Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 843 Attacking the Heart
The fifth shopkeeper stumbled and fell onto the deck. The ship was under constant attack, and the stones seemed to have eyes, falling with unerring accuracy.

“Didn’t you say,” the head manager grabbed the fifth manager by the collar, “that those were merchants in disguise, and the real navy was behind them?”

The fifth shopkeeper's lips trembled, not only from fear of the situation before him, but also from shock at his own misjudgment.

How can it be?

If this were the Liang navy, what would he encounter?
Could it really be...?

"The Xie family's merchant ships?"

The fifth shopkeeper shook his head. His mind was filled with the battle he had experienced, and the people who, even in their dying moments, still rushed forward to take their men down with them.

What are those if not soldiers?
One or two would be one thing, but the entire ship was filled with people, all of whom were able to move, and many more were burned to death in the engine room.

If a merchant like Xie can lead such a fleet, then what are they?
The fifth manager pushed aside the head manager and stood up in a daze. He wanted to see the warships clearly and uncover their true nature.

Soldiers in armor appeared on the warship.

Immediately afterwards, a battle flag was raised, bearing a large character "章" (Zhang).

As the fifth shopkeeper tried to get a better look, an arrow pierced the air and struck him hard in the flesh, causing him to fall backward.

The head manager cursed as he looked at the dazed and confused Fifth Manager, who had been shot with an arrow. He thought the Fifth Manager was terrified. He went over to check on him and saw large mouthfuls of blood gushing from the Fifth Manager's mouth. He was clearly beyond saving.

"They boarded the ship."

A row of hooks refused to board, and the imperial navy began to clear out their lone ship.

The owner did not panic, after all, they had a lot of manpower, and no matter how powerful the imperial navy was, they could not take them all down at once.

"That bastard," the head manager said, grieving the death of the fifth manager while also being furious at his incompetence, "he still hasn't said how many people are left."

He remembered that there were two boats of people left behind just in case, but where did those people go?

As the head manager was pondering this, the sound of firearms exploding came from the south, indicating that a battle had broken out there as well.

Those two ships' crews should have been left behind to deal with the merchant ships.

"Not too stupid," the head manager said, then couldn't help but look at the fifth manager again.

If they can escape, they will naturally give their brothers a proper burial; if... they can't escape, then they will keep each other company on the road to the underworld.

……

Xie Yuyan watched as the ships ahead confronted the men left behind by the Fifth Manager.

When the two boats stopped, she knew her employer was ahead.

Xie Yuyan said, "It seems that General Zhang's side is doing very well."

It is clear that Zhang Heng has held his master back; otherwise, it would have been the master's fleet that was charging towards them.

Master Jingyuan said, "Your plan has succeeded, making them think that this is the imperial navy." Otherwise, the master would not have fought with Zhang Heng and his men.

When escaping, they will attack whichever side is easier to bully, and clearly the owner chose the wrong side.

Puheluo looked at the sea and listened to the conversation between Madam Xie and Abbess Jingyuan. His mind was in a mess. How did the two of them know these things?

"Hurry up and deal with them," Xie Yuyan said. "Once the master is thwarted, he will learn the truth and flee this way. We must stop them before the imperial reinforcements arrive."

The imperial reinforcements will definitely arrive, but the landlord will also have a backup plan at sea; it all depends on who arrives faster.

"Would your reinforcements from Daliang be able to..." Puheluo swallowed, "He knows that Daliang's navy is not very reliable, especially in recent years, those officials only know how to make money from the sea."

Abbess Jingyuan said, "It is Wang Yan who has come."

Puheluo breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. He didn't know many officials in Daliang, but that Lord Wang was truly formidable. Besides, Lord Wang's fiancée was still here, so he would do everything in his power to get there as soon as possible.

Puhaluo breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a stone was thrown over and hit the side of the ship, causing the large ship to lurch violently. Xie Yuyan and Abbess Jingyuan were protected by others, but Puhaluo lost his footing and sat down on the deck. Puhaluo heard the sound of bones breaking from under his buttocks.

As soon as the boat stabilized, Xie Yuyan looked up at the sky.

Yellow smoke drifted from the sea; it was the owner delivering a message.

…Zhang Heng's ship was also hit by stones thrown from it, but his soldiers were well-trained and used to such scenes. They did not panic at all, but continued to adjust their ballistae and attack.

“Shout at that ship,” Zhang Heng said. “That’s their main ship.”

It should also be the location of the owner.

A plume of smoke rose up, and Zhang Heng smelled the odor of sulfur.

Zhang Heng frowned: "The master has other plans."

The battle continued, and Zhang Heng kept a close eye on his surroundings.

"There are small boats, lots of small boats."

Many small boats appeared on the sea, all coming from the island, and they were approaching them.

Zhang Heng frowned.

Cao Yu and Zhao Zhongliang were also looking at the boats. The small boats were not difficult to deal with, but too many of them would definitely cause some trouble, such as someone taking the opportunity to escape.

……

Xie Yuyan returned to her cabin. Before boarding the ship, she had someone send someone from Bianjing to talk to her.

Upon entering the cabin, a woman was already kneeling on the ground. Her face was sallow, her lips were deathly pale, her hands were bound, and her body was trembling slightly.

Xie Yuyan instructed Su Man: "Release her, I have something to ask her."

Su Man stepped forward and cut the ropes binding the woman's hands. The woman immediately supported herself with her hands, took a few deep breaths, and tried to make herself feel more comfortable.

Xie Yuyan sat down and drank the hot tea that Mama Yu had brought him.

"He's right ahead."

Upon hearing Xie Yuyan's voice, Madam Wu raised her head. After being brought to the ship from Bianjing, she had been wondering who wanted to see her. When she was imprisoned, she heard someone address her as "Madam Xie," and only then did she realize that Xie Yuyan was here.

As the ship sailed back and forth at sea, it encountered several incidents of people boarding and causing trouble. Xie Yuyan remained in the cabin talking to people, showing no intention of avoiding them.

Later, when she went to war with someone, Madam Wu could guess who the other person was.

She had originally decided not to say a word, but after experiencing all this, she really wanted to figure out what the current situation was.

Xie Yuyan gestured to Mama Yu to pour a cup of hot tea, then looked at Madam Wu.

Madam Wu stood up and slowly walked over.

"Sit down," Xie Yuyan instructed. Madam Wu sat down in a chair and eagerly began to sip her tea.

After drinking the hot water, Madam Wu felt as if she had come back to life.

Xie Yuyan remained silent, but Madam Wu took a deep breath and couldn't help but ask, "What's the situation outside?"

A dying woman no longer cares about her own situation, but she still has people she cares about.

What is your eldest son's name?

Xie Yuyan not only did not respond, but also asked her a question in return.

Wu Niangzi froze, a chill rising from the soles of her feet. The hot water she had just drunk froze into ice. She tried hard to suppress her fear, biting her lip tightly to avoid uttering anything she shouldn't.

She had always thought of herself as very resilient, and she was prepared to die. Nothing could break her. But when she learned that her people were being hunted down and suffering heavy losses, she began to feel afraid.

Xie Yuyan said, "Jiang Zhenru's three children have all been imprisoned. I think she probably didn't know this would be the outcome when she died."

"She probably also thought that her children would live a life of wealth and luxury."

"Even so, she did not want to die for her children's future. If she had not been harmed, she would have preferred to live, so that she could at least protect her own flesh and blood in critical moments."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wu couldn't help but ask, "What...are you trying to say?"

Xie Yuyan smiled slightly: "Do you think the master still remembers when your son was born, how old he is this year, what he likes, and what his strengths are?"

(End of this chapter)