Lin Shucheng quickly waved his hand: "Forget it, forget it. If our village builds its own city wall, it will have everything for production and daily life. It's no different from rebellion."

He laughed it off.

I don't want to worry about that.

Tan Xue had no choice but to give up.

Lin Shucheng didn't stay in the space for too long. After all, once he entered the space, the ship would have to stop completely. He had arranged with Lin Jinyue to enter the space again around eight o'clock the next morning.

They've spotted the boat; they need to rescue those people tonight.

To avoid any unforeseen complications.

After leaving the space, Lin Shucheng said to the helmsman, "Just drive straight there and see if those soldiers will try to rob us."

If it's a robbery, then there's no need to hold back.

If we don't rob them, let's see if we can reform them through labor and send them all to Yunhe Village to help with infrastructure construction.

It wasn't that Lin Shucheng had any ambition, but in ancient times, if you made a mistake at work, your superiors didn't care whether it was an accident or a natural disaster; if they were unhappy, they could exterminate your entire family.

These people would most likely face certain death if they went back, and they still had families, so Lin Shucheng simply captured them all.

At least people can survive.

About half an hour later, the two ships were about to meet.

Lin Shucheng spotted a small boat from afar.

The person dressed in the clothes had dark circles under their eyes, sallow skin, and looked quite haggard; they were wearing servant's clothes.

The man immediately asked, "Do you have a doctor? My husband's condition isn't good."

When Lin Shucheng came out, he also brought a doctor with him. It was Qiaohua from the village who had been learning medicine from Jiang Yun.

Qiaohua's medical skills are not as good as Lin Jinyue's, but she can treat some simple ailments without any problem.

Out of compassion for her patients, Qiaohua asked, "Can you bring the person onto our ship?"

The man shook his head: "My master has committed a crime and has been exiled. The officials have already done more than enough by allowing us to find a doctor for my master. Can you come with us to the ship?"

Lin Shucheng nodded: "In that case, Qiaohua, come with me and fetch the medicine box."

He lowered his voice and said, "Bring those special medicines with you too."

Lin Qiaohua opened her mouth, then nodded in the end: "Okay."

Qiaohua went to get the first-aid kit, while Lin Shucheng whispered to Lin Xueqing, "No need to rush, I'll go upstairs and check the situation first."

Old Tan was behind the mast, looking somewhat anxious.

Lin Shucheng shook his head, signaling him not to speak.

At this time, Mr. Tan definitely cannot come out; if he is recognized, it will certainly cause a lot of trouble.

Lin Shucheng and his group wanted to rescue the people, but they needed to go up and assess the situation first.

As for what if these people dare to do something reckless...

Lin Shucheng gripped a smoke bomb tightly in his hand. In addition to blurring vision, the smoke bomb also contained trace amounts of toxins that could paralyze a person's limbs and render them unable to move.

Lin Shucheng took one antidote in advance and gave Qiaohua another one as a backup.

This was just developed.

Unfortunately, the materials are rare, and making one requires a lot of effort. It should never be used unless absolutely necessary.

Lin Shucheng and Lin Qiaohua boarded the ship together.

He also reassured Lin Qiaohua: "Don't be nervous. If it can be treated, then we will. If it can't be treated, then there's nothing we can do."

Lin Qiaohua's hand, gripping the medicine box, was still trembling uncontrollably.

To murder a high-ranking official of the imperial court is a capital offense, isn't it?

Lin Qiaohua looked at Lin Shucheng, who was strolling leisurely. How could he be so calm?

As soon as he left, the villagers started to get anxious.

"Oh dear, what if those officials just arrest the third brother?"

"I don't think there's any need to save those scoundrels. Just beat them to a pulp!"

"The common people are suffering so much, and I just saw those officials eating fish and meat on the mat. They all deserve to die!"

Lin Xueqing then explained, "You can't calculate it that way. The dog emperor is no good, but the officials on the ship are just following orders. Besides, the illness can't be delayed; we have to go up and save people first."

Lin Jinyue has been giving me all sorts of instructions these past two days.

Lin Xueqing and the others also took it to heart.

Therefore, when the person said they were sick, Lin Shucheng and Lin Xueqing's first reaction was most likely that they had been poisoned.

Xie Hong would definitely stop at nothing to kill the Gu family.

Moreover, we should minimize casualties if possible. The hostages are in their hands, so we cannot act rashly.

It would be a lie for Lin Xueqing to say she wasn't worried.

He held binoculars and watched the situation on the escort ship from a distance.

The escorts had received bribes, and the Gu family had been stationed on the frontier for many years, so they couldn't bear to make things difficult for Lin Shucheng and his group. They simply asked them to help treat him as much as possible, and if necessary, they could buy medicine in a nearby city.

Lin Qiaohua frowned upon seeing this: "This isn't an illness, it's poisoning."

Lin Shucheng frowned; Lin Jinyue had indeed guessed correctly.

Looking at the escorting officers, their faces were filled with astonishment.

There were far too many people on the ship who could tamper with things, including the boatmen, the men doing odd jobs, and even their servants.

Anyone could be a potential target.

Lin Shucheng then asked Lin Qiaohua, "Is there a way to solve this?"

Lin Qiaohua nodded.

Lin Shucheng then looked at the officials and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, you must be tired from your journey. My family owns a restaurant. If you don't mind, we have some ingredients on board. While my niece is treating your illness, I'd like to treat you all to something."

The group looked at Lin Shucheng with suspicion.

Lin Shucheng said somewhat embarrassedly, "Sir, if I am not mistaken, this old man should be a veteran general. I do not know what mistake he has made. I have only heard that the Gu family is full of loyal martyrs, and many of their men have died on the battlefield. We feel sorry for them and want to treat you all well. We only ask that you take some care of General Gu's family."

When Lin Shucheng said this, his attitude was firm and sincere. In addition, he had been working with the villagers in construction and farming for the past few months, which made his skin dark and his appearance very honest.

The officers exchanged glances.

It would be foolish not to take advantage of a good deal.

Moreover, they also felt that the Gu family's exile was indeed somewhat undeserved, otherwise they would not have been treated so well along the way.

Lin Shucheng said cheerfully, "Sir, if you like what we made today, there will be plenty of delicious food in Shawan County in the future."

The officials remained noncommittal.

Lin Shucheng quickly went into the space to prepare meat, a barbecue grill, and a hot pot.

There are also those strange and unusual powders and medicines that Jiang Yun would tinker with whenever she had free time.

Lin Shucheng picked out a bottle of colorless and odorless cartilage powder. After taking it, he felt weak all over, but it wouldn't cause any damage.

There were eight officials and more than a hundred soldiers escorting the ship. Lin Shucheng suffered a great loss and prepared a lot of meat.

Lin Xueqing and the others also came to help.

The father and son exchanged a glance and quickly understood each other's meaning.

Lin Shucheng added a little seasoning to the barbecue, sprinkling it with chili powder. The amount was small, so he had to eat several skewers before the symptoms would kick in.

As for the officials and soldiers...

Having drifted at sea for so long without any good food along the way, the sudden aroma was irresistible to them.

Only one person simply tested the poison with a silver needle.