Chapter 582 If we're going to do it, let's do something big!
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That evening, three heavy boxes of silver were "silently" carried into the governor's mansion.
Looking at Zhou Deyong's almost obsequious words on the gift list, Li Shiyue smiled knowingly.
She naturally understood the thoughts of these wealthy and powerful men; they were simply afraid of power but not of virtue.
But she didn't care.
She now needs all the resources to arm herself, to accumulate strength, and to prepare for the future.
This money came at just the right time, allowing her to buy more grain and fodder, and to make more arrows and crossbows.
"Register and store them in the warehouse, and use them all as military funds."
She casually handed the gift list to Sun Xiaoliu beside her, her tone indifferent, as if it were just three boxes of stones, "Tell the Zhou family that I have received Zhou Dajia's 'goodwill'."
Li Shiyue turned her gaze back to the huge nautical chart on the table, pointing with her finger to an archipelago area further east of "Turtle Roar Island".
The Yan family's fleet is about to arrive, and local ships in Jian'an can be collected within three days.
Soon, a massive fleet will take shape in her hands.
With the silver and the ships in hand, it's time to let those Japanese pirates entrenched in the deeper waters hear the deathly roar of "Breaking Waves"!
Li Shiyue's gaze was sharp as a knife, as if she could see through the map and foresee the impending journey of blood and fire.
The shouts of the Xuanjia Army's main camp and the Zhenjun training ground never ceased day and night, as the soldiers sweated profusely in the water, on the boats, and on the beach.
The recruited craftsmen were busy reinforcing the ship's planks and adding shields, transforming the seagoing vessel into a warship.
Cartloads of grain, arrows, and kerosene were loaded onto the ships.
Li Shiyue personally led a team aboard the "Breaking Waves II" to conduct high-intensity patrols and probing attacks on the waters surrounding Jian'an, based on clues provided by the Yan family and reconnaissance by golden eagles.
No longer content with simply holding the line, she took the initiative to strike, like the most astute hunter searching for traces of the Japanese pirates at sea.
Small groups of Japanese pirates who went out to scout ahead encountered Li Shiyue in their sampans or small sailboats, which was a terrible misfortune for them.
Often, before the Japanese pirates could even see the approaching ship clearly, they would be overtaken by the incredibly fast "Breaking Waves" and directly rammed, resulting in the destruction of their ship and the deaths of their crew.
Li Shiyue's name, along with that strange ship that flew at breakneck speed without a sail, and the elusive golden eagle, began to truly become the nightmare of the Japanese pirates in the East China Sea.
The Japanese pirates finally realized that a completely different Han Chinese general had arrived in Jian'an. She was ruthless, did not defend but launched counterattacks, and possessed terrifying power that they could not understand.
The Japanese pirates began to retreat, attempting to regroup their forces.
But this was exactly what Li Shiyue wanted.
She wanted to force them to move. Before they could assemble, she would use the speed of the "Breaking Waves" and the intelligence advantage of the Golden Eagle to defeat them one by one!
In mid-September, at Zhenjun Naval Port.
Li Shiyue stood at the bow of the "Breaking Waves II" ship, gazing at the fleet of ships with masts standing like a forest in the harbor, her eyes filled with unwavering determination.
The sea breeze grew stronger, causing the large "Li" flag to flutter wildly.
She drew her long sword from her waist, pointed it at the vast sea to the east, and said in a clear, resolute voice: "Raise the troops! Prepare for voyage! Target—"
Snake Coil Island!
I will use the heads of the Japanese pirates to consecrate my flag!
On the East China Sea, an unprecedented anti-piracy and suppression storm, initiated by Han Chinese generals, is about to begin.
At the heart of this storm is a female general named Li Shiyue and her rising naval power—the Zhenhai Army.
For the next two weeks or so, Li Shiyue continued to take the initiative in this manner.
With the high-altitude vision of the golden eagle and the amazing maneuverability of the three "wave-breaking" Fujian ships equipped with "spirit motors" that disregard wind direction;
On the vast East China Sea, she led more than thirty ships of varying sizes to accurately locate the hideouts, supply points, and patrol fleets of Japanese pirates between islands.
Then, with overwhelming power, she dealt a devastating blow to the Japanese pirates.
This time, Li Shiyue took almost all the strength of the Zhenjun and Xuanjia Army with her, leaving less than a thousand people to defend the main camp in Jian'an City and along the coast.
If we're going to do it, let's do it big!
With nearly three thousand soldiers and more than thirty ships of various sizes, he dealt with the Japanese pirates on the East China Sea by sometimes splitting his forces to harass them and sometimes launching a combined attack to annihilate them.
Li Shiyue fully utilized the tactical advantages of the steel-hulled Fujian ships, defeating the Japanese pirates and striking them with dread.
The Japanese pirates couldn't understand how the Han Chinese ships could arrive so quickly and accurately.
And it's not afraid of the wind stopping at all!
Often, just as they spotted the enemy and before they could even set sail, the terrifying steel monster ship would be right in front of them, either rammed and sunk by the "wave-breaking" ship or dazzled by a hail of arrows and batons from the soldiers standing on other ships.
In less than half a month, Li Shiyue's name truly became a nightmare for the Japanese pirates scattered throughout the East China Sea.
"Blood Rakshasa," "The Female General Who Rids Eagles," "The Master of the Iron Ship That Breaks Waves"... all sorts of chilling titles circulated among the Japanese pirates.
They were horrified to discover that they, who used to be the hunters, had now become Li Shiyue's prey!
That fleet from Jian'an didn't play by the rules at all.
It was through their extreme speed, sturdy hulls, and accurate intelligence that they carried out efficient massacres and plunder against the Japanese pirates hiding on the islands in the East China Sea.
Using war to sustain war, Li Shiyue's fleet quietly expanded with each victory.
Usable ships captured from the Japanese pirates were incorporated into the fleet, and the captured pirate leaders were executed on the spot, their heads pickled and stored away. The remaining Japanese pirate prisoners were scattered and placed on the small islands they had captured to serve as laborers.
The captured gold, silver, and other supplies were continuously transported back to Jian'an, with some used to reward the army and others to further manufacture weapons and provide compensation for the wounded and injured.
With the Japanese pirates gone, Li Shiyue received gold and silver, and had enough money to support his army.
With the coastline secured, merchant ships could navigate safely, leading to flourishing trade and the acquisition of gold and silver.
This creates a virtuous cycle.
The army's morale soared, and the soldiers' worship of Li Shiyue reached a blind level—following the general meant meat to eat, merit to be earned, and the thrill of killing!
Finally, at the last moment of the southeast monsoon, the various leaders of the Japanese pirates, who were hiding on the largest island, Shepan Island, gathered together.
This time, their purpose in gathering was no longer to easily plunder the wealthy coastal areas of Dalong, but to deal with the "Blood Rakshasa"—Li Shiyue—who was constantly advancing eastward and had seriously threatened their survival!
The mounds of kyō on Tsushima Island, the repeatedly attacked strongholds, and the loss of manpower and ships were like sharp knives piercing the hearts of these Japanese pirate leaders.
Fear and anger intertwined. They understood that if they did not eliminate Li Shiyue and completely defeat him, they would have no place to stand in the East China Sea, and the "feast" they held every autumn would become a thing of the past.
Thus, an unprecedentedly large combined fleet of Japanese pirates was assembled.
There were more than fifty ships of various sizes, several of which were modeled after the Han Chinese Fujian ships and were considered the main warships in the hands of the Japanese pirates.
They gathered more than three thousand ronin and pirates!
They vowed to annihilate Li Shiyue in one fell swoop, wash away the shame, and regain hegemony over the East China Sea.
At the end of September, this massive fleet of Japanese pirate ships sailed westward in a grand procession, taking advantage of the southeast wind.
They were certain that Li Shiyue was still active somewhere in the East China Sea, and they were trying to find him and fight him.
However, they once again underestimated Li Shiyue, the power of the golden eagle, and the fact that the Fujian ship equipped with the "spiritual power motor" was an existence that could crush sailing ships.
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