Green Mountain
Chapter 352 - 292, Jianghu Affairs

Chapter 352: 292, Jianghu Affairs

At midnight, Lushun Port remained brightly lit.

Smuggling ships that couldn’t enter the port during the day waited offshore. At night, the sailors hung up rows of lanterns, making the port as bright as day.

There is a particular method to hanging lanterns.

On normal days, official vessels would hang three lanterns in a row, called "Three Lanterns in a Row." These ships usually entered the port during the day and left at night, coming and going freely.

Smuggling ships had to hang lanterns according to the daily notices. Someone would row a small boat to inform each ship and collect protection fees, giving the code for the night. Hanging the correct lanterns allowed them to enter the port, known as "Water Duty Lanterns."

When Old Yao’s two-masted ship entered the port, dozens of smuggling ships were sailing out. Like ghosts, they came silently and left silently.

The sailors on the ship raised the sails with bare chests, and surprisingly, there were crossbows set up on the ship, though it wasn’t clear who they were meant for.

Zhu Yunxi stood on the deck, silently watching those large ships even removing their ’ship copper plates,’ and the engravings under the mast were obscured.

Old Yao stood on the deck with a calm expression, saying, "These are all smuggling merchant ships from the Ning Dynasty, half returning to Yingkou, half to Qidong."

Liang Mao’er asked blankly, "No one is controlling these activities?"

Old Yao stood with his hands behind his back, indifferently saying, "Frontline soldiers of the border army fight to the death, while there are people in the back colluding with the Jing Dynasty for business. It’s hard to see the meaning of this war."

Lai Gou’er, his right arm sleeve hanging empty, said, "The Chen family and the Xu family deserve death."

Old Yao sneered, "Little Dog is indeed simple-minded, but with such a simple brain, how long can you survive in the Jing Dynasty? Do you really think that only the Chen and Xu families in the Ning Dynasty are involved in such business? In the 14th year of Jianing, there was a locust plague in the Jing Dynasty. To smuggle grain through land, the Eight Great Jin Merchants even conspired with the Hu Family to transfer the Datong Border Army... The roots of the Ning Dynasty are rotten."

Liang Gou’er was puzzled, "Does the Emperor know about these matters?"

Old Yao laughed, "What good does knowing do? Can he control it?"

After speaking, Old Yao squinted at the others and calmly instructed, "When we get off the ship later, if you see people with red-painted long swords at their waists, don’t make a sound and follow them. The Jing Dynasty Road Guide Fire Ticket is very strict, without the Military Strategy Department’s coordination, it’s hard to move an inch."

Zhu Yunxi looked at the surging black waves of the sea and said, "Understood."

At this moment, the large ship docked, and the coarse cries of crows could be heard.

Old Yao frowned and turned back, seeing crows perched at the highest point of the mast, staring at the port.

He turned back again, seeing more than ten individuals with red-painted long swords waiting among the sailors and dock workers. In the distance, someone was approaching quickly with a torch.

After disembarking, Liang Gou’er was about to join those from the Military Strategy Department, but Old Yao pulled them back, saying in a deep voice, "Something’s wrong, we need to blend into the crowd."

They blended in with the dock workers, passing by the Military Strategy Department personnel without any intention of recognizing them.

Shortly after, several dozen young armored soldiers with black pheasant-tail helmets, carrying torches and long knives, charged into Lushun Port, shouting angrily, "Yuan Xiang of the Privy Council, Jiang Tan of the Military Strategy Department, Lu Guanwu of the Military Intelligence Department, deceiving the heavens, disrupting the social order, forming factions for personal gain, obstructing worthy paths!"

"Today, we are under the orders of Yuan Xiang and Lu Jin to eliminate the court traitors, remove the three scourges, and save the people. Any who resist will be killed without mercy!"

Amid the shouting, several dozen young armored soldiers charged at the Military Strategy Department personnel.

Liang Gou’er cursed, "Of all the rotten luck, we just got off the ship and our contact was chopped down! What the hell do we do now, Old Yao? Should we save them?"

Old Yao, following the dock workers, frowned and said, "Yuan Xiang and Lu Jin joining forces is unexpected. The Jing Dynasty will see a change. What good is saving a few small fry?"

Liang Gou’er asked, "What rank is the Minister of the Secretariat?"

Old Yao snapped, "Have you been drinking fake wine all this time? It’s the Prime Minister of the Jing Dynasty, equivalent to our Cabinet Minister!"

Liang Gou’er exclaimed, "What’s the name of the person we’re supposed to seek refuge with?"

Old Yao calmly replied, "The Military Strategy Department, Jiang Tan."

Liang Gou’er, recalling the chants of the young armored soldiers, said, "I’m afraid he’s in no position to take care of himself now."

Leaving Lushun Port, the massacre in the city continued.

Young armored soldiers, wielding long spears, dashed back and forth in the city, hunting down ’rebels.’

Old Yao spoke with a heavy tone, "This is different from what the Prince had planned. I didn’t expect Lu Jin to act so quickly. It’s likely not just Lushun; Zhongjing Road, Western Capital Road, Tokyo Road, and Shangjing Road might all be in turmoil. We can no longer seek out the Military Strategy Department, we must wait for the dust to settle."

Liang Gou’er pondered for a moment, "Why can’t we seek refuge with Lu Jin and Yuan Xiang?"

Old Yao mocked, "How do you know they will be the winners? Over thousands of years, many coups have succeeded, and many have failed. If we choose the wrong side, the Prince’s plans will be in vain."

After speaking, he turned and walked towards Lushun City, cautiously following the shadows under the eaves, guided by crows, avoiding the blades and soldiers.

Passing an inn, even though they had money in their pockets, they couldn’t stay.

The Jing Dynasty’s household registration system was far stricter than the Ning Dynasty’s. Staying at an inn required road guides, exiting the city required road guides, and entering the city required road guides.

Without Jing Dynasty road guides, inns wouldn’t accept guests, and they couldn’t leave the city.

They could try to force their way out, but then what? They didn’t come to the Jing Dynasty just to survive.

At this moment, Liang Gou’er, Liang Mao’er, and Zhu Yunxi all looked helplessly at Old Yao. Old Yao sneered, "Why panic, a bunch of greenhorns. Let’s make do in a small alley for the night, and we’ll figure things out tomorrow."