In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

Under Li Yuanchang's watchful eye, the man and his men did as he was told, first drinking water and then stepping back.

Immediately afterwards, Li Yuanchang brought in fifty people to quickly carry out a relay water collection.

This freshwater well must be groundwater, inexhaustible, just enough to meet the fleet's needs for the next ten days.

It can be said that everything has gone smoothly from the start until now.

During the water fetching process, the other party's dozens of people kept watch from the outside.

The man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like face kept whispering something to his subordinates, his eyes occasionally glancing at Li Yuanchang and the others.

Although subtle, these details could not escape Li Yuanchang's sharp eyes.

"The Wilderness Map".

"Your Highness."

Li Yuanchang lowered his voice: "These guys are getting greedy."

"Do not allow outsiders to touch the water source at any time."

"In addition, we will increase patrols and security tonight to prevent these local bullies from causing trouble."

Huang Tu's eyes sharpened as he glanced at the person not far away.

"yes!"

As evening approached, the crew members returned one after another. After counting the number of people, it was almost dark.

In ancient times, without searchlights or other means of navigation, people could only choose to moor or drift with the seasonal winds at night.

The three treasure ships, like giant sea monsters, were moored on the shore. At Baiyingkou, they stood there like three golden mountains, attracting countless greedy eyes.

But the guards' strong bodies and sharp Tang swords thwarted one evil thought after another, making those in the shadows only dare to observe from afar and not dare to approach at all.

As night deepened, only the sound of waves crashing against the reefs remained.

Many sailors fell asleep one after another.

Li Yuanchang was still playing chess with Ji'an in the cabin, with candles lit.

The black and white dragons are locked in a fierce battle, the chessboard a tight and indecisive battleground.

Li Yuanchang held a black chess piece in his hand, his eyes wide with surprise: "Master Ji'an's chess skills are truly remarkable. Influenced by the ministers in the court, my chess skills are already quite good, but I have lost again in this game."

He saw the dead end and smiled helplessly.

Ji'an smiled and put his hands together: "Your Highness is busy with many affairs of state and has many things on your mind. It is inevitable that you will make a mistake for a moment."

"I am merely a wandering monk, without desires or wants, which naturally gives me a certain psychological advantage."

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "You're too modest."

"You must have studied it."

Ji'an smiled and said, "Chess skills originated from the Tang Dynasty in the East. Through the exchanges of some merchants and envoys, they were indeed introduced to Japan. I have indeed studied them."

"However, compared to the true masters of the Tang Dynasty in the East, he is still far inferior."

"The skill and wisdom of life contained within chess are truly immense!"

Li Yuanchang slapped his thigh!

See? People acknowledge that chess originated from the Tang Dynasty in the East, but in later generations, it's become what they call their own culture.

"Master, the fact that you can say these words shows that you have already grasped the true essence of chess."

"In the eyes of us Han people, the Six Arts of a Gentleman are never as simple as they seem on the surface."

"I hope that when you return to Japan, you will spread the word and let your people know that the art of Go originated in the East."

Ji'an clasped his hands together and said, "That's natural."

"Your Highness, would you like to play another round? You are very close to breaking the deadlock."

Li Yuanchang was slightly moved. He always made progress by competing with the strong, and he liked that feeling.

Just as he was about to say something, Guo Chao suddenly strode in.

"Your Highness, twenty small boats have suddenly appeared and moored around us on the shore!"

Li Yuanchang squinted.

"Master, let's call it a night. Go and rest, and don't come out if there's any noise."

Ji'an nodded.

Li Yuanchang then went up to the deck.

Although someone was holding torches, the pitch-black night and the unfathomable depths of the sea made it impossible for the torches to illuminate the area, resulting in extremely low visibility on the ship.

Even with his binoculars, Li Yuanchang could only vaguely see some small boats that had suddenly moored around him. As for who was on board or how many people were on them, he couldn't see them at all.

However, upon observing the mooring positions of these ships, he realized that they were sandwiched between the three treasure ships, and these ships were not even ships at all, but more like fast boats.

"Hehe, this is interesting."

"A fast boat at night, it's either for money or for murder!" he laughed.

"Your Highness, should we go down and suppress them first?" Huang Tu's eyes were sharp, like the king of beasts in the darkness.

Li Yuanchang shook his head: "No need."

"Let's see what tricks they're up to. Remind the brothers to keep their eyes peeled; anyone who dares to board the ship will be killed without mercy!"

"yes!"

"..."

After a brief gathering on the deck, the people dispersed again.

This scene was witnessed by the thief lurking in the darkness.

"Third Master, they've dispersed; they seem to have lowered their guard!"

A one-eyed man slowly parted the bushes, staring at the treasure ship: "Are you sure there aren't many people on board?"

"not much!"

"I observed them carefully when they bought water today; most of them were just sailors, nothing to worry about."

"That young man, however, seems to be someone of extraordinary background. He's accompanied by some very strong men who carry knives; I'd estimate there are fifty or sixty of them."

If Li Yuanchang were here, he would surely recognize at a glance that this man with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks is the one who sold water today.

"Good, very good!"

"They dare to sail with just this few people? These guys are really courting death."

"You did a great job intercepting this news beforehand. The contents of this treasure ship are enough for us to eat and drink for several years; it's definitely three mountains of gold!"

"If we hadn't received the news in advance and rushed over, we might not have even had a drop of soup by the time they arrived at Tsushima Island."

"After we finish this job, I'll give you the biggest share."

The man with the pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks was overjoyed!

"Walk!"

"Third Master, aren't you going to make a move?"

"What's the rush? The ship's here, they can't escape. These guys are from the Tang Dynasty, they've got some skills. We'll make sure they all die in their sleep tonight." A cruel glint flashed in the one-eyed man's eyes.

That kind of cruelty can only come from someone who spends their days plotting to make money and kill, someone who lives on the edge of a knife.

"yes!"

"Third Master is right!"

"Hehe, these Han people are really rich. They take dozens of catties of salt at a time. If they could go to the Tang Dynasty and pull off a few heists, they would really become rich."

"It's a pity there wasn't a single woman on their boat."

"I've heard that the women of the Tang Dynasty have delicate, fair skin, a hundred times more beautiful than the sallow-faced women of Silla and Baekje!"

"Hehehe..."

The lewd laughter gradually faded into the darkness.

The entire coastline was shrouded in absolute silence!