Under the moonlight, Lin Xie, Fu Qinghe, Su Mei, Xiao Man and other young people, as well as Qin Chengzu, Zhou Pu and others, boarded four black awning light boats, rowing to a river bend twenty miles away.

  Qin Chengzu and his party hid a boat in the reeds by the river bend, slightly smaller than the flower boat that Su Mei was hijacked on at Baishui River, but of course not comparable to the three-masted sea ship moored at the mouth of the sea, but it was also seven or eight zhang long, much larger than Wu Pengs light boat.

  "This is the boat." Lin Tie looked very satisfied, and didnt expect Qin Chengzu and others to really get such a big boat in such a short time. He, Fu Qinghe, Qin Chengzu, Zhou Pu, Su Mei, and Xiao Man two women climbed onto the boat, and without delaying any further, directly headed upstream.

  Tomorrow, Qin Chengzu and others will be the main force. Lin Xianing and other young people can work harder to take on the task of rowing at night, but also let Qin Chengzu and others rest well. Besides, its not a difficult task to use bamboo poles to push the boat in shallow water.

  Lin Xie and Fu Qinghe, Qin Chengzu, and Zhou Pu walked into the cabin to discuss tomorrows plan to rescue the prisoners. Lin Xie suggested: "Why dont we invite Miss Su Mei to come out and sing a song for everyone to relieve their fatigue?"

  Just now on the sea boat, Su Mei and Xiao Man were both wearing loose-fitting coarse cloth garments, but they didnt deliberately conceal their feminine identity. Qin Chengzu and the others could all tell. At this time, discussing the rescue plan for tomorrow was urgent, Lin Fu suddenly suggested listening to music to lift everyones spirits. Even though Qin Chengzu thought that Lin Fu had already brought them so many benefits tonight, he still couldnt help but furrow his brow slightly despite his usual good temper.

  Zhou Pus nature was straightforward, and he had obtained a fine bow, an ice-patterned route knife made of refined iron, and a half-body dark armor, all of which were excellent items that couldnt be bought with silver. Moreover, he believed that Fu Qinghe had the audacity to rob the official ship in Ninghai Town, completely overturning his previous bad impression of him. Naturally, he looked at Lin Xie very favorably, and said with a big smile: "Little Qu can listen anytime, but discussing the rescue is more important; after we rescue the person, well go to Huaian Prefecture, and the number one courtesan in Huaian Prefecture will be yours to choose..."

  The door creaked softly as Su Mei carefully lifted her skirt and walked in, greeting them with a bow: "Su Mei pays her respects to Mr. Qin and Master Zhou..."

  Just as Zhou Pu was about to take Lin Xuan and Yu Nuo to rescue people and then go play with the number one girl in Huaian City, he saw Su Mei change into womens clothing and come in. The dim candlelight reflected on her clear and beautiful face, and Zhou Pus eyeballs almost fell out. He opened his mouth, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and looked at Xiao Man, who had also changed into a Confucian dress and was walking behind him. Her face still had a childish air, but her eyebrows were clear and beautiful, and every feature was delicate and perfect. He stared for a long time before finally letting out a deep sigh and turning to Lin Xuan: "You have such beauties hidden in your house, the number one girl in Huaian Prefecture... Im afraid you wont even look at her, so lets just forget what I said earlier..."

  Xiao Man looked at Lin Xie with a piercing gaze, as if seeing through his thoughts, and said in a soft voice: "Tan Da Ges heart is indeed thinking about it!"

  Lin tied a bitter smile, he really wanted to hide in the golden house, but... still wait until after rescuing people and then discuss with Zhou Pu about finding the head card girl in Huaian Prefecture.

  Qin Chengzu patted his thigh and said, "Good plan." He stood up and bowed to Su Mei, saying, "Please ask Miss Su Mei to sing a song..."

  "Knock knock knock," someone else came in to report, "Wu Qi has just returned and is changing clothes on the stern of the boat. He has some intelligence to share."

  Qin Chengzu and Lin Fu waited for a moment, when a dark-skinned man walked in and said to Qin Chengzu and Zhou Pu: "Chen Han San wants to lure us into robbing the prisoners. I found two teams of light cavalry from the thief-catching camp in Tinghu County North, they left Tinghu after nightfall and went northwest."

  "Chen Han San that bastard, hes gone over to the authorities, hell swallow any shit." Zhou Pu cursed.

  Qin Chengzu sneered and said, "Theyre quite certain we wont have a chance to make a move from the waterway!"

  Indeed, Liu Ma Kou was a horse thief, not a water bandit. Moreover, the boat was traveling on the surface of the water, without any opportunity for sudden approach and attack. No wonder the prison cart passed through Qingpu Harbor, and the detective camp relaxed its vigilance.

  Lin Tie said: "Anyway, we still need to send someone to keep an eye on the ferry terminal."

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  Tinghu County southwest, in the early winter, the Qingjiangpu River flows clear and shallow. Standing at the bow of the boat, you can see the pebble beach under the water, where the whirlpool is, the fine waves are white like broken jade, occasionally a few gray and white feathered water birds fly over the water surface, stirring up circles of ripples.

  At noon, several black-awning fishing boats were drifting on the water, and a two-masted official boat was sailing against the current in the distance. The main sail still had the black-bottomed and red-edged flag of the thief-catching department hanging from it. More than ten officers and soldiers were crowded at the bow, either sitting or standing, looking lackluster.

  Although the water flow is slow in early winter, it takes five or six days to reach Jiangning against the current. Unlike the lower reaches of the Yangtze River where there were internal invasions by the East Sea pirates, the Huai River bandits have been pacified over the years and are now much quieter. Occasionally, private salt smuggling boats may pass through, but they dont worry about these private salt smugglers daring to provoke official ships after eating leopard gallbladders.

  Leaving Qingpuzhen, they boarded the ship and unloaded the cages into the hold. The four heavily guarded prisoners were also carefully locked up in their cages. It had only been a few months since they surrendered, but this group of soldiers had already let their guard down. Some people huddled in the hold to gamble, while others stood at the bow to bask in the sun and enjoy the rare leisure time they had not experienced in months. Occasionally, when other boats approached, they would cautiously stand up to be on guard, only to find that these boats were all law-abiding merchant vessels. Looking at the cargo of wealth on the merchant ships and passenger ships, it stirred up their memories of being bandits, and with great difficulty, they suppressed the urge to rob again.

  "Hey, kid, are we going ashore at Huaian Prefecture?" An old soldier holding a long spear and leaning against the ships rail asked the leading centurion.

  "All provisions and water have been fully prepared on the boat, so as to avoid any unexpected events, we will not stop the boat until we reach Jiangning Prefecture..." said the leading jiao.

  "Qin Chengzu and his gang of turtles have all been killed - from Xinpu to Tinghu, over 200 miles, we dragged our feet for five days on the road, and they didnt even dare to show their faces. The whole Tinghu County didnt see any trace of them, what else can be expected?" said the old soldier with a nonchalant tone, "Food and water are not lacking, meat is not lacking, but Biao Tou Er has to consider that the brothers have not had a chance to vent for two months. Some people may be able to hold on until Jiangning Prefecture, but some people might get sick from holding it in."

  "Caos daughter, Fourth Daughter is no worse than the top courtesan of Huai Rivers nine bends. She has enough charm and vigor. If you have the guts, go find her to release your pent-up energy." A man holding a long spear and squatting at the ships edge, poking fun at the old soldier while looking towards the cabin.

  "Today, I tied her hands up, and Im still afraid that the hole below will grow teeth to bite my chicken!" The old soldier spat, "As long as the leader nods, Ill immediately go in and fuck her."

  "Are you bandit leaders who have to be brought to justice, allowing you to behave like this? How will others view the military discipline of Huai Shangs thief-catching camp?" The leading school lieutenant said with a stern expression, waving his hand to let his subordinates calm down. "When we arrive at Jiangning Prefecture, well stay there for half a month. You cant find a place to vent your frustrations? You only know about the nine-bend river of Huai Shang, but you should know that the girls in Jiangning Prefecture are truly famous throughout the land! Cao, be careful not to lose all your silver on the boat, or else dont look at others wives and end up playing with yourself!"

  "Hah! The day girls wont even let Caos son watch, hell poke the girls buttocks!" The soldiers at the bow of the ship burst out laughing, feeling that Jiangning Prefecture was just ahead and their spirits lifted. Looking ahead, a luxurious boat was moving very slowly, with silk curtains still tied to the windows, and two men standing at the stern wearing green clothes, but with waist knives tied around their waists, their eyes vigilantly staring in their direction.

  The officers and men at the bow also became vigilant, and the leading centurion shouted into the cabin: "Dong Qiuzi, theres a situation, keep a close eye on the people." The group of officers and soldiers who were gambling in the cabin also immediately became tense, and a military officer with scars on his face came out of the cabin, staring at the boat in front, asking the centurion at the bow: "Whats going on?"

  At this moment, only a sound of the guqin came drifting over, and even these rough and unrefined soldiers at the bow of the boat felt that this one note was like sweet water pouring directly into their hearts, making them feel comfortable. A few discordant notes were plucked, followed by a soft and gentle voice from the front cabin of the boat, a voice that was initially off-key but had a soothing effect on the heart, like the music of the heavens...

  The boat was moving slowly, and the official boat caught up with it in a moment. On the bow of the boat, there was a rattan chair, a square table, and a young man wearing a silk robe sitting on the rattan chair with his eyes closed, meditating. A beautiful maid stood behind him, listlessly massaging his shoulders. The young man still felt unsatisfied, so he took the maids small white hands into his lap and stroked them gently, without opening his eyes. In front of the square table, a girl wearing a light green dress was standing, her fingers raised, her mouth slightly open, singing a song that made people feel dizzy and drunk, and it came from her delicate mouth.

  At first glance, the beauty was elegant and unassuming. But when they looked again at this young girl, all the officers on the official boat suddenly felt a little short of breath, and in their hearts, they all wished that if the top courtesan of Jiangning were as beautiful as her, they would be willing to die in Jiangning.

  As they were about to overtake the boat, the officers and soldiers at the bow of the ship shouted in unison at the two sailors on the boat: "Lower the sail! Lower the sail!" The leading officer, although seeing that there were two armed warriors at the bow and stern of the boat, thought they were just bodyguards hired by a wealthy family and didnt take it seriously. In his subconscious mind, he also thought that such an extraordinary voice was too precious to be ignored, so he didnt stop the crowd from asking the sailors to lower the sail and slow down.

  "Scram, scram! What kind of people are you to push forward and disturb my young master from listening to the music!" The two guards standing at the bow of the painted barge were not polite.

  All the officers and soldiers rushed to the bow of the boat, entranced by the beautiful singing girl on the boat. This sentence was particularly piercing to the ears, and they all glared at the guards on the boat: "You bastard, its always Grandpa who tells you to get out of the way, but how can you tell Grandpa to get out of the way?"

  "Do you know who the young master of my house is?" The warrior at the bow of the boat was in no way inferior, and seeing the officers and men making a move to jump over, he drew out his waist knife and placed it horizontally in front of him. It seemed that if there was anything slightly amiss, he would not hesitate to chop with his knife.

  The threatening actions of the boatman warriors stimulated the officers and soldiers even more. Several soldiers who were holding knives at the bow of the ship also threatened: "You think you can just take out a knife and pretend to be a big shot? Who cares if your family is the Turtle Master or not? Grandpa wants you to stop the boat and accept inspection now, do you dare resist? Believe it or not, Grandpa will wipe you out like water bandits!" The officers and soldiers at the bow of the ship took out their weapons and struck the side of the boat, threatening: "Stop the boat! Stop the boat!" These officers and soldiers had only recently turned over a new leaf, but they still hadnt changed their bandit ways. How could they tolerate this kind of humiliation?

  "Chen Fu, retreat," The guards of the painting boat still wanted to argue with the officials and soldiers. A green-clad old man who looked like a steward walked over, drove away the warriors, and bowed to the officials with a smile all over his face. "Im really sorry for the trouble, gentlemen. The people below have grown a pair of dog eyes and offended you... My young master had an interest last night and took a few servants and song girls to visit Qingjiangpu. I didnt mean to disturb you, gentlemen. Forgive me, forgive me!"

  "Now that youre speaking softly, its useless. Stop the boat and accept inspection, or Ill kill you with one knife!" The soldiers have always been ruthless when they have the upper hand. How could a few soft words from the old man in green clothes possibly send them away? The officers and soldiers at the bow of the boat saw the young man in brocade clothes, the beautiful maid, the stunning songstress, and the four child attendants retreating into the cabin, and shouted loudly: "Come out! Come out! You dare to hide inside, Ill cut you alive!"

  The young man in the silk shirt walked over, took off his nameplate from his waist and handed it over, saying with a bitter face: "Your Honor, we are just passing by as good citizens, absolutely not water bandits. Please let us go." He also ordered the old man in green clothes to "hurry up and take a few taels of silver to buy tea for the officials".

  "Thief girl, a copper plaque is enough to show my status!" The material of the plaque was one of the important characteristics for distinguishing identity in this era. The officials and soldiers looked at the rich young master who only took out a copper plaque, without even thinking about verifying his identity, and became more arrogant, "A few taels of silver coins think they can buy off a beggar? I also have a few taels of silver coins here, let that little girl accompany me for a night!"

  "Gentlemen, what do you think is the best course of action? I only paid this young lady to sing for me, I didnt expect..." said the silk-shirted gentleman with a bitter face and a bow.

  "Grandpa has money too, call her over and have her sing a few little ditties for grandpas like us."

  "You little white face, your bird head is not as thick as a finger, and your turtle egg is not as big as sheep dung. How can you make the girls happy? If she had seen my grandfathers bird, I would have guaranteed that she would sell her art and body!" The military man burst out laughing coarsely, shouting together to invite the absolute color song girl to sing on the official boat.

  "This is unbelievable!" The young masters face suddenly changed, and he turned around and walked away, pushing the beautiful maid and the songstress into the cabin.

  These officers and soldiers had been to the government office for only a few months, but they didnt dare to be too brazen, so they loudly shouted "Catch the water thieves! Catch the water thieves!" Four or five soldiers with weapons in hand were about to jump over, while others behind them used iron hooks to hook the boat. The leading officer saw that there were no other boats nearby and thought of making a fortune, so he stood aside and gave a stern order: "Civilian ships secretly storing weapons, without reason docking alongside my official ship with prisoners on board, refusing to let my troops inspect, are considered water thieves, eliminate them!"

  "Kill her, kill her!" The group of soldiers became more and more excited, as if they saw the beautiful singing girl and the pretty maid struggling and moaning under their feet. Some people were afraid that they would be too slow to get good things, so they didnt even take their weapons and jumped over - the four sword-wielding warriors on the boat also retreated hastily into the cabin, which further fueled their arrogance.

  "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..." Five or six soldiers rushed to enter the cabin, only guarding against the four warriors who had just hidden inside. One of them kicked open the cabin door and thrust in with a long spear, never expecting to be met with a hail of iron arrows.