Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 827 Eve
The shouts outside the cabin continued, and the boatmen scattered in panic.

Then came the sounds of "plop, plop" as goods and people fell into the water.

Those who committed evil deeds laughed wildly. Puhara drew his long sword from his waist and stood guard at the door, ready to pounce on them and fight them to the death if they dared to come over.

Cold sweat trickled down Puhara's forehead. The cabin was well-hidden, nestled between two cargo holds, making it difficult to find, but...

Xie Yuyan said, "They won't bother searching the ship, boarding it to cause trouble, or they're really after your cargo. They're just trying to intimidate you so you won't pass through here again."

Pu Heluo was on edge, barely daring to breathe, until the noisy sounds gradually faded away. Only then did he collapse and sit down next to Xie Yuyan, feeling utterly exhausted.

Xie Yuyan said, "Your ships have made many trips back and forth, and they have already investigated thoroughly."

“In their eyes, your failure to follow my rules is simply an attempt to make a quick buck. Since it’s all about money, why should they bother with you?”

Puhara swallowed, and after thinking about it carefully, he realized that it made sense: "That's too risky... What if they come and discover Madam..."

Xie Yuyan looked at Puheluo: "Wang Yan will definitely avenge me, but he will probably take his anger out on you because of it."

Puhara shuddered, his face contorted with grief: "Madam, you... I'd better find a boat to take you away!"

Xie Yuyan smiled slightly: "I was just joking with you. You have been doing your best to help the Liang Dynasty. Even if there are any setbacks along the way, it has nothing to do with you."

These words offered no comfort to Puhara. In Puhara's mind, the king would indeed arrest him as well, and if he intended to pass on a message to his master, then his entire clan would not survive.

Even though it was so dangerous, he had no choice but to agree to do things for Madam Xie.

Yang Xiaoshan, one of Xie Da Niangzi's subordinates, infiltrated Xie's caravan for half a month and discovered that there were people from the owner's family around him. He personally witnessed those people passing messages, so there was no mistake about it.

Besides, his clan and family are being watched by his master's men. The fact that these people are making such a big fuss is definitely not because they are wary of him. They are waiting for an opportunity to make a move against him. After eliminating him, the master will then place his own people in his place. They could do this in the Liang Dynasty, let alone a small place like Srivijaya.

Therefore, if he works for Lady Xie and successfully eliminates his employer, he can still live, since he himself is incapable of dealing with his employer.

He had no choice.

Lady Xie also promised that the Daliang Maritime Merchants Association would support him, allowing him to hand over enough benefits to his superiors, so that he could hold his official position for longer.

Xie Yuyan unfolded the map and looked at Puheluo: "Mark this area of ​​the sea. We should be very close to our master now."

Puhara nodded: "Several fleets passing through the nearby waters will be monitored."

"Furthermore, ships come and go frequently in this area, and there are islands nearby where we can rest."

Xie Yuyan wouldn't take risks lightly. She came to sea with Puhara's fleet because the people of Puhara were quite familiar with the surrounding waters. With her there, Puhara would be on high alert and wouldn't just go through the motions.

“These next two days, we should also let the caravan walk around the area,” Xie Yuyan said, “so that they get used to seeing ships coming and going, and won’t become suspicious.”

It's only natural for merchants to make a fortune while the Great Liang is at war. This is just a case of some fake fish mixed in with the water; they can't possibly check them all.

Xie Yuyan instructed, "Have someone go out and check. If there are any goods that have been thrown into the sea, try your best to bring them back before leaving." Some of the goods in the boxes are very light, and after they are thrown overboard, they can still float on the sea. Merchants will feel sorry for their goods and try to minimize their losses.

If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way.

After speaking, Xie Yuyan stood up and walked out of the cabin. In an inconspicuous corner at the bow of the ship, a man in his forties dressed in coarse cloth was staring intently at a compass-like object in his hand.

Xie Yuyan remained silent, standing quietly to the side until the man breathed a sigh of relief and looked up. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, revealing an excited expression, as if he had become a completely different person compared to before.

“This compass is not yet finished and may be unusable in other people’s hands,” Zhang Heng said, “but with my familiarity with it, it is more than enough for me to determine location.”

Zhang Heng was demoted and transferred to the Southeast Army for embezzling military funds, but a careful examination of his case files reveals that while his subordinates were indeed not clean, most of his crimes were deliberately framed.

Just as Xie Yuyan was unfamiliar with commanding a navy, he needed someone who understood naval warfare.

Zhang Heng still doesn't understand why Wang Yan suddenly came to him when he secretly made this compass without mentioning it to outsiders. He thinks it must have been when he asked someone to test the compass at sea that Wang Yan discovered it.

He had hoped to use the compass to clear his name, but it was clearly too early now... However, if he won this battle, he might be able to return to command troops at sea.

Zhang Heng said, "I need to investigate the surrounding area further. The clearer the situation, the more confident I will be."

Xie Yuyan said, "We'll change to another ship tomorrow to 'pass by' the area. We have plenty of merchant ships at our disposal."

……

Duke Wei and his men stood on the official road and looked out, finally spotting Marquis Changyuan's army.

Duke Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

Marquis Changyuan's armor still had bloodstains that hadn't been wiped clean. Upon seeing Duke Wei, he frowned and said, "Why did you have to launch this attack in winter? Why did you have to do it in winter?"

"Do you know how many people have frozen to death along the way? Even my horse is dying."

“I only have one son, who almost lost his life in the Northwest. If my lineage is cut off, I will slaughter the entire Northwest Garrison, no matter who it is.”

Duke Wei patted Marquis Changyuan on the shoulder in comfort: "How is my nephew now?"

Marquis Changyuan gestured backward with his lip: "I left it behind. It will catch up in a few days. I got a cut on my shoulder."

At this point, he looked at the Duke of Wei and sneered, "Your men are really useless. They have so many soldiers, yet they insist on having my son lead the charge."

“When I confronted them, they kept passing the buck, so I got angry and killed them all.”

Upon hearing that Marquis Changyuan had killed his own men, Duke Wei's eyes widened: "What did you say? You killed them all?"

Marquis Changyuan did not hesitate for a moment: "They don't deserve to die? They've already rebelled, why would I be afraid of losing a few more lives? I've fought my way here, and there are two prefects and several commanders. If they want to show off their power in front of me, they think they're too tough."

"If you ask me, those who deserve to be killed should be killed," Marquis Changyuan advised Duke Wei instead, "lest they have too many ideas, and when war breaks out, whose advice will they take?"

Marquis Changyuan's gaze fell upon several officials not far away, who also looked in his direction. They had all come to pledge allegiance to the King of Qin. These officials did not hold positions in Bianjing, and they were not implicated when the court arrested the King of Qin's faction. Hearing that the King of Qin's army was gathering here, they came to join him, hoping to gain merit by following the emperor.

Civil and military officials have always been at odds, and the Duke of Wei naturally did not take these officials seriously. However, he did not want internal strife to break out at a critical moment. Thinking of this, he grabbed Marquis Changyuan and said, "Don't rush, let's talk slowly. You come into the city with me first."

(End of this chapter)