Chapter 943: Who's Going to Kick Him Overboard?
Moments later, the battle was over.
The pirates, who had been so arrogant just moments before, were now nothing but a pile of corpses.
Phantom Bat lay dead on the deck, his eyes still wide open.
His final thought before death was: *It truly doesn't pay to be naive out on the open sea. The very men who had just been flattering me with silver turned around and tried to kill me... Indeed, one must be ruthless. In my next life, I shall be an even more vicious man.*
“Report, sir, forty-three prisoners captured,” a sailor stated loudly, standing before Jiang Cheng. “How should we deal with them?”
What to do with these men had become a problem.
According to Gao Family Village's established rules, they should be sent to a labor reform camp. But everyone was adrift on the sea; where would a labor reform camp come from?
Sending them back to Gao Family Village for labor reform was also impractical; it was too far. This ship's crew was Gao Family Village's super expeditionary force, thousands of miles from home.
The group turned to Shi Kefa.
“Oh, and there are still six pirate ships,” Tie Niaofei added, pointing to the six battered vessels behind them. “The ships are riddled with cannon holes, smeared with blood, and littered with corpses; they’re certainly not a pretty sight. Our men aren't necessarily skilled at handling these types of ships. Everyone is accustomed to navigating the Heavenly Lord's divine vessels and Bai Gongzi’s steamships, but sailing ships are truly a challenge.”
Shi Kefa replied, “Perfect. Have these forty-three prisoners clean up the battlefield, throw the dead pirates' bodies into the sea, and then man those six ships to follow us.”
With guns and cannons aimed at them, the pirate captives dared not resist. They obediently returned to their ships and began clearing the decks, stripping the dead pirates' bodies naked and kicking them into the sea to feed the fish. Then, with a few men per ship, they struggled to maneuver their vessels to follow the Wanli Sunshine.
With too few helmsmen, those six ships were genuinely difficult to manage.
The Wanli Sunshine produced an enormous, thick iron chain and began towing the ships behind it. The seven vessels formed a strange flotilla, slowly advancing south along the coastline.
With this, the small skirmish was finally concluded.
The sailors stood down from their combat readiness, and the Wanli Sunshine resumed its usual tranquil appearance beneath the bright sun.
Zhu Piaoling no longer had to cling to a pillar. He detested staying inside the cabin, as his whole purpose in running away from home was to see all the world's sights.
As soon as the 'all clear' was announced outside, Zhu Piaoling straightened his clothes, triumphantly declaring, “Excellent! Back to the deck to admire the scenery.”
He took two steps outside, then, as if remembering something, turned back and addressed the eighteen captured women. “What are you all staring at? You can go up on deck now. Come with me.”
The women shivered, too terrified to move.
Zhu Piaoling asked, “Still scared? Don't be! Didn't you see us fight the pirates just now? We fought pirates, so of course, we're good guys!”
The women continued to tremble, and after a long moment, one woman whispered, “Pirates also fight pirates.”
Zhu Piaoling retorted impatiently, “Where do I look like a pirate? I'm a great hero! My nickname is 'Wandering Hero of the Four Seas'—a hero!”
“Hahaha!” Tie Niaofei walked in from outside, chuckling. “Ah, Hero Zhu, that's where you're mistaken. Among brigands, countless villains call themselves heroes. Trying to convince these women with that argument is useless.”
Zhu Piaoling was speechless.
Tie Niaofei waved at the women, his tone as gentle as possible. “Come on up to the deck, Master Shi wants to speak with you all for a moment.”
The women were still afraid, but dared not disobey, so they cautiously made their way onto the deck.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, and the weather at sea was exceptionally fine.
Shi Kefa had by now changed into his official robes. Exuding an aura of integrity, he sat upright and gestured to the women. “Ladies, please come this way.”
The women looked at him and gasped in surprise. Earlier, in his casual clothes, it hadn't been obvious, but now, in his official robes, he appeared truly upright and distinguished, his face full of righteousness—he certainly didn't look like a villain.
Here, it's worth mentioning the Ming Dynasty's official selection system.
Ming officials, after passing the imperial examinations, didn't immediately assume office. Instead, they had to undergo a second selection process, much like modern job applicants who pass a written test still face an interview stage.
During this interview stage, the court specifically chose individuals with a 'square face'—because a square face had, since ancient times, been the archetypal 'good person' look in their country.
Shi Kefa possessed just such a classic 'good person' face: handsome and impeccably upright.
He looked far more appealing than the decadent young master, the notorious salt smuggler, or the down-on-his-luck gentry scholar standing nearby.
The women's hearts finally settled a little, and they all bowed to Shi Kefa.
Shi Kefa chose an arbitrary opening. “By the looks of it, you haven't eaten since yesterday, have you?”
The women shivered, too afraid to answer, but the clear swallowing movements at the mention of 'food' betrayed their hunger.
Shi Kefa spread his hands to a nearby sailor.
The sailor understood, quickly disappearing into the ship's cabin, and soon reappeared with food. Dry rations and fresh water were always available on board; there wasn't even a need to cook anything specifically.
When the food was laid out before the women, they were instantly overjoyed, and looking at Shi Kefa's face, he seemed even more like a good person.
One by one, they eagerly grabbed the provisions and devoured them ravenously.
Shi Kefa waited for them to eat a few bites, their emotions settling slightly, then asked again, “Where are you from?”
The women replied, “We are from Yuduo Village in Ganyu County. Yesterday afternoon, a group of pirates suddenly stormed into our village, killing every man they saw... they slaughtered all the men in the village, set the village ablaze, and then tied us women and dragged us onto their ships...”
At this point, several women began to weep softly.
Shi Kefa nodded. The situation was straightforward, not complicated at all, so there was no need to ask further questions. “So, you are all homeless now?”
A chorus of choked cries answered him.
Shi Kefa said, “Then you may follow me. I am about to take up my official post in Anqing Prefecture and settle there. I will also find work for you in Anqing Prefecture, so you can survive.”
The women gasped in surprise. They truly hadn't expected this official to be so responsible. They had assumed that even if he wasn't a bad person, he would simply let them off the ship and leave them on shore. To their astonishment, this official was truly a great humanitarian, even offering to help them find work and make a living.
Their fear finally dissipated, and they all gracefully bowed down together, exclaiming, “Thank you, noble and righteous Lord!”
Shi Kefa let out a long sigh, looking up at the sky and saying, “My Great Ming Dynasty, everywhere the common people suffer.”
No sooner had he sighed than Zhu Piaoling, by the ship's rail, pointed at a large rock on the shore and burst out laughing, “Hahaha, my Great Ming Dynasty, everywhere the scenery is like a painting!”
Shi Kefa muttered, “Who's going to give that 'great hero' a kick and toss him overboard?”
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