The Hu-Xiongnu Treasury Miracle has now become Xie's prisoner.
Key figures in the Hu-Xiongnu business community were greatly shocked.
The ship bound for Huayin Kingdom had been sailing for two days. Xie Lanzhi stood on the deck, Xie Shangguang leaned on the railing and vomited into the river, and Xie Ying covered her nose and stayed beside her.
Seeing her waiting beside her, Xie Lanzhi reminded her, "What did your father say when His Highness sent you?"
"My father doesn't know yet," Xie Ying said. "It was my own choice."
"choose?"
Xie Ying told him about what had happened before she sneaked onto the ship, and that she had gone to Lanzhang Palace to ask His Highness for permission beforehand.
She still remembered that His Highness had asked her that question.
The scene at Lanzhang Palace at that time is still vivid in my mind.
Si Xitong asked her, "I have heard that you were demoted for disobeying military orders, but military regulations are strict and cannot be pardoned."
"If you want to use this opportunity to make a name for yourself, you only have two choices: either take military orders as your duty, or... come back and be stripped of your military status."
This was to prevent Xie Ying from causing trouble outside.
"I will take some responsibility for the former, but you must also do things for me in return."
Xie Ying was incredibly excited at the time, thinking that her mistress would give her some difficult task.
Si Xitong replied, "This concerns the Marshal's lifelong happiness."
"You must keep a close watch on her every day to prevent any mishaps. First, you need to deliberately expose yourself so that she will hire you as her bodyguard. Second, you must not let strangers get close to the marshal; you need to protect her closely, even if it's just guarding the door."
At that moment, Xie Ying's expression was unclear. Although her father always called her "Dog Ying," she wasn't really there to be a watchdog.
Xie Ying said with a dark face, "Marshal, this humble general has completed the escort mission."
"Next, when we go to Huayin Kingdom, you can do some things on your own, except for guards." Xie Lanzhi is leading two thousand people to Huayin Kingdom this time. Little Phoenix should bring more people to Tianjing without her reminder.
A day later, the journey through the inland waterways of Huayin was nearing its end. One after another, luxurious ships from various countries docked at the shore. The size of the ships alone was enough to discern the strength of a nation.
The largest treasure ship was moored at Huayin, like a towering mountain casting a huge shadow, making the ships below appear small and insignificant in comparison to the behemoth.
Xie Lanzhi was on a large ship, but even that large ship looked shorter than the treasure ship, appearing several sizes smaller.
People from small countries on the shore exclaimed in amazement: "The sheer size of this ship demonstrates the power of the Xiongnu."
"I don't think there is any ship that is taller, more magnificent, or more eye-catching than it."
"This ship can carry my entire clan. If I am fortunate enough to be on it even once, I will have no regrets in this life."
The Hun nobleman standing nearby immediately said with immense pride, "As long as you serve my Hun King as your master, what benefits will you not receive? Not only will you have a boat, but we will also be one family from all corners of the world, able to go wherever we want!"
Even Yelü Lili couldn't help but exclaim, "Marshal, this is truly a great treasure ship. I heard that this ship once went to the open sea and was highly sought after by many overseas islands. They even threw a stone harder than iron to bless the crew."
"That thing wouldn't happen to be a diamond, would it?" Xie Lanzhi said casually.
Yelü Lili said, "I heard that it is a white, transparent crystal that is very difficult to break even with a hammer, so the Huns used diamonds as decorations."
Hsieh Lan-chi sent several more messages.
The ships of the Huns may have reached as far as a place that is suspected to be in the Americas.
Is it...that powerful?
Just as Xie Lanzhi was deep in thought, a muffled conch shell sound suddenly came from the inner river. She turned around and saw a large ship similar to the treasure ship approaching in the distance, except that this ship was much more elegant. The ship had two floors, and the second floor was an art gallery, which looked like it could be used for singing and dancing.
Xie Ying pointed to the ship and said, "Yes, it's the mistress's ship!"
Xie Lanzhi was immediately startled: "Little Phoenix's boat?"
How did you know?
Xie Ying, dragging the exhausted Xie Shangguang, pointed to the large ship and said, "This humble general saw the mistress; she was sitting in the gallery enjoying the scenery."
No matter how far Xie Lanzhi looked, she couldn't see that far; it was at least a thousand meters away. This young man has really good eyesight.
She covered her eyes for a moment: "Where did Little Phoenix get such a big ship?"
Yelü Lili said, "This ship seems different from the treasure ship. The treasure ship can carry weapons, but this should be a grain ship. However, when did you acquire the technology to build such a ship, Marshal?"
Xie Lanzhi was also curious about how his wife had leveled up so quickly while he was away.
After just a few months apart, my wife's abilities have started to soar?
"Fu Feng is capable of doing it." The only explanation can be found in Lu Qing. She mentioned that she had some ink techniques. Could the ship have come from there?
As the gallery ship drew closer, people from various countries on the shore exclaimed in amazement: "We had heard that the old Jin clans had been reinstated, but we never expected them to be valued so highly."
"Yes, ships are essential military equipment and cannot be used lightly. It seems that the Princess of Jin has already seized power."
"The head of the Xie family loves her so much that he has delegated power to this extent."
“I heard that Xie came by a special boat, which she herself has never ridden before.”
"This is no ordinary favor. The cost of building a treasure ship is at least 100,000 shi of grain. Although this ship is unarmed, it can still carry a thousand people here. Thank you, Your Majesty, for opening the national treasury for a woman."
"That's right. Being able to do this means you don't need to worry about having children; you can spend as much money as you have."
That being said, most people are still quite envious.
People around her hadn't even recognized Xie Lanzhi standing right next to them, yet she, as the person involved, was still able to stand among the onlookers and listen to her own story.
She glanced indifferently at the man who was talking about offspring. He had a mixed Central Plains style and was wearing a black round hat, which looked a bit out of place. He was probably a Hun.
In the gallery, Si Xitong sat quietly in an armchair, overlooking the entire inland river. It branched off upstream, narrowing from wide to narrow, with small boats continuously swimming towards the intersection. The riverbank was crowded with people because of her boat.
The spotlight even overshadowed the treasure ship on the shore, and the ship owner's scandals drew everyone's attention.
There has never been a shortage of people who love to join in the fun. Just moments ago, people were praising the strength of the Xiongnu, but now they began to shift their attention to the new capital, Tianjing. In particular, the ruler of Jiujin now held real power and was no longer the princess of a fallen kingdom. Even former clans were secretly surrendering to this new ruler.
“Indeed, the status of the Jin imperial family is more sought after.” Suddenly a young man said, “Whether in the past or now, the gentry of the world always know who to regard as the legitimate ruler.”
Soon, the others on the shore raised their index fingers at him and hissed, "This man shouldn't talk nonsense."
"This is the Kingdom of Huayin."
"Can't the King of Yue speak the truth in Huayin? Is this not my truth, but everyone's true feelings?" King Zheng of Yue's arrogant tone made the Hu and Xiongnu nobles on the shore frown, but they did not dare to make things difficult for him.
At present, the Yue Kingdom is in a position of great favor, and no one dares to offend it.
Xie Lanzhi observed the situation on the shore. When the treasure ship docked at the gallery, the conch shell sounded again. At this time, someone noticed that the sound of the conch shell was not blown by someone, but was made by something that looked like the eyeball of the ship.
This is something even the Xiongnu treasure ships didn't have.
Moreover, as soon as the conch shell made a sound, everyone knew to move away. After the treasure ship docked, the Jin army generals dropped the anchor. Then, an iron ladder was lowered from inside the ship by a mechanism and landed on the ground.
Everyone felt a sense of novelty again.
This ship has quite a few mechanisms.
As Xie Lanzhi approached the iron ladder, the Jin soldiers immediately maintained order, forming two lines to clear a passage.
Finally, someone stepped out of the cabin. She was dressed in a snow-white robe with flowing sleeves and a graceful figure. A red-sheathed sword hung at her waist. Her demeanor, which combined both literary and martial skills, caught the eye of King Zheng Fu of Yue.
At this moment, someone from the crowd walked into the middle of the road. Before the Jin soldiers could stop him, they saw the Eshi sword hanging on the man's waist and immediately retreated respectfully.
She descended the ship's ladder with graceful steps, like a celestial fairy, pure and untouched by worldly dust, a noble and aloof princess. Her delicate red lips were pursed, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, finally settling on the person in the aisle. Her eyes shimmered, and she even softly called out, "My lord."
Chapter 120 Her Worry About Little Phoenix's Little Secret
The word "wife" reminded everyone that the esteemed Princess Chang of the Jin Dynasty was already married and a married woman. Such a beautiful woman belonged to the mortal world, but also to another woman.
Xie Lanzhi walked alone, but she was different. Standing below, she seemed to be welcoming an ordinary person, which made her presence stand out.
People didn't recognize what the Southern Overlord looked like; all they knew was his reputation for sweeping through Tianjing and eliminating the Xie family traitors. Wherever he went, he killed, and wherever he went, people died. He was known as a battlefield tyrant. Everyone feared him and kept their distance.
Besides murder, she was also fond of women, and immediately took a liking to the princess of a fallen kingdom. She then wholeheartedly supported the eldest princess in establishing the imperial examination system, winning the admiration of scholars across the land. The eldest princess also found crops overseas to solve the famine, and her subordinates invented new fertilizers to increase grain production, achieving a record high of eight shi per mu. These good and bad deeds have always been talked about with great interest.
What everyone saw at first glance was the wealth and power of the royal princess Si Xitong, but they did not know that behind the glamour, she had once been trapped in an iron cage and sent to the Southern Region by her father's killer, where she was subjected to all kinds of humiliation in front of the princes and nobles of the world.
Only one person drew his sword and offered his full assistance.
After only a few months apart, she found herself standing right in front of her when she most wanted to see her.
Si Xitong walked step by step to her, opened her palm, and she made an inviting gesture with a devout expression. Xie Lanzhi was slightly surprised. She raised her hand and placed it in her palm. Si Xitong squeezed her hand gently, her five fingers squeezing between her fingers. The clasped hands, under the sunlight and the gazes of everyone, were as green as jade and as white as vines, intertwined.
Most of the crowd's gazes became inquisitive, and the face of King Zheng Fu of Yue was filled with regret. His Highness, a member of the imperial family, was actually bowing down to a woman, showing her humility and tenderness.
No one believed that Princess Fengning would seduce an outsider. The woman being held up stood tall, her fierce aura thick and intense, not something that could be cultivated overnight. It was the aura honed from handling countless lives and shedding blood on the battlefield.
"That is... the overlord of the south, the head of the Xie clan, Marshal Xie."
King Zheng Fu of Yue's gaze fell upon the woman's waist, where the conspicuous Eshi sword was tucked. Legend had it that the Xie family possessed three main swords: Eshi, whose sheathing caused rivers of blood to flow; Ebai, whose power could overturn clouds and rain, piercing the heavens and earth; and Xixian, as its name suggested, peaceful and serene, like the infinite beauty of the setting sun. In the hands of the princess, it presented a scene of tranquility.
Everyone couldn't help but sigh inwardly; indeed, seeing is believing. They had heard that Marshal Xie, though a woman, doted on the royal princess and would spend a fortune to win her favor. The rumors were certainly not unfounded.
Now, there are no more vassal states in the south, as they have all been swept away by Xie Lanzhi. The south is now under the jurisdiction of the new Tianjing, with the new Tianjing as its capital. Since Lord Xie has not declared himself king and has no intention of establishing a state, the current system is to continue the old power of the Jin dynasty.
It was precisely because of the prestige of the Jin dynasty that the south, unlike the north, central regions, and even the western part of the northern regions, was scattered with fragmented and disorganized forces. The south no longer had a state within a state; there was only one power: the new Tianjing. All the territories of the Nine Jin states had been incorporated into the new Tianjing's domain. With this rightful claim to territory, many vassal states considered the new Tianjing to be a unified new dynasty.
Furthermore, the Jin dynasty still existed, so people viewed the southern dynasty as a continuation of the Jin power.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two left the port hand in hand, boarding luxury cars and fine horses along the way.
Yelü Lili, who had been left behind, sighed helplessly: "Young generals, let's go in too."
"Your Highness, we will take our leave first." Xie Ying and Xie Shangguang, who had also been left behind, said this. Xie Shangguang was still dazed, and Xie Ying carried him like a sack of potatoes, getting him into the carriage arranged by the Huayin Kingdom.
Luxury cars and fine horses are ahead.
Xie Lanzhi held the woman in her arms, raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, and then let the woman sniff her all over. Finally, she pretended to be nonchalant and straightened her clothes.
She raised her hands, both amused and exasperated: "If I really wanted to cheat, I could just change my clothes and come over. You wouldn't even be able to smell another woman's scent then."
When they met, their hearts fluttered, their minds went blank, and all they could think about was being affectionate with each other.
Suddenly, the person above her spoke, and Si Xitong's gaze darkened instantly, sharp as a knife as she stabbed at Xie Lanzhi: "What did you say? Say it again?"
"Xie Lanzhi!"
Xie Lanzhi was startled by her loud voice and realized she had said the wrong thing. She looked at her beautiful wife, who was glaring at her with anger in her beautiful eyes, with great fear.
"No, I haven't had any contact with anyone except when I was investigating and arresting people with Li Li."
"If you don't believe me, just ask the little tail you sent."