The night covers the sky, and the stars and moon are hidden.
Under the darkness of the night, on the calm protective surface, there was neither moonlight nor starlight. It was really like being unable to see even your fingers.
Only a few large ships moored on the shore had their lights on, dispersing the darkness within a few feet, and the water could still be vaguely seen. Above the water, the sparkling fire reflected in the water rippled with the waves.
The brightly lit ship was like a beacon, announcing its position to the surroundings.
A few miles away, in a remote reed marsh, more than twenty rays of fire gradually swayed out of the reed marsh and gathered in one place.
On the shore, three torches suddenly lit up on the small boat that had been waiting for a long time. More than 20 small boats quickly approached and soon gathered in one place.
"Brother!" A muscular man dressed in a strong suit shouted respectfully at the leader, a man with a muscular back, a leopard head and eyes, a ferocious face, and a sword in his hand.
"How's the situation?" The man with the leopard head and ring eyes who was called his brother asked angrily.
The man dressed as Lifu said: "Those fat sheep are parked two miles away. I have found out clearly. The first few ships are Changping ships, coming from Bianjing, transporting oil and oil from the north." There are skins and medicinal materials, and there is also an official ship of unknown origin, but my brother who inquired about the information said that this official ship also came from Bianjing, and there seemed to be many female dependents on board."
"Official family members?" The eyes of the man with a leopard head and ringed eyes lit up, and his tone became a little rough.
The man dressed in Lifu nodded and said: "I heard from the brother who inquired about the news that he seemed to be going back to the south to visit relatives. He was afraid that the road would be uneven, so he went with the Changping ship!"
"That's a pretty idea!" The man with the leopard head and ringed eyes snorted coldly, and continued to ask: "Where is the distribution of the guards on the ship?"
"The situation on the official ship is still unclear. Our brothers can't get on board and can't find out the specific situation. The manpower on the first few ships is about the same. There are about a dozen guards with swords and twenty or thirty strong men. Many of them are from Caobang, and they have a lot of knives on their hands, so I'm afraid they won't be easy to chew."
"It's not easy to chew?" The man with the leopard's head and ring eyes snorted coldly, and said sternly: "Let's pick out those who are not easy to chew! Don't pay attention to the official ship first, find a few brothers to keep an eye on it first, let's take care of those few first We’ll take down all the cargo ships, and then we’ll deal with the officials and their families.”
"Not far from the shore is the command camp. Remember, we must fight quickly and don't delay it for too long!"
How much property can there be on an official ship filled with female family members? It is nothing more than some gold and silver jewelry. The most attractive ones are the official family members and the young female envoys. However, in the eyes of this group of water thieves, a group of How much of a threat can the female family members pose? As long as they take care of the guards and the men on the cargo ship ahead, then those official family members and female envoys will still be in their possession.
There is a gentle breeze on the river. It is autumn now, and the lake surface is slightly cool at night.
The night is dark and windy, which is the time for murder and arson.
The brightness of the candlelight is far inferior to that of incandescent lamps, let alone those searchlights. The visibility on the lake is too low, and the visible distance is only a few feet. However, in the eyes of the water thieves, everyone on the boat is undoubtedly alive. target.
The water thieves put out their torches early, and took speedboats, quietly approaching several large ships in the pitch-black night.
"Huh?" On the cargo ship, a guard vaguely felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure it out when he looked around. Just when he was scratching his head in confusion, the sound of breaking through the air suddenly sounded. Before he could react, Several feather arrows were inserted into him.
"The water thieves are coming!" The night guards on the ship immediately beat gongs and drums and shouted a warning.
"Kill!" Before he could finish his words, countless torches lit up around the ship. A dozen soft bows used for hunting shot out more than a dozen arrows. A leopard-headed man holding a simple sword stood tall. On the bow of the clipper, when the clipper was still three or four feet away from the big ship, he jumped onto the side of the ship. The sword in his hand fell hard like it was splitting the Huashan Mountain, and he killed a knife-wielding guard with one blow. .
Seeing the bravery of their leader, the water pirates howled like wild beasts one by one, put down the wooden planks connecting the small boat and the big ship to act as a bridge, brandished their long knives, held up torches, and rushed towards the big ship crazily.
There are a few people of Yi Yu's generation who travel north and south for business all year round, and the guards they hire are all experienced in killing people and seeing blood, and have fought with thieves. Even if they picked up weapons and organized a manpower to resist, it would only take a moment. , the shouts of killing, howls of pain, and the clash of weapons continued to spread in the silent night sky.
On the Sheng family's ship at the northernmost end of the five ships, just as Minglan heard the shouts of killing coming from ahead, Wang Erxi had already walked up from the cabin with a knife.
"Girl, the thief has a bow and arrow. It's dangerous up there. Girl, it's better to go to the cabin to take shelter!" Wang Erxi said directly.
"It doesn't matter!" Minglan shook her head and said, "Xiao Tao, you go down first with Dan Ju, and remember to bring up all my slingshots!"
"Slave, go now!" Xiao Tao bowed and hurriedly supported Dan Ju, who looked a little pale next to him.
"Girl!" Danju looked at Minglan worriedly.
Minglan smiled and comforted: "Don't worry, Brother Wang has made arrangements in advance. I will be fine. You go back to the cabin first and restrain the female servants from leaving the cabin. They are all hiding and are not allowed to leave." Voice."
"Let me tell you, this group of water thieves kills without blinking an eye. If anyone disobeys the command and gets into trouble, don't blame me for being merciless."
As she spoke, Ming Lan seemed to lose a bit of her usual affability and become a bit more majestic. Wang Erxi beside her couldn't help but nod her head.
"Brother Wang, have everything been arranged?" Minglan turned around and asked Wang Erxi.
Wang Erxi cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, girl, my brothers are all ready. I also asked the servants of the Sheng family to take weapons and help them."
"Brother Wang has been walking on the water all year round. He is well-informed and has dealt with water thieves. Brother Wang has full control over how to arrange it." Minglan understood that although she had read a lot of military books and was somewhat smart, she had never After experiencing this kind of thing, instead of giving random orders, it would be better to leave it to Wang Erxi to make the decision.
And to be honest, Minglan was really nervous when she met bandits for the first time.
As soon as Minglan finished speaking, seven or eight men with long bows and quivers on their backs went up to the top deck and quickly occupied favorable positions around them. They faced the sides of the ship on both sides where it was easy to board the ship, and were alert to the surroundings.
These guards carry soft bows used for hunting, and the bow power is not very strong. Naturally, they will not be of much use against the regular army with full armor, but they are enough to face ordinary water thieves and bandits. Compared with the wild beasts in the mountains and forests, there is no difference.
After a while, Xiaotao also walked up carrying a long stick, Minglan's slingshot and a box of stones.
Minglan skillfully attached the rubber band to the slingshot made of copper and iron, tried to aim it, then picked up the telescope and looked at the chaotic situation ahead with some eagerness.
Suddenly there was a loud noise, and then there was a burst of fire. Among the four ships of the Changping, the oil-filled ship at the front exploded directly. The raging fire destroyed the entire ship in just a moment. They all burned, and the raging fire dispelled the darkness nearby. In the sea of fire, you could still see figures struggling continuously, scrambling one by one, and jumping into the lake like dumplings.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Tao and Minglan both turned pale.
Xiaotao held the long stick in her hand tightly and stood beside Minglan, not moving an inch, like a female Vajra.
But instead of letting the shouts of death stop, they intensified. After a while, several small boats approached Minglan's ship.
"Brother Wang! They are coming!" Minglan quickly reminded Wang Erxi next to him.
"Don't worry, girl, brothers are all experienced and know what to do!" Sure enough, before Wang Erxi finished speaking, several guards on the top deck had already taken out the arrows from their quivers and put them on their bows, vigilantly Looking around the ship, ready to pull away at any time.
On the decks of the second and third floors, the remaining guards and servants stood tall and strong, holding simple shields made of several layers of wooden boards. Behind them were two long sharpened bamboo poles, one on the left and one on the right. On the wooden shield, if a thief comes up to the side of the ship, just poke the bamboo pole out to greet him.
Behind them are the master guards holding long and short swords.
After a while, several small boats stopped by the side of the ship. The guards on the deck did not show up directly, but hid out of their sight. There were only eight shields, two by two, erected on the sides of the ship on both sides. Both ends.
Seven or eight water thieves swarmed and boarded the side of the ship first, heading for the deck. When they got closer and saw the shield clearly, two sharpened bamboo poles were thrust straight towards them.
The ship's side was narrow, and seven or eight people were crowded together. Wherever there was room to dodge, two water thieves were immediately caught. When the bamboo poles were pulled back, they fell into the water.
Before the water thieves could react, the long bamboo pole they pulled back was thrust out again.
"No, they were already prepared!"
But before they could react, the bamboo pole hit two unlucky guys again. At the same time, a boatload of water thieves boarded the starboard side of the big ship.
But the water thief is not a vegetarian. He was hit several times in succession. After several of his companions were stabbed to death, even though they were holding the bodies of their companions, they worked together to push against the wooden shield. There was one brave man who was not afraid of death. , after being pierced by the bamboo pole, he directly grabbed the bamboo pole and did not give the people behind the wood escape a chance to pull it back. He grabbed the bamboo pole and jumped into the water. After a tug, the remaining water thieves immediately rushed in with their swords. Go up.
At the same time, he shouted loudly that "the idea is tough" and called for support, and immediately several more boats came close to him.
"Xing Laosan, can you do it? Even the female relatives can't handle it!" The people on the boat were still joking, not realizing the seriousness of the matter at all.
But before they could get close to the side of the ship, the archers already waiting on the upper deck had already aimed their bows and arrows at them.
Wang Erxi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he was holding a long bow. He drew the bow half full, stringed the arrow, shouted "square arrow", and the arrow in his hand flew out from the string, hitting a small water pirate leader on the boat. .
More than a dozen soft bows were fired at the same time. The water thieves on the boat never imagined that the guards on the boat would have bows and arrows. Now that they were on the boat, they became living targets.
Those with bows immediately took out their bows and arrows, nocked arrows on the strings, and prepared to fight back. However, the archers on the ship had already targeted those with bows. Before they could draw their bows and fire their arrows, the arrows flew straight towards them. .
In a moment, only four or five feather arrows shot back scatteredly. Wang Erxi directly turned on the killing mode. He held a long bow and opened the bow to the full moon. The arrows shot out like meteors. In a moment, seven or eight people fell to his arrows. Down.
Minglan took the slingshot, took out the stones from the brocade box, and aimed at the water thieves on the boat. The stones ripped through the air and flew away. Due to the material, the power of the slingshot was limited. Although it could not kill anyone, But it can also make people's skin bruised and painful.
And if it hits vulnerable places such as the eyes, nose, ears, temples and throat, it is also lethal.
After a while, four or five water thieves were knocked out of the water by Minglan.
Just when the battle between the two sides was getting intense, a dozen small boats carrying torches came speeding from the shore. The leaders were none other than Che Sanniang and his wife who had been lying in wait for a long time.
The appearance of Che Sanniang and Shi Keng with a group of Cao gang members announced that the already intense battle was coming to an end.
Xiaotao carried a long stick and followed Minglan closely with a look of regret on her face.
"These water thieves couldn't help but fight. They were defeated before I even took action!" Xiao Tao looked at the water thieves still struggling in the water with disdain and said with pity.
Minglan looked at Xiao Tao and shook her head helplessly: "A gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall."
Seeing Xiaotao's regretful look, Minglan couldn't help but say, "Why don't you go down and help Mrs. Che and Brother Shi?"
Xiao Tao raised her eyebrows when she heard this, feeling a little moved, but she shook her head and refused without hesitation: "No, I want to stay with the girl to protect her."
Listening to Xiao Tao's words, Ming Lan couldn't help but smile on her face. Among the seven or eight female envoys around her, Dan Ju was the most useful, followed by Cui Wei, but the one who gained Ming Lan's trust the most was Xiao Tao, a silly girl.
Although Xiaotao usually looks silly and silly, she is undoubtedly the most loyal to Minglan.
Wang Erxi also echoed: "Miss Xiao Tao is right. Brother Shi and his wife brought the brothers from the Cao Gang to deal with the water thieves. Our mission is to protect the girl and the old lady, and we must not make any mistakes."
Minglan's eyes narrowed slightly and she said in a deep voice: "Now that we have the advantage, we should take advantage of the victory and pursue it. We can't just protect ourselves. Brother Wang, don't we have a lot of bows and arrows? Let the boatmen start the boat. We won't get off the boat." , we will only use bows and arrows on the boat to support us. If we can repel these water thieves earlier, we will be able to live in peace earlier. What do you think, Second Brother Wang?"
"Sixth Miss is thinking very carefully. I'll go right away!" Wang Erxi immediately agreed and sent someone down to give instructions.
After a while, the big ship started to sail. The guards and servants on the ship also knew that only by repelling the water thieves earlier could they be safe sooner. There was no need for Minglan to say anything, and he stood on the side of the ship with a long wooden pulp. , beat up the drowned dog in the water.
The positions on the deck with good views were all occupied by archers. Wang Erxi also picked up the longbow again, carried the quiver on his back, drew the bow and nocked the arrow, and began to look for the target.
Wang Erxi's archery skills were quite good, but within a short time, several more water thieves fell under his arrows. Ming Lan also used a slingshot to look for the water thieves who were flying alone.
Seeing that Wang Erxi's archery skills far surpassed those of the other guards, Minglan couldn't help but praise: "Brother Wang is so good at archery!"
Wang Erxi smiled innocently and said, "What am I doing? Third Master's archery skills are really amazing. He can penetrate a poplar with a hundred steps and make hundreds of hits without missing a single shot. Third Master taught me this archery skill step by step!"
"On the other hand, Miss Six's slingshot is so powerful that it hits wherever you point it!" As he spoke, Wang Erxi gave a thumbs up and praised Minglan in turn.
Minglan smiled and watched as Che Sanniang and others not far away led the crowd to fight fiercely with the water thieves. They drove the water thieves into the water one by one and firmly gained the upper hand. She watched the whole ship burn. As the big ship got up, surrounded by the sky-high flames, countless water thieves and guards entered the water. It was difficult to tell which ones were water thieves and which ones were the guards and boatmen on the ship. Naturally, it was not easy to shoot them one by one with bows and arrows, so we had to cooperate first. The people from the Cao Gang who came to support drove the people in the water together.
Putting away the slingshot, listening to the cries of death and help, as well as the fleeing water thieves, Minglan couldn't help but ask: "I wonder how the command camp's arrangements are going!"
Wang Erxi also put away her long bow and replied: "Sixth Miss has given such a big credit to them, they will definitely not let it go."
Che Sanniang and Shi Keng brought with them the elite of the Cao Gang, as well as many bows and crossbows borrowed from the command camp. In a short time, they defeated the water thieves step by step, and now they had an absolute advantage. , this war is almost over.
Except for a few who saw that the situation was wrong and ran away by boat as soon as possible, the remaining water thieves either got into the water and became turtles in the urn, or were killed by the brothers of the Cao Gang and the guards on the boat, and their blood dyed the lake red. .
It's just that the fire in the first big ship was too big, and fueled by the whole ship's oil, it really didn't matter. Fortunately, there was some distance between the several big ships, so the fire didn't spread.
When all the dust settled, half an hour later, Che Sanniang and Shi Keng boarded the Sheng family's big ship again. Old Mrs. Sheng drank the soothing decoction and was still in a drowsy sleep. , had no idea what was going on, so Minglan could only come forward to receive Che Sanniang and his wife.
Che Sanniang was fine, but Shi Keng's body was stained with a lot of blood, and he was stabbed on the back. Fortunately, the injury was not serious. Che Sanniang came to see Ming Ming only after helping her husband treat the wound. orchid.
When Minglan saw that Shi Keng was injured, she naturally couldn't ask about the battle situation at the first moment, so she immediately asked about Shi Keng's situation.
Che Sanniang said with an annoyed look on her face: "I didn't expect that the Shuiyu leader had some skills. He was very powerful with a simple sword. We both barely managed to defeat him with our combined efforts! The boss blocked this sword for me. of!"
"They are all flesh wounds, nothing to worry about!" Shi Keng smiled innocently and comforted Che Sanniang.
"What about the leader of the water thieves?" Minglan asked.
"I was hit twice and one of my arms was chopped off by the boss. I have been tied up and sent to the Yamen early tomorrow morning!"
"How is the battle going?" Minglan asked.
Che Sanniang said: "It was all arranged by the girl. We deliberately let a few boats go. The rest were either dead or captured by us. There are also some who are good at underwater skills and may have escaped under the night, but There shouldn’t be many, the situation was too chaotic and we couldn’t care less about chasing them.”
"As long as the leader is eliminated, the rest of the minions won't be a problem!" Minglan said.
Although the men of the Cao Gang can fight and kill, they are just people who wander around the rivers and lakes begging for food. They are not as well-trained as the regular army. When they really fight, they may have some rules at the beginning, but when they fight, Then it became like fighting on their own.
Fortunately, Che Sanniang and the others caught the water thieves off guard. They waited for almost all the water thieves to attack the boat and fight with the guards on the boat. Suddenly the killer came out, leaving the water thieves vulnerable from both sides. work.
"There are still empty cabins on the ship, and there are a lot of medicines for healing. If you need our help, Madam Che, just ask, but don't be polite!"
Che Sanniang said: "Thank you Miss Six, we all have the golden sore medicine. There is a doctor waiting on the shore. The injured brothers have been arranged to be sent to the shore, so we won't disturb Miss Six's purity."
"The waterway will be open early tomorrow morning. It's getting late now. The sixth girl and the old lady have to go on their way. It's better to rest early. The boss and I won't disturb them!"
Che Sanniang immediately said goodbye, and Minglan didn't hold back.
Early the next morning, Minglan and her party did not wait for the Changping ship. They just ordered someone to send a thank you gift and went to the Huaiyin County Government Office with the names of Sheng Hong and Changbai, asking the Huaiyin County Government to take good care of the Changping team. The big ship then set off.
Two days later, the big ship docked at a bend in the canal again. At night, Minglan was reading a miscellaneous book in her hands, when suddenly the female envoy came to report that it was Che Sanniang who wanted to see her.
As soon as she heard that Che Sanniang was coming, Minglan immediately became interested and hurriedly asked someone to bring her in.
Danju also smiled and went to make tea.
"I've met Miss Six!" Che Sanniang didn't understand the etiquette of wealthy families, so she only gave a fist-cup salute. Minglan didn't mind and immediately asked Che Sanniang to sit down.
"Why did Mrs. Che come so quickly? Have all the matters in Huaiyin been taken care of?"
Seeing Minglan looking at her with burning eyes, Che Sanniang didn't mean to show off, and immediately patted her thighs and said with a smile: "I knew that the girl was thinking about Huaiyin, so I chased after her specifically, so that the girl would know that that day In the evening, the sergeants of the command battalion followed the group of water fish to find their old nest. Before dawn, they invaded the water stronghold before dawn and returned with a great victory. Unfortunately, it was too dark at that time, so they called the water fish. Several of the leaders of the group of water fish ran away."
"However, most of the remaining ones were captured, and the leader was also captured. They were all sent to the Huaiyin County Government yesterday. However, not much of the property that was robbed previously was found."
"Not much property was found?" Minglan frowned slightly: "Didn't you say that this water thief just appeared?"
Che Sanniang said: "That's right, less than half a year after they emerged, their power has grown rapidly, especially in recent months. They are the most powerful in the entire Huaiyin realm."
"Is there some kind of cellar or treasure cave?" Minglan guessed.
"I don't know!" Che Sanniang didn't know the whole story.
(End of chapter)
