“Please save us—” came a woman’s voice.

This voice was very familiar to Qiao Zhao. She pushed aside Yang Houcheng, who was blocking her view, and looking out, her expression changed slightly. She quickly touched Shao Mingyuan’s arm: “It’s Miss Xie.”

It was her good friend Xie Shengxiao.

She never would have expected that after Xie Shengxiao ran away from home, their reunion would be under such circumstances.

“Ye Luo, how far is the small boat from us? How far is the large boat?” Shao Mingyuan asked.

“The small boat is less than three zhang from us, the large boat is about thirty zhang away,” Ye Luo quickly reported.

Shao Mingyuan decided immediately: “Go around the small boat and meet the large boat head-on!”

As soon as he spoke, the sailors immediately began adjusting the sails.

Yang Houcheng scratched his head.

These sailors were quite obedient.

Chi Can’s gaze swept across Shao Mingyuan’s face before settling on the small boat drawing nearer.

Was there someone on the boat who knew Tingquan?

He understood why Shao Mingyuan gave such an order. The opposing large boat was already too close to them. If they followed normal procedure to rescue the people on the small boat, there wouldn’t be enough time. Only by actively advancing toward the opposing large boat was the best choice.

“General, the opposing side has spearmen!” Ye Luo shouted.

“Numbers!”

“Estimated ten spearmen, over ten wielding axes and swords,” Ye Luo quickly reported.

Shao Mingyuan’s expression didn’t change as he raised his hand: “Shield bearers forward, archers prepare, everyone else crouch down!”

After speaking, he pulled the girl beside him into his arms and crouched down.

Yang Houcheng was completely bewildered: “Where are these shield bearers and archers coming from?”

They only had half-competent Jinwu Guards…

Had Tingquan’s blindness made him confused, too?

Just as Yang Houcheng was puzzling over this, over ten sailors quickly held up shields in front of them, followed by over ten laborers hiding behind the shields, drawing their bows and nocking arrows. All preparations were completed in one fluid motion.

Yang Houcheng hurriedly caught his dropping jaw, suddenly feeling pain behind his knees, and involuntarily kneeling.

Chi Can said irritably: “Are you stupid? Still standing there wanting to be a living target?”

“This, this, this—where did all these come from?”

He was the captain—how did he not know the sailors and laborers on the ship could transform?

Chi Can sighed lightly: “You still can’t tell at this point? These are all Tingquan’s men.”

He had always wondered where Shao Mingyuan’s guards, who had appeared in Baiyun Village, were hiding. It turned out that Shao Mingyuan had long ago secretly replaced the sailors and laborers on the ship with his personal guard soldiers.

What better disguise than sailors and laborers? At least people like them wouldn’t pay attention to what a laborer looked like.

Shao Mingyuan’s commanding voice rang out again: “Shoot directly, just leave two or three alive!”

Everyone crouched on the deck and soon heard the sound of arrows piercing the air, followed immediately by successive screams from the opposing ship. Then came clanging sounds—the spears thrown from the opposite side hitting the shields.

“General, the opposing ship is turning around!”

Large ships were difficult to turn. Shao Mingyuan estimated the current distance between the two ships and directly ordered: “Full speed ahead. When within two zhang of the opposing ship, jump directly onto their vessel and quickly resolve the battle.”

“Yes!” all the personal guards responded in unison. In that instant, the Northern Expedition Personal Guard Army’s momentum was fully displayed, filled with killing intent.

Qiao Zhao was held in Shao Mingyuan’s arms. She couldn’t help but look up and saw several young men dressed as laborers retreat several zhang, then quickly run forward. Their bodies soared through the air like great eagles spreading their wings, landing one after another on the opposing ship, soon engaging in combat with the people on that ship.

To call it combat, these young men were each extraordinarily brave, beating the people on the opposing ship until they could barely fight back.

Screams continued incessantly, blood splashing everywhere in sight.

A large hand pressed the girl’s head into his chest as the man’s deep voice sounded: “Good girl, don’t look.”

Leaning against the man’s broad chest, smelling his faint mint scent, even in such circumstances, Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but blush, saying softly: “It doesn’t scare me.”

Calling her “girl” again—they were the same age, yet he always treated her like a little child?

Wait, did he sometimes unconsciously treat her as the little girl Li Zhao?

Once this thought arose, Miss Qiao felt uncomfortable.

She couldn’t help thinking: Perhaps Shao Mingyuan had fallen for Li Zhao’s appearance, which then led to their current entanglement.

Thinking this way, Qiao Zhao felt quite annoyed and reached out to pinch the man’s waist.

Shao Mingyuan didn’t understand, thinking that stopping Qiao Zhao from watching had made her unhappy, so he consoled: “There’s nothing good to see in killing.”

What if Zhaozhao saw disgusting scenes, and it affected her appetite?

During this purely force-based resolution, Qiao Zhao didn’t try to be stubborn and honestly stayed nestled in Shao Mingyuan’s arms, asking in an extremely low voice: “Then what’s good to look at?”

“You’re good to look at,” Shao Mingyuan replied without hesitation.

“You think I look good the way I am now?” Miss Qiao’s tone was flat.

The young general had no idea he was about to face disaster, saying sincerely, “Of course you look good.”

“You like it?”

“Very much.”

The girl in his arms fell silent.

Ye Luo’s report sounded: “General, three from the opposing side have been left alive, the remaining fifteen have all been executed!”

“Very good. Everyone worked hard. Bring the three survivors to the main hall,” Shao Mingyuan stood up. Though reluctant in his heart, he still pushed the girl from his arms with an expressionless face and calmly walked inside.

Except for Ye Luo and Chen Guang, those sailors and laborers who had just displayed great prowess quietly dispersed back to their respective positions, as if nothing had happened. They were still ordinary people who would be instantly lost if thrown into a crowd.

The Jinwu Guards remaining on deck still hadn’t recovered from their shock.

The battle had happened too quickly and ended too quickly. Could they consider their feelings a bit?

“Captain, what exactly were those people?”

“Oh, just hired sailors and laborers,” Yang Houcheng played dumb.

One Jinwu Guard said blankly: “Randomly hired sailors and laborers are this capable?”

It wasn’t just how skilled those people were, but the speed and unity with which they executed orders that was too shocking.

Another Jinwu Guard smiled bitterly: “Captain Yang, do you think we’re stupid? Those people are Marquis Guanjun’s men, right?”

Yang Houcheng rolled his eyes: “Since you know, why ask? Let me tell you all—if it weren’t for Marquis Guanjun’s people today, we would’ve been fed to the fish. When you return to the capital, if you talk nonsense, that wouldn’t be manly!”

“Don’t worry, Captain. We absolutely won’t talk nonsense.”

If only they’d said earlier that Marquis Guanjun had people here—they were scared to death!

Everyone walked toward the main hall together. Chen Guang reported: “General, this subordinate rescued seven women from the small boat and has settled them in the second-floor guest rooms.”

Qiao Zhao paused in her steps and said to Shao Mingyuan, “I’ll go check on them first.”