One day ago, at Tianlu Pavilion on Sunshi Street in northern Jiugao.
The guests, who had been drinking and feasting until dawn, were gradually boarding their carriages to leave the tavern. Yet many remained, slumped in a drunken stupor amidst silk, brocade, golden cups, and jade vessels, oblivious to the rising sun in the east and the sudden cessation of the rain.
Neither wind, rain, nor mist could penetrate the shelter of these carved beams and painted rafters. To retain their clientele, the windows and doors here were meticulously designed; those facing the street could be sealed so tightly that not a whisper of the outside world could be heard. Outside the doors, beautiful young attendants and maidservants stood ready twenty-four hours a day. Those seeking pleasure could easily lose all sense of time once they stepped inside, exchanging cups until the break of day.
Those seeking to drown their sorrows indulged in this isolated sense of escapism, while those who remained sober for too long would only feel dizzy, feverish, and stifled.
Jiang Xin’er shifted her position, supporting her aching leg with one hand and bracing her body with the other as she rolled over on the extremely narrow ceiling beam.
Her footwork was not particularly refined, so she had to be exceedingly careful not to make a sound. Fortunately, Liang Shi’an, who had downed ten jars of wine over the course of the night, was dead drunk; even if a clay basin were shattered next to his ear, he likely wouldn't have lifted his head to look.
The stench of overnight wine mixed with the turbid air, clogging one’s senses. Jiang Xin’er endured it until her face turned green, her ears strained for the sound of the night watchman’s clapper at the street corner.
She always kept her word when she promised something to her Young Master.
Despite her reluctance, she was determined to keep watch for the full twelve watches. This Liang Shi’an had previously boasted that he could procure a "secret medicine" from the underworld for the Young Master, mysteriously inviting her to this private room in Tianlu Pavilion, only to produce a box of "Ten-Ingredient Great Restorative Pills."
She knew nothing of pharmacology and little of the deceptive tricks of the Jianghu. In the past, she might truly have suspected nothing. But after several dealings with that stingy shopkeeper of Guoran Residence, she felt a strange sensation the moment she saw that overly exquisite box. Thus, she had accepted the item with a cold face, only to immediately toss it to the servant sent by Aunt Huaiyu. She then flipped onto the roof and followed Liang Shi’an through three or four courtyards and seven or eight rooms throughout the night, yet she had found nothing unusual.
Thanks to her Young Master, almost every tavern manager on Sunshi Street recognized her. If she had entered through the front door as a guest, she feared she would have alerted the target. In the end, she had to resort to this clumsy method of close-range surveillance.
No matter; in less than half an hour, when the fifth watch ended and the city gates opened, she could leave the city for Huangniwan Pier to find the Young Master.
A somewhat noisy clamor of voices drifted through the gaps in the roof tiles. Jiang Xin’er opened her eyes alertly, listened for a moment, and then crept toward the source of the sound.
On the canal not far outside the back window of Tianlu Pavilion, a boat was moored by the bank. A large green ox lay in the stern, its dung pattering down with every flick of its tail—half landing on the deck, half falling into the river. Standing on the bank was a servant in a purple jacket, an employee of Tianlu Pavilion; the noisy shouting had come from him.
Jiugao was crisscrossed by waterways, and livestock crossing the river was a common sight in the south of the city. But here in the north, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, it was like a grain of sand in the eye, an eyesore to the refined elite.
The servant in the purple jacket stood with hands on his hips, unleashing the full vocal power of ten years of greeting guests in the main hall. His lips moved with lightning speed, his spit nearly flying to the opposite bank.
But the person on the boat seemed quite dull-witted; for every ten sentences the servant spoke, he barely managed a single reply. After several rounds, even the servant’s desire to be difficult was exhausted. Just as he was about to turn back and call for more people to help "clear the area," the tightly closed carved window above was pushed open, followed by a violent, gut-wrenching sound of vomiting.
Liang Shi’an had thrown up, purging every bit of the wine and food he had consumed overnight. The servant by the river fell silent instantly, fearing his loud voice had disturbed this distinguished guest, and slunk back into the tavern.
Everything seemed to be just another ordinary moment in a busy morning...
"Wait, the swordsman you mentioned... it couldn't be that servant punting the boat, could it?"
Lu Zican’s voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Jiang Xin’er’s narration.
Jiang Xin’er looked at Lu Zican with some dissatisfaction, nodding after a long pause with an air that brooked no doubt.
Lu Zican wanted to say more, but was stopped by Qiu Ling’s gaze. The latter asked Jiang Xin’er directly, "Miss Xin’er, you don't even know the man's name, and you only saw him once during a chase at night. How can you be sure they are the same person?"
"He was wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat then, his figure and face well-hidden, but I heard a sound." Jiang Xin’er paused, seemingly recalling the scene. "A *crunch, crunch*—the sound of crushing something hard. When I first fought him on Lixin Lake, he was constantly chewing something hard and brittle, and I could faintly smell the scent of maltose."
As soon as she spoke, everyone was stunned, but her expression showed she was not joking.
After a long while, the second young master of the Qiu family, still slumped in the soft chair, spoke lazily.
"Though it sounds somewhat absurd at first, many Jianghu experts have their own eccentricities. These quirks follow them for a lifetime, like a weapon that never leaves their hand, and are hard to change even at the brink of death."
Though he did not come from a Jianghu background, most martial artists shared certain commonalities. Lu Zican was somewhat convinced by this point, but he still had lingering doubts.
"Since you sensed something was wrong with this person at the time, why didn't you step forward to investigate immediately? Why did you let him escape?"
Jiang Xin’er did not answer immediately but instinctively looked toward Xu Qiuchi beside her. The latter lazily shifted his position, propping his injured leg up high.
"Go ahead and speak, Xin’er. My brother watches me closely; he likely knows already."
Hearing this, Jiang Xin’er continued.
"Liang Shi’an provided cover for him—or rather, he was there specifically for Liang Shi’an. We had been watching the man named Liang for a while, and he was clearly prepared, which is why he intentionally stalled me for a whole day. The moment I revealed myself, I was intercepted by an expert using twin hooks who appeared out of nowhere. In my haste, I struck with lethal intent, forcing the opponent to use his full strength. His martial arts style was clear at a glance; it didn't belong to any Jianghu sect, but consisted of techniques unique to those from The World’s Number One Villa."
Beside her, Qiu Ling couldn't help but interject, "But Liang Shi’an is not from the Qingzhongshan Academy. Why would he have someone from The World’s Number One Villa by his side?"
"Liang Shi’an may not be from the academy, but his father, Liang Bozhong, is," Xu Qiuchi’s voice rang out, tinged with realization. "I previously wondered how he could have pulled off such a massive deception on his own. Thinking about it now, if the son is wading through muddy waters, how could the father not know? Putting on an act of having a useless son was merely a smokescreen."
Liang Shi’an was merely a minor official in the Bureau of Agriculture, but his father, Liang Bozhong, was the Grand Minister of Rites, an old veteran of the Spring Office.
If only Liang Shi’an were involved in the secret formula case, it might just be a small scheme involving Jianghu forces and a greedy official. But if Liang Bozhong was also involved, the chessboard suddenly expanded, extending into the invisible darkness.
Silence fell over the small accounting room as everyone became lost in their own thoughts. Outside the window, the sky turned gloomy once more.
After a long time, Qiu Ling, standing in the center of the room, was the first to speak.
"If the perpetrator is Liang Shi’an, we seize Liang Shi’an. If the architect is Liang Bozhong, we capture Liang Bozhong."
His voice was somewhat raspy, yet it carried an unshakeable firmness. This resolve anchored the heavy atmosphere in the room, easing the tension in everyone’s hearts.
"The night watchman noticed smoke at Tingfeng Hall around the third quarter of the Yin hour. He hurried over from Liaozi Bridge, a journey of about fifteen to twenty minutes. From this, we can infer that the fire at Tingfeng Hall started around the start of the Yin hour, the same time as the fire in the back alley of Sitiaozi Street. Liang Shi’an met the mysterious swordsman on Sunshi Street at the fifth watch, and the two headed straight for the North Water Gate, escaping around the time the city gates opened. Simultaneously, seven boats departing from Lixin Lake entered Jiugao through different waterways, the earliest being discovered near Huangniwan Pier around the start of the Mao hour. This is the sequence of events, and the key to finding the connection behind them."
As Qiu Ling finished, Qin Jiuye’s thoughts also reached a critical point, and she immediately added her own deduction.
"The fire at Tingfeng Hall didn't catch because of the rain, but on that same night, the fire at that other courtyard burned until dawn. Is it possible that Old Tang’s intention wasn't to burn everything down, but to use the smoke as a diversion to buy someone time?"
A thread seemed to have finally been found in the tangled mess. Lu Zican slapped his thigh and spoke hurriedly.
"You mean the courtyard on Sitiaozi Street was burned because Manager Tang leaked the information? Someone got ahead of us and wiped out that hideout first, which is why Liang Shi’an had to rush out of the city!"
"This deduction is based on the premise that Tang Shenyan is a friend, not a foe."
Qiu Ling spoke again. Qin Jiuye was stunned for a moment before she began to process it.
She had indeed reflexively treated Old Tang as one of their own, never considering that he might be a link in this secret formula case. But she quickly thought of another inconsistency.
"If the things in the Fangwaiguan boats were released the night before last or early yesterday morning with the goal of being sent into the city, why was Liang Shi’an in such a hurry to leave?" She paused and immediately looked at Jiang Xin’er. "May I ask, Miss Jiang, did you see what kind of boat Liang Shi’an boarded?"
Jiang Xin’er recalled for a moment, then said decisively, "It was a *Manpengshao*."
A *Manpengshao* was a cargo boat used in the Longshu region; it was definitely not an ordinary ferry. Could it be...
As Qin Jiuye pondered this, Qiu Ling had clearly grasped the main point as well.
"What if the ultimate goal of Fangwaiguan’s involvement this time wasn't to spread the secret formula, but to create a distraction to give Liang Shi’an the chance to leave the city? The things loaded onto that cargo boat are what they truly went to great lengths to smuggle out of Jiugao."
What was on the boat? Just infected people they hadn't had time to move? Or something even more terrifying?
Silence fell over the small room once more as everyone grew anxious over the unknown answer.
After an unknown amount of time, Xu Qiuchi spoke airily.
"If Liang Shi’an truly escaped through the North Lou Gate, we only need to strictly interrogate the guards on duty that day to get more clues. I happen to have a suitable candidate in mind, but I wonder..."
He had only just started when the young Protector already knew what he was planning.
"Lin Fang, the Minister of Imperial Waterways?"
Xu Qiuchi was taken aback, then smiled knowingly. "As expected, I can't hide anything from Brother. Don't misunderstand; I'm just handing him an opportunity for promotion and wealth. He is a very ambitious man; if you are willing to trust him, he will surely repay you with all his effort."
"Gao Quan has already gone to find him. He asked for three to five days; he will report back when there is news."
Blood ties possessed a magical power. Even though the two brothers had vastly different temperaments, they often reached startlingly similar conclusions on key matters.
It was just that for the two of them at this moment, this similarity was not particularly pleasant.
"Don't you want to ask more about Liang Shi’an?"
"I know no less about the capital than you do. You don't need to find excuses to fish for information from me."
"Then what about the matter on Qionghu Island? Don't you want to know what I actually did when I went ashore? Whether I found some news you don't know?"
The young Protector finally paused, saying meaningfully after a long while, "No rush. I will find out eventually. I have already sent word back to the manor to tell Aunt Huaiyu that your leg injury is severe and you won't be able to move around for a while."
Xu Qiuchi looked up in shock, then realized something and couldn't help but laugh.
"Brother is afraid I'll learn too much about the case and cause trouble, so he's making a preemptive strike..."
Before he could finish, Duan Xiaozhou’s voice came from the courtyard. Qiu Ling gave a few low instructions, and Lu Zican took his leave first. Though his face was full of reluctance, he took the key to the shackles from his waist and placed it on the table. Seeing this, Qin Jiuye finally let out the breath she had been holding.
After Lu Zican left, the others also excused themselves one by one. Qin Jiuye was the last to leave, but she was suddenly stopped by Qiu Ling calling out to Li Qiao.
"You stay. I have questions for you."
Her ears perked up instantly. She had thought that while the true culprit hadn't been caught, today’s business was concluded. But this situation made her uneasy again.
Gao Quan saw the situation with a glance and stepped forward, speaking gently. "Miss Qin has just recovered from a serious illness. The Protector wants you to return to the manor first out of concern for your health. He will bring the young man back later."
With him putting it that way, Qin Jiuye couldn't stay any longer. She could only leave the accounting room, looking back every three steps as she dawdled toward the door. After walking a dozen paces, she hurriedly pulled Gao Quan aside and whispered.
"Now that the suspicion of murder has been cleared and Commander Lu left the key, his shackles should be removed, right? I swear on the name of Guoran Residence that he will not interfere with the case."
Gao Quan nodded and said warmly, "Of course. The previous treatment was a matter of necessity. By regulation, suspects are to be held in jail before trial. But Young Master Li’s situation is special; he comes from The World’s Number One Villa and caused such a stir on Qionghu Island. The Protector brought him to Tingfeng Hall to guard him personally only after careful consideration, fearing word would leak out. He stayed up all night for this."
Qin Jiuye opened her mouth, but the string of words she had prepared suddenly vanished, her face filled with guilt.
"It was my lack of consideration... I've troubled the Protector..."
"Little Leaf, I arrived like a god from the heavens, and you haven't even thanked me yet."
Xu Qiuchi’s voice rang out nearby. He had somehow acquired a pair of crutches and was moving quite briskly.
Gao Quan squinted at him, excused himself, and turned to leave.
Qin Jiuye was still looking back toward the inner courtyard. After a while, she stepped forward and said softly, "Thank you, Second Young Master, for arriving in time to clear Li Qiao’s name."
Her voice was heavy and carried the nasal tone of her illness. Hearing this, the man who had intended to tease her found it hard to bully her further. He rubbed his nose and said, "I just wanted to see my brother suffer a setback." Xu Qiuchi’s swaying figure paused at the courtyard gate, and he turned back with the smile of a debt collector. "However, since Shopkeeper Qin is so eager to repay a debt of gratitude, why not take this chance to look at this leg of mine? It was broken for your sake, after all."
Qin Jiuye looked up expressionlessly, feeling her needle-wielding hands itching again.
If she didn't settle this score soon, would she be held in his grasp for the rest of her life?
Just as she was thinking of how to trade barbs with him, Duan Xiaozhou’s figure flashed by. He spotted her and doubled back, speaking rapidly.
"Miss Qin, the clothes you changed out of are still here. I saw the sleeves and front were torn. I'll have Commander Lu stitch them up after they're washed and give them back to you later. Oh, and the freshly aired bedding—remember to come find me at the manor to get it."
Lu Zican could sew? Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
Qin Jiuye nodded slowly, thanking him somewhat awkwardly. "I've really troubled you all."
"It's a small matter. Oh, right, there's also this." As Duan Xiaozhou spoke, he took out a familiar handkerchief and handed it over. "This fell out of your clothes. I picked it up and kept it; since I've run into you, I'll give it back now."
Qin Jiuye took it instinctively. The moment her hand touched the handkerchief, she froze.
Certain memories sleeping deep in her mind were stirred by yesterday’s ordeal, suddenly connecting in this moment to form a blurred image.
Three months ago, on the day she went into the city to buy rice, she had stopped by the small courtyard she liked, only to find the property agent showing two outsiders around. Worried about being beaten to the punch, she had waved her handkerchief and acted like a ghost to scare them off, only to fall from the old camphor tree and lose her handkerchief in her frantic escape.
It had been late and the light was poor; in her panic, she hadn't seen the faces of the two outsiders clearly, only vaguely remembering a scholar with a page boy. Consequently, when someone returned the handkerchief to her three months later, she hadn't realized where it had come from.
The winding, dark alley, the solitary stone lion, the crooked old camphor tree, and the shadow that pushed open the door under the tree—not knowing if it was man or ghost...
How... how could it be him?
Qin Jiuye swayed on the spot, cold sweat breaking out instantly.
Duan Xiaozhou saw her expression was wrong, but before he could ask, she gripped the handkerchief tightly and bolted, leaving him and the second young master of the Qiu family staring at each other in confusion.
***
In the inner courtyard of Tingfeng Hall, only two people remained in the small accounting room, yet the atmosphere was even more stifling than before.
The young Protector and the teenage swordsman stood facing each other, the last layer of civility falling away like a veil. Qiu Ling was the first to ask.
"I ask you, do those seven boats that entered Jiugao have anything to do with you?"
"What boats?"
Qiu Ling sneered and unceremoniously reached forward to pull open the other’s collar, revealing the wound that had already begun to heal.
"And your injury? I have arrested no fewer than a hundred major criminals, vicious bandits, and desperate fugitives, and I have almost never used two sets of shackles. But with you, I must be cautious. Just because I didn't mention this in front of the others doesn't mean it's settled. Why exactly are you tainted with the secret formula? And are you secretly colluding with the Chuanliu Courtyard?"
Li Qiao wrenched himself away, taking a step back.
"Don't you always act according to the law? Why didn't you interrogate me in front of everyone just now, but instead laid hands on me in private? Could it be you want to torture me but are afraid my Sister will see?"
"If I wanted to interrogate you, why would I need to avoid others? But she took you in as a physician; how could she not have noticed the thing inside your body? If your matter becomes known to others, she won't be able to explain herself even with a thousand mouths. It's one thing for you to become a prisoner, but do you want her to sit in a cell wearing shackles alongside you?"
Li Qiao fell silent.
But the silence lasted only a moment before he let out a mocking laugh.
"You don't need to act like everything you do is for her sake, as if you weren't the one who was cold and suspicious toward her before."
This time, it was Qiu Ling’s turn to be silent.
The youth grew bolder and continued, "Weren't you curious before about what I was doing at Tingfeng Hall that day? I didn't say it then, not because I was afraid of you, but because I didn't want to make things difficult for Sister in public. Now that it's just the two of us, I might as well tell you. I went to find Tang Shenyan to ask him about Qin Jiuye."
"About what?"
Li Qiao lowered his head.
He remembered the scene in that wooden hut in the outskirts; the corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously, and a light like spring water surged deep in his light brown eyes.
"Some things I found strange. I hadn't thought them through then, so I did many stupid things and said many stupid words. But I understand now." Li Qiao looked up at Qiu Ling, his voice low and firm. "I like her. I want to be with her forever. For that, I am willing to do anything, to be anyone to her—whether a younger brother or a husband."
Qiu Ling was stunned.
He was still immersed in the intricate details of the case and had never expected to be blindsided by this youth’s "declaration of war." It took a moment for him to recover, as a belated anger climbed his brow and danced before his eyes.
"You... you are utterly shameless!"
Li Qiao narrowed his eyes, showing no hint of bashfulness or embarrassment; instead, he looked as if he had been complimented.
"That is exactly who I am. If the Protector thinks this is shameless, you should withdraw early and stop thinking of competing with me, because you are destined to lose."
A volatile emotion stirred the air. Just then, the sound of stumbling footsteps echoed outside the door. Their ears twitched, and they looked toward the door in unison.
A moment later, the door was slammed open, and the woman’s anxious figure burst into the room.
"I remember... about that courtyard..." Qin Jiuye gasped for breath, whether from running all the way or from the bizarre truth she was about to speak. "...I think I might have seen the person spreading the secret formula before."
***
Ten miles north of Jiugao City lay the famous Chixia Beach.
This was the necessary path for Lixin Lake to flow into the great rivers and an important ferry crossing for entering and leaving the heart of Jiugao. The government had built a Tide-Watching Pavilion on the river embankment specifically to welcome prefects and officials transferred to the area.
In the Tide-Watching Pavilion at dawn, several figures moved indistinctly—seemingly refined, elegant, and low-profile "distinguished guests."
They were the court historians and censors sent by the imperial court to recruit Jianghu figures. Over the past few days, they had seen every movement on Lixin Lake, while the fish struggling in the current could not see even a corner of their robes.
The wind and rain of the Jianghu could not reach the golden tiles and jade walls where they sat. They were accustomed to watching the fire from the opposite bank, accustomed to manipulating the chaos of the Jianghu, and accustomed to standing on high, looking down at the large and small fish struggling in the mud. Even if the pond were eventually stirred into a sea of blood, to them, it was merely a vat of water; if they grew tired of looking at it one day, they would simply change the water.
The last of the large sect ships that had been lingering sailed out of the estuary. Someone bowed to report. They looked at the silhouettes of the sails disappearing into the misty rain, whispering something to each other. Finally, they shared a few laughs, took a sip of Longke Golden Osmanthus tea worth two taels of gold, and feeling a bit cold, tossed the tea over the railing and poured a fresh cup.
On the ten-mile riverbank below the pavilion, the trackers who worked day and night without rest charged two taels per boat. The boatmen picking water caltrops in the sweltering heat sold them for thirty wen a basket.
Footsteps sounded. Ding Miao calmly withdrew his gaze and patted the cabin behind him. The cabin made a dull thud. Ding Miao asked softly, "Have you found a boatman?"
The round-faced swordsman wearing a short bamboo hat walked through the mud. He stood still and shook his head.
"They think it's too far. They also said the storm over the past few days has raised the water level; the waves are too big to cross, so they refuse to follow the boat now."
The fishing rod in his hand trembled. Ding Miao withdrew his gaze, in no hurry to lift the rod.
Ren Xiaohan looked back toward Jiugao City again, a hint of emotion appearing in the depths of his habitually dull eyes.
He didn't know what he was expecting; he only felt that a small bag of rice crusts, if eaten sparingly, should last a while longer. But he didn't know when he would see her again.
"What are you looking at?"
Ding Miao’s voice suddenly rang out. Caught peeking, Ren Xiaohan hurriedly withdrew his gaze, asking softly after a moment, "I'm looking to see if anyone is chasing us."
"Lord Duanyu should have his hands full right now. I sent him several boatloads of 'great gifts'; he's busy unwrapping them, so naturally, he won't come after us. Liang Shi’an has already gone ahead to clear the way; we will be able to leave here soon. As for the Manor Lord’s side..."
Ren Xiaohan stood dazed for a long while, then remembered something and slowly lowered his head.
"It was Xiaohan who didn't do the job well and always caused the Master to be punished in my stead. The Master clearly gave instructions, but... but..."
Before he could finish, something touched his hand.
"This is a water caltrop." Ding Miao picked up a water caltrop, peeled it carefully, and placed it in the other’s hand, his eyes fixed on the riverbank not far away. "You have to peel it to eat it. It's very crisp; try it."
On the riverbank, a solitary old man was swaying toward them.
He carried a shoulder pole, and with every step, half his leg sank into the mud. But he still tried his best to stand straight, not wanting to look too pathetic. When he got closer, he asked, "Is the scholar looking for someone to punt the boat? I heard this young man asking at the pier just now. I happen to be traveling back to Suiqing to dig for new bamboo shoots and need to hitch a ride. I was supposed to take the Daixiao River, but the water has risen these past few days, so I have to take a detour through Ganyu. This old man has been punting boats around here for over ten years; there's no riverbank I can't cross, no whirlpool I can't navigate. If it weren't for a mishap with my own boat recently, I wouldn't be here looking for a ride..."
The old man was still rambling when Ding Miao interrupted softly.
"We are heading north to the capital. The journey is long; are you willing to make the trip?"
The capital? The capital was indeed quite far. Even with favorable winds and currents, it would take over half a month. If they hit bad weather, he wouldn't be back until autumn.
Seeing his hesitant expression, Ding Miao nodded to Ren Xiaohan, who immediately fished out the money bag he had been clutching the whole way and handed it over.
The bag shimmered with silver—a full ten taels.
"A little something for your trouble. Please do not refuse, old man."
How was this just "a little something"? No matter how hard he worked, he had never earned ten taels at once. That was truly a lot of money. His silly daughter was probably worrying over ten taels of silver right now; wasn't this a stroke of luck, delivered right to his door?
The sun had not yet risen, and the scholar’s face was blurred and indistinct, though it seemed to be a gentle countenance. Qin Sanyou withdrew his gaze, rubbed his hands, and solemnly accepted the heavy silver. The smile on his face was etched deep into his wrinkles.
"The scholar is truly a great benefactor! It's no trouble, no trouble at all. The bamboo shoots are on the mountain; they can wait!"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 天禄阁 | Tianlu Pavilion | A high-end tavern/pavilion in Jiugao. |
| 笋石街 | Sunshi Street | Bamboo Stone Street, located in northern Jiugao. |
| 梁博中 | Liang Bozhong | Liang Shi'an's father, a high-ranking official. |
| 大宗伯卿 | Grand Minister of Rites | A high official title (Minister of Rites). |
| 春官府 | Spring Office | Historical term for the Ministry of Rites. |
| 满蓬艄 | Manpengshao | A type of cargo boat with a full canopy/cover. |
| 太舟卿 | Minister of Imperial Waterways | An official title related to water transport/carriages. |
| 林放 | Lin Fang | The name of the Minister of Imperial Waterways. |
| 赤霞滩 | Chixia Beach | Rosy Clouds Beach, a ferry crossing north of Jiugao. |
| 丁渺 | Ding Miao | The "scholar" character, seemingly a mastermind or high-level agent. |
| 壬小寒 | Ren Xiaohan | The round-faced swordsman/page boy accompanying Ding Miao. |
| 秦三友 | Qin Sanyou | Qin Jiuye's father (implied by the name and "silly daughter" comment). |
| 绥清 | Suiqing | A place name. |
| 黛绡河 | Daixiao River | A river name. |
| 赣庾 | Ganyu | A place name. |
