In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 750 The Jungle Slaughter Has Reached a Dead End
As the hour of Hai approached, the sky became completely dark, and the entire Xuzhou Port was brightly lit.

Merchant ships, cargo ships, and grain ships all had their lights on, illuminating the entire waterway in an orange-yellow glow.

Goods were piled up like mountains on the shore, and officials were inspecting them.

Further away, there was a bustling market where merchants mostly spent their time relaxing and having fun.

Like Yuezhou Port, this place is a place where "there are countermeasures from below."
There's no curfew here, and it never closes; it's lively all night long.

On the edge of the market, near the port.
There stands a five-story building, the tallest building in the entire market.

Colorful lanterns were hung on the side facing the river and the port.

The three large characters "Qinghualou" were inlaid with candles, and the enchanting atmosphere of the place could be seen from a distance.
This is the largest brothel in the entire Xuzhou Port area.

Today, the fifth floor, with its most prestigious status and the most beautiful girls, has been booked by the city's bigwigs.
Many of the customers below looked up, a hint of envy flashing in their eyes.

On the fifth floor, Tang Jingye stood by the window, holding a telescope.

He glanced discreetly at the ships docked at barge number six in the harbor.

Excitement gleamed in his eyes, and he kept pursing his lips.

Beside him, Zhao Xi was also holding a telescope, staring intently.

"According to information from the port, there were approximately one hundred people on board."

After arriving here, only a few people disembarked to buy some food to take back to the ship; the rest remained on board.

"That's right. These hundred or so people should all be soldiers of Da Ning."

Tang Jingye looked excited and said in a deep voice:
"Is there any record in the documents of what goods they were carrying?"

Zhao Xi replied, "Porcelain, furs, and some silks—the documents say they came from Jinan Prefecture, so they're probably fake."

"Hmph, last time it was the Wanbao, this time it's the Dongyue."

"They're really cunning; no wonder we chased them all the way without catching them."

Tang Jingye looked at Zhao Xi and said:

When will you arrest them?

Zhao Xi's face showed some concern:
"Once they leave the port, the situation at Xuzhou Port will be extremely important, with many people and eyes watching."
Not only were there Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards), but also some important figures had spies stationed here.

It would be too conspicuous for us to take action here.

Moreover, it would be difficult to explain afterwards.

Tang Jingye wasn't in such a hurry this time, and nodded:

"Since Brother Zhao thinks so, then let's do it this way and let them have some peace and quiet for a couple more days."

Zhao Xi asked:

"Should we send someone aboard to confirm something?"
If they're not here, we can continue the search.

Tang Jingye fell into deep thought and shook his head:

"The fact that people are so cautious in not leaving means there must be something important inside; we must not alert them."

Zhao Xi frowned slightly, having considered at least a dozen ways to enter Southern Zhili from Henan:

"What if they've moved the Marquis of Runan? Wouldn't we be left empty-handed?"

"No, the fact that the Marquis of Runan has been able to remain so quiet all the way means he must be under their control."

If you travel by land, there's a greater chance of leaving traces.

Moreover, more than a dozen groups of people had already blocked all the official roads leading into Southern Zhili.
They'll definitely get caught if they dare to go.

Tang Jingye's voice was filled with confidence.

He hadn't slept well for almost ten days, and he was determined to catch the person this time!

Suddenly, Tang Jingye tensed up, abruptly squatted down, and grabbed Zhao Xi's arm:

"Squat down!"

Zhao Xi, unaware of what was happening, suddenly crouched down.
"what happened?"

"They also have a panorama, on the top of the ship!"

Tang Jingye was not panicked at almost being discovered; on the contrary, he was filled with excitement!

Zhao Xi's eyes widened slightly, and a hint of joy flashed across them as well.

Both of them were well aware of the value of the telescope in the military.

The fact that such a small merchant ship could possess such valuable items further confirms the problems with the Dongyue!

"This time it's definitely them!" Tang Jingye said firmly, his fists clenched.

Zhao Xi thought about it carefully and said softly:
“I arranged for people to wait downstream. Once they leave Xuzhou Port, we will keep a close watch on them and not give them any chance to steal the goods.”

"it is good!"

On the Dongyue merchant ship, Chen Jingyi looked at the tallest building at the entrance of the market with a strange expression, and kept rubbing his telescope with his hands.

After standing on the deck for fifteen minutes, Chen Jingyi turned and went back into the cabin.

A soldier with a solemn expression stepped forward and handed over a document:
"Sir, this is a potential surveillance location that has been discovered."

The fifth floor of the Qinghua Building and the watchtower at the southeast corner of the port have been confirmed to have been explored.

He brandished the telescope in his hand and asked:

"Is it this one too?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, judging from the posture and distance of the person monitoring, it is indeed a telescope."

"Ah."

Chen Jingyi nodded slightly:
"Send word to everyone that the plan has been changed and we will leave Xuzhou Port tomorrow evening."

Also, take out the armor, weapons, and firearms you've hidden away and take good care of them. This is the final battle; don't deprive yourself.

"Yes!"

After the soldiers left,

Chen Jingyi returned to the deck after leaving.

He gazed into the distance, looking at the port and the market, his expression inscrutable.
A day passes in the blink of an eye.
The Dongyue merchant ship completed the document changes at the beginning of the You hour (5-7 PM) and slowly left Xuzhou Port.

The soldiers who had been monitoring the Qinghua Tower noticed this and immediately reported it!
"My lord, the Dongyue has departed!"

Inside the room, Tang Jingye impatiently sat up, his brows furrowed, and he cursed loudly:
"Damn it, weren't they saying two days? Why did they leave now?"

At that moment, a soft, delicate moan rang out:
"Young master, where are you going?"

The woman was the top courtesan at the Qinghua Brothel; she was exceptionally beautiful, with strikingly prominent brow bones.
Tang Jingye was particularly fond of her delicate figure.

But even if he liked it very much, he couldn't stay here for long.

Seeing that Tang Jingye remained silent, the woman sat up, half-supported by the bed, her cheeks flushed and her eyes filled with alluring charm.

"Sir, where are you going?"

She already knew that the person in front of her was either rich or noble.
If we could go with them, it would be a good place to go.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, and shut up!"

Tang Jingye cursed and quickly started getting dressed.

Compared to women, business is more important.

Once you get past this hurdle, you can have any woman you want.

"My lord, are you just going to abandon me like this?"

The woman's eyes were half-closed, and a tear rolled down her cheek, making her look miserable.

Tang Jingye glanced at her, and seeing her rambling on and on, a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

He stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face.

With a "thud," the woman collapsed onto the bed, somewhat incredulous.
"Shut up, did you hear me!"

Tang Jingye glared at her fiercely.
He picked up the long knife from the table and strode away.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the north gate of Xuzhou City opened, and nearly two thousand soldiers poured out!

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed throughout the northern part of the city.
The black armor appeared and disappeared in the darkness, barely visible in the torchlight.

In the latter half of the night, the moon was hidden and the stars were few.

The entire world seemed to be shrouded in a giant black cloth.
Only a few cold stars occasionally twinkled, but they could not dispel the deep darkness.

The Dongyue merchant ship moved slowly along the river.

The boat's hull gleamed with a cold, eerie light in the dim moonlight, its oars slicing through the water.
It made a rhythmic "whoosh" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet night.

Inside the cabin, Chen Jingyi frowned, his eyes revealing vigilance.
From the moment they realized they were being watched at Xuzhou Port,

He realized that a fierce battle was inevitable.

The surrounding soldiers had already donned their armor and were ready for battle.

They held weapons and armor, their eyes filled with determination.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the stern of the ship, and a soldier rushed in:
"Sir, there are ships catching up from behind, and quite a few of them!"

Chen Jingyi's eyes sharpened, and he abruptly stood up.

He strode to the stern, took out his telescope, and peered through the night.

Sure enough, they could vaguely see the outlines of several ships behind them, rapidly approaching them.

The ships were lit up, and figures could be seen moving about.
More importantly, the protruding spearheads gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"Pass down the order: speed up the journey and prepare for battle!" Chen Jingyi commanded in a deep, steady voice.

The soldiers acted swiftly, hoisting the sails and rowing with all their might, trying to make the boat go faster.

Some soldiers began to inspect their weapons, polishing their swords until they gleamed, and loading their muskets with ammunition, ready for battle.

However, the pursuing warships were moving at an extremely high speed, clearly indicating that they had come prepared.

"Stop the ship!!"

"Stop the ship! We are from the Southern Zhili Grand Canal Transport Office. We need to board the ship for inspection!"

The shouts continued, but Chen Jingyi's expression remained cold, and he gave a light snort:
"Slow down, aim and fire! Fire the muskets in volley!"

At Chen Jingyi's command, the soldiers on the ship immediately sprang into action.

As the ships behind slowly approached, the messenger waved his command flag downwards with force!
"volley!"

In an instant, arrows rained down, soaring into the sky.

It drew an arc across the dark night sky and crashed heavily onto the pursuing government ship!
"Ding--"

The sound of arrows slamming into the ship's hull was particularly striking.

Even more jarring were the soldiers shouting and yelling at the bow of the ship to stop.
"what--"

Arrows pierced through flesh and blood, and screams echoed in the night sky.

Several people staggered and seemed unable to control their bodies, falling into the water from the boat, their scarlet blood instantly staining the surrounding water red!
The soldiers in the vanguard scout unit were all elite troops.

His accuracy in mounted archery was exceptionally high, let alone when he was standing and shooting!

In a short time, more than twenty people had been shot dead.

The pursuing government ships no longer bothered with feigned threats.
Instead, they decisively launched a counterattack, sending arrows soaring into the sky towards the Dongyue.

Despite the soldiers' valiant resistance
But gradually, they were unable to withstand the onslaught of arrows and were forced to retreat continuously.

The ship rocked violently as it tried to avoid the collision, and the cargo was smashed to pieces.

"My lord, this cannot continue."

"Our boats can't keep up with their speed, we'll be overtaken sooner or later!" a soldier shouted anxiously.

Chen Jingyi glanced at the pursuing troops behind him, then at the terrain on both banks of the river, and made a decision.

"Find a place closest to the mountains and forests, abandon the boat, go ashore, and rush into the mountains and forests!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers did not hesitate at all.
They began packing up necessary weapons and equipment, preparing to abandon ship.

Chen Jingyi stood at the bow of the ship, watching the pursuers gradually approach, a resolute glint in his eyes.

Once ashore, it meant entering an even more dangerous situation, but at this point there was no other choice.

He had been preparing for this day for a long time.
"Boom——"

With a loud bang, the bow of the Dongyue ship rammed straight onto the south bank.

Fortunately, the merchant ship had a flat bottom, so everyone wasn't thrown around too much.

Chen Jingyi took the lead, leaping off the boat and landing steadily on the shallow beach.

The soldiers followed suit, jumping into the water and swimming towards the shore.

After getting ashore, the group didn't dare to linger and quickly rushed towards the mountains and forests.

"Chase!!"

"Charge! Charge ashore!!"

Standing on the boat, Tang Xingbang saw through the telescope a person in the crowd whose head was covered and who was being carried around. His eyes lit up with an indescribable excitement!
Found them! They've been found!!
On the shore, in the mountains and forests,

The trees were dense and the thorns were thick.
The darkness seemed to conceal countless dangers.

But Chen Jingyi and the others couldn't care less about that now.
They trudged through the mountains and forests, moving forward at breakneck speed!
However, the pursuers were clearly not going to let them go easily.

Shortly after the crew of the Dongyue disembarked...
Tang Jingye then led a large number of cavalry to catch up and joined forces with Tang Xingbang and others.
Holding torches, they illuminated the mountains and forests as if it were daytime, and their shouts of battle startled the birds in the forest into flight.

"Surround them, don't let a single one escape!"

Tang Jingye gave the order loudly, his eyes revealing a ruthless glint.

Time passed, and half an hour went by.

Although the soldiers of the vanguard scout unit were all elite troops

But the enemy, numbering nearly three thousand, quickly surrounded them in a clearing in the mountains!

Enemy troops surrounded them, and the torches made their weapons gleam coldly.

We've reached a dead end!

Chen Jingyi was covered in sweat, holding a long knife in one hand and a figure wearing a black hood in the other.

As more and more people surged in, my breathing quickened!

"Brothers, I'm afraid we won't be able to escape unscathed today."
Even if I die, I'll take a few of them down with me!

The surrounding soldiers, their eyes sharp and their breathing rapid, let out a shout:
"kill!"

A sharp, chilling aura surged into the sky.

The resolute voice of the elite warriors surged forth, echoing through the mountains and forests.

Although they were few in number

But each of them was fierce and brave, showing no fear in the face of enemies many times their size.

Tang Xingbang arrived at the front lines and immediately spotted Chen Jingyi, smiling as he spoke:
"So it's you, Chen Jingyi. Hand over the person, and I might spare your lives!"

"Tang Xingbang? It's you."

In an instant, Chen Jingyi knew why the news had been leaked: there was a problem with the headquarters' stronghold.

However, Chen Jingyi quickly snapped out of these thoughts and shouted:
"If you want them, come and take them yourself!"

"Musketeers, fire a volley!"

Without hesitation, the soldiers on the outer perimeter pulled the triggers hard, and smoke billowed out instantly.

"Bang bang bang-"

The sound of flesh tearing apart occurred instantly, and more than a dozen people collapsed.

Tang Xingbang's expression changed drastically, and he immediately retreated behind the soldiers.
He stared grimly ahead and shouted:
"Go! Rescue them!"

In an instant, the battle broke out.
The shouts of battle and the clashing of weapons mingled together, sounding particularly desolate in the silent night.

Perhaps out of fear for the Marquis of Runan's life, the enemy did not unleash a barrage of arrows.
Instead, they surged upwards in wave after wave.

It seems he wants to use his numerical advantage to wipe out the soldiers in front of him!
Blood splattered everywhere, staining the ground beneath their feet.

The vanguard scouts fought bravely.

Back to back, in groups of three, they cooperated with each other.

After each swing of his sword, he would retreat rapidly, continuously inflicting casualties on the enemy.

As for the trio that were separated, they would each have to rely on their own abilities.
A young soldier, his face still bearing a hint of childishness,

Holding a long spear, he charged left and right through the crowd, stabbing down several enemies in succession.

However, there were simply too many enemies, and he gradually became physically exhausted.

Just then, an enemy rushed in from the side and slashed at his shoulder.

The young soldier, unable to dodge in time, took the initiative to meet them.

He always remembered that if he couldn't avoid it, he would trade injury for life!

A deep gash was slashed into his shoulder, and blood was gushing out.

But he gritted his teeth, his face fierce, and with a backhand thrust, plunged the gun deep into the enemy's chest!

"Xiao Li, how are you?"

An old soldier standing nearby saw this and shouted loudly.

"I'm fine!"

The young soldier responded loudly, his eyes revealing determination.

He brandished his spear again and charged towards the enemy.

However, the enemy's offensive grew increasingly fierce.
A steady stream of enemy soldiers surged forward, and Xiao Li was quickly overwhelmed by the crowd.
Time passed, and the fighting had lasted for half an hour.
The crew of the Dongyue were gradually finding themselves unable to withstand the onslaught.
Some soldiers began to fall to the ground wounded, but they struggled to their feet and continued fighting.

"My lord, you must go quickly! We'll cover your retreat!"

A soldier suddenly rushed up to Chen Jingyi and shouted loudly.

He had multiple injuries, his clothes were stained with blood, and his eyes were bloodshot and resolute.

"Keep fighting, don't turn back!" Chen Jingyi resolutely refused.

"Sir, it will be too late if we don't leave now!"

"Obey the order!"

"Yes!"

The soldier was breathing rapidly, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
He turned abruptly and charged towards the advancing soldiers.

Chen Jingyi watched their retreating figures, a tear glistening in his eye.
He took a deep breath and gripped the long sword in his hand tightly.

He placed it on the neck of the person next to him and shouted:

"Everyone back off!"

(End of this chapter)