Chapter 337: Lunch Boxes and Dongfan

Two lunch boxes, containing two things that seemed worlds apart.
In the lunch box with a lid carved with lotus flowers, there was a delicate jade bowl filled with pearls. It was unclear how the girl who delivered it had carried it so carefully along the way, but not a single pearl had fallen out; they all lay quietly inside the bowl. The vivid green of the jade contrasted beautifully with the milky white pearls, emphasizing their preciousness.
The contents of the other lunch box, which had a somewhat rough cylindrical design, were quite different. Although it was a three-layered box, only the top layer contained something—a single piece of paper on which two characters were written in neat handwriting.
“Dongfan?”
Zhang Yue was momentarily stunned before realizing what it meant. Since arriving in the Ming Dynasty, he had spent time studying geography, as the place names he knew now differed greatly from those of his past. Dongfan referred to what would later become Taiwan. However, in the early Ming Dynasty, Dongfan was just an island far out at sea. Emperor Hongwu ordered the abolition of the inspection offices on the island and ordered all its inhabitants to move to Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, though many still stayed behind.
After all, this large island in China did not require taxes or corvée labor, and there were no officials to govern it—meaning one could commit crimes like murder and robbery without fear of being punished.
At that moment, Hupo and Lingxi also came out and gathered around to see what was inside. Though the pearls in the jade bowl were dazzling, they were only surprised for a short while—after all, they weren’t the kind of people who got excited by jewels. But when they saw the piece of paper, they found it strange. Even the usually quiet Hupo asked, “Young master, what is Dongfan?”
Zhang Yue almost blurted out that Dongfan was Taiwan, but he held back at the last moment. After pondering for a while, he shrugged and explained, “Dongfan is an island across the sea—a very large island.”
Since the imperial court prohibited civilians from building ships with more than three masts, most of the private ships built secretly in Fujian had fewer than two masts, with a carrying capacity of less than 500 dan. Although these ships were often doomed in extreme weather, it was common practice for smugglers to use smaller ships to escape the imperial troops faster.

However, as dozens of massive ships swept through the coastal islands and private harbors, not even the fastest boats could match those fully rigged treasure ships. The Japanese pirates and raiders along Zhejiang’s coast fled at the sight of them. Thus, Yang Jincái sailed on this small sailboat at sea, feeling nauseous from vomiting and even more desperate about the future.

Seeing Feng Ying sitting casually on a high stool, unbothered, Yang Jincái felt inexplicably irritable and raised his voice, “Do you know what Dongfan is? You heard what the old man said that day—he still values father-son bonds. As long as I honestly tell them what I know, nothing will happen to me; at most, I’ll be under house arrest for three to five years. But if we set sail now and get caught by the military sent to hunt pirates, I’m dead!”

At that point, he couldn’t help but cover his head. “What is Dongfan? It’s full of barbarians from beyond the borders. Besides, those who want to escape Ming Dynasty taxes, those afraid of government pursuit after committing crimes, those seeking overseas trade to avoid officials, and even pirates and raiders—all live on the islands of Dongfan. It’s a place without laws; whoever has the strongest fist rules, and whoever is the most powerful can dominate everything. With my wealth alone, am I not just a lamb leading itself to the slaughter?”

“I never thought the young master, who’s always lived in comfort, would know such things!”

Despite being in exile, Feng Ying was still heavily made up and dressed elegantly, as if unaware of how alluring a woman like her could be on such a long sea journey. Seeing Yang Jincái’s despair, the smile on her face quickly faded, replaced by disgust.

“House arrest for three to five years… You overestimate yourself. Just because you passed information to the pirates before—if your father found out, how would he let you go? Even though Dongfan is chaotic, it’s better than being locked up in a dark room or dying at home! I’m not afraid as a woman—what’s there for you, a man, to fear? At worst, you lose your wealth.”

“You…”

Seeing Yang Jincai’s veins bulging on his forehead and his eyes fixed intently on her, she sneered again before speaking slowly, “I saved you from that hellhole in the Yang family, got you to sort out the treasures left on Hengsha Island before the government troops arrived, and even helped you subdue those people on the ship. Even if it were a maid or the legitimate wife, they couldn’t have done any better than me. Don’t worry—having come from Dongfan myself, I certainly won’t just stand by and let you be sacrificed like a lamb. Without you, my master above wouldn’t have been able to establish connections with those people in the capital. After all, living as a pirate all one’s life isn’t very interesting.”

Although Yang Jincai usually doted on Feng Ying and wanted to keep her in his arms all the time, hearing these words sent a chill down his spine, quickly replaced by an indescribable rage. Without thinking, he jumped up and rushed at her. All thoughts of affection and loyalty vanished from his mind; there was only one thought left in his heart—kill her! Kill this wench who had deceived him for so many years!

Yet before his hand could touch her delicate neck, a severe pain suddenly struck his abdomen, forcing him to bend over involuntarily. Crouched on the ground, he struggled to lift his head and saw the face he had once known best now filled with a cold, murderous expression, exuding a terrifying aura.

“I grew up in Dongfan. For survival and money, I’m willing to sell anything. I might have tolerated you before, but if you try to act like a master in front of me now, don’t blame me for throwing you into the sea to feed the fish!”

With that, Feng Ying didn’t even glance at Yang Jincai, who was sweating from the pain, and jumped down from the stool to head outside the cabin. Despite the strong winds and rough waves making the small sailboat sway violently, her steps were steady. Only when she reached the door did she turn back and smile coldly, “There were twelve people on the ship that brought me to land from Dongfan. Only I survived. I’ve seen many dead people. This journey was extremely difficult, and I’ve done my best. If you can’t hold on, that’s your problem.”

As she said this and was about to leave, there was suddenly a knocking at the door. Frowning, she reached out to open it, and a salty, cold sea breeze hit her face. She narrowed her eyes and realized it was a strong black-faced sailor. Yet this usually fierce man was now clutching a rope nearby to stay upright, his face filled with panic.

“Miss Feng, something terrible has happened… soldiers… there are soldiers’ ships at sea!”
This sudden news was like a thunderbolt. Not only was Yang Jincai, who was filled with resentment in the cabin, stunned speechless, but even Feng Ying’s expression changed drastically. She couldn’t care anymore about the burden in the cabin and rushed to the bow, not even bothering about the swaying waves soaking her clothes. In the cold wind, she finally saw the row of over a dozen ships in the distance and the dragon flags on them.
Their luck was truly terrible this time! Gritting her teeth, she took a deep breath and made up her mind in an instant.
Although Zhang Chao had fought against Japanese pirates in Jinxiangwei, it was his first time sailing at sea. Initially, Zhang You wasn’t willing to let him join the ship, but since he was personally appointed by the emperor, with the help of the two deputy commanders, he was able to take charge as a thousand-household officer. However, after the initial excitement, facing the ever-unchanging sea, he gradually grew bored. Only yesterday, when they encountered a smuggling ship, did he feel a bit more energized, though they only captured fifteen people.
Now he realized Zhang Yue was right. Although breaking the sea ban was a capital crime, many people still took risks for profit. The youngest sailor on that ship was only sixteen, but according to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, he still had to be executed.
“Sir, another ship has been spotted ahead!”
Zhang Chao had hoped to encounter a Japanese pirate or pirate ship. Hearing this, he went to the bow to look into the distance and felt somewhat disappointed. That solitary small ship looked exactly like the one they seized yesterday. If they caught up with it, it would be easy to take control, but it wasn’t very interesting. Though unenthusiastic, since he was the commander now and his soldiers were eager to fight, he naturally wouldn’t dampen their spirits. He immediately ordered in a deep voice, “Chase after them! Fire cannons if they resist!”
Since half of Zhang Chao’s troops were elite soldiers who had accompanied Zheng He on his voyages and were skilled in naval battles, and he wasn’t the type to interfere recklessly, this encounter couldn’t even be called a battle. Yet the outcome was somewhat unexpected—whether it was due to the overwhelming threat of the cannons or the sailors’ fear of being captured and executed, when a few soldiers boarded the ship, there was no one else except for a teenage boy barely holding the rudder and a woman tied up and barely alive in the cabin. Only many gold and silver treasures were found in the cabin.

“That boy claimed he was held captive, and the woman in the cabin was someone they kidnapped; the others jumped into the sea?”
Zhang Chao thought his ears must be playing tricks. They were already several miles from the coast. Even in summer, how could anyone hope to swim back after jumping into the sea? Deeply puzzled, he immediately ordered the captured boy to be brought in for interrogation. Finding nothing suspicious, he put the matter aside for now and waited until they reached land before going to see the barely conscious woman himself. Yet just a glance was enough to stun him, despite his initial indifference.
He certainly wouldn’t forget that unforgettable love from the past. Back then, while delivering messages for his comrades who had died in battle, he met the woman he would never forget in Sishui Street. During that time, he forgot his identity, his responsibilities, and even the fact that he was engaged—fully immersed as a wealthy young man in love, even considering breaking off the engagement and eloping.
Although Zhang Yue shattered his illusions then, when he returned to Sishui Street to see her, he still held out a glimmer of hope. But to his shock, she was gone. Later, when he visited his parents with his new wife and heard his grandmother’s stern words, he finally realized he had lost her completely.
Now, after staring at her pale face for a long time, Zhang Chao was sure this was not the woman from his dreams. Yet her features stirred his heart. He could naturally not return to the past, but perhaps heaven had brought such a woman to him as compensation for those unforgettable memories?
“Sir, this woman…”
“Since she was forced and is now barely alive, have the military doctor take a look first. We’ll deal with her once she wakes up… Also, the report says all the pirates on that ship jumped into the sea. Just have that boy sign something and let him go. As for this woman… you know what to do.”
The bodyguard had followed Zhang Chao for over half a month and had gotten a decent idea of his boss’s temper. He hurriedly nodded repeatedly. Zhang Chao watched as the man slipped away quietly before turning back to stare intently at the woman with closed eyes, the woman who haunted his dreams appearing before his eyes once again.

She had always been cheerful and generous, without any pretense—but where was that person now? Suddenly, he felt a pain in his heart, filled with a sense of loss.