Since the emperor was going on a southern inspection tour, he would surely travel by water.
Unwilling to impose a heavy burden on the people, the emperor issued an imperial edict, ordering Lu Xunguang to refurbish the previous emperor's dragon boat.
The dragon boat had been docked for many years and was in a state of disrepair. Many of the wooden planks submerged in the water had rotted, so refurbishing it was no easy task.
As the emperor's vehicle, it naturally couldn't be treated carelessly.
Fortunately, Lu Xunguang had previous experience in supervising the construction of warships, so this task didn't pose much of a challenge to him.
Li Ying took care of everything, saw off Granny Sun, and handed over all the trivial matters in the capital to the shopkeepers of each store. Before leaving, she unexpectedly had some free time.
However, she was a person who couldn't stay idle. She was also worried about Lu Xunguang, who was supervising the construction of the dragon boat day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep. So she simply rolled up her sleeves and cooked a few of his favorite dishes, sending them to him every day.
The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue worked with Lu Xunguang. Seeing the delicate meals neatly packed in the vermilion lacquered food boxes, he joked, "Lord Lu is really blessed to have a charming and dexterous confidante like Miss Li, who is so concerned about you and adds a touch of romance to your life."
The words "charming confidante" grated on Li Ying's ears.
Li Ying just smiled without saying a word, but Lu Xunguang put down his bamboo chopsticks and said seriously, "It's really kind of A Ying to go to so much trouble. With a wife like this, what more could a man ask for?"
He gently held Li Ying's hand in his and said with concern, "A Ying, you are the mistress of the Lu family. You should leave these trivial matters to the servants. Why do you have to do everything yourself?"
He seemed to be just chatting casually with Li Ying.
The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue smiled awkwardly and mumbled, "Oh... Seeing Lord Lu and Miss Li so in love... I'm really envious. I won't disturb you anymore. I'll go and check on the progress of the dragon boat's refurbishment..."
With that, he fled in a hurry. Li Ying couldn't help but find the minister's back view quite amusing.
"I think the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue is not a malicious person. It was just a joke. Why did you give him such a hint, Lu Lang?"
It was likely that the minister had heard something about Princess Yongning's search for a husband, so his teasing was somewhat pointed.
Li Ying didn't really care, but Lu Xunguang looked at her steadily and said in a deep voice, "A Ying, you are the only wife I, Lu Xunguang, will ever recognize in this life. No one is allowed to wrong you in the slightest."
"Moreover, there will always be grievances. If I can't even protect the woman I love, what's the point of all the efforts I've made to become a second - rank merchant with a red - topped hat?"
He had his own justifications. Li Ying didn't argue with him and just smiled, saying, "What a protective master of the Lu family!"
Just as they were laughing and joking, they heard the familiar voice of Princess Yongning from behind.
"You two are really in high spirits. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
Lu Xunguang turned around and quickly concealed the trace of displeasure on his face.
"Your Highness is of noble status. Why bother coming to this chaotic place?"
Princess Yongning sensed the faint impatience in his tone but just smiled indifferently and said, "Lord Lu, you're overreacting. Although I'm a woman, I'm not a delicate flower that can't withstand the wind and rain."
"I thought that this dragon boat is related to the emperor's safety and must not have the slightest mistake. So I informed the emperor and came here to supervise the construction. Lord Lu won't have any objections, right?"
Li Ying raised her eyebrows imperceptibly - this Princess Yongning really had a great interest!
Naturally, Lu Xunguang couldn't say much. He bowed to her and led her to inspect the dragon boat section by section.
"Your Highness, the craftsmen have removed the rotten bottom of the boat and selected camphor wood that is moisture - and insect - resistant. They've rebuilt the bottom using the mortise - and - tenon joint technique."
Princess Yongning nodded and then asked further, "Although the mortise - and - tenon joint is good, I wonder what to do about the leaking seams?"
Lu Xunguang didn't expect that she would really ask seriously about the details of the dragon boat. He suppressed the faint impatience in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, Your Highness."
"I've ordered people to mix lime and tung oil to make putty. For the bottom of the boat, we've used the 'two - layer putty and one - layer hemp' technique."
First, a thick layer of putty is applied between the seams of the boat's bottom planks. Then, mulberry hemp, bamboo strips and other materials are beaten repeatedly to make tough hemp fibers, which are stuffed into the seams until they are tightly sealed.
Finally, another layer of putty is applied. After it dries, there will be no more leaks in the hull.
"I've ordered the craftsmen to apply tung oil evenly on the hull repeatedly. After the oil has fully penetrated into every fiber of the wood, the hull will be protected both inside and outside and will be less likely to leak."
Princess Yongning nodded. After hearing him repeatedly emphasize the waterproof effect of tung oil, she even bent down and took a bristle brush to apply the oil on the hull several times before finally feeling relieved.
She then asked, "What if the boat accidentally hits a reef during the journey?"
Seeing that she asked so knowledgeably, Lu Xunguang didn't hide anything and reported truthfully.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. I've built dozens of watertight compartments at the bottom of the boat. If it really hits a reef, the sea water will be intercepted at the compartments. Although some buoyancy of the hull will be lost, it won't have a major impact on the overall dragon boat."
Only then did a faint smile finally appear on Princess Yongning's face.
"That's very good. I came here today just to discuss this matter with Lord Lu. I've long heard that Lord Lu and Miss Li improved the warships using the 'watertight compartment' technique. I think it's excellent. Since Lord Lu has already refurbished the dragon boat in this way, I have no more objections. Please do your best to ensure that the dragon boat is stable and safe."
Every word of hers was about official business. Seeing that Lu Xunguang readily agreed, she didn't stay any longer and left gracefully.
Such behavior really confused Lu Xunguang.
"A Ying, this..."
He had known that Li Ying had interacted with Princess Yongning several times. He always thought that this pampered princess must have some ulterior motives. He thought that her enthusiastic visit today was probably to deliberately make things difficult for A Ying.
He had been on high alert, ready to stand up for his wife, but unexpectedly, the princess didn't cause any trouble?
Lu Xunguang's confused look made Li Ying find it really funny.
She didn't dare to assert what Princess Yongning was really up to, but it was obvious that at least for now, she was not an enemy.
Li Ying felt relieved and stopped speculating with Lu Xunguang. Instead, she looked at the dragon boat and seemed to be deep in thought.
"Lu Lang, just now you told Princess Yongning that the dragon boat still needs to be coated with tung oil for waterproofing. What then?"
Lu Xunguang replied, "Naturally, we'll wait for it to dry and then choose an auspicious day to launch it."
Hearing this, Li Ying shook her head like a rattle.
"No, no, Lu Lang. We mustn't be so hasty!"
"The emperor's southern inspection tour will be a long - distance voyage. If there's the slightest mistake and the dragon boat is damaged, our lives may be in danger! Just applying a layer of tung oil is definitely not enough!"
Hearing her words, Lu Xunguang knew that she must have already had a plan.
"What's your idea, A Ying?"