The Tongzhou Pier is one of the most prosperous piers along the entire canal.
Even close to midnight, the river was still brightly lit. Due to the preference for sailing during the day and docking at night, the merchants and boatmen boarding and disembarking were even more crowded than during the day. The riverside taverns and tea houses were still bustling with guests, while the ladies of Lianxiang House were all dressed to the nines, lined up and leaning against the railings, waving their small handkerchiefs.
Fu Zhen arrived at the pier, where Liang Zhi was dressed in a boatman's short attire, inconspicuously sitting by a stall drinking tea. The guards were all similarly disguised, dispersed everywhere, some sitting, some standing. Both Fu Zhen and Pei Zhan had also dressed up, with her posing as a worker from the trading house, while Pei Zhan smeared kiln ash on his face, making him appear as just an ordinary fierce protector under the various lights, bright and dim.
