Liu Yue found a ship belonging to another trading company, but the captain of the ship kept his identity as a member of the Cao Gang hidden. After quietly saying hello, Liu Yue found a safe place and went to sleep.
With soreness all over his body and severe pain in his private parts, Liu Yue admired himself for being able to climb the walls and run across the palace to return to Liuye River, and then find the boat before lying down to rest.
It was almost dawn and the merchant ship was sailing along the Shuai River. The sound of the water and the shaking of the ship soon made Liu Yue fall into a sweet and dreamless sleep. The chaos of the Zhou family and the Donggong people was completely forgotten.
When the sun was at its zenith, the merchant ship had already left the capital city far away. The people mobilized by Gongsun Yan had a team searching inside and outside the city, and they were destined to return empty-handed.
Gongsun Yan himself led his men to search carefully along the waterway.
At noon the next day, Liu Yue insisted on getting off the boat at a town with a dock, walked around the dock, and finally found his way to the riverside and slipped onto an inconspicuous cargo ship.
Not long after, the cargo ship flying the Zhou flag quietly weighed anchor and sailed away.
The merchant ship that Liu Yue had been on was still docked at the dock, unloading and disembarking cargo. Although the captain was puzzled by Liu Yue's insistence on getting off the ship, he did not dare to stop him.
When Gongsun Yan's troops caught up and stopped all ships of all sizes for inspection, the captain suddenly realized what was going on and began to admire the wisdom of his leader.
Gongsun Yan listened to his men's reports with a gloomy face. The most suspicious situation was that there was nothing suspicious at all. As the leader of the Cao Gang, Liu Yue was most familiar with the waterways. Escaping along the river was the fastest and most effective way.
After letting go of these angry but silent ships, Gongsun Yan stopped his ship at the dock and went straight to the market town with a small team of people.
After dealing with so many boats, the sun was already setting. Gongsun Yan's reason told him not to rush. Liu Yue, a young woman, was able to manage such a large Cao Gang in such an orderly manner. She must not be an ordinary person and would not be found so easily.
But the prince was so indifferent to the theft in the East Palace, and even hinted that he should bring the person back safely, which made Gongsun Yan feel uneasy.
Zhou Lanqing had taken the position of Crown Princess by chance without any effort on his part, and this matter could not be ruined by a lowly Liu Yue.
He knew Liu Yue, and her looks were indeed better than Zhou Lanqing's.
Moreover, she is such an extraordinary woman. If the prince really falls in love with her, it would be very bad.
Then Gongsun Yan laughed at herself in her heart. She was a thief who stole the prince's things. For the sake of his face, the prince had to maintain his dignity. Why did she think about love
What does it matter if spring disappears once? Does the prince still have to be responsible for her
Gongsun Yan stopped thinking about these trivial things. After giving a strange signal, she sat down in a small tea shop by the river.
Soon a beggar-like man came to the area to beg. Gongsun Yan took out a few coins from her purse, walked straight over, squatted in front of the beggar, and took the money and poured it into his broken bowl.
The beggar clasped his hands together, murmured his thanks, and finally whispered out an address. Gongsun Yan hummed inaudibly, stood up and left the tea shop, and went to the writing shop the beggar mentioned.
The ink stick that Gongsun Yan wanted to buy was a rare local specialty. When the boss heard that a big customer was coming, he immediately sent someone to the warehouse in the backyard to pick up the goods, and he led Gongsun Yan into the inner room.
The guy who picked up the goods went out from the backyard and sent out a signal. The town was not big, and the news soon reached the guy. He then returned to the front with the news and the ink ingot.
After getting this first-hand information, Gongsun Yan had an idea in mind. He immediately took the ink ingots he pretended to buy, gathered his men and hurried back to the ship, then hoisted the sail and chased after Liu Yue.
(End of this chapter)