I traveled back to the Southern Song Dynasty and was actually outmaneuvered by Yue Fei.

On the second day of the fifth month of the thirteenth year of Shaoxing, the mission arrived in Huai'an Prefecture.

The scenery along the canal has begun to change from the greenery of Jiangnan to the yellowish-brown of Huaibei.

The cargo boats docked at a wharf called "Qingjiangpu".

This dock is not listed in any official post station directory; it is merely a makeshift ferry crossing with only a few fishing boats and a simple stone staircase.

Qin Keqing suggested that Zhao Bocong choose to dock here because someone she knew lived at the dock.

A fisherwoman in her fifties, surnamed Zhou, was one of the old informants that Zhijia had planted in Huai'an Prefecture years ago.

Granny Zhou's house was a low mud-brick house by the dock, with several fishing nets drying in front of the door and a few hens pecking at food in the yard.

When Qin Keqing walked into the courtyard carrying a bamboo basket, Granny Zhou was tending the fire in the kitchen. Hearing footsteps, she lifted the curtain and came out. When she saw Qin Keqing's face, she almost dropped the fire tongs in her hand.

"Miss Qin—" Granny Zhou's voice trembled noticeably, "You...what brings you here?"

"Just passing by." Qin Keqing placed the bamboo basket on the stone table in the courtyard, lifted the cover to reveal half a packet of tea, two feet of cotton cloth, and a small packet of salt. "Aunt Zhou, I have a few questions for you."

Granny Zhou quickly wiped her hands, walked briskly to the courtyard gate, glanced left and right, and then closed the gate.

"There have been many more people in Huai'an Prefecture these past few days," Granny Zhou whispered before Qin Keqing could speak.

"Although these people are all dressed in civilian clothes, you can tell at a glance that they are government employees."

They loitered around the dock, questioning people about whether they had seen an official ship coming from the south; just the day before yesterday, people were going door-to-door asking them questions.

"What did they ask?" Qin Keqing was clearly not too surprised.

"Ask if she has ever received a woman surnamed Qin." Granny Zhou hesitated and glanced at Qin Keqing.

Qin Keqing knew that the woman surnamed Qin was one of Qin Hui's men searching for her, and that they probably had more information than she had anticipated.

"Besides these people, is there any other activity?"

Granny Zhou hesitated for a moment.

"There is another strange thing. The patrol soldiers of Huai'an Prefecture have been patrolling the canal every day for days, claiming that they are checking for smuggled salt."

Every vessel arriving from the south was subjected to extremely thorough inspections; during this period, even the hold of fishing boats was pried open and searched before they were allowed to leave.

Qin Keqing nodded and thought for a moment, then took out a wax ball the size of a thumb from her sleeve and placed it on the stone table.

"Aunt Zhou, keep this safe. If anyone comes to you and asks if the canal water has risen, just give them this wax pellet."

Granny Zhou took the wax ball and nodded without asking any further questions.

Qin Keqing got up, picked up her bamboo basket, and stopped at the courtyard gate as if she had remembered something. She asked, "Aunt Zhou, can you still draw water from your well?"

"Yes, it is," Granny Zhou replied, "but the well is a bit deep."

"That's good." Qin Keqing pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped out.

Back on the cargo ship, Zhao Bocong was standing at the bow, holding a rolled-up map in his hand.

Upon seeing Qin Keqing return, he didn't rush to ask about the information he had gathered, but simply said, "You don't look well."

Qin Keqing was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "Qin Hui's men are already searching for me in Huai'an. They are certain that I will take this waterway."

Zhao Bozong rolled up the map. "Then we won't stay in Huai'an for long. We'll set sail tonight and cross the Huai'an section of the river overnight."

"A patrol boat from the Jin Kingdom..."

"Jin patrol boats will never set sail at night." Zhao Bozong turned and walked into the cabin.

"They were worried about running aground at night, so they all returned to port and anchored as soon as it got dark. We took advantage of the darkness to cross the Huai'an section of the river and entered the Sizhou area before dawn."

Qin Keqing followed him into the cabin, sat on a low stool, and opened the waterway booklet.

"From Qingjiangpu to Huai'an City, the waterway is about sixty li. If the wind is favorable, the journey can be completed before dawn."

"Then proceed according to this plan." Zhao Bozong sat down at the desk, picked up his pen and wrote a few words, then pushed the paper in front of Qin Keqing.

The paper contained only seven words: After passing Huai'an, switch to land route.

Qin Keqing stared at the words, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Does Your Highness intend to change to a land route outside Sizhou City?"

"That's right, Sizhou City is located on the north bank of the Huai River, and cargo ships can only dock on the south bank."

We will disembark at the ferry crossing south of Sizhou City and then walk into the city. It's about ten li from the ferry crossing to the city gate, and that ten li is..."

"It's the most dangerous section of the entire route," Qin Keqing continued.

"If the Jin delegation has already arrived, they will definitely send people to keep a close watch on the ferry; Qin Hui's men will also set up an ambush here. It's a vast open field for ten miles, with farmland on both sides, offering no cover whatsoever."

Zhao Bozong nodded, seemingly having already made up his mind. "That's why we must arrive early and enter the city before the Jin delegation arrives and Qin Hui's troops complete their defenses."

Silence fell over the cabin, with only the gurgling sound of water flowing from the bottom of the ship.

"Your Highness," Qin Keqing suddenly spoke, "how did you tell I looked unwell?"

Zhao Bozong was taken aback. "I can only feel it."

Qin Keqing looked down at her hands.

This is her instinctive reaction whenever she faces danger; her body subconsciously enters a state of alert.

"It's alright," Qin Keqing said softly, "You'll calm down in a little while."

Zhao Bozong didn't press further, but simply pushed a hand warmer to her feet. "Rest for a moment; we'll have to travel through the night."

Qin Keqing gazed at the blazing charcoal fire in the stove, feeling the warmth slowly rising.

He leaned his foot forward and whispered, "Thank you, Your Highness." Then he closed his eyes to rest.

At midnight, five cargo ships quietly set sail under the cover of darkness.

No lamps were lit at the bow; only an oil lamp wrapped in black cloth was lit at the stern, its faint light illuminating only a short distance across the water.

The boatmen at the helm were all veterans transferred by Li Bao from Zhenjiang. They were familiar with the water depth and waterway of the canal and could accurately avoid shoals and reefs even in the darkest night.

Zhao Bocong stood at the bow of the boat, gazing intently at the night sky ahead.

Huai'an City appeared at the city gate in the distance on the left. The figures of patrolling soldiers moved back and forth in the firelight, but they did not notice the cargo boats on the river. Boats often traveled back and forth on the canal at night.

The fleet traveled north along the main channel, with each ship spaced fifty feet apart and connected by ropes to prevent them from getting separated in the dark. The boatmen took turns steering and changing shifts, and the entire journey was carried out in complete silence.

At dawn, the fleet successfully sailed out of the Huai'an section of the canal.

The city of Huai'an had disappeared from sight, and the river in front of us suddenly opened up, with endless plains on both sides of the canal.

As the first rays of dawn appeared on the horizon, Zhao Bocong remained standing at the bow of the boat, never returning to his cabin to rest.

Qin Keqing woke up at some point and walked to his side wrapped in an old cotton robe.

"We've already passed Huai'an," Qin Keqing said, her voice still hoarse from just waking up.

"Um."

"The Jurchen patrol boats never showed up."

"Um."

Qin Keqing looked at the person beside her. The morning light outlined his still-young profile, but his speech and mannerisms were no longer those of a boy.

"Your Highness," Qin Keqing asked, "you haven't slept a wink all night."

Zhao Bocong did not deny it.

"I am considering the situation in Sizhou. If Tian Ruyi has already arrived in Sizhou, he will surely be waiting for us along this ten-mile stretch of fields from the ferry to the city gate."

Qin Keqing wrapped her cotton robe even tighter. "Tian Ruyi won't make a move at the ferry crossing."

Zhao Bozong turned to look at her.

"He was tricked by His Highness with a fake list in Lin'an before, and he will never repeat the same mistake in the same place."

He will wait until we are off guard before striking, such as after the annual tribute is paid and everyone thinks everything is settled.

Zhao Bocong pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Perhaps you're right, the handover of this year's tribute will probably not be so easy."