Chapter 118: Drums and Music

To Lu Ying, and indeed to many, life is an endless process of proving one’s worth to the world. To possess little capital and yet still strive for modesty, hiding one’s advantages, is the behavior of a fool.

Often, in this vanity-driven world, if a person lacks capital, they must strive to create it, or even fabricate it entirely. This is done to command respect, to ensure that those who wish to draw near, use you, possess you, or admire you view you as someone of higher stature and greater importance.

Consider the modern era: how many women, despite being impoverished, take out loans to purchase luxury cars or splurge extravagantly on birthday banquets? Why? To create the impression that they come from status, have wealth, possess nobility, and hold value—that they are not minor characters to be dismissed with a pittance. And, truth be told, the result is often that they quickly find an excellent buyer, thereby successfully transcending their original social class.

The world is ever prone to favoring the rich and despising the poor. Packaging oneself is neither right nor wrong; it is simply one of the ladders to success in this materialistic world.

Night arrived quickly.

Traveling by boat under the cover of night, the firelight flickered within the vessel. Both banks of the river were shrouded in heavy darkness, where the looming mountain peaks resembled giant beasts, lurking in the shadows, silently watching the flow of people and the rise and fall of dynasties. Even the rhythmic splashing of the river water carried an indescribable silence in the night wind.

Tonight, there was no moon, only a belt of brilliant stars across the sky. Standing at the prow, Lu Ying had her robes lifted by the wind, though she looked nothing like a celestial being. She was anxious—tonight, she had to share a cabin with the Nobleman!

Space on the boat was limited, with dozens of people cramped together. Most preferred to stay outside whenever possible. Lu Ying had only stood at the prow for a moment when footsteps and laughter approached; in the blink of an eye, seven or eight people stood behind her.

"Ah, it’s you?" The petite, wide-eyed girl recognized Lu Ying and offered a sweet smile. It seemed the disappointment of yesterday had already faded from her heart.

Lu Ying curled her lips, looked at the young men and women behind the girl, and asked, "Where are you all headed?"

"We are going to Hangzhou," a young man replied. He looked at Lu Ying with curiosity and asked, "Young Master, are you from Luoyang?"

"I am from Chengdu," Lu Ying answered.

"Were you truly not afraid in the river today?"

"I was afraid, of course," Lu Ying replied. "But I knew that fear was useless, so I ceased to be afraid."

"Is that so?" "Haha, you are truly bold."

Amidst the banter, dozens of lights suddenly appeared in the dark river ahead. They were dense and numerous, like stars scattered into the water. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the lights, and the conversation died down as they turned to look.

As the lights drew closer, someone remarked, "These are coming from the southwestern tributary. Look at the fleet—there must be dozens of ships."

It was spring, the season of persistent drizzle when the river levels rose. Seeing so many ships emerging from the darkness, the young people began to exclaim in excitement, but the boatmen were indifferent. One boatman scoffed, "What is this? Further downstream, the ships are as countless as the grains of sand."

Another boatman added, "These ships are likely carrying iron, grain, and salt for the Imperial Court."

Hearing this, Lu Ying grew curious. She strained her eyes toward the approaching points of light. As the ships drew nearer, a southwest wind began to blow. These vessels from the tributary were upwind, and as the scent of iron rust drifted from them, Lu Ying felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease. She furrowed her brows.

She turned and walked toward the cabin. Not finding the Nobleman there, she headed toward the stern. Before she could reach it, her arm was gripped tightly.

Sensing the familiar warmth, Lu Ying did not panic. Instead, she whispered softly, "My Lord."

"En." In the darkness, the man’s voice remained magnetic and deep, as if he could hold back the heavens should they fall. Lu Ying stood beside him, mimicking his posture as they leaned against the railing. Her gaze remained fixed on the approaching ships. After glancing at the people scattered at the bow and stern, she whispered, "My Lord, those ships smell of iron rust."

In the darkness, the man looked down at her. Even though the night was as black as ink, his eyes remained as bright as stars.

Lu Ying met his gaze and continued in a low, earnest tone, "I have a bad feeling. My Lord, those ships are suspicious." She paused, her eyes darting toward the encroaching fleet. "They mean us harm!"

The statement was delivered with absolute conviction.

As soon as Lu Ying spoke, she heard someone in the shadows gasp. She turned quickly, but the person seemed to have merged with the darkness. Only after staring for a while did she spot a vague silhouette. She had been here for some time and had not even realized another person was present—the blue-clad guard.

The Yangtze River was a natural barrier; throughout the years, countless ships had been lost and lives extinguished there. The blue-clad man knew that the river bandits on this route were divided into many factions. Lu Ying’s words clearly triggered this realization, causing him to lose his composure and gasp.

The Nobleman was also taken aback. He pondered for a moment, then looked up and commanded, "Go fetch the boat owner."

He was, of course, ordering the guard.

Before long, the boat owner hurried over in the dim light. Whatever the guard had said to him, as soon as the owner arrived, he bowed deeply to the Nobleman, stammering, "I... I did not know it was Your Excellency’s arrival."

Before he could finish, the Nobleman said in a low voice, "Spare me the pleasantries." He nudged Lu Ying forward and said coolly, "From now on, you will fully cooperate with my subordinate here and follow her instructions."

In the faint light, he turned to Lu Ying, patted her shoulder, and chuckled, "Did Ah Ying not claim to be a 'man' of character? Tonight, I wish to see how Ah Ying proves it."

In the dim glow, Lu Ying looked up at him. Their bright eyes met for a moment in the darkness before Lu Ying replied, "Very well."

She stepped back, bowed deeply to the Nobleman, and said clearly, "I shall not fail you!"

She then turned and walked toward the boat owner. "Does the ship have musical instruments?" she asked.

"Yes, we do."

"In the event of danger, how do you signal for help?"

"We have bells and drums that can be sounded."

"Are they on board?"

"Yes, they are."

"Good." Lu Ying commanded, "Order everyone back into the cabins. Except for the crew, no one is to wander about."

The owner was startled but immediately replied, "Understood." He gestured with his right hand and shouted, "Everyone, return to the cabins! All at once!"

As his voice faded, several voices rose in protest: "What happened?" "Yes, is something wrong?" "Why must we go back?"

As the confusion mounted, the owner moved to explain, but Lu Ying warned him in a low voice, "Say nothing."

After saying this, she raised her voice and called out to the crowd, "The night is long and tedious. We have decided to perform music and recite poetry to pass the time."

This piqued everyone's interest. As the passengers returned to the cabins, Lu Ying ordered, "Aside from the crew, command the others to strike the bells and drums. The louder and more festive, the better."

"Yes, yes!" The owner immediately summoned his servants and issued a series of orders.

Then, Lu Ying commanded, "Light torches at the bow and stern. Ensure this place is brightly illuminated."

"At once."

In moments, the ships grew closer and closer. Gradually, the torches burning in their cabins and the silhouettes of the men on their decks became faintly visible. By then, Lu Ying’s arrangements were taking effect. As the bells and drums erupted in a deafening roar, the protesting youths heard Lu Ying say coldly, "Everyone, calm yourselves. This is the 'Fixed Army' rhythm. The person beside me has agreed to perform a sword dance to the beat." With that, she kicked the guard—who had been standing faithfully beside the Nobleman with his sword—into the center!

The guard was stunned. Before he could react, the crowd began to laugh, their voices filled with delight: "Ah, a man is dancing? How wonderful!" "I’ve never seen a man dance before, hurry, hurry!" The happy laughter and impatient cries surrounded the guard in an instant.

Lu Ying turned away just in time to avoid seeing the guard’s livid expression and vacant eyes.

She slowly unfastened her outer robe and loosened the collar of her tunic, revealing her delicate collarbones. Then, at the stern, now ablaze with light, she leaned lazily into the Nobleman’s embrace. She beckoned a maidservant, ordered her to pour a cup of wine for both herself and the Nobleman, raised her cup to him with a languid gesture, and began to sip slowly.

Thus, she sipped her wine, face upturned, chatting intimately with the Nobleman. He played his part perfectly, keeping his attention entirely on Lu Ying without even glancing up, as if he hadn't noticed the dozens of massive ships drawing near.

In that short interval, the leading ship of the fleet, a large vessel with high sails, was now less than a hundred paces away.

By now, both sides were clearly visible. Since her injury, Lu Ying’s senses had been preternaturally sharp, and her eyesight was extraordinary. She cast a single glance and saw that near the cabins of the opposing ship, dark stains of blood remained, not yet wiped away.

The night wind blew.

In the wind, the beautiful, cool-headed youth Lu Ying and the noble, refined, scholar-like Nobleman stood, their robes fluttering. Both possessed an air of distinction rarely seen in ten thousand. Standing by the railing in the bright light, sipping wine, leaning against one another, and smiling, every gesture exuded endless grace and the unshakable confidence of the powerful.

In the similarly illuminated cabins, bursts of laughter drifted over, mixing with the thunderous sound of drums and bells, creating an air of indulgent luxury.

"Big Brother, shall we proceed?" On the prow of the ship with black sails, a short, squint-eyed man leaned toward the elegant youth standing at the helm. He made a downward chopping motion with his right hand, asking in a murderous whisper.

The young scholar narrowed his eyes, surveying the seemingly ordinary passenger boat. As he pondered, a frail-looking middle-aged man walked over from the cabin. This man, clearly nearsighted, squinted as he looked. "What is it? Something wrong?"

He added, "This cargo we have is of great importance. We’ve only just entered the river and encountered this boat. If we meet anyone suspicious, it’s best to eliminate them."

"Eliminate them? How?" the scholar sneered. "The bells and drums are ringing, and with this wind, people ten miles downstream can hear them. Plus, with all these lights, who knows how many are watching? Look at those two—they are like dragons among men. If we kill them, we’ll be hunted down by their family guards before we’ve even finished the deed... Let’s not lose the hen trying to steal the rice." He then gave a decisive order: "Sail straight past! Extinguish the torches at the bow and stern! Tell the men to keep quiet; these people are enjoying themselves and won’t pay us any mind."

"Understood."