Bai Jianping's pupils trembled slightly, and then he heard himself asking in a calm tone, "Madam, why do you say this?"
It was strange. He should have been dumbfounded, but that wave of surprise was inexplicably shallow, like a rising tide on a beach—seemingly turbulent, but when stepped into, it didn't even reach the knees.
Dai Li said hesitantly, "There is something wrong with the incense in my room. When the windows are closed tight, I feel drowsy, my consciousness seemingly sinking into water, unable to float up. But if I open the window to look at the river view or step outside, I feel much more energetic. Later, I had the maid remove their incense burner, and the effect was almost immediate; that exhausting drowsiness disappeared."
As she finished speaking, she saw the muscles in Bai Jianping's jaw tighten, and added, "Of course, that is just my suspicion. They could also say that the incense was lit to let me rest more and spare me the suffering of seasickness. Furthermore..."
Dai Li's voice lowered a pitch. "Today on the deck, I thought I saw a few crossbows. Would a civilian ship have such things? I haven't traveled much by boat, so I'm not too sure."
Bai Jianping seemed to hear a clang. Ah, it was the sharp sword suspended up high finally falling.
Ordinary hunters use bows, the most common being the long-siyah bow. The structure of a crossbow is much more complex, requiring bronze-cast trigger mechanisms.
How could such heavily regulated items be so easily obtained?
Bai Jianping said without hesitation, "Madam, Zhang Danchen and the others are following right behind us. I will find an excuse to have the two ships sail side by side and let them come over."
Dai Li stopped him. "It is already late at night. This ship owner surnamed Zhou has a large vessel; who knows how many people are actually on board? Rashly notifying the rear will only alert the enemy. It's better to wait until we reach the next town and then suddenly change our minds and replace them."
Bai Jianping didn't speak, just stared at Dai Li, and suddenly blurted out, "Madam, did you already know?"
Dai Li paused, her eyes flashing slightly. "Know what?"
"Many things. For example, that there is a problem with this ship, or that our journey by water might not go smoothly," Bai Jianping said.
Dai Li raised a hand to smooth her hair at her temples, her voice gentle. "Commander Bai must be joking. I am no immortal, so how could I have the ability to foresee the future? Besides, the Marquis and I are husband and wife; we are one, and our interests are closely linked. Why would I knowingly walk into a tiger's den?"
Bai Jianping choked on his words. He actually had many questions he wanted to ask.
He wanted to ask why she didn't inform him immediately when she saw the crossbows on the deck. It was still daylight then, wasn't it? Many things that were now too late to do wouldn't have been too late then. He also wanted to ask why she insisted on dividing the troops; why the initial letters were delayed time and time again; and even more, what was the cause behind all these anomalies?
But he couldn't bring himself to ask any of it.
Not to mention that he didn't have the status to pursue the matter; even if he were qualified, the Madam, who had already denied it, wouldn't necessarily be honest.
"It's getting late. I will go back and rest first." Dai Li took her leave.
After stepping out of the room, she didn't go back directly, but walked all the way to the end of the third floor.
Leaning against the railing and looking out from here, one could see the deck piled high with cargo and the tall mast. The white flag at the top of the mast had been replaced by a red one at some unknown time. The bright red flag fluttered in the wind, its rippling curves looking like churning waves of blood.
On the small circular platform under the mast used for keeping watch, a dark figure was currently standing. However, due to the height difference between the two, Dai Li couldn't see the person's face clearly.
But she knew he was there.
Setting out from Wuwen, it would take two nights and three days to reach the next town. And with many people in the town, it was not a good place to start a rebellion.
The first night had already passed; only tonight remained...
She could wait, but the Green Lotus Cult could not.
How many days had it been since the messenger set off for Chang'an City? Oh, it had been seven days. If the reinforcements hurried, they would still need two days to arrive.
She had a premonition that it would be tonight!
A thin layer of fog rose over the river. In the misty fog, the surrounding ships were cloaked in a half-hidden haze, and the green hills on both banks also became blurred, like some indifferent onlookers standing by.
Dai Li turned and went back to her room.
What needed to be hinted at had been hinted at; what needed to be arranged had been arranged. The rest was just waiting—waiting for the prey to fall into the trap!
Dai Li changed her clothes and went to sleep fully dressed. With things on her mind, she didn't sleep too deeply tonight, so when the first unusual sound erupted, she woke up immediately.
Sitting up while holding the quilt, Dai Li shook her head and soon heard someone pounding bang, bang on her door outside.
"Madam!" It was Nianxia's voice, sounding very urgent. "We seem to have encountered water bandits."
Almost as soon as the last word fell, the door was suddenly pulled open. Nianxia couldn't help but be stunned, astonished by how quickly the person inside opened the door, and...
Madam had actually changed out of her dress!
She was wearing a black riding habit, the belt tied very neatly, not at all looking like it had been fastened in a hurry.
Nianxia stood frozen in place.
Dai Li walked past her out the door, leaned against the railing at the doorway, and looked down. She saw several dark figures scurrying across the deck below, sprinting towards the cabins, inevitably clashing with the crew members along the way.
Snow-white blades clashed with a clanging sound, and sharp shouts rang out continuously in the dark night, startling an unknown number of sleepers awake.
The area below quickly descended into chaos.
But compared to the melee on the deck, Dai Li was more concerned about the small boats rapidly approaching the side of the tower ship, or those already clinging to it.
Dark figures rode on the boats. These people quickly tossed the grappling hooks in their hands upwards. The multi-pronged iron hooks caught the edge of the ship, the ropes pulled taut, and the men below climbed up like geckos.
There were also black-clad men who had already boarded but were not in a hurry to charge forward. They spread out in a belt-like formation around the ship, efficiently assisting their companions who were still boarding.
Everything was methodical and orderly.
At a glance, it was clear that this was no spur-of-the-moment action, but a carefully planned operation.
"Madam, the water bandits are coming in fiercely. Looking at their numbers... there must be no less than a hundred of them! What should we do?" Nianxia also saw the chaos below.
Dai Li remained silent, merely casting her gaze further out, trying to find where the small boats were coming from. However, her field of vision was limited; she could only glimpse the night prowlers flowing endlessly from the edges on both sides, but could see nothing more specific.
Dark clouds drifted in the sky, obscuring half the bright moon, and the fog on the river seemed to have grown a bit thicker.
Heavy and hurried footsteps pounded on the wooden floorboards as Bai Jianping, with a longsword hanging at his waist, rushed over. Seeing Dai Li already changed into a riding habit so early, deep horror surged in his eyes. Many things he hadn't dared to think about before were now popping up uncontrollably, like fish gasping for air in a stifling summer pond.
"Madam, water bandits are attacking. The next hour will be quite turbulent. Please prioritize your safety and stay in your room; do not run around." His emphasis was on the last sentence.
Dai Li didn't look at him. She narrowed her eyes and gazed downward, where the dark figures on the deck were entangled in combat with the crew and the successively arriving Xuanxiao Cavalry.
The distance was a bit far, and as the fighting went on, Dai Li could no longer distinguish which were the crew members and which were her soldiers.
"I'm afraid it won't be resolved in an hour." Dai Li stared at a certain spot below. "Two on two, with the crew assisting on the side, and our side still cannot take them down quickly. If it isn't because fighting on a ship hinders the display of our true strength, then it means there's a mole..."
"Bang!" A loud explosion suddenly erupted from below.
A wooden lid suddenly flew off one of the stationary crates on the deck. One after another, like a domino effect, eighty to ninety percent of the crates on both sides burst open.
Dark figures darted out from the crates. Carrying heavy objects and brandishing gleaming, snow-white blades, they joined the fray.
The area below descended into utter chaos.
Bai Jianping's face instantly drained of color.
These weren't just a few scattered petty thieves; an entire group had been hiding in the shadows. What else was there to understand? They had truly boarded a pirate ship!
The situation gradually shifted, the scales slowly tipping as their initial overwhelming advantage faded away.
"Xuanxiao Cavalry, be on guard against all crew members and martial artists!" Bai Jianping's voice rang out like a massive bell, loud enough for even the soldiers who hadn't yet descended to the deck to hear.
"My Lady, please do not worry too much. Although the enemy currently outnumbers us, the corridors are narrow. As long as we hold the stairs, one man can hold off ten thousand," Bai Jianping comforted her.
They had nearly thirty Xuanxiao Cavalrymen. Even if they split off a small portion of their forces to eliminate the bandits, they wouldn't be throwing themselves into the tiger's mouth.
"Defending is a good strategy, but the premise is that this tower ship can remain steady." Dai Li looked at the flames suddenly erupting below, a dark glint flickering in her eyes. "Someone set a fire. It's hard to say if the ship can last until sunrise tomorrow."
Bai Jianping's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked down.
It was exactly as she said!
On the deck, where the wooden crates had been stacked, streaks of fiery serpents now flared up. The long flames slithered along trails of spilled oil, quickly licking across a large area.
"My Lady, where is Commandant Qin?" Bai Jianping belatedly realized that Qin Yanzhou was missing.
The rooms of the mother and son were only separated by the maidservants. There was no reason for the Second Young Master to still be sound asleep when the Lady was already awake.
Dai Li replied, "Zhou Zhou went to help."
Bai Jianping made a prompt decision. "My Lady, please stay on the third floor and do not wander about. I will lead men to eliminate the enemy and put out the fire."
This tower ship absolutely could not sink!
He raised his voice to summon several soldiers who hadn't yet gone downstairs, ordering them to guard Dai Li closely without taking a single step away. Then, Bai Jianping himself led a few men and charged downstairs with imposing momentum.
Downstairs was a complete mess.
Bloodstains were everywhere, and decapitated corpses lay scattered haphazardly in all directions. Old cargo crates had been hacked to pieces during the struggle. Was there any place that wasn't in shambles?
Bai Jianping looked around. At first, he thought it wouldn't be difficult to find Qin Yanzhou by the light of the fire. However, after checking several places and even asking quite a few foot soldiers, he received nothing but negative answers.
None of them had seen him?
How strange. Where on earth did the Second Young Master go?
Casually slitting the throat of a petty thief who tried to ambush him, Bai Jianping was just about to split off a few men to fight the fire when he suddenly heard someone yell in horror:
"Oh no, they are scuttling the ship!"
Bai Jianping's heart pounded violently. Listening closely, he could indeed hear the continuous thudding of hammering mixed in with the clashing of swords and sabers. He could no longer worry about putting out the fire; he hurriedly sent men to search everywhere for those chiseling at the ship.
"Have you seen the Second Young Master? ...No? Then pay attention. Once you spot the Second Young Master, absolutely do not let him be left alone."
The deck was in total chaos. Those who had gone mad with bloodlust focused on their opponents, while those who hadn't focused on their surroundings. Therefore, almost no one noticed—
On the circular observation platform propped high up on the mast, a tall and slender figure had been constantly observing the scene below.
He took in everything: the small boats continuously approaching the large ship, the iron grappling hooks flying up one after another, the two groups of men locked in fierce combat, and even the people quietly scuttling the ship in the shadows.
The young man made no sound, allowing Bai Jianping to lead his men rushing around. Only after a thorough search did they finally find the saboteurs.
The enemy came prepared, and coupled with the fact that there was a mole on the ship, Bai Jianping was ultimately a step too late. The hole was carved large enough, the wooden planks were pulled away, and river water poured in endlessly.
The massive hull let out a sorrowful wail like a sinking whale, and the originally stable tower ship slowly tilted to the side.
Right at this moment, Qin Yanzhou leaped down, stepping on the hemp rope net hanging from the mast to quickly descend from the observation platform.
Not long after he came down, Song Asan spotted him.
"Commandant Qin, Garrison Commander Bai was looking for you for a long time just now. So you were here!" Song Asan was overjoyed.
Qin Yanzhou asked, "Where is he? I have an urgent matter to discuss with him."
"Come this way."
The few men carved a bloody path, going down from the deck to the bottom hold, and finally found a disheveled Bai Jianping at the leak in the cabin.
Bai Jianping was overjoyed to see Qin Yanzhou, not even bothering to ask where he had been. "Commandant Qin, this ship cannot be saved. It is only a matter of time before it sinks; we must evacuate as soon as possible! There are small boats prepared on the ship, as well as wooden buckets and crates, and we can also use the skiffs the bandits came in. Plus, Zhang Danchen's ship is up ahead, so retreating shouldn't be difficult. The only thing is..."
Bai Jianping couldn't help but feel pained. "We must travel light this time. I'm afraid we won't be able to bring our baggage and supplies."
The Lady's trunks and chests would likely all end up at the bottom of the river after tonight. Fortunately, their horse carriages hadn't been brought onto the ship; otherwise...
Bai Jianping suddenly froze. In that instant, a strange thought flashed through his mind, but just as he was about to grasp it, he suddenly heard the young man in front of him say, "Commander Bai, the enemy spared no manpower or resources to set up this trap. They are likely risking everything on a single throw and will not rest until they achieve their goal. Merely retreating will most likely not allow us to escape. Why don't we take a drastic measure and strike at the root of the problem!"
The thought vanished without a trace, and Bai Jianping subconsciously asked, "How do we strike at the root?"
Qin Yanzhou replied, "The enemy's tower ship is directly behind us, no more than a hundred paces away. Why don't we turn around and ram into it! Exchanging our damaged ship for their intact one will completely eliminate the hidden danger on the river."
Bai Jianping's heart pounded with fear. For a moment, he didn't know whether to ask how Qin Yanzhou knew the enemy's exact location, or whether he had thought clearly about the consequences. "But, but..."
"This is the only superior strategy," Qin Yanzhou said in a deep voice. "If we just perform a normal evacuation, how can the small boats we take contend with the tower ship behind us? It is still unknown how many vanguards are left inside the enemy's ship. Only by crushing their main base in one fell swoop can we secure a sliver of hope for survival."
Bai Jianping fell silent.
Song Asan gasped, his face showing hesitation.
"There is no time to lose. If we delay any longer, it will be impossible to turn the ship around, and we will only be fish on the chopping block, at the mercy of others!" Qin Yanzhou was exceptionally forceful. "Song Asan, gather some men and follow me."
Seeing the calm face of the person in front of him, with his pitch-black pupils and eyes like cold blades, displaying a rare fierceness, Song Asan's heart was greatly shaken, and he couldn't help but voice his compliance.
After agreeing, he realized it was inappropriate and looked toward his direct superior. In the darkness, Song Asan could vaguely see the other man's brows knitted tightly together.
"Time is tight, do not hesitate!"
Bai Jianping let out a long breath. "Understood."
The group split into two. One team carried their swords toward the ship's helm, while the other fought their way back onto the deck, climbed the hemp nets again, and rolled up the hanging sails.
To turn the ship around, they first had to shed its forward momentum. The Xuanxiao Cavalrymen were agile and coordinated perfectly. In a matter of moments, they had rolled up the sails.
At first, the men in black and the boatmen on the deck did not understand what was happening, until the bow of the ship slowly began to turn.
A quick-witted person saw through Qin Yanzhou's intention. "Oh no, they're turning the ship around!"
This tower ship was a hot potato; anyone it crashed into would be out of luck. Yet, taking the initiative to strike and stop it from turning around by ramming it wouldn't work either. If a perfectly good ship crashed into it, wouldn't they both take on water together?
Since it couldn't be touched from the outside, it could only be stopped from the inside.
"Hurry and seize the ship's helm!"
...
Dai Li was situated on the third floor. It was high up with a wide field of vision, allowing her to take in the chaos below.
Amidst the clashing of swords, the bow of the ship changed direction, and on the mist-covered river, she spotted the faint silhouettes of ships looming not far away.
Dai Li felt a wave of relief, knowing that the plan was already more than halfway to success.
Not far away.
"Sir, the ship ahead has changed course!" A man leaning against the railing on the second floor of the rear tower ship widened his eyes in shock. "How could this be? We coordinated from the inside and outside, laying down an inescapable net. Our numbers are more than three times those of the North, and we acted quietly in the night. With such the element of surprise, how could we still fail to take them down? Sir, what should we do?"
This matter was of great importance, so Diting had also boarded the ship. Seeing the situation, he hesitated for only a moment before ordering his ship to turn around as well.
The enemy's ship was likely already riddled with holes; its sinking was a certainty, merely a matter of time. As long as they employed a strategy of delay, they could naturally drag the enemy down without shedding a single drop of blood.
"Quick, lower the sails and turn around!"
Tonight blew a north wind, not an east or west wind. Therefore, as long as the angle of the sails was adjusted properly, heading south or north made little difference.
"Damn it, the distance is a bit too close. I'm afraid it's too late."
"Stay steady, don't panic. Our ship is smaller than theirs, so our turning is naturally much more agile. As long as nothing goes wrong, we will definitely be able to retreat unscathed." However, just as Diting's words fell, his expression changed.
Like parched earth cracking after a severe drought, his calm composure shattered into irreparable fissures. Diting raised his hand in disbelief.
The wind blew from the front, slipping through his fingers, causing the back of his robes to flutter wildly.
The wind direction had changed.
It had originally been a north wind, but now an east wind was blowing! This section of the river ran east to west; as soon as an east or west wind picked up, it would affect them.
The tower ship ahead successfully turned around and hoisted its sails again. Carried by the wind and wreathed in fire, it charged forward with overwhelming momentum. Knowing they couldn't avoid it, Diting hurriedly ordered an escape route to be prepared. "Quick, lower a few vanguard boats!"
Quicker than words could tell, the already short distance between the two ships rapidly closed. The tower ships collided, blasting a deafening roar across the river in the dead of night.
Terrifying waves surged on the river, and scattered wood splinters were quickly swept away. The people and objects on the ship tumbled and staggered in all directions.
Qin Yanzhou was well-prepared. He had ordered the few men around him to tie themselves to the wooden railings with hemp ropes. After enduring the initial massive shock, he immediately untied the long rope. "Follow me."
The large ship lacked sufficient speed and impact force to snap the enemy vessel in half directly. At this moment, the bow of the large ship was embedded into the hull of the opposing ship, connecting them in a T shape.
The collision had ultimately damaged their foundations. The two ends of the T gradually splintered and slowly tilted inward, while the large ship also began to list to the side.
Qin Yanzhou led his men and charged to the bow, leaping onto the opposite ship from where the two vessels were locked together. "The enemy leader is a young man around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. He favors white clothing. Find him quickly and kill him!"
Song Asan, who was accompanying him, obeyed the order. At this moment, he had absolutely no time to ponder why the Second Young Master knew this so clearly.
The ship was in total chaos. Someone had set a fire, and the flames spread, illuminating half the sky. Qin Yanzhou moved swiftly through every area, even grabbing quite a few people to interrogate.
"S-Sir fell down just now," one of the captured men stammered.
Qin Yanzhou's gaze sharpened. He quickly walked to the edge and peered down. Amidst the constantly crashing waves, he saw a patch of floating white.
Something wasn't right...
Alarm bells suddenly rang in his head. Qin Yanzhou spun around to block, using his long saber to deflect a sharp arrow with a loud clang. He abruptly raised his eyes, only to see a young man dressed only in his inner garments holding a longbow not far away. Seeing Qin Yanzhou looking over, the man quickly drew the bowstring taut and let loose a second arrow.
Seeing that the second arrow missed, Diting felt slightly disappointed. He tossed the longbow aside and drew his long saber. "Mingdeng, I trust you have been well since we last met."
"Did Liudao come?" Qin Yanzhou asked coldly.
Diting chuckled softly. "I've disappointed you. This time, only I fell into your trap."
With things developing to this point, how could he not know this was a setup? If it weren't a trap, how could the other party act like a prophet?
Heh, the dignified Madame Taiwei, just one step away from becoming the mother of the nation, yet she was willing to risk her own life.
Qin Yanzhou stepped forward and slashed with his saber.
Diting shifted his footing, sliding three inches away to dodge the blade, and said at the same time, "Mingdeng, although you and I were not born of the same root, we have been brothers for many years. Do you really want to put me to death? If it weren't for my bitter pleading back then, how would Uncle have raised you as his own son!"
The saber in Qin Yanzhou's hand struck faster and faster, its trailing edge even producing afterimages. Tempered with the color of fire, it was like the scythe of an Asura, leaving bloody gashes across Diting's arms and shoulder blades wherever it passed. "I have long since repaid what I owed you. Also, you've slacked off on your training."
Diting struggled to resist, but the wrist holding his saber couldn't stop going numb and trembling. In the end, he actually couldn't maintain his grip on the blade.
Qin Yanzhou knocked Diting's weapon away with a single strike. As he shifted his blade, the tip pierced slightly into the other man's chest.
Diting jolted violently and swiftly retreated while clutching his chest. Knowing that saying more now was useless, he actually flipped backward and voluntarily plunged into the river.
The ship's hull was still tilting, gradually shifting from horizontal toward a right angle. Seeing Diting fall into the river, Qin Yanzhou took two steps to the railing and looked down. The river waters were turbulent, and he could faintly see the man's silhouette.
The young man took a deep breath, brought over a wooden barrel, and smashed it down, but it missed.
He smashed a wooden crate down next, but it still missed.
Seeing this, Diting down below let out a hearty laugh. "Mingdeng, it seems heaven never seals off all exits! As long as the green hills remain, we shall meet again."
Qin Yanzhou's eyes were cold and dark. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, but in the end, only one was the clearest. He quickly removed his saber and other heavy objects, propped his arms on the wooden railing, and jumped off the ship as Diting's expression drastically changed.
Water splashed in all directions. The young man quickly surfaced after entering the river. Sweeping his long arms to the side, he swam next to Diting and forcefully shoved his head underwater.
Diting struggled madly. Seeing that he couldn't break free, he simply dragged Qin Yanzhou down to sink together with him.
Violent ripples surged up, blooming into a blood-red hue, as if dragons and snakes were dancing beneath the water. But slowly, the ripples calmed down. A long while later, a figure broke the surface with a splash and hugged the wooden barrel.