Li Minghe has made a contribution to the construction of the seaport, but if he is stabbed in the back by pirates, he will not only have no merit, but will also have committed a crime. Whether he can return to the capital unscathed depends on the success or failure of this bandit suppression!

The capital city is too far from Zongyang County. The imperial court cannot send its navy to garrison such a small place, nor can it conduct a large-scale search for pirates at sea, let alone wait for them to walk into its trap. This battle will be difficult to win.

Fu Qiyuan's letter, like a detoxifying medicine, was delivered to Li Minghe.

After reading the letter, he burst into laughter in anger.

Brother, I'm here fighting pirates to the death, while you're thinking about romantic getaways and have the nerve to mention this and that in official letters? Have you no shame?

I don't want to talk to him!

But ignoring him is not an option; this guy is too slippery, his mind is full of twists and turns, and those pirates probably really can't outsmart him.

"Someone, send a message to the Marquis of Qingyang's residence, and immediately dispatch troops to reinforce Zongyang County!"

That night, Li Minghe and his staff studied maritime maps by candlelight.

"The sea areas of Guanhai, Qing'an, and Hexian are the only places pirates can pass through. We should send people to guard the entrances so that they can only enter but not leave!"

"Zongyang County is the final battlefield. Send a team to block their retreat at Meishan. Once they enter Meishan, the storm there will engulf them!"

"In this way, all we need to do is guard every entrance to Zongyang County and prevent them from escaping!"

"But, Your Highness, although the climate of Meishan is unique, how can we guarantee that a storm will occur at that time?" an aide asked a professional question.

Li Minghe paused for a moment, thinking to himself, "I'm not familiar with the Meishan area. If you ask me, who should I ask?"

But these were Fu Qiyuan's exact words, and they just needed to follow them.

Meishan, also known as Guimenguan, is located at the intersection of Zongyang County and Guyang County. Throughout the year, fishermen often witness strong storms and whirlpools rising from the sea as the temperature changes.

Although the locals knew the special nature of Meishan, this "gateway to hell," they didn't know the reason. The pirates, let alone knowing about Meishan, probably wouldn't care too much, since storms at sea aren't as regular and frequent as eating and sleeping.

The gangs of sea smugglers plundered valuable cargo from ships with impunity, causing widespread panic and forcing many merchant ships to cease operations.

Qingxia's brothers also tried to persuade him.

"Brother, as long as we talk to Manager Jiang, she won't blame us! Many ships outside have stopped operating; it's too dangerous!"

"Yes, brother, Manager Jiang is a sensible woman. She certainly doesn't want us brothers to risk our lives going out to sea!"

Xia Qing raised his hand to stop everyone and said in a deep voice, "It's precisely because there are too few ships going out to sea now that Manager Jiang's seafood supply is definitely insufficient. If we don't take this trip, the shop's business will definitely be affected!"

After saying that, he turned to look at everyone and said, "Brothers, Manager Jiang is our benefactor. I'm telling you this now: those who are willing to go to sea, come with me. If anything unfortunate happens to you, I, Xia Qing, will take care of your families for the rest of their lives and guarantee them a life of comfort!"

Jiang Yong looked intently at Xia Qing, raised his hand and said, "Uncle Xia, I'll go with you!"

Another young man raised his hand and said, "Brother, I'll go!"

Then, a few more people raised their hands and stood up.

In the end, only two middle-aged men hesitated and did not step forward.

Xia Qing stepped forward and patted one of the people on the shoulder, saying, "Your family is large, and everyone, young and old, is counting on you. Your mother is old, and if something happens to you, she will surely not survive. These next few days, you two should go to Jiang's private vegetable shop in town to help out. Bring your brothers along too, do more work, and earn some money for yourselves."

"Hey, thanks a lot, Brother Qing!" The man scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.

Under the cover of night, Xia Qing and his group boarded the ship and, risking their lives, sailed it into the vast ocean.

He wasn't a reckless fool; he carried a knife, and kept the valuable seafood hidden in the lower deck, while ordinary fish and shrimp were placed on the upper deck. He also brought some rotten and smelly fish and shrimp as cover.

The people on the boat were all dressed in tattered clothes, and they looked like a group of poor fishermen who made a living by fishing and selling fish.

When pirates encounter fishermen like this, they either kill them all if they're in a bad mood, or let them go if they're in a good mood; it's all a matter of luck.

Clearly, Xia Qing and his group weren't very lucky.

At midnight, the ship arrived at Qing'an. The Hai Sha Gang's ships appeared out of nowhere on the sea and surrounded Xia Qing's three ships.

When the torches illuminated Xia Qing and the others' faces, the pirates of the Sea Sand Gang saw a group of poor fishermen with blank, shocked, and fearful expressions.

"Boss, we've spotted three more ships!"

A pirate stood at the bow of the ship, a knife in his hand, seemingly examining what was on Xia Qing's ship.

Sha Laoda, the leader of the Hai Sha Gang, walked out from the crowd. His expression was not visible, but a conspicuous scar on his neck could be seen, which was ferocious and ugly.

"Where are you from? State your name." Boss Sha's voice was devoid of any emotion.

Xia Qing swallowed hard and stammered, "Gu...Gu Xian Town, where...fishing."

"A bunch of stinking fishermen, you've got some nerve! What good stuff do you have? Hurry up and bring it over to me!" Pirate A, standing next to Boss Sha, grinned.

With a pained expression, Xia Qing awkwardly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Boss Sha and said, "Gentlemen, we really..."

Jiang Yong suddenly rushed over from behind, glaring at Boss Sha, "No way! We finally caught a few big fish, and we're not giving them to anyone!"

"Xiao Yong...!" Xia Qing grabbed Jiang Yong and pushed him back desperately, her molars almost grinding to powder.

"Uncle! If we can't deliver the goods, our trip will have been for nothing. I'm not giving it to anyone!"

Jiang Yong roared gruffly, with tears welling up in his eyes.

"You brat, how dare you talk back to your grandpa!" Pirate A jumped onto Xia Qing's ship, grabbed Jiang Yong by the collar, and slammed him onto the deck.

Pirate B and Pirate C jumped down immediately afterward. Pirate B pushed Xia Qing aside, walked to a few wooden crates next to him, and cleaved them open with a single stroke of his knife.

Fish and shrimp of all sizes were scattered all over the ground, emitting an unbearable stench.

After splitting open the concealed wooden crate, Pirate B prepared to explore the ship's cabin.

Jiang Yong yelled, pushed away the pirate A who was holding him down, knocked down the pirate B, and pounced over to scoop the fish and shrimp on the deck into his arms.

Enraged, Pirate B drew his broadsword and slashed at Jiang Yong.

Jiang Yong dodged and, with a deft touch, gently pulled the man along, causing him to slip on the rotting fish and shrimp and fall to the ground, where the two rolled around in a heap.

Pirate A and Pirate C stood by, watching the spectacle unfold. Xia Qing tensed up and slowly moved her hand to the protrusion on her waist.

The sea breeze carried the stench of fish and shrimp from the boat onto Boss Sha's large ship. He covered his nose and said impatiently, "Alright, stop wasting time, come back!"

The last three words were emphasized.