"The sea breeze has turned chilly," Jia Xiayin said with a hint of regret as she gazed at the endless ocean, stroking her wind-tousled hair.
"Winter is approaching," replied a handsome man behind her. "Though this is southern territory, it's not the southernmost land. Only the Shamen people don't understand winter." "Our fleet can't sail out in winter—the ocean currents would make it impossible to move. This must be our last voyage," the woman turned. "Faren, how long has Black Sail been away?" "Two months and four days," the man answered without hesitation. "If nothing goes wrong, they'll arrive at Bishui Harbor in three days." Jiaxia burst into laughter. "I hope they'll surprise me." Faren Keban gazed at the bold woman before him, his heart heavy with emotion. Her gray hair shimmered with silver streaks in the autumn sunlight; her pale green eyes, narrow and piercing, carried an indescribable pressure when fixed on someone. Though her skin had grown rough from prolonged seaside life and wasn't as fair as the royal women's, Faren couldn't care less. In his eyes, Jiaxia's presence outshone any beauty.
Unlike the foolish offspring of Graycastle's inbred relatives, the three Wimbledons are true geniuses. They possess Noble's wisdom and pride, yet defy its conventions—resembling commoners in their yearning to break monotony and their adventurous spirit.
Of course, no commoner possessed the height and vision she had. Even dukes and nobles seemed shortsighted and self-serving in her presence. The sheer fact that she invested all the trade revenue from Bishui Port into fleet construction, leaving not a single coin in her own treasury, was something those miserly men could never match.
"These golden dragons are meaningless when stored away in cabinets. They're as good as stones when unused. Their true worth only becomes apparent when you spend them. The crucial point is: spending them doesn't mean losing them. As long as you use them wisely, the returns will far exceed their intrinsic value." —Faren still vividly remembers these words, which almost like a sudden enlightenment, shattered the long-held beliefs in his mind.
Unlike the royal nobles who spent their days counting how much their savings had grown, Fairen believed this was the true mark of a ruler.
So he joined Jiayia without hesitation and followed her to Bishui Port.
Upon arriving at this location, Faren realized the Three Princesses of the Three Kings had accomplished far more than mere rhetoric—they had both vision and execution. Centering on this core principle, she had meticulously crafted the Black Sail Plan and systematically implemented it. Five years prior, the faction nurtured by Jiaxia had infiltrated Port of Emerald Waters, preparing to establish the Black Sail Fleet—long before King Wimbledon III issued his claim to the throne. In essence, she had already outpaced all her successors.
"Let's go inside. The wind's getting stronger," Jiasia said, tilting her head. Her temporary palace stood at the southernmost tip of Bishui Harbor, overlooking Salmon Bay. The tower-like structure resembled a coastal sentinel, its circular rooftop offering a sweeping view of the harbor and the passing merchant ships.
After five years of operation, Bishui Port's trade had reached a considerable scale. A three-masted sailing ship would be launched from the dock every six months, and he had gained the initial trust of the other party. Seizing the moment when the Third Princess appeared in high spirits, Fairen hesitantly asked the biggest question on his mind over the past few months.
"Your Highness, I have a question." He shut the door, blocking the howling sea breeze from entering.
"Say it," she said, nodding with a smile.
"Before the King issued the succession decree, how could you foresee all this?" He had speculated whether King Wimbledon III might have hinted at it, but upon closer examination, it was clear such a scenario was impossible. Everyone knew the Second Prince was the heir the King truly valued—the decree was specifically designed for him, as evidenced by his fiefdom, Golden Ear City.
Could she have guessed all this and started planning five years ago? God willing, she was only eighteen back then!
"Prophecy?" She gave a mischievous grin. "You think I'm some witch? I don't have the power to conjure gods or ghosts." "But..." "I never imagined Father would come up with such a cringeworthy scheme as the Crown War Order to pave the way for his second son. Honestly, does it matter whether the Crown War Order exists or not?" "Does it matter?" Fairen suddenly snapped, her lips pouting in shock.
Seeing Faren Keban's incredulous expression, Jiashia smiled. "Do you think I must wait until Father declares me worthy of the throne to claim it? Or that the best-governed city will automatically claim the Graycastle throne? I thought you'd understand when you saw the Black Sails Plan." "So that's how it is," Faren murmured. Her fleet wasn't merely for wealth. After completing trade, this fleet of the Three Queenesses would hoist black sails far from the harbor to raid merchant ships of other cities or nations. Similarly, the Three Queenesses encouraged her subjects to sail out to join the Black Sails Plan. She promised that all plundered goods would belong to the shipowners, and the Port of Clear Waters would never tax such profits.
This move brought her immense wealth, so this time she simply ordered the Black Sails fleet to sail straight south, to plunder any ships passing through the Endless Cape and the southern Shamen.
These initiatives were not solely motivated by financial gain. Rather than utilizing the plundered wealth to develop urban infrastructure or expand overland trade, Jia Xiya redirected it into shipyards, where she continued constructing larger vessels.
In these years, she has gained a host of seasoned sailors, fierce warriors, and the people's heartfelt support—if she fails to continue her rule, all the plundering villains will be hanged.
"Will the city best governed be crowned Graycastle's ruler?" No, Fairen now understood. The true heir to the throne would be Gathasian Wamberton—where fleets of warships and armies could sail up the Three Bays River to the gates of Golden Ear City.
"Did you know you'd be assigned to Bishui Harbor?" "That was unexpected—just a side note to the deal," Jiasia shrugged. "I thought the Church was just fooling me..." The Church? Noticing the silence, Faren didn't press. But he knew this place would follow her lead, moving in her desired direction even without Jiasia's presence.
"Let's set this aside for now," she poured herself a cup of black tea. "That earlier trick seems to have backfired." "Ah, yes," Faren quickly reined in his thoughts. "Only Border Town reported the pill's failure. No updates from anywhere else." "No news probably means the brothers killed them—no surprise. They were just pawns, meant to pass the time during the wait. But..." She shifted gears. "Other pawns failing is normal, but I didn't expect Fourth Brother to survive. Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed." "The kingfisher mentioned in the secret letter that the pill was taken, but..." "Failure is failure. I don't want explanations," Jiasia cut in. "The Demon Month won't be far off. Our dear Your Royal Highness will likely seek refuge at Long Song Fortress. When the demonic beasts invade, the fortress will likely be in chaos for quite some time. Write to her and let her seize the opportunity. I wonder if the lucky God will still side with Fourth Brother this time?" "Yes, Your Highness." "Go ahead," Jiasia waved. Just as Faren was about to leave, the Third Princess called him back. "Ah, right. I remember buying that pill from Alchemist Enbiser, didn't I?" Faren nodded.
"What did he say at the time? Colorless and tasteless, dissolving like water, fatal upon ingestion, incurable—was this his latest alchemical achievement?" Jia Xiya yawned. "Hang him."