A small leaf-like boat carrying nine beauties wearing conical hats slowly approached. Two refined young men dressed in Wa clothing tossed the small boat’s mooring rope onto the flagship of the Lingnan Navy commander.
This was enough to make others click their tongues in admiration. Even the Five Bureaus Administrator felt that doing this had no harm to the Great Tang and the Lingnan Navy. A man conquering a woman didn’t necessarily have to be on the battlefield. In their view, a woman conquered in bed was even more docile than one conquered on the battlefield. One shouldn’t let a single mistake obscure great virtue—General Lu doing this was also for the benefit of the Great Tang.
At this time, more than this one small boat was shuttling across the sea. The sea surface was covered with such small boats everywhere. Today was the time when the Lingnan Navy, according to custom, received supplies. Those laborers rowing small boats continuously delivered various vegetables and meat to the warships. Because there were Wa people, the government office on shore had specially sent an extremely unpleasant-tasting liquor to pacify the pirates, packed in bamboo tubes and delivered into the hands of every pirate. The captain opened a bamboo tube, took a sip, and spat it out. He returned the bamboo tube to the pirates on his ship and cursed bitterly, “This damn stuff is horse piss.”
Long bamboo pipes also needed to replenish fresh water. Officials wearing green robes stood on the wharf, constantly dispatching warships to approach the dock one by one, so they could smoothly receive bulk supplies. The Great Tang’s warships also had some cargo that needed to be transported to shore, such as the wealth that General Lu had received.
Quanzhou was a major port, so such busyness was nothing unusual. It was just that occasionally there were one or two small errors. For instance, one laborer discovered that they had accidentally supplied fire oil as fresh water to some shabby, dilapidated boats.
The official humbly accepted the laborer’s observation. Such mistakes had appeared before—it wasn’t a big deal. The official insisted on rewarding this laborer, taking him to his office to receive the reward.
After a short while, that official returned, smiling as he told the other laborers that Wang Li, because he had discovered the impropriety, had been specially rewarded by him with permission to return home early. Those broken boats also needed to transport the fire oil that had been loaded back down. However, because they were surrendered people, they needed to carry it back themselves—everyone else didn’t need to exert the effort.
Everyone was happy. As long as there were people more unlucky than oneself, everyone would be happy. So watching those fellows with dark faces on the boats, there was a bit of schadenfreude.
The official boarded the ship and shouted loudly at the Wa people on board. Those Wa people all lowered their heads and ears, not daring to argue. This scene wasn’t strange either. Tang officials reprimanding foreign peoples had long since become the norm. The only thing they didn’t know was that this official was a Wa person, a member of the envoy delegation that Gao Sanyang had brought to the Great Tang in her early years. After many years of tempering, these people were no different from Tang people except that they couldn’t serve as principal officials.
“Master Qin Yuan, after this surprise attack succeeds, please leave with us. This place is too dangerous for you. The princess has repeatedly instructed that you are a rare talent who cannot be sacrificed for this military operation.”
“Onizuka, although I serve as an official in the Tang nation, my heart has never forgotten the place where I was born. The Tang nation is too powerful. I don’t understand why you would be so reckless this time. A Lingnan Navy isn’t worth the princess taking such great risk. Even if you succeed, if the princess perishes, in my view it still isn’t worth it. Crown Prince Shotoku has already ascended the throne. The Land of the Rising Sun needs people of outstanding intelligence like the princess to assist. To exchange life for such a victory—in my view, even victory is defeat.”
“Since the princess no longer cherishes her own life, how is my life, Qin Yuanzai’s life, worth cherishing? Please tell the princess that I wish her victory from heaven.”
Onizuka wanted to hold Qin Yuan back, but heard Qin Yuan shout angrily, “Insolent!” Onizuka immediately prostrated himself on the ground and watched helplessly as Qin Yuan left the wharf.
The weapons were loaded. Qin Yuan even found a way to fill these thirty-some large ships with fire oil. Since the princess wanted victory, then let’s just make the victory more thorough.
Qin Yuan returned home and said to his Wa wife, “My life has reached its end. Do you plan to go with me? If you don’t go, what awaits you will be endless humiliation.”
His wife was dressed entirely as a Tang person. Hearing her husband say this, she nodded, then suddenly became alarmed. She blocked the door to the inner chamber with her body and said in a trembling voice, “I’ll accompany you! The children won’t go!”
Qin Yuan suddenly smiled. He took his wife’s hand and said softly, “Of course the children can’t die. My identity is that of a Wa person, and so is yours, so we can’t survive. But Master Nagatada’s identity is that of a Tang person. In a moment, our children will be taken away by Master Nagatada. They’ll take Tang names and continue living. Listen—Master Nagatada has already arrived.”
A thin man with long, flowing whiskers knocked on Qin Yuan’s door. Without saying a word, he picked up the two young children in his arms and walked out. The Qin Yuan couple stood inside the doorway watching the carriage depart in the distance, then holding hands, returned to the hall…
The Qin Yuan couple treated death as going to a banquet. Cheng Jiu, however, was in the darkness with eyes wide open staring at the sky. He couldn’t get any closer—this was already the limit of how near he could approach. The Lingnan Navy’s patrol boats precisely passed in front of him once every hour, almost without a second’s error.
Today’s sky was tightly shrouded by dark clouds. When the tide came in would be the moment for him to strike. The most elite pirates were all behind him. As the final blow against the Lingnan Navy, Cheng Jiu was very confident in his heart.
Lu Chengqing was half-drunk without having consumed liquor. The beauty was like jade. Although it wasn’t Gao Sanyang lying in his embrace, this woman who closely resembled Gao Sanyang was already holding a wine cup in her mouth, about to pour the most fragrant wine into his mouth. How could he disappoint the beauty’s grace? Lu Chengqing not only caught that small wine cup, but also received the beauty’s lips together with his large mouth.
Exhaling a breath, Lu Chengqing spat out the small wine cup from his mouth and pointed at Gao Sanyang, saying, “Madam, Lu Chengqing’s devotion is truly wholehearted. Why do you always put me off?”
Gao Sanyang laughed charmingly and said, “Since ancient times, it’s always men who are unfaithful. We women can only submit to adversity. What’s obtained isn’t valuable—this principle Yanzi still understands. Until now, your sincerity has only been talk. Does the Grand General think Yanzi is an ignorant woman, that your few sweet words could make me recommend myself to your bedchamber?”
Lu Chengqing’s drunkenness seemed to vanish without a trace in an instant. He pushed aside Hidemi from his embrace and personally took out a sandalwood box from a locked chest, pushing it in front of Gao Sanyang and saying, “This is my sincerity. Inside are also guarantees from nobles in Chang’an. I wonder if such sincerity is enough.”
“If it’s treasure, forget it. Although Yanzi is merely a Wa person, I’ve seen a few treasures and won’t be confused by a bit of rare curiosities. What do you say, Grand General?”
Lu Chengqing sat up straight and pointed at the box, saying solemnly, “This is a guarantee for you. Inside are the tokens of seven families in the capital. With them, you can take over all the personnel and business channels of these seven families in Lingnan. This is after our careful deliberation, achieved with my strong promotion—a unanimous opinion. From now on, you’ll be the chief steward of our seven families in Lingnan. You can still lead your fleet across the outer seas, but the scale must be reduced. It absolutely cannot exceed five thousand people. We’ve calculated that with these five thousand people, it’s enough for you to operate in the outer seas. Additionally, the strait will only be opened to you this once—there absolutely won’t be a second time. In the future, if you’re in difficulty, I can permit you to retreat into the strait to regroup, but you absolutely cannot step beyond the strait. This is our bottom line. Madam must accept—this point has no room for negotiation.”
“If Madam has requirements regarding wealth, we can continue to discuss. The overall principle absolutely cannot be changed. Moreover, your people can in the future live in Goguryeo, the Wa lands, or the Jimi provinces. We’ll make arrangements for you—it will definitely be wealth and honor for life. The Tang nation’s mainland cannot be entered.”
“Why is this? Aren’t we serving the Great Tang? How is it we don’t even have the right to live in the Great Tang?” Gao Sanyang’s expression changed dramatically as she questioned Lu Chengqing.
“Madam is overthinking. You don’t yet have the qualification to serve the Great Tang. You’re serving our seven families. We get wealth, you get protection. Perhaps Madam still doesn’t understand—to be able to place this subordinate into the position of Lingnan Navy Commander, what a great price we paid. You know how difficult Yun Ye is to deal with. We paid the price of a Minister of War position to rescue you from fire and water. Shouldn’t Madam repay the favor?”
“Rescue me from fire and water?” Gao Sanyang asked through gritted teeth, one word at a time.
Lu Chengqing shook his head and took out a military deployment map from the chest, throwing it to Gao Sanyang, saying, “Look carefully. This is Yun Ye’s troop deployment map for exterminating pirates. Look again at the execution date. Did you think hiding in the outer seas would keep you safe and sound?”
Looking at the map in her hands, Gao Sanyang sighed mournfully and prostrated herself on the ground to thank Lu Chengqing. If Yun Ye’s deployment could be implemented, her forces would immediately be smashed into scattered pieces. To rise again, she would only have the option of starting from scratch.
Lu Chengqing personally helped Gao Sanyang up. One hand very naturally rested on Gao Sanyang’s waist. With two finger snaps, his personal guards all withdrew. Gao Sanyang also waved her hand. Except for Hidemi, the remaining maidservants bowed and withdrew.
When only the three of them remained in the ship’s cabin, Lu Chengqing laughed loudly and immediately picked up Gao Sanyang, preparing to mount the bed. He had waited too long for this moment.
Hidemi said softly to Lu Chengqing, “Her Highness the Princess is still a maiden. Please have pity, Grand General.”
“This is natural. Lu is not a person who roughly destroys flowers. I’ll naturally be tender. However, with you there’s no need, right? Hahahaha.” Lu Chengqing carried Gao Sanyang straight toward the soft bed. Hidemi laughed charmingly as she untied the heavy curtains, separating the inner and outer cabins into two worlds.