The Prodigal Son

It has to be said that going downstream is fast.

Moreover, their ships flew the flag of the imperial envoy, allowing them to navigate at night.

On the second day, Qin Yu and his group entered the Grand Canal.

The Grand Canal was dug more than 300 years ago.

After the Grand Canal was completed, it was continuously repaired and dredged by successive dynasties, and many other canals were built to connect with it.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, the Da Ning regime spent three years mobilizing a large number of laborers to renovate and dredge the Grand Canal, making it more vibrant.

Today, the widest part of this Grand Canal is said to be nearly 100 zhang (approximately 33 meters), and the narrowest part is about 15 zhang (approximately 30 meters). In most places, the water depth exceeds 1.5 zhang (approximately 3.7 meters).

Fifty miles downstream along the Grand Canal, one enters the territory of Ningzhou.

At this time, there was still about an hour before it got dark.

Qin Yu and Lü Si stood at the bow of the boat, admiring the scenery along the way and experiencing the grandeur of the Grand Canal.

Looking at this magnificent scenery, Qin Yu almost burst into poetry and composed a poem on the spot, but fortunately he managed to hold back in time.

Di Rong hurried over to report: "Physician Qin, I just sent someone to inquire about the passing ships. The stone quarry dock is about ten miles ahead."

Qin Yu looked into the distance for a moment, then immediately ordered, "Pass down the order: prepare to disembark at the quarry dock. Before disembarking, everyone must feed the horses. We'll dock as soon as it gets dark and head to Shangzhou overnight!"

"yes!"

Di Rong immediately accepted the order and left.

"Rushing to Shangzhou overnight?"

Lu Si glanced at Qin Yu with a slightly uneasy look.

Qin Yu glanced at him with a smile, "You've traveled at night before before, haven't you?"

"Am I afraid of traveling at night?"

Lu Si wore a bitter expression, feeling secretly depressed.

He didn't want to ride a horse!

His buttocks were already a little sore, and with this bumpy journey, they'll probably be sore for a long time by the time they reach Yuanzhou.

"It's okay! You'll get used to the pain!"

Qin Yu patted Lü Si on the shoulder, "If you're really afraid of the pain, you can lie down on the boat and meet up with us after we go around to Fangzhou."

Don't even think about it!

Lu Si refused without hesitation, cursing Shi Lian'er in his heart once again.

It's all because of this shit!

Damn it, this time we're going to investigate the Shi family thoroughly!

At the very least, the historians should be made to bleed a lot!

Having made up his mind, Lü Si felt motivated and his fear of riding a horse lessened.

They slowed down a bit and didn't arrive at the quarry dock until it got dark.

It is said that this place used to be a quarry.

Many of the stones used to build the Grand Canal were quarried from here.

Upon learning of the imperial envoy's arrival, the people on the dock knelt to welcome him.

After Di Rong and his men had gone ashore and established security, Qin Yu quickly went ashore himself and summoned the dock manager, giving him a stern warning: "Keep your mouths shut! Anyone who dares to reveal my whereabouts will be implicated and punished!"

"Yes, yes!"

The person in charge nodded repeatedly: "I don't know anything, I didn't see anything."

"Hmm, not bad!"

Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction, took out a silver ingot and tossed it to the steward, "This is a reward for you!"

"Thank you, sir!"

The official expressed his deepest gratitude.

"Alright, that's all for now! Get out of here!"

Qin Yu waved to dismiss the person in charge and then ordered the ships carrying them to slow down and head towards Yunhuai.

The distance traveled per day must not exceed thirty li, nor be less than twenty li.

When they encountered a dock along the way, they would randomly send a boat to dock and send a few people off the boat to ask whatever they wanted.

Once everyone had landed, the group immediately set off.

After bowing to see Qin Yu and his group off, the person in charge gathered everyone at the dock and addressed them: "Listen up, all of you! You saw nothing, you know nothing! Anyone who dares to utter a word, I don't mind adding two more heads to the river!"

……

Two days later, Yun Huai.

"What? Still in Willow Town?"

When Shi Yi received another message from Qin Yu and the others, his brows furrowed instantly.

He had already sent people to keep watch at the entrance of the Grand Canal.

On the very day Qin Yu and his fleet entered the Grand Canal, he received a message by carrier pigeon.

He was very familiar with the hydrological conditions of the Grand Canal.

Logically speaking, Qin Yu and his group, who traveled downstream, should have arrived in Yunhuai before nightfall yesterday.

However, we have now received news that they are still in Yangliu Town, a hundred miles away from Yunhuai.

Isn't that ridiculous?

"Yes."

The visitor replied, "According to the information I received, they sent people ashore to inquire about information at every dock they encountered along the way. They traveled and stopped frequently, sometimes taking up half a day at a time."

Shi Yi's eyelids twitched, and he immediately asked, "What are they all asking about?"

"Anyway, it's all a mess, they ask about everything."

The visitor frowned and said, "They even asked whether the people at the docks had wives, children, or elderly relatives."

Upon hearing the report from the visitor, Shi Yi's mind immediately began to work.

Asking about everything?

Hmm, something's not right!

Qin Yu sent people to ask so many random questions, mostly to confuse himself and the salt merchants!

There must be something they're really trying to find out in there!

What the hell is Qin Yu trying to do?

He wanted to gather some evidence of his crimes first, and then put further pressure on himself after arriving in Yunhuai, forcing him to cooperate with him.

After a moment's thought, Shi Yi ordered in a deep voice, "Keep an eye on them! Report any unusual activity immediately! Also, immediately arrange for people at the docks to deliberately leak some of the messy, private affairs of the major salt merchants, but remember to stop there and don't reveal too much!"

"yes!"

The messenger accepted the order and took his leave.

Shi Yi lowered his head, picked up the teacup, took a leisurely sip, and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

Qin Yu's actions inadvertently helped him!

If we can use these trivial matters to stall Qin Yu, we won't even have to worry about sinking ships to block the canal!

However, better safe than sorry!

Those who need to be eliminated must be eliminated as soon as possible!

Leave no one alive!

After pondering for a while, Shi Yi got up and went to his study.

Shi Yi sat at his desk and pondered for a long time before picking up a small pen and writing a note. He then put the note into a specially made secret message tube, took the tube to his yard, tied it to the leg of the hawk he kept in the birdcage, and released the hawk.

The hawk flew out of the Shi family's residence, all the way to Zhiyu Lake in Yunhuai, and finally landed on the island in the center of Zhiyu Lake.

On the island in the middle of the lake, Mo Wu, who was hunched over, was about to go out fishing with his fishing rod when he saw a hawk flying in and immediately stopped.

Mo Wu flicked his wrist, and the fishing hook and line flew out, precisely entangled in the hawk.

With a slight pull, he drew the hawk to him like a fish.

Mo Wu, expressionless, took down the secret letter tube, carefully opened it, and took out the note inside.

After reading the contents of the note, Mo Wu gently grabbed the hawk's neck and twisted it forcefully.

The hawk flapped its wings twice and then died.

After confirming the contents of the note once more, Mo Wu grabbed the hawk's carcass and stuffed it, along with the note, into the stove inside the house.

Once outside, Mo Wu put his fishing rod back down and quickly dashed towards the fishing boat moored on the south side of the island in the middle of the lake...