Chapter 939: The Distinction of the Soul
The Wanli Sunshine was laboriously navigating the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
The lower Yellow River was notoriously difficult to navigate.
Due to the immense volume of silt and sand carried by the Yellow River, which settled in its lower reaches, the water there was exceedingly shallow and the channel unstable. The riverbed itself constantly shifted and changed shape. Even in much later eras, let alone the current one, large vessels could not hope to traverse the lower Yellow River.
With a draft of three to four meters, the Wanli Sunshine's passage through the lower Yellow River was a testament to sheer difficulty.
A moment's carelessness could lead to the ship running aground.
The Gao Family Village sailors on board were deathly nervous. If they were to run the precious divine vessel aground on its maiden voyage, how could they possibly answer to the Heavenly Lord upon their return?
Everyone was tense, except for Zhu Piaoling.
He was excitedly asking, "Are we almost at the sea? Where exactly are we? I've heard the Yellow River has changed its course many times; where does it finally empty into the sea? I can't wait to see the ocean!"
Shi Kefa, the most learned among them, stepped forward, shaking his head with a smile. "During the Song Dynasty," he explained, "Du Chong, the Prefect of Tokyo (Kaifeng), breached the Yellow River dikes to prevent the Jurchen forces from advancing south. This caused the Yellow River to flow into the Huai River via the Si River. For hundreds of years since, the Yellow River has continued to empty into the sea through the Huai River."
Shi Kefa nodded. "Exactly! The mouth of the Huai River is very close to that of the Yangtze River, so the Yellow River flowing through the Huai has actually helped us immensely."
Zhu Piaoling was overjoyed. "Hahaha, without even realizing it, I've journeyed through the Huai River too! How wonderful!"
"The sea is just ahead!"
At these words, Zhu Piaoling's spirits soared.
The sea was already visible in the distance, a vast expanse meeting a golden-yellow coastline. This was a landmass "extended" by the mighty Yellow River, which, year after year, pushed the coastline outwards by a significant stretch.
The magnificent ocean made Zhu Piaoling cry out in wild excitement.
However, Tie Niaofei, Jiang Cheng, and the others weren't focused on the scenic vista. Their attention immediately shifted to a fleet of ships visible on the horizon.
"There's a fleet there!" Tie Niaofei pointed at the sea. "Six ships in total."
"Looks like a merchant fleet?" Jiang Cheng pulled out his spyglass. "Those ships are carrying cargo."
Tie Niaofei was slightly pleased. "Here I am, a land merchant, making my first voyage out to sea, and I've already encountered fellow merchants! What a fated encounter! Should we hail them?"
Just as he spoke, Jiang Cheng's expression subtly changed. "Something's not right," he murmured. "Those aren't ordinary merchant ships."
Tie Niaofei stared blankly.
He quickly pulled out his own spyglass and looked at the distant ship. His expression immediately soured. It turned out that the merchant ship not only carried cargo, but also many bound people.
All of them were women.
Tie Niaofei whispered, "Two possibilities. One, this ship isn't just trading goods; it's trafficking people, making it an illicit merchant vessel. Two, it's a pirate ship, and both the cargo and the women were plundered."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "This isn't good. They've spotted us."
Both saw through their spyglasses simultaneously that several people on the opposing fleet were looking their way.
Jiang Cheng raised his spyglass higher, focusing on their flag. "I don't recognize that pennant," he mused. "It has a bunch of mushrooms painted on it."
Tie Niaofei exclaimed, "Mushrooms? Those are Lingzhi! Let me count... eighteen Lingzhi mushrooms painted on the flag. Strange, what could that mean?"
Just then, the Heavenly Lord's voice emanated from the embroidery on Tie Niaofei's chest. "Eighteen Lingzhi mushrooms, you say? That could be the fleet of the Wind and Cloud Eighteen Scholars. Strange, Zheng Zhilong, their leader, accepted imperial pacification years ago. His flag shouldn't still be in use, should it? I'll have to think about this."
Li Daoxuan quickly consulted his records. He hadn't realized until he looked it up, but a quick search brought clarity.
At this time, the infamous pirate confederation, the Wind and Cloud Eighteen Scholars, which had once terrorized the southeastern coast, had already disbanded. Their leader, Zheng Zhilong, had accepted imperial pacification. However, one of the eighteen, a man named Liu Xiang, was still pursuing the very promising career of piracy.
Liu Xiang was a compradore for the Spanish and Portuguese; backed by these Westerners, he showed no deference to the Great Ming court whatsoever. Even after Zheng Zhilong accepted pacification, Liu Xiang continued to operate under the banner of the Eighteen Scholars, rampant and tyrannical on the seas.
But his days were numbered. In the eighth year of Chongzhen, which was this very year, he would be decisively dealt with by Zheng Zhilong, bringing a tragic and definitive end to the Wind and Cloud Eighteen Scholars.
Li Daoxuan's voice returned to the embroidery on Tie Niaofei's chest. "That might be Liu Xiang's ship," he said, "the last remnant of the Wind and Cloud Eighteen Scholars' pirates."
"So they are pirates!" Tie Niaofei exclaimed. "Damnable pirates, everyone be careful!"
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and retorted, "Master Tie, pirates are half-merchants, half-bandits, pretty much like you salt smugglers. The only difference is one operates on sea and one on land. So don't just point fingers and call pirates damnable; reflect on yourself a bit, eh?"
Tie Niaofei snorted. "That's where you're mistaken! We salt smugglers only fight with the imperial patrols and constables. The rest of the time, we sell salt honestly—no robbery! When does robbery make money faster than selling salt, anyway?"
Jiang Cheng was speechless.
Tie Niaofei said, "Hey, enough with the awkward chatter. They're coming closer."
Jiang Cheng turned his head to look. The suspected Liu Xiang fleet was indeed heading their way.
No good could come of this.
"What do we do? Should we speed up and escape?" Zhu Piaoling, realizing the situation had turned grim, leapt over with a whoosh and began to concern himself with the impending battle.
Tie Niaofei nodded. "Our strength compared to theirs is unknown. The best course of action is to flee."
Jiang Cheng wholeheartedly agreed.
Just then, Shi Kefa spoke up. "If we flee, what about those bound women?"
As soon as the question left his lips, everyone paused, startled.
Immediately, expressions of shame crossed their faces.
That's right! How could they have forgotten the women on the other ship?
The Heavenly Lord's voice from the embroidery spoke again. "Those women must be rescued. This is the very soul and spirit of our Gao Family Village. With this spirit, we can distinguish ourselves from those corrupt officials and ruthless rebels. Think about it carefully."
"Your subordinate understands," Jiang Cheng said.
"Shameful, truly shameful," Tie Niaofei mumbled.
Zhu Piaoling roared, "By the Heavenly Lord's decree, no retreat! Fight them, these..." No sooner had he bellowed this than the sworn guards behind him swiftly leapt forward and dragged Zhu Piaoling, protesting, into the ship's cabin for his protection.
Jiang Cheng also shouted loudly, "Prepare for battle! Out here on the open sea, there's no need to conceal our strength. The cannons can be used!"
Shi Kefa suddenly spoke up. "Those women are bound on the deck. When we engage them in battle, with cannons and firearms blasting indiscriminately, it will be very difficult to avoid accidentally harming them. Instructor Jiang, this battle won't be that simple."
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