Lin Mo

Sailing on inland rivers is very different from sailing on the sea. It is not just a matter of ship type and wind direction, but also because of the dense water network and complex waterways.

In other words, even experienced sailors may not be able to adapt to inland rivers.

It was a dark night. Lin Mo stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the dark river ahead and listening to the sound of water. His expression was solemn and tense.

"Captain, what's wrong?"

A voice came from behind. Lin Mo knew it was his first mate without turning around. Without hesitation, she said, "We haven't encountered any enemy troops all day, but small fishing boats have been popping up from time to time. I'm afraid there's an ambush ahead. Tell the rear troops to slow down and be on guard until dawn to avoid falling into a trap."

Unlike other fleets that participated in the ocean expedition, Lin Mo stayed in the camp for more than a year, responsible for clearing out the bandits on the Guangdong River.

This was an unassuming job, and there wasn't much danger involved. However, such a "stable" arrangement became an unparalleled advantage when it came to attacking Jiangdong and punishing the Tianding Army.

Because she was familiar with inland river warfare, she volunteered to be the vanguard. Unfortunately, she had few ships under her command and no experience in commanding an army, so she ended up becoming a scout for a small army.

Lin Mo had no complaints about this arrangement. Many people, out of consideration for her brother and even her status as the gang leader's confidant, simply hoped to give her a less dangerous mission. Rather than being sent back to guard the food route, it would be better to be a scout.

But these people probably didn't expect that this "idle job" would come in handy.

Shi Hao's eyes widened, but before anyone could explain, she reacted: "But they're ambushed at the fork in the river ahead? I'm afraid there won't be many people. Captain, our credit is here!"

They would launch a night attack or an ambush, but they definitely would not send out a large army. They might actually be able to gain some military merit, which would make the journey worthwhile.

Lin Mo rebuked him, "Now is not the time to worry about competing for credit. Let all the sisters on the boat get up and take turns on duty!"

Shi Hao shrank his neck, but didn't say anything else. He immediately arranged for people to deliver the message.

They were already sailing at night and in enemy territory, so when they suddenly heard such news, the rear army had to slow down no matter what.

Lin Mo had no intention of fighting for it. He led the team forward steadily, while also guarding against the enemy's sneak attacks.

However, until daybreak, they passed the river fork smoothly and found no trace of the ambush.

Was this a wrong guess? Misreporting military intelligence during battle was a serious or minor offense. Yet no one on board harbored any doubts. Instead, more and more female soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons, and the artillery on deck was ready, awaiting the order.

Because it wasn't just Lin Mo; every sailor who had experienced battle and witnessed pirates had noticed something was amiss. There were no fishing boats on the river. It was early in the morning, so those fishermen who made their living on the water would cast their nets at sunrise. Although this place was a bit remote, it wasn't so remote that not a single boat was visible. There had to be a reason for this unusual situation, so how could we afford to be complacent?

Lin Mo looked at the waves on the river, pondered for a moment, and suddenly ordered: "Turn the bow of the ship and shrink the formation!"

This was to lure the enemy out of the cave. Shi Hao immediately understood her intention and shouted orders. As flags fluttered and sails turned, the three warships turned in unison, as if they had suddenly realized something was wrong and wanted to retreat.

This action finally made the ambush troops unable to hold back. Almost immediately, the horn sounded, and more than a dozen small boats appeared from nowhere, rushing towards the boats like arrows.

They hadn't caught the big fish, so they couldn't let this little shrimp escape. If they let these scouts report back, how could they contain the smaller forces? Only by destroying these boats first could they force the Red Flag Army behind them into their trap.

In terms of military strategy, their reaction was incredibly swift. Furthermore, they had more boats, many of which were loaded with kerosene. Any contact would result in shipwreck and loss of life, a truly effective strategy for the enemy. Unexpectedly, before the group could even get close enough to ignite the fire, the roar of cannons erupted from the three boats!

Lin Mo's ships were equipped with cannons, four each, and they were all mounted on gun carriages, allowing them to be moved around freely. In a contest of strength, it was difficult for women to outperform men, but when it came to guns and cannons, what difference did it make between men and women? Even a cannonball weighing over ten pounds would be like a baby if held in the arms. What woman couldn't carry it?

Reloading, firing, clearing the chamber, and reloading, the women methodically loaded and fired, attacking the enemy, as if they could not hear the roar of the artillery or smell the billowing smoke. With the gunner at their side, their accuracy was even better.

Because Lin Mo turned around in advance and rearranged the formation, the pirate ships rushed in very closely and became living targets. They were smashed to pieces before they even got close to him, and some of them that were filled with kerosene caught fire directly.

All of them made their livings on the river, and they didn't have the courage to die together. Countless people, terrified, dived into the water, not daring to even show their heads. The rest just tried their best to sail away as quickly as possible. Before they even had a chance to engage in a boarding battle, this ambush was completely dispersed.

"Captain, it looks like we'll need to get some more cannons..." Shi Hao sighed, rubbing his hands as he watched the fleeing thieves. She was itching to get her hands on them, but the captain certainly had no intention of pursuing them. They were just scouts, and they had to reunite with the main army. How could they forget their duties?

Lin Mo didn't laugh, but simply said, "If they weren't so greedy and attacked at night, the cannon wouldn't be of much use. We should practice more martial arts and become proficient in swords and bows."

Only because she had noticed something was wrong in advance and slowed down the army's pace, the bandits hadn't been able to attack at night. If it was a night attack, artillery would be useless, let alone a small cannon like this that was only useful on the river.

But before Shi Hao could frown, she added, "We'll have gunboats sooner or later, at least the kind with thirty-six guns."

Shi Hao suddenly became excited and waved his fist vigorously: "Yes! The more firepower the gunboat has, the better! And we need to prepare more hand cannons. I heard that Master Ma has developed a new product. We can't fall behind! For the gunboat, I'm willing to eat less meat!"

The sheer number of cannons on their ship wasn't acquired through connections, but rather through the combined efforts of accumulated military merit, forsaken gold and silver, and a concerted effort. On the front lines, how could they not have more powerful weapons? Besides, with military merit, who would be worried about not getting paid in the future?

The little girl was now laughing and shouting like a rough man. Lin Mo didn't answer, but only raised the corner of his lips slightly. The deputy assigned to her by the gang leader was really energetic, making up for her shortcomings of being too quiet.

"No need to clean up the battlefield, hurry back as soon as possible. I'm afraid the enemy army has chosen this side, and a big battle is about to begin." Without further ado, Lin Mo gave a few instructions and turned to head back to the cabin. After a sleepless night, she needed to get some sleep first to avoid feeling exhausted.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she reached the cabin door, she saw a little girl huddled in the corner of the aisle, clutching a mop tightly. Since there were female soldiers on board, there would naturally be menial tasks. She had chosen the orphans from the Luo family on the island. They were younger, new to combat, and inevitably frightened.

At this time, it was appropriate to comfort her, but before Lin Mo could speak, the girl suddenly looked up and tremblingly said, "Captain, what should we do if thieves board the ship?"

The thought of a boatload of women being attacked and boarded by thieves was terrifying. She seemed completely unaware of the victory her family had already achieved. She was still terrified, so frightened that she just wanted to hide.

Lin Mo knew what she was afraid of, and he also knew the answer to this question: "If the thieves come aboard, we'll fight them on the deck. Isn't that why we learn martial arts?"

The girl blinked, seeming a little bit unbelievable: "You, you guys aren't afraid?"

As if remembering something, Lin Mo suddenly laughed: "Let me tell you a secret, 80% of men will be more afraid when they see a woman pick up a knife and start killing people. When you are covered in blood, the enemy will lose their courage."

Since becoming the captain, Lin Mo has rarely smiled. She is solemn and rigid all day long, like a stone sculpture. But at this moment, when she smiled, she showed some of the lightheartedness and cheerfulness that should be expected at her age.

Stunned by these words and the laugh that completely contradicted them, the little girl paused for a moment before she remembered, "What about the remaining 20%?"

"The remaining 20% ​​will become greedy and even more brutal." Lin Mo's smile faded slightly, and he said seriously, "But they will also look down on you and involuntarily show mercy. After all, swords have no eyes, so you have to leave some warm ones. On the battlefield, looking down on the enemy is a death sentence."

She must have encountered many enemies and faced life-and-death battles, but she was not afraid and did not take those men seriously.

Somehow, the little girl stopped shaking, and her fear turned into another question, a question that made her want to stand up and ask it out loud. How could she be like the captain, not afraid of the enemy, and stand in front of people and say these words?

Lin Mo didn't say anything else, just patted the girl on the top of her head and strode into the cabin.

As long as they get on her boat, these people will change their appearance sooner or later, becoming more like her, more like Shi Hao, or even more like the gang leader.

She can wait and doesn't mind spending more time and energy.

This is much more interesting than having children and doing housework. After experiencing these, who would be willing to let go?