Chapter 236
Chapter 236
They soon discovered that various kinds of kindling were piled up all over the workshop. Moreover, there were several wooden barrels nearby. When they split one open, a fishy-smelling oil poured out. A few of the pirate leaders quickly realized it was a trap and shouted in alarm.
“Stop fighting! Stop it! This is a trap! Let’s get out of here, quickly…!”
Hearing this, some of the pirates tried desperately to flee, but the majority, blinded by greed, continued to fight madly over the gold. At that moment,
*Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.*
Hundreds of flaming arrows were shot from outside the windows, instantly igniting the fish oil and piles of firewood inside the workshop.
*Fwoosh!*
The large workshop was instantly engulfed in flames. At the same time, the Jin Clan warriors standing guard outside removed their helmets and armor and thoroughly sealed the windows and all entrances. The entire workshop turned into a sea of fire. The two thousand pirates who had survived the battle at sea screamed in agony, thrashing about in desperation.
They used not only their weapons but also their bodies to slam against the doors and windows with all their might, but every action was in vain. After a dozen minutes, the sounds of agonizing screams and desperate struggles from within ceased. Even the pirates who had been lucky enough to survive were all dead. Outside, Count Tang Lun watched the thick smoke soaring into the sky and spoke to the Count of Xuanwu beside him.
“Brother Jin Zhuo, I’ve done what you asked. All those pirate ships now belong to the Jin Clan. You’ve struck a great fortune.”
Tang Lun was already completely disheartened and had no lingering attachments, but witnessing the profit the Count of Xuanwu had gained filled him with unparalleled jealousy. If he sold those hundred-plus ships, he could make an astronomical sum. With Qiu Tianwei fallen, only the Jin Clan stood to gain.
“Brother Jin Zhuo, can you let my son and me go now?”
“I’ll let you go if you do one more thing for us. This will be the last.”
“What is it now? D-don’t tell me you intend to pretend to be Qiu Tianwei’s pirate army, go to Gold Mountain Island, and use me to take it back?”
Count Jin Zhuo nodded.
“That’s right!”
Tang Lun stared at the Count of Xuanwu.
“Brother Jin Zhuo, the world says the Count of Xuanwu is an honest man, but where is this honesty? I see now that you are exceedingly cunning and meticulous. Aren’t you afraid your greed will bring disaster upon you?”
“Is that a no?”
Tang Lun said indignantly.
“Do I even have a choice right now?”
***
Inside the Count of Xuanwu’s estate.
Mulan had been utterly exhausted lately. For a full twenty days, she alone had been responsible for the defense of the entire estate fortress. She commanded only a thousand of the clan’s private soldiers, and half of them were new recruits at that. Of course, the fortress walls were sturdy, so as long as they sat and defended, it was unlikely they would fail. Besides, neither Qiu Tianwei nor Tang Lun could directly attack the Jin Clan’s fortress.
Even so, Mulan got no more than three hours of sleep each day. Despite being swamped with work, she washed herself thoroughly every day, making sure her body was fragrant. Consequently, she ended up falling asleep in the bathtub rather than her bed. Even Xiao Bing could only catch a few winks while bathing Mulan.
She could endure physical hardship and fatigue, but there was no soothing her weary heart. No matter how masterfully her husband had arranged his divine plans to conquer the world, Mulan couldn’t help but worry. Her father was facing thirty thousand of Qiu Tianwei’s pirate warriors on Hopeless Love Island with only four thousand men, but her husband’s situation was even more perilous. He had gone to seize Raging Tide City with a mere two thousand men, and there had been no news since. Of course, they said no news was good news, so it seemed nothing dangerous had happened yet.
‘My heart feels like it’s burning to a crisp. I hope my husband isn’t hurt. He’s so weak, and that pervert Qiu Yao'er is so strong in martial arts.’
Whenever her thoughts reached that point, Mulan’s heart would clench, and she would wish she could sprout wings and fly to Raging Tide City to be by Shen Lang’s side. Of course, it would be even better if she could stab that tyrant Qiu Yao'er to death with a single stroke while she was at it.
‘I will tear that shameless woman to pieces one day! How dare she trample on my husband and take his first time.’
Gritting her teeth and lost in thought, Mulan eventually succumbed to her exhaustion, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
***
Countess Xiao Peipei was kneeling in the ancestral shrine. On the wall hung the memorial tablets of their ancestors and a single portrait. It was the only portrait in the shrine, depicting the clan’s greatest Count of Xuanwu, Ancestor Jin Zhu. She had been kneeling here for days. To show her sincerity, she ate nothing, drinking only thin rice gruel.
“Ancestors, please protect my husband, Jin Zhuo. Please ensure our son, Shen Lang, is safe and victorious. Esteemed ancestors, please protect my husband, Jin Zhuo, and our son, Shen Lang!”
She called Shen Lang “our son” instead of “our son-in-law” because she feared that if she called him son-in-law, the ancestors would consider him an outsider and not protect him, or perhaps protect him with less care. If that happened, wouldn’t her dear Lang be in danger? Women always saw things through the lens of their own hearts. Just then, the gate of the fortress opened, and a person rushed in through the covered entryway. Jin Jianniang, covered in blood, dismounted from her warhorse, crimson blood dripping to the ground.
“Young Lady, Countess, enemies have appeared! Enemies!”
Mulan awoke with a start, while Xiao Peipei shot to her feet, grabbed a sword, and rushed out.
***
“Countess, Young Lady, a large band of bandits flying the flag of Gou Duhuan has appeared in our fief.”
Gou Duhuan was a famous and formidable bandit group in Tiannan Province. Comprised of several hundred bandits, they had killed countless people and committed every evil imaginable. Moreover, Gou Duhuan’s leader was elusive; rumor had it that no one had ever seen his true face.
“They are indiscriminately killing people, burning homes, and plundering our fief. They’re committing every atrocity possible. Several villages have already been burned, and hundreds of homes have been reduced to ashes. More than a hundred innocent commoners have been murdered by them. I was leading a patrol to survey the area when we encountered them, and a battle broke out. Our patrol of over twenty was wiped out. I was the only one to break through their encirclement and return to report. They are still murdering and burning in our fief right now!”
As Jin Jianniang knelt, fresh blood pooled on the floor. Physician An Zaishi and three of the estate’s female physicians rushed over to treat her wounds. Mulan immediately went to Jin Jianniang, felt for the vital points on her upper and lower body, and breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had many wounds, none of them were to her vital areas.
“They could have killed me, but I think they deliberately let me break through the encirclement to report back. I believe they’ve set a trap.”
“You three, take Jianniang and treat her.”
Mindful of the distinction between men and women, Mulan had the female physicians take her away, not An Zaishi. Of course, if she had been gravely injured, saving her life would have taken precedence over such matters.
Old Master Lin said, “Young Lady, judging by their actions, there is certainly a trap. Someone is likely impersonating Gou Duhuan to lure us out and attack our base. Although Gou Duhuan is a major bandit group, they have never appeared in Lu River Commandery before, and there is nothing here they would want.”
Physician An Zaishi said, “That’s right. It must be so. Young Lady, you must not fall for their trick!”
As a physician, he normally didn't voice his opinions on the Jin Clan's affairs, but with every situation being critical, he couldn't remain silent.
Mulan frowned. This was clearly a trap to lure her out of the estate fortress. But what did the enemy want? To attack the fortress directly? No, that was absolutely impossible! Neither Qiu Tianwei nor Tang Lun would be so mad. That would be an act of rebellion.
Besides, the Count of Xuanwu's fortress was situated on a mountain, with high, thick walls. Even an army of five or six thousand soldiers couldn't take it in a single assault. So, what was the enemy's objective? She had to see through their true intentions.
Should she abandon the defense of the fortress to save the people of the fief? Or should she let those bandits run rampant, killing, burning, and looting? Should she go to save them for real, or just for show? A feigned rescue would mean sending a troop of cavalry to patrol and raid but avoiding a full-scale battle. A real rescue would mean Jin Mulan herself leading the cavalry to hunt down and kill those bandits.
Mulan closed her eyes and murmured to herself.
“Husband, what should I do? If I leave the fortress, I’ll be playing into the enemy’s hands. But if I do nothing, I can’t imagine the immense suffering the people of the Jin Clan will endure, how many will lose their homes. Among those killed, there might be children, even infants.
Yes. I must go and save them. Jin Mulan, what is wrong with you? If you see people dying and do nothing, do you think you deserve to be the master of this land? My husband and I might have children in the future. Shouldn’t I accumulate virtue for our unborn child?”
Mulan opened her beautiful eyes and said.
“Mother, do you still remember your swordsmanship?”
Xiao Peipei said, “Don’t worry. Even if I’ve forgotten, it will all come back to me when I fight for my life.”
“I will take three hundred cavalry to save the people of our fief and kill those bandits. I’ll leave seven hundred here. Mother, please defend the clan’s fortress in my stead.”
“Yes, I will defend it.”
“If my guess is correct, the enemy won’t be able to attack our Count of Xuanwu’s estate openly. No one is that bold yet. They will surely send a small number of elite warriors to raid our clan. So if a battle breaks out, gather the soldiers and have them fire arrows relentlessly to kill them.”
“Understood.”
A maid brought a suit of armor, and Countess Xiao Peipei put on armor for the first time. With all the men away on important business, it was up to the women to take responsibility for the household.
‘I, Xiao Peipei, may have been lazy until now, indulging in beauty treatments and face masks every day, but at a crucial moment like this, I too must protect my clan and my people.’
Seeing Physician An Zaishi about to rush out, Mulan asked him, “Mister, what are you doing?”
Physician An Zaishi replied, “I’m going to put on armor and follow the Young Lady into battle.”
“No, Mister. Your martial arts skills are high, so it would be better for you to remain with the clan.”
Just then, another person ran over. It was Shen Lang’s younger brother, Shen Jian, dressed in armor and holding a sword.