The moon is bright, and the Purple Mountain is shrouded in night mist, as if bathing in a magnificent robe. Qin Zicai and Cheng Yiqun, the leader of the Taohu thieves, took advantage of the night to disguise themselves as ordinary incense guests and board a fishing boat to reach the foot of the Purple Mountain, where they were greeted by the monks and ascended to the summit.

  As the door was about to be pushed open and enter the mountain top Chan temple, a voice came from inside saying: "If you can assassinate Gu Wu Chen in Chongzhou, Jiangdong will be forced by Chu Party, and they will definitely move their western troops eastward..."

  Qin Zitan pushed open the door and went in, who would have thought that Jin An Hou's son, Xiang Fei Xiong, was standing on a rock in the Zen courtyard, wearing a blue shirt, with a good demeanor, gazing into the distance.

  Qin Zitan followed his line of sight and looked over, the outline of Xisha Island was clearly floating on the rippling river water, and even the busy figures under the bonfire could be vaguely seen.

  "Great Master, Ci Hai Fashi..." Qin Zitan bowed to Xie Feixiong and the middle-aged monk beside him.

  Standing beside the luxurious flying bear was a middle-aged monk with no mustache under his chin, a round face as red as an apple, and an exceptionally sturdy build. He was Ci Hai, the abbot of Guang Jiao Temple. Looking at him with eyes closed, nose observing heart, and dignified appearance, it's hard to imagine that he just mentioned assassinating Gu Wu Chen.

  "Zi Tan and Cheng Da have arrived, was the journey tiring?" Xue Fei Xiong wore a Confucian robe, much of the fierce air of commanding troops in battle had dissipated, replaced by a refined elegance.

  "How could the young master dare to venture into Chongzhou?" Qin Zitan asked, unaware that the young master was in the temple.

  "Gu Wu Chen suddenly made an inspection tour to Chongzhou, but didn't come back. How can we observe the situation in Chongzhou?" Xue Fei Xiong said carelessly.

  "Does Master Ci Hai suggest assassinating Gu Wu Chen in Chongzhou?" Qin Zitan asked, then said: "Being able to assassinate Gu Wu Chen is good, but this matter is not easy, it's not something that can be done lightly."

  Qin Zitan knew that Gu Wu Chen would likely land on Xi Sha Island, but with the combined forces of Ninghai Town's naval troops from Junshan Water Fort, Gu Wu Chen's escort, Lin Xuan's Jiyunwei Troops and local private soldiers on Xi Sha Island, there were about 1,500 to 1,600 men. If all thirteen East Sea bandit families could be mobilized by the young master, it was still possible to surround and kill Gu Wu Chen on Xi Sha Island.

  Qin Zitan just knew that the young master had sent elite troops to ambush and kill officials in Chongzhou today. If he had known earlier, he would have dissuaded him. With Lin Xie present, it was impossible to succeed easily. In fact, it proved to be of little use, only losing more than a dozen good men.

  "It's just a casual remark, indeed it's not easy," said Xue Fei Xiong. Assassinating Gu Wu Chen in Chongzhou would require using the smallest cost to further disrupt the military deployment of Jiangdong Prefecture. If the cost is too high, then even the wise ones wouldn't do it. He smiled and continued, "Gu Wu Chen has just taken office as the Surveillance Commissioner, his momentum is strong, and the Surveillance Commissioner's Office also has the power to supervise the army. I think the generals of Ninghai Town will probably also want to avoid his edge..."

  Qin Zitan saw that the Grand Master had retreated, so he didn't bother with this matter anymore. He furrowed his brow and thought to himself that using a diversion tactic might not necessarily work. He said: "Gu Wu Chen suddenly came to Chongzhou for inspection this time, probably to vigorously promote local militia training. After Chongzhou, he should cross the river to Pingjiang. Chen Xiyin sent him back to Jiyang, and after crossing the river, his first stop should be Jiyang, which can be used to mock Chen Xiyin. The Grand Master doesn't take Gu Wu Chen as a target, indeed can use Gu Wu Chen's trip to achieve something."

  "Xiao Tao has retreated to Ji Yang and won't come out, and indeed we can't do anything about him," said Xiang Fei Xiong with a smile. "I think he probably wouldn't want to give the newly appointed Governor a slap in the face either. It seems we need to speed up our withdrawal from Tai Hu, leaving some scattered soldiers and brave warriors behind..."

  "It's okay to lose a few battles," Qin Zitan said with a smile, and then fell silent without saying anything else. The eldest young master had repeatedly achieved great merits, and it was not good for the second young master. He also said: "Except for Ninghai Town in Jiuyang's camp, Xisha Island is also a big nail. If there is an opportunity, the eldest young master should remove it in time..."

  "Is Zitan still worried about Lin being trapped?" Xie Fei's gaze turned south, across the river to Guanyintan, where two outer walls of the surrounding buildings were visible. "The will to resist on Xi Sha Island, you have also experienced it. At this time, a strong attack would come at too great a cost. Lin would not be able to stay on Xi Sha Island forever, and the local people's vigilance and rejection of refugees would not dissipate. For now, it is just a thorn, but with time, this thorn will not be as troublesome as you worry..."

  Qin Zitan didn't take the threat of Xisha Island blocking the Yangtze River estuary seriously, and he couldn't persuade him otherwise.

  Last time, Qin Zitan took advantage of Lin Xuan's departure from the sea and led a group of over 1,000 thieves to attack Xi Sha Island. Just as they were about to succeed, Lin Xuan's reinforcements arrived from Jiangning and launched a surprise attack from behind, resulting in a significant loss.

  It is precisely for this reason that Qin Zitan worried that the longer they delayed, the more difficult it would be to remove the thorn of Xisha Island, and their future entry and exit from Yangtze River would be severely restricted.

  Although Lin Tie's personally led elite had more than 400 people, and the newly formed militia of the refugees on Xi Sha Island also had more than 300 people, their combat strength was not to be underestimated. However, the thirteen pirate families had been roaming Tai Hu for over a month without encountering any enemy forces, so their morale was high. The prestige of Da Gongzi, who had transformed into Dong Hai Jian's Yuan Tingdong, had also reached its peak. He led his pirate group from Ji Yang Lake to Yangtze River, and launched a strong attack on Xi Sha Island, breaking through the Junshan Water Fortress and then breaking through Chongzhou. Even if it meant paying a greater price, it was still worth it.

  Qin Zitan raised her head to see the young master's eyebrows slightly furrowed, knowing that this was his determined expression that would not allow others to persuade him. She let out a slight sigh in her heart, knowing that saying more would only make everyone unhappy. After a moment of contemplation, she said: "Since things are settled here, I will return to Jiangning."

  "It's okay," said Xue Fei Xiong, nodding his head, and then said to Cheng Yigong behind Qin Zitan, "The various prefectures along the Taihu Lake have been destroyed this time. The Jiangdong Prefecture is mainly defending against the sea, and the pressure on the inner line of Taihu will not be great. Ninghai Town cannot take any clearing action against Taihu in the short term. If you still feel that the pressure is too great, Cheng, you can have a place on the islands of Shengsi..."

  Qin Zitan raised an eyebrow and was somewhat dissatisfied with the way the eldest young master was pulling in Cheng Yiqun, but she didn't say anything; it wasn't her place to intervene in such matters.

  *********

  Gu Wu Chen's career path was not particularly deep, and he wasted a lot of time in the exile army. Thanks to Chu Dang's rise to power, he returned to the imperial capital and quickly rose to the position of Zheng San Pin, An Cha Shi, which took him less than three years.

  Gu Wudu still wants to have further development in his official career in the short term, and even sit on the position of Prime Minister that everyone looks up to. Without presenting extraordinary strategies or achieving extraordinary merits, it will not be possible.

  It was a time of great turmoil, and national affairs were only difficult. It was also the time when civil and military officials made achievements and advanced in rank, leaving their names in history. Gu Wu Ye also had ambitious aspirations. Before the pirates in Donghai completely withdrew from the Taihu Lake area, he led more than 400 guards to inspect the local area, naturally with more vigor and ambition than Wang Tian, the宣抚使 who was hiding in Jiangning.

  Gu Wu Chen indeed wanted to promote the training of local militias in coastal prefectures and counties to prepare for potential threats, not only because this was a feasible strategy at the time but also because the Provincial Inspector's Office had the responsibility of supervising local military preparations.

  Li Zhuo was also initially in charge of leading the Jiangxi provincial troops and local militia to fight in eastern Fujian as the Jiangxi Provincial Governor. He then took control of the military and political power in eastern Fujian. Such a clear lesson from history, Gu Wu Dun cannot fail to see.

  On the 24th, 25th and 26th, Investigating Censor Gu Wu Chen inspected the rural areas of Chongzhou County without rest, as there was a possibility that the pirates from Donghai might land at any time to harass the people. He inspected the local camps in Dong She, Ma Tang, Gao Cheng, Yu Xi and other places.

  Chongzhou was established as a county for not long, originally belonged to Huainan Salt Field. The vast salt fields and pastures in the east of the county, which were counted by millions of mu, still belonged to Huainan Salt and Iron Department. There were no noble families with merits in this region, but there were many people who became rich by smuggling salt and later bought land and houses to become big families. Those who privately raised local soldiers were also not a few.

  If we calculate the military strength within the borders of Chongzhou County, there are almost four or five thousand people, which cannot be considered a small number.

  So many troops, respectively, are the privately-raised militia, county soldiers, salt and iron officials' soldiers, and Ninghai Town's garrison in Chongzhou. Although there are many troops, they do not belong to each other, sometimes causing friction between them, even armed conflicts, with uneven training levels, generally relatively low, when encountering bandits, they all act separately, prioritizing self-preservation.

  In this case, even if there were four or five hundred pirates landing, it would be difficult for Chongzhou County to establish an effective defense.

  In the past few days, Lin Xie also accompanied Chen Kun, the magistrate of Chongzhou, to inspect various places with Gu Wu Chen. The defense system of Chongzhou County was also seen to be full of loopholes, which was very distressing.

  The pirate problem will only get worse, so in addition to strengthening defenses along the coast and setting up beacons at the mouths of rivers, a crack troop must also be trained within the county. Although he had a grudge against Chen Kun, he did not want to see Chongzhou being slaughtered by the East Sea pirates again. Moreover, the newly appointed County Lieutenant Hong Changji was still a man of courage and vision.

  Pirates have become a scourge; training local militia in Chongzhou has become an urgent task. The provincial government and the imperial court will no longer set up obstacles, but the expenses must be self-funded by the locality.

  Gu Wu Chen and the local officials of Hailing Prefecture and Chongzhou County discussed, the local officials and gentry donated a part, the prefecture and county raised a part, the provincial government allocated a part, in short, to make Chongzhou County raise and train a thousand-strong militia team before the end of the year.

  In the coastal prefectures of Jiangnan, Pingjiang Prefecture belongs to Jiangdong County, and Jiaxing and Hangzhou (now Jiaxing and Hangzhou) in the south belong to Liangzhe. After inspecting the defense of Chongzhou County, on the 28th, Lin Tie accompanied Gu Wu Chen across the river to Pingjiang Prefecture to inspect local military preparations, and the first stop was Jiayang County.

  After the Qujiang Bandit Case, Chen Xiyi submitted a memorial to apologize for his crime and later resigned from his academic duties at the Xixi Academy, returning to Jishan Lake to live in seclusion. Although Chen Xiyi's reputation had greatly declined, he still held great prestige among the officials of Jishan Lake.

  Lin tied accompanied Gu Wu Chen from the west of Xi Sha Island, Yu Shan landed and walked on land to Ji Yang first. When arriving at Chang Ting near the suburbs of Ji Yang County, there were only a dozen or so officials from Ji Yang who came to greet Gu Wu Chen, except for the county officials, local gentry almost did not show up to welcome Gu Wu Chen.

  "Where is the naval commander? Why hasn't anyone come?" Lin Fu looked at the welcoming team from Jiayang County and found that there was no naval commander from Ninghai Town, he was very puzzled. He didn't care about violating etiquette and directly asked Meng Xinshi, the county magistrate of Jiayang who came to welcome him outside the city.

  The main camp of the Ninghai Town Water Garrison was located on the north shore of Jiyang Lake, north of Jiyang City, controlling the Donglai River waterway that flows into Taihu Lake from the Yangtze River. The Provincial Inspector's Office had the power to supervise the town's military, so even if Gu Wuhen came to the Ninghai Town defense zone, the generals of Ninghai Town did not need to go all the way to Chongzhou to see him. However, when Gu Wuhen arrived at the main camp of the Ninghai Town Water Garrison, the generals of the Ninghai Town Water Garrison avoided meeting him, which was really ungrateful.

  Although Meng Xinshi was annoyed with Lin Guo for not understanding the rules, Lin Guo was after all a Zheng Shi Lang of the eighth rank and also a trusted confidant of Gu Wu Chen. He also saw that Gu Wu Chen's face showed displeasure at being avoided by Shao Taoyuan, so he quickly explained: "General Xiao Taoyuan is not avoiding you, sir. In fact, there has been news of bandits in Ji Yang Nan again, and General Xiao has led the naval ships to battle..."

  "When did it happen?" Lin asked tightly.

  "It was just today that I received a report from the Navy, and it's only been half a day!" Meng Xinshi said.

  "It's terrible," Lin Xuan cursed inwardly at Xiao Tao Yuan, that idiot. Having been a turtle hiding in its shell for so long, he actually got deceived by Xue Fei Xiong and came out to attack at the last moment. He quickly explained to Gu Wu Chen, "General Xiao must have thought that those who stayed behind were remnants of the Donghai pirates, but the truth is absolutely not possible!"

  At that moment, Guwu also understood why it was bad.

  For two months, the pirates have been rampant along the shores of Lake Taihu. Xiao Tao and other naval commanders have been avoiding battles, but today they actively went to battle, mostly due to the pressure from Gu Wu's arrival in Jiayang County as the new Provincial Governor; although Gu Wu couldn't remove Xiao Tao from his position as commander of the six naval camps in Ninghai Town, he indeed had plans to reprimand Xiao Tao for avoiding battles.

  For over a decade, the East Sea bandits have been withdrawing from the Taihu Lake area one after another. The remaining East Sea bandits who refused to leave Taihu Lake are not many, and they seem to be just some scattered soldiers and brave warriors.

  Xiao Tao's decision to go into battle at this time was to take advantage of these scattered soldiers and lone warriors, which would allow him to avoid Gu Wu Chen while also making up for his previous passive avoidance of battle.

  Gu Wudu had long been certain that the Donghai bandits had a wealthy family backing them up. At this time, how could the Donghai bandits who lingered in Taihu and did not leave be possible to be remnants?

  Gu Wu Chen hastily took off the token from his waist and handed it to Yang Pu, saying: "You take my token over there, catch up with Xiao Tao Yuan, and tell him to be careful..."

  "I'd better go, I'm more familiar with the situation in Ji Yang." Lin Fu volunteered, he wished that Xiao Tuan would die early, but the naval warships under Xiao Tuan's command were currently the largest reliance of the coastal provinces.