Chapter 8: Soldiers Like Bandits

"Nonsense, do you intend to rebel?" the middle-aged man said in a deep voice

"I hope so," Lin Fu smiled and said

Although there are concerns that Su Mei and Xiao Man might expose their identities, with eighty to ninety soldiers stationed on the island, there is no opportunity to act. Lin Ba and Fu Qinghe can only suppress their anxiety and wait until several ships depart tomorrow, which will be the best time to take action

Killed. Upon hearing there were thirty thousand taels of ransom silver, I felt a surge of anger and killed him. This thief was still shouting that he had important matters to report. Report, report, report, damn it! Upon hearing thirty thousand taels of ransom silver, my heart turned cold; damn it, when he changed his story to say there were sixty thousand taels of ransom silver, wasn't I about to spit blood? I didn't let him speak, and with one stroke, I severed his head. Now the battle report has been revised, stating that thirty-two thieves were killed... Chen Qianhu spat into the water and then walked away into the distance.

"Without any money, being treated like a fool, it truly feels unpleasant for the officials and soldiers." A person said in a muffled voice, implying that what does it matter if one were to rebel.

Lin Fu glanced at the waist knife at his feet. This knife was adequate for killing, but it was rather inadequate for chopping wood. It was likely that the officials would not leave them with suitable tools. They needed to build a raft and leave this place before the officials returned to the island, which was indeed a daunting task. Regardless, tomorrow, after the main force of the officials had left, the priority would be to rescue the people. He jumped onto a giant rock that was chest-high, hoping to observe the island more closely through the gaps in the trees.

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe were hiding on the shores of the bay, observing the desolate island shrouded in twilight. This island had once been inhabited, and at the edge of the forest, there were several dilapidated thatched huts, most of their roofs torn away by the wind. There were also traces of bonfires outside the woods, and the beach reflected the remnants of broken swords and shattered halberds. A few rotting planks from ships lay scattered on the sand, indicating that fierce battles had taken place here not long ago

The bay is not deep, and it cannot hide a ship. They would not want passing pirates to discover the people hidden on the island, as the ship would most likely be taken away, " said Fu Qinghe, "However, after rescuing them, we can make a raft to leave...

Lin Buxin thought that the combat effectiveness of the officials and soldiers was quite weak, but he did not expect that the troops led by the military governor were also not very effective. However, this group of pirates is indeed formidable; first of all, such a number of people—perhaps more, but not by much—dared to rush into Chongzhou County to seize meat and *图* book tickets. Last night, Lin Buxin had a direct confrontation with one person and only managed to kill him by taking advantage of a trick. Nevertheless, this group of pirates is indeed formidable; first of all, such a number of people—perhaps more, but not by much—dared to rush into Chongzhou County to seize meat and *图* book tickets. Last night, Lin Buxin had a direct confrontation with one person and only managed to kill him by taking advantage of a trick.

It is said that, but the mouth is on someone else's body, especially those literati officials who enjoy spreading rumors; their rear ends are so well-spoken that it seems they are suggesting to disregard the injured parties

Lin nodded slightly and said, "Tonight we must endure; we can gather some dew at night to quench our thirst. After the officials leave tomorrow, they should leave behind some water and food—what a headache, they might take the boats away..."

Even though filled with resentment, Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe hid beneath the boat, not daring to make the slightest movement that might alert the soldiers on board. Soon, they felt the painted boat begin to move, slowly retreating from the river inlet

It is likely that some soldiers noticed someone falling into the water, and arrows were shot in a chaotic manner. The arrows lacked force in the water, causing Lin Fu to dive down to retrieve an arrow and stab it into the chest of a pirate, allowing the body to float back up. He and Fu Qinghe continued to dive and hid under the oars at the stern of the ship.

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe felt that they really had to thank Chen Qianhu for his reckless killing of prisoners; otherwise, Su Mei and Xiao Man would most likely have nowhere to hide. The two at the stern probably had no way to deal with Chen Qianhu either, as they seemed to be laughing bitterly.

They are not that foolish. With twenty people dead, how could there possibly be no injured? Moreover, given that a battle is occurring here, the camp should have received enemy reports. At this moment, who knows how many are watching Jiang's side? When we return to the camp, can we conceal the casualties without reporting them? The middle-aged man's voice softened, and it was evident that he began to hesitate, likely more concerned that such actions might be inappropriate and leave too large a flaw for political rivals.

The nameless small island beneath his feet is a rare bedrock island in the nearby waters, and the massive rock underfoot serves as clear evidence; the forest in which they are currently hiding is also a testament to this—ordinary sandy islands are more likely to be covered with grass and reeds, much like the extensive reed marshes that stretched for dozens of miles in the Xisha Islands; even if older sandy islands have natural forests, they are mostly shrublands, so where could one find such a lush and seemingly over a hundred years old forest of tall trees?

Lin Bu and Fu Qinghe did not spend half a day soaking in the chilly autumn waters; they quickly found an opportunity to turn over and boarded the boat, hiding in the stern cabin

They could not lie in ambush on the cliff rocks for an entire night. To avoid leaving traces, they walked east along the shallow waters outside the beach for a short distance before coming ashore. They then plunged into the dense forest of the island and found a dry spot to rest. They still had a few dry cakes hidden on them, which had been soaked by the seawater, making them both salty and bitter, but they were still edible

Colonel ... ...

Lin Fu learned from his middle school geography book that the Yangtze River estuary and the nearby waters are predominantly composed of sand islands, formed by the accumulation of a large amount of silt carried down from the upper reaches of the Jianghuai water system. Unlike ordinary bedrock islands, which can maintain a stable state for hundreds or thousands of years, these sand islands and shoals are greatly influenced by the tidal waters of the river and sea, undergoing constant evolution. When encountering a sand island at sea, it may no longer exist decades later, giving rise to legends of elusive fairy islands that leave no trace; or it may gradually connect with the land over hundreds of years, becoming new territory.

"Such a good deal, are you willing to do it just once?" said the middle-aged man. "Eight people is still too few; I believe there will continuously be more who will 'perish' in the future... It's just that our warship has been destroyed, which seems to serve as an excuse to pursue the sea route. We can capture a pirate ship as compensation; what do you think of this idea?"

Lin bit his teeth into the flesh, how can this be said to be soldiers like bandits? What I heard with my own ears is that these soldiers are even more ruthless than pirates! Where is there even a hint of the awareness to defend the land and protect the people?

Fu Qinghe chewed on the dark, dry wheat cake and said, "Since there are extraordinary people living on the island, there should be a water source..."

"Hmm, have the casualties been checked?" It was the voice of a middle-aged man, low and deep.

It is possible that the increasing rampancy of the Eastern Sea pirates has led the local residents to migrate away; it may also be that they were coerced into joining the pirates; or perhaps the residents suffered collateral damage in the fierce battles that occurred not long ago. Currently, there are no fishermen settling here, nor are there any pirates residing permanently. In short, it has now become an uninhabited deserted island

Lin Bu and Fu Qinghe quietly entered the water, swimming to the outer side of the bay before coming ashore.

Lin Fu, upon hearing this at the stern of the ship, finally realized the extent of the arrogance and audacity of these officials and soldiers; they were simply intent on seizing the thirty thousand taels of ransom silver.

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe were well aware of the arrogance and indulgence of the officials and soldiers, but they did not expect that they would openly utter such rebellious words.

When calculating military achievements, these factors are disregarded

Because this group of soldiers only arranged for eight soldiers who had been "killed in battle" to impersonate the Donghai pirates and escape by boat, the other soldiers pretended to pursue them on the fast boats behind. One group went ahead while the other followed out to sea—the pleasure boat was still tied to the rear of the pirate ship, and there were even fewer guards left on the pleasure boat, with only two soldiers dressed in pirate clothing.

Seeing several ships anchored in the bay, it was clear that the officers and soldiers would be spending the night on the island

"The commandant knows how to do it, so why did you ask me?" The person seemed to casually add, "Thirty thousand taels of silver is enough to support Ninghai Town for a year"

What is it, Qianhu

Baiming, this is how the report should be written: 'The middle-aged man resolutely stated, "We received intelligence regarding the enemy's whereabouts. A certain commander led an elite battalion to launch an attack, encountering the enemy ship southwest of Xisha Island. However, the enemy ship was formidable, and the intelligence from Chongzhou was erroneous, indicating that the enemy's actual numbers were several times greater than our forces. After a prolonged battle, we could not achieve victory, and the weather conditions favored the enemy's retreat. Regrettably, we could not annihilate them completely, capturing only the enemy leader and thirty-two others upon returning to camp... How should we report our casualties? Please think it over carefully."'

Fortunately, there are no pirates falling into the water anymore, and naturally, there will be no officials or soldiers diving in to pursue them; Lin Fu also wondered if there were truly pirates jumping into the water to escape, would any officials or soldiers dive in to chase after them. The saying goes, "Do not pursue a desperate enemy." The officials and soldiers have already achieved victory; if there are further casualties during the pursuit, it would indeed be a case of losing more than gaining.

As the fast paddle boat lingered behind, pretending to pursue, Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe had no opportunity to kill or seize the ship

Fu Qinghe saw Lin Ba laughing and couldn't help but smile as well. He thought to himself that even in the worst-case scenario, Su Mei and the other girl could blend in with the meat tickets to reach the shore. Once on land, Su Mei could reveal her identity and everything would be fine.

"Baiming, what do you think we should do?" the middle-aged man asked

Although the complete annihilation of the pirates, the capture of a pirate warship, and the rescue of all hostages were achieved, the number of casualties on our side, despite an absolute advantage in combat strength, far exceeded the number of enemy heads taken. According to military law, not only can this not be counted as merit, but it also warrants reprimand from superiors. Of course, over the years, the discipline of the local garrison has deteriorated, and their combat effectiveness has weakened. Achieving a small victory is already a challenge. If an ordinary general were to lead a team and achieve such results, it would certainly be reported as a significant victory. However, this time the leader is a high-ranking commander of the Ninghai garrison, and submitting such results would only be more embarrassing, potentially providing the opponent with a handle to attack us.

Twenty personnel were killed, thirty-nine were injured, thirty-one enemies were eliminated, and one enemy was captured... This group of pirates is truly difficult to deal with

The swift oared ship was pursuing from behind, clearly aiming to ensure the safety of the pirate ship as it set out to sea and to find a deserted island to hide. Care had to be taken to prevent the captives from being snatched away by other pirates along the way. At night, just outside the harbor, the pirate ship dropped anchor and rested for the night, while the swift oared warship also anchored and rested for the day. The next morning, they set sail eastward again, and only when darkness fell did they dock in a U-shaped small bay on the southern side of a deserted island, nearly two hundred miles from the mouth of the Yangtze River.

The pirate ship has escaped far away— it requires at least seven or eight soldiers to get the pirate ship moving. Therefore, we should select eight reliable individuals to go, and with the twenty who have actually perished, the casualties will be recorded as twenty-eight. The enemy outnumbers us; our side has lost twenty-eight men, and we have captured thirty-two pirates, which can be considered a minor achievement. Even if we cannot catch up to the pirate ship, we have still managed to defeat the pirates. Our naval vessels are too far behind, which caused us to miss the opportunity. That person quickly organized the plan according to the middle-aged man's instructions, "The higher-ups have consistently refused to allocate funds for shipbuilding; we need to let them know just how formidable the pirate ship is. For the losses, we will report one fast paddle warship destroyed by the enemy and one medium-damaged fast paddle warship... Even if we cannot catch up to the pirate ship, we have still managed to defeat the pirates. Our naval vessels are too far behind, which caused us to miss the opportunity." That person quickly organized the plan according to the middle-aged man's instructions, "The higher-ups have consistently refused to allocate funds for shipbuilding; we need to let them know just how formidable the pirate ship is. For the losses, we will report one fast paddle warship destroyed by the enemy and one medium-damaged fast paddle warship... But what about the eight brothers we sent out? They are now considered dead in battle; how will we resolve their identities when they return?"

"What does Dong Yuan amount to? How can he dictate terms to Zhen Jun?" the middle-aged man said angrily, "In this rescue operation, we must ensure the safety of the hostages, which inevitably may lead to more casualties"

Perhaps there will be no more complications. Fu Qinghe listened attentively to the sounds on the boat, unable to help but comfort himself in this way

The chaotic sounds of fighting on the ship ceased, replaced by the loud cries of those trying to extinguish the fire. Lin Fu knew that he and Fu Qinghe were temporarily safe. Reflecting on the events from last night until now, they had experienced two battles, and at least fifty to sixty lives had been lost just like that

As they were tidying up, they suddenly heard chaotic footsteps coming from the bow of the boat, likely the remaining pirates scattering towards the pleasure boat. If they did not escape now, when would they? Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe squeezed out of the window and were about to jump into the water. Just then, a pirate fled out of the window and, upon seeing Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe, an old and a young, emerging from the window, he was momentarily stunned. As he was about to shout to alert his companions, Lin Fu had already leaped forward, tumbling into the water together with him. In the water, Lin Fu hooked his arm tightly around the pirate's chin, and with the blade pressed against his neck, he made a swift cut, watching as a line of blood stirred in the river, creating a watercolor-like scene reminiscent of mountains and rivers.

"Alright, I understand. You may leave for now; I have matters to discuss with Bai Ming..." the middle-aged man instructed.

The captain ... ... '' Another person approached the stern of the ship, interrupting the private conversation between the two.

This deserted island is not large; just now, while hiding at the stern of the ship, I caught a glimpse of the entire island, which appears to be about four to five miles in circumference. Even slightly larger residential communities in later generations would exceed this size. The small sea to the south can be considered a small natural harbor for shelter from the wind. The hill to the southeast of the island looks to be nearly twenty zhang high, covered in dense forest.

At this moment, footsteps were heard approaching the stern of the ship. Two individuals walked alone to the stern deck, and both Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe cautiously perked up their ears.

"General Chen, please send someone to bring over the East Sea bandit you captured; I have questions for him," said the middle-aged man's confidant.

The commander is wise

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe were both taken aback. In the military system of this dynasty, there are four categories of individuals who can be referred to as Duwei by their subordinates: they are the Light Chariot Duwei, Deputy Light Chariot Duwei, Cavalry Duwei, and Deputy Cavalry Duwei. All of these are high-ranking military positions. The commander and deputy commander of Ninghai Town are respectively granted the titles of Cavalry Duwei and Deputy Cavalry Duwei, which correspond to the fourth rank and the fourth rank of the military. To their surprise, the two fast paddle boats of the Ninghai Town Navy were actually led by someone of the rank of the commander of Ninghai Town himself.

Walking along the coast, I did not see any stream mouths. It is not the right time to enter the dense forest in search of a water source. More importantly, I need to recover my strength. Tomorrow, the main force of the officials and soldiers will withdraw, leaving behind eight men to guard. I fear that these eight men will not be too weak.

"Damn it," someone spat angrily, and from the sound, one could tell he was filled with rage. "Those rich folks in Chongzhou are treating us like fools. The pirates from the East Sea demanded a ransom of a total of 30,000 taels, and we lost twenty brothers in this bloody fight, yet we only received 3,000 taels as a reward—if I take people to Chongzhou, without at least 10,000 taels, I will chop those bastards up and feed them to the turtles, ensuring they have no descendants..."

Lin had not heard the middle-aged general speak for a long time, thinking that he must be embarrassed by the military achievements. The person beside him was presumably his trusted aide. After a moment, he heard the aide say: "Captain, Dong Yuan has been slandering our garrison, claiming that our military strength is weak and our discipline is poor, petitioning the court to allow the local area to establish a new army; if this battle report is submitted, it is likely to give him grounds to use against us..." After a moment, he heard the aide repeat: "Captain, Dong Yuan has been slandering our garrison, claiming that our military strength is weak and our discipline is poor, petitioning the court to allow the local area to establish a new army; if this battle report is submitted, it is likely to give him grounds to use against us..."