Chapter 10

Yang Chengwan cast a stern glance at the two of them, said nothing, and limped out. With his silence, the two had no choice but to continue kneeling obediently.

As he hurried to the upper deck, he noticed a shadow flickering at the end of the hatch. The masked man was startled; although he was not afraid, he was still carrying the injured Sha Xiuzhu and could not afford to implicate his brother any further. With nowhere to hide, he had no choice but to push open the nearest cabin door and slip inside with Sha Xiuzhu on his back

The boss... looked pitifully at Yang Chengwan this summer

The boss seems to be in quite a bad mood this time. Jin Xia weakly asked, "Could it be that he wants us to kneel until tomorrow morning?"

There is someone in this cabin

Compared to the spacious and bright cabin of Lu Yi, the cabin this summer exudes a musty odor that has lingered for years, with windows that are both small and narrow. She did not turn on the light, but lay down fully clothed, feeling a tingling and aching sensation in her knees in the darkness, as if ants were gnawing at them.

"Since the official has spoken, let them go this time." Yang Cheng and Wan Zhao sternly said, "Did you hear that? Get up and thank the official! If there is a next time, we will not be so lenient!"

Sha Xiuzhu, however, is willing but unable: "My leg has been broken, and I am unable to walk. Good brother, you should leave quickly! Do not worry about me any longer"

Brother Sha, Brother Sha... A voice seemed to drift from a distant place

At the end of the corridor, a shadow flickered, and the two immediately fell silent, continuing to bow their heads in a posture of repentance. From the corner of their eyes, they caught a glimpse of Yang Chengwan staggering towards them, accompanied by another person dressed in brocade with a phoenix belt, who was none other than Lu Yi

Father," Yang Yue hurriedly called out, "We know we were wrong

At this moment, Jin Xia had already greeted all of his ancestors from the past five hundred years in his heart, yet he still had to maintain a submissive expression on his face, forcing himself to rise and limping his way outside

"Perhaps not," Yang Yue said with immense pain as he slightly shifted his legs, feeling relieved, "Fortunately, we are on a ship, and the flooring is all wooden. If I were kneeling on stone, that would truly be painful."

You should leave quickly, be wary of ambushes, it would be disastrous if you are discovered!" Sha Xiuzhu urged anxiously

They were... ...'' Seeing the two kneeling in the summer of this year, Lu Yi seemed rather surprised

The boatmen came and went beside the two individuals, initially casting sidelong glances, then later showing indifference, and ultimately treating them as mere useless decorations on the boat. Nearby was a storage compartment, where two boatmen were tidying up while quietly discussing among themselves. The door of the storage compartment was ajar, not fully closed, and their intermittent words drifted into Jin Xia's ears.

Say

"It was a misunderstanding, just a trivial matter. Senior, there is no need to take it to heart. Let them get up, otherwise, how can Yan Yuan feel at ease?" Lu Yi said.

This principle is not beyond her understanding this summer; it is merely that there remains some distance between understanding this principle and putting it into practice. She recalls her brother's teacher, who often stroked his beard and shook his head, lamenting that while knowledge is easy, action is difficult, which must be reflective of her current situation

A faint pain surged through the knee, and this summer could not help but shift slightly. Just then, the hatch opened, and Yang Chengwan emerged with a stern expression...

"The latch has fallen off, you may push it open." The latch was knocked off by those two aggressive soldiers last night, and this summer I am too lazy to pick it up, thinking I will deal with it tomorrow.

Why do you always boost others' confidence? ... Wasn't it said that we were making glutinous rice balls?

This matter has burdened my brother; how can I remain seated? I also heard that my brother is to be taken back to the imperial prison by the Jinyiwei, so I rushed over immediately. The masked man covered his face again, and while speaking, he swiftly unlocked the iron gate with just a few movements. "Brother, come out quickly!"

Brother Sha, do not make a sound, it is me

It is all that scoundrel Lu Yi! This summer, she gritted her teeth, her voice so low that only Yang Yue beside her could hear.

This summer, Jin Xia and Yang Yue honestly knelt outside the cabin door of Yang Chengwan, listening to the occasional muffled sounds of painful moans coming from the lower cabin.

... ... um ... ... um ... ...

Yang Yue is undoubtedly his biological son, and to Jin Xia, he is even more like a teacher and a father. Once these words were spoken, how could the two of them bear it? Knowing that he was genuinely angry, they could only obediently kneel at the door to show their remorse.

I have searched all around and found no ambush, brother, I will carry you!" Without waiting for a response, he leaned in and carried Sha Xiuzhu out, extinguishing the firelight. "Brother, do not make a sound, we shall leave at once.

Understood

The unruly disciple does not understand the rules and has offended the experienced elder. Yang Chengwan said, "There is no need to pay them any mind"

The masked person, seeing his gaze filled with suspicion, pulled down the mask to reveal his true face: "It is I"

Lu Yi stood with his hands clasped, and said lightly: "There is no need for such grand courtesy, please rise."

Yang Yue's head poked over from beside the stove: "Master Xia, I would like to discuss something with you."

Half an hour later, the boat continued to navigate along the river.

... ... the leg is broken, I heard it was just a kick that swept by!

The two knelt for a full day, without food or water. During this time, Yang Chengwan entered and exited the cabin several times, yet he did not speak. Jin Xia and Yang Yue dared not rise, staring blankly as the daylight faded once more, their knees already numb from kneeling.

Yang Chengwan repeatedly denied, stating that he was unaware of the matter, and asked for forgiveness for his disciple's misbehavior, promising to impose strict discipline

The masked man was taken aback as the fire stick moved downward, illuminating the left leg of Shao Xiuzhu, which was wrapped in heavy white cloth below the knee, with a hint of blood seeping through: "Who has dealt such a cruel blow?! I shall take revenge for my brother."

Yang Yue sighed

A fire stick was shaken to emit light at close range, illuminating a small area. Beside him, there was a hooded figure in dark robes, half-squatting, with a nine-section whip around his waist

No wonder the boss is tight-lipped; it turns out he is just waiting for him to speak. Unable to find any ready food, I dug out a radish this summer, biting into it fiercely and crunching away. "Sly little man! He clearly knows we have been kneeling for a day, yet he only says 'it's just a small matter,' which is obviously intended to make things difficult for us.

This summer, Yang Yue knelt down with his head drooping, sitting upright and properly, naturally not daring to utter a single sound.

Yang Chengwan listened in silence for a while, his face cold, and finally said only one sentence: "You have grown wings now, and there is no need to take my instructions to heart; I see no reason for you to follow me any longer"

Forget about that birth chart; how he handles it is none of our concern. We should not get involved in this matter, and we cannot afford to provoke this person. Do not add any trouble for my father

He struggled to open his eyes

Subsequently, this summer, Yang Yue had no choice but to recount the entire sequence of events in detail to Yang Chengwan, including how he entered the water, found the birthday tribute, was discovered by Lu Yi, and had the birthday tribute transported onto the ship, as well as the dialogue between Lu Yi and Wang Fangxing, without daring to omit a single detail

Yang Yue also obediently got up to thank Lu Yi, and similarly followed Jin Xia with a leg crossed.

Fortunately, a doctor was called to set the bone; otherwise, this person would have been incapacitated

In the midst of pain, Sha Xiuzhu floated in and out of consciousness at the edge of fainting and waking. The cell in which he was imprisoned was specifically designed for prisoners on the ship, divided into three small compartments by iron bars, allowing no light to penetrate even during the day. He could not distinguish between day and night at all. A sharp pain shot through his injured leg, and he unconsciously let out a groan, pressing his body tighter against the cold iron bars, as if this could alleviate his suffering a little.

She found him tedious and waved him out. Yang Yue picked up the door latch for her, secured it, closed the door again, and returned to rest himself

He even called a doctor to set Sha Xiuzhu's broken bone! Lu Yi's actions are truly unpredictable; he kicked Sha Xiuzhu's leg without any warning. Even if it was to extract a confession, it was indeed rather ruthless. Sha Xiuzhu is quite a tough man; despite the excruciating pain from his broken leg, he still stubbornly refuses to say anything.

Stop thinking about it, hurry and start the fire

Her legs had completely lost sensation from kneeling. This summer, she struggled to rise while supporting herself against the ship's wall. Stymied by Yang Chengwan, she reluctantly turned to Lu Yi and said, "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your generosity..." Before she could finish her sentence, her legs lacked the strength to stand straight, and with a thud, she knelt down again, wincing in pain.

Yang Yue urged her, and this summer had no choice but to turn around and tend to the fire, still pondering in her mind: "What do you think he plans to do with that birth chart? Is he really going to take it all the way to Yangzhou?"

Someone is knocking at the door; it is Yang Yue's voice

Due to extreme hunger, this summer I swallowed a whole raw red carrot in just two or three bites, and then said: "I am just so indignant, having been used by him for half a day, he captured the person, obtained the birthday tribute, and in the end, he even played us a trick."

The river flows gently, and the night is still long

Yang Yue entered and handed her a small bottle of medicinal wine, saying: "My father asked me to give this to you. It promotes blood circulation and alleviates bruising. Just massage your legs a bit, and you will be fine by tomorrow"

I am speaking honestly ... ... If I can't find rice flour, I might as well make do with a bowl of noodles

"My legs are completely numb, it doesn't matter whether I kneel or not, I'm just extremely hungry," Jin Xia lamented, "When you said you wanted to make sesame dumplings early this morning, I shouldn't have stopped you..."

Sha Xiuzhu suddenly realized: "... ... Why are you here?"

This summer, she half-reclined on the bed, rolled up her pant legs, poured the medicinal wine into her palm, and rubbed it until her palm felt warm, then applied it to the injured area. After a while, the medicinal wine took effect, and her knees began to feel a wave of warmth, which was extremely comforting. She knew that they had knelt all day, and Yang Chengwan must be feeling distressed, but she had to put on a show for Lu Yi, not allowing any sign of weakness to show.

Oh, have you used it?

As Yang Yue scooped water into the large pot, he sighed, "Be content; if he were to say this tomorrow morning, we would have to kneel for another night."

There was nothing appetizing to be found in the galley of the ship, so Yang Yue made two bowls of plain noodles. The two of them hastily finished their meal and then returned to their cabins to rest

Yang Cheng's limping figure swayed in her mind as she drowsily thought before sinking into slumber, indeed she could no longer cause trouble for the boss

In fact, after Lu Yi discovered the two of them outside the window, he did not utter a single reprimand. He simply found Yang Chengwan and politely said, "Why are your two disciples hiding under my window to eavesdrop? Yan Yuan conducts himself with integrity and has nothing to hide. I am merely concerned whether you, as a senior, might have any misunderstandings about me or hold any grudges in your heart"

Sha Xiuzhu had no choice but to carry him, and the two quietly left the cabin, climbing up the wooden ladder. The lowest level was where the boatmen resided, and at this late hour, the night was quiet; the boatmen, exhausted from a day's work, were sound asleep. Although he was carrying a person, the masked man moved with remarkable lightness, his footsteps silent.

This summer, lying on the stove, I recalled the painful expression of Sha Xiuzhu as he fell to the ground, pondering: "... perhaps there was some secret hidden in his shoes?"

I have it myself, so don't be lazy, and make sure to close the door properly

"Some things you just have to accept; his official rank is higher than ours, and no matter how he plays with you, you cannot do anything about it. Furthermore, his skills are quite remarkable; with one kick, he broke the leg bone of that flag officer. Can you match that kind of strength?" Yang Yue began to roll out the dough, preparing to make two bowls of noodles to eat