I'll try to update during the daytime from now on.
Southeast of the capital.
More than a dozen military ships were sailing upstream in a wedge formation.
The large vessel at the very front, serving as the arrowhead, was no different from the others: a square-bowed, square-sterned willow-leaf boat, six zhang and five chi long—roughly 21.6 meters—and a little over one zhang wide, about 3.5 meters.
Its sole distinction was the three great banners planted in a triangular arrangement atop the canopy. Their red fields and golden tassels streamed in the wind, radiating unabashed flamboyance.
The central banner read: Hu-Guang Pacification Commissioner's Office—Probationary Thousand Household Commander Lu.
The headings on the two banners to either side were the same, except their surnames had been changed to Shen and Han.
Lu Jianxing emerged from the cabin in a crouch. Before he had even straightened his back, he looked up at the three banners, then at his Second Brother, Shen Lian, who stood at the bow with his hands clasped behind him.
After hesitating, he could not help sidling over and muttering, "How about we take those banners down for now? The Pacification Commissioner's Office was abolished a month ago. We could still get away with using its name in Jinmen Prefecture, but we're almost at the capital..."
Shen Lian had been staring distractedly at the meeting of sky and water. Hearing his elder brother's words, he shook his head with a smile. His brother was a fierce general before two armies, but in official matters, he was excessively cautious.
Without taking his eyes off the distance, Shen Lian hooked an arm around Lu Jianxing's broad shoulder, gave it a firm pat, and lifted his chin. "Big Brother, other than the capital, what do you think is waiting for us ahead?"
Lu