"Do you see anything?" Miyojin asked for the hundredth time.
If being stranded on an island is hard, what more is being on a small boat in the middle of the sea for a whole day? But even though it is hard, this is better than staying on that island. If they wish to return to the palace as soon as they can, they need to take risks.
"Apart from the sea, nothing yet." Xia Yu replied still looking in the far distance using a spyglass.
The two royalties were having the most difficult time in their lives. Even though Xia Yu was the more experienced, this is nothing compared to what she was used to. She navigated a ship with a complete crew and supplies, not a rowing boat. But whatever may come her way, she shouldn't give up.
Miyojin, on the other hand, was doing his best to stay strong. His body was having a hard time adjusting to this new environment. But, he couldn't break down. Not again. He couldn't be a burden to Xia Yu.
"Should I row faster?"
Without turning to look at the prince, Xia Yu said her reply.
"No. I'd rather you conserve your energy."
This was one of the things Miyojin was thankful for. But at the same time, he was also bothered. Xia Yu knew he wasn't cut out for this. That is why she made sure the prince was as comfortable as possible.
Using the branches and the boat cover, she created a roof for the boat to provide shade for him. When it is time for them to eat, she gives him more food. Not only that, but Xia Yu also allows him to sleep and rest more often.
It bothered Miyojin that a woman was doing this for him. It should have been the other way around. He felt like a liability.
He would give Xia Yu more food and time to rest but she only refused. And just now, he offered to work harder with the rowing. But still, he was declined.
"I see land!" Xia Yu announced.
"Really? Let me see." Miyojin said as he stood up with excitement.
"Here. Just look at this direction." Xia Yu said as she assisted Miyojin.
Miyojin peered into the spyglass. He saw nothing but bright light at first. Then, after a while, he began to see an outline of green and brown.
"I see it!" he said with relief. "How long do you think before we reach it?"
"I estimate half of a day before sundown."
"That's great. I'll return to rowing."
With a spring on his step, Miyojin returned to his rowing position.
"Move aside. I'll take the right oar." Xia Yu said joining Miyojin in the rowing.
So together they began to row as Xia Yu did the counting. After a hundred rows, they took a break. While Miyojin drank some water, Xia Yu stood up to look at the land again.
"My assumption is right. That isn't the Great Yong Empire." Xia Yu said.
"Then, what place could that be?"
"I honestly don't know. But now that I got a closer inspection, I can see some boats near the coast. It seems to be inhabited but only by a small population. I guess that it is a small port village."
"That's great! At least, there are people that we can ask."
"That is true. But there could be a problem."
"What problem?"
Xia Yu turned to Miyojin.
"This isn't a territory of the Great Yong Empire. We don't know what kind of people lived there. We don't know if they will treat us as a friend or foe."
"What should we do then?"
"I think it's best if we hide our real identities."
"You mean we should act as peasants?"
"Yes. It's safer that way. And we shouldn't mention we are from the Great Yong Empire. We still don't know who set us up. They could still be around."
"That's a good point. So, we don't tell them that we're royalty and where we are from."
"Yes. Now, we need to look like peasants."
"Don't we already look like one with these dirty, worn-out clothes?"
"Yes. But what I mean is our hair. We need to cut them short."
"Oh, right! This is indeed a dead giveaway." Miyojin said as he touched his waist-length hair.
"Just sit still. Let me do it."
Xia Yu went behind Miyojin. Using a hair tie, she tied the prince's hair in a high ponytail. Then, right above the hair tie, she cut his hair with a small knife. She threw the hair onto the sea to get rid of it.
Then, she pulled the hair tie letting Miyojin's hair fall. She went in front of him to take a good look at his new haircut. Miyojin saw the surprise on her face.
"Well, that cut turned out nicer than I expected." She commented as she lifted the prince's head by the chin.
"Let me just fix it a bit."
She began to brush Miyojin's hair with her hands. The feeling of her hands in his hair, coupled with the little amount of space between them, brought a shiver to Miyojin. It felt very nice but also embarrassing. He can already feel his face heating up.
"Done. To be fair, it actually suits you." Xia Yu complimented with a smile that made the prince even more flustered.
"Really? I wished we had a mirror so I could see." Miyojin said in a shy voice. He isn't used to Xia Yu giving him compliments. But it felt delightful to get one from her.
"Trust me. You look good. Now, I need to do mine."
"Do you need my help?" Miyojin still asked even though he already knew her response.
"No need. I had already cut my hair a few times before."
Xia Yu let loose her hair. It was so long that in her sitting position, the ends spilled on the boat's floor. With the knife in hand, she began to cut her hair bundle by bundle. When she was finished, her hair-ends stopped just a little bit below her shoulders.
Though Miyojin didn't say a thing, he found her beautiful in this haircut. But she's always beautiful. With a face like hers, even if she cut her hair like his, she's still stunning. The privileges of a pretty face.
But speaking of a haircut like his, an idea came to Miyojin's mind.
"Do you think it would be best if you also hide that you are a woman?"
Xia Yu who was gathering her hair turned to him with one eyebrow raised.
"And why do you think that would be best?" She asked as she continued to throw heaps of hair overboard.
"To protect yourself. Disrespecting women is prevalent among the people of the lower class. Being an unknown young woman might make you a target for this kind of people. Plus, your clothes look very masculine."
"Yes, I understand your point. But there are a few problems with that idea," she said without letting her raised eyebrow relax.
"Oh? What are they?" Miyojin asked with curiosity. Was she offended by what he said?
"First of all, it will be troublesome for me to act like a guy. It will also be hard to come up with a fake backstory."
In realization, Miyojin agreed in silence. Dressing up as a man is only the first step in disguising oneself as one. Xia Yu would have to move and speak like a guy which is difficult seeing how graceful she is. Her voice is also too feminine.
"Second, I didn't want to sound conceited but look at this face. Would anyone mistake this face for a man's?" Xia Yu said. She even gestured at her face to prove her point.
She indeed made another valid point. Every part of her face screamed femininity and beauty. She is, after all, considered the fairest woman in the Great Yong Empire. That is very difficult to hide.
"Lastly, I am capable of using swords and other weapons. Protecting myself isn't a problem. If they want to keep their heads on their body, they best stay away from me."
That point made is very much agreed upon by Miyojin. Just hearing her say it is already scary.
"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry for bringing up such a terrible idea." He said hanging his head low with discomposure. He regretted opening his mouth.
"There's nothing to apologize for. I didn't take offense."
"But you sounded upset." He pointed out.
"I'm not upset about what you said. It just reminded of me something."
Xia Yu looked at the distance up ahead. To Miyojin, it looked like she was in deep thought.
"What did it remind you?" He asked with inquisitiveness.
Xia Yu gazed at Miyojin for a bit. She seemed to be thinking about it. But she decided to speak about it anyway.
"When I was still a merchant, I came across a lot of women pretending to be men to protect themselves." She began.
"They told me their reasons for hiding and they were all tragic. I hated that women had to hide just to be safe and not be taken advantage of."
It is indeed true. Miyojin had heard of reports of women meeting their cruel fate because they were women. And it is alarmingly common. He knew that women were very much at a disadvantage compared to men.
"That is the reason why I learned martial arts. I also encourage women to do the same. So that they do not need to pretend to be men to live in peace."
Miyojin's original thinking is that Xia Yu learned martial arts to live on the Cheng's family legacy. But it turned out wrong. If anything, her reason was admirable. He wished more women were like Xia Yu.
"Oh my! You poor couple."
"Those pirates had been very rampant recently. I heard they also attacked a small fishing boat last week."
"We need to be very careful not to stray far from the coast."
The fishermen began to thrash out their experiences with pirates after hearing their fabricated story. The royal couple had finally reached the shores of the mainland. They were immediately received by the fishermen who were resting on the shores.
They told them that they were a recently married couple. They traveled on a cargo ship to start their own lives. Unfortunately, their boat was attacked by pirates. They escaped through a boat but lost most of their belongings.
The fishermen believed their story. When they asked where they were from, Miyojin said their practiced introduction. He said that they were from an island called Wei Tao. As Xia Yu expected, none of the fishermen knew the place.
When they asked where they were supposed to be heading, Miyojin said that the boat they traveled on was going to the Great Yong Empire. He explained that they had never been there but they heard that it was a peaceful place. They were hoping to try their luck there.
The fishermen began to express their realization. They heard of the empire but none of them knew how to get there. They just knew that it was up north. After getting the information they needed, the two asked if there was a place they could work and stay in.
At first, it seemed like no one wanted to take them in. Miyojin couldn't blame them. After all, this coastal village looks very humble.
"Oh! I know where." An old fisherman suddenly exclaimed. "My wife's cousin is looking for servers for their tea shop in Zedong. They can also offer you lodgings."
"That's great! Where is this Zedong?" Miyojin asked.
"Oh. It is just a nearby village. I'm going there tomorrow morning to deliver some of my catch. We can go together. You can stay at my home for a night."
Miyojin looked at Xia Yu. She gave him a subtle approval nod.
"Okay. My wife and I will take it. Thank you so much."