novelhk Chapter 307 Departure
Chapter 307 Departure
Everyone knows that river bandits are rampant in Jiangnan.
In previous years, river bandits were more restrained, only robbing money and not killing people. If you were unlucky enough to encounter river bandits, you could leave your boat behind and return to shore safely.
However, after the imperial court dispatched troops to suppress the bandits, the remaining few hundred river bandits were all vicious and ruthless. They killed and robbed, and their methods were extremely cruel.
However, the waterways in Jiangnan are well-connected and the most convenient route, so even knowing about the existence of water bandits, countless people still flock to this waterway.
The boat moved forward on the calm river. It was a very simple boat, unremarkable in appearance and with little profit to be made.
But on the small boat hidden among the water plants, several thin men with shrewd eyes were staring intently at it.
"Third Brother, this ship looks ordinary. Why should we take action against it?" The smallest man, named Skinny Monkey, looked at the ships with puzzlement, unable to understand. "I heard that a large ship will be coming in a few days. Why don't we spend more time finding out the routes of those ships?"
The man called Third Brother glanced at the skinny monkey and explained impatiently, "Didn't you see the draft of this ship? It's much deeper than that of a typical large ship! Besides, you only see that it's an ordinary little boat, but didn't you notice that the other ships around it are escorting it? They're slow when it's slow and fast when it's fast?"
"A team like this must have some great treasure!" Third Brother said with great experience. "Only the most precious things are worth the money of these rich people hiding."
Upon hearing this, Skinny Monkey's eyes widened immediately: "That makes sense! Third Brother! Shall we go back and inform the Boss to take action?"
"The eldest brother is still in the lap of luxury these days," the third brother chuckled, seemingly lost in thought. "He probably can't afford to worry about these things."
"The boss went out last time and not only did he get tens of thousands of taels of silver, but he also won over a beauty." Skinny Monkey said, clicking his tongue in amazement, "The boss's luck is still better than ours."
Upon hearing this, the third brother waved his hand and said, "If we can take over this ship, what we get from it will probably be more than tens of thousands of taels of silver."
Which merchant ship traveling on these waterways doesn't carry goods worth tens of thousands of taels?
Based on his keen eye, he was certain that the contents of the ship were worth far more than tens of thousands of taels.
At that time... a glint flashed in Third Brother's eyes—he might be able to rise to the top and become the second-in-command after the eldest brother.
Thinking of this, he lowered his head and discussed it with the skinny monkey.
They brought more than a hundred brothers with them this time. Although these water bandits were few in number, they were all experts who could take on ten men on the water thanks to their familiarity with these waterways and their excellent swimming skills.
It would be an easy task for more than a hundred brothers to take down these ships.
Third Brother was extremely confident, and Skinny Monkey was also overjoyed: "After we take this ship, I'm going to Yangzhou to find a brothel and have some fun."
His words drew laughter from the people around him.
……
This unremarkable ship was not loaded with gold and silver treasures as the third brother had guessed, but with a full ship of people.
These people were all imperial guards assigned to Xie Jinghan by the emperor.
After much persuasion, they finally managed to reduce the Imperial Guards from five thousand to one thousand.
Even so, it still took four ships to transport all the Imperial Guards and personal guards.
The Imperial Guards, who usually trained hard, had no complaints about being on these ships.
They rarely left Beijing, and at this moment, they looked out the cabin window at the magnificent Yangtze River.
"I really want to go out for a walk," one of them said in a low voice.
“We can’t show our faces.” Upon hearing this, his companion quickly said, “We can’t show our faces until we’ve dealt with those river bandits. We can’t let them know that the prince has brought so many people with him.”
"They are only a few hundred river bandits. It must be because the local officials and soldiers are too fond of pleasure and have neglected training that they have been allowed to run rampant for so many years."
“The soldiers of Jiangnan Prefecture are quite capable; at least their water skills are better than ours.” One of them patted the young man on the shoulder and instructed him, “You can’t say those things again. We’re on a mission. Whatever the prince says, we do.”
Upon hearing this, the young man quickly lowered his head: "I was just curious, Your Highness, why are you being so cautious?"
"Your Highness has your reasons for doing this. Even if you don't trust the officials and soldiers of Jiangnan Prefecture, do you think you can't trust Your Highness?"
"Of course not!" the young man quickly denied. "I came to the Imperial Guard because of the Prince!"
Which of these people doesn't see the prince as their future role model?
……
Inside the top cabin, Xie Jinghan sat by the window with a somber face, a map of the waterways of Jiangnan laid out in front of him.
The waterways in Jiangnan are intricate and complex; even with a map, it's not always possible to find those water bandits.
The fastest way to find those bandits is to lure them out.
In fact, these ships were all meticulously designed by him, enough to attract the attention of the bandits.
Those pirates, who travel by water year-round, could tell that his boat was meticulously disguised, and they would definitely be interested.
Wen Shuyao glanced at Xie Jinghan, very curious: "Will they really make a move?"
“We already have some followers on our ship,” Xie Jinghan said confidently. “They will definitely make their move within three days.”
“Following our route, we will arrive at the dock in three days. By then, it will be difficult for them to make a move.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao nodded knowingly: "They will definitely make their move before that."
"I heard that Wen Yitong has also come to Jiangnan." Wen Shuyao said, then hesitated for a moment. "I wonder how she is doing at the Chen family. I sent people to follow the Chen family before, but there was no follow-up."
How could the Chen family, with such great power, manage to evade the people of Prince Jing's mansion?
Wen Shuyao didn't believe it. She was more inclined to believe that "a few days ago, a ship's crew was killed by river bandits and all their silver was stolen."
“I heard that the owner of that ship is surnamed Chen.” Wen Shuyao’s words had barely left her mouth when her gaze turned to Xie Jinghan. “Do you think… this family might belong to Chen Che?”
"Very likely." Xie Jinghan pondered for a moment and said, "The Chen family could indeed be on that ship. If you're worried..."
Upon hearing this, Wen Shuyao chuckled softly: "I'm not worried, I just want to confirm—is Wen Yitong on that ship... or is she dead?"
She never hid her hatred for Wen Yitong. Even though she agreed to spare Wen Yitong's life, she would never watch Wen Yitong enjoy herself in Jiangnan.
Therefore, confirming whether Wen Yitong was on that ship became the top priority.
"After capturing this group of river bandits, I personally went to interrogate them."