Scrubbing the Chamber Pots

In mid-spring, a warm breeze blows, and a thousand sails have passed by on the river.

Xu Qi'an stood on the deck and looked out, watching the barges, official ships, and multi-story ships slowly sailing, their sails billowing to their limit. In a daze, he was transported back to last year.

However, it was the dead of winter then, and the wind blowing from the river was like a knife cutting through the skin, unlike now when the spring sunshine is bright and there are flocks of wild ducks not far from the shore, so plump and delicious that it makes one's mouth water.

"The distance is too far; I can't detect your aura. The martial arts system is truly low-class. I, a dignified sixth-rank official, can't even fly, "Xu Qi'an sighed in disappointment.

Even with the skill of lightness of a kung fu, one cannot walk on water; one needs something to float on.

Perhaps only when he reaches the fifth rank of Transformation Realm will he be able to walk on water with his feet.

"With Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao gone, and without Old Song as our straight man, this journey has been incredibly dull," Xu Qi'an remarked.

Just as I was thinking this, I caught a glimpse of a familiar woman dressed as a maid in an indigo dress as she came onto the deck.

She was between 30 and 35 years old, of average appearance, with an air of haughtiness in her eyes and brows, and a smile in the corners of her eyes and brows, as if she had come out to enjoy the warm and pleasant river breeze.

The two noticed each other almost simultaneously, and the woman's face immediately fell.

Auntie, what are you doing here?

Xu Qi'an stared at her in disbelief.

The woman's face twitched slightly, and she snorted coldly, "It's said that enemies are destined to meet."

I should have realized it sooner; his crime-solving abilities are top-notch in the world. How could he not be assigned to a case like the massacre that ravaged three thousand miles?

Chu Xianglong had told her that this trip to the north was to avoid suspicion and that they had sufficient security, so they chose to travel together with the mission investigating the "bloody massacre of three thousand miles".

She knew about the case, but as for who the presiding officer was, she was in a terrible mood at the time and didn't bother to ask.

"Auntie, what are you doing here?" Xu Qi'an scrutinized her.

What's it to you?

The woman's face turned cold as she threatened, "Don't call me 'auntie' anymore. Who's your superior? Who's the chief officer in charge of the mission? If you dare call me 'auntie' again, I'll have him deal with you."

"Auntie, auntie, auntie, auntie!" Xu Qi'an called out repeatedly.

The woman was furious, her chest heaving with rage. She glared at him fiercely and uttered a harsh threat. "You just wait."

She stormed off.

The Imperial Academy of Music, the Shadow Plum Pavilion.

Fuxiang slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up. Wearing a thin gauze robe, she bathed and dressed with the help of her maid.

The personal maid chuckled, "Is Lord Xu about to leave the capital again on business?"

Fuxiang was taken aback, tilting her head and looking at the maid in surprise, "How did you know?"

The maid pursed her lips and chuckled softly, "The bed was rocked until the third watch last night. Normally, Master Xu would be so considerate of his wife that he would never keep her up so late."

Fuxiang scolded, "You brat, you're getting bolder and bolder, even daring to tease your grandma!"

Amidst the laughter, the maid suddenly gasped in surprise, her face contorted with a strange expression, and she stammered, "Mistress, mistress... you have gray hair."

Fuxiang's smile slowly faded, and she said calmly, "Just pull it out, what's the big deal?"

After dressing up, she dismissed her maid and sat alone in front of the mirror, gazing at her charming face in silence for a long time.

"Bang!"

The woman pushed open Chu Xianglong's door. Dressed as a maid, she stood with her hands on her hips and said angrily, "Someone in the Nightwatchers's office has angered me."

Chu Xianglong, who had been sitting cross-legged, healing his hidden injuries to his meridians, opened his eyes and raised his eyebrows. "Who goes there?"

The woman, instead of showing any emotion, said, word by word, "Xu Qi'an, the Silver Gong."

She had been bullied by Xu Qi'an several times. Although she had already avenged being hit by gold, her precious body had been taken advantage of by that brat when she watched Monk Jingsi fight in the arena last time.

The princess thought to herself that she was just a woman and endured it with great grievance, but she didn't expect this guy to be so addicted to bullying her, and just now he even slandered her as an old lady.

Chu Xianglong frowned. "What did he do to you?"

"He offended me." The princess's expression was indifferent; even her maid's clothes and plain features couldn't conceal her noble air. She spoke calmly:

"There's no need to go too far. Fortunately, it's not a big deal; a small punishment will suffice as a warning."

After saying this, seeing that Chu Xianglong did not agree but instead frowned, she slightly furrowed her brows and sneered, "Even if I go to the Northern Border, I will still be a princess."

Chu Xianglong shook his head, "Your Highness has misunderstood. That young man is the organizer of this trip to the north."

The princess's mouth was slightly open, and her gaze was somewhat vacant.

Chu Xianglong continued, "But don't worry, he won't be smug for long. I'll deal with him. Even if he's the official in charge appointed by His Majesty, it's only temporary. A silver gong is a silver gong. Even with the title of viscount, he's still just a nobody."

As a general with real power and the deputy general of the Prince of Zhenbei, he really didn't care about ordinary nobles and officials.

Three days passed in a flash. The journey by water was relatively safe. Such a large official ship would not encounter water bandits. It was large in scale and high in class. Anyone could tell that there were important people of extraordinary status living on board.

Such important figures are often accompanied by skilled fighters and elite guards. Ordinary river pirates only dare to target small merchant ships and occasionally attack small government barges.

However, there was something that troubled Xu Qi'an. In spring, the rainfall was plentiful, and the river was turbulent, unlike the calm winter. Every now and then, the river wind would bring big waves.

For those living in the cabins, it was certainly uncomfortable, but not unbearable. However, the Imperial Guards living in the lower decks were suffering greatly, and several had already fallen ill.

That day, after lunch, Xu Qi'an was sitting cross-legged in his room practicing breathing exercises when there was a knock on the door.

Hearing footsteps beforehand, Xu Qi'an opened his eyes, frowned, and said, "Come in."

The door wasn't locked and was easily pushed open. A short, stocky man stepped across the threshold, bowed his head, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:

"Grown ups."

This short but imposing man was Chen Xiao, the centurion and leader of the Imperial Guards.

Xu Qi'an asked unhappily, "What is it?"

He was somewhat annoyed that this uncouth soldier was so impolite and disturbed his meditation.

"Sir, many soldiers are sick. Please go and take a look." After saying this, Chen Xiao seemed afraid that Xu Qi'an would refuse, and quickly added:

"I'm afraid it might cause an epidemic and endanger the adults on board."

This reason caught Xu Qi'an's attention, and he immediately put on his boots and went to the hold with Centurion Chen Xiao.

"Knock knock."

Led by Chen Xiao, Xu Qi'an entered the cabin via the wooden steps. A stuffy, unpleasant odor filled his nostrils: the smells of sweat, mildew, and ammonia.

This is because the air is not circulating, yet the cabin is crowded with people. They sleep and defecate in the bottom of the cabin, which breeds bacteria. Coupled with seasickness, those with weak constitutions will fall ill.

Even those who are not sick may appear listless.

Upon hearing footsteps, pairs of eyes turned to look. When they recognized their superiors and the mission's organizers, the soldiers straightened their backs and remained silent.

Xu Qi'an walked to the bed of a soldier who was coughing incessantly and had a low-grade fever. The so-called bed was actually a narrow and simple wooden plank, which was how the cabin could accommodate a hundred soldiers.

"It's nothing serious. I have an antidote pill from the Bureau of Astronomy. Just dissolve one in water, and each person who has fallen ill will be cured after taking a sip."

Xu Qi'an made a judgment, immediately reached into his pocket, gently tapped the surface of the jade mirror, and poured out a porcelain bottle.

After the Blood-Drip Recognition, the Earth Book establishes a close connection with its owner, allowing them to take whatever they want without fear of its contents spilling out.

He gave Chen Xiao an antidote pill, instructing him to crush it, put it into a water pouch, and distribute it to the sick soldiers.

The high-grade pills from the Bureau of Astronomy had an immediate effect. The sick soldiers were pleasantly surprised to find that their lungs were no longer uncomfortable, their coughs were relieved, and their minds went from being foggy to clear. Apart from still being a little weak, their physical condition underwent a tremendous change.

"I don't feel bad anymore."

I'm all better.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir."

The other soldiers also smiled, their eyes filled with gratitude and enthusiasm as they looked at Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an nodded slightly, then glanced at the toilet under the bed, frowned, and scolded:

"What are you all doing huddled in the hold? Why don't you go up to the deck for some fresh air? It's so stuffy and polluted, no wonder you all get sick."

One hundred people, one hundred toilets, none of them seem to clean them frequently. It's like living in a latrine where the air doesn't circulate. Spring is the season for bacteria to multiply, so how could they not get sick?

If they could be more diligent, cleaning the toilets every day and getting some fresh air outside daily, the soldiers, given their physical condition, shouldn't fall ill so easily.

"This"

Faced with Xu Qi'an's questioning, Chen Xiao revealed a bitter expression and said, "General Chu has ordered that we are not allowed to leave the hold or go up to the deck. The brothers usually eat dry rations in the hold."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qi'an's expression darkened. He stared at Chen Xiao and asked, "Why?"

"General Chu ordered that there are women on board who often go to the deck for walks and to enjoy the scenery, and he was afraid that we might offend them. Anyone who disobeys will be given twenty strokes of the cane."

The sick soldier said, coughing.

Xu Qi'an did not respond. His gaze swept over the dimly lit cabin floor, over the soldiers with their backs straight, and over the toilets at their feet.

The damp, foul smell in the air seemed a hundred times stronger at this moment, making Xu Qi'an want to escape from here.

These soldiers had to sleep here, rest here, and even eat in this environment.

Chen Xiao looked at him silently.

A hundred pairs of eyes were silently watching him.

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized that this visit to the sick was a pretext; the real purpose was to get him to uphold justice.

Soldiers are human too, and they could no longer tolerate such an environment, their hearts filled with resentment. At the same time, in their eyes, Xu Yinluo was the chief official in charge of this mission, the chief official appointed by the imperial court.

They had grievances and demands, and could only turn to Xu Qi'an, believing that only Xu Yinluo could uphold justice for them.

They would only give up if the organizers also forced them to stay in the bottom of the cabin and wouldn't allow them to leave.

"I only have one order now." Xu Qi'an frowned.

"Please give your orders, sir." Chen Xiao bowed his head and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Please give your orders, sir."

The soldiers rose, bowed their heads, and clasped their hands in greeting.

Xu Qi'an pointed to the deck above and shouted, "Get up there and clean the toilets!"

"Yes!"

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir."

"Come on, let's go clean the toilet. I can't stand this smell anymore."

Cheers erupted immediately.

PS: Thank you to "L I really have no money" for the generous donation. Thank you to "It's Mei who hugs Anthony" for the generous donation.

P. S.: The next chapter will be a bit longer.