Ten thousand dragon boats weave through the green willows along the canal, sailing to Yangzhou but never to return.0

It’s as if heaven decreed the opening up of the Bian River, where there are to be no mountains for over a thousand li.[1]0

A large boat flying the Cao Gang’s flag headed north along the river.0

During the chaos in Jiangnan, the Cao Gang had stopped sending resources from the south to the capital. In an unusual move, the imperial court had ordered for the resources in Jiangnan to be kept where they were. There were many young men from the Cao Gang who were now assisting the government in resisting the efforts of the Maitreya Cult to spread their influence. Wan Dongliu’s secret identity as a member of the Four Idols Cult still had not been revealed nor come into play. The Cao Gang remained a legitimate organization closely tied to the government.0

There were not many people on this boat at the moment, and the cargo being transported was just for the personal business of the Wan Clan. Their destination was not the capital, but Qingxu.0

There was another thing special about this boat. It carried two passengers who were neither workers nor paid for passage. One of these shameless passengers even brought with him a horse.2

Ever since the global announcement...0