Chapter 652: A Thousand Years of Hardship, Only Death as the End—True Heroes Seek Survival in Death

Since the Ningbo Maritime Administration began to lift the sea ban, Ningbo had naturally become a bustling destination in the Jiangnan region. Every winter, a large number of merchants gathered here, waiting for favorable trade winds to set sail; every summer, many ships returned. They left loaded with porcelain, silk, and other goods, while returning mostly with spices and gems, using various materials as ballast. Ships heading to the Western Seas often used wood from islands in the West, similar to that used by Zheng He’s fleet, whereas those going to the Eastern Seas favored various copper wares, even coins from the Song Dynasty.

It was now the end of October, the perfect time to set sail. For those experienced in navigation, this was the ideal moment to hoist the sails. With so many ships at sea, many merchants set out early, stopping at ports in Fujian to restock before continuing southward. Thus, the docks were always bustling.

The most important reason was that no one knew when the sea ban might be reinstated again, so seizing the opportunity to make a profit was crucial.

Near noon, a heavily loaded six-masted ship slowly departed from a small port in Fujian. The ship had been built at great expense by experienced Fujianese shipbuilders using the best materials, with skilled craftsmen and sailors employed. The helmsman, Xiang Laoda, was once a famous smuggler under the Yang family but became terrified after the imperial forces suppressed pirates and gave up smuggling. Over the past two years, unable to adapt to life on land, he heard someone was offering a high price and joined them.

Though he was envious of the cargo, his greed was tempered by the guards accompanying the shipowner. These were burly men with an air of military discipline in their speech and mannerisms. He guessed that the shipowner had powerful backers, so he didn’t dare underestimate them. Yet, when chatting with the crew, he still secretly referred to them as “the cripple,” as if that could restore his former dominance.

The ship sailed slowly at sea for several days. Near noon one day, Xiang Laoda personally brought food to the cabin. As soon as he entered, he heard the “cripple” arguing with two others over a map. He stood and listened for a while but couldn’t understand anything. Then he cast a few sharp glances at the only young woman in the room before leaving dejectedly. Noticing another door in the cabin locked tightly with an iron chain, he raised his eyebrows briefly before shrugging and leaving.

When the ship set sail from Ningbo, the officials from the Maritime Administration merely boarded the ship and took a casual look, without conducting a thorough inspection, which clearly showed it couldn’t possibly be carrying illegal goods. Even if someone were indeed being smuggled aboard, it wasn’t their concern. If the shipowner planned to throw those people overboard after sailing for a while, that was a common practice—he had seen more than one such incident during his time at sea.

In the tightly locked cabin, a man sat there in a daze. When he first realized he had been kidnapped, Fang Rui was extremely anxious, worried that others wanted to extract information from him. It wasn’t until his mouth was covered and he was repeatedly moved by carriage and ship that his initial assumptions began to change. No matter who these people were, it would be easy for them to find a secluded place to torture him—there was no need to go to such lengths. Yet, after the ship stopped and set sail again, no one tied cloth over his mouth or stuffed cotton in his ears; he could hear everything around him clearly.

This was at sea! It was a ship heading to the West!

The voices of the people outside gradually faded until they disappeared entirely. Soon after, he heard rustling noises at the door, and then the tightly closed door slowly opened. Remembering that he had always had his eyes covered with black cloth unless he was locked up, he narrowed his eyes. When he saw the man who entered, leaning on a crutch, he gasped in shock and immediately understood his situation.

Others might not recognize Liu Da, but he had been by the side of Zhu Zhan Tan, the crown prince of Han. Even if he wasn’t trusted much, he knew about Zhang Yue’s actions in Qingzhou and had even seen the plows made by this craftsman in Zihedian Village. But he never expected that this middle-aged man, who could barely walk on his own back then, would now look so healthy and radiant. If it weren’t for his continued limp, he might not have recognized him at all.

Over the years, Liu Da had never lacked food or clothing and had devoted his time to what he loved most, living comfortably. He seemed ten years younger, full of energy. After observing Fang Rui for a while, he smiled and said, “It seems Mr. Fang recognizes me. That’s good—it saves me the trouble of explaining. You must now know who brought you here. They also asked me to convey a message to you—well, being too clever can cost you your life.”

Upon hearing these words, Fang Rui’s expression instantly changed. He then snorted angrily, “Why is he so arrogant? The former emperor seized power in just this way—who knows if Prince Han might not become the next emperor?” Such words were extremely treasonous, yet Liu Da’s expression only changed slightly. He then stepped forward with his crutch, sat down on a wooden box, and called out, “Xi Er, stop eavesdropping outside. If you want to listen, come in openly! It’s been so many years, and you still can’t break this habit!” Seeing someone enter, Fang Rui grew wary. When he realized it was a neatly dressed and attractive woman wearing a bright red brocade jacket with geometric patterns, a smoke-gray Hangzhou silk skirt, and a silver hairpin adorned with green patterns, he felt slightly relieved. Yet, despite knowing that returning now would mean the end of everything, his competitive nature made him refuse to be outspoken. “If you want to send a message back, then tell Zhang Yue that he won’t keep winning. Fortune in this world always changes—luck won’t always be on his side!” Xi Er had overheard a few words outside and was now annoyed by Fang Rui’s rude remarks. She scoffed, “Young Master Fang is full of nonsense. Does he really think that losing to others is just bad luck? Even if you were unlucky before, mastering luck isn’t it also a skill? Losing is losing—there’s nothing more to say. What’s the point of making excuses for yourself? You talk about Prince Han being this and that, but I’m from Qingzhou, and I don’t see him as particularly talented! Besides, now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, what can Prince Han do?” Over the years, she had helped Liu Da handle many matters, and the two had treated each other as father and daughter. Though she had seen much of the world and met a few good men, she remained unmarried. Her ambitions to climb higher had been buried deep in her heart. Usually, she would remind herself to be cautious and speak little in public, but now she had reverted to her bold and outspoken nature. “Besides, if we’re to learn from the late emperor, we can’t just learn the surface aspects. What’s the use of only imitating his anger? In these twenty years, we’ve never seen Prince Han win a battle, nor have we seen any famous generals under his command. The emperor has never praised him—instead, he’s been constantly rebuked, almost losing his title as a prince. Just among the people of Shandong, who truly respects him?”

“Alright, alright, Xi’er, stop talking! Bring in the food and drinks from outside so Young Master Fang can have some!” It was the first time in all these years that Liu Da had heard Xi’er speak so bluntly. He quickly interrupted her and gave another order before turning to Fang Rui. “Young Master Fang, I don’t understand those big matters outside, nor do I want to argue with you about principles. I just want to say that since Lord Zhang has done this, it means he has the confidence to do so. Over the years, he has indeed never failed. To fix one’s gaze on just one place all the time is far too shortsighted. Now that we’re at sea, you should really appreciate the vastness of the ocean and sky!”

Fang Rui had been stunned by Xi’er’s words earlier, but upon hearing these calm and persuasive words, his expression gradually changed. Indeed, many times now, Zhang Yue had always been the winner. Having the ability to control luck was indeed a skill—there was nothing wrong with that. But he just didn’t believe that he would always be the one who was wrong…

“Hey, it’s time to eat!”

Xi’er, carrying dishes on a box made of boxwood, walked in irritably. She placed the bowls heavily on the wooden crate next to Fang Rui and said coldly, “Don’t try any tricks. Our ship is full of well-trained guards, and even the boatmen and sailors won’t listen to your nonsense. On this ship, as long as you behave properly, you can live safely. If you want to die, it’s easy—just jump out through that window. Although you can see the shore from here, don’t even think about swimming back…”

Liu Da, who had wanted to persuade him a bit more, couldn’t say anything further after hearing Xi’er’s unyielding tone. He stepped forward, pulled her out, and left the door slightly ajar. Left alone, Fang Rui didn’t touch the food but stared intently at the ship window wide enough for only one person to pass through.

When he was first locked here, he had looked outside through the window. At that time, he had thought about seeking help, but never about dying. Over all these years, even in the toughest times, he had never thought of death. In times of great hardship, death is the only option—better to survive than to die. If he lost his life, what else could he do?

The sea was calm and the sky vast, just like the winter grasslands, though the vast fields were now covered in snow. The season of lush grass and strong horses had passed, and now winter had arrived—filled with relentless snowstorms and biting cold. For both large and small tribes, this meant the arrival of a season of life-and-death trials.

“Lord Wan, the noble King of Shunning hopes you’ll stay for a while longer.”

A tall man dressed in a brownish-red Mongolian robe bowed deeply, his face bearing an unchanging smile: “The two leaders you wish to meet, King Xianyi and King Anle, are already on their way here. You needn’t take unnecessary detours. Besides, it’s the season of heavy snowstorms on the grasslands. Your men are unfamiliar with the place, so it’s better for them to wait here.”

Since arriving at the Choros tribe, Wan Shijie had spent most of his time dealing with this man, having only met Tuohuan once. During that brief encounter, he had keenly sensed the murderous intent in the other man’s presence, and he had long had suspicions. Now, hearing the man keep delaying things, he frowned and said directly, “In that case, I want to see King Shunning.”

“King Shunning is ill,” the man replied, his expression stiffening before he added politely, “As soon as King Shunning improves, I will take you to see him right away. For now, please wait a few more days, Lord Wan.”

Seeing the man leave without even looking back, Wan Shijie felt anger surge in him. He wanted to go after him and question him thoroughly. But remembering he was under someone else’s watchful eye, he quickly dismissed his frustration and sat down to think carefully.

The three tribes of the Oirats claimed to be united, but there had always been constant disputes among them. Moreover, from what he had seen along the way, Tuohuan’s ambitions were obvious. But if Tuohuan wasn’t here, was he fighting against the Tatars or trying to unify the three Oirat tribes first before pursuing other goals?

At that moment, the thick curtain of the tent was suddenly pulled aside, and a gust of wind blew in. Caught off guard, Wan Shijie was choked by the cold wind and sneezed several times. When he saw the person at the entrance, his angry expression turned calm. Unlike Zhang Yue, this was the first time he had traveled with an eunuch, and one who seemed quiet and mysterious. So, seeing him crouch his way in, he found it quite strange.

“What does Lord Cheng need from me?”

“Does Lord Wan want to return in glory, or without a life?”
It was a utterly absurd statement, so even Wan Shijie, who usually loved joking, didn’t readily respond this time. After staring at Cheng Jiu carefully for a while, he simply said in a calm tone, “That’s nonsense!”
“Tuohuan isn’t here. He’s negotiating with King Xianyi Taiping and King Anle Tutuboluo, urging them to launch an attack on Arutai. I paid a heavy price to find out this information.” Cheng Jiu’s face was pale, but he still gritted his teeth and said, “Tuohuan is probably delaying us now to buy time, so that once the situation is settled, he can send envoys to negotiate terms with the court.”
Hearing this, Wan Shijie was stunned. “Then what’s the point of talking about life or death? Are you trying to curse yourself?”
“But Tuohuan might want to kill us envoys. After defeating Arutai, he can shift the blame onto those two others. He wants to unify all of Mongolia…”
“Nonsense!” Wan Shijie cut Cheng Jiu off impatiently without even thinking, then stood up after clapping his hands. “Tuohuan has certainly done many things like framing others for murder, but to get rid of the leaders of those two tribes, he would have to do it himself. Because if the court sends troops, those two tribes will be severely weakened and completely break away from him. By then, he’ll at most be able to sip some soup! Eunuch Cheng, you’ve been immersed in schemes for too long! His delay isn’t to deal with some Arutai—it’s just a distraction. Tuohuan’s top priority now is to unify the three Oirat tribes!”
After saying that, he ignored the stunned Cheng Jiu, lifted the tent flap, and walked out. Seeing a tall, sturdy figure walking back and forth in the heavy snow, he called out. When the man rushed over, he gave him strict instructions, “Shi Heng, inform the others to be extremely vigilant these days. Don’t you often wrestle with those Mongols? Try to find out where King Xianyi and King Anle are!”
These days, Shi Heng had followed Wan Shijie’s advice and mixed with those Mongol men. Thanks to his strength and skills, he had won the respect of many. But now he was confused. “Lord, then shouldn’t we try to return to the capital?”
“It’s difficult to go back now. Besides, in this vast grassland, fleeing recklessly means certain death. It’s better to think of other ways! If Tuohuan wants to hold us hostage, we must also find a way to outwit him!”