Wen Qingci took half a step back, moving a little further away from the railing.
The "antidote" that Xie Bufeng has to take every month is only available at Wen Qingci's place, so he really can't afford any accidents.
So he didn't think much about the boy's words.
He just couldn't help but wonder, and recalled over and over again... When did Xie Bufeng come up behind him quietly
*
This is different from the modern method of using dams to block rivers in sections, without distinguishing between dry and wet seasons.
The artificially dug Yinchuan Grand Canal, like countless natural rivers of this era, has its water volume greatly affected by seasons and precipitation.
Generally speaking, as long as the coldest days of winter are over, the canal in Yongdu will be navigable.
However, the quality of navigation cannot be guaranteed.
The second prince Xie Guanzhi took a small boat and sailed on the Yinchuan Grand Canal ahead of the royal fleet. In addition to him, there were several accompanying officials on the boat.
“Second Prince, there has been no rainfall around here recently, so the water level is more than ten feet lower… It might be okay for a small boat to pass through, but if your Majesty’s pleasure boat comes, it might get stranded here.” The official in charge of the hydrology of this section of the river said with great embarrassment.
This southern tour has been prepared for a long time, but precipitation is an uncontrollable issue.
He spoke very objectively, but his tone seemed a little guilty.
"Yes." The second prince glanced at the river ahead and gave the order directly, "Send the boatmen here in advance, and when the pleasure boat reaches here, just tow it and there is no need to wait any longer." After saying that, he walked into the boat.
There are many people on both sides of the canal who make a living by pulling boats.
Whenever a ship encountered dangerous shoals and bad water, or when there was little water in the Yinchuan Grand Canal, they would be called upon to pull the boat.
For this southern tour, the royal family dispatched dozens of ships.
To pull these boats, at least thousands of trackers are needed.
Land transportation is well developed near Yongdu, and since it is not a major commercial center, it does not have many things to use on a daily basis.
Therefore, there are very few trackers active in this area.
The official originally thought that he would wait until the ships became difficult to move and then transfer trackers from other places. However, he did not expect that Xie Guanzhi would just wave his hand and let them come early and follow the fleet south.
This is indeed the best solution, but for so many trackers, coming one day earlier means one more day of expenses, which can add up to a huge amount.
Perhaps only a favored prince like Xie Guanzhi would have the guts to do this...
"Yes, Your Highness!" The official hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed him in and informed the people below of the decision.
Different from the giant painted boat with carved beams and painted buildings, which looks like a walking palace.
This small boat, which had moved forward ahead of everyone else, had a very simple interior, was light in weight, and shook quite a bit, with even strange noises often coming from every corner.
As soon as he entered the boat, a trace of undisguised disdain and disgust flashed across Xie Guanzhi's eyes.
He grew up in luxury and had never lived in such a "shabby" place.
The sound of water around the boat is more obvious than that around the pleasure boat.
After staying here for a long time, people's voices will involuntarily become louder.
As soon as Xie Guanzhi entered the cabin, he heard a burst of "whispering".
"...Did Wen Qingci really say that at the banquet last night? What was he thinking..."
"It's absolutely true!" said the official who had just come from a big ship to discuss the waterway. "What I just told you is the original words, word for word, absolutely not adulterated."
Hearing this, the other person couldn't help but exclaimed in a low voice: "How can he compare Xie Bufeng with the Second Prince? If he says that, I'm afraid even Xie Bufeng himself won't believe it."
"What did Wen Qingci say?"
“Oh, he said it’s not just the Second Prince…” The official with his back to the cabin door was about to answer, but halfway through his words, he suddenly froze there, like a rusty gear, and slowly turned around.
"Second, Second Prince?"
The question just now was asked by the second prince Xie Guanzhi!
The man was caught talking about the prince behind his back, and his legs couldn't help but tremble.
He thought Xie Guanzhi wanted to have a good discussion with the official in charge of hydrology outside regarding the towing matter, but he didn't expect that the other party would return to the cabin so quickly.
Xie Guanzhi didn't even give him a spare glance.
The young man walked over and sat at the table. He picked up the teacup and took a sip. Then he frowned and looked up at the official impatiently and said, "I am asking you a question."
“Yes, yes…” The man was stunned at first, and then, realizing that his death was imminent, he finally repeated word for word what Wen Qingci had said at the banquet last night.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Guanzhi sneered with great disdain.
—In my entire life, I have never met anyone who compares himself with Xie Bufeng.
It's ridiculous.
The official who came from the big ship was not familiar with Xie Guanzhi.
Now looking at the other person's expression, I feel even more guilty.
I shouldn't have said those words just now...
He hesitated for a moment, and suddenly fell to his knees with a thud, making a huge noise.
“Your Highness, please forgive me. Your Highness, please forgive me…” The man’s voice was full of guilt as he repeated this sentence over and over again.
But Xie Guanzhi didn't even raise his eyelids. He picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.
"He is just an imperial physician. What does the Southern Tour of River Transport have to do with him?"
Xie Guanzhi seemed calm on the surface, but he actually said this with gritted teeth.
Although he is not a crown prince, he has always been pampered since he was born and has almost never suffered any grievances.
Xie Guanzhi is used to being superior to others in everything.
Growing up in such an environment, his competitive spirit and desire for recognition are stronger than those of ordinary people.
However, he never paid attention to what ordinary people said, and even thought it was cheap to hear them.
But…
A few days ago, Xie Guanzhi sent someone to investigate Wen Qingci and listened to all the messy rumors about him.
Perhaps the rumors themselves were partly true and partly false, but Xie Guanzhi, who had witnessed his abilities with his own eyes, had to admit that in the field of medicine, probably no one could compare to Wen Qingci.
He is clearly not one of the "ordinary people".
Xie Guanzhi expressed disdain, but after hearing what Wen Qingci said, in addition to a sense of absurdity and vague anger, he was also extremely bothered.
The young man put the teacup in his hand on the table, turned around and walked out of the cabin.
From beginning to end, he never even glanced at the person kneeling on the ground.
The pleasure boat that Wen Qingci was on had a very deep draft, so the shaking was not noticeable when it was moving. Instead, it was like a cradle that helped people fall asleep.
In the past few days, the pleasure boat has been very quiet at night.
It seemed as if even the air had fallen asleep.
Wen Qingci is no exception.
But on the next day, before dawn, Wen Qingci opened his eyes in a daze.
In his sleep, he vaguely heard a heavy sound.
After waking up, Wen Qingci subconsciously turned sideways, wanting to take a look at Xie Bufeng through the screen.
It was not until his eyes fell on the empty cabin that Wen Qingci was stunned for a moment and then he remembered that he was not in the Imperial Medical Bureau at that moment.
But on the painted boat on the southern tour.
He supported himself with his arms and slowly sat up.
Now the sounds outside the boat became more obvious.
Wen Qingci put on his cloak and walked slowly to the window.
The damp and cool air above the river, the creaking sound caused by the friction between the wooden ropes, and the slow and heavy footsteps all appeared in Wen Qingci's ears.
This is…
He was stunned for a moment, and finally followed the long rope and looked towards the shore.
—Countless men in short brown clothes were lined up neatly on both sides of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.
They carried a long rope on their backs, one side connected to their arms and the other side connected to the boat.
At this time, this group of people were chanting slogans silently, dragging the huge pleasure boat, and moving forward step by step along the shore with hardship written all over their bodies.
These are the trackers on both sides of the Yinchuan Grand Canal.
They said they were walking along the shore, but at some point, half of their bodies had been wet by the river water.
The rough brown cloth stuck to the body, the water vapor evaporated by the body temperature, and then got wet again...
This feeling is so uncomfortable
At this moment, the brows of everyone living by the canal are filled with hardship and pain.
Countless trackers lined up in a long queue, and you couldn't see the end at a glance. It was extremely spectacular.
When he was in middle school in his previous life, Wen Qingci had learned about the ancient profession of "track hauler" from textbooks, but when he saw the scene with his own eyes today, he was still shocked.
As a modern man, Wen Qingci on the boat suddenly felt guilty about this scene.
He couldn't ignore the scene of the human-powered boat being pulled.
I don’t know how long this difficult section of the river is.
Thinking of this, Wen Qingci hurriedly turned around, washed up quickly, changed his clothes and walked out of the cabin.
He walked quickly to the side of the boat, wanting to see what the situation was like ahead.
I don’t know what time it is. The sky is still dark, with only sporadic starlight shining gently on the canal.
Wen Qingci didn't expect that he had just walked out of the door and had not taken a few steps when he met the virtuous eunuch who came out to study the tow rope.
He was talking about the sound of the oars being pulled.
In front of Eunuch Xian, Wen Qingci could only continue to pretend to be calm.
He lowered his eyes and smiled before answering, "It is indeed a bit loud."
Wen Qingci then paused and asked Eunuch Xian in a roundabout way, "I wonder how long this section of the voyage is? How long will it take? Your Majesty's headache has not been completely relieved yet, and I'm afraid he will be disturbed by this noise."
"Mr. Wen is indeed very careful!" Upon hearing this question, Eunuch Xian first praised him, and then quickly replied, "To be honest, our family is not very clear about the route. But Mr. Wen, don't worry. Your Majesty also encountered such a thing when he first toured the south along the Yinchuan Grand Canal more than ten years ago. When we came this time, we made preparations in advance. The new soundproofing in your Majesty's cabin is very good, and you can't hear the outside noise."
Eunuch Xian was chatting with Wen Qingci.
“So…” Wen Qingci nodded gently and his eyes fell towards the shore.
It was said to be for the convenience of the people, but from beginning to end, the emperor did not want to hear even the outside voices.
He thought with some disdain.
Seeing that Eunuch Xian was here, Wen Qingci could not look forward any further.
He was just about to turn around and go back to the cabin when he saw a very unfamiliar boat approaching from a distance.
Before Wen Qingci could ask Eunuch Xian what was going on, he suddenly frowned and said, "It's the Second Prince... Why is he here?"
The planks of the two boats were connected, and the people on the small boat quickly walked up.
Xie Guanzhi was surrounded by the crowd.
His face was a little pale, and his arms hung limply by his side, looking as if he was injured.
Seeing Wen Qingci here, the eunuch following Xie Guanzhi hurried over and said loudly: "Doctor Wen! The Second Prince's arm was hit by the rope on the fence just now. Come and take a look!"
"Okay, Your Highness, come this way." Wen Qingci frowned slightly, and then led them to the small clinic that was temporarily opened in the painting studio.
Perhaps because it was too painful, Xie Guanzhi kept his lips tightly pursed the entire time, not making a single sound, being unspeakably quiet.
The young eunuch beside him was chattering non-stop.
After arriving at the clinic, Wen Qingci learned the whole story from the eunuch.
A few hours ago, Xie Guanzhi got up and went to the deck to busy himself with pulling the boat.
He went to bed late last night and had not recovered his energy in the morning.
In addition, it was still dark at that time, so even with the lights on, I could only see a vague picture of the surrounding scenery.
As a result, Xie Guanzhi failed to notice the mast that was swinging towards him, and the rope hanging on it.
If you don't dodge in time, it will hit you.
Against the backdrop of the entire ship, the mast and the ropes used to hang the sails seemed very fragile and narrow.
But once you hold it in your hand, you will realize that this heavy rope is definitely a dangerous item.
"Doctor Wen, please take a quick look at His Highness's arm, is it—"
Before the young eunuch finished his plea for help, Xie Guanzhi, who had been keeping his lips tightly pursed, finally uttered a sound: "Why are you crying? My arm is fine, swallow back all those curses!"
The next second, the little eunuch who had been wailing just now fell silent.
pain.
The feeling of the rope hitting my arm was really painful.
Xie Guanzhi clenched his teeth along the way and did not cry out in pain.
Until the last second, he finally prepared himself mentally. He forced himself to move his shoulder slightly despite the pain to make sure he could still move normally.
After hearing Xie Guanzhi's voice, Wen Qingci finally slowed down a bit in opening the medicine box.
He gently pressed on Xie Guanzhi's wound through his shirt, and said without looking away: "Let me check if there is anything wrong with your bones first."
Except for Xie Guanzhi who had work to do, all the other princes and princesses lived on this pleasure boat.
Somehow, the news of Xie Guanzhi's injury spread.
Wen Qingci had just begun to examine his joints and bones, and before he found anything, he heard footsteps outside.
Before Xie Guanzhi could even look up to see who it was, a familiar voice rang in his ears.
"Second brother, is your arm okay?" The chubby young man trotted over. He looked at Xie Guanzhi with a worried look on his face. His expression was a little too exaggerated, and it was obvious that he came here to curry favor with someone on purpose.
When he saw this little fat boy, the only word that came to Xie Guanzhi's mind was "bad luck".
He glanced at the Third Prince, then slowly closed his eyes, leaving him here without giving him any face.
This time, Xie Guanzhi was too lazy to even say the word "waste".
For a moment, the Third Prince, who had rushed to curry favor with the emperor, could neither stay nor leave, so he had to look around.
It was at this moment that he finally noticed that the person opposite Xie Guanzhi was Wen Qingci.
The fear deep in his bones resurfaced, and the Third Prince involuntarily and silently took a half step back.
The next moment he suddenly stood up straight.
What Wen Qingci said in the pleasure boat that night had already spread all over the place, and he didn't believe that Xie Guanzhi hadn't heard it.
So the third prince, who wanted to curry favor with his superiors, recalled for a while, then suddenly cleared his throat and said in a slightly sarcastic tone: "… The emperor's tour is a big event. For example, today, if it weren't for my second brother who had foresight and had prepared trackers to accompany us, our ship would probably be stranded here."
After he finished speaking, he laughed again and said meaningfully: "I think only my second brother has this ability!"
These words were meant to flatter Xie Guanzhi, and were also addressed to Wen Qingci.
Or perhaps it was a deliberate mockery of his wrong "prophecy" that day.
At this time, Wen Qingci had finished examining Xie Guanzhi's arm.
After confirming that the other party had no broken bones, he took out some blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing medicine from the medicine box.
His movements were gentle and slow, without even a second of pause, and it seemed as if he had not heard a word the Third Prince said.
Wen Qingci did not have any extra reaction, and his flattery of the Third Prince was only half successful.
Although he was afraid of the imperial physician in front of him, the Third Prince took advantage of Xie Guanzhi's presence and took advantage of the situation to bully others.
He asked Wen Qingci directly: "Don't you have anything to say?"
Wen Qingci finally raised his head slowly.
Having already said what he said that day, he would not take it back, especially not do such a self-contradictory thing in front of the Third Prince.
"What I want to say is still the same as that day." His tone was exceptionally calm, and even while he spoke, there was that familiar smile on his face.
This time, not only the Third Prince lost his temper, but even Xie Guanzhi suddenly opened his eyes.
There was no time for him to lose his temper.
Wen Qingci seemed to suddenly remember what the Third Prince had just said. He looked at Xie Guanzhi and smiled, "But I do have something I want to say."
"What?" The boy frowned.
"The water in the canal is cold, and most of the trackers' clothes are wet. If you don't want the cold to enter your bodies, Your Highness, please remember to prepare preventive medicine for them." After saying this, Wen Qingci gently closed the medicine box and looked at the young man with a smile.
He clearly didn't say a word, but his intention to drive the guest away couldn't be more obvious.
"No need for you to say more." After he finished speaking, the second prince stood up and walked out of the cabin, his steps were exceptionally fast.
The third prince also hurriedly followed: "Second brother, second brother, wait for me—"
He was half a step slow and didn't see it. After throwing those four words, Xie Guanzhi actually showed a trace of guilt in his eyes.
Wen Qingci's reminder was not in vain, he had indeed ignored what he said.
Xie Guanzhi, who was walking in front, pushed open the cabin door with his uninjured hand.
The next second, his eyes collided with the young man who was guarding outside the cabin like a door god.
Xie Bufeng leaned against the dark bulkhead, his gaze as cold as a knife, instantly piercing Xie Guanzhi's body, and then slowly scanned the young man from bottom to top.
The boy's gaze was rude and arrogant to the extreme.
The moment they passed each other, Xie Guanzhi got goosebumps all over his body.
Why is Xie Bufeng standing here
No, he seems to have been following Wen Qingci around for some time recently.
After a few seconds of pause, Xie Bufeng finally turned his gaze away coldly.
Then he closed his eyes again.
What happened on the snowy night has become his nightmare.
This morning, Xie Bufeng woke up from his sleep and subconsciously walked out of the room to look for Wen Qingci.
Then I heard the noise and followed it all the way here.
After knowing that Wen Qingci was healing someone in the cabin, Xie Bufeng slowly clenched his palms, and the feeling in the dream enveloped him again.
Wen Qingci is a medicine man.
In the eyes of Xie Bufeng, who can hear evil thoughts at all times, everyone in this world is greedy.
They coveted Wen Qingci's blood.
If he didn't stay close to Wen Qingci, he might be stolen like the lamb that day, and then... lose his life.
(End of this chapter)