Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 370 Donghai City

Three days later.

The group arrived at Donghai City.

Before we even entered the city, a strong smell of the sea hit us.

It smelled salty and damp, mixed with the scent of fish, shrimp, and salt, and it just kept getting into my nose; there was no escaping it.

Yao Yao leaned against the car window and sniffed hard, then her whole face scrunched up:

"It smells so fishy! The odor is overwhelming!"

A-Yue leaned over and smelled it too, whispering, "It smells pretty good."

Yao Yao turned to look at her in shock: "Are you serious?"

A-Yue nodded, blushing, "I...I like to eat fish."

Yao Yao rolled her eyes: "Fine, little sister, you win. This taste... I can only say it's amazing."

Lin Chen lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

In the distance, the sea and sky blend into one, an unbelievable shade of blue.

There are boats of all sizes on the sea, their sails billowing in the wind, like white birds perched on the water.

Donghai City.

It is the largest port city in eastern Dayan and the first line of defense for Dayan's coastal defense.

This city is completely different from Xijing, a commercial hub, and also different from Nanlin City, a mountain town.

It has its own unique smell—to be precise, a unique stench.

Several people were standing at the city gate.

The leader was a middle-aged general, dressed in dark gold armor, with a dark face and a burly build. He stood there like an iron tower.

If you didn't know better, you'd think someone had erected a sculpture here.

The middle-aged general stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"This humble general, Zhou Wu, respectfully welcomes His Highness the Prince of Zhenbei!"

Lin Chen got off the carriage and glanced at him.

Zhou Wu, Duke of Protector of the State, was a Grandmaster in the late stage.

He was in his eighties, but looked like he was in his forties. He was in excellent spirits, with a steady and unwavering gaze.

He guarded Donghai Town for thirty years, always behaving himself and never causing any major trouble.

There's a reason the Empress can keep him here.

Someone needs to keep an eye on things in the east, and someone also needs to guard against pirates at sea.

This job isn't something just anyone can do.

Lin Chen nodded: "Duke Zhou, please rise."

Zhou Wu straightened up, his face beaming with smiles, but not excessively so, his expression perfectly measured.

He's enthusiastic without being obsequious; this seasoned veteran is truly skilled.

"Your Highness must be tired from your journey. I have prepared some simple wine at the manor. It is all local seafood from the East China Sea, very fresh. It was caught this morning."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "No rush."

He glanced at the soldiers at the city gate.

His armor was gleaming, he stood ramrod straight, and the spear in his hand was polished to a shine, reflecting the sunlight.

There was a certain spirit in their eyes; they weren't like the weak soldiers of Xijing, nor like the bandit-like soldiers of Nanlin.

They are legitimate border defense troops.

Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction: "Your soldiers are well-trained."

Zhou Wu chuckled and patted his chest:

"Your Highness flatters me. I dare not boast about anything else, but I am quite skilled at training troops."

"In the East China Sea, the winds are strong and the waves are high; without a strong army, we cannot hold our ground."

Lin Chen glanced at him: "You're quite honest."

Zhou Wu grinned and said, "In front of Your Highness, this humble general dares not be servile."

The prince's eyes can see right through people. If I were to act insincerely, wouldn't I just be asking for trouble?

Lin Chen couldn't help but smile slightly.

That old fellow knows how to talk.

Yao Yao poked her head out of the carriage, curiously examining Zhou Wu:

"Wow, that guy is so strong! He's like a bull!"

Zhou Wu paused for a moment, then burst into laughter:

"This must be the Princess Consort? This humble general, Zhou Wu, greets the Princess Consort!"

Yao Yao's cheeks flushed slightly, and she waved her hands repeatedly, "No, no, no, don't call me princess or anything, just call me Yao Yao."

Zhou Wu laughed and said, "That won't do; we can't neglect etiquette."

Yao Yao pouted: "You people always have so many rules."

Lin Chen strode into the city, and Zhou Wu quickly followed, half a step behind, maintaining a very upright posture.

Donghai City is different from other cities.

In other cities, outside the city walls were farmland, villages, and wasteland.

Donghai City, outside the city walls is the dock.

The dock was filled with boats of all sizes, including fishing boats, merchant ships, and warships, their masts standing tall and their sails fluttering in the wind.

People came and went at the dock, and porters ran back and forth carrying sacks, sweat dripping down their faces.

The fishmongers shouted their wares at the top of their lungs, each one louder than the last.

The children ran barefoot on the stone slabs, their laughter mingling with the sound of the waves, creating a lively atmosphere.

The air was filled with the smell of the sea—salty, fishy, ​​mixed with the smells of smoke and fish soup.

Lin Chen walked down the street, looking around.

The street is wide, and the shops on both sides are full of a wide variety of goods.

There were seafood vendors selling dried scallops, sea cucumbers, shark fins, and dried shrimp, displayed in baskets outside.

There were pearls for sale, all sizes, white, pink, and black, displayed on plates, shimmering in the sunlight so bright it hurt your eyes.

There are corals for sale, red and white, in all sorts of strange shapes, displayed on the counter like works of art.

There were also vendors selling sea salt, both coarse and fine, snow-white, piled up in burlap sacks like small mountains.

Yao Yao was pressed against the carriage window, her eyes glued to the view, her mouth practically watering.

"Wow! Husband! There are so many fun things here!"

Lin Chen smiled slightly: "What have you got your eye on? Buy it."

Yao Yao's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Yao Yao turned around and shouted to A Yue:

"Ah Yue! My husband said he's going to buy us things! Come and see if there's anything you like!"

Ah Yue whispered, "No need, no need, I don't need anything."

Yao Yao held her hand, speaking in a tone of someone who had been through it all:

"Don't mention it! My husband is rich! He's so rich he only has money left!"

Lin Chen: "...You're being generous on my behalf."

Blue Phoenix laughed out loud from the side.

Sitting in the carriage, Liu Shengxue lifted the curtain and looked out at the street. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes shone.

East China Sea.

It's not far from the east.

Liu Sheng Piaopiao sat down next to her, clutching her sleeve, and whispered:

"Sister, can we go home and visit?"

Liu Shengxue paused for a moment, then said calmly, "It should be possible."

Liu Sheng Piaopiao stole a glance at Lin Chen's back, then shrank back, muttering to herself:

"I wonder how Mother is doing..."

……

The Duke of Huguo's mansion is located in the east of the city, by the sea, and you can see the sea as soon as you open the window.

The mansion wasn't large, but it was exquisite. Several water hyacinth trees, unique to the East China Sea, grew in the courtyard, blooming with blue flowers. When the wind blew, the petals drifted all over the courtyard.

Lin Chen glanced at it, thinking about the information about Zhou Wu.

Among the generals of Dayan, Zhou Wu is considered one of the more honest and upright.

It's not that he never took any benefits; after thirty years in officialdom, it's impossible for him not to have taken anything at all.

But he took only a limited amount, and he took it with discretion.

Unlike Zheng Zhitong of Xijing, who had an unseemly way of eating.

Zhou Wu welcomed Lin Chen into the main hall, personally poured him tea, and asked with a smile:

"Your Highness, what are your plans for this inspection tour to the East Sea? I will be happy to make preparations."

Lin Chen picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and said slowly:

"I haven't decided yet!"

Zhou Wu's eyes darted around: "Then... how can this humble general be of any help?"

Lin Chen put down his teacup and said calmly:

Are you familiar with the Dongli region?

Zhou Wu's smile paused for a moment, then returned to its full bloom, and he said:

"Familiar! How could we not be familiar? I've spent thirty years in the East China Sea and dealt with Dongli for decades. It would be a lie to say I'm not familiar."

Lin Chen nodded and said nothing more.

Zhou Wu didn't elaborate.

But both of them knew that this topic was not so simple.

Yao Yao was eating snacks nearby when she suddenly looked up and asked:

"By the way, General Zhou, do you have anything good to eat here? I'm hungry."

Zhou Wu laughed heartily: "Yes! Of course! This humble general has already had a seafood feast prepared; I guarantee the princess will want more after she finishes eating!"

Yao Yao's eyes lit up: "Are there any fish?"

A-Yue whispered, "I like to eat fish..."

Yao Yao gave her a helpless look: "Alright, alright, there's fish, there's fish, you can eat your fill."

Zhou Wu laughed even louder:

"Rest assured, gentlemen, if even one of the fish on this table is not delicious, I'll twist its head off and let you kick it around like a ball!"

Yao Yao chuckled, amused: "You're really funny."

Lin Chen glanced at Zhou Wu, a slight smile playing on his lips.

That old rascal, he really knows how to get things done.