Chapter 249: The Water Bandits' Tactics
The night is dark and misty on the river.

The star-like lanterns gradually light up on the waterway. Facing the night wind and water vapor, the boat lights hanging outside sway in the wind, which is unique and lively.

Under the peaceful night, in a small valley on the shore.

A violent quarrel was taking place at this time.

"What is there to be afraid of?"

The leader of the pirates glared at his master and shouted angrily:
"Ever since I acted on behalf of Heaven and killed my rat-like thief Shangguan, no one has dared to mess with me. Now suddenly a big fat sheep breaks in, and you want me to let it go?"

Facing the big, fleshy boss, the skinny master didn't dare to retort and could only say in a roundabout way:
"Boss, do you know how many bosses we had here before you?"

This boss with a fierce face was not originally the leader of the local bandits. He had just fled here a few months ago. Seeing that the land here was good and the master spoke well, he stayed and became the new boss.

"What the hell are you talking about? What does it have to do with me if there are a few dead guys in front of you?"

The boss looked impatient, and his saliva sprayed on the master's short goat beard:
"I'm just asking you, can you do it?!"

"Can do it, can do it!"

The master nodded repeatedly, watching the boss preparing to send people on a small boat and have the insiders in the fleet start to act, and he kept saying:
"You had five previous bosses, all of whom were attracted by this fat sheep. They ignored my earnest advice and insisted on robbing. As a result, someone died, leaving me alone to look at the floating corpse on the river with a sad face..."

"Don't show off your sour words in front of me."

However, although the eldest master was impatient, he couldn't help but stop when he heard the master's words and continued to ask:
"And then?"

The master's face showed joy when he heard this.

It’s good to listen to advice!

Nowadays, it is rare to find a boss who dares to fight and lead by example. There were a few unqualified ones who came to "apply" before, but they were really not up to the task, so they were sent into the river to chat with the previous bosses.

This will take some time!

After all, it’s not easy for us intellectuals to fight, so naturally we have to find someone to do it!

I heard the master come to the flat land in the valley, pointed at the ship sailing slowly on the waterway, and asked the boss:

"Do you see how this 'fat sheep' is different from other times?"

The big boss interrupted impatiently:
"I told you not to talk nonsense. If I had used my brain, I might be a high-ranking official now. How could I end up in this situation?
Finish your words quickly, or I'll get on you!"

As he spoke, the head of the family began to look at the master with an unfriendly look;
"I have to use this free-of-charge advisor, but he likes to lecture me too much, and he's so long-winded!"

The lawyer was also feeling unhappy at this time.

It wasn't because he was unhappy when his display of power in front of others was interrupted, but because he could see that the new leader was also a reckless soldier who didn't like to pursue "progress".

There is more than enough force, but not enough aggressiveness.

"Ah, I have to look for candidates among the strong men passing by..."

He began to prepare himself mentally, but on the surface he still smiled kindly at the headmaster, and then, without keeping the secret, he pointed at the ship on the river and said:
"Boss, look at that building ship. The other ships are all huddled together like quails huddled together, but it is the only one sailing ahead, galloping in the waterway with great fanfare, and it is even unwilling to get close to those ships."

After a pause, the master continued:
"It's obvious that the boat owner is confident and disdains to associate with those people. He is also a wise man and expected that there might be an insider in the fleet."

The master would send people to keep watch at the entrance and the front dock of this narrow waterway every day. Once he found a "fat sheep" passing by, he would send his own ships to blend in. This strategy had been tried and tested and had never failed.

"Now, in the cover of night, we see only a few guards on the deck, looking ready to be killed. I'm afraid they're just waiting for us to rush aboard. There will be three or five big men jumping out of each room in the cabin, and they'll kill us all!"

When out in the world, the main thing a lawyer should do is to be cautious.

Regardless of whether the boatman was bluffing or something else, he was always unwilling to provoke such a ship that looked very confident.

The boss may come and go, but the legal advisor remains the same.

You can find another boss, but you only have one life!
The lawyer deliberately sounded serious, and the boss was no fool, so of course he could hear it.

But after thinking about it, he decided to trust this "important official of six dynasties". He must have some foresight to have been able to survive for so long.

However, even though the "big fat sheep" was let off, at least there were still a bunch of small fish and shrimps following it, which could fill its stomach.

So the boss continued to ask that person to notify the insider, and also arranged for someone to place fences at the ferry ahead.

After making the arrangements, the head of the family said to the master:

"I won't provoke that big ship. Let it pass safely. But the small boats behind it must pay some toll, right?"

The master looked hesitant.

In his opinion, it would be better not to do the deal this time. After all, if there were some young and foolish people on the big ship who were unwilling to see the truth and bumped into him, he would be in trouble.

But then he saw the increasingly hostile look of the big boss, and he realized that since the watermelon was lost, he had to give the other person some sesame seeds to satisfy his craving, so he immediately smiled heartily:
"Boss, I will go and make arrangements for the brothers right away!"

"No need!"

The lawyer turned around and tried to leave, but was grabbed by the boss behind him. He couldn't pull his arm away, so he could only turn around and look back in surprise.

The boss's face, covered with fat, showed a fake smile:

"When I first arrived, Master treated me like a brother and honored me as a guest. Let's go together this time!"

Yang family ship.

The moonlight is bright tonight, and there are many shining stars.

The Milky Way flows eastward, and the moonlight and starlight shine together on the water. It is a rare bright night.

Hualan and other masters on the boat had already gone to bed, while Changqing, as usual, led the guards in the mansion to take turns to keep watch on the boat.

At this time, Changqing suddenly discovered that many lights suddenly lit up on both sides of the boat. These were not lamps, but torches, and most of them came from small sampans that could only accommodate three or four people.

Seeing this situation, Changqing was suddenly shocked.

At this time, the guard on duty at the stern came to report that crying and shouting were suddenly heard from the fleet behind.

Changqing was now certain that it was the pirates who were invading this place.

But Changqing did not look panicked.

Our own ship is tall and large, so we only need to guard the important parts of the side of the ship and help each other. These small sampans cannot get onto our own ship.

At the same time, he ordered all the forty guards on the ship to be called up, to pack up their weapons and longbows, and to stand guard in the positions that had been assigned long ago.

After everything was arranged, Changqing went down the deck and came to the door of the ship's palace.

Cuichan and Caizhan were standing guard in front of Hualan's door at the moment, both with anxious looks on their faces, and they had obviously heard the noise outside.

Seeing this, Chang Qing comforted him:
"Relax, they are just small pirates. There are forty personal guards of the Marquisate on the boat. I dare to break into the county barracks, let alone these rabble."

Although they were not wearing armor, the personal guards carefully selected and supported by the Marquis' Mansion since childhood were not comparable to the pirates evolved from these common people.

And the more personal guards there are, the greater the combined strength will be.

In the words of his own young master, if these guards gathered together and suddenly attacked the county armory and stole the armor, then the county magistrate could also take a seat.

However, although they are not afraid, if something happens, Hualan, the hostess, still has to come out and give orders.

So Changqing asked Cuichan to wake Hualan up and take charge.

After Cuichan came in, Changqing went to the cabin and waited.

Soon, Hualan appeared dressed.

When he came in, he hurriedly asked:

"I heard shouting and killing behind us. Are there pirates?" "Yes, ma'am. The fleet behind us was attacked by pirates."

Seeing Hualan's worried expression, Changqing quickly added:

"But don't worry, Madam. We have forty personal guards on board, all armed with sharp swords and longbows, guarding the sides and decks of the ship. Let alone pirates, even if the navy from the command camp here comes, they won't be able to get on board easily!"

Hua Lan's face turned slightly better, and she secretly felt lucky that she was accompanying her grandmother this time. Otherwise, if her grandmother went out alone and encountered bandits...

Changqing continued:
"Moreover, the pirates here seem to be very sensible. They didn't set any obstacles for us, but only attacked the fleet behind them. It is obvious that they know they can't afford to provoke us."

Hua Lan felt relieved.

After calming down a little, Hua Lan asked Chang Qing to look after the child outside, but before leaving, she still gave him one instruction:
"Since you have no intentions towards us, then there is no need to call Grandma and my sisters to avoid disturbing them."

"Yes!" Changqing took the order and left.

Although Hua Lan heard Chang Qing say that it was not a problem, she could not feel at ease. There was no shelter on the empty river surface and they were not far away. The wailing was incessant, and from time to time there were the sounds of weapons colliding and people falling into the water, which made people tremble in their hearts.

With such a big noise, even the most brave person would not be able to sleep.

Soon, Minglan and Rulan, with pale faces, walked into the room together, each wrapped in a small quilt, with only their heads sticking out.

Old Mrs. Sheng, who had already drunk the nourishing medicine, also woke up and appeared, supported by Mrs. Fang.

"Are there really pirates?" Old Mrs. Sheng looked incredulous.

And judging from the commotion outside, it seems that the strength of the bandits here should not be underestimated.

Hua Lan immediately told Chang Qing everything he had just reported.

"That's good, that's good!" Old Mrs. Sheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Hualan had no idea about the Marquis's guards, but Old Madam Sheng had experienced her father's guards and knew that with so many guards present, the lives and property of herself and others would be safe.

The presence of Old Madam Sheng was like a stabilizing force. Seeing that Grandma's expression had relaxed, the originally stagnant atmosphere in the room instantly became much more relaxed.

"This year is such a mess!" Old Mrs. Sheng shook her head and sighed.

Obviously, this was the first time in Mrs. Sheng's life that she had suddenly encountered bandits so close to her.

"Boss, now you believe it!"

He ordered his men to start looting, but the leader of the pirates was still determined to steal, so he took his master on a small sampan and came to the vicinity of the ship to wait and see.

When he heard the shouts and screams all around, dozens of sturdy men suddenly appeared on the ship, patrolling the deck with cold swords. He immediately broke out in a cold sweat!
It was a close call that I didn’t make it!
He secretly felt lucky, but the boss still said stubbornly:
"But there are only a few of them. I have hundreds of brothers here, and we can still handle it if we rush in!"

However, as he was talking, the eldest master suddenly had an idea and whispered to the master:
"You said that we can't get on their ship, but what if we lure them out?"

The more precautions one takes, the more delicious the snacks will be. The boss couldn't help but feel itchy.

This side business of making money can't last long. The longer it lasts, the more dangerous it becomes. If I were to burn my boats and make a fortune, I could also take the money and launder it ashore...

"He shouldn't be that stupid, right?" The lawyer also began to feel moved.

Money is a tempting thing. Anyway, you don't have to risk your life. With the boss in front of you, even if you fail, you can still get away with it.

It's done!

So the master started planning immediately.

After finalizing the plan, the master sincerely held the hand of the boss and said:
"Boss, if they don't fall for it, you must come back as soon as possible!"

The big boss nodded affirmatively, looking touched.

The master's face was filled with relief, and he was about to pull his hand away, but he felt his wrist tighten.

I can’t pull it out again!
The master immediately looked at the "rough man" in front of him in astonishment, only to see the boss say:

"After all these years, I've learned one thing."

As he spoke, the boss held the master's hand even tighter.

“There is strength in numbers!

I won't feel at ease without you by my side to give me advice.

Come together, let us drink from the golden cup together!"

On the boat.

Changqing looked at a sampan approaching this side not far away, on which sat a woman holding a baby in her arms.

At the same time, there was a large ship approaching behind the sampan, with constant shouts and cries of killing coming from it.

Seeing this, Changqing couldn't help but look alert.

He immediately ordered three of his personal guards to board a sampan and warn the woman to stay away. He also ordered people to shoot a few arrows at the ship to drive it away.

But the distance between the two sides is still getting closer.

Hualan also realized the situation outside, so she called Changqing in to question him.

Upon learning that an orphan and a widow were all alone in a sampan asking for help, Hua Lan couldn't help but look hesitant.

She couldn't help but look at Old Madam Sheng and asked:
"Grandmother, the woman and the child are here, why don't we take them aboard?"

Normally Hualan would definitely not say this, but this was a newborn baby after all, and it just hit the spot in Hualan's mind, so she felt a little sympathy.

Old Madam Sheng saw the kindness in Hualan's heart.

He also felt that a woman could not cause any trouble, and this was also a good thing to do, so he nodded and said:

"Since you are so willing, just let them get on board."

Although she had good intentions, Old Lady Sheng was still on guard and continued:
"But once they are on board, you must immediately have them taken to the room and kept under guard without a break. Don't pay attention to what she says during this time. Just pretend you didn't hear anything. When the ship docks, let them off immediately."

Hua Lan nodded in response:

"My granddaughter understands. If that woman really doesn't know what's good for her, it's okay for me to ask Changqing to send them off again."

Although Hualan was kind-hearted for the sake of the baby, family members were more important. If the woman didn't appreciate it, she could take back her affection.

If you don't feel saved in your heart, then you can't blame yourself for pulling the rope.

Changqing got the order and immediately brought the woman and the baby on the sampan up.

As soon as they got on the boat, they saw the woman start crying and shouting, wanting to see her savior and repay him for saving her life.

Changqing disagreed, but the woman seemed not to have heard him. She just carried the child and insisted on walking into the palace, still saying "benefactor" and "repay the favor" over and over again.

This made Changqing feel disgusted.

What is our identity? What is your identity?

It's good enough that I saved your life, and I want to meet you immediately.

If he really cared about his wife's feelings, he should just get on board and obey orders. Why is he making a fuss?
Thinking of this, Changqing's face also turned cold.

Two strong women who had been waiting nearby immediately carried the woman into the cabin, and the baby was carried into the room by a maid.

After closing the door and letting two strong women take turns guarding it, Chang Qing left a message:
"Food will be provided during the trip, and we will take you off the ship at the next dock."

(End of this chapter)