Heartstrings Resonance: The Beloved Princess of the Female Power

Just as they were preparing to set off again the next day, several small ships surrounded them. The hulls of the ships were not even half the height of the Zhaoyang ship, but the people on them were extremely rampant.

Mu Yunxi leaned out and looked at the people shouting under the Zhaoyang ship. There were about a hundred of them. These pirates were short in stature, but their eyes were fierce. The leading pirate was still shouting something in their own language. Mu Yunxi didn't understand, but it sounded very familiar. She called Xie Dalin and asked, "What they are saying sounds very similar to what you are saying. Can you listen to what they are saying?"

Xie Dalin listened carefully to the shouting below. After a while, he said, "My Lord, he is telling us to leave our belongings behind and spare our lives! If we don't listen, they will destroy the ship!"

After hearing this, Mu Yunxi sneered and ordered: "Crossbowmen, prepare!"

Immediately, the deck was filled with people, each equipped with a crossbow. "Tell them to retreat quickly, otherwise... kill them!"

Xie Dalin relayed Mu Yunxi's words in their language, and the pirates burst into laughter.

Seeing that these people would not listen, Mu Yunxi coldly ordered: "Cut off their retreat, kill them!"

The subordinates responded, and immediately passed the order to the personnel on the other two Zhaoyang ships. They were sailing on Zhaoyang ships No. 3, 6, and 7. Although the manpower was reduced by more than half, the equipment was exactly the same as the first Zhaoyang ship, but the lethality was enhanced.

These pirates, seeing the sheer size of the three Zhaoyang warships and assuming they would be carrying a lot of cargo, boldly came to rob them. They numbered over 300 in total, and the people currently aboard the Zhaoyang ships were only a fraction. They wanted to test the waters and, if possible, seize the Zhaoyang ships. However, they were wrong, and this time they hit a wall.

Seeing that Mu Yunxi and the others showed no sign of responding, the pirates tried to threaten them by ramming the ship. Before they could do so, they saw the other two Zhaoyang ships quickly surrounding them. Seeing that the situation was not right, the pirates' faces changed drastically. Just as they were about to flee, they saw a hail of arrows fired from the three large ships. Some of the more agile ones jumped into the sea, while those who were slow to react were killed on the spot. Seeing that Mu Yunxi wanted to chase and kill the pirates, Xie Dalin stopped him and said, "Sir, these pirates should be very familiar with the terrain in this area. Why not capture two to lead the way?" Seeing Mu Yunxi looking over, Xie Dalin explained, "I was here over a decade ago. It's been so long, and a lot has changed."

Mu Yunxi thought about it and ordered, "Go down and capture two alive." Soon, soldiers in plain clothes responded and left.

Soon, the two pirates were brought before Mu Yunxi. Their faces were filled with fear, and their bodies were trembling.

Mu Yunxi glanced at the two of them with a cold gaze and slowly asked, "How many accomplices do you have? Where are they?"

Xie Dalin repeated Mu Yunxi's words in a language that the pirates could understand.

One of the pirates answered tremblingly: "Sir, we still have more than a hundred people, in the cave on the nameless island ahead." Mu Yunxi was wearing a simple and convenient tights. Seeing that everyone followed her as the leader, the pirate called her that.

Another pirate quickly added: "Please spare our lives, sir. We became pirates because we had no choice. As long as you let us go, we will tell you everything we know." Then Xie Dalin translated what they said to Mu Yunxi.

Mu Yunxi sneered, "I'll spare your lives for now, but if you dare to lie, I won't let you off easily." At this moment, a deputy general who had been standing silently nearby said, "Sir, we don't know these villains well, so we can't trust them completely."

Mu Yunxi nodded slightly. "Of course I know. Pass on my orders and head for that island. But be cautious and wary of any deception." The fleet slowly sailed towards the unnamed island. As they approached, the surroundings seemed unusually peaceful. Yet, a subtle unease welled up in Mu Yunxi's heart, as if eyes were watching them from the shadows. Suddenly, an arrow shot from behind the rocks on the shore, striking the bow of the ship. And with that, a new battle began...

After fighting for a quarter of an hour, a soldier came to report, "Your Excellency, those bandits have reefs as cover, and our crossbows cannot hit them. General Wu requests to use cannons." General Wu was Wu Jianghua. He was the escort for this voyage, but because Emperor Qing Zhao ordered that all matters concerning the voyage be decided by Mu Yunxi, so he sent someone to ask Mu Yunxi's opinion.

"Yes!" Mu Yunxi and Yongle were leisurely grilling fish on the deck at this time. Although more than a hundred people did not need cannons, Mu Yunxi knew that Wu Jianghua had long wanted to try the power of the cannon, so she simply agreed.

A moment after the soldiers left, Mu Yunxi heard a loud "boom," and scattered rocks fell onto the deck. Yongle laughed and said, "It seems General Wu was itching to move out so early."

Mu Yunxi placed the grilled fish on the plate in front of Yongle and said, "Look at how patient he has been all this time. His eyes light up when he sees the cannon. I heard from his soldiers that he goes to the armory several times a day to check it out. The cannon is spotless, and it's all thanks to him."

Yongle was about to speak when he heard another loud boom. They were on Zhaoyang Ship No. 3, while Wu Jianghua was on Ship No. 7. They were a little further away, but their ears were numbed by the two loud noises. Mu Yunxi stood up and looked at the small island where there was a small hill just now, now it was razed to the ground. Seeing Mu Yunxi standing at the bow of the ship looking at the direction of the explosion, Wu Jianghua shouted excitedly from a distance: "Niece! Look, I fired this shot, is it accurate?"

Seeing Wu Jianghua, a middle-aged man, still jumping up and down there, Mu Yunxi felt amused, but she gave Wu Jianghua a thumbs up.

Seeing Mu Yunxi's gesture, Wu Jianghua laughed again, and then took the soldiers off the boat to capture the pirates who were not dead yet.

After Wu Jianghua and his soldiers searched the island for a while, they returned to report to Mu Yunxi. "Niece, most of the pirates are dead. Only about 20 or 30 remain, and we've captured them all alive," Wu Jianghua said, his face brimming with pride.

Mu Yunxi nodded slightly. "Uncle Wu, you've done a great job. These pirates have committed many evil deeds and will certainly harm passing merchant ships and passengers. They must not be let off lightly." Yongle, standing beside him, echoed, "Yes, they must be severely punished."

Wu Jianghua scratched his head. "So, what do you think we should do?" Mu Yunxi pondered for a moment and then said, "Behead the ringleader on the spot as a warning to others. Imprison the rest and hand them over to the local authorities for sentencing when we reach the shore."

"Good idea, let's do it." Wu Jianghua immediately ordered the soldiers to follow Mu Yunxi's instructions. The soldiers quickly sprang into action, and soon the leader's head was hanging high on a tree on the island. The captured pirates were tied together and imprisoned, looking dejected. After everything was settled, everyone reboarded the ship and continued their journey.