Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

After listening to Hu Zi recount the whole story, Qin Jiu suppressed a laugh and said, "Young Master, I've heard people say that seeing a beautiful woman smile is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and seeing the Jade-Faced Divine Doctor make one die without regret. It's truly rare that the Chief can please you."

Luo An smiled and got up, and the three of them went out.

Upon hearing the voice, Nianyao's face fell, and she took the lead in walking towards the hall. As she walked, she said, "Uncle Zhou, the brothers from Nanquanzhou will stay on Jiangxinzhou. Captain Yan will be coming back to Chongming Island with us. We will set off after breakfast."

Zhou Yan nodded to Luo An and strode after Nian Yao: "Chief, Xu said yesterday that Ze Yu is temporarily staying in Jiangxinzhou, and he's worried that it will be difficult to manage the brothers in Nanquanzhou."

Nianyao said, "The ship manager is replaced every three years, and I've never heard of any problems with him."

Zhou Yan said, "Boss, no matter who it is, they are still their own ship owners. They are temporarily staying on Jiangxin Island, so they should follow the host's lead, but it doesn't mean they should be at the host's beck and call."

Qin Jiu echoed from behind, "Boss, I agree with Brother Xu and Brother Zhou's opinions. After Ji Kongming controls Xiangshui, he will definitely go down to Jingjiang, and Jiangxinzhou will be the first to bear the brunt. If a naval battle breaks out, it will be easier for our own ships to be deployed."

Zhou Yan said, "Chief, I will send people to patrol the mouth of the Xiang River into the Jingjiang River day and night to prevent them from entering the Jingjiang River."

Nianyao thought for a moment and said, "The Golden Tiger Gang is rumored to have several thousand members, but no one knows the exact number. If a naval battle really breaks out, even the combined men of the three ship captains wouldn't be enough, and they wouldn't have enough weapons either. There haven't been any conflicts for so many years, so apart from the commonly used weapons, everything else must be broken."

Qin Jiu said, "The section of the river from Jiangyang County to Jiangzhou is the Xiling Inner River. If they can't enter the Jingjiang River from the Xiang River, they might be able to drive straight down the upper reaches of the Jingjiang River."

Nianyao sighed, "Does Ninth Brother mean there will definitely be a war? I've never fought a war, I've killed animals but never people. I don't know how they can be so heartless as to kill hundreds of brothers like that?"

As the proverb says, "In the face of life and death, there is no time for compassion."

Zhou Yan led them to the dining room, where steaming buns, mantou, and white porridge were laid out: "Everyone, please make do with this for breakfast."

Nianyao stood in the courtyard, and Zhou Yan brought out some steamed buns: "Chief, are you really not going to eat?"

Nianyao quickly shook her head: "Uncle Zhou, have you ever fought in a war or killed anyone?"

While eating a steamed bun, Zhou Yan replied, "Have you heard of Dragon Battle Under Heaven? I was a member of it when I was young."

Nianyao exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't they say that the Dragon Warriors must die in battle? Why didn't you become a general and instead became a river bandit?"

Zhou Yan corrected her: "Boss, the Dahe Gang are legitimate businessmen, not river bandits."

Nianyao changed her mind: "Why not be a merchant instead of a general?"

Zhou Yan said, "Brother Liu and your father personally invited me, so I had no choice but to come."

Nianyao asked, "Was Uncle Liu also from Dragon Battle World before?"

Zhou Yan said, "He was from the Qin family army, the same army that restored the country back then."

Nianyao said, "My father is a palace guard in Dongyang. Why did he choose a soldier from Nanyue as his ship captain? The Dongyang army is clearly the most famous in the world."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Your dad didn't tell you..."

Xu Lai came out: "Zhou Yan, is the boat ready?"

Zhou Yan said, "It's ready. Chief, we'll send Jiangxinzhou No. 1 back to you, and then send it back once your big ship is finished."

Nianyao nodded and pressed, "Uncle Zhou, my father didn't say anything to me?"

Zhou Yan looked at Xu Lai: "Your father didn't tell you, so of course I don't know either."

Nianyao looked up at the sky. "What are you talking about?"

The first thing Nianyao did upon returning to Chongming Island was to convene a council meeting to request a general meeting of the ship owners, scheduled for the end of this month.

Nianyao said, "Uncle Jiu will be in charge of hospitality, Brother Xuesong will be in charge of information, and Uncle Xu and Brother Jingsong will be in charge of security. Small boats will be set up every mile, and medium-sized boats every five miles. Ships will patrol and protect every fifty miles."

No one objected. Unlike the silence before going to Moon Island, everyone in the council was full of energy and their eyes were bright.

Encouraged, Nianyao suddenly declared, "All personnel on all ships must present their tokens to enter. Anyone trespassing without a token will be killed!"

Nianyao's words were filled with murderous intent, which startled even herself. The others, however, responded with enthusiasm, replying in unison, "Yes, sir."

When news of the Shipyard Congress reached Yuezhou, Ji Kongming went up Yanshan to see Jin Hu.

Ji Kongming said, "Brother, I have visited all the captains of the Xiangshui boats in the past few days. Yan Zeyu of Nanquanzhou has joined the Dahe Gang, Gantang and his brothers of Canglangzhou have gone missing, and the other captains have all expressed their unwavering loyalty."

Brother, I've set up patrol boats fifty li from the confluence of the Xiang River and the Jing River, patrolling day and night to prevent Jing River vessels from entering. If we could seize the river island while the Jing River boat captain is away…”

Ji Kongming thought Jin Hu would be as enthusiastic and eager to plan as before, but to his surprise, Jin Hu's smile turned cold: "Fourth brother, your ex-lover came over a few days ago. Such a big thing, why didn't you tell us?"

Ji Kongming was slightly embarrassed: "Brother, she's just a spoiled little girl. I cut ties with her as soon as I left the Great River Gang. It was only a little over fifteen minutes from when she disembarked at Dengzhou to when she boarded the ship and left. How could I have had time to tell you?"

Jin Hu said, "Since it's all over, why keep her around?"

Ji Kongming was slightly taken aback: "Big brother means..."

Jin Hu said, "With the addition of three hundred Jin Hu Gang brothers, there are nine hundred people in Yuezhou West. It's more than enough to deal with them."

Ji Kongming said solemnly, "Brother, if they die in Yuezhou or Xiangshui, not only will Liulin not let us off, but the old gang leader only has this precious daughter, and those seniors who entrusted her to him on their deathbed will also avenge them. I only recently heard that the ship gang's doctor Luo An and medical apprentice Nan Fei have extraordinary backgrounds..."

Jin Hu interrupted him: "You're just scared."

Ji Kongming said, "Brother, how can someone who is destined for great things act rashly and leave behind endless troubles for a moment of pleasure?"

Jin Hu said, "If Xue Nianyao dies, can Liu Lin kill us in Yuezhou? It's not certain who will win. If we kill Liu Lin as well, the Great River Gang will be leaderless, and internal strife and infighting will cause them to suffer losses. Wouldn't it be as easy as taking candy from a baby for us to reap the benefits?"

Seeing Ji Kongming deep in thought, Jin Hu sneered, "You're just short-sighted, only thinking about your own little corner of the world. Anyone who doesn't know the situation would think you still have feelings for your childhood sweetheart."

No, that's not how it works. Ji Kongming was a bit confused by what Jin Hu said. What did he come to see Jin Hu for?

Jin Hu took a swig of wine and asked lazily, "If you didn't kill her in Yuezhou, why did you sink her ship? What's the difference between her dying in the Xiang River and dying in Yuezhou?"

Ji Kongming immediately denied it: "It wasn't me, I didn't touch their ship."

Jin Hu sat up straight: "Not you? Anyone who came with Xue Nianyao must be a carefully selected and trustworthy person. Fourth brother, things are getting more and more interesting, why don't we wait a little longer?"

Ji Kongming said, "Brother, we must seize this opportunity. Once the ship captains return to their camp, it will be much more difficult to take Jiangxin Island."

Jin Hu said, "It's easy to conquer a country, but difficult to maintain it. Fourth brother, it's clearly easier to contact all the ship owners from Jiangxin Island, so why do you think the old leader placed the headquarters of the Great River Gang on Chongming Island at the end of the Jingjiang River?"

Ji Kongming suddenly realized: "It's easy to defend and there's a way to retreat. All the waters east of Chongming Island are under Chongming Island's control. Jiangxin Island is connected to the east, west, north, and south. If we encounter a united betrayal, there will be no way to retreat and we will surely die."

Jin Hu nodded: "This young man is teachable."

Ji Kongming breathed a sigh of relief, cupped his hands and said, "Brother is wise. I have much to learn from you."

Jin Hu said, "The fourth brother is also good; he understands things quickly and has both courage and insight."

Ji Kongming asked, "Brother, what do we do now?"

Jin Hu smiled slightly: "Wait."