Takatsuji’s lips curled into a smile as he ordered his men to rush to the beach and kill any Zhenzhou soldiers who might wash ashore.
Standing on the hillside, he watched his troops advance towards the beach while continuing to scan the now-empty horizon.
For some reason, Takatsuji felt that something was amiss, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Just then, his subordinates excitedly commented, “Those ships sank quickly. Are the Great Yan’s fleet made of paper?”
Before they could finish speaking, Takatsuji’s eyes widened. He slowly turned to face the subordinate who had spoken, causing the man’s smile to freeze on his face.
“Fools! We’ve been tricked!” Takatsuji suddenly roared, ordering the gunners who had left the battery to climb back up and prepare for battle.
At that moment, through the pouring rain and mist, several massive black shadows appeared—the newest warships of the Beihai navy, completely undamaged and advancing swiftly toward Kudao like giant beasts.
The gunners on the battery scrambled to adjust their aim and reload the cannons under Takatsuji’s furious shouts.
However, due to the frequent firing earlier and the upward tilt of the barrels, a lot of rainwater had seeped in. Even with rain covers, they couldn’t ignite the cannons. When they managed to light them, they only produced dull, muffled sounds with no power.
As the large ships drew closer, Takatsuji’s subordinates panicked, asking helplessly, “General Takatsuji, how… how do they still have so many warships?”
Takatsuji’s eyes were bloodshot—of course, Beihai had warships. The ships they had wasted countless ammunition on earlier were just decoys with wooden frames!
If they had been real ships, they wouldn’t have sunk so quickly.
If not for the rain and mist, and the fact that Shi Yikuan’s men had sent secret information making Takatsuji certain that Cui Xingzhou would attack today, this deception would have been easy to spot.
Now, Takatsuji finally understood: Cui Xingzhou had deliberately spread false information and chosen this weather to attack the island, using this clever substitution tactic!
By now, the large ships had drawn near. Although the cannons on the warships were not as heavy as those on Kudao’s land, when they closed the distance, the island’s shallow waters were within range.
The Prince of Huaiyang stood at the bow, slightly raising his hand. Ten well-prepared cannons aimed at the shallows and began to fire!
With thunderous booms, the shallow waters were blasted open, and the five large cannons were overturned.
The Japanese who had been waiting on the beach for the Beihai soldiers to wash ashore were caught completely off guard. They were blown to bits, crying out in agony.
Instead of exhausted, waterlogged Zhenzhou soldiers, the Japanese on the beach found themselves facing small boats full of fresh troops emerging from the mist.
By the time Cui Xingzhou’s forces landed in small boats, the Japanese on shore had been shattered by the cannon fire and could only surrender.
When the soldiers found Takatsuji, he was still alive but half-crushed under a cannon, severely injured.
Cui Xingzhou looked at him, blood bubbling from his mouth, and coldly smiled. “Bring him out. We’ll interrogate him thoroughly about his mysterious contact in the capital!”
This island assault had been achieved with virtually no losses to the Beihai navy, removing a long-standing threat to the region.
After sweeping Kudao clean and leaving some troops to inventory the supplies, the navy returned triumphantly.
The heavy rain had cleared, leaving an endless expanse of sky-blue sea.
At the docks of Cangwu County, countless civilians were eagerly waiting for the ships to return.
Mian Tang sat in a carriage, holding little Yi’er, waiting for news.
Cui Fu sat atop a pair of luggage bags, nearly losing her balance. If not for Mian Tang’s quick hand steadying her, she might have fallen.
Still shaken, Cui Fu caressed her pregnant belly and couldn’t help complaining, “You’re something. How could Xingzhou lose the battle? You’ve even packed up all the valuables from home. If he lost, would you just abandon him and run away?”
Her brother had once told her that when Liu Mian Tang followed him to the northwest, she was ready to follow him in life or death, even bringing his remains back home if he died. She had been touched when she heard that. Who knew that in Beihai, she would see her sister-in-law ready to pack up and leave at any moment?
Mian Tang was no longer as polite to Cui Fu as before. Hearing this, she glared at her and said, “In war, there’s always a winner and a loser. It’s better to be prepared than to be caught off guard when the unexpected happens. Besides, if your brother lost, the Japanese would certainly come ashore to plunder and kill. What good would it do for you to stay?”
Cui Fu, coming from a military family and educated in traditional etiquette, glared back, “Even if we have to leave, we should do so with dignity. How can you be so overly cautious? If Guangcai and Xingzhou died in battle… you can take Jin’er and go, but I… I would certainly follow them in death…”
As she spoke, Cui Fu became emotional and couldn’t help but shed tears.
Mian Tang, however, replied seriously, “It’s not just about us leaving. The entire population of Cangwu County would have to leave! Do you think your brother hasn’t considered the other possibility? He gave orders to the troops early on to prepare for evacuation if necessary. When the time comes, the civilians will have to follow us into the mountains. There’s a cliff stronghold there with rolling stone gates already prepared. The food I’ve hidden in the mountains isn’t just for one person. If they die, why should you die with them? Their killers would still be alive, so we can’t die. We must preserve our strength to return and take revenge, to skin those villains alive and break their bones!”
As she spoke, Mian Tang gritted her teeth, her expression as if she were skinning someone. Even little Yi’er in her arms was waving his arms and making tiger-like growls.
Just then, the people outside the carriage suddenly erupted in cheers and shouts.
Mian Tang handed Yi’er to Fangxie and quickly stood up to look at the sea. She saw several warships slowly approaching the dock in the golden light of the setting sun.
Mian Tang squinted, silently counting the red flags waving on the ship’s deck.
This was the flag signal Cui Xingzhou had agreed upon with her and the garrison commander before departure. If they returned victorious, they would raise three flags and lower two.
If there were no flag signals, it would mean the ships were not from Great Yan, and the land forces should prepare to cover her and the civilians’ retreat.
Mian Tang watched the three-raise-two-lower flag signal, biting her lip in excitement.
Although she knew he was unlikely to fail, given how many times they had rehearsed and even practiced retreat scenarios, she still felt nervous.
She still couldn’t remember the three years she had spent with Cui Xingzhou, but their recent time together had given her a sense of understanding him without words.
Especially when arranging military deployments, they seemed to have an unspoken rapport. Of course, when she annoyed him, he would press his thin lips against hers and kiss her fiercely. That kind of intimate coordination made her heart race.
Now that he was finally returning victorious, Mian Tang couldn’t help but jump down from the carriage.
When the large ship docked, the Prince of Huaiyang, clad in golden armor, swept aside his cloak and strode down the gangplank on his long, booted legs. He walked purposefully towards Mian Tang and swept her up in his arms.
The people of Beihai were known for their unrestrained nature. Seeing the victorious prince embrace his beautiful princess was a sight to behold! The crowd erupted in cheers, creating a jubilant atmosphere.
Amidst the rising cheers and congratulations, Cui Xingzhou whispered in Mian Tang’s ear, “You made a bet with me. If I didn’t lose a single warship, you’d let me into your bed…”
As Mian Tang was about to retort to his shameless words, she looked over Cui Xingzhou’s shoulder and saw the warships—still as pristine as when they had set out, with white sails billowing and decks gleaming, looking as if they hadn’t been touched by a single cannonball.
Mian Tang was astonished. If not for the batches of Japanese prisoners being escorted off the ships, she might have suspected that Cui Xingzhou had fought a fake battle and merely taken his subordinates on a sea cruise. When she had made that joking promise, she never imagined he would achieve it.
Mian Tang immediately began questioning Cui Xingzhou about how he had accomplished this feat. However, Cui Xingzhou’s lips were sealed like a water-filled clam, revealing nothing.
This left Mian Tang burning with curiosity, unable to fully enjoy the food and wine at the victory banquet.
It wasn’t until after the banquet, when Cui Xingzhou, feigning drunkenness, finally made his way to the long-absent bedchamber, that he revealed a bit of information. He explained how he had ordered the shipyard to construct fake ship frames, positioned them in the mist to lure the Japanese into wasting their cannon fire, and then tilted the angles to allow rainwater to flood the enemy’s cannon barrels.
Mian Tang was captivated by his explanation. By the time she came to her senses, she realized that the man had nearly undressed her.
Embarrassed and annoyed, she wanted to hit him, but Cui Xingzhou was quicker, restraining her hands and feet. He whispered in her ear, “Didn’t you want to learn martial arts from me? I have an even more profound skill. Shall I teach you slowly now?”
What followed were passionate kisses that left her breathless and weak-limbed.
In her daze, Mian Tang finally understood what he meant to “teach” her, but it was too late. Held tightly by the strong man, she was powerless against his advances.
Cui Xingzhou had never imagined he would get to be a bridegroom for a second time.
This sweet woman, with her innocent and panicked expression, was irresistible. He couldn’t get enough of her.
They continued well into the night. The next day, both of them stayed in bed late.
Li Mama, knowing that the prince had finally spent the night with the princess, was overjoyed. The next morning, she specially prepared bird’s nest soup with eggs for the princess’s breakfast to replenish her energy.
Mian Tang found it too sweet and didn’t want to drink it, preferring to stay in bed. But Cui Xingzhou put on a robe and brought the bowl to her, saying, “Drink it all, or you won’t have the energy later.”
Hearing this, Mian Tang’s eyes widened in disbelief, but his handsome face remained calm and composed. For a moment, she wondered if she had misunderstood and if his words might not be as lecherous as she thought.