Chapter 122: Closing the Net

She is to handle this matter?

Zhi Wu, a guard of the Green-Clad Guard standing to one side, turned his head to look at Lu Ying. He thought to himself: In this land of Jiangzhou, she is unfamiliar with the terrain and the people; she hasn't even figured out the background of her opponents, and she is merely a frail woman. By what right does she think she can handle such a situation?

The Nobleman also raised an eyebrow, as if his interest had been piqued.

Lu Ying said, "Those people burned the passenger ship just as it was about to leave Jiangzhou. Firstly, it keeps us trapped in Jiangzhou for a few days, making it easier for them to strike. Secondly, they didn't burn it early or late, but chose to do so just as we arrived at the pier—it’s a show of force, a way to intimidate us."

At this point, Lu Ying looked up at the Nobleman and stated with certainty, "I believe that within today or tomorrow, they will make their move against us... against you, my Lord, and against me." Because after these two days, they could easily find other ships to depart Jiangzhou. The fire was merely to trap them here, and to avoid long-term complications, the perpetrators would not delay their strike for long.

It seemed she had already confirmed that the mastermind behind this was the young gentleman on the black-sailed ship.

At this moment, Lu Ying continued, "Since the timing of their move is certain, and the perpetrator is identified... then all I need to do is set the stage and wait for them to jump into the trap." She looked at him and asked, "What does my Lord think?" As she waited for his response, a sharp gleam flickered in her dark eyes. She thought to herself: Once I distinguish myself again, I will truly be able to secure a position as a staff member by his side. Once I have gained this man’s trust and regard, though the world is vast, every path will be open to me!

To Lu Ying’s anticipation, the Nobleman only smiled. "Let us continue watching the play."

Huh?

Lu Ying was stunned, her eyes widening.

Just as the passenger ship was completely engulfed in flames and the fire began to die down, a sudden, earth-shaking sound of footsteps and deafening screams erupted!

Lu Ying turned around in a hurry.

From the northwest, thousands of people were charging forward like a dark tide. They held knives and clubs, and although their clothes were tattered, their expressions were fierce and vicious. Amidst the screams of the crowd on the pier, a man as sturdy as an iron tower in the lead shouted sharply, "Brothers, charge! These bastards dared to burn our ship, so let's go and loot enough to make up for it!"

As soon as the man’s cry fell, hundreds of people shouted in unison, "Loot enough to make up for it! Loot enough!" As they shouted, they howled with excitement.

While Lu Ying was still dazed, a wealthy merchant nearby cried out, "Oh no, these vagabonds are taking advantage of the chaos again!" At that time, the war had just ended. Over the decades of turmoil, the wealthy merchants and cargo ships at this pier had been raided by such vagabonds countless times. In the past, they would loot without reason during the chaos; now that peace had just been established, they were using the burning of the passenger ship as a pretext to loot openly and brazenly!

Many others realized it at the same time as the merchant. Immediately, a cacophony of shouts arose: "Quick, set sail!" from those who hadn't docked yet.

"Guards! Guards!" from those already docked and unable to depart immediately.

Amidst the shouting, screaming, and panic, the pier had become a scene of total disorder. At the same time, the number of vagabonds holding knives and clubs, clearly intending to loot the ships, grew rapidly. After hundreds of commoners from the streets of Jiangzhou joined them, they formed a torrent.

The torrent surged toward the pier. Before Lu Ying could regain her senses, the Nobleman had already taken her hand and retreated. In the blink of an eye, the three of them had retreated to a safe, elevated position.

As soon as Lu Ying stood firm, the sound of people splashing into the water could be heard continuously. The vagabonds skilled in swimming were jumping into the river, heading toward the ships they had targeted. The passenger ships were in a state of panic; amidst a series of violent collisions, several ships trying to flee in haste crashed into one another, blocking the entire waterway. This left the ships docked at the pier with no way to retreat!

Not far away, a wealthy merchant collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale as he cried, "It’s over, it’s all over..."

Lu Ying’s heart stirred, and she turned her head.

The master of the black-sailed ship, who had been standing behind the crowd, was gone. No, she saw him—he was galloping on a horse, charging madly toward the direction of the government offices on the South Street.

This turn of events was undoubtedly abrupt. While the passenger ship was still burning, these thousands of vagabonds had poured out in full force. In just a short while, they had leaped onto the ships at the pier and were locked in combat with the guards and crew left behind.

The number of vagabonds was massive and constantly increasing. In less than a quarter of an hour, a portion of them had successfully occupied half of the passenger ships, and some had even begun to move cargo off the ships and retreat.

Just then, a rhythmic sound of hooves and marching footsteps arrived.

From the southern street, a large group of cavalrymen holding long spears charged over, followed by thousands of infantrymen.

The officials had sent reinforcements.

They had arrived quite quickly!

Watching the thousand-man unit of government soldiers, the Nobleman standing beside Lu Ying suddenly spoke, "Protect the Lu woman well. I am going to tighten the net."

"Yes, my Lord."

Watching the dozen or so guards emerge from the crowd, and seeing the Nobleman leap onto his horse and gallop away under their escort, Lu Ying asked softly, "Is the Lord heading to the government offices?"

Aside from that momentary shock, the young woman had regained her sharpness and wit. Zhi Wu couldn't help but nod in admiration. "Indeed. The elite troops of the Jiangzhou government have been drawn out, and our men can take this opportunity to infiltrate the offices." He paused, and thinking of his master's regard for this clever young woman, he explained earnestly, "The black-sailed ship and its crew you saw that night are fierce bandits who have been operating for years along the Yangtze River, committing crimes in places like Jiangzhou and Hangzhou. They loot salt, iron, grain, and money being transported to Luoyang, and they collude with local officials. My Lord has been laying the groundwork for this for a long time; this time, he is here to close the net." He pointed to the government soldiers who were swarming the passenger ships and clashing with the vagabonds. "We don't have many men. If we didn't divert this unit, the bandit leaders in Jiangzhou would put up a desperate fight. Any mishandling could even cause the newly pacified Jiangzhou to fall back into the hands of the bandits."

He paused again and added, "We have our own people on those black-sailed ships. Even if you hadn't offered your plan that night, they wouldn't have been able to do anything to my Lord."

Lu Ying understood; they had their own people on those ships. If they were truly surrounded, they could simply launch an attack ahead of schedule.

As the two spoke, the government soldiers swarmed forward, and watching their agile movements as they attacked the ships and clashed with the vagabonds, Lu Ying asked, "Are we leaving?"

"Let's go."

Lu Ying was settled into an inn by Zhi Wu.

The next day, while Lu Ying was dining at the inn, she discovered that Jiangzhou City had completely changed. Armored soldiers could be seen in the streets from time to time, and prisoner wagons were passing by frequently.

Faintly, Lu Ying heard several discussions: "This time, more than half of the major families in Jiangzhou have fallen." "Yes, the world has turned upside down." "They say it was collusion between officials and bandits, embezzling government grain." "The number of heads cut off this time must be in the hundreds, if not thousands." "A big shot from Luoyang came. To think that the Chu rebels had been operating here for years, and yet, the Nobleman from Luoyang only showed his face once, and they were defeated without a fight."

After listening for a while, Lu Ying thought: So the matter escalated to such a degree. Then she reflected: Since so many officials and families in Jiangzhou have fallen, I fear we won't be leaving this place for some time.

Thinking of this, she asked Zhi Wu, "May I walk around?"

What she was really asking was whether Jiangzhou City was completely under her master's control and whether it was safe for her to go out now.

Zhi Wu nodded and said, "You may. I will protect you."

Since he said it was fine, Lu Ying strolled out onto the streets after her meal.

The great earthquake in Jiangzhou's officialdom clearly had not affected the common people. As Lu Ying walked along, she noticed that, except for a few specific streets, the rest of the city was as busy as ever, with carriages and people moving like a dragon.

As she walked, Lu Ying suddenly remembered a promise she had made and said, "Zhi Wu, do you remember that petite girl with the big eyes on the ship that day? She likes you and asked me to inquire if you are married." She had intended to ask the Nobleman directly at the time, but the Nobleman was undoubtedly too busy to be disturbed.

Zhi Wu gave a light hum. "I was married long ago." He paused, and then said in a muffled, gruff voice, "Do you enjoy such trivial matters?"

How could she be so dismissive? She was a woman herself, and in her eyes, such things were far from trivial.

Lu Ying couldn't be bothered to argue, so she just nodded. "I understand."

At this point, Zhi Wu suddenly said, "My wife is the daughter of the Fan clan of Luoyang." He seemed to smile slightly and added, "The status of my Lord is noble beyond measure; even we are worthy of marrying the daughters of major clans. Lady Lu, it seems that even now, you still do not understand what it means to stand by the Lord's side."

Lu Ying was startled.

She stood dazed, thinking: That's right, I really have been careless. Zhi Wu being able to remain by that man's side at all times under such circumstances must mean he is highly valued. Although his status is that of a guard, he is a guard by the Nobleman's side. To so casually propose a match for such a person—I really did underestimate him.

Seeing Lu Ying stunned, Zhi Wu looked at her and continued, "Lady Lu, although the Lord is gentle and close to you, you must always remember his status. If it were any other woman, receiving even a moment of the Lord's affection would make her feel eternally grateful, willing to die without regret! Lady Lu, you truly have never understood."

Lu Ying knew what he meant. He was saying that because the Nobleman had always been gentle and close to her, she had no sense of awe toward him. She didn't even realize how precious that gentleness was. She had been observing everything about him with the perspective of a commoner, forgetting the divide of social status and the distinction between noble and base.

Zhi Wu's words were both a warning and a reminder.

Lu Ying pondered for a while and smiled faintly. "I understand." Though she said she understood, her expression remained as casual as ever. Zhi Wu glanced at her and said no more, though he couldn't help but think: Fine, once this young woman follows the Lord to Luoyang, she will understand my words.