Chapter 1762: The Bored Prince of Yong

Liangping Island was indeed small. A mere three hundred paces from the Zhang residence stood the Clear Waters Pavilion, where the Prince of Yong, Liu Chenghsun, was staying. It was a vast estate, positioned deeper inland, more secluded, and its main tower was the tallest structure on the island—fully seven stories, visible from nearly anywhere on the island.

It was also the most magnificent building on the island, quite exquisite. Rockeries and strange stones, dense groves and slender bamboo, pavilions and towers—all were neatly arranged and complete. Back then, great care and effort had been lavished on Liangping Island, all to make the Prince of Yong comfortable. And in the crude conditions of the South Seas, achieving this was no small feat.

Without question, the Clear Waters Pavilion had the tightest defenses on the island, receiving even more attention than the anchored fleet. Guo Liangping had stationed a full five hundred soldiers to guard it, with sentry posts and arrow towers around the perimeter, and naval skiffs constantly patrolling the river—defenses so tight they defied description.

July on Liangping Island was still quite hot, and a recent rain had made it even more humid and oppressive. On the stone path outside the Clear Waters Pavilion, a wagon convoy rolled slowly forward, loaded with wooden barrels, escorted by fully armed soldiers.

After rigorous inspection, they received a pass and were permitted to enter the estate. What was brought in was nothing precious, yet the checks were strict—this was the water supply for the Clear Waters Pavilion.

Although the estate sat near the Yongji River, the river water was too polluted for anyone but commoners to use, and well water was too ordinary. So the county office had specially sent men to fetch clear spring water from the mountains, delivered daily to the Clear Waters Pavilion. To guarantee quality and safety, the navy had even dispatched a dedicated team to guard the water source.

Such luxurious treatment, such meticulous care—when Liu Chenghsun had first heard of it, he had shaken his head repeatedly. Back home, he had certainly enjoyed his comforts, but even he had never been so particular.

He had considered declining, but given the special circumstances of Liangping Island and the persuasion of County Magistrate Liu Shaoping, he had "reluctantly" accepted for the sake of safety.

Of course, it was precisely under the county office's excessively attentive care that Liu Chenghsun had managed to restrain his impatience and linger here for some time. Otherwise, given the conditions of the South Seas, he would never have wanted to stay long—how could it compare to the mainland?

However, the fundamental reason he had remained until now was that restless pair, Liu Yun and his uncle Liu Wenhai. They acted on whims, and had actually followed him west past Liangping.

At the time, he had explicitly opposed it, but Liu Yun was persuasive, invoking the "pioneering spirit" that Emperor Liu so often quoted, and so he had agreed.

Yet now Liu Chenghsun was beginning to regret it—the more he thought, the more he regretted. He had no idea where the fleet was, how the uncle and nephew were faring, whether they had encountered danger. If anything went wrong, how would he explain it to Emperor Liu upon returning to the capital?

With these worries weighing on him, Liu Chenghsun's mood had been poor lately, and the attendants in the pavilion had instinctively grown more cautious.

Inside the main tower, Liu Chenghsun lay quietly on a warm couch on the terrace, basking directly in the sunlight, gazing at the blue lake below.

The lake was not small, its emerald waves rippling, glittering under the sun's rays. It was entirely man-made—of course, the corpses of those who had died during the excavation had all been removed. The lake was also connected to the Yongji River, with a reservoir built in between to keep the water flowing.

A maidservant sat beside him, gently massaging him, while another peeled fruit. Liu Chenghsun lounged lazily, utterly bored. Having stayed so long, he was indeed weary and listless; earlier he had sighed about how lazy he was becoming.

On this Liangping Island, he truly felt like he was in prison—unable to go anywhere. After all, he was not in his own country, and his safety would always come first.

A staff officer standing nearby held a letter, reading aloud news from home. When he heard that the heir, Liu Chun, had fathered a child, Liu Chenghsun suddenly perked up, sat straight, and asked: "Truly?!"

The officer smiled as well, saying: "The heir's letter says the birth was on the twelfth day of the fifth month—mother and child are both well!"

"Haha!" Liu Chenghsun's face lit up with joy: "Boy or girl?"

"A young prince!"

Liu Chenghsun laughed again, unable to stop himself from clapping: "Excellent! This resolves a great worry of mine! I finally have a grandson!"

The attendants around him also beamed with delight and offered congratulations: "Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Unlike his imperial elder brother, who had children and grandchildren in abundance, Liu Chenghsun's family tree was not so flourishing. The heir, Liu Chun, had been his biggest headache—he had married rather late, and his bride was the daughter of a merchant. Though stunningly beautiful, the match had caused quite a stir in the Eastern Capital at the time: how could a merchant's daughter climb through the gates of the Prince of Yong's mansion?

And after marriage, she had conceived twice—both daughters. As for his second son, Liu Yan, he was given to wine and women, having ruined his health at a young age; after years of marriage, he too had produced no offspring.

Now Liu Chun was nearly thirty and had finally fathered a son. How could Liu Chenghsun not be overjoyed? He was beside himself with happiness.

"Has a name been chosen?" Liu Chenghsun was deeply concerned about this precious grandson.

"Not yet! The heir said he would wait until Your Highness returns to court to name him personally!" the officer replied.

"Good! I shall think long and hard!" Liu Chenghsun grinned from ear to ear and ordered: "Write a reply on my behalf—tell the heir he must take excellent care of my grandson. If anything goes wrong, I'll hold him accountable! Also, have all the gifts Srivijaya sent recently brought back—consider them my gift to my grandson!"

"Yes!"

Joy lifts the spirits. Liu Chenghsun's mood brightened at once, like sunlight piercing through gloom, and he regained some vitality. Once he had calmed down, he leaned on the railing, gazing out beyond the tower, and asked: "Anything new happening on the island lately?"

"Your Highness!" The officer thought for a moment, then reported: "Yesterday a great treasure ship arrived at the river mouth harbor—a colossal vessel, over thirty zhang long, said to have nearly blocked the entire waterway. This morning word came that it has run aground."

"Oh?" Liu Chenghsun grew somewhat interested, curious: "A naval warship?"

The officer shook his head: "A civilian merchant vessel built at the Runzhou shipyard. They say this is the first treasure ship sold abroad—named the Haifeng!"

"Quite an undertaking!" Liu Chenghsun murmured: "Whose ship is it?"

"It's said to be connected to Zhang Yanqing, the Marquis of Hailing—the ship's owner is the marquis's nephew!"

"Well, that's not surprising then!" Liu Chenghsun said thoughtfully: "These years, those nobles—especially the naval families—have been reaping great profits!"

With that, Liu Chenghsun stretched his arms and yawned, saying: "It's been a while since I've gone out. I might as well go take a look. Prepare the carriage—we're going to the harbor!"

"Yes!"

Liu Chenghsun had made up his mind, and below, things moved quickly—arranging the procession and making security preparations. Just as they were about to depart, the officer on duty came to report that Zhang Yinian had arrived bearing gifts and requested an audience.

Perhaps curious about the Haifeng, Liu Chenghsun was inclined to meet the man. However, he sent the gifts back and told him to come to the dock instead.

At the river mouth harbor, on the new pier, security was swiftly locked down upon the Prince of Yong's arrival—sentries every five paces, posts every ten, and all unrelated persons cleared away. The grounded Haifeng lay there silently, like a beast of unbearable weight crushing the harbor beneath it.

Upon hearing the news, County Magistrate Liu Shaoping hurried over to attend to him. Liu Chenghsun studied the great ship, clicking his tongue in admiration: "A remarkable display!"

Zhang Yinian stood nearby, clearly treading carefully. Upon hearing this, he clasped his hands and said: "Your Highness, I myself feel that such a treasure ship is not something a humble man like me deserves to own. I wish to present this ship to Your Highness."

Hearing this, Liu Chenghsun's expression shifted slightly. He turned his head, regarding this obsequious member of the Zhang clan with amusement, and said flatly: "I appreciate your kind sentiment, but there's no need for you to present the ship. Since the court has lifted the ban, it must have its reasons. That you were able to purchase it is your own ability."