Zheng Boyuan said, "I heard that General Gan once went to the seaside to pay his respects to Azhi. Those lives have already been lost, and those who escaped hate the Yuezhou navy to the bone. Because of this, the Japanese pirates have won over some fishermen. The fishermen have led the way for the Japanese pirates to land several times recently. If this continues, Yuezhou City will be in danger."

Xu Zhi nodded and said, "Husband, what are your plans?"

Zheng Boyuan said, "After I came back, I told General Gan about this matter. General Gan was also worried about this matter, but there was no suitable solution at the moment. If those fishermen continue to mingle with the Japanese pirates, they might bring the pirates ashore and sneak into Yuezhou City, which would cause a great disaster."

Xu Zhi said, "If that's the case, why not call those fishermen back?"

Zheng Boyuan gave a bitter smile and said, "How can we bring them back? After all, it was the Yuezhou navy that took action and massacred their village. The old and young in the village died in a very gruesome manner."

Xu Zhi said, "These villages can't all be completely deserted, can they? Husband, we should reason with the survivors in the villages and persuade them to bring the fishermen back."

Zheng Boyuan said, "How easy is that? General Gan's staff did think of this method, but when we went to their village, they wouldn't even let us in the door when they heard we were from the Yuezhou Navy. How could we continue the talks then?"

After listening, Xu Zhi pondered for a long time and said, "My lord, the common people are just trying to make a living. The people under the jurisdiction of Yuezhou are all under the jurisdiction of the Yuezhou government. The best course of action now is to have General Gan go to the Yuezhou prefect and ask him to come forward and properly appease the fishermen who survived in those villages. Wouldn't that be better?"

Zheng Boyuan said, "This prefect of Yuezhou, Qin Nanqi, is a subordinate of the Third Prince. He is very useless. He doesn't care much about government orders or daily affairs. General Gan has tried to persuade him, but it was no use."

Xu Zhi said, "This morning, Yuanyuan and I went to the Shen family to celebrate the birthday of the old lady of the Shen family. We met the wife of Xi Chuning, the Assistant Magistrate of Ganzhou. Madam Xi is a generous person. I also heard that Assistant Magistrate Xi of Yuezhou is a diligent and people-loving official. Why don't you go and see Magistrate Xi?"

Zheng Boyuan said, "Although Lord Xi is diligent in his duties and loves the people, he has never had any dealings with our navy. General Gan has tried to visit him, but he has always been turned away with various excuses. Now General Gan is also helpless against the officials of Yuezhou Prefecture."

Zheng Boyuan sighed and said, "Sun Maoliang, the prefectural magistrate of Yuezhou, is a talkative man, but unfortunately he is also a scheming man. Even if he agrees, he has no ability to do it."

Xu Zhi said, "This matter should ultimately be handled by Lord Xi."

Zheng Boyuan asked in surprise, "Why do you say that?"

Xu Zhi said, "This morning at the Shen family, besides meeting Lord Xi's wife, I also met Lord Qin's concubine. I heard that this concubine manages all the affairs of Lord Qin's household. Even when we went to the Shen family to wish the old lady of the Shen family a happy birthday, it was this concubine who made the arrangements. Husband, have you thought deeply about what's going on here?"

Zheng Boyuan said, "I heard from people that Madam Qin came from the countryside, was illiterate, and was a coarse person. In her early years, she injured her health while managing the household affairs and had been recuperating in the mansion."

Xu Zhi said, "I'm thinking that Qin Nanqi is the Third Prince's spy in Yuezhou. He's not just here to make money from Yuezhou. I guess he's doing something else here. Even Qin Nanqi's concubine is no ordinary person. Husband, if we investigate further, we might find something else."

Zheng Boyuan's expression grew increasingly grim after hearing Xu Zhi's words. Xu Zhi asked, "Have you thought of something?"

Zheng Boyuan said, "I'm afraid Yuezhou will become the second Hexi."

Xu Zhi sighed and said, "Maybe Hexi will become the next Yuezhou?"

Upon hearing Xu Zhi's words, Zheng Boyuan's eyes widened, and he said in disbelief, "They wouldn't have the guts, would they?" He hesitated before uttering the last word, but with that hesitation came an overwhelming sense of horror.

Xu Zhi was actually thinking about something she had heard from others when she passed through Yuezhou on her way to exile.

Fu Yuwei was the eldest prince's man. He did this because he was tricked by the third prince. The Fu family became cannon fodder in the struggle between the eldest prince and the third prince. The truth only came to light after the new emperor ascended the throne.

Zheng Boyuan slammed his fist on the table angrily, followed by a deep sigh. Xu Zhi looked at Zheng Boyuan's hand, which was already red, indicating that Zheng Boyuan had used a lot of force.

Xu Zhi said, "Husband, what is this? Back then, there were tens of thousands of people in Hexi City and Yanmen Pass. If we hadn't fought to the death, we don't even know who would own Yanmen Pass now."

Zheng Boyuan's eyes turned red with anger. He said, "What are they trying to do? It's all for their own selfish gain."

Xu Zhi sneered twice and said, "What do you mean by selfishness? Are they alone? There are so many people around them who want that extraordinary wealth. Even if they can't figure it out themselves, there are always people who can help them figure it out."

Recalling her parents' and brother's comments on these matters, Xu Zhi said, "They only thought about pacifying the country before dealing with external threats. They couldn't tolerate others sleeping peacefully beside their bed. As for whether it was letting wolves into the house, they didn't care."

Zheng Boyuan said, "He is truly a scoundrel."

Xu Zhi sighed and said, "Husband, you should always think carefully before you act in the future. Although the Emperor is past his prime, his sons are growing stronger. In the future, the land of Daliang will be filled with bloodshed for the sake of that throne."