Gu Moran coughed. "Indeed, I'm physically weak and prone to dizziness."
Murong Xue glanced at him up and down, then didn't press him for more.
The fifth one is Liu Ruyan.
Gu Moran no major moves.
Taking advantage of a lull in the commotion, he picked up a piece of jujube cake from his bowl and placed it on Liu Ruyan's plate.
Then he nodded slightly to her.
It's very short.
It happened precisely at the exact moment Liu Ruyan looked up.
Liu Ruyan's lips curved into a smile.
He lowered his eyes and continued eating his porridge, his shoulders relaxing.
As for Xie Wanqing...
He did nothing.
Without glancing at it again or saying a word, I kept my hands quietly on the table.
But precisely because she hadn't done anything, Xie Wanqing couldn't help but secretly glance at him.
Their eyes met.
Extremely short and extremely fast.
She gripped the piece of paper in her sleeve even tighter with her fingertips.
The system countdown has reached zero, and the skill is now disabled.
Gu Moran pushed the empty bowl of porridge away and picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
Uncle Fu strode in from the outer courtyard.
He had a note tucked in his sleeve, and his face was tense.
"Your Highness, the spy at the ferry crossing has reported back."
"A boat was moored downstream, with two blue lanterns hanging from its mast. The old boatman at the bow gave our men the secret signal."
Gu Moran hadn't put the handkerchief down yet.
Two dim lamps.
Eunuch Zhang's words came to mind.
You can temporarily avoid a boat with two blue lanterns.
He folded the handkerchief and placed it on the edge of the bowl, then glanced at the six people.
We'll travel by water today.
"The official boats that were originally planned were used by the accompanying motorcade, while we flew our flags openly."
Su Yao immediately followed up. "A feint attack?"
Gu Moran nodded.
"Let's travel south in this small boat with its blue lanterns, lightly equipped."
Lin Qingdai frowned.
"The convoy has no boss overseeing it; what if someone investigates?"
" Uncle Fu arranged for a few elderly men to keep things under control, and told everyone that the Prince was seriously ill and bedridden."
"When Tuoba Mang went with the official ship, no one dared to approach him when he stood on the deck with his face on it."
Liu Ruyan put down her teacup, her voice soft.
"On the boat with its green lamps, are there enough cabins?"
Uncle Fu added in a low voice from the side.
"Reporting to Madam, the informant says the main cabin only has two bedrooms and one through cabin."
All six women turned to look at Gu Moran at the same time.
His gaze was heavy.
Gu Moran picked up the empty bowl and pretended to still be drinking porridge.
The bowl was turned upside down, not a drop was left.
Two rooms, six people, plus him.
This arithmetic problem is even more difficult than the salt and iron accounts of Yi Prefecture.
In the afternoon, on the mountain path behind the villa.
The motorcade traveled along the main road, with its flags flying in neat rows.
Tuoba Mang, mounted on his horse, was ordered by Murong Xue not to speak, and could only use his size to intimidate passersby.
When Gu Moran and his group turned from the back mountain to the ferry, the green lantern boat was already anchored and waiting.
The boat was larger than expected, with a double wooden hull and a shallow draft. The two blue lamps on the mast were not very conspicuous in the afternoon sunlight, but would only be lit at night.
The old boatman stood at the bow of the boat, wearing a faded brown shorts, holding a bamboo pole in his hand. His face was so ordinary that he would be easily lost in a crowd.
Uncle Fu stepped forward and gave the secret signal. The old boatman nodded and set up the gangplank.
Gu Moran the first to board the ship. When she stepped onto the deck, she swayed a couple of times and was supported by Shen Ling'er from behind.
"Weren't you faking illness? Why can't you even stand up straight?"
Gu Moran instinctively grabbed the gunwale. "I'm really seasick right now."
Shen Ling'er checked his pulse. "You're kidding me, your pulse is very steady."
"That's because my heart is as still as water. If you touch it again, I really won't be able to remain calm."
"He just loves to talk nonsense."
The six ladies boarded the ship one by one.
Uncle Fu carried the luggage into the cabin, and when he turned around and came out, his face looked rather grim.
Gu Moran looked at him.
Uncle Fu said in a low voice, "Your Highness, this old servant has measured it. There are two bedrooms. One can fit a half-bed, and the other can only fit a narrow couch. The cabin is open, and four people can sleep on the floor."
What does "one and a half beds" mean?
"It's just the right size for two people to sleep in; a third person would have to lie on their side against the wall."
Gu Moran rubbed his temples.
Inside the cabin, the six ladies were already seated around a small table.
Su Yao spoke first, her tone businesslike. "Two rooms, six people plus the prince, we need to arrange our shifts."
"I propose we proceed in turn, according to the order of entry into the residence."
Murong Xue slammed her hand on the table, interrupting, "That won't do. I was allowed to soak in the hot springs today, but I didn't get enough. I need to get a good night's sleep tonight."
Shen Ling'er held up the medicine bottle. "I need to administer the medicine to him in the middle of the night, so I must be by his side."
Lin Qingdai placed the dagger horizontally on the table. "I'll be in charge of security, guarding the entrance."
Liu Ruyan smiled faintly as she held her teacup, "I'll just stay in the through cabin; I won't compete."
Xie Wanqing kept her head down, flipping through her book, pretending not to hear the discussion, but her fingers remained on the same page for a long time without moving.
Gu Moran stood at the cabin door watching this scene, her back pressed against the door frame, not going in.
Su Yao glanced around, put down her teacup, and the sound of the bottom of the cup tapping on the table was not loud; everyone fell silent.
"Like this." She pointed to the slightly larger room on the left. "Shen Ling'er and I will stay in this room tonight. Shen Ling'er needs to get up in the middle of the night to brew medicine, and I can check the accounts."
He moved his finger to the narrow room on the right. "This room is for Lin Qingdai; she'll need it for easy access during patrols."
"The cabin is paved with mattresses on the floor; Murong Xue, Liu Ruyan, and Xie Wanqing all here."
As for the prince--
All six people's eyes fell on Gu Moran at the same time.
Gu Moran leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, his tone innocent. "I sleep on the deck?"
"No way," Shen Ling'er was the first to object. "The night wind is strong; you'll catch a cold. I'll need to get three more doses of medicine tomorrow."
"So I'll sleep on the floor in the open cabin?"
Murong Xue glanced at him from head to toe. "You, a man, are sleeping between us?"
Gu Moran looked at her.
So what?
"I am your husband."
"That won't do either," Lin Qingdai interjected. "You make a lot of noise when you turn over, it's so noisy."
Gu Moran turned to look at her. "How did you know I made a lot of noise when I turned over?"
Lin Qingdai's face flushed red, and she almost slammed her short sword on the table. "Don't get the wrong idea! Last time you fainted in my yard, you rolled over eight times in one night, I counted!"
Shen Ling'er blinked. " Sister Lin counted so clearly."
"Shut up."
Su Yao tapped the table to stop the laughter. "Alright, alright, the Prince and the lady on duty that night will stay in the large room on the left. No one else is allowed in."
" Shen Ling'er, first round tonight."
Shen Ling'er was stunned, flattered and overwhelmed. "Me?"
Su Yao remained expressionless. "Weren't you going to brew medicine in the middle of the night?"
Murong Xue protested, "Why can't I be included?"
Su Yao looked at her and said, "You just finished soaking in the hot springs, you'll have the most energy. Tonight, you'll cover Lin Qingdai's shift during the second half of the night patrol."
Murong Xue was speechless, looking at Gu Moran with a face that clearly said, "You'd better say something for me."
Gu Moran raised his hands. "I will follow Madam Su's arrangements."
Su Yao's lips twitched slightly, showing a hint of satisfaction that "he knows who to listen to."
After the room assignments were finalized, the ship had already left the shore.
The hot spring villas on the shore grew smaller and smaller, and a golden afternoon light spread across the water, with the boat cutting a white wave in the middle of the river.
Gu Moran walked to the stern of the boat and leaned against the railing.
Liu Ruyan came out of the cabin, stood next to him, and didn't say anything.
The two stood side by side, the wind blowing up her sleeves and brushing against the back of his hand.
Gu Moran her head to look at her, recalling the sentence she had seen in the skills section that morning.
"If he could just look at me even once today, I'd be happy all day."
He didn't go to see it specifically.
He simply reached out and pressed her sleeve, which had been blown up by the wind, back into place.
His fingers lingered on the inside of her wrist for two breaths; the skin there was so thin that he could feel her pulse beating softer than the wind.
Liu Ruyan didn't pull her hand away; she simply turned her face to look at the water, the vexation in her heart dispelled by the wind.
The water churned at the stern, and the figures at the distant ferry crossing were no longer visible.
Uncle Fu walked over from the front cabin, his steps hurried.
"Your Highness, the old boatman asked me to pass on a message. The river forks ten miles ahead. To the left is the main channel of the Wei River, with checkpoints one after another, and stopping the boat at each one for inspection would take a lot of time. To the right is a secluded shallow branch with few soldiers guarding it. Going around this side avoids the layers of checks and is actually faster."
He asked which way to go.
Gu Moran withdrew her hand and turned to walk towards the front cabin.
Ask him if the boat on the right is safe to sail on at night.
Uncle Fu followed up. "I asked, and the old boatman said it's possible, but the waterway is narrow and the trees on both banks hang low, so large ships can't pass. Our boat is just right."
Gu Moran nodded. "Go to the right."
"And," Uncle Fu lowered his voice, "The old boatman said there's a hidden shoal in the middle of the boat, and the boat will rock when we go over it. He told the ladies to tie their things securely so they don't fall."
"It's very bumpy?"
Uncle Fu thought for a moment and said, "His exact words were, 'More comfortable than riding a horse, but more bumpy than riding a donkey.'"
Gu Moran imagined the level of turbulence in her mind, and then thought of the one and a half beds in the cabin.
What happens when two people are lying down and experience a bumpy ride?
Ship shaking?