As the enemy situation ahead was unclear, Lin Fu was not in a hurry to return to Chongzhou, nor did he seek refuge in Anji County.
In the afternoon, Lin Fu distributed spears, single swords, wooden signs and other weapons to the two hundred victims headed by Ning Zechen who had chosen to board the ship to make up for the shortage of manpower, and formally armed them.
Li Shuyi knew that the future was dangerous, so he would advise Lin Fu to do it even if Lin Fu didn't do it. He was just surprised that Lin Fu had so many weapons on the ship.
This group of more than 200 victims who were selected to board the boat at Xisha Island had some skills in fists and feet. Not only did their hands and feet not tremble when they received the weapons, but they were also a little excited. After traveling for more than 20 days, Lin Fu also deliberately trained them.
When the time comes, they can be dispersed and used as auxiliary troops by more than a hundred armed guards, which can effectively increase the defense strength of the two ships.
Before Wu Qi and other sentry posts could return to bring further details of the enemy's situation, at dusk, a fire broke out in the direction of Anji County.
At dusk, the boat was sailing on the lake, and there was mist all around. Fires were raging in the suddenly lost Anji County, and the sunset in the sky was like a fire. Lin Fu stood on the bow of the boat and looked in the direction of Anji County. The east gate of the county facing Meixi Lake was already there.
Half of the door was burned to pieces, and in the blazing firelight you could vaguely see the county residents inside and outside the city gate, running in vain, and you couldn't see how many East China Sea bandits were pouring into the city to burn, kill and loot.
The darker the dusk, the more dazzling the fire burning in Anji County. While waiting anxiously, Lin Fu sent out an assault boat to pick up Wu Qi and an injured secret sentry.
"The Donghai bandits who attacked Anji County poured in from the direction of Danuma River this afternoon. There were about a thousand people, all fully armed, and they attacked in twelve loach boats. There should have been warnings from the direction of Danuma River. I don't know.
Something happened in Anji County. When the bandits abandoned the ship and landed on the shore to attack the east gate, the gates were closed in a hurry. It was already too late. There were only more than 200 swordsmen and archers in the city. After the bandits from the East China Sea entered the city, they set fires everywhere," Wu Qi said.
He reported the situation in Anji County to Lin Fu, and also talked about the ambush in the afternoon, "There are not many ambush soldiers in Shujiazhai, about two hundred people, half of them are soldiers in the village, and the remaining 100 people are foreign soldiers, disguised as passing merchants."
They entered the country in batches and sneaked into the village for more than ten days, waiting for us to come. I entered Anji County for two days, but I found no clues until the ambush was deployed in the forest. In the afternoon, I sent people to conduct reconnaissance in the direction of Meixi Lake Mouth, and
There are no signs of ambushes gathering, but in the direction of Xiaopu and Zhicheng, there are traces of people gathering to cross the border..."
"Xiaopu, Pheasant City." Lin Fu rubbed the brush-like stubble on his chin and pondered, Xiaopu, Pheasant City is the entrance from Zhuxi River to Taihu Lake.
"The ambushes who attacked Anji County and Shujiazhai don't seem to be coming from the same route. There is a possibility of setting up suspicions, but if they want to prevent us from leaving Anji County, they have to lay enough ambushes," Ao Canghai frowned. He asked She She
He was very familiar with the situation and said, "The bandits raided Anji County, Huzhou Prefecture, Jiahang Prefecture's garrison and village warriors will be dispatched upon hearing the news, and the Ninghai Town Water Camp will also send warships into Taihu Lake to intercept them. It is impossible to leave them any chance."
Give enough time and then calmly plan your attack on us."
"I'm worried that their main target is the Ninghai Navy Suppression Division!" Lin Fu said, "The East China Sea pirates are attacking the coast, and the Ninghai Navy Suppression Division is the only organic force that can intercept the flow and defend it. It will weaken the Ninghai Navy Suppression Division and attack the East China Sea pirates.
There are so many benefits…”
Anji County is located in the southwest corner of Taihu Lake. It is the innermost of the four prefectures along the Taihu Lake. More than a thousand pirates quietly passed through Pingjiang Prefecture or Jiahang Prefecture, detoured four to five hundred miles, and attacked the insignificant Anji County. It is somewhat confusing.
.It is completely unexplainable to say that it was against them. Lin Fu was more willing to believe that the East China Sea bandits wanted to mobilize some warships of Ninghai Zhenshui Division to divide and annihilate them in Taihu Lake.
"What should we do? Go to Taihu Lake?" Ao Canghai asked. If the Eastern pirates aimed to lure and annihilate the Ninghai Zhenshuiying warship, they should attack before the Ninghai Zhenshuiying warship came to block the retreat of the pirates.
Evacuate into Taihu Lake first to observe the situation, or directly turn around and return to Chongzhou.
"There are still many doubts that people can't figure out..." Lin Fu shook his head and did not decide to evacuate to Taihu Lake immediately. He looked up at Anji County, which was burning in the fire, and then looked at the direction of Shujiazhai where they were ambushed at noon.
, after a while, he ordered Wu Qi, "You still have to go ashore, ignore the ambush in Rujiazhai, and keep an eye on the pirates who attacked Anji County..."
*********
Qin Zitan stood under the ancient willows on the river embankment. The fire burning in Anji County illuminated a corner of Meixi Lake. His stern eyes scanned the Meixi Lake covered by the night, trying to find some clues, but to no avail.
The gloomy night covered the two thousand-stone boats that Lin Fu was riding on, making no trace of them visible.
Shu Qingqiu, who is standing behind Qin Zitan, is the head of Shujia Water Village. He has a beard, big eyes and a broad face. There is a very shallow scar on his left cheek, which is covered by the beard. Others can't tell it unless they look carefully.
.
Shu Qingqiu worked as a maritime merchant in his early years, traveling between Jin'an and Huzhou. He was said to be a maritime merchant, but in fact he was both a merchant and a pirate. The scars on his face were from his time as a pirate.
After the She family rebelled in Jin'an, Shu Qingqiu bribed the She family and returned to Anji County, waiting for the She family's soldiers to attack. He could respond in Anji. Who would have thought that the She family's army was suppressed by a Confucian commander Li Zhuo and never made it out of the east.
Fujian, he has been dormant. It was not until Du Rong sneaked to Jiangdong County to organize the Qingfeng Tour that the Shu family became the secret force of Qingfeng Tour in Huzhou.
This time, the ambush against Lin Fu failed, and the Shu family was exposed. Shu Qingqiu didn't think it was a big deal. Instead of not knowing when the ambush was over, he might as well stand up and follow the She family in a big fight.
"There was no sign that he was approaching Anji County..." Du Rong led the horse over. Under the light, the horse's back was gleaming with sweat. It was obvious that Du Rong was rushing from somewhere else to join Qin Zitan.
"He went into Taihu Lake to raise food and provide disaster relief on Xisha Island. He had a very strong purpose. He would never have rushed ashore to save the people of Anji County from fire and water." Qin Zitan frowned and thought, "I just can't figure out why he would do it."
Targeting the She family like this?"
"I think he has long understood that the robbery in Baisha County was the secret mastermind of the Young Marquis..." Du Rong said.
"For a hero who can laugh at the hatred of killing his father and his wife, how can Lin Fu be entangled in such a trivial resentment and unable to get out?" Qin Zitan shook his head slightly, "If that's the case, he
It’s easier to deal with.”
Du Rong was right when he thought about it. If he was an ambitious person, he shouldn't be entangled in such trivial grudges. Neither Lin Fu nor Su Mei's master and servant were substantially harmed. Even Fu Qinghe returned to Jiangning.
What's more, both the young lady and the young lady fell into his hands. What resentment did he really have? What was he unable to vent at that time?
Du Rong still can't figure out how Lin Fu, Su Mei and Fu Qinghe escaped at that time?
"If the eldest son can follow your strategy and kill Lin Fu in Meixi Lake at all costs, you won't have to worry about these things anymore," Du Rong said.
"The eldest son has his own considerations." Qin Zitan also felt that it was a pity to let Lin Fu go, but he knew that everything had priorities, and since they were the second master's people, She Feixiong could fully adopt their suggestions without reservation.
It's called ghosts, he said, "The East China Sea bandits gathered in Changguo County in the form of thirteen alliances. The eldest son can only directly control three families behind the scenes. In the first battle after the storm season, if the Ninghai Navy can be effectively attacked
The effective force will be of great benefit to the eldest son in integrating the thirteen families, and will also make other pirate forces join in more unscrupulously. In the past ten years, the She family has been unable to go out of Eastern Fujian. It is too restricted by the terrain and has natural flaws. If
Only by establishing a firm foothold on the islands of Changguo County can we calmly watch the chaos in the world and not miss the opportunity to make progress in the world."
Du Rong nodded and had to admit that Qin Zitan's analysis was reasonable, but they were subordinates of the second young master, and everything had to be considered from the second young master's point of view. Although the eldest young master was given the title of Jin'an by the court because of his status as the eldest son.
However, they do not think that the eldest son must be the eldest son to inherit Jin'an's inheritance in the future. They not only want to cause chaos in the southeastern counties and consume the strength of the court, but also want to control a new force for the second son.
It was originally a good opportunity to win over the Taihu Water Village forces, but Lin Fu gave the Taihu Water Village forces a chance to whitewash themselves in the name of a food-raising envoy. As a result, the number of people they recruited during this trip was far lower than expected;
Thirty thousand refugees were abandoned by the local government, which was a rare opportunity for the second young master, but he couldn't figure out why Lin Fu was allowed to get there first.
Du Rong had a premonition that Lin Fu, such a troublesome figure, would probably continue to be a stumbling block for them.
Du Rong thought for a while and said: "It's true that the eldest son has his own considerations. Besides, the eldest son does not need our help in matters here. We still have a chance to kill Lin Fu if we rush to Taihu Lake."
"..." Qin Zitan still hesitated a little. He raised his head and looked into the vast night. He could see nothing except the faint sparkling water. He thought that Lin Fu should have evacuated to Taihu Lake when he saw that Anji County was attacked.
Although Lin Fu stabilized most of the Taihu water villages in the name of raising food, those Taihu bandits who were bribed by the Qu family to participate in the attack on the river mouth had no other choice. Qin Zitan came forward to recruit on behalf of the She family, and these Taihu bandits had no hesitation.
Just choose to take action. In the Xishan Island Village in the East Lake area of Taihu Lake, more than 800 Taihu pirates gathered secretly.
The battle at the mouth of the river showed that the unorganized Taihu pirates were not much more powerful than the rabble. Besides, there were Ninghai Navy warships patrolling the Taihu Lake. Qin Zitan had no plan to ambush and kill Lin Fu on his way to Anji County.
.
At this time, Ninghai Town Navy's warship had the eldest son's men to deal with it. Qin Zitan thought of using more than a hundred elites at hand plus more than a hundred soldiers from Shujiazhai to join the more than 800 Taihu pirates from Xishan Island to look for opportunities to attack on Taihu Lake.
There is indeed a lot of confidence in killing Lin Fu.
After a while, Qin Zitan nodded and said: "It's better to get rid of this serious problem first..."
Shu Qingqiu said: "I will make arrangements immediately."
There was nothing to arrange. Shu Qingqiu left more than a hundred village soldiers to escort his family and the bandits he had accumulated for many years to follow the East China Sea bandits and then retreated to the Shengsi Islands. He and his two grown-up sons followed the Qin Dynasty with more than a hundred elite soldiers.
Zitan and Du Rong took three large-winged boats to Taihu Lake.