RMACAUH Chapter 52

Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Cleverly Eliminating Sea Bandits

Chapter 52 Chapter 52 Cleverly Eliminating Sea Bandits

Mu Yunhua happily laughed and said, “Alright! Then I’ll go take care of it!”

Saying so, he spurred his horse to buy piglets and lambs.

These militiamen usually practiced during the day and went home to their wives and children at night. They grew vegetables and raised pigs and sheep in the camp. Now they were self-sufficient and also exempt from taxes for three years. Families that used to be dirt poor were now beginning to have surplus grain.

These common people were the most simple and kind. They didn’t care who sat in that position; they only cared who allowed them to eat their fill.

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Now, Guangling, from top to bottom, shared the same spirit, and deeply loved the Guangling Prince, Feng Yue, for that he was the people’s champion.

Seeing that the new commander was about to take office, the entire Capital Military Commission was shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere, with everyone listless.

During shift breaks, dozens of guards from the yamen sat there chatting idly.

“Now that our place has finally become peaceful, an official is coming from the capital again. Who knows what kind of trash he’ll be?”

“Keep your voice down.”

“What are you afraid of! Anyway, I think Commander Xu is doing a pretty good job now. We all know each other well and stand with the Prince!”

“I think so too, much better than Commander Shen before. Now we’re exempt from taxes for three years, and there’s no more oppression in the city. Do you remember the lives of pigs and dogs we used to live? Once you get used to being a person, you don’t want to be a pig or dog anymore.”

“If only things were that simple. I heard that when our Prince first came here, he was actually demoted. A Prince can’t interfere with officialdom, and this person is the emperor’s confidant. Once he comes, nothing can be hidden.”

“Just intercept and kill him on the way.”

“That sounds good, but the first person the emperor will suspect is definitely the Prince. The Astronomical Bureau will be watching for three to five years, which is even more troublesome.”

“Then kill the Astronomical Bureau along with him.”

“…”

A moment of silence.

The head of the guards shouted, “Come on, come on, have some wine, and eat a few more peanuts.”

In the evening, Wei Xiaofeng returned from the teahouse with Sang Cai after watching a shadow play. Seeing the carriage parked outside, he couldn’t help but ask the guard at the gate in confusion.

“Is the Prince having guests?”

“Reporting to the Princess, Lord Xu is here.”

“Oh… Acai, let’s go back to the courtyard first, I want to eat ice cream!”

The Prince’s residence stored a lot of ice in the cellar during the winter, so there was no shortage of it, but Sang Cai looked serious: “You ate some before going out this morning. The doctor said that you’re pregnant now and shouldn’t eat too many of these stimulating things.”

“Oh, just get me some! I know my body very well; you guys are just too strict.”

Sang Cai saw that he really wanted to eat it and couldn’t bear to refuse: “Then I’ll get you a small bowl.”

“Good! Just a small bowl, don’t tell Feng Yue.”

Feng Yue was flipping through the new commander’s confidential file that Xu Changtian had sent. After only a few glances, Feng Yue closed the file and handed it back to Xu Changtian.

Xu Changtian was puzzled: “Your Highness?”

“I recognize this person, Xiao Xuan-yi. He was the commander of the Imperial Guards for more than ten years. Now he’s actually been sent to Guangling to serve as a commander. An old acquaintance.”

Xu Changtian frowned: “Is he the emperor’s confidant?”

Feng Yue: “He only works for the emperor, what do you think?”

“Then this is a bit troublesome. He brought more than a thousand soldiers from the capital. I’m afraid they’re not just here to suppress pirates, but also to monitor you.”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” The military power in his hands was already enough to overturn the current situation, but he just needed to wait for an opportunity. There was no need to be labeled as a traitorous subject.

What he wanted was to rightfully and openly ascend to the supreme position.

For some reason, Xu Changtian always had a very reliable feeling when looking at him. This person was truly fearless, but not headstrong. Instead, he had full confidence in his plans, and everything was under his control.

Xu Changtian stood up and bowed: “If Your Highness has any instructions, this humble official will definitely not refuse!”

“Go back and stay put for now, and properly welcome your new commander!”

Three days later, Xiao Xuan-yi swaggered into the city with a thousand soldiers. All the officials and yamen runners of the Capital Military Commission rushed to greet him. Xiao Xuan-yi, dressed in a black python robe, sat on a tall horse and ordered his subordinates to slow down.

“Subordinate Xu Changtian, greets Commander Xiao.”

Xiao Xuan-yi’s eyes were like knives. He silently stared at him for a long time before saying, “Lead the way then, and tell this commander about some important matters and the current situation in Guangling.”

“Yes.” Xu Changtian bowed and walked side by side with Xiao Xuan-yi towards the yamen.

Xiao Xuan-yi looked at the people on the streets, each with a joyful smile, dressed cleanly and neatly. The streets were wide, with no beggars. The people in the city were taking out their own baskets of fruits and vegetables to barter or sell cheaply. The atmosphere was peaceful.

“It seems Guangling is a good place. The people can live and work in peace, and the products are extremely abundant. It’s pleasing to the eye.”

Xu Changtian smiled without saying a word. Half a year ago, who would have thought that in such a short time, it could recover from a desolate silence to its current vitality? It was all thanks to Feng Yue, the Guangling Prince.

Therefore, the people of the entire city were grateful, remembering his goodness, and could unite as one to resist external forces.

For the next three months, things were peaceful.

The first thing Xiao Xuan-yi did when he came to Guangling was to gather the local fishermen and some people with good swimming skills. He gave them generous rewards to board the Meng Chong and learn about the nearby sea area.

Although the first battle in the Wanglongjiao sea area was a narrow victory, the losses were heavy. Of the soldiers on several fighting ships, totaling more than eight hundred, only two hundred or so returned.

For days and nights, the sea surface was covered with corpses. The water on the beach turned dark red, and the wind carried the lingering stench of decay, like a scene from hell.

For a time, the city was shrouded in dark clouds, yellow paper flew everywhere, and wailing sounds did not stop from morning to night.

It was not only the soldiers conscripted by the imperial court who died, but also their families.

In the blink of an eye, the hot summer quietly passed, and the arrival of autumn was sensed.

Wei Xiaofeng was resting on a soft couch under a large tree in the courtyard. He occasionally heard the sound of crying outside the wall, and his mood became heavy.

Sang Cai brought a basket of fresh grapes, which had just been picked and sent from the manor.

“Young master, would you like some grapes? They’re very sweet!”

Wei Xiaofeng reached out and picked one, holding it in his hand, but had no appetite and put it back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Go to my storeroom and count some silver.”

“What do you want to use it for?”

“The families who have lost their husbands, sons, and fathers must be living very difficult lives. I want to do what I can to help them.”

“Don’t worry about that. The imperial court will send silver down.”

“I know, just go and do it. This can also be considered accumulating virtue for my child.”

Sang Cai helplessly said: “Alright, I understand, I’ll go now.”

Wei Xiaofeng sat up, silent for a long time. Seemingly having made a major decision, he got up and walked towards the study.

The two newly assigned maids behind him followed closely, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Feng Yue had been looking at the Guangling sea area map for some time, thinking about the battle plan in his mind.

Many small flags were inserted on the sea area map, which looked chaotic but had some order. Apart from himself, probably no one could understand it.

The study was knocked on, Feng Yue looked up at the figure outside the door, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

“Come in.”

Wei Xiaofeng looked at the terrain map on the sand table, which had many flags inserted on it, and he had his answer.

“You want to lead troops out to sea to fight the pirates?”

Mentioning this, Feng Yue was full of worries: “This time was a narrow victory. Although we drove them out of the Wanglongjiao sea area, they will soon make a comeback. These pirates live by the sea and are extremely familiar with naval warfare. They have formed their own unique combat style, and each of them is proficient in naval battles and well-trained. Xiao Xuan-yi only thinks about making contributions and doesn’t take the ‘mere pirates’ seriously, which is why he suffered such a big loss.”

“Pity those soldiers and civilians.”

Feng Yue paused with the small flag in his hand and took a deep breath: “He is a commander of the Imperial Guards, familiar with managing the palace affairs, but has no experience in marching and fighting, let alone naval warfare? He came to take over the job of Commander, on the orders of the Emperor, monitoring me is the main thing, fighting pirates is a secondary thing.”

“What should we do now?”

“We can only wait.”

Feng Yue frowned even more deeply: “If he comes to ask me for help in a few days, I will naturally take our people to avenge this hatred. If he doesn’t come to me, it means that this person is both stupid and bad, and has a small mind, so he can’t be kept.”

In fact, Wei Xiaofeng had never wanted him to go. This was his selfishness.

But he was the Guangling Prince! Now he was also the only reliance of everyone, and he couldn’t harbor this selfishness.

“Go! Avenge their families, drive away those hateful pirates, and don’t let these vicious people harm the people anymore.”

Feng Yue looked at his firm eyes, flickering with tears, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

He stepped forward and took Xiaofeng’s hand: “Nothing will happen, don’t worry.”

“Yeah… I’m just a little sad.” Wei Xiaofeng’s heart was blocked, his forehead pressed against his chest, and tears quietly wet his front.

“Sad for the people who lost their loved ones?”

“If I had some use and could go to battle and kill the enemy, that would be great.”

“Your usefulness is not here, don’t belittle yourself.”

Xiaofeng had been doing very well these past six months, especially recently, he had become much calmer. He probably also knew that he had something on his mind and didn’t want to bother him.

In fact, Feng Yue didn’t think he was bothering him at all. Sometimes he even hoped that he could come over and take the initiative to talk to him more.

Maybe it was because he always looked serious recently that he didn’t dare to disturb him casually, and tried to stay alone to do his own thing.

“What have you been doing lately?”

Wei Xiaofeng swept away his previous gloom and said, “I’ve been learning how to grow vegetables recently. I’ve reclaimed a piece of land in the backyard of the palace. When the seeds I planted germinate and I fertilize them well, the entire palace will be able to eat the vegetables I grew!”

“My husband is too virtuous and capable!”

“By the way, does the Department of Revenue and Taxation have a list of the deceased soldiers? Seeing that it’s going to be winter again in a few months, and their families have lost their labor force, their families must be living in difficult circumstances. I plan to take some of my money and send it to them.”

“Okay, I’ll have someone send it to you tomorrow. Is there enough silver? If not, go to the main treasury to get it.”

“It’s enough. There shouldn’t be much silver left in the palace treasury, right?”

“How do you know?”

“Of course I know!” Recruiting soldiers and buying horses, and reclaiming wasteland all require silver.

Feng Yue couldn’t help but smile: “Your maternal grandfather secretly sends a lot of silver every month. The old man has taken great pains. When we have the opportunity to go to Chuting in the future, we must thank him in person.”

Speaking of which, it was a bit sad. At this time last year, he was still thinking that it was by no means a good thing to allow the Tan family to grow stronger. In the blink of an eye, the Tan and Wan families had married and tied themselves together.

Now the two treasuries are working together to send him silver.

Although they all have their own thoughts and calculations, it is ultimately beneficial to him. Now that everyone is on the same boat, even if he does not move forward himself, the raging waves will push him forward.

*

Feng Yue waited for Xiao Xuan-yi for ten days, and he didn’t plan to wait any longer.

This day he was wiping his Thunderclap Spear in the house when the butler hurriedly came to report, “Your Highness, that Commander Xiao is here!”

Feng Yue raised his eyebrows: “Did he come alone or with people?”

“He came alone.”

“Invite him to the study.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Xiao Xuan-yi was led to the study of the Prince’s residence. Walking in, he saw the terrain map on the sand table at a glance. He looked at it for a long time, but he couldn’t figure it out.

There had been many rumors that Feng Yue was a rare talent in a century, but he just sneered at it.

He was nothing more than born with a good fate, with a strong maternal family as a backing.

What enemy could a pampered little prince on the battlefield kill?

Wasn’t it because the emperor favored him and wanted to create momentum for him, so he sent him to his maternal grandfather’s side and let his maternal grandfather win the illustrious military exploits for him?

Last year in the Hefeifeng Palace, he had only caught a fleeting glance, but that palm had left him with lingering fear.

He only felt that this person deserved the words “young hero.”

But that was all.

Until this Wanglongjiao sea area battle, the damage was extremely heavy, and he could no longer withstand such a blow for the second time. He couldn’t give an account to the superiors, and he must not lose.

Just when he was at a loss, Xu Changtian told him that this Guangling Prince had experience in the Northwest Inner Sea battle.

He checked many relevant documents and archives from a few years ago. The Inner Sea battle lasted for two years and was extremely dangerous, but he could win cleverly every time. This could not be explained by luck.

So he decided to come and find Feng Yue, no matter what, first cooperate with him to eliminate the pirates, and then talk about what would happen after that.

He drank a cup of tea in the study, and Feng Yue walked into the study with the Thunderclap Spear and placed the spear on the weapons rack.

Seeing Feng Yue again, Xiao Xuan-yi only felt that this person’s imposing manner, which was majestic without anger, was even more pressing. When he came over, Xiao Xuan-yi unconsciously got up to greet him.

“Your Highness.”

“Commander Xiao, oh no, I should call you Commander Xiao now.”

Xiao Xuan-yi held his breath for a while before laughing, “I dare not to be in front of Your Highness.”

“Commander Xiao, please sit down.”

After Feng Yue was seated, the maid came forward to serve tea, and then hurriedly closed the door and went out.

“What important matter does Commander Xiao have to find this Prince?”

“Your Highness should be clear about when this humble servant came here. Some time ago, this humble servant took nearly eight hundred soldiers and fought with the pirates for nearly half a month, losing more than six hundred soldiers. Although those pirates were only a thousand people, each of them was extremely fierce and brutal. We were really…”

In the end, he just sighed long.

“These pirates have been robbing passing merchant ships in the nearby sea area for nearly twenty years, collecting protection fees, and colluding with previous officials. They have burned, killed, looted, and have rich experience. Did you think they were easy to deal with?”

“It was this humble servant’s stupidity and arrogance that harmed those soldiers. This humble servant has heard that Your Highness has experience in Inner Sea battles. Please help.”

“It is not impossible to ask this Prince to help, but this Prince has some conditions.”

Xiao Xuan-yi sighed in his heart: “Sure enough!”

But now he had no way out. The emperor would not want a useless person. Due to the previous example, he had no one to use in the second battle. A person who could not make contributions and had lost his prestige could not please either side.

“What conditions does Your Highness have? Please speak clearly.”

“Then this Prince will speak clearly.” Feng Yue put down his teacup and said solemnly, “This Prince knows that you were sent here under imperial orders to monitor me, is that correct?”

Xiao Xuan-yi was silent for a long time before responding with difficulty: “Yes.”

“This Prince will help you get rid of the pirates, and you will take the credit, but from now on, whatever this Prince does in Guangling, you are not allowed to send a word back to the capital, otherwise…”

“This…”

“Xiao Xuan-yi, do you think you can still have a way out now that you have come here? Whether you agree or not, it’s just a matter of a word for this Prince to want you dead. A wise man submits to circumstances. How many years can my father Emperor remain on the throne? The First Prince, Feng Chao, is weak and sickly, and his maternal family has no support. The Second Prince, Feng Xiao, is mediocre and talentless, without virtue or support, while this Prince has everything! When the time, place, and people are right, success or failure will be clear at a glance.”

After weighing the situation, Xiao Xuan-yi found that what Feng Yue said was true. He had already gained power, and it was only a matter of time before he killed his way back to the capital.

It was better to be loyal to him now than to show loyalty later.

After thinking it over, Xiao Xuan-yi bowed deeply to Feng Yue, “This humble servant will naturally follow Your Highness’ lead and has no second intentions.”

“You said that?”

“Yes, in the future, this humble servant will be dispatched by Your Highness and will have no second intentions!”

“Very good. Go back and prepare ten fighting ships, each with sixty archers and sixty rowers. As for the rest, this Prince will send people to prepare everything.”

“Fighting ships? But… those pirates all use war galleys, with a large amount of materials and weapons on board, and even catapults. We were sunk several warships before suffering such heavy losses!”

“Just do as you’re told, and don’t ask too many questions.” Asking is a waste of saliva, and explaining may not necessarily be clear.

Xiao Xuan-yi choked, and after a long time, he responded, “Yes, this humble servant will go back and make preparations.”

In the following days, Feng Yue asked the servants in the palace to record the state of the sundial and the wind vane at all times. In ancient times, Zhuge Liang borrowed the east wind, so he would also borrow it.

During this period, Feng Yue took Mu Yunhua to find many Taoist temples and alchemists, and bought some pale yellow stones from them.

These stones were very special, brittle when cold, and their color would deepen when exposed to light. They could produce white smoke under the sun.

After running all over Guangling, he only bought about a pound.

But this pound was enough.

The fighting ships had already been prepared, and six hundred soldiers had been guarding the sea for half a month, but Feng Yue still showed no signs of action.

As November approached, the northeast wind began to blow, and the climate was relatively dry and rainless.

At this time, the soldiers on the beach, after twenty days of grinding, were about to give up, when a secret order finally came from the city.

They quietly set out to sea and sailed towards the sea according to the formation map.

In the evening, Wei Xiaofeng did not come out to eat, saying that his stomach hurt a little and he had no appetite.

Calculating the days, the child was due to be born in the next few days, perhaps even tonight.

Things were so coincidental and unsatisfactory, Feng Yue had the doctor waiting outside at all times, and accompanied him by the bed for a while. Looking at the sky, he had to leave.

Seeing the anxious look on his face, Wei Xiaofeng comforted him instead: “I’m fine now, it doesn’t hurt anymore, you don’t have to worry so much.”

Feng Yue smiled helplessly, his heart full of guilt: “Xiaofeng…”

“Hurry up and go, for the sake of the people in the city and the stability of the next few decades, this hidden danger must be eliminated. I can’t blame you for not being with me. You have very important things to do, more important than me.”

Since he followed Feng Yue to Guangling, he had imagined all kinds of things. In fact, Feng Yue had protected him very well.

And he needed to cultivate his mind to be more firm so that he had no worries.

“I will come back to be with you as soon as I eliminate the pirates.”

“You must come back safely, and try… try not to get hurt.”

“I promise you.”

Feng Yue lowered his head and lovingly kissed Xiaofeng’s forehead, and then quickly left the palace with his personal attendants to go to the battlefield.

As soon as Feng Yue left, Wei Xiaofeng could no longer hold on, his body was covered in cold sweat from the pain, and he weakly called Sang Cai in.

Seeing the dense beads of sweat on his forehead, Sang Cai was at a loss: “Why did it suddenly hurt again? Didn’t you say you were already better?”

“No, not better…” Wei Xiaofeng was so painful that he was almost exhausted: “Find the doctor to come in, the child may be coming out.”

Where had Sang Cai ever seen this kind of battle? He quickly went out to call the doctor.

The palace was in a frenzy, with children and maids constantly entering and leaving the room, changing hot water, passing scissors, changing washing towels…

At night, the wind on the sea was very strong and the waves were rough.

If the pirate’s war galleys were unstable, they would connect the ships together to achieve the effect of stabilizing and resisting the waves.

In order to prevent the government soldiers from attacking, they specially lit more torches to illuminate the sea surface, so as to observe the movements around the sea at any time.

When it was the second watch, and people were at their sleepiest, the pirates relaxed their vigilance in the second half of the night because there had been no movement before.

Just as the pirates on night watch were dozing off, several fighting ships without lights silently approached their war galleys in the distance.

A cloud-piercing arrow cut through the silence of the dark night. The arrow was accompanied by a wisp of white smoke and was nailed to the war galley.

Then thousands of arrows flew towards the ten war galleys, riding the wind. The pirates had already thought that there would be these sneak attacks and were well prepared, so those arrows did not cause much damage.

After the arrows were fired, Feng Yue blew the horn. Hearing the horn, the ten fighting ships retreated silently, as they had come.

The pirates laughed mockingly and triumphantly, thinking that they could be promising this time, but they turned out to be so trifling, which was simply laughable.

“Are there no people left in your Guangling? Were you scared by Grandpa last time, and you don’t even dare to show your face?”

“Come and leave your lives, and you still want to run? Brothers, chase me! Kill all these government soldiers!”

“What smell is this?”

As soon as the voice fell, someone in front shouted, “It’s not good, there’s a fire!”

“Damn it! There’s plenty of water at sea, a little spark is nothing!”

At this time, the pirates did not know the seriousness of the situation.

It was not until the fire could not be extinguished even with water that they discovered that this was no ordinary fire. Moreover, the east wind was blowing tonight, and the fire was burning extremely fast. Seeing that all the war galleys were on fire, they shouted to untie the anchor chains. Otherwise, if the ships were connected together, they would only burn faster.

However, this fire would also burn when it encountered water. If it touched a person’s body, the person’s flesh and blood would quickly burn through a blood hole. Desperate and miserable wailing resounded throughout the sea, and the sky-high flames illuminated the night as bright as day.