Chapter 650: The Saintess Is Also Aboard
The Heavenly Lord, along with Gao Yiye, boarded the transport ship at Gudu Ferry.
Departing with them were Gao Yiye's hundred guards, two grain transport ships, and two cargo ships laden with construction tools and raw materials.
In September, the Yellow River's waters were no longer as tumultuous as they had been in June or July.
The water level had dropped considerably, and the flooding downstream was also subsiding.
With the current gentler, travel by boat was far easier.
The four cargo ships soon passed Fenglingdu and continued downstream along the Yellow River.
This was Li Daoxuan's first time experiencing "Co-sensing" within the box for an extended period, observing the world through its miniature perspective for so long.
To the naked eye, the banks of the Yellow River appeared desolate; no fishermen could be seen on the river, nor any government boats.
Gao Yiye couldn't help but exclaim, “I was reading a book the other day, and it said that many grain transport ships would navigate this stretch of the Yellow River at Sanmenxia. How come we haven't seen a single one?”
Gao Yiye gasped, “Oh, I see! I've learned something new. It's true that you have to travel to learn more things.”
Li Daoxuan smiled, “Yiye, actually, knowledge can be divided into 'effective knowledge' and 'ineffective knowledge.'”
Gao Yiye was greatly curious. “What do you mean?”
Li Daoxuan explained, “For instance, that piece of information just now—that's what I call ineffective knowledge. Knowing it serves no practical purpose. If someone fills their head with such knowledge, they might give the impression of being 'learned,' as if they understand everything, citing classics, knowing past and present, omniscient. But in reality, that person knows nothing of substance.”
Gao Yiye was speechless.
Li Daoxuan continued, “Effective knowledge, however, is different. For example, someone like Gao Sanniang understands a great deal about sewing clothes. She can take a very ordinary piece of cloth and turn it into beautiful garments. That is effective knowledge. She might only know this, nothing else, and appear unsophisticated, far less learned than the person I just described, but... she can create real value for this world.”
Gao Yiye seemed to grasp something from his words.
Li Daoxuan declared, “We must embrace those who possess 'effective knowledge' and disdain those whose heads are full of 'ineffective knowledge.' Only then can this world truly flourish.”
As they spoke, the boats glided past a myriad of mountains...
The cargo ships navigated past Sanmenxia, pressing onward, and then through the Yellow River's Lesser Three Gorges.
As the fleet emerged from the Lesser Three Gorges, their view immediately broadened. The river grew wider, and the currents became more intricate.
Mountains and coves dotted the landscape everywhere. As far as the eye could see, it was a veritable watery expanse.
Xiaolangdi! They had arrived!
The four large cargo ships had barely traveled far after emerging from Xiaolangdi when a great swarm of small boats surged out ahead. In a flash, they encircled the four large cargo ships.
Gao Yiye gasped in alarm, “Oh dear, pirates?”
The hundred guards on their cargo ship, and the crews on the other three vessels, all tensed up, just a little.
Then, a burly man leaped from one of the small boats. On his chest, a likeness of the Heavenly Lord was embroidered. He laughed heartily at the four large cargo ships, declaring, “All the heroes of Gao Family Village are here! You four little cargo ships, hand over all your goods at once, or else! Hahahaha!”
Those on the cargo ship breathed a sigh of relief. One of them jumped onto the bow, laughing and scolding, “Damn it, that joke was too much! We actually thought pirates had come.”
The man on the small boat roared with laughter. “Just playing around! Sometimes we want to act like wild pirates too.”
The man on the cargo ship said, “You've gone too far with this joke, I'm telling you. The Saintess is on this ship, and so is the Heavenly Lord.”
As soon as these words left his mouth, the man on the small boat's face turned a ghastly liver-color. “What? You're not trying to fool me, are you?”
No sooner had he spoken than the Heavenly Lord and Gao Yiye appeared together at the bow.
Gao Yiye's expression was clearly one of anger. “How dare you be so reckless and unruly! My guards were seconds away from pulling out their flintlock rifles and blasting you.”
The man on the small boat, terrified, immediately flopped down onto the deck. “Forgive me, Saintess! I didn't know you were here. I thought it was just a regular transport ship, and I was only joking.”
Gao Yiye maintained a stern expression. “Your offense is too great! I shall punish you...”
The man was so scared that sweat poured from him like rain.
But then, Gao Yiye suddenly burst into laughter. “I'll punish you by making you croak like a frog! Hahahaha.”
Only then did the man realize the Saintess had been joking with him all along.
And so, everyone on the cargo ship and the small boats burst into laughter.
“Heavenly Lord, if you please. Saintess, if you please.”
The small boats led the way, guiding the four large cargo ships towards the cove below Eagle Beak Mountain's Yellow Turban Fortress.
The massive cove, more than half-hidden by reeds, was truly a natural haven for hiding ships.
Hidden here were several of Gao Family Village's electric cargo ships and two gunboats.
Steps had been built beside the dock, climbing steadily up the hillside, leading directly to the Yellow Turban Fortress halfway up the mountain.
Upon hearing the Saintess had arrived, Bai Yuan quickly emerged from the fortress to greet her, running down the long flight of steps.
The steps numbered in the hundreds. An ordinary scholar would be half-dead from exhaustion after just one round, but Bai Yuan was a 'combat scholar.' He reached the bottom without even a flushed face or a quickened breath. He performed a deep bow to Li Daoxuan and Gao Yiye, declaring, “Greetings, Heavenly Lord, Saintess.”
To rush down from halfway up the mountain just to offer salutations showed just how much Bai Yuan truly valued 'Rites,' one of the gentleman's six arts.
Li Daoxuan often used 'Co-sensing' to observe the activity here, so Xiaolangdi was no stranger to him.
Gao Yiye, however, found everything new and fascinating. She blinked her large eyes, “Wow, this place has already been built so beautifully? I see such a big fortress halfway up the mountain.”
“It's still far from complete,” Bai Yuan smiled. “Take a look at the shores around the cove.”
He handed her a telescope.
Gao Yiye took the telescope and gazed around the cove. She saw small villages dotting the waterfront, one to the east, one to the west, spread out along the bay. Many common folk were busy constructing buildings in the villages.
Bai Yuan chuckled, “These are all common folk from the Henan plains who suffered from the floods. We relocated them here, gave them work, and had them build these settlements. Once construction is complete, they will move into these villages and work for our shipyards and docks.”
Li Daoxuan gave him a thumbs-up.
Bai Yuan suddenly changed the subject. “However, this place is truly too close to Luoyang. Although we've used unconventional methods to bribe the Mengjin County Magistrate to speak on our behalf, the Prince of Fu's Residence in Luoyang has still noticed what's happening here at Xiaolangdi.”
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