Hearing Liu Renyuan say this, the deputy general was also overjoyed, but his expression immediately changed. He pointed ahead and said to Liu Renyuan: “Captain, those bastards are actually throwing people into the sea! When we catch up, please allow this subordinate to personally deal with the murderers.”

Liu Renyuan glanced back and nodded to the deputy general. These matters were originally his responsibility. Having run the seas for several years, he was well aware of the pirates’ cruel practices. The only fleet sailing the Great Tang’s waters was the Lingnan Fleet. The remaining patrol inspection vessels from various places were just a few small cats—fine for dealing with merchant ships, but powerless against vicious pirates.

However, today these people daring to throw people into the sea right in front of the fleet was rather rare. Did they really think everyone in the Great Tang Navy was dead?

At the deputy general’s command, the commander’s Mulan boat swiftly raised two auxiliary sails. The ship’s speed suddenly increased by a large margin. The bow heavily plunged into the sea, then suddenly leaped up. The specially-made hook anchors on the eight-ox crossbows were already loaded. Soldiers rapidly hammered wedges into the fixed holes on the deck. The burly man responsible for aiming had already begun locking onto the ships ahead.

Liu Renyuan held no hope for those people thrown into the sea—they couldn’t be saved. Today’s waves were a full three feet high. If a large ship approached people who had fallen overboard, the most likely outcome would be pressing those people under the water. Lowering small boats was even less advisable—at close range, positions couldn’t be controlled, and small boats would also be smashed to pieces by the large ships.

If the people on the sea surface were Great Tang citizens, Liu Renyuan might think of some methods, but seeing those heads shaved bald over large areas, he didn’t have much desire to save them. He’d already been blown by the sea wind for quite a while—better to rest a bit. On this trip to Dengzhou, it would be best not to encounter the masters from the academy, otherwise being forced to read the “Classic of Mountains and Seas” again would be troublesome. Master Jin Zhu had always hoped he could bring back a live mermaid for him to see, to use in refuting Yun Ye’s strange theories and bizarre arguments. As for disputes between masters, it was best not to get involved.

He had only just lain in the hammock for a while when the deputy general walked in, happily saying to Liu Renyuan: “Deputy Commander, we’ve struck it rich today! The ships are full of women—Silla women. This gang are Goguryeo people. They seized quite a few women from Silla, planning to sell them to our Great Tang. Over ten were thrown into the sea, but there are still many more.”

“All eight ships? From now on call me Captain, stop calling me Deputy Commander.” Liu Renyuan raised his head in surprise and asked.

“You’re already a归德 Middle Grade General. Why still call yourself Captain? Didn’t the Commander say so? Your promotion decree is right there with him. Why can’t I call you Deputy Commander?”

“Stop rambling. Until the edict is proclaimed, I’m still an Illuminated Martial Captain. These military matters cannot be careless. You didn’t let those women board ship, did you? If you violated the prohibition, you only have one head—it can’t withstand casual chopping.”

Liu Renyuan didn’t care about these women, but he was very particular about letting outsiders board ship. The Navy had long had a prohibition—outsiders boarding ships must be observed for fifteen days. This was an iron rule. Yun Ye had proclaimed this prohibition on the very day the Lingnan Navy was established, and it had been strictly enforced ever since without any mishaps.

“Captain, no, this subordinate didn’t let them board. I only sent some brothers down to those ships to take them over.” Liu Renyuan put on his boots and came to the bow again. He saw the fleet had restored its original military formation, with eight Goguryeo merchant ships added to the formation.

“Captain, the subordinate sent to the merchant ships were all sailors with families and mouths to feed. I trust they won’t act recklessly.” The deputy general saw Liu Renyuan looking at the Goguryeo merchant ships with a thoughtful expression and, thinking he was worried about military discipline, quickly added.

“Who’s asking you about those women? I’m asking you where those Goguryeo people went.”

“The Goguryeo people? After finding out where their lair was, we threw them in the sea. What use was keeping them? The brothers who boarded the ships reported that those women on the ships were in an unspeakable state. In the dead of winter without clothes, huddled together for warmth. The bottom of the ship’s hold was no different from hell. When they first looked, they thought they’d seen ghosts.”

“Never mind. Get some grain and the brothers’ old clothes onto those ships. Once they reach the Great Tang, no matter what, they’re people and must look like people. Tell those fellows we don’t bully pitiful people. It’s still ten days to Dengzhou. It’s the second month—the Dengzhou waters should be unsealed. We must hurry. The Commander is still waiting at Dengzhou.”

Rescuing these women was merely a small interlude during the voyage. Liu Renyuan didn’t take it to heart. Every year sailing the seas, they would always encounter some pirates and human traffickers. When encountering pirates, they’d eliminate them. If they found their lair, there would always be quite substantial additional gains. If they encountered human traffickers, they’d throw the traffickers into the sea. This was the standard procedure. A large portion of the Lingnan Navy’s current income came from pirates and human traffickers.

Liu Renyuan was about to return to the cabin to continue sleeping when he noticed one of the nearby merchant ships suddenly erupted in commotion. Several raggedly-dressed women desperately called out toward the large ship, waving their hands. Voices faintly came over—they were actually speaking Chinese.

The deputy general’s face immediately flushed bright red. He had just boarded that ship and hadn’t seen anyone say they were Great Tang people. How had several suddenly appeared now?

Liu Renyuan grabbed a cable and immediately swung onto that ship, pointing at one of the women and asking: “Which of you are Great Tang people?” Those women only kowtowed and couldn’t even speak.

The deputy general also swung over, shouting in exasperation: “When I asked you who was from the Great Tang earlier, why didn’t you speak? What are you shouting about now? Since you’re Great Tang people, why are you so afraid seeing us?”

Liu Renyuan stopped the deputy general, squatted down himself and said gently: “Don’t be afraid. Since you can speak our language, you must have some connection to the Great Tang. As long as you speak up and we verify it, we’ll naturally send you home.”

“Military master, this little woman’s surname is Tian, my husband’s family name is Fang. I was originally from Hejian. I accompanied my husband back to his hometown to pay respects at ancestral graves. Because my husband’s friend was a sea merchant, we took a sea vessel. Who would have thought we’d encounter these brigands on the open sea? They killed my husband and his friend and abducted me here. When they saw I had some beauty, they…”

“Elder sister, you needn’t grieve. Those thieves have all sunk to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish. Now that you’ve escaped this great calamity, living well is the right principle.” After saying these comforting words, seeing that the woman’s clothing was truly tattered beyond repair, he removed his outer robe and draped it over her, pointing at the other women and asking: “Are they also Great Tang people?”

“No, they are pitiful people. If not for their help, I would have long since followed my deceased husband. We Tang people, when receiving even a drop of kindness, should repay it with a gushing spring. Therefore, I boldly brought them out and beseech the general for a way to live.”

Liu Renyuan looked in surprise at the frail woman before him. Seeing her speak with clear logic and elegant diction, she might well be literate—this was rare indeed. Especially at such a time still knowing to repay gratitude—such women were truly uncommon.

“You speak correctly. We Great Tang people are indeed like this. This gang of thieves actually dared to act willfully and recklessly in our Great Tang waters—particularly detestable! We’ll now attack their lair and root them out completely.”

As he spoke, many old garments were sent from the large ship. Fang Tian Shi very naturally directed those women to put on the garments, then sent the remaining clothes into the ship’s hold. She herself bowed to Liu Renyuan again and said: “General, I am already a withered flower and defeated willow—I have no face to return home. I cannot speak words of serving the general. I only beg the general for a mouthful of food, allow me to manage these women. They are all pitiful people. Please show mercy, General.”

Liu Renyuan quite appreciated this woman. He came from the academy and, although he also valued chastity, the academy’s view was that when women lost their virtue under powerful external force, it was the men who were disgraced—it had nothing to do with the women. Students who had long been taught by the academy to be proud and haughty all agreed with this statement. A man who couldn’t even protect his own wife—what face did he have to accuse women of losing their virtue?

“Very good, Fang Tian Shi. The military is all men—indeed unsuitable for managing these women. You managing them is excellent. However, after we reach shore, your whereabouts will depend on the Marquis’s arrangements. You needn’t worry—the Marquis always has methods. Since these women have reached the Great Tang, they probably can’t go back. Even if they did go back, do you think their fate would be any good?”

Fang Tian Shi nodded gloomily. After three months living together day and night, she could already speak some Silla language and had gained some understanding of the customs there. If not for the winter cold sealing the ports, they would have long been sold to various places in the Great Tang. What awaited her was only a dead end. No human trafficker dared traffic Great Tang women—even the most well-connected traffickers wouldn’t dare. As long as she appealed for justice at the official yamen and anyone was implicated, that person would face severe punishment. Therefore, the eve before the large ship reached shore was when her life would end. Those Japanese thrown into the sea—that was her fate.

After Liu Renyuan returned to the large ship, he put these women out of his mind, took out a map of Hebei Circuit, and couldn’t understand no matter how he thought—why did he have to sail sea vessels into the Liao River? Didn’t the bigwigs in the court know that sailing sea ships into river channels was purely seeking self-destruction?

Going upstream—was this a joke? How could Mulan boats sail into river channels? The Great River perhaps could work, but the Liao River absolutely wouldn’t. Why must they sail in? Why must the Commander run behind the Goguryeo people? This wasn’t even a national war. There was no rear support, no battle situation ahead either—only his lone army. This won’t work! He must see the Commander early and ask clearly.

He was troubled, yet didn’t know that Yun Ye’s brain was about to explode. Not one of the methods given by the bigwigs was usable. The Liao River’s current was rapid and the channel narrow—fundamentally unsuitable for fleet navigation.

Across the sea was Beisha City. The city walls were constructed following the mountain terrain, stretching about ten li—imposing and magnificent, spectacular to behold. Inside the city, valleys wound about; outside the city on all four sides were sheer cliffs. Establishing camp in the city, one could advance to attack or retreat to defend—a place easy to defend and hard to attack. As long as he made the slightest movement at the Liao River mouth, the Goguryeo navy stationed at Sanshan Port would come out in full force and seal him to death on the Liao River. At that point, complete annihilation would be hard to avoid.