Chapter 341: Chapter 341

Wei Zijian had been feeling unwell, but after Zhao Zhitong pricked him with needles a few times, he instantly felt much better.

He immediately started to flatter, "Master, that was impressive! You truly are the Master! When will you start teaching me acupuncture?"

Zhao Zhitong put away the silver needles. "Alright, enough flattery. First, finish memorizing the book I gave you. Once you can apply what you’ve learned, we’ll talk about acupuncture. You shouldn’t keep standing by the edge of the boat if you get seasick. Go back and rest."

"Alright, Master." After responding, Wei Zijian hurried back into the cabin.

「---」 Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱

According to the boatman, it would take about seventeen or eighteen days to reach Jiangning, meaning they would have to spend nearly half a month on the boat.

Fortunately, there were many of them. They could pass the time chatting, playing games, and reading, so life on the boat wasn’t too difficult.

The exception was Wei Zijian, who suffered from seasickness. Eventually, Zhao Zhitong retrieved some medicine from her space that alleviated his symptoms, making him feel better.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. During the journey, they encountered stormy weather a few times, but since the boatman was an old hand who often traveled on water, they passed through safely each time.

Moreover, they were lucky to have encountered favorable winds for several consecutive days. As a result, they were expected to arrive in Jiangning two days earlier than scheduled.

At this time, their boat had just entered the Jiangning region. The boatman approached them. "Do you see the boat ahead?" he asked.

Qiao Muchen nodded. "It should be the boat of some wealthy family."

Zhao Zhitong also looked over. The boat was clearly luxurious and indeed appeared to belong to a wealthy family.

The boatman nodded. "Exactly. Look at the flag they’re flying—that’s the Shang Qi of the Fei Clan from Suzhou. This boat belongs to the Fei Clan."

"You all know the Fei Clan, right? They’re the Great Zhou Dynasty’s foremost silk textile business, Imperial Merchants who specialize in supplying silk and embroidered goods to the royal family."

Zhao Zhitong nodded; she was indeed very familiar with them.

Meanwhile, Yang Yunniang and Zhao Ya pricked up their ears upon hearing the name ’Fei Clan,’ listening intently.

Having received payment from Zhao Zhitong, the boatman was very diligent. He lowered his voice and warned them, "I’ve heard this area hasn’t been very peaceful these past few months."

Fearing they might worry, he quickly added, "But you don’t need to be too concerned. I travel this route often, so I’m very familiar with it. We’ll just follow behind the Fei Clan’s boat. The Fei Clan is powerful; if we pretend to be with them, we can use their influence to ensure our safety."

Zhao Zhitong nodded in agreement.

The boatman added, "I also came to remind you that we expect to arrive in Jiangning tomorrow, so you can prepare in advance."

"Alright, thank you, Boatman."

Zhao Zhitong thanked the boatman with a smile, and the boatman waved his hand and went back to his work.

After hearing the boatman say this area hadn’t been peaceful recently, Zhao Yu immediately tensed up. Naturally, everyone else became more alert too.

Thinking they would be arriving in Jiangning the next day, Wei Shulan took Wei Zijian, Zhao Ya, and the others back to the cabin to pack their things.

Zhao Zhitong, Qiao Muchen, and a few others stood on the deck at the bow, looking towards the Fei Clan’s boat.

Just as the boatman had suggested, their boat gradually approached the Fei Clan’s boat. Eventually, they maintained a suitable distance, following closely behind it.

They traveled for about half a day. As evening approached, it seemed the people on the Fei Clan’s boat noticed they were being followed. The Fei boat began to slow down and eventually came to a complete stop.

Then, a servant on the Fei boat gestured towards their boat, signaling them to come forward.

Slowly, their boat caught up with the Fei Clan’s boat and stopped beside it.

The Fei Clan’s boat was considerably larger than theirs. This wasn’t apparent until the two boats were side by side, at which point the difference became strikingly obvious.

At this moment, a young man in his early twenties appeared on the deck of the Fei Clan’s boat. He squinted, looking down at Zhao Zhitong and the others with the air of a superior.

A servant behind him immediately ran to the edge of the boat and shouted, "Hey! Who are you people? And where are you headed?"

The boatman hurried out and replied with an obsequious smile, "Sir, we’re a passenger boat from Xuzhou. These guests are heading to Suzhou."

After listening, the servant nodded, then turned and ran back to report, "Young Master, it’s a passenger boat. Just a few out-of-towners heading to Suzhou. Judging by their clothes, they’re ordinary folk."

Then he added in a low voice, "There is indeed a young lass among them, looks like she hasn’t reached hairpin age yet. Very tender."

Hearing this, the disdainful young master’s interest was piqued. He narrowed his eyes and asked, "What does she look like?"

"One word: stunning. Those round eyes, that small nose, those pink, plump little lips—she’s exactly your type, Young Master."

The wind on the river was strong, and with the distance between the boats, Zhao Zhitong and the others couldn’t hear the conversation between the master and servant. They only saw them talking while repeatedly glancing in their direction.

At this time, Wei Shulan and Zhao Ya came out of the cabin after hearing the commotion and asked what was going on.

Zhao Yue had just started explaining, "I don’t know. The Fei Clan’s boat suddenly stopped and had our boatman steer our vessel closer—"

Before she could finish, a wooden plank was suddenly laid across from the Fei Clan’s boat to theirs, landing with a dull THUD.

Immediately after, the young man walked to the edge of his boat, his eyes sweeping over Zhao Zhitong, Wei Shulan, and Zhao Ya.

His gaze was unsettlingly lewd, like someone appraising goods, making them extremely uncomfortable.

Finally, that lewd gaze settled on Zhao Zhitong. He couldn’t help but lick his lips, then pointed at her. "You, come up here."

Zhao Zhitong frowned but didn’t move.

When the man cast his lecherous gaze on Zhao Zhitong, Qiao Muchen’s expression had already darkened. He stepped forward and pulled Zhao Zhitong behind him.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yu had already drawn his blade and stood at the front, ready for battle.

Seeing Zhao Zhitong didn’t move, the faces of the master and servant on the boat above darkened.

The servant shouted menacingly, "Hey, you over there, the girl! Our Young Master is calling for you. Didn’t you hear?"

Zhao Zhitong remained unmoved. "Sir," she said calmly, "if you have something to say, you can say it from there. I can hear you. There’s no need for me to come aboard."

"How audacious! Do you know who our Young Master is? How dare you disobey him! Our Young Master is the Eldest Young Master of the Fei Clan! His inviting you aboard shows he thinks highly of you. Don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

He thought that by invoking the Fei Clan’s name, the other party would surely be scared into obediently boarding the boat. Alas, he was mistaken.

Zhao Zhitong still didn’t budge, which made the master and servant pair exasperated and furious.

The servant said sternly to Zhao Zhitong, "Let me be frank. Our Young Master has taken a fancy to you and wants you to come up and serve him. If you serve him well, you’ll be handsomely rewarded."

"However, if you don’t appreciate this kindness, then don’t blame us for being impolite!"

As he spoke, he was about to order the family servants to go down to Zhao Zhitong’s boat and seize her.