the old ships to make them suitable for naval combat.

As they looked at the expansive decks extending from the three massive ship frames, Eikushi-ji's men gasped in astonishment. 

Just from the sight of the ship frames, they could imagine how enormous the modified warships would be, capable of withstanding fierce winds and violent waves.

If these three main warships were completed, even the troops of Zhēnzhōu, who were not particularly skilled in naval warfare, would be able to cross the straits and land on Kō Island.

When it came to close-quarters combat, their ragtag group of pirates would be no match for Prince Huaiyang's troops!

Realizing this, Eikushi-ji understood that he absolutely could not allow them to complete the warships.

Though the shipyard was vast, the guards were exceedingly vigilant; it was essentially five paces between posts and ten paces between sentries. He could see several groups of soldiers patrolling back and forth. With just their small number, there was no way they could sneak in or launch a direct attack to get into the shipyard.

Thus, Eikushi-ji's original plan to set the ships ablaze with cooking oil was dashed.

Eikushi-ji carefully examined other areas of the shipyard and spotted an astonishingly large ram, gleaming with a metallic sheen under the lights, even taller than the highest buildings in Great Yan. He also noticed a siege engine, a massive catapult, and iron armor as thick and tall as city walls, protecting the ship's hull. His heart couldn't help but race uncontrollably.

In the face of powerful foes, the ambitions of a man once filled with grand designs ignited a fierce fighting spirit within him.

Suddenly, he saw a few carpenters walking onto the deck where they were hiding. They pulled out their pipes to smoke, taking puffs to relax while chatting.

Eikushi-ji instructed one of his subordinates, who was fluent in Chinese, to dive underwater and listen to their conversation. One carpenter remarked, “The current rudder won’t do; the ship is so massive that it can't withstand the pressure. It’ll break after just a few days. How do we explain this to the foreman tomorrow?” Another carpenter replied, “It doesn’t matter if it holds up or not; Master Xie will handle it.”

A third carpenter chimed in, “Master Xie? I’ve heard you all mention him, but I don’t know who he is.”

“That day, you were off work, going home to see your wife! This Master Xie is an exceptional shipbuilder. I heard he was invited back by the Prince from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The prince himself brought him around to inspect the work. He truly is a master; just walking around, he found that half of our previous work was wasted. We’ll have to wait until he finishes the drawings for the modifications.”

Upon hearing this, the other carpenter spat angrily into the water, “Why didn’t you say that earlier? I’ve been racking my brain, not knowing how to explain it to the foreman!”

The first carpenter continued, “Anyway, for the next few days, the work will be slow. If we work now, it’ll be for nothing. I heard Master Xie isn’t adjusting well to the local climate. After inspecting the warships, he fell ill, so it’ll probably be a few more days before we see the drawings.” 

The remainder of the conversation was filled with admiration for the treatment that the Prince had given to Master Xie, and after finishing their pipes, they returned to their tasks.

From their casual conversation, Eikushi-ji learned that Master Xie was indeed the expert hired by Prince Huaiyang to oversee the shipbuilding modifications. He was resting in a large mansion near the river, having fallen ill due to not adjusting well to the local climate.

With this information, Eikushi-ji’s eyes lit up, and he quietly instructed his men to swim away from the shipyard.

In two months, the typhoon season in the North Sea would begin. If they could delay the ships from being fitted with masts, these half-finished ship frames would be crushed in the storm.

According to a confidential letter from Shi Yikuan, there was considerable dissatisfaction in the court regarding Prince Cui Xingzhou’s frequent requests for funds to build warships. Officials believed he should focus on defending the northern coast and not engage in costly naval warfare.

If the shipbuilding encountered difficulties and resources were wasted, those officials in the Great Yan court would have ample reason to criticize the prince.

Eikushi-ji decided then that he needed to assassinate Master Xie.

Without this master shipbuilder’s guidance, Prince Huaiyang’s new warships would face a setback, delaying their completion. Even if the prince managed to evade the typhoons, this would buy Eikushi-ji time to come up with a solution to deal with both the prince and his ships.

With that, Eikushi-ji and his men swam back the way they came, emerging from the underwater hole in the stockade.

The Japanese had been wreaking havoc in the area for some time, so they had bribed local thugs and rogues to act as their informants.

Thus, it was easy for them to locate Master Xie’s temporary residence once they learned of his whereabouts.

Master Xie came from a prestigious background, and those who had previously managed to invite him were no ordinary individuals. Therefore, his living requirements were more demanding than those of Prince Huaiyang.

It had taken considerable effort for Lord Su to persuade the local gentry to temporarily lend a decent house to Master Xie and his apprentices.

Master Xie had been suffering from diarrhea for three days, likely due to eating bad fruit during the journey. At first, they thought a few doses of anti-diarrheal medicine would suffice, but his condition only worsened.

At this time, Cui Xingzhou could not afford to lose the expert he had worked so hard to bring in, so he had Zhao Quan personally check Master Xie's pulse.

Originally, Prince Huaiyang was supposed to accompany them, but the Ministry of Finance and the Military Department had sent people to investigate the accounts for the shipbuilding project.

Since the prince couldn’t get away, Liu Mian Tang took his place to bring Master Xie some nutritional supplements as a gesture of the prince’s goodwill.

As she stepped down from the carriage, Liu Mian Tang surveyed the surroundings and frowned. She turned to the captain of the guards assigned to protect Master Xie and said, “Who chose this residence? It’s surrounded on three sides by water and has numerous ditches. If someone were to approach from the water, we wouldn’t even have time to react.”

The captain of the guards also wore a pained expression as he replied, “Your Highness, it was Master Xie who chose this place himself. I advised him that this residence wasn’t suitable and suggested finding another one. However, Lord Su and Master Xie both got a bit upset with me. It’s said that Lord Su searched several locations, but Master Xie was not satisfied with any of them. This was the first one he found acceptable, and if I insisted on changing, they both could easily tear me apart and dip me in sauce…”

Beside them, Zhao Quan teased, "What’s the matter? Your Highness, have you recently studied feng shui and identified this place as a haunted house?"

It was Liu Mian Tang who had previously "calculated" that Marquis Zhao would not have a smooth journey back, which led to him being asked to stay in North Sea. Could it be that the female bandit leader was going to use the same trick again and keep Master Xie here as well?

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