Chapter 230: Journey To The South

The dock was a bustling hive of activity, filled with people coming and going. Hua Zhi stood at the bow of the ship, watching the faces filled with joy, sorrow, and anticipation. She thought back to the night before Yan Xi left, remembering the reluctance in his eyes as he bid her farewell.

It was strange. Despite his high position, he was always the one who wore his emotions on his sleeve.

She wasn't without her own feelings of reluctance, but she was so accustomed to parting that even knowing she wouldn't see him for at least a month, she felt it was merely a fleeting moment. Some habits, once formed, could last a lifetime.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of regret for not being able to understand that feeling.

Wondering where Yan Xi might be now, Hua Zhi was about to return to the cabin when someone called out, "Miss Hua?"

Hua Zhi turned around. She had not disguised herself or worn a veil, standing boldly at the bow of the ship. Her already striking beauty was even more eye-catching against the backdrop of the vast expanse of water and sky. Many eyes were drawn to her, but none as intensely as those of the man standing before her.

After a brief glance, Hua Zhi gave a slight bow and turned to leave, a gesture that was both polite and a clear indication of her refusal.

She didn't want to get involved in a romantic scandal while Yan Xi was away.

The man was taken aback for a moment. He took a couple of steps forward before stopping and smiled meaningfully. Regardless of where Miss Hua was going, the nearest port was at least two days away, and there would always be opportunities to strike up a conversation.

It was quite a surprise to encounter Miss Hua, whom he had been unable to find even while keeping a constant watch near the Hua residence.

Hua Zhi paid him no mind. As she entered the cabin, she saw Shao Yao sprawled out on the bed, fast asleep. The previous night, she had been tinkering with something in the medicine room and had brought a large package aboard.

The Sixth Prince, who had been lost in thought, looked up at the sound of her footsteps and quickly stood up. He still couldn't believe that Sister Hua would actually take him on a journey. This was the first time he had been so far away from the imperial palace, and he would be going even farther. Just thinking about it made his heart race.

"The ship is about to set sail. I heard it's quite a sight when the anchor is raised. Don't you want to go out and see it?"

The Sixth Prince shook his head. He wasn't interested in such things. He was more curious about why Sister Hua had brought him along.

"Mr. Lu suggested it. He said you've never left the imperial city, so I thought I'd bring you out to see what the world is really like." Hua Zhi could see what he was thinking and kindly explained, "If you don't want to go, you can still get off the ship now."

"I want to go. I really do," the Sixth Prince said, biting his lip. "Will it cause any trouble for Sister Hua?"

"No, it won't. How about a game of go?"

"Okay."

The journey would take about ten days, and Hua Zhi had brought some books to pass the time, as well as a go set. She didn't want to waste these days.

The Sixth Prince's go playing had gradually improved, but he was still a bit young. However, for his age, he was quite good. Hua Zhi played casually, thinking that she would have a game with Yan Xi when she had the chance. Based on her analysis of his playing style, he was an aggressive player, and she enjoyed a good match.

From outside came the sound of shouts as the ship's anchor was raised.

The harbor was calm, and initially, the ship felt steady. But once it joined the great river, the boat began to rise and fall. Shao Yao, who was always alert, sat up at the first bump, her eyes clear, as if she had only been pretending to sleep.

"We're finally off," she yawned, then lay back down. However, this time she didn't feel sleepy and began to tease the Sixth Prince, who was frowning in concentration as he tried to figure out how to break the deadlock, "Just give up. There's no hope."

Huazhi glanced at her, "According to what you're saying, Little Six shouldn't have played with me at all, since he can't beat me anyway."

Shao Yao chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Then you don't need to bother studying the sand table either, since you're no match for me."

Shao Yao's face fell. "Huazhi, you're taking his side."

"I am."

"Huahua, Huahua, Huahua..."

Unable to do anything about this unreasonable person, Hua Zhi rolled her eyes and gave up.

The Sixth Prince pursed his lips and smiled, a bright idea popping into his head. He quickly placed a black piece on the board.

Hua Zhi nodded approvingly. "Sometimes, winning or losing isn't important. What matters is whether you've given your all. Like in this game of chess, if you had given up and resigned just now, you might have lost twenty pieces to me. But now, you've at least won back two pieces for yourself. On the battlefield, this would be like winning a chance for yourself, perhaps buying enough time for reinforcements to arrive."

The Sixth Prince nodded earnestly, taking her words to heart.

Seeing that he understood, Hua Zhi didn't say anything more. Too much lecturing could be annoying.

Shao Yao on the bed had long since stopped smiling. She buried herself in her arms and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She felt a bit envious of Little Six, and she also missed the beautiful woman who used to say, "Our family is going to produce a female general."

After finishing the game and leaving Little Six to review the moves, Hua Zhi took out a notebook and began to read.

Mr. Siqing's manuscript was too precious to carry around, so she had made a copy. It was perfect for passing the time on this long journey.

As she copied, she was astonished by Mr. Siqing's brilliance. Building on the work of his predecessors, he had created ten new formations. She couldn't find a way to break through even the first formation, the cone formation.

This formation had a wide killing range and, as long as the formation remained intact, it was invincible.

The previous dynasty had committed too many atrocities, destroying countless civilizations and severing centuries of heritage. Even after nearly two hundred years of recuperation, the Great Daqing Dynasty had not fully recovered. The Great Daqing had not produced a genius as brilliant as Mr. Siqing, a devastating loss.

Strictly speaking, Hua Zhi's ancestor, Hua Jingyan, could be considered one, but he was still a step below Mr. Siqing, like the difference between a genius and an unparalleled genius.

Hua Zhi rubbed her fingers together, itching to do something. If only she were at home, she could analyze the formations on a sand table.

The first day of their journey was very smooth. As the sun set, they left the cabin and leaned against the railing, watching the fiery red sunset.

This river was the mother river of the entire Great Daqing Dynasty, the Wei River. It was very wide, and although it couldn't compare to the vastness of the sea, looking at it from all sides gave one a feeling of being very small.

The Sixth Prince thought that if the ship sank at this moment, even as a prince, he would have no escape.

As if seeking a sense of security, he leaned closer to Hua Zhi.

Hua Zhi noticed his actions out of the corner of her eye and found it a bit amusing. She didn't say anything, but simply asked, "How does the sunset here compare to the one in the capital?"

"The sun looks bigger and closer."

"The sun hasn't changed. What has changed is your state of mind. When your heart is broad, the world becomes larger." Hua Zhi habitually offered a few words of advice, and then realized that he wasn't her younger brother, but a prince.

Suddenly remembering that she had called him Little Six along with Shao Yao earlier, she hesitated for a moment before asking openly, "For the sake of convenience during our journey, shall we all call you Little Six?"

"Yes, yes. That would be great." Nothing could be better. Only Brother Yanxi and Sister Shao Yao called him that. Now he could add Sister Huazhi to the list. "I like both Little Six and Ah Jian."

As they were chatting, a familiar voice sounded, "Miss Hua Zhi, we meet again."

Hua Zhi suppressed her smile and turned around. Since there was no way to avoid them, she decided not to.