Splendid peasant girl busy farming

Chapter 12028

"So, his men have hidden in the Hundred Thousand Mountains again?" Luo Xingchen asked.

"Hiding in his lair is inevitable. That guy is cunning and has several burrows. If we can't find the ones, we don't need to worry about them. If he can't break through his current level, he'll die of old age sooner or later."

"Imperial Smoke King said nonchalantly."

Luo Xingchen recalled a story his mother, Yang Ruoqing, had told him: There was once a martial artist who hid away to cultivate his skills for sixty years in order to take revenge. When he finally mastered his skills and came out of the mountains, he found that all his old enemies had died of old age.

Some people really don't need to be cared about, especially those elderly people who have lost their competitive spirit.

"To be on the safe side, let's wait a few more days and deal with the follow-up matters."

Luo Xingchen was referring to the handover with the officials sent by the imperial court. The situation in Bozhou was complicated, and it had just suffered a major disaster. Disaster relief alone was a major event. They also had to be wary of the Yang family's forces making a comeback, because the remnants of the Yang family had joined the Southern Witch Cult. Who knew what kind of trouble they would cause?

Fortunately, the Qi Emperor sent a highly experienced and capable minister this time, skilled in both civil and military affairs. Luo Xingchen only needed to slightly improve the information.

Three days later.

Standing by the water, Luo Xingchen looked at the neatly arranged fleet of boats ahead and couldn't help but touch his nose.

"Isn't this a bit too high-profile?"

Originally, he only intended to set up a small caravan, but now he has a fleet of five large ships, which is not something that an ordinary merchant can assemble.

"This was arranged by your family."

Ziyan's words dispelled Luo Xingchen's doubts.

"Young master, please get on the boat quickly."

A young man on the boat waved to Luo Xingchen.

This person was dressed in silk clothes and wore a soft leather hat. He had a round face and looked like someone who would bring wealth and prosperity.

Luo Xingchen recognized him.

That man was named Yang Xuanzi, and he was also a secret guard, one of the batch that Yang Ruoqing personally trained.

Most of those people were elites, and they were assigned to different fields, each with their own unique circumstances and achievements.

Luo Xingchen hadn't seen Yang Xuanzi for a long time; the last time they met was in the capital of Daqi.

"Coming right away."

The area around the dock has been cleared out, and only their caravan remains there.

Luo Xingchen quickly boarded the large ship along the ramp.

The ship looked quite large from a distance, but once you actually stepped onto the deck, you could tell how big it was. It could easily accommodate dozens of people.

"Didn't we agree to get a small boat?" Luo Xingchen looked around. The sailors were all busy preparing for the voyage. He estimated that there were at least thirty people working on the boat.

Despite the large number of people, there was no disorder whatsoever, demonstrating their well-trained nature.

"This is already considered relatively small. Most of the ships in our Yang's Trading Company are of this size..."

"Besides, our ship is too small and it will lose its prestige."

Yang Xuanzi tucked his hands into his sleeves and explained in a soft voice.

Despite his current amiable and gentle demeanor, Luo Xingchen knew that this man trained extremely hard in the secret guards and was, at heart, a lawless and ruthless killer.

"It's the usual specifications, right? What kind of goods are they?"

Luo Xingchen still needs to know a little bit about it, otherwise it wouldn't be appropriate if he encountered something on the road without knowing anything.

"They are all ordinary goods: tea, porcelain, and some local specialties, fruits, and snacks," Yang Xuanzi said.

"Can fruit be preserved for that long?"

Luo Xingchen asked in confusion.

From the dock in Bozhou, it would take at least ten days to sail through Yizhou and down to Zhe County. Generally speaking, goods that are not easy to preserve should not be brought along during such a long journey.

"We have ways to keep them fresh, don't worry. These local specialties are the biggest difference between our business and other businesses. Only we can do this best, and they are in high demand in the Jiangnan region."

Yang Xuanzi coughed twice and lowered his voice to whisper, "Young Master, do you know how much profit this thing makes?"

"How much?" Luo Xingchen asked subconsciously.

"Ten times the profit, as long as it's shipped over, the price will be ten times higher than in the local market."

Yang Xuanzi stretched out his fingers, made a cross shape, and then quickly withdrew them.

Luo Xingchen was slightly taken aback and remained silent for a moment.

Ten times the profit—this was beyond his imagination. No wonder Yang's Trading Company was getting richer and richer.

If it weren't for the special relationship between the current Emperor Qi Xingyun and the Yang family, other emperors might not have been able to tolerate the existence of such a large trading company.

"In short, our trading company is very profitable. Young master, you don't need to do anything. Just take a boat down to Jiangnan. We'll follow the normal procedures along the way, and I guarantee there will be no problems." Yang Xuanzi put his hands back into his sleeves.

Afterwards, Ziyan took Yang Xuanzi for a stroll around the neighborhood and selected a place for Luo Xingchen, Mo Anbai, and Yanhuang to stay.

The ship they boarded was no different from the other four, and this was done according to Luo Xingchen's request.

The rooms on the ship were very comfortable, and the large ship was very stable while sailing, powered by the wind and water currents. The propulsion was actually quite good, but it would take at least ten to twenty days to reach Zhejiang, depending on the weather and waterway conditions. The time was not fixed.

Thinking about it this way, Luo Xingchen actually felt that a tenfold profit wasn't so outrageous.

Such a voyage involves great risks for the ship owner, and with low profits, who would be willing to do it?

Once the ships were set sail, two days later the fleet had reached the border of Yizhou, where there were large shipyards and naval forces stationed.

The defenses here are extremely tight, but Luo Xingchen did not show up.

Because he still holds the position of Grand Admiral of the Navy, and the navy on the river is basically his subordinate, if he were to show his face, it would have too much influence, and he would have to relinquish this position sooner or later.

In fact, the current Qi navy has been divided into two parts. One part travels along freshwater rivers and lakes, while the other part travels on the ocean. Both parts have new ironclad ships, but the number of ironclad ships on freshwater is small and their tonnage is not large enough. After all, rivers are not as wide as the ocean, and making the ships too big would make them less maneuverable.

Yang Xuanzi stepped in and resolved the matter.

With the Yang Family Trading Company's prestigious signboard hanging up, the navy found it much easier and simpler to inspect the ships; this was the benefit of a high reputation.

After everything settled down, Yang Xuanzi returned to the cabin, while Luo Xingchen silently watched the ironclad warships that had been released in the distance.

He was the one who single-handedly managed the development of the navy. It would be a lie to say that he didn't miss it or feel melancholy. But given his position, staying in the navy all the time wasn't a good thing. He should take a higher perspective on the issues.

Zhejiang Prefecture.

The ten-day journey by water was not a difficult experience for Luo Xingchen.

Mo Anbai was engrossed in her studies, researching the ancient Mo family's mechanical arts. These arts were profound and complex, and she could never learn enough. Her busy schedule left her no time to delve into anything else. The most impatient of all was the Smoke Emperor.

"This boat trip is really boring. The food is the same few dishes over and over again. It's so tiring."

Yan Huang sat by the window, gazing at the green mountains on the opposite bank.

Luo Xingchen, on the other hand, was leisurely enjoying her tea, holding a cup of clear tea in her hand, relaxing her mind as she sipped it.

“We stopped several times along the way, but you were unwilling to disembark,” Luo Xingchen said slowly.

"They're all noisy docks; you won't stay long there, so it's better not to go."

The Emperor of Smoke only wanted to go to places where he could eat and drink to his heart's content, so the dock was naturally not his first choice.

"We're almost at the border of Zhejiang. Let's wait a couple more days and then find a better inn or restaurant."

Luo Xingchen said.

They're not short of money in this line of work; they'll have everything they need once they get to the destination.

“That’s true. Let’s wait a little longer. This time we can make it to the new courtesan competition. You can come with me to the brothel to listen to music.”

Yan Huang looked longingly at him. Most of his hair had turned black, making him look less like a man in his sixties or seventies and more like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. This was all thanks to the large amount of essence he had absorbed in the Dragon Clan's small space, which had greatly replenished his depleted energy and spirit.

"Keep your voice down." Luo Xingchen looked around.

"What are you afraid of? You're an adult now. If it were anyone else, they would have already gotten married and had children. But you do nothing, and you don't even touch the girls around you. You live like a saint who doesn't care about worldly affairs. What's the point?"

"Let's talk about it later."

Luo Xingchen was also troubled. His mother, Yang Ruoqing, hadn't been pressuring him to get married much, but the gossipy relatives and matchmakers were always finding ways to inquire and pry.

But he was still thinking about Yingxiu.

But as the years have passed, he has increasingly realized that it will be very difficult for him to find Yingxiu again.

Yingxiu has already secured her position as Queen of Yajili, but she might leave Yajili and return to Daqi alone. As for herself, it's impossible for her to leave Daqi and her family to go to Yajili, which is thousands of miles away. That's all unrealistic.

Marriage is about fate; fate is indispensable.

Perhaps, he hasn't yet found his "destiny".

"Whether you get married or not is irrelevant, but you can't miss out on the night market's top courtesan. Kid, follow me, and I guarantee you'll have a great time."

Yan Huang reached out and took out a piece of beef jerky, put it in his mouth and chewed it. There are many yellow cattle raised in Bozhou, so beef jerky is often seen, but it is expensive and ordinary people cannot afford it.

"Want one? Spicy beef jerky." The Smoke King raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't we going to have barbecue later? How can you eat so much?" Luo Xingchen asked in confusion.

"I have a big appetite, it's no big deal. I can eat as much as I want." The Smoke King laughed heartily.

"An Bai has already set up the barbecue grill over there, let's go over there."

Luo Xingchen stood up.

In a nearby room, Mo Anbai used an iron stove to roast various meats over a small charcoal fire, occasionally basting and sprinkling spices on them.

The spices in Bozhou are quite abundant, and some of them are even unique to the mountains.

The indigenous tribes of Yizhou have now reached an agreement with the imperial court to do business together, making a fortune and living a better life. They no longer think about rebellion.

They were grateful to Luo Xingchen and frequently sent him many gifts, especially local spices, which he could never use up.

"The barbecue is ready, help yourselves." Mo Anbai picked up a skewer of meat and a book at the same time, reading and eating at the same time. She has been in this state lately, immersing herself in various ancient knowledge.

To recreate many ancient mechanisms and techniques, one must master that ancient knowledge.

Luo Xingchen, however, was pondering the rest of the trip.

The most important thing he needs to do is to organize the Jiangnan families and streamline maritime and river transport. These are all very difficult tasks. The Jiangnan forces are deeply entrenched, and no matter how many dynasties have changed, the inheritance of the Jiangnan families has not been affected. A thousand-year-old family is no joke.

But no matter how difficult things are, they still have to be done. What he needs to do is face the challenges head-on, not give up halfway.

So where can we make a breakthrough?

Before coming here, he had already consulted his mother, Yang Ruoqing.

Yang Ruoqing had told him some methods on how to discipline powerful and influential families, the core of which was to use force to overcome skill.

No matter how many complexities there are, as long as you find that one crucial tool.

Let those issues be resolved in the face of a truly sharp blade.

This knife has two components. The first is force; the knife must be fast and strong enough.

The second is public reputation, which is something Ziyan needs to handle.

It is only natural and reasonable for the descendants of Jiang Tongshen, the former head of the most powerful family in Jiangnan, to return and seek revenge.

"Grandpa, are there many martial arts masters in the Jiangnan area?" Luo Xingchen asked, looking up.

He had never asked about it in detail before.

When martial arts skills reach a certain level, they can influence the overall situation, especially those of grandmaster martial artists, who can even affect the balance of a region.

"Jiangnan has always been a land of luxury. Many martial arts masters have preferred to live in seclusion there. Look at that old fellow, the Chess Master, he lives in Jiangnan..."

"And your father's Embroidered Spring Blade, which Shen Li left behind, and Shen Li also hid in Jiangnan."

"He's here too, the knife is with me."

Luo Xingchen raised his hand, took out a knife from behind his back, and placed it on the table.

“That’s right, your father left it to you. He didn’t need this kind of knife, but you do.”

Yan Huang glanced at it and said.

Luo Xingchen's strength hasn't reached the Grandmaster level yet, so having a good weapon can greatly enhance his combat power.

"Are there any other experts?" Luo Xingchen then asked.

“There are many, many more. There are so many that I can’t even remember them all. I can only tell you when we meet. Hmm, it’s said that Venerable Feng is also hiding in Jiangnan, but no one has ever seen him. It seems that if he’s not dead, he’s hiding in a small world and won’t come out easily.”

“Bi Qing said that the spiritual energy and laws of our world have been extracted, so we cannot advance to the Grandmaster level. They are only found in many small worlds. It’s really the opposite of the natural order. The great world is incomplete, but the small worlds have complete laws,” Luo Xingchen said with emotion.

If it weren't for Bi Qing, the ancient bird that survived from antiquity, revealing these ancient secrets, how would people today know them?

"After going to the Dragon Clan's small world, I realized that there are countless worlds in this world. Our place is indeed a large world, but it is not the true core of the world. The vastness of the world is far beyond imagination."

Yanhuangdao.