On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival, as night fell, the capital city lit up with lanterns and decorations everywhere. People poured into the streets to celebrate this festive occasion.
The streets were packed with lively crowds, and red lanterns cast a warm glow over the chilly night. Even at the docks outside the capital, boats hung red lanterns to join in the celebration.
Amidst this joyful and bustling night, no one noticed a small, inconspicuous cargo boat silently leaving the capital’s dock. Like a nimble black fish, it drifted with the current and soon disappeared downriver.
No one would have guessed that inside the shabby, unremarkable cargo boat sat the most powerful man in the court and the wealthiest woman in the land.
Lily Evans leaned against Alexander Hayes, wrapped in a luxurious, warm fur coat. Alexander held her gently by the waist, his gaze full of affection as he looked down at her.
The little boat drifted with the current until dawn the next day, finally docking at a small town far from the capital.
This small town was sparsely populated, nestled against the mountains and beside the river, making it quite convenient for travel.
Alexander Hayes took out a coarse cloth cloak and draped it over Lily Evans, covering her completely. He himself donned a coarse cloth robe and a half-face-covering hooded cloak.
In an instant, the noble Prince of Qin and his consort transformed into a pair of rustic peddlers.
The two, dressed like this, stepped ashore at dawn without drawing any attention. Though the town was small, it often saw merchants passing through to rest.
This time, Lily Evans and Alexander Hayes were accompanied only by their trusted aides: Lola came with Lily, and Sean Hayes with Alexander. The rest of the Hayes Family Shadow Guard remained hidden, silently protecting them from the shadows.
Now that Lily was expecting, Alexander’s protectiveness had only grown stronger. He had to ensure her safety at all costs.
After walking through the town for a while, Alexander and his group headed into the mountains.
The mountain path was treacherous, so Alexander simply picked Lily up and carried her in his arms. Fortunately, his martial training made him strong; even after carrying her for nearly an hour, he showed no sign of fatigue.
It was Lily’s first time coming to this place; she hadn’t expected such a long trek into the mountains after leaving the town.
After an hour, they finally reached a remote area, surrounded by dense vegetation. Even in the depths of winter, though the leaves had fallen, the sheer thickness of the plants made it clear that in other seasons, this place would be nearly impenetrable.
Seeing Lily’s puzzlement, Alexander explained, “The plants here were deliberately cultivated to be this dense.”
Lily nodded. Indeed, wild plants wouldn’t grow like this. But if not for her keen observation, most people wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual.
After another half hour of hiking, the thick vegetation suddenly thinned out. It was now late morning, and the sunlight streamed in. Rounding a bend, Lily—still in Alexander’s arms—was stunned by the magnificent sight before her, gasping in awe.
Before them stood a gold mine—one of several Alexander had secretly discovered, though this was the smallest in terms of gold reserves.
Now, the veins of this gold mine had been completely emptied, and the miners had quietly withdrawn. With the abandoned mine and the hour-long stretch of deliberately planted dense vegetation, this place had become a perfectly secluded secret base.
It was here that Edward’s massive shipment of firearms from overseas was quietly stashed away.