Lin'an Never Night

Chapter 226: At noon, the sheep are cruel and the wolf is greedy, a mess
At noon, the sun is warm.

A shepherd boy wearing a straw hat was herding his sheep on the mudflats next to the Xiapu Wharf.

There is abundant grass and water here, and the sheep are eating happily.

Liu Guojiu abandoned his horse, took a shortcut across the mudflats, and ran towards the ship anchored at the pier.

Since he failed to catch up with his third brother-in-law's warship, he had to find a way to go out to sea on his own.

As long as he could get a boat to catch up with his third brother-in-law's warship in time, he would not miss this naval battle.

However, the housekeeper of my third brother-in-law's house was chasing us with seven or eight soldiers.

Once they catch up with him, Liu Shangqiu will be protected by them like a fragile piece of porcelain.

Liu Shangqiu hated this kind of excessive protection, so he used such an extreme method to try to join this naval battle.

The shepherd boy was surprised to see a very handsome older brother running past him.

Then an old man in his fifties, leading seven or eight breathless soldiers, caught up.

For some reason, the thought that flashed through the shepherd boy's mind was not about the soldiers catching the thief, but...raping the woman?
Liu Shangqiu leaped onto the dock, ducked down and rushed forward. As soon as he was out of the housekeeper's sight, he threw out a flying claw from his sleeve.

The flying claw accurately grabbed the side of the ship that was slowly leaving the dock. With the help of the rope, Liu Shangqiu quickly climbed up and jumped onto the deck with a flip.

The sailors on the ship were busy collecting ropes, raising sails and adjusting the rudder, and did not notice a person suddenly falling onto the side.

Liu Shangqiu climbed over the side of the boat and slid down to sit on the deck, feeling overjoyed.

Finally escaped from the clutches of the housekeeper of my third brother-in-law's family.

However, the Lin family’s steward had just rushed to the dock with soldiers and was looking for him everywhere.

If he called on the captain to negotiate at this time, he would be discovered by the steward of the Lin Mansion before he could make things clear.

Therefore, when Liu Shangqiu saw two sailors carrying a large jar coming from the stern, he hurriedly jumped forward and hid behind a pile of cargo.

The space behind the cargo was not enough to conceal his figure, and the two sailors would still be able to spot him if they approached.

There was a big bucket next to Liu Shangqiu. He pulled out a dagger, pried open the lid, and a strong smell of alcohol hit him in the face.

Liu Shangqiu took a look and saw that the wine was still a long distance from the edge of the barrel, enough for a person to hide.

Seeing the two sailors carrying the cargo getting closer and closer, Liu Shangqiu held his breath, lifted the lid of the barrel, raised his legs, straightened his waist, tightened his abdomen and retracted his head, then he slid silently into the wine and closed the lid.

The whole action is done in one go and is incredibly smooth.

……

Imperial City Minister Mu En was happily eating lunch. Today, he had a good appetite.

In the afternoon, he would go to the palace to report to the emperor on the crackdown on smuggling between Song and Jin.

The termites on the "Municipal Shipping Service" and "Zhejiang Ferry" have been cleared.

The Imperial City Division also intercepted a batch of goods that were about to be shipped to the Jin Kingdom in the warehouse of "Zhejiang Ferry".

In this anti-theft operation, Liu Guojiu deserves the greatest credit.

Therefore, if this matter is reported, it will definitely make the emperor very happy.

Because the emperor was extremely fond of Liu Wanrong, he also admired his brother-in-law Liu Shangqiu.

Mu Tiju had heard that by the end of the year, Liu Wanrong would be canonized as "Taiyi" by the emperor.

"Taiyi" is the head of the nine concubines. One step above her is one of the four extremely noble imperial concubines.

Liu Wanyi is young and beautiful, and the emperor's favor will not disappear so quickly. It is only a matter of time before she is canonized as a concubine.

At this time, Liu Wanrong's brothers made great contributions, which was very helpful for Liu Wanrong to be promoted to "Taiyi".

Similarly, since the emperor doted on Liu Wanrong so much, he would certainly be happy to see Liu Shangqiu make great contributions.

Therefore, this afternoon's audience will definitely be a very pleasant process.

Mu Tiju was thinking happily, and then he saw Kou Heiyi rushing in with a dark face.

"Mu Tiju, Deputy Commander Liu is missing! I can't find him anywhere."

Kou Heiyi panted and said, "When I was about to come back to report the news, I heard from the people supervising the ferry that a very handsome imperial soldier had taken a fast horse from them and galloped away along the canal embankment!"

"Bah!"

Mu Tiju immediately stopped drinking and put down his chopsticks, looking around in confusion...

……

At the Xiapu Wharf, four large ships first set sail and headed towards the deep sea area.

Then, three more large ships came out and slowly sailed away, following the water marks left by the four large ships in front.

The four large ships in front looked a little shabby, and the repaired parts had not yet been repainted.

The three large ships at the back clearly formed another fleet. Judging from the flags hoisted on the ships, they should be the merchant fleet of a Japanese lord.

At the bow of the Japanese fleet at the back stood a young Japanese samurai.

He wore a folded black hat, a dark blue kimono, and a samurai sword slung under his ribs.

He has delicate features, a thin body, and is playing with a shakuhachi in his hand.

The sailors on the fleet ahead saw this and started laughing and making fun of it.

They often traveled on the water, dealt with sea merchants from all sides, and knew some of the customs of the Japanese. In their opinion, the handsome Japanese warrior on the boat behind was probably a "little character".

"Xiao Xing" is not only the master's "secretary" and "bodyguard", with delicate features like a young girl, but also has the obligation to serve the master in bed.

Therefore, this kind of personal guard is also called "Se Xiaoxing" or "Zhongdao", which means "night relationship."

When the sailors on the ship in front saw this "little character" on the Japanese ship behind, they started telling dirty jokes and burst into laughter.

Hearing laughter coming from the stern, Liu Shangqiu gently lifted the lid of the barrel, took a breath of fresh air, and then looked into the distance cautiously.

Looking over the side of the ship, you can see the land in the distance.

So he quietly squatted back into the wine barrel and closed the lid, leaving only a gap.

He decided to wait until the boat was far away from the land, then jump out, identify himself, and requisition the boat.

Liu Shangqiu had never seen the sea. He thought that his third brother-in-law was with a fleet on the sea, which was such a huge target, it would be very easy to find them.

The sailors at the stern were criticizing the "little trouble" on the Japanese ship behind them, and they didn't notice that the lid of a wine barrel on their own ship had just been lifted.

The sailors didn't care about the three Japanese merchant ships following behind them.

Because they were sailing out of the Qiantang Bay waters at this time, the ships heading to Japan were on the same route as them in this section of waters. The two sides would only part ways after entering the sea.

However, these sailors would never have thought that the man on the boat behind them who looked very much like a Japanese kid was actually Luo Tingxia, the receptionist of the Yuzi Room of the Machinery Room of the Privy Council of the Song Dynasty.

As if Xiao Luo was afraid that others didn't know that he was from Japan, he not only wore Japanese clothes and carried a samurai sword, but also got a shakuhachi.

He stood at the bow, and blew a few "whimpering" sounds from time to time, completely unaware that because of his behavior and his delicate appearance, the people on the ship in front of him had guessed that he was a plaything of some Japanese dignitary.

Xiao Luo was very proud of his design.

The five hundred officers and soldiers that Fei Yuye requested to be transferred are now hiding on the three "Japanese ships" under his command.

Xiao Luo didn't know where the foreign ship delivered the goods, because Yang Yuan didn't know either.

That was decided by Wadiye and Pu Yama, and there was no need for them to tell Yang Yuan such details.

But Xiao Luo knew that the contraband that the foreign merchants smuggled for the Jin people had to be handed over to the pirates on Shuangyu Island.

Because the pirates on Shuangyu Island were the ones who secretly escorted the Jin people's smuggling trade and transferred goods for the Jin people.

Therefore, the meeting place between the foreign ship and the pirate ship would not be too far from Shuangyu Island.

Shuangyu Island is located in the middle of the sea trade route from Qiantang Bay controlled by the Song Dynasty to Jiaoxi, Mizhou, Shandong controlled by the Jin Dynasty.

At the same time, when sailing out to Japan from Qiantang Bay, one must also pass by Shuangyu Island.

Therefore, the safest way for him to do this is to pretend to be a Japanese businessman.

Even if his ship encountered foreign merchants or Shuangyu pirates at sea, as long as he did not take action first, the other party would not suspect that he was a member of the Song Dynasty court.

……

On the boat ahead, Guan Hao, dressed in merchant clothing, walked out of the cabin, glanced at the three "Japanese merchant ships" following far behind, and ordered the sailors who were chatting and laughing: "Go due east, clear the channel, and let the Fuso ship pass first. We will make a detour and then go around to the connecting sea area to pick up the goods!"

One of the sailors responded and ran to the wheelhouse at the stern of the ship.

After Guan Hao escaped from Longshan Warehouse, he went to Shuangyu Island to hide.

Now, he is the second in command of Shuangyu Island.

He has only reappeared recently.

He was responsible for leading the ships from Shuangyu Island to pick up the goods sent by foreign merchants.

Under normal circumstances, his ship should depart from Shuangyu Island and meet with the foreign merchant ship in the agreed sea area.

But they walked behind the foreign merchant ship and came out from the Xiapu Wharf.

This is because they went to the Yanpu Wharf to buy necessary daily necessities.

Although there is fresh water on Shuangyu Island, there is not much space for grazing or planting. Besides, the pirates do not engage in production, so rice, flour, oil, salt, pork, mutton, fine wine... all need to be purchased regularly at the dock.

Although they were pirates, they could come and go as they pleased.

This is because the smuggling trade between Song and Jin has actually always existed.

Despite the strict laws, many merchants in Quanzhou, Mingzhou, Yuezhou and other places were engaged in smuggling trade between Song and Jin because of the huge profits.

Some small businessmen who are unable to smuggle alone even join together to smuggle.

In such an atmosphere, it is rare for coastal officials not to be infiltrated and bribed.

A smuggling interest chain had long been formed between the coastal merchants of the Song State, the coastal officials of the Song State, the coastal merchants of the Jin State, and the coastal officials of the Jin State.

Therefore, when Guan Hao's ships entered the port, they were called merchants, and when they left the port, they were called pirates, but they could still come and go freely.

When Li Lin, the city's shipping judge, committed suicide, he said confidently: "Some lids cannot be lifted. I... will wait for you in the underworld!"

If the Jin people had not been involved in Qin Changjiao's conspiracy to organize the Three Yamen Forbidden Guards, which had touched the emperor's bottom line and led to the Imperial City Department and the Machine Speed ​​Room joining forces to investigate the case, under such a tight protection network, no one would have been able to lift the lid, and anyone who did would have died.

It was this kind of confidence that made Guan Hao lose his vigilance.

He did not expect that the three "Japanese ships" that he was about to leave behind were actually ships of the imperial court loaded with officers and soldiers.

He would never have imagined that on his boat, there was a brother-in-law who was almost drunk.

He would never have imagined that the foreign merchant ship he was going to meet had already attacked their escort!
(End of this chapter)