Helen Foster was a native of Donglai County, Qizhou—a member of a prestigious family. Fifteen years ago, he passed the imperial examination and was assigned to the Eastern Palace to accompany the Crown Prince in his studies. Step by step, he rose to become the Left Advisor of the Eastern Palace, a fifth-rank official. This time, he was appointed as the Prefect of Donghai County, marking his first assignment as an official outside the capital.

He set out from Yongjing, first returning to his ancestral shrine in Donglai County to pay respects to his forebears, then departed directly from there by sea to take up his post. The journey had already lasted over half a month, and by tomorrow, he would finally arrive at Donghai County.

Gazing at the line where sea and sky met, Helen Foster felt no excitement about his new appointment; instead, a faint worry lingered in his heart. The words the Crown Prince had spoken to him before his departure still seemed to echo in his ears.

‘Sir, as you go to Donghai County, you must do your utmost to secure the financial power of Donghai for me. This matter concerns whether I can ultimately ascend the throne...’

Helen Foster was well aware of the heavy burden he bore as the new Prefect of Donghai County. Ever since the Crown Prince’s birth mother, Empress Yang, had passed away three months ago, the Crown Prince’s position had become much less secure.

Especially now that Consort Shen had been made Empress, calls within the court to replace the Crown Prince were growing ever louder. His Majesty was also particularly fond of Prince Chu, born of Empress Shen, and had more than once publicly declared in court that Prince Chu resembled him greatly and was the most suitable to inherit the throne.

Meanwhile, several ambitious princes were stirring restlessly in the background, seeking to lay hands on the Eastern Palace. The pressure on the Crown Prince was unimaginable.

This time, in order to have Helen Foster appointed as Prefect of Donghai County, the Crown Prince had even enlisted the support of the Grand Empress Dowager Jing’an, who had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs. Only at the last moment did he manage to defeat the candidate recommended by the Duke of Shen and win the right to nominate the Prefect of Donghai County.

Donghai County—especially its seat, Weiyang County—had been the most prosperous commercial city in the Great Ning Dynasty for two hundred years. Of all the wealth in the realm, Weiyang alone held a third.

This enormous piece of fat meat was eyed by every major faction in the court. For the sake of the Prefect’s seat in Donghai County, all sides had vied in secret for three whole months, with the Crown Prince ultimately emerging victorious.

No one would give up so easily, and Helen Foster knew very well that his journey to Donghai to take office was only the beginning of the real contest.

The sea wind was strong, and Helen Foster felt a chill. He turned to head back to his cabin, when suddenly he caught sight of a slender figure sneaking toward the stern, clutching a small pouch in her hand.

“This little rascal, even at a time like this, she’s still thinking about listening to stories.”

Helen Foster shook his head with a smile and followed the stairs down to the lower deck.

……

With Donghai County almost in sight, everyone on board grew unusually excited. A group of sailors sat at the stern, discussing where they would go once ashore. A burly, bearded sailor, his voice booming like a bell, could be heard laughing heartily throughout the ship.

“Damn it, we’re finally about to land! The first thing I’ll do is go to the Baihui Restaurant for a big meal, then head to the Baihua House for a good night’s sleep. Baihua House! I dream of nothing but a sea of white flowers.”

“Mr. Howard, watch your mouth—there are officials’ families on board!” another sailor quickly whispered in warning.

The bearded sailor was startled into silence, not daring to say another word. Just then, a clear, crisp voice piped up nearby, “Uncle Howard, what kind of place is Baihua House?”

Everyone turned to see a little girl standing beside them, dressed in a water-green silk skirt. The sea wind was strong, so she wore a short jacket over it. She looked just over ten years old, still small and a bit frail. A precious jade hairpin pierced her jet-black braid. Her skin was fair with a rosy glow, her large black eyes sparkled, her nose was delicate, and her lips were full and red. Though still a child, she was already a budding beauty. She held a small blue silk pouch in her hand and smiled sweetly at the sailors.

The sailors, startled by her sudden appearance, all jumped to their feet. The bearded sailor scratched the back of his head and explained awkwardly, “Baihua House is an inn. Every time we land at Huaiyang County, I go there to rest and sleep.”

The little girl pursed her lips in a smile, two sweet dimples appearing on her cheeks. “Oh! So it’s an inn. What’s so good about an inn? They’re dirty and messy. Looks like uncle is tired of staying on the ship.”

“Yes! Yes! We really are tired of it.”

The sailors all chimed in. The bearded sailor glanced upward and scratched his head with a laugh. “Miss, you’re here to find Jason Brooks, aren’t you?”

“Yes! Where is Brother Sanlang?”

“That kid’s sleeping up on the mast!”

The bearded sailor shouted up the mast in his hoarse voice, “Jason Brooks, the young lady from the Su family is looking for you to tell her a story! Come down quickly!”

A lazy voice drifted down from the top of the mast, “We’re about to land—what’s the point of telling stories now?”

The bearded sailor shrugged helplessly at the little girl, indicating there was nothing he could do. The little girl walked to the mast, tilted up her jade-like face, and called out in a clear voice, “Brother Sanlang, I’m not here for a story—I brought you a gift.”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone leapt lightly down from the mast. Though tall and strapping, he was clearly a young man.

He wore a short, cross-collared jacket, his arms bare and tanned a bronze color by the sun, his muscles strong and well-developed. He looked about sixteen or seventeen years old.

His features were striking—long, narrow eyes, elegant brows with especially long tails that swept toward his temples, giving him a look reminiscent of a Peking opera mask. But what left the deepest impression was the lazy expression in his eyes.