April was in the lunar calendar, and a light rain fell at noon, only to clear up in the blink of an eye.
Instead, it made the air fresh, the trees and flowers on both banks, and tens of thousands of acres of fields growing increasingly lush and green, preventing the journey along the canal from feeling tedious.
Having just undergone repairs, the canal's surface was still quite wide. At this moment, the sky was heavily overcast, the sound of drums and wind instruments drifted over faintly, and the fleet of warships lined up, proceeding slowly.
This fleet consisted of thirteen vessels; apart from the three large warships in the center, there were still ten escort ships surrounding them.
Among them, on a ship trailing at the rear, two officials stood with their hands tucked into their sleeves on the deck, gazing into the distance. They not only observed both banks, but also turned their heads from time to time to glance behind them.
The soldiers on the ten warships were arrayed in formation. Even after leaving the capital, they did not slacken, standing with sabers at their waists on both sides of the official cabins. Between the banners, armor stood in dense rows, looking extremely solemn and stern.
There were throngs of people bustling before and behind, flanking them on all sides. This was the formation of the Imperial Grandson traveling, which seemed hardly out of the ordinary.
The ships moved slowly. Having entered the canal, they had only gone about fifteen li. Seeing the setting sun begin to drop and the day coming to an end, they had not yet left the borders of the Capital City, and this was not yet a time when vigilance was required.
The two men remained mutually silent, not speaking, merely pondering.