Chapter 169 Liaowang Bay Runs Aground
Shi Meng shook his head vigorously: "The Zhennan naval forces have long been disheartened with their commander Dai Rong, their morale has plummeted, and they are utterly demoralized. Not to mention that most of the ships are still able to go ashore, morale is not something that can be created at will."
Mu Xi expressed her understanding. After all, who could turn a blind eye to the fact that the commander-in-chief had taken the warship in exchange for a male concubine?
However, Mu Xi still held onto a sliver of hope: "What if we start training again and restore morale? After all, I am in charge now, not Zhu Mingjun and Dai Rong."
Shi Meng considered the ships, weapons, and personnel, and finally answered by counting on his fingers: "It will take at least two or three months. And it's impossible to reach the pirate leader's lair. At most, we can scare them and clear out the nearshore waters."
Rome wasn't built in a day, so Mu Xi had no choice but to compromise and order Shi Meng to intensify the training of the Zhennan Navy.
“One month.” Sugao simply held up one finger. “Otherwise, I won’t keep this kind of bloated, useless thing.”
"A month?" Mu Xi wasn't sure.
However, when it came to further bargaining, Sugao had already turned around and was heading towards the cabin while urging Sugao to disembark.
Guan Lan maintained a smile throughout, showing no sign of annoyance, and at the end, she couldn't help but glance at Mu Xun with interest.
At this point, the negotiations had failed. Mu Xi pulled Mu Xun and turned back to the cabin.
Bai Su and his men followed closely behind.
The negotiations failed, but fortunately, both sides kept their agreement and sailed away without further conflict.
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The Zhennan Naval Base was located in Liaowang Bay, which was under the jurisdiction of Jiping Prefecture.
Ever since the negotiations broke down, Mu Xi has been staying in this place with Bai Su and Shi Meng, focusing on training the naval forces.
Dressed in a dark blue fitted outfit with tight sleeves, Mu Xi hid in the tent, studying the nautical charts presented by Bai Su and his team.
More than half a month has passed since the last negotiation with Suga broke down. Suga's ships have been lying idly on the nearshore line, neither going far nor getting close, only sending small boats to sneak to nearby ports to dock when they resupply every three days.
Shi Meng's naval training has never slackened, but lacking overwhelming naval power, a direct attack remains a dead end.
It's already mid-December, and although the sea isn't frozen, the sea breeze is as sharp as a knife.
Mu Xi had had enough of the salty, damp, and cold seaside, and since she couldn't swim, she just stayed in her tent by the fire.
"Your Highness...Your Highness...Something terrible has happened..." A shrill scream suddenly came from outside the tent.
Just as Mu Xi realized who the somewhat familiar voice belonged to, Jiang Meng, soaking wet, stumbled in, supported by two soldiers.
"Young Master... the Second Young Master has been... kidnapped by pirates." Jiang Meng rushed in and hurriedly reported, then collapsed to the ground.
Immediately afterward, Mu Xi heard a commotion outside, and then Bai Su and Shi Meng quickly followed her in.
Shi Meng's exceptionally tall and robust figure immediately filled half of the tent.
Mu Xi's head was buzzing, as if she had fallen into an ice cave: "Who did you say was arrested?"
Jiang Meng was barely recognizable as a human, his body soaked in seawater, the seawater clinging to his skin and torn in many places, revealing gaping, white flesh from the seawater. He desperately repeated, "Second Young Master, Second Young Master has been captured by pirates, we... our ship was attacked... I jumped into the sea... I only survived by jumping into the sea."
Mu Xi's heart skipped a beat, and she almost fell over.
Thankfully, Bai Su reacted quickly and came to his aid.
Shi Meng then asked, "Why are you the only one here? Where are the others? Shouldn't your three patrol boats be arranged in a triangular formation, supporting each other from end to end? How could they have been hijacked by pirates?"
Jiang Meng's face was as white as paper, his lips were purplish-black, and he trembled all over: "Cough cough... Originally there were three boats, but then we spotted a suspicious small boat and followed it. Somehow, after circling around, our boat suddenly ran aground on a reef. Then several small boats appeared, moving like ghosts. They... they had powerful crossbows. Those... those... pirates jumped onto our boat like fleas... cough cough... we couldn't stop them..."
Mu Xi was not a good swimmer, and although he came to the seaside to supervise the training of the Zhennan naval forces, his main role was to boost morale.
Unlike Mu Xun, who had previously studied naval training in the Western Regions and was well-versed in water skills, Mu Xun also participated in Shi Meng's training of soldiers.
But who would have thought...
Jiang Meng took a couple of breaths and continued, "Our ship sank, and everyone who could be killed was killed. To save his subordinate, the Second Young Master pushed him overboard, and I saw that so-called 'Fourteenth Young Master,' that seductive one... he caught the Second Young Master in a fishing net..."
Jiang Meng had to stop and catch his breath at this point.
Mu Xi felt a splitting pain in her heart and her vision went black. She had to sit back down and pinch her thigh hard to keep from fainting.
Bai Su had already ordered someone outside the tent to summon the army doctor.
Mu Xi then remembered Doctor Luo, but unfortunately, the seaside military camp was a heavily guarded place, and Mu Xi returned to the inland almost every day, so she didn't let Doctor Luo and Tao'er come along.
Now that Mu Xun is no longer by his side, he has no one else to get close to.
Shi Meng ignored these minor details and kept pressing Jiang Meng for answers: "Did you see clearly that it was Su Lan? Not that Su Xiong? And what happened next?"
Jiang Meng's voice was shrill: "It was that sorcerer, no doubt. He was wearing that androgynous, sea-blue gauze robe... He netted the Second Young Master. The Second Young Master... the Second Young Master... he's such a clean person... how could he withstand a fishy net? That Guan Lan even drugged the Second Young Master, then loaded him onto a small boat and put him with a pile of dead fish... the Second Young Master..."
Jiang Meng, who is usually quiet, is now wailing and crying.
Shi Meng's booming voice pressed down: "Your ship ran aground, shouldn't the other two ships have come to its aid? Were all the people on all three ships killed?"
Jiang Meng's voice was filled with helplessness and deep humiliation: "All the brothers on this ship are gone... I saw them set the ship on fire with my own eyes, and then it sank. I was in the sea for a long time before I was able to get help from the other two ships and return to report the news. Your Highness, Your Highness... that Su Lan has ill intentions, you must find a way to rescue the Second Young Master as soon as possible."
After saying all this, Jiang Meng finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground again.
Mu Xi couldn't breathe; it felt like something was burning her heart.
She could almost see Mu Xun's usually spotless body placed on a filthy pirate ship, touched and carried by the filthy pirates... and even seen by that effeminate and perverted Guan Lan.
She couldn't stand it, and Mu Xun couldn't stand it even more.
what to do?
At this point, Mu Xi had no choice but to seek help from Bai Su.
Just as Bai Su was about to speak, the military doctor arrived from outside.
Bai Su then instructed the military doctor to examine Mu Xi first.
Mu Xi refused, and hurriedly ordered someone to help Jiang Meng downstairs so that the army doctor could examine his injuries.
Turning back, Mu Xi could wait no longer, but she was completely in the dark. She could only ask Bai Su, "General Bai, what should we do? I need you to rescue the Second Young Master at all costs as quickly as possible. Do you have a plan?"
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