Furong Island cannot be called an island in the strict sense.
It was originally part of the land. It was only separated from the land by the sea during the Huangchao Rebellion. Its westernmost side is only more than two hundred steps away from the coast. The sea water is so shallow that you can see the sediment at the bottom at a glance.
Every time the tide goes out, part of the seabed is exposed, like a bridge, connecting the island and the land. It's like a giant holding a kite with a rope.
The shape of the island is roughly petal-shaped, and the part of the seabed above the water now becomes leaves and flower stems. Therefore, since the island officially took shape in the late Tang Dynasty when it separated from the land, some people named it after hibiscus.
It is difficult to find fresh water on such a young island. Therefore, no serious people have lived on the island since its formation. Except for it being used as a temporary resting place by passing pirates or bandits, there is no smoke easily seen.
.
However, about ten years ago, the situation changed. The Denglai Navy of the Song Dynasty took a fancy to the calm water on the landward side of the southern part of Furong Island, and built a port there to berth warships.
Afterwards, some houses and walls were built one after another on the island, turning the whole into a water village. A fresh water well was also dug. Although the fresh water provided was only enough for three to five hundred people to drink every day, the island gradually became a water village.
There is some vitality.
However, the Song Dynasty had never paid much attention to the navy, and there were no strong enemies along the coast. With the death of Wang Zhong, the previous naval commander, and the demise of the people and the government, the water stronghold was abandoned, and the houses on the island quickly fell into ruin.
When storms come at the turn of spring and summer every year, the broken doors and windows are blown away, making a whining sound that sounds like ghosts crying from a distance.
Therefore, rumors about Furong Island being haunted soon spread like wildfire. At first, some bold young people took advantage of the low tide to go to the island to find out what the ghost was crying about.
Later, when all five young men died on the way, and it took seven or eight days for their bodies to be washed back to the land by the waves, the people around them became more and more convinced that the island was haunted. Whether they were out to sea or fishing,
Everyone will walk around Furong Island and will never have anything to do with it again!
"Are you sure that the Yan family and the Yang family imprisoned all the plundered men and women on this island?" Ding Wei, the transfer envoy of Jingdong East Road in the Song Dynasty, was a Confucian and did not believe in strange powers and chaos. However, when midnight,
I sneaked near the island and heard the whistling wind, but I also felt a little frightened.
In order to avoid alerting the enemy, he and Han Qing discussed it a few days ago and decided to leave most of the brothers near Haicang Town, pretending to be preparing to attack the Haicang branch of the Chunyang Sect, to deceive others.
He and Han Qing, with only more than 600 brothers, traveled day and night to kill Furong Island. If there was something evil on the island at this moment, there were only 600 brothers who could not bear to be slapped by each other.
"I'm sure, I sent Wu Er and his people to quietly investigate this place at the beginning of spring. I'm sure that the so-called haunting is a rumor deliberately spread by the Yang family." The distance was so close that Han Qing could hear the rhythm of Ding Wei's heartbeat.
Unstable, I thought about it and explained in a low voice.
"At the beginning of spring, weren't you busy buying grain from the south of the Yangtze River to help Wang Jinglue stabilize rice prices? How could you still have time to thoroughly investigate a deserted island hundreds of miles away?" Ding Wei felt relieved after hearing this.
I found a flaw in his words.
"It's just that while the Yan family and the Yang family focus on manipulating food prices, we can investigate their lair. Otherwise, they will easily discover it." Han Qing smiled and gave the answer very patiently.
, "Besides, I don't have to come in person. I know the general direction. I just need to arrange it for Wu You and Li Yu."
"Did you also send people to figure out the location of the Chunyang Sect's lair at that time?" Ding Wei drew inferences from one example and continued to investigate with some admiration.
"Absolutely!" Han Qing smiled and nodded, then jumped off the horse and began to lift his helmet and armor with the assistance of Zhang Fan and Wang Wu.
Ding Wei also jumped off his mount, and was served by his entourage, wearing armor and a helmet. However, his eyes were always fixed on Han Qing's figure, as if he wanted to see clearly every move of the other party.
It was unbelievable. In his nearly twenty years as an official, he had met all kinds of strange people, but none of them could make him feel as shocked as Han Qing.
He was so bold that he destroyed the face of the top local tycoons as soon as he took office.
He could guess that food prices were about to rise, so he secretly went to the south to buy food.
It is a task to build a sled according to local conditions and turn the frozen canal into a channel for transporting supplies.
It was as powerful as thunder, beating the Chunyang Sect grass bandits until they were unable to fight back. Another attack.
…
All the previous shocks pale in comparison to the few words Han Qing said just now.
As early as the beginning of spring, people had been sent to investigate the criminal lair of the Chunyang Sect's branch and the Yan and Yang families.
What does this mean? It means that Han Qing has been sure of victory from that moment on. But he calmed down and did not make any moves. Until now, everything was ready, and he suddenly gave Yan and Yang two days, the most fatal
one strike.
‘This is what is called gathering momentum!’ Ding Wei breathed out softly, secretly glad that he had never given Han Qing a chance, and his benefactor, Liu Cairen, had always admired Han Qing.
Before taking action, Han Qing seemed to be moving with a hammer in one direction and a stick in the other, without any plan, but in fact, he had been gathering momentum.
When he gathers his strength and takes action suddenly, there will be no suspense about victory or defeat!
As a politician, Ding Wei never hopes to meet an opponent like Han Qing. It is too difficult to fight, and he cannot judge the winner until the end. Once he seizes the flaw and counterattacks, he may not be able to withstand it!
"Quack, quack, quack..." Under the night cover in the distance, a seagull screamed, quickly bringing his thoughts back to reality.
"Quack, quack, quack..." Next to Han Qing, the merchant Luo Huaisheng also opened his voice and responded with the same voice and rhythm.
When the screams of seagulls stopped for a while, the team still slowly advanced towards the shore. No torches were lit, but the starlight above their heads clearly pointed out the path for them.
With more than 600 people taking action at the same time, it was difficult not to make any noise. However, the continuous sound of the waves perfectly covered all the noise.
When the moisture of the seawater could be clearly felt in the nostrils, the entire team stopped motionless again. A looming passage was also looming between the coast and Furong Island.
Han Qing quickly turned back and handed several command flags solemnly to Ding Wei's hands, "Please sit down here and take charge of the central army. Han will lead two hundred brothers to attack first. Later, he will see fire on the island.
I will dispatch the rest of my brothers to support you."
"I don't know anything about military affairs!" Ding Wei was shocked and blurted out his refusal, "Besides, you have too few brothers. What if the thieves on the island become powerful..."
"The road is narrow, and it's useless if there are too many people!" Han Qing cupped his hands and explained quickly, as if the armor on his body had no weight at all. "In addition, Shu Zhi has never practiced martial arts, and it will be easier to protect him if he has more brothers around him.
Straightforward and thorough!”
"You..." Ding Wei opened his mouth again, but did not say any more words. After a few breaths, he nodded heavily.
He knew that Han Qing was worried about his own safety, so he left most of his brothers to accompany him on the shore.
He knew that the so-called "stationing in the central army" was simply an excuse. Han Qing was afraid that he would be accidentally injured, so he found an excuse to stay in the rear, which was both face-saving and not less than a share of the credit.
He knew that once Han Qing encountered trouble on the island, it would be difficult for the brothers who stayed with him to provide him with timely support.
He knew that if he didn't follow him this time, Han Qing would be able to fight all the way from Baima Village to Furong Island without any hesitation along the way.
He knew a lot, a lot, but at this moment, he was unable to do anything and could only help Han Qingzhuang with his eyes.
Han Qing extended his hand to him again, turned around and left. Soon, under his leadership, the entire team slowly moved forward, walking through the beach, stepping through the passage in the sea, and stepping through the sea water that had not had time to retreat.
, stepping towards the dark island.
"God, please be sure to bless him for his safe return!" Looking at Han Qing's figure, blending into the night with his brothers, Ding Wei suddenly raised his hands to the sky in salute.
He and Han Qing are very different in age and personality, so they are destined to never become friends in this life.
However, at this moment, he sincerely hopes that Han Qing can make great progress like before, without any enemies in front of him!
