The large ship actually made very few stops along the way. Since leaving Tea Province, it had only paused at Small River Village near Cloud Moor Harbor and at another small village farther along.
When the ship had stopped near Cloud Moor Harbor some time earlier, Yi Shuyuan had accompanied Yang Bencai to visit the River God Temple.
The river god's statue had collapsed, yet the temple was still open. The shattered statue in the main hall had been cleared away completely, and a banner depicting the deity had been hung up instead, supposedly while they prepared to replace the statue.
The temple keeper certainly knew how to change tack, but Yang Bencai had been deeply disappointed and felt he had been unlucky.
After roughly twenty days of sailing, the large ship finally approached the port of Heaven-Bearing Prefecture.
The river had already begun to widen when they were still a dozen or so li from Heaven-Bearing Prefecture.
Here, all the ships began slowing down, and Yi Shuyuan could see the vessels around them gradually growing more numerous.
"We're almost at the capital's port-"
A boatman called out on deck, drawing the people in the cabins outside.
They had not reached the port yet, but the forest of sails nearby was already a magnificent sight. Farther away, the port of Heaven-Bearing Prefecture was grander still, vast and imposing.
Yang Bencai stood beside Yi Shuyuan, his spirits visibly soaring.
"Capital City, I, Yang Bencai, have arrived! Once my name appears on the golden list, it will be known throughout the land-"
Yang Bencai's shout drew looks not only from people aboard their own ship, but even from those on nearby vessels.
Even someone as thick-skinned as Yi Shuyuan sighed and moved two steps away from him.
Beneath the ship, Lu Yuwei