Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 849 Finally

Xie Yuyan watched Wang Yan's departing figure.

Perhaps this time, instead of him coming to find her, she will go to meet him.

Xie Yuyan instructed Su Man: "Call the Second Cave Master over. I want to do a deal with him."

She couldn't find a suitable person to communicate with the islanders, but some gestures and expressions were similar. She wanted the Second Chieftain to know that he could use the imperial court to completely eliminate his opponents in this war.

The premise is that some open spaces on the island are left for her to use.

The Liang Dynasty court lacked sufficient control over the small islands at sea. However, once maritime trade became more frequent, these merchants would also become the court's manpower and informants, preventing the islands from becoming havens for pirates and bandits.

Xie Yuyan's scribbling on the ground finally made the Second Cave Master understand her intention. The Second Cave Master still had an incredulous expression on his face. He pointed ahead and rattled off a bunch of things.

Xie Yuyan understood the meaning behind his expression: "Yes, we're here to help you." She could remain silent, but speaking up and trying to communicate naturally gave people a sense of affirmation and respect.

The Second Cave Master hesitated at first, but his gaze became firm. He took out the cargo manifest he had taken from the ship earlier and showed it to Xie Yuyan.

Xie Yuyan nodded again, indicating that all the conditions she had given were valid.

The Second Cave Chief smiled and ordered his own Langhuo to mobilize all the tribe's manpower to attack Fu Dongshan directly. He wasn't stupid; since he had already fought Fu Dongshan, if Fu Dongshan didn't die, he would lose half his life. He had already given Fu Dongshan much land and women on the island, and had nothing left to offer.

Rather than waiting for the imperial court to leave and letting Fu Dongshan slaughter their tribe, they might as well stake everything on fighting Fu Dongshan now.

……

The landlord looked up at the sky; it seemed to be getting dark exceptionally slowly today.

This was the first time he had felt so anxious since he came to sea.

His schemes to escape repeatedly failed because someone was determined to take his life.

The noise grew louder as it approached, clearly indicating that someone had attacked.

“Master,” Manager Jiu stepped forward and said, “the imperial reinforcements have arrived. It should be… Wang Yan.” He glanced at the distance and saw that the person leading the troops was the top scholar.

The landlord nodded to indicate that he understood.

The Ninth Manager hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that the Duke and his brothers all..."

They all lost?
Otherwise, why would they have allowed Wang Yan to come here?

The facts are undeniable, leaving them no choice but to believe them.

The landlord said, "I've thought about it carefully. This time, the court's selection of an heir might be a trap." If he doesn't send reinforcements to the King of Qin, and his ships don't leave the sea, how can the court possibly capture him?

He ultimately underestimated the Liang court and officials. The Liang dynasty's fate was not yet sealed, and his forceful suppression ultimately led to this outcome.

Give him some more time, and in twenty or thirty years he guarantees that the Liang court will be at his mercy, and the officials of Liang will either perish with the dynasty or surrender to him.

It was too late for regrets; he had acted too hastily.

The faint sound of crying came from behind him; it was his two young children. The owner put down his teacup, and the crying immediately stopped, leaving only suppressed sobs.

The landlord said, "Even if he comes, we may not lose. He's just a civil official. Tell Fu Dongshan not to be afraid. After this battle, I can take them with me. There are many islands in the distant sea, even bigger than this one. The Liang Dynasty's reach can't extend to those places."

Now that Wang Yan has been brought here, Fu Dongshan cannot afford to turn against them at this time.

Manager Jiu went out to calm Fu Dongshan down.

The owner looked at a suit of armor not far away.

This son of a noble family had already made a name for himself in the military at a young age. Later, he led Chiang Kai-shek's army and made many contributions. After going to sea, he led several managers to intercept and kill islands and merchant ships, which made people tremble with fear. He was very familiar with the words "fighting for one's life", which was the source of his confidence.

The master got up and ordered someone to help him put on his armor. When everything was ready, the ninth manager looked over and suddenly felt more confident.

Holding a long knife in his hand, the landlord led everyone out of the house.

The battle was raging outside. Wang Yan was a man who knew how to deploy troops. After two volleys of arrows, he immediately used a simple wooden curtain to cover his formation and advance. The gate of the stronghold was easily breached.

Then they were caught in a fierce battle. No matter how fierce and cruel Fu Dongshan's men were, without sharp weapons, they were too clumsy to rely solely on brute force. At first, they could still cause the soldiers to suffer losses, but soon their tactics were figured out, and they could only be beaten.

The situation has become almost one-sided.

The owner, now in armor, stepped out, and the Ninth Manager and the others immediately obeyed his orders, thus temporarily halting Wang Yan's attack on the stronghold.

Manager Jiu and his men fought bravely, forcing the imperial troops to retreat step by step wherever they went. What was originally an extremely advantageous situation was seen as a dead end by the owner.

The Ninth Manager's group relied on their temporary strength, but Wang Yan was prepared and intentionally had his soldiers feign weakness to lure them deeper into the territory. If this continued, the Ninth Manager would be completely surrounded.

It's easy to imagine what would happen to an isolated army without reinforcements. Wang Yan saw through the situation and, not wanting to pay too high a price, ended the war.

This also reflects Wang Yan's extreme contempt and provocation towards him.

"My boss."

It wasn't just the owner who noticed something amiss; the guards beside him whispered a reminder.

Someone needs to step forward to support Manager Jiu, and by using a coordinated attack from both inside and outside, we might be able to regain the initiative, or at least prevent Wang Yan from taking us down so easily.

The master gripped his long sword tightly, looking at Wang Yan charging ahead. Wang Yan's armor was not as dazzling as his, yet he didn't have the courage to stand up at this moment.

They dared not easily enter the killing formation, much less risk their lives.

As the number of people around Manager Jiu dwindled, and the last glimmer of hope was about to be extinguished, the boss finally stood up and, with no other choice, issued his final order.

"Fight your way out."

The master and his soldiers charged forward together. The master brandished his broadsword, trying to recapture the feeling of charging into battle.

The first few swings were somewhat effective, but they became increasingly ineffective later on.

The landlord could only shout to Fu Dongshan, who was not far away, "What are you waiting for?"

As soon as he uttered those words, his face completely fell away. He knew that Fu Dongshan did not understand the language of Daliang, but he still said such words, as if to tell Wang Yan that he had begun to panic.

Wang Yan switched to a long sword, and as the Ninth Shopkeeper was on his last breath, the blade sliced ​​into his neck. The next moment, a head was thrown high into the air and fell into the chaotic battlefield.

The shopkeepers who accompanied Manager Jiu across the seas were all capable of intimidating islanders and merchants. By this time, their bodies covered in blood could only mix with the mud, becoming a nauseating mess. This was the inevitable end for them.

Wang Yan turned his gaze to his employer.

In no time, the boss had retreated repeatedly. Fu Dongshan dropped his weapon, knelt down and begged for mercy. The people on the island followed suit.

Wang Yan ignored Fu Dongshan because he saw the Second Cave Master leading his men over.

He left the affairs on the island to the islanders to handle; his only goal was to reach his employer.

　There's a second chapter, but it'll be late, just like every day.

　　(End of this chapter)