Gu Yanxi understood—without sails, and with the oars and paddles ruined, the ship was already rendered useless.
"What does the Chief think?"
"General Sun's soldiers are truly exceptional."
Sun Qi's expression remained indifferent. "It's merely the result of daily rigorous training. The garrison troops at the frontier pass have to endure days soaked in water until their skin peels. They have no other aspirations—as long as they can fill their stomachs and not lack the strength to swim, they are content. If the capital delays their provisions and pay again, I hope you, sir, can put in a good word for them. If risking their lives doesn't even guarantee a full belly, why should they sacrifice themselves further?"
Gu Yanxi felt his face burn with shame. Just a few months prior, his uncle, the Emperor, had indeed used excuses to delay the provisions and pay for the garrison troops at the frontier pass, forcing General Sun to find ways to procure grain himself—an unprecedented act in the nearly two-hundred-year history of Daqing.
He turned and bowed solemnly, unable to offer any excuses.
Sun Qi, having vented some of the frustration he had bottled up for days, lifted Gu Yanxi up and deliberately changed the subject. "A few days ago, I received Crisp Noodles and Dried Meat sent by the Sixth Prince. The letter only mentioned that the young lady provided support, but it didn't explain how. Could you enlighten me, sir?"
"A Zhi lent Little Six her manpower, along with unlimited financial support. I suspect all the silver she has saved over the past two years has been poured into this."
Sun Qi was not surprised by this answer. Although he had never dealt with her directly, he had a fair understanding of the Hua family young lady's temperament. She was tough outwardly but too soft inwardly—her greatest flaw, and precisely what he had exploited.
He had deciphered the Emperor's intentions. To put it bluntly, the Emperor was like someone afflicted with envy, unable to bear others having money. Hua Zhi, known as the Goddess of Wealth, with every one of her ventures turning a profit—who else would the Emperor target if not her? The fact that he hadn't directly demanded her money was already a concession to saving face.
Moreover, Hua Zhi was overly protective of the Sixth Prince. She was wholeheartedly paving the way for him, and she would undoubtedly do anything she believed would benefit him. While this was advantageous, emotionally, they all owed her too much.
At that moment, the sails of both ships on the water were destroyed, and the men underwater surfaced, signaling success. Several slightly larger ships then sailed out, with people standing on board. Some held thick bamboo poles, while others carried ropes with sharp rakes attached. Gu Yanxi watched as they surrounded the two ships, throwing the rakes uniformly toward the sterns. Those with bamboo poles pressed them against the sterns, and with a collective effort, the ships began to move in one direction.
Gu Yanxi curled his lips into a smile. He understood their plan—once the ships gained momentum, they would spin in place. If they accelerated further, he wondered how long those who had remained hidden aboard could hold out.
"Sir." Yu Mu came ashore, his gait still somewhat awkward from days of hard riding, which had left the inner sides of his thighs raw.
"What's the situation?"
Yu Mu bowed to Sun Qi beside him and reported, "Fortunately, Wang Hai and his men caught up. One ship stopped midway and hasn't moved since. I've stationed people to keep watch. Another ship diverted into a tributary halfway—that one seems highly suspicious. I sent Wang Hai with all his men to follow it."Gu Yanxi looked at the two ships spinning in circles on the water. "More suspicious than these two?"
"That is what this subordinate believes."
Whether it was due to having just lost twenty-seven subordinates, Gu Yanxi's first reaction was to calculate the number of men Wang Hai had taken—approximately twenty. Even if that ship truly belonged to the Chao Li Tribe, they should be able to put up a fight. However, they couldn't afford to delay here any longer.
"General Sun, please send someone to escort us to the ship."
Sun Qi signaled a junior officer beside him to take them over but did not offer to accompany them himself. As the commanding general, responsible for the safety of Shou'ai Pass, he had no right to risk his life recklessly.
"Pass the order: Second Battalion, stand down. Archers, prepare. Everyone else, fully cooperate with the Seven Constellation Bureau."
"Yes."
A small boat transported over twenty members of the Seven Constellation Bureau to the side of the large ship. By then, the soldiers of Shou'ai Pass had begun pulling in the opposite direction, and within moments, the ship came to a halt.
Whip in hand, Gu Yanxi flicked it out, using the recoil to propel himself onto the deck. The others immediately followed, forming a defensive formation upon landing.
"Search the ship."
After giving the order, Gu Yanxi rushed straight toward the bow—the only place where the helmsman, who couldn't leave his post, would be.
The cabin door was tightly shut. Gu Yanxi drew his long sword, thrust it into the door, and sliced downward. Then he stepped back and struck the door forcefully with his whip, shattering it completely.
At the same time, a throwing knife flew out from inside, aimed directly at Gu Yanxi's face, followed immediately by a second.
Gu Yanxi deflected them one by one, his mind racing through several possibilities. According to the intelligence he had received, the Chao Li Tribe was not adept at using agile throwing knives. This didn't add up!
His whip slithered like a snake through the cabin door, meeting no resistance. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Yanxi entered, then repeatedly lashed out with his whip, advancing several steps with each strike. He forced the hidden opponents to reveal themselves.
Wrong!
These weren't Chao Li Tribesmen!
Gu Yanxi recognized them at a glance. With a sweep of his whip, he knocked out the three men charging at him. After a quick scan of the surroundings, he swiftly exited.
Several people already lay unconscious on the deck. Yu Mu approached his master with a guilty expression. "Master, they're not Chao Li Tribesmen."
"Even if they're not, there's something suspicious about them. Innocent people wouldn't attack without a word. Let's check the other ship."
The other ship wasn't either! Based on their attire and actions, Gu Yanxi could confirm that the two ships were connected.
Yu Mu hurried over and whispered in his ear, "Master, the cabin is full of grain!"
The amount of grain needed to make a ship sit so low in the water...
The cabin was piled high with sacks. Gu Yanxi sliced one open—it was flour. Moving to another side, he cut open a different sack to find rice, still unhulled. Such rice could be stored for a long time...
"Yu Mu, you stay and interrogate them. These people might be connected to the Chao Li Tribe."
"Yes."
Just then, Sun Qi also entered. His eyes lit up at the sight of the white flour. General Sun, who had been nearly driven mad by the lack of provisions, instinctively wanted to haul it all back!
"General Sun, I need some elite soldiers who are strong swimmers and fast boats."
Sun Qi immediately ordered his personal guards to make the arrangements without hesitation. "Is it the one that took the tributary?"
"Most likely."
"Is the tributary about thirty li from here?"
Yu Mu made a quick mental calculation and nodded. "Yes."
Sun Qi now had a plan. "That tributary flows into another bay. Instead of chasing from behind, it's more effective to intercept from the front. I'll go with you.""That would be most excellent." Gu Yanxi smiled slightly and patted a sack of rice grains, saying, "This official has come to recover the silver taels, and what I intend to bring back is solely the silver."
Sun Qi understood his meaning and bowed in gratitude.
PS: Already late with the update on the first day of the new year. I was out all day and only got to the computer in the evening.
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