Seeing Yan Shifan’s approving nod, Luo Longwen felt as if he’d drunk celestial nectar, his whole being practically buzzing with delight.
“Brother Luo, your suggestion is flawless, but how do we guide the pirates to launch a massive attack on Zhu Ping’an’s location? They’re not our trained dogs, biting wherever we point.”
Someone at the table raised a critical question.
Indeed, how could they steer the pirates to attack Zhu Ping’an’s stronghold? This was a hurdle they couldn’t ignore. Without solving it, Luo Longwen’s proposal would lack any practical feasibility.
The group fell into thought.
It boiled down to fame or profit! Fame was out—pirates were universally despised, their infamy already sealed, and there was no glory to offer them!
That left profit.
Gold, silver, jewels—offer the pirates a hefty sum to entice them into a full-scale assault on Zhu Ping’an’s position!
But pirates had big appetites, a mere thousand or so taels wouldn’t even register, it’d be like tossing scraps to beggars, if it was tens of thousands of taels, wouldn’t that be too much? And who’d foot the bill?
Even if the money was secured, who would contact the pirates?!
Finding a middleman was no easy task!
On one hand, this go-between had to be utterly trustworthy, incapable of leaking that they’d bribed the pirates to attack Zhu Ping’an, on the other, they needed connections to the pirate leadership, enough sway to influence their decisions.
As the group pondered, Luo Longwen let out a soft chuckle, noticing everyone—including Yan Shifan—turn to him, he smiled and spoke slowly, “Heh, speaking of which, the second-largest pirate force in Jiangnan right now, just behind Wang Zhi—the Tuolin pirates of Songjiang Prefecture—one of their four chieftains, Xu Hai, happens to have a connection with me.”
“Oh, Brother Luo, what’s your tie to Xu Hai?” the group asked eagerly.
Yan Shifan watched Luo Longwen with keen interest.
Luo Longwen chuckled, proudly showing off to the crowd, “Heh, as you all know, my hometown is Chengkan in Huizhou, Xu Hai’s from the same place, we’re genuine fellow townsmen.”
“Just townsmen? Chengkan has tens of thousands of people, there are countless others who share that tie with Xu Hai, if it’s just that, the connection’s too weak to sway his decisions.”
An official shook his head, slightly disappointed.
The others nodded in agreement.
“Heh, I’m not done yet,” Luo Longwen said with a smile.
“Brother Luo, stop teasing and spill it already!” the group urged.
“You all know I used to be an ink craftsman, I had a knack for it, my ink—one rod could fetch ten thousand coins, back then I’d saved up a bit, there was this old temple in my hometown, falling apart, one hall had collapsed, the monks were fundraising, I donated a sum to help rebuild the ruined hall, funny thing is, before Xu Hai turned pirate, he was a monk at that very temple, since I funded the hall, they lit an eternal lamp for me, I’d often visit to donate incense oil, he was the guest monk, greeting me, over time, we got to know each other, I even gave him a slightly flawed rod of ink once, he loved it, couldn’t bear to use it,” Luo Longwen recounted his past with Xu Hai, his tone vivid and smug.
“Hmm, not bad, not bad, if Brother Luo’s willing to be the middleman, this could really work.”
“Excellent, Brother Luo’s good deeds weren’t in vain.”
The group nodded repeatedly.
Yan Shifan gave Luo Longwen another approving glance and raised his cup, Luo Longwen lit up like he’d hit the jackpot, leaping to his feet, holding his cup with both hands, and toasting Yan Shifan eagerly.
“Longwen, your hometown’s in Jiangnan, right? There’s some official business heading that way soon, wrap up your pressing tasks, in a few days, take a trip to Jiangnan, I’ll talk to the old man, get you some extra leave, after the work’s done, you can visit kin and old friends, you should catch up with those long-time pals,” Yan Shifan said with a smile, his tone lingering slightly on “old friends,” the hint unmistakable.
“Right, right, long-time friends, it’s high time to catch up,” Luo Longwen, ever the loyal lackey, caught Yan Shifan’s subtle cue instantly.
“Hahaha, especially that old pal surnamed Xu.”
Everyone at the table was sharp and like-minded, how could they miss the exchange? They burst into laughter.
The atmosphere turned downright jubilant.
“Heh, soon enough, someone’s going to be in for a rough time, I wish time would speed up, I can’t wait to see the report of someone’s downfall.”
“Sigh, tens of thousands of pirates attacking, looks like someone’s headed for an early grave, such a pity, haha.”
“I hear his wife’s a heavenly beauty, poor thing’s going to be widowed, what a shame.”
The group began fantasizing about a pirate horde storming Zhu Ping’an’s base, picturing him being physically dispatched by them.
As they imagined it, they couldn’t help but drink more, their spirits soaring.
“A heavenly beauty? True or fake?” Yan Shifan perked up his ears, “Seems I’ve heard that more than once.”
“I haven’t seen her, it’s my wife who said it, years ago at old Lady Linhuai’s birthday banquet, my wife went to pay respects, saw her and was stunned, even thought of matchmaking with our useless son, but as soon as she asked, she learned the girl was already betrothed—to some country bumpkin, my wife was laughing at Linhuai House’s blindness, then blink, that bumpkin aced the provincial exams.”
“My daughter’s seen her too, came back feeling inferior, said only a palace princess could rival her beauty.”
Two at the table chimed in.
“Pfft, they’re exaggerating, no matter how stunning, she can’t compare to Young Master Yan’s lovely wives and concubines,” someone flattered Yan Shifan.
“Heh, now I’m curious,” Yan Shifan stroked his chin.
“If Zhu Ping’an meets an early end, Young Master Yan could kindly look after his widow.”
The table erupted in sly chuckles.
Just then, a sudden clatter of urgent hoofbeats sounded outside—five or six horses galloping wildly.
This was near the Western Garden, tightly controlled, even Yan Shifan’s crew wouldn’t dare race horses here.
Who was galloping like that?
Who had the guts?
The group froze.
As they sat stunned, four or five voices shouted in unison from outside, repeating over and over.
“Great victory, great victory, Suzhou’s great victory!”
“Forty thousand pirate troops stormed Suzhou, Prefect Shang Weichi held the city, Zhejiang’s Acting Deputy Judicial Commissioner Zhu Ping’an led the army outside, their coordination flawless, they kept Suzhou safe, Lord Zhu fought the pirates, winning battle after battle, finally crushing them in one blow, wiping out forty thousand, a glorious triumph!”
“Great victory, great victory, Suzhou’s great victory! Lord Zhu led the army to annihilate forty thousand pirates, a stunning triumph!”
The voices outside echoed relentlessly.
The once-lively banquet fell deathly silent.
*Clang*
Luo Longwen’s cup slipped from his hand, crashing to the floor, he stood like he’d been struck by lightning, dazed, muttering, “This isn’t real, I don’t believe it.”
Yan Shifan’s smile twisted into something feral.
The group sucked in sharp breaths, jaws dropping in shock, speechless for a long moment.
Vice Minister Wang looked like he’d lost his parents, *Killing three hundred pirates already had me fretting for days, now forty freaking thousand? I’d rather be dead.*
