Chapter 163 Pirate Invasion
I didn’t expect that Prefect Guo was so good at judging people.
Sima Wang was a gentle and refined man, and gave a very good first impression. If Lu Qian had not told her, Song Lingyi would never have imagined that he was a brutal pirate.
On second thought, although there was no evidence that pirates were about to attack, it would not be a bad idea to remind Mrs. Guo and let her go back and whisper in the ears of Governor Guo to strengthen the vigilance in the city.
Song Lingyi's dark eyes turned slightly, and she asked softly, "Madam, isn't the governor worried that Sima Wang will collude with the pirates?"
Mrs. Guo was stunned for a moment, then she covered her lips with her handkerchief and laughed out loud: "Miss Song really knows how to joke."
The laughter sounded like mockery and contempt.
“…” Song Lingyi frowned.
What's so funny about this?
After a while, Madam Guo was heard saying, "Let's not talk about the pirates who were driven away by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince a long time ago. Just look at this Sima Wang. He's an old sly guy who's only interested in climbing the social ladder. He's servile and submissive in front of officials and gentry. How can he be a pirate?"
"What if it's his disguise?"
Madam Guo pursed her lips and said firmly, "Impossible. Pirates aren't a respectable profession. What's he after? Why would a Sima who has no worries about food and drink do such a dangerous thing?"
"This..." That's true.
Song Lingyi was completely speechless. It was indeed difficult to convince people without evidence. If she said a few more words, she might be misunderstood and accused of slandering the official.
"The Guo family has been fighting against pirates since their ancestors and is well-known. With my master in Huaizhou City, pirates have to avoid them..." Mrs. Guo thought Song Lingyi was afraid of pirates, so she boasted about it.
The two chatted for a long time, and it was already noon when they saw Mrs. Guo off.
In the end, the jade porcelain bottle could not be returned. Song Lingyi asked her maid to keep it in the warehouse and return it to Madam Guo if she could leave Huaizhou City safely.
…
For two days, the city was calm and peaceful, without any signs of abnormality.
Lu Bao and others took turns to guard the yard. There was no other movement at night except for a few cat calls. The guards began to doubt the authenticity of the pirate invasion.
Until the evening of the third day.
As the sun sets in the west, smoke curls up from the streets.
The beautiful red glow dyed the entire sky, and the street vendors carried their loads and led their donkeys back home.
The gates of Huaizhou City close at 1:15 pm every day and open at 1:15 pm. Today the gates are closed as usual, probably because it is Christmas Eve.
The maids set the table in the courtyard. Everyone's initial tension had subsided and they started eating with their chopsticks, talking and laughing at the table.
The sound of laughter came into the hall. Song Lingyi held the ivory chopsticks and faced the food on the table, but was reluctant to pick up the food.
As Hongqi was spreading the dishes, she secretly looked at her daughter. Seeing that she looked worried, she asked softly, "Girl, why don't you eat?"
"I don't know why, but my heart is always beating fast, and I have no appetite."
"The pirates haven't come yet, so there's no point in worrying." Hongqi picked up a piece of eggplant and placed it on the porcelain plate. "The old lady always said that the more critical the moment, the more calm you need to be."
Song Lingyi sighed briefly and slowly took a bite of the eggplant box and chewed it.
It has been very busy these days. After the guards in the courtyard have eaten and drunk their fill, they sit under the old locust tree to cool off, while the maids are busy as usual.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the sky, which made everyone tremble.
Song Lingyi hurried out of the hall and saw the flames rising into the sky, illuminating the entire dark sky like the reappearance of the sunset.
Immediately afterwards, a guard at the gate came running in from outside. His face was as pale as if he had seen a ghost. He didn't care about etiquette and shouted anxiously as he ran: "Oh no! Oh no! Outside... on the street..."
"Don't be anxious, speak slowly." Song Lingyi said seriously.
The guard swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Miss, the pirates are coming! They're burning, killing, and looting in the streets. The city is in chaos!"
Sure enough, he came.
The courtyard was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Song Lingyi looked up at the sky. Explosions could be heard from time to time, and the flames showed no sign of subsiding.
"What's with all this fire? Did the pirates plant explosives in the city?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Bao came over with a knife in his hand, his expression stern.
"I've checked, and it's definitely explosives. The city gates and the market town have been blown up, and the city defenses are in tatters. I don't know if the pirates have buried explosives elsewhere, so it's best for us to hold our ground for now."
Song Lingyi's breathing became tight, and her eyes were filled with complex expressions.
The pirates were able to bury explosives at various key points, which meant they must have been deep in Huaizhou City for a long time. Even if she informed Governor Guo about the pirate attack, it would be too late. Once she alerted the pirates, it would only detonate the explosives in advance.
The streets were filled with wailing and the pirates were brazen and plundering wherever they went like hungry wolves. However, their primary target was not the common people, but the city's officials and gentry.
People living in coastal cities are quite experienced in dealing with pirates. They know that pirates are after money. Before the pirates break into their houses, the wealthy people have already moved out the gold, silver and treasures in the warehouse in order to save their lives.
But they didn't expect that these pirates were not satisfied with the money they took, and drove them to the city market like livestock.
The fire in the city burned for two hours, causing panic among the people.
The front yard of the Song residence.
The golden liquid in the iron pot was boiling hot, and the stench was overwhelming. The guards with long swords on their waists held torches, lighting up every corner of the courtyard as bright as day.
Suddenly, the sounds of tigers roaring and wolves running spread outside the courtyard. The guards felt like they were facing a great enemy, and they were nervous and a little frightened.
Bang, bang, bang—
The vermilion lacquered door was slammed loudly, and outside there was a chaotic shouting -
"Open the door!"
"If you want to live, open the door and hand over your money!"
"I advise you to surrender obediently. Once we attack, none of you will survive!"
The guards in the courtyard drew their swords and escorted the women into the main hall. Lu Bao strode to the gate and peered through the crack. A large group of men had gathered in the courtyard, each one looking ferocious and resembling a bandit. In the blazing firelight, he could see their clothing varied: some in plain clothes, others in officer uniforms.
There was a constant shouting outside the door. Lu Bao roared like a bell: "You rats, stop being so arrogant. If you have the guts, come in!"
Song Lingyi remained calm as she strode quickly from the top of the hall steps toward the main gate. She announced loudly, "Listen up, pirates outside! I've sent someone to Danyang County with a letter from the Duke of Jin, requesting reinforcements. If you value your lives, take the looted gold and silver and leave Huaizhou City before the reinforcements arrive!"
There was silence outside for a moment, followed by a burst of arrogant laughter.
"Reinforcements? Grandpas are not afraid of threats!"
"Even if reinforcements arrive, Huaizhou City is already in our hands, and the city's armaments are also in our hands!"
"The Danyang County Governor was beaten into submission by us a few years ago, and now even Governor Guo is our prisoner. You woman, you don't know shit!"
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