Chapter 580 Expanding the Army!
(Thanks to Yuanjun Xiaoyu for casting 8 monthly votes.)
Upon hearing this, the man kneeling on the ground showed grief and indignation on his face.
He kowtowed heavily to Li Shiyue, who had stood up, his voice filled with sobs and hatred: "Replying to the General!"
Our ship is loaded with a whole cargo of silk and fine cloth from Jiangnan! It's worth a fortune!
He took a breath and continued, "Those damned Japanese pirates!"
Not only did they seize the boat, but they also moved all the cargo onto their own big ship and then sailed our 'Yongning' away!
They even killed Steward Zhou on the spot!
They just dumped us useless laborers on that little island like trash!
On that island, the Japanese pirates wouldn't feed us; they'd only give us a bucket of thin porridge occasionally.
We originally had more than twenty brothers, but due to lack of food and water, some fell ill and others died... When the general arrived, there were only seventeen of us left..."
The man's cries echoed in the study, filled with the complex emotions of despair followed by salvation.
Li Shiyue listened in silence, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.
Her face was calm, but deep in her eyes surged a cold anger and a sharp glint.
The rampant activities of the Japanese pirates far exceeded her expectations.
They not only plunder the coast, but now they dare to openly hijack large cargo ships, rob valuable goods, and even abandon Han people to die!
This is no longer just harassment, but an organized and premeditated act of maritime piracy, which must be backed by a huge network for selling stolen goods and a base supporting its activities.
"I understand."
Li Shiyue's voice broke the silence, carrying an undeniable composure: "You have suffered."
Take good care of yourself in the camp for now, and I will send someone to settle you down.
I am acquainted with your employer, and I will arrange for you to return to Jiangnan soon.
As for your ships and cargo..."
Li Shiyue paused, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "This general will personally retrieve it! I will take back the principal and interest!"
After Sun Xiaoliu took the people away and made proper arrangements, Li Shiyue stood alone in front of the huge nautical chart, her gaze piercing as if she wanted to see through the chart and into the turbulent East China Sea.
The Japanese pirates must be wiped out, and quickly and ruthlessly!
We must never allow them to come to Jian'an to "beg for alms" as they have in the past, and we must never let them think that Han Chinese ships are property that they can plunder at will!
But what about the three "Breaking Waves" ships that Li Shiyue currently possesses?
Steel-hulled Fujian ships were certainly good, but their numbers were too small to deal with multiple groups of Japanese pirates at the same time, let alone carry out large-scale suppression of the pirates or escort local merchant ships.
The two old warships that the garrison originally had were slow and poorly defended, making them completely unusable.
Expand the army!
We must quickly build a fleet that can truly dominate the East China Sea and strike fear into the hearts of Japanese pirates!
A bold plan quickly took shape in Li Shiyue's mind.
She needs more ships, not only for combat, but also for transporting troops and supplies, and for long-term, long-distance patrols and mopping-up operations.
She immediately went to the desk, spread out the letter paper, and dipped her brush in ink.
This time, she not only wanted to learn more about Jiangnan from Yan Jiuniang, but also to make an even more astonishing request.
With swift, flowing strokes, the letter was quickly written.
She blew on the ink to dry it, rolled up the letter, and stuffed it into a specially made copper tube.
Upon arriving outside the study, he summoned the golden eagle and tied the copper pipe to its claws and legs.
I reached out and stroked the golden eagle's head feathers twice, then raised my arm, and the golden eagle cried out before soaring into the sky.
One day later, in Jiangnan, at the Yan residence.
Yan Jiuniang read Li Shiyue's letter, her beautiful brows furrowing more and more tightly.
In the first part of the letter, Li Shiyue briefly described the rescue on Guihou Island and asked Yan Jiuniang about the current situation in Jiangnan and more detailed clues about the hijacking of the "Yongning".
The latter part of the letter made even the seasoned Yan Jiuniang gasp slightly.
Li Shiyue actually wanted to rent all the remaining ships she owned!
Including those largest Fujian ships capable of long-distance voyages!
The lease is valid until the end of October!
Li Shiyue, her move is too extravagant!
Li Shiyue is practically draining most of the transportation capacity managed by Yan Jiuniang under the name of "Mr. Yan"!
Under normal circumstances, Yan Jiuniang would never agree to such a request!
Seagoing vessels are the lifeblood of businesses, and the losses from a month-long shutdown are immeasurable.
But... Yan Jiuniang's gaze swept over the letter again, and also over the seemingly prosperous yet turbulent Yangzhou city outside the window.
In fact, it wasn't just the "Yongning" that was recently hijacked; her ship "Guangshun" was also robbed by Japanese pirates on its way back from Fuzhou in Jiangnan East Road.
However, the "Guangshun" was sailing in coastal waters, and when it encountered Japanese pirates, the pirates only looted some goods and then ran away.
The "Guangshun" and most of its crew returned safely to Jiangnan.
However, given the current situation, if the Japanese pirates are ignored, they will inevitably expand their plundering scope, and her merchant ships will be at risk of being plundered.
Thinking of this, Yan Jiuniang got up and went to the hidden compartment of the bookcase, taking out an exquisite wooden box.
The wooden box contained urgent reports delivered by the managers of grain stores throughout Dalong, whom she had arranged to send.
Recently, the situation in various parts of Dalong has become even more severe than she mentioned in her previous reply to Li Shiyue.
It's not just a matter of soaring grain prices in various prefectures and regions of Da Long;
Rather, it was from the heated struggle between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince in Kyoto that signs of obstruction appeared in the canal transport along the Dalong River.
According to the news relayed back by the grain convoy, some rioters have already stormed the grain shipment!
Meanwhile, due to the continuous drought from last year to this spring, the autumn harvest in several major grain-producing areas in southern Dalong is almost certain to be significantly reduced, and the reduction will be even greater than in the previous two years!
Local governments have begun to secretly restrict the export of grain;
On the surface, things seemed fine, but in reality, the number of displaced people was increasing, and armed clashes and grain robberies were frequent, while the government granaries were becoming increasingly depleted...
A storm is brewing.
Yan Jiuniang knew that chaos was coming, and no business could compare to having grain and soldiers in hand.
The boldness, vision, and aggressive spirit that Li Shiyue displayed in her letter gave Yan Jiuniang a glimpse of another possibility.
Investing in Li Shiyue might be more valuable than holding onto these fleets that could be swept away by the turbulent times at any moment.
Moreover, Yan Jiuniang did send a letter to Liu Tan;
However, due to military affairs and Jiang Huijun's persistent request to establish an heir, Liu Tan only told Yan Jiuniang, "You decide what to do. If it doesn't work, withdraw some ships."
Yan Jiuniang also understood Liu Tan's situation; Liu Tan felt that coastal affairs did not need to be concerned for the time being.
Once he has dealt with those in the army who wanted to support the crown prince and resolved the internal power struggles, he will have some free time to settle accounts with the Japanese pirates.
but!
Time waits for no one!
Liu Tan was in Jinzhou, surrounded by heavy troops, so he could feel at ease.
But what about the people living along the coast?
And what about those merchants who rely on the sea for shipping and trade?
Yes, as Mr. Yan, even if she really stopped shipping this season, she wouldn't have to worry about making a living.
If all else fails, she can simply send all her men inland to join the caravans.
She and her men at least managed to put food on the table.
How will the coastal people who rely on her fleet for food survive?
A single hair can affect the whole situation!
This is not something that can be easily resolved by simply talking about it.
Yan Jiuniang looked at the secret letter that Li Shiyue had sent by Golden Eagle on the table.
Let's do it!
What's there to be afraid of?
Let's do it!
Moreover, Li Shiyue promised to pay a high rent and use the priority supply rights for future sea salt as collateral to lease the seagoing vessel from Yan Jiuniang.
Sea salt is the hardest of the hard currencies!
Whether in peacetime or wartime, this is a good thing!
Yan Jiuniang no longer hesitated. She spread out the letter paper, sat down at the table, and began to write a reply to Li Shiyue.
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