Chapter 617 Yes, she lied again.
(Thanks to Xingzhi for casting a monthly vote.)
Moreover, this kind of fasting pill is almost ignored in the cultivation world, even though it is cheap and one pill can satisfy the hunger and thirst of an ordinary person for several days.
However, for cultivators in the cultivation world, apart from low-level Qi Refining stage cultivators, no one would eat it.
If Qi Refining cultivators had a choice, they would prefer to eat human food rather than Bigu pills—that tasteless, bland stuff.
After Sun Xiaoliu finished speaking, Chen Yong, who was standing on the other side, also spoke up: "General, all thirteen 'Breaking Waves' ships have been inspected and are in good condition, with sufficient power and firepower!"
As Chen Yong finished speaking, Li Shiyue's gaze also turned to the dozen or so "Breaking Waves" ships moored at the port—they were made entirely of gray-white steel with simple and smooth lines.
These ships are large in tonnage, sturdy in structure, undaunted by wind and waves, and, more importantly, they are much faster than wooden boats.
What's more, a steel ship against a wooden ship is a sure thing!
What Chen Yong mentioned—ample firepower—is Li Shiyue's most crucial trump card in this eastern expedition!
They were tightly covered and placed in the deepest part of "Breaking Waves".
That was what Li Shiyue obtained through a transaction with Zhang Lanlan from the future world, using a considerable amount of system gold coins—ten miniaturized cannons, suitable for the technological level of this era and barely maintainable, along with a batch of high-explosive shells.
Zhang Lanlan also put in a lot of effort and experimented many times before she was able to "handcraft" these cannons and shells for Li Shiyue.
These cannons are naturally inferior to the weapons used in a world dominated by firearms, but in this era dominated by cold weapons, this is undoubtedly a game-changer.
Li Shiyue believed that, with the help of these cannons, she might be able to land directly in Japan in less than a month, at most half a month!
Of course, Li Shiyue also gave this cannon a name—Thunder God Cannon!
Listen to this, just listen to it, isn't that name impressive enough!
However, while the cannons and shells were available, the difficult problem was training the artillerymen.
Having no other choice, Li Shiyue directly selected a group of craftsmen from the workshop and, under the premise of absolute secrecy, taught them the cannon instruction manual that Zhang Lanlan had given her.
It is indeed a bit much to ask of craftsmen to use this instruction manual to learn the most basic knowledge of artillery maintenance and operation.
After all, many craftsmen only know how to write their own names.
But Li Shiyue didn't have the time to train artillerymen.
"Let's just make do with this for now. It's meant to hit enemy ships anyway, so it doesn't matter whether we hit the bow or the stern!"
Li Shiyue comforted herself with these words.
These were not the only preparations Li Shiyue made for his eastern expedition against Japan.
Combat readiness is not just about supplies and weapons, but also about the human factor.
Three years ago, the Japanese pirates captured in the Battle of Shepan Island were brought back to Jian'an and forced to perform cruel labor in mines and quarries throughout Jian'an.
Over the course of three years, they suffered heavy casualties, with about six out of ten of them losing their lives.
Those who survived had long since lost most of their ferocity, leaving only the instinct for survival.
However, just as Li Shiyue had predicted, there will always be people who find a way to rise above hardship.
Among the nearly one thousand prisoners, there were a few relatively clever Japanese pirates who knew how to read people's expressions and even learned to communicate in Chinese within a short period of one year.
By currying favor with the overseer, they were gradually promoted to minor stewards among the prisoners.
The news that Li Shiyue was going to launch an eastern expedition against the Japanese pirates had never been concealed.
During the Jian'an period, almost everyone knew about this matter.
After all, when Li Shiyue announced that Jian'an would accept refugees, she had already said that she needed people, soldiers, and to attack Japan to nip the threat of Japanese pirates in the bud and ensure Jian'an's peace for the next few decades or even a century!
Therefore, a former Japanese pirate leader named Yamamoto Shun, working at the mine, conveyed a message to Li Shiyue through the mine's overseer—he was willing to pledge allegiance to Li Shiyue and lead the Zhenhai Navy to the Japanese mainland. He could point out the locations of Japanese ports, waterways, and even the strongholds of some important forces.
Li Shiyue found this Japanese pirate named Yamamoto Shun very interesting, so he met him in person.
When Yamamoto Shun met Li Shiyue, he wore a humble, obsequious smile, but his eyes concealed cunning and a desire to survive.
"General, I am fully aware of my grave sins and am willing to atone for them through meritorious service!"
When we left Japan, the relationship between Emperor Heian-kyo and the Fujiwara clan had deteriorated, and they were engaged in a power struggle.
Japan's coastal defenses are lax. I am familiar with the Seto Inland Sea routes and know where to land and where there are rich places to plunder... I only beg the general to spare my life and give me a way out.
Li Shiyue looked at Yamamoto Jun with a smile, but her eyes were as cold as knives, as if she were looking at a tool.
Your life depends on your worth.
If you dare to harbor any disloyal thoughts, you will be begging for death; this general will have you executed by slow slicing.
Although Li Shiyue was very confident in landing on the Japanese mainland, the actual difficulty of conquering Japan after landing would be considerable.
With this group of "guides," they can at least play a role in Li Shiyue's future plans.
Therefore, Li Shiyue "accepted" Yamamoto Shun's "loyalty".
After learning that Li Shiyue had accepted Yamamoto Shun's allegiance, nearly a hundred Japanese pirates also wanted to pledge allegiance to Li Shiyue and become his "traitors".
Li Shiyue naturally accepted all comers and scattered them on different guide ships, each guarded one-on-one by the Zhenhai Navy.
At the same time, she ordered the garrison commanders to meticulously record and cross-reference the information provided by each Japanese pirate, including water depth, reef location, and coastal defense outpost.
If any contradiction is found between the testimonies of the two parties, the individuals involved will be immediately detained in separate rooms and subjected to rigorous interrogation.
These Japanese pirates, who were loyal to her, became a double-edged sword in her hands that she had to use carefully, but they did make up for the lack of intelligence about the Japanese mainland by the Zhenhai Navy.
Of course, for Li Shiyue, if these Japanese pirates, represented by Yamamoto Shun, become useless in the future, then it's simple: just kill them.
It's not a big deal.
Li Shiyue knew that these Japanese pirates' "loyalty" was nothing more than opportunism in a desperate situation, and their loyalty was almost non-existent.
Therefore, Li Shiyue had secretly instructed Sun Xiaoliu to poison these people.
Yes, Li Shiyue never intended for these people to live.
Yes, she lied again.
She outwardly agreed to accept Yamamoto Shun's "loyalty" and spared his life;
In reality, she had already poisoned Yamamoto and his men, and by the time she landed in Japan, they would have been dead from the poison.
After all, in Li Shiyue's view, these Japanese pirates who plundered Jian'an deserved to die.
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