On the first day of March in the twenty-fourth year of Tai'an, in Gyeonggi County, a large ship was traveling on the canal.
On the bow of the ship, Cao Jiaxun stood leaning on the railing, his eyes full of excitement.
From October last year to now, they have been gone for more than four months.
Along the way, they encountered river blockages, were besieged by zombies when they docked for supplies, and encountered survivors who wanted to seize the ship, and a ship was stranded along the way...
After experiencing numerous hardships and dangers, they finally returned to Gyeonggi.
If everything goes well, they will only have to travel one more day to reach the capital.
"Roasted chicken, roasted suckling pig, stuffed with sweet-scented osmanthus..." Cao Jiaxun's mouth almost watered as he muttered these words.
Although he didn't have to worry about food along the way, eating noodles and wheat cakes every day would undoubtedly be torture for Cao Jiaxun after a few months.
At this moment, Yuan Hai walked up behind Cao Jiaxun and said with a smile: "Uncle Guo, I will arrive in the capital one day, so please bear with me!"
Cao Jiaxun's old face turned red, and then he laughed and said: "I'll be a host when we get to the capital, and I'll invite all the heroes to have a good time!"
"The banquet in Tiandi Tower and the girls in Jade Tower are all top-notch..."
As an older swinger, Cao Jiaxun is naturally very good at having fun, and he can easily introduce food, drink and entertainment.
The two of them were bragging and spanking at the bow of the boat, but the eunuch Liu De standing behind had a solemn look on his face.
"You two, if we go twenty or thirty miles further, let's find a place to dock!"
Liu De's voice interrupted the conversation between Cao Jiaxun and Cao Jiaxun.
Cao Jiaxun turned around first and said, "Eunuch Liu, you are too cautious. This is at least a hundred miles away from the capital!"
"Are we going to Beijing with such a big fanfare?" Liu De asked rhetorically.
This damn eunuch... Cao Jiaxun cursed in his heart.
If Zhao Yanxun hadn't given special authorization before leaving, Liu De would have had the right to speak here.
Not to be outdone, Cao Jiaxun said: "Who said we need to enter Beijing with great fanfare? Isn't it okay for us to get off the ship twenty or thirty miles away from the capital?"
Liu De looked stern and said: "Everyone, when we entered the canal from the river, we have encountered four batches of official ships transporting food. We tried to fool them every time because they would not board the ships for inspection!"
"But if you go further... you will encounter rivers blocked by government offices, or even blocked by the imperial army. How should you deal with them then?"
"Are we telling the truth? We came from Longyou and were sent by His Highness King Yong to report to Concubine Duan that we are safe?"
"Uncle Guo, I forgot, what did the prince say before he left?"
Cao Jiaxun was speechless. He glanced at Yuan Hai who was standing aside, obviously hoping that Yuan Hai would say a few words for him.
If they abandoned ship too early, they would have to walk on two legs, which would be a serious disaster.
But Yuan Hai disappointed Cao Jiaxun. He only heard him solemnly say: "What the father-in-law said is true!"
Seeing this situation, Cao Jiaxun said helplessly: "Okay, okay, whatever you say will be whatever you say!"
"Uncle Guo, we have endured so much hardship. In the end, you just have to endure it..."
Speaking of this, Liu De said sincerely: "You also know how many people in the capital have ill intentions towards the empress and Tao Yang's house, so we have to be careful!"
Moved by emotion, learned by reason, Liu De's words made Cao Jiaxun unconvinced.
"You make the arrangements, I won't say anything, just be a free man!" Cao Jiaxun waved his hand and went directly to the cabin.
Liu De showed a smile and quickly stepped forward to grab Cao Jiaxun and said: "Uncle Guo, you can't just be idle, I need your help next time!"
Cao Jiaxun stopped, looking in disbelief, and asked, "How can I help?"
This guy is so powerful that he treats himself like a waste.
"Our family remembers that Uncle Tao Yang's Mansion has some properties outside the city. I wonder if Uncle Guo knows about it?"
When Liu De asked about this, Cao Jiaxun couldn't help but wonder: "Why are you asking this?"
"In order not to be discovered, we'd better not go into the city, go directly to the village of the uncle's house, and then contact the lord!"
I have to say that Liu De's thinking is indeed delicate, and this method is as safe as possible.
In fact, Liu De didn't finish his sentence.
Not only can they not enter the city now, they will probably not be able to enter in the future, at least he and Cao Jiaxun.
The two of them went to Longyou, and everyone in the capital knew that if they appeared in the public eye, they would be asking for trouble.
Therefore, Cao Jiaxun's fantasies are basically impossible to realize, at least in the short term.
"I remember a few of Zhuangzi's words!" Cao Jiaxun said slowly.
Liu De quickly said: "It's best to be in the north of the capital!"
After thinking for a while, Cao Jiaxun replied: "There is a Zhuangzi in Jiuliuba!"
"Jiuliu Dam... this place is quite hidden, let's go here!" Liu De nodded.
The group of them continued forward, but after only walking a dozen miles, Liu De urged them to dock, and then everyone got off the boat.
From their location to Jiuliu Dam, it was still at least seventy miles away, and it was not an easy journey.
But fortunately, they have entered the forbidden area, and there are basically no zombies along the way, so safety can basically be guaranteed.
In summary, all the difficulties they encountered during the four months of traveling were caused by zombies.
Now entering Gyeonggi Province, all traces of zombies have disappeared, making everyone feel as if they are in another world.
They tried their best to take smaller roads, but were intercepted and questioned several times during the process.
Fortunately, they were walking and could arrange their itinerary as they pleased. In addition, Liu De had already prepared his words, so it was easy for them to fool them.
What they showed to the government was Cao Jiaxun, an obscure "young master" who was captured by the family elders and taken back to the city from Zhuangzi.
Of course, it was empty talk, and Liu De also produced some letters to prove it, and of course he used treasures to clear the way.
As a result, a group of more than 30 people easily passed the test and were let go by the lower-level officials.
They drove for three days in a row and spent the two nights in some abandoned houses. These empty houses were caused by the zombie outbreak.
On the morning of the fourth day of March, they arrived at Jiuliuba and appeared outside a farm.
Seeing Yuan Hai knocking on the door, Cao Jiaxun was slightly nervous, as were everyone else.
Because they couldn't confirm whether there was anyone else inside, otherwise they would have to continue on their way and find another village.
Fortunately, the situation was not as bad as they thought. The door was opened after more than ten seconds, and an old man leaned out from inside.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Lao Xie, look who I am, sir?"
Looking along the voice, Lao Xie rubbed his eyes and finally said in disbelief: "Third Master, why are you back here? You're not..."
Lao Xie held back what he said next, then saw him open the door, stepped aside, and said quickly: "Third Master, please come in!"
Dusting his sleeves, Cao Jiaxun smiled, and with the support of his two concubines, he walked into the gate of Zhuangzi with square steps, looking particularly magical.
Liu Depo was a little dumbfounded, secretly thinking how could there be such a living treasure in the world? It was hard to imagine that this person and the thoughtful Empress Duan were biological siblings.