Youthful Glory

Having had a poor night's sleep the previous night and spent another in a dilapidated temple, Ming Tan looked visibly haggard.

Yet she didn’t complain of exhaustion. After resting for just two hours, she set out early the next morning with Jiang Xu to a fishing village by the sea to inquire about the recent conditions of the storms at Tong Port.

Ming Tan had previously analyzed the difficulties of opening Tong Port, and her conclusions were roughly accurate. The main issues were the extreme poverty of the area, the lack of basic infrastructure, and the unpredictable, treacherous nature of the sea.

The first issue could be resolved if the imperial court was willing to allocate funds and provide strong support—transforming a backwater wasn’t an insurmountable task. The latter, however, was the key determinant of whether Tong Port could become the next Lingzhou Port.

To put it plainly, Tong Port was truly impoverished—from the inside out, from the town to the villages, the poverty was uniform and unrelenting.

The fishing village by the sea was in shambles. The air reeked of salt and fish, and with no shelter from the sun, even behind her veil, Ming Tan felt her face burning under the scorching rays.

Jiang Xu had previously reviewed Tong Port’s local records. Though the port had never been prosperous, even two dynasties ago, it hadn’t been this destitute.

The decline of Tong Port could be traced back to the Taizong era, when the sea embankments fell into disrepair and were breached by the tides.

A breach in the embankments was a major event—but only for salt production hubs. For a small place like Tong Port, it was simply overlooked. The officials reported it perfunctorily, and when no follow-up came, no one pressed for one.

After the breach, during heavy rains, the tides surged, seawater flooded inland, and the once-fertile farmland was eroded, turning hard and white, unfit for cultivation. This was followed by widespread famine.

The famine during the Taizong era forced the young people of Tong Port to leave their homes in search of livelihood elsewhere, leaving only the elderly and infirm behind. The port’s decline became increasingly visible.

To this day, the embankments remain unrepaired, breaching and flooding every few years. The officials of the entire prefecture paid no attention to Tong Port, dismissing it as a remote, sparsely populated area not even worth building roads to.

Given all this, it was no wonder the place remained trapped in poverty.

Jiang Xu and Ming Tan visited several households in the fishing village, but at the mention of going to sea, the villagers shook their heads emphatically, insisting the storms were too fierce—it was a death wish.

Some well-meaning villagers even recounted past tragedies of those who had never returned from the sea.

Like the story of a man from the village who had gone to sea years ago to earn money, only to vanish without a trace. His wife waited in vain until two years ago, when she remarried to a neighboring village and had a healthy son. Later, when wreckage washed ashore during a storm, she recognized her first husband’s belongings among the debris and wept bitterly.

Such tragedies were once countless, though they had become rarer now. Those determined to make a living at sea had found ways to go to Lingzhou instead. Those left behind were mostly the elderly, women, children, and lazy men who fished or hunted just to scrape by.

Sister Liu from the hunter’s family had briefly mentioned these things, but Ming Tan patiently pressed for more details about the storms at sea.

Yet when it came to specifics, the villagers couldn’t offer much—just descriptions of thunder and lightning, surging tides, and fishing boats capsizing in an instant. Terrifying, they said.

Ming Tan seemed to think of something and changed her approach. “Auntie, how long has your family lived here?”

How long had they lived here?The elderly woman thought carefully and quickly replied, "My maiden family is in the neighboring village, while my husband's family is here. Both ancestral graves are on the mountain—our families have lived here for generations!"

Ming Tan nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.

After the woman left, the two continued walking toward the rocky shore by the village.

As they walked, Ming Tan sorted through her thoughts: "Although everyone says the sea storms are fierce here, with tidal surges every few years, their families have lived here for generations. The storms likely aren't as severe as they claim."

"Lingzhou Harbor also has storms. Lord Yu even used that to complain to you once. But when I was in Lingzhou, I managed to get some information from the Prefect's Wife. It seems that as long as the fleet is experienced, can accurately predict maritime weather, and puts effort into shipbuilding, sailing isn't actually difficult."

Jiang Xu gave an acknowledging hum, standing with his hands behind his back as he gazed at the distant sea. "Tidal surges are caused by breached embankments—a common disaster in coastal areas. Without sturdy embankments, Lingzhou Harbor would suffer the same fate. Though it's not the same as a sea overflow."

"Sea overflow?"

Jiang Xu explained, "A sea overflow disaster is beyond human resistance. Historical records show they're often triggered by earthquakes. If this place were at risk of sea overflow, opening a harbor would be impossible no matter what."

Ming Tan had never heard of sea overflow before—it sounded like a massive flood disaster at sea? She nodded vaguely, only half-understanding.

"Actually, before selecting Tong Harbor, I considered other coastal towns—some with far superior geographical advantages. However, their local records frequently documented past earthquakes. Historically, earthquake-prone areas never experience just one tremor. For long-term stability, none were suitable for harbors. Tong Harbor has no such history, and now that we've inspected it firsthand, the facts align."

In the distance, the waves were a murky gray-blue. Closer to shore, the water was dirty and littered with dead fish floating belly-up, their rotting stench mixing with the salty tide. The sky was clear, yet the endless expanse of gray-blue seemed to weigh heavily, as if the heavens themselves were pressing down.

Noticing Ming Tan had been silent for a while, Jiang Xu turned to look at her—only to find her staring intently at him.

"What are you looking at?"

Ming Tan kept her gaze fixed on him, her small face serious as she suddenly declared, "I've noticed something."

"What?"

"Husband, you didn't refer to yourself as 'this prince' just now."

"..."

"Without saying 'this prince,' Husband suddenly became much more amiable." The seriousness on Ming Tan's face melted into playful teasing. Mimicking Jiang Xu, she clasped her hands behind her back and tiptoed forward lightly, deliberately grabbing his arm.

"This prince is young. Why would I need to be amiable?"

"Is Husband young? Let me count—Husband is older than me by one, two, three, four, five..." Ming Tan began counting on her fingers.

Jiang Xu couldn't help but glance at her. "Are you calling this prince old?"

"I never said that. Husband is a lord, but you can't just falsely accuse me. And how would I dare? Everyone says marrying Prince Dingbei was marrying above my station. Even if I had the tiniest complaint, I'd naturally keep it buried deep in my heart."

"This prince spoils you far too much."

He lowered his eyes and pinched the back of Ming Tan's neck.

"Don't pinch—it tickles!" Ming Tan dodged away.

But Jiang Xu's hand followed effortlessly, refusing to stop until she begged for mercy, tears welling in her eyes.

...The two lingered in the fishing village until noon. Originally planning to return to town for a meal, Ming Tan was parched. Seeing this, Jiang Xu pulled her aside and randomly chose a household to ask for a bowl of water.

Most fishing village folks were simple and kind. Asking for water was no trouble—the elderly woman who opened the door readily agreed and even warmly invited them inside to rest. "What brings you two here? The noon sun is scorching—you must be exhausted. Come in and sit awhile."

Ming Tan was indeed dizzy from the heat, her feet aching. Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to rest briefly and gather some information, she followed Jiang Xu inside.

But the moment they stepped in, the kindly woman suddenly turned and bellowed at someone inside, "Can’t even kneel properly! You brat need a beating!"

The sudden outburst startled Ming Tan, her heart skipping a beat.

Only then did the woman remember her guests. She quickly turned back, forcing a smile as she apologized, "Sorry about that, letting you see such a shame. My child’s misbehaving. Please, sit anywhere. I’ll fetch you water."

Ming Tan nodded, still shaken, and sat with Jiang Xu on a low earthen bed.

She surveyed the room.

If the hunter’s home at the mountain’s base was poor, this place was truly destitute—bare walls on three sides, the western wall collapsed and crudely patched with an oilcloth.

In the eastern corner knelt a scrawny child, likely the "misbehaving brat" the woman had yelled at.

"Here, water."

Ming Tan accepted it with both hands. "Thank you, auntie."

Too thirsty to mind the chipped bowl, she took a sip—only for the woman to suddenly roar again, "You deadbeat went back to that stinking brothel in town?! Out all night, how bold! Might as well die there and never come back!"

Ming Tan nearly choked.

Catching her breath, she managed another sip before discreetly tugging Jiang Xu’s sleeve, signaling to leave.

But then the woman started cursing at a disheveled man who’d just stumbled in: "Sending your own kid out to beg, yet you’ve got the face to visit brothels! Are you even human?!"

Sending him out to beg?

Ming Tan instinctively glanced at the child huddled in the corner.

Earlier, the child had faced away, but now she saw clearly—it was one of the children from the ruined temple last night.

The boy was stealing glances at them, clearly recognizing them and fearing they’d retaliate for the previous night’s events.

A pang struck Ming Tan’s heart.

She’d often wondered—what kind of family would heartlessly send their child to beg and swindle? Cold, selfish monsters? Yet this woman had shown kindness even to strangers. She wasn’t devoid of compassion.

After leaving, Ming Tan suddenly asked wistfully, "Husband, if Tong Harbor someday escapes poverty... will they truly live better lives?"

Jiang Xu paused. In truth, he doubted it. Poverty wasn’t the true horror—it was the bone-deep resignation to one’s lot. But seeing her melancholy, he still replied, "They will."Ming Tan already had an answer in her heart. She quickened her pace to catch up with Jiang Xu and said as they walked, "Given time, once this port opens and the town gradually prospers, scholars will naturally come to establish schools here. By then, those children can gain knowledge and understanding of principles. When they grow up, they might stay to build this place or venture out to see the wider world. In any case, things will surely get better and better."

Jiang Xu was slightly taken aback.

Truth be told, he hadn't thought that far ahead yet. But according to her words, it wasn't wrong. Only education could fundamentally change the poverty of this town.

He stepped forward, took Ming Tan's hand, and calmly repeated, as if making a promise, "It will."

After staying in Tong Port for three days, the two finally began their return journey. Ming Tan kept remembering what she had said at the start of the trip—even if she couldn't hold on any longer, she wouldn't complain once.

In truth, enduring hunger and lack of sleep was manageable. Eating less and sleeping less would at most leave her a bit hungry and tired. What Ming Tan couldn't stand the most was going three days without bathing.

By the third day, she no longer dared to get close to Jiang Xu, afraid her husband might catch a whiff of something unpleasant and forever forget the sweet-smelling, exquisitely refined fairy she used to be.

Jiang Xu didn't understand what she was being so fussy about. When they left Tong Port and rode together on horseback, she suddenly said she didn’t want to sit in front.

After questioning her for a while, she reluctantly whispered, "I haven’t bathed in three days. I don’t know if I smell or not."

"This prince hasn’t bathed in three days either. If we stink, we stink together," Jiang Xu said dismissively.

"That’s not the same at all! You’re a man—there’s already a saying about ‘stinky men,’ but no one talks about ‘stinky women.’ Who wants to stink with you?" Ming Tan retorted without thinking.

"..."

After a stalemate, Jiang Xu suddenly said, "Get on. I’ll take you to bathe."

"...?"

"We won’t make it to the neighboring town tonight, will we?" Ming Tan hesitated.

The roads in Tong Port were so terrible that they couldn’t gallop freely. When they came, they had rough accommodations at the foot of the mountain—an experience she would never forget.

"We won’t. I’ll take you to bathe in a hot spring."