Chapter 173 On the Pirate Ship
Inside a small courtyard in Wuwen County.
"Sir, I had them confirm three times, and they are quite certain that after Dai Nu split her forces in Tianchi County, the only ones accompanying her besides those traveling by water were a group of Xuanxiao cavalry traveling by land. The two groups still total two hundred men, with no new additions."
"Whether it was the original Tianchi, or Baiming at the last ferry, or Wuwen now, Dai Nu always stayed for a considerable amount of time. Whenever she arrived in a new town, she would often stop at restaurants and general stores, and she rarely returned empty-handed."
In the simple courtyard, Di Ting stood under an osmanthus tree, holding a cluster of golden osmanthus blossoms as brilliant as fireworks.
As the believer reported, the man's slender, pale fingers brushed across the osmanthus bushes, casually plucking a blossom. Instead of admiring or smelling it, he merely glanced at it before tossing it to the ground without a second thought. "Has she rejoined the previously separated groups after arriving in town?"
“Yes,” the believer replied. “The waterway is faster. Once Daiyu arrives in the town first, she will surely meet up with the main force before setting off again.”
Di Ting suddenly asked, "She must have changed boats along the way, right?"
The believer blurted out, "How did you know?"
Di Ting simply chuckled softly.
Because the ship was carrying cargo, the owner couldn't possibly be indifferent to time. Given her leisurely pace, even if offered money, not all ship owners would necessarily accept.
However, he was too lazy to explain these things to others.
"It's good that she can change boats. The opportunity is only on the river. Have someone arrange a small boat." Di Ting picked another osmanthus flower, but this time he didn't throw it on the ground. Instead, he crushed the flower juice in his hand with his fingertips. "This matter needs to be handled quickly. It must be done before any possible reinforcements arrive."
*
After a leisurely two-day rest at the post station in Wuwen County, Dai Li finally welcomed the weary land troops.
Just like last time, after the two groups met, the handover and reporting proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner.
Bai Jianping returned from outside. "Mistress, I went to Jinkou and asked. Two large ships said they could take us for a while. One is larger but older; the other is smaller but newer. Which one do you prefer, or should we just take both and combine two of our three teams into one?"
Their crew on the water was divided into three groups. On the journey from Tianchi to Wuwen, they changed boats twice because the boatmen were in a hurry.
In other words, only one ship and its crew remain intact from the beginning until now.
Dai Li tapped her fingertips lightly on the table a few times. "We need a big ship, not a small one. When the time comes, have Song Asan and his group come and ride the big ship with us. As for Zhang Danchen and his group, they can continue to ride the original ship; there's no need to change."
The "Song Asan" and "Zhang Danchen" she mentioned were both adjutants under Bai Jianping.
Bai Jianping nodded, "The two teams will be combined into one, and you'll have more people around you, which is better."
Dai Li: "When did you agree with the ship owner to set sail?"
Bai Jianping explained the exact time of Chen (7-9 AM) the next day.
Dai Li then asked him, "Does the large ship have any small boats for emergencies? If not, it would be best to have one or two. I overheard that there were water bandits in this section of the waterway, although after further inquiry I found out that it was more than ten years ago, but it's always better to be prepared."
Bai Jianping suddenly realized, "Your Majesty is so thoughtful. I'll go and do it right away."
*
A night passed in the blink of an eye. As dawn broke, the town slowly awoke from its silence, and a new day arrived as promised.
Today, as Chen was heading to the ferry to board the ship, Dai Li got up earlier than usual. However, this "early" was only relative to herself.
Jinkou was already bustling with activity in the early morning.
Various cargo boats, large and small, lined up like shuttles. Familiar boatmen and merchants huddled together, and after settling their money and goods, they left with smiles on their faces. There were also young merchants who looked like they were just starting out, wandering among the boats, comparing goods back and forth.
Suddenly, a small commotion arose in the small market at Jinkou.
The ferry crossing in this small county is not very fancy. It is not paved with bluestone slabs like those in large counties, nor is it as clean as those in big cities. Occasionally, there are a few dead fish and shrimp that have been dried out and smelly in the sun.
The local official, like officials in many other places, was lazy, like a fat, lazy cat who rarely left his private room.
Today, however, the usually unseen officials seemed to have been transformed, bustling around the procession led by a woman wearing a veiled hat.
He was extremely attentive, following closely behind, his mouth practically stretched to his ears in a wide grin. He was a far cry from his usual indifferent attitude towards the boatmen and fishermen.
"Who is that? To have Takatsuri as his companion, what a grand display."
"It's not just the official from Gaojin; that one in the blue robe with the round belly is clearly Magistrate Chen. Tsk, I wonder which noble family is traveling with such a large entourage, at least fifty people. Old Sun, do you think she has any chance of sending her men to sweep up all my fish?"
"Don't joke around. You little fish and shrimp? No important people would even notice you. Besides, when wealthy families travel, their chefs prepare the finest ingredients in advance, so there's no need for last-minute preparations."
"On the other hand, if this were a decade or two ago, such a grand procession would most likely have attracted the attention of the Wuwen River pirates. I still remember that the tyrant of the water was ruthless and barbaric, and he loved to target those tall, multi-story ships and slaughter the fat sheep."
"You also said that more than ten years ago, the area around Wuwen was very peaceful. Besides, she had many followers, so what could possibly happen to her?"
"Too."
...
The owner of the large ship we rented yesterday is surnamed Zhou. He is in his forties or fifties, has a round figure, and smiles like a Maitreya Buddha. He seems very easy to get along with.
He ordered his men to set up a plank bridge early to welcome the fat sheep... no, the distinguished guest, onto the boat.
Dai Li removed her veil and smiled at the person in front of her, "I'll leave the rest of the journey to Captain Zhou."
"I'm only doing what I'm paid for, you're too kind." The boat owner bowed slightly.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with him, Dai Li looked at her next destination.
The superstructure of this multi-story ship is located in the middle and rear of the ship, occupying about half of the space. A tall mast stands in front, with a small white cloth tied to the top that flutters in the wind.
The mast of the "丰" (Feng) frame was covered with rolled-up sails, and about three-quarters of the way up from the top, there was a small round plate resembling a watchtower, which could accommodate about one person.
A net-like hemp rope hung down from above, connecting to the small disc; climbing the rope was the only way to land on the disc. On both sides of the deck, there were stacks of square wooden crates, each about half a person's height.
These wooden boxes are very old; some of the planks have been worn smooth by handling, and it's impossible to know how many years they've been used.
Strangely enough, the box wasn't completely sealed. There were several round holes the size of chicken eggs on the lid side, but the inside seemed to be covered with a layer of cloth, which was gray and made it impossible to see what was inside.
It's probably some fruits and vegetables that need to be placed in a cool, well-ventilated place, Song Asan thought to himself absentmindedly.
The ship was three stories high, and Dai Li and her party occupied the entire third floor and half of the second floor.
Once everyone was on board, the plank bridge was retrieved, and the large ship, which had attracted the attention of all the boatmen and merchants at Wuwenjin Port, slowly departed from the shore.
Time slowly passed, and the golden crow in the sky gradually slanted westward, arriving at the time of twilight.
As usual, Bai Jianping sent his cooks to borrow a kitchen, but when the soldiers returned, they said, "Commander Bai, they have prepared dinner for us."
"What's going on? Didn't we agree with Captain Zhou that we would prepare our own dinner?" Bai Jianping frowned.
The soldier scratched his head. "It was agreed upon. But the merchant was probably greedy for money, so he was being overly attentive."
This is not an isolated case. It was the same when they first chartered the boat. They had clearly said that they would prepare their own food, but the boat company still sent some snacks or fruit after the meal.
Bai Jianping: "I refused. I don't need any of them."
With the meal arranged, Bai Jianping thought all was well for the day. However, just as she was about to eat, the Second Young Master walked in. The Commandant usually dined with the Mistress; had something happened?
While Bai Jianping was filled with doubt, Qin Yanzhou cut to the chase, "Commander Bai, there's a guy in the escort team with a black mole near his mouth. I just saw him sneaking into a room on the first floor."
Of course, that's a lie.
But Bai Jianping was unaware of this. He gasped, "They actually brought in some shady characters?"
The first floor was where the ship merchants lived.
Bai Jianping was deeply disgusted. "He came aboard with us. If a theft occurs, won't it be blamed on us? Dealing with petty thieves is a small matter, but damaging the mistress's reputation is a big deal."
Growing increasingly angry, Bai Jianping immediately said, "I'll go and arrest him."
"Bai Tunzhang, wait!" Qin Yanzhou called out to him. "To catch a thief red-handed, I only saw that he was acting suspiciously, but I haven't caught him stealing anything. Besides, he has probably already left. If we arrest him now, we will have no evidence. If he insists on denying it, it will only make us look like we are abusing our power."
Bai Jianping calmed down.
He then heard Qin Yanzhou continue, "Several martial arts masters were recruited with him, but it's unclear whether it's just his personal problem or if we've inadvertently infiltrated a den of thieves. Village Chief Bai, perhaps we should first check if any items are missing, and strengthen security tonight to prevent any thefts. Once we reach the next town, we can replace all of these people."
Bai Jianping agreed.
After Qin Yanzhou left, the seasoned garrison commander stood by the window for a long time.
The window was open, and a breeze carrying moisture from the river blew in, along with a faint, unpleasant smell of fishy goods. Along with it, a cloud of suspicion also drifted in.
This strange feeling arose from the very beginning of the division of forces, but it was initially suppressed by the mistress's words, "I have already sent the accent to the lord."
Later, the mistress, abandoning her former composure, insisted on traveling and sightseeing, and the mystery resurfaced. Now, the confusion seems to have become like an inkstone being constantly ground down, its color gradually deepening.
The second young master just said that someone sneaked into the first floor.
Why didn't he arrest him when he saw it? He himself said that catching a thief means catching him red-handed. If he had quietly followed him, wouldn't he have caught him red-handed?
Or perhaps, that person wasn't a petty thief at all, and...
Bai Jianping shuddered, a thin layer of sweat forming as he imagined the terrifying things that lay ahead. He went out of the room and ordered, "Set up two more shifts to keep watch tonight."
Hopefully, he was overthinking it, and hopefully, the second young master was just too lazy to catch the thief himself, which is why he didn't step forward.
...
Inside the room at the end of the first floor of the ship.
"Night has fallen, but they seem very vigilant; there are many soldiers on guard tonight. Brother, what should we do?"
"What's the rush? It takes three days by water from Wuwen to reach the next county. It's normal for them to be cautious on the first day of their journey. Haste makes waste, so let's just wait."
"Of course I can wait, but I'm afraid those ten or so brothers won't be able to."
"They traveled all night without sleeping, and now that they have food, drink, and sleep, what can't they wait for?"
"Then I won't leave the white cloth on top, and I'll change it to red tomorrow... Brother, is it tomorrow night?"
"Let's do it tomorrow night. The day after tomorrow, the ships should be near the new county, and it will be inconvenient to do things if there are too many people."
...
The deep darkness of night faded with time, and as the sky began to lighten with the first light of dawn, yesterday became a completely overturned chapter.
Bai Jianping leaned on the railing and gazed at the green mountains on both banks receding into the distance, as well as the white waves churning on the river. A fishy wind blew, and his sense of bewilderment deepened.
Nothing happened last night; it was a peaceful night.
Was he overthinking everything?
It was because his forces were so small that he was under a lot of pressure, which led to these unfounded fantasies.
My heart is filled with unease.
This unease reached its peak after sunset, just as I was about to fall asleep, when there was a sudden knock on the door.
The person outside the door surprised Bai Jianping.
It was Dai Li who arrived.
Her words shocked Bai Jianping even more: "Village Chief Bai, I suspect we've been tricked."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. Although I had a lot going on during the National Day holiday and couldn't be too happy, I still hope you all have a happy holiday! [droopy-eared rabbit head]
I'll try to finish writing the naval battle chapter in one go next. [Hands clasped in prayer]
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