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On the dark sea, dozens of warships silently gathered behind the desert island not far away. There was no commotion, and they were completely guided by tug boats towing them by rope.

“I’m sure, it’s that island.” He Lan and Qin Yu identified islands one by one from the ship, sailing to the left and right, and finally settled on one of them.

Song Xingmu used a special telescope to observe the surroundings, and murmured: “What a coincidence. It turns out to be this island.”

“What is it?” He Lan asked curiously.

“Liu Zhenqing and I were stationed on this island back then, and the navy was sent to purge the pirates in the area. As a deterrent, the corpses of pirates were hung up on the ships at that time, and the sea was practically dyed red. From then on, the pirates didn’t dare invade the waters of Great Zhou again, until I…..was injured and transferred by the emperor. I never heard of the pirates coming back.”

“Wa, you guys were pretty ruthless back then,” He Lan exclaimed.

“That’s because you don’t know what kind of lives those islanders lived.” Song Xingmu said, recalling the past: “Back then, these islands had developed a method of getting along with the pirates. If they wanted to go to sea safely, they had to make regular tributes to them. Not only that, but in some circumstances, young men and women would be offered to the pirates for their entertainment.”

“What!” He Lan was shocked.

Qin Yu also frowned and looked at Song Xingmu. “They didn’t report it?”

“They reported it in the past, but there weren’t enough troops. We patrolled at most, but that didn’t solve the problem at all, so the islanders eventually became numb.They probably felt that having to sacrifice a few unlucky young people and some money each year was still a small loss compared to the pirate attacks when going to sea. When Liu Zhenqing and I first went to the island to prepare for the eradication work, the young people were fine, but the older generation was eager to kneel down toward us.”

“In gratitude?”

“No! They knelt down and begged us not to offend the pirates. They were willing to maintain such a balance. In any case, they didn’t need much, and they could ensure the safety of most of the other kinsmen. They were willing to accept it, but worried that if we didn’t do it well, we would anger the pirates, and they might have to pay more the next time.” Song Xingmu said coldly: “Not only did they not support it, but they also cried and shouted, and tried to drive us away.”

“Their minds were confused!” He Lan said angrily.

Song Xingmu said with a smile: “But after we actually captured so many pirates, pirates could no longer be seen at sea. They gradually felt confident again, and started to look at us gratefully, as if we were gods. Liu Zhenqing was especially loved for his strategic style. At that time, there was a young boy who sent him flowers every day. Knowing that he liked to eat fish, he also sent him seafood every day. When we left, they were all reluctant to let us leave.”

“Zhanyuan can’t hear about this.” He Lan raised an eyebrow and smiled.

Song Xingmu smiled as well, saying: “Although we wiped out the pirates, the harm they caused was never-ending, because there was fear that the pirates would retaliate. Liu Zhenqing wanted to completely change the uneasy factors in the islanders’ future lives, and before he left, he discussed with me how to help the islanders relocate. Our plan was to turn this island into a place where troops were stationed.”

“What a great idea!” Qin Yu couldn’t help but agree.

“It’s a pity that some people are really…..” Song Xingmu shook his head.

“The islanders didn’t want to move, so they just procrastinated. After all, they were already safe.” He Lan seemed to have a deep understanding.

“Not only that, but some people even thought that we just wanted to take away their homes. Even though a small fishing village was already planned for them, it was no use. All we could do was slowly wear them down,” Song Xingmu said.

“When they hadn’t moved out yet, didn’t pirates appear from time to time? Weren’t they afraid?” He Lan asked with irritation.

Song Xingmu suddenly smiled and pointed at the tall towers found on every island.

“Look at that, and you’ll know what it means to strategize with people’s hearts.” Song Xingmu raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: “When he first landed on the island, Liu Zhenqing ordered people to build this thing. He determined the number according to the size of the islands. Some islands had two, and some had three. They were all built on the shore, facing different directions, and the villagers took turns manning them. Whenever someone spotted pirates, they would light it from the inside, flames at night and smoke during the day. The surrounding islands would see it and pass it on one by one until the water village on the mainland shore could see it. They could be rescued quickly, and when the towers all burned together in this way, the amazing momentum would also deter pirates. This was Liu Zhenqing’s last resort after the relocation difficulties delayed time.”

“He had already foreseen building them when he landed on the island?” He Lan and Qin Yu both looked at Song Xingmu in astonishment.

Song Xingmu said proudly: “That’s why it’s called ‘strategizing with people’s hearts.’”

“Ai, no matter how much he planned, they still haven’t left after so many years and are colluding with rebels. If Prime Minister Liu knew of this, he would be angry to death,” He Lan said speechlessly.

“It’s my fault too.” Song Xingmu sighed. “If I had stayed back then, the relocation would have been completed and this mess wouldn’t have happened. Who would have thought he would be accused of colluding with pirates?”

He Lan shook his head, saying: “Nobody mentions Prime Minister Liu’s great achievements, but instead say he colluded with pirates? Ridiculous!”

Qin Yu frowned slightly. He looked at Song Xingmu and asked: “I heard…..that wiping out pirates back then was an excuse? What was the actual situation?”

Song Xingmu sneered and didn’t answer. He just looked at the sea quietly and changed the subject.

“Security is tight, so we can only make a surprise attack. Are you ready to go out…..huh?”

“What’s wrong?” He Lan and Qin Yu thought something had happened.

Song Xingmu said in shock: “Why do I seem to see Huo Fenglie? He is using…..using his internal force to steer a wooden boat. What is he doing?”

. . . . . . . 

Looking at Zhao Haicheng, Liu Zhenqing hesitated: “He left, but wasn’t there still the navy? Thirty thousand soldiers couldn’t protect you?”

“Hmph, it was rumored that Liu Zhenqing died in the capital and that Song Xingmu left his post without authorization, so military power was handed over to his uncle. His uncle didn’t have the ability at all and insisted on feigning competence. As a result, the patrols were disrupted, and nobody noticed when pirates attacked our island.”

As Zhao Haicheng spoke, his expression gradually distorted. He seemed to be recalling an extremely profound and painful memory, and his eyes went bloodshot.

“That night, we were sleeping peacefully when a sudden scream disturbed everybody. Pirates suddenly attacked the island. They started killing secretly at first, and then began to kill the ones who discovered them. They were very clever, and didn’t use fire for fear of alerting the other islands. They raised their swords and didn’t stop. Because the stronger islanders resisted, they focused on killing them first. The young, the women, and the old men were tied up to be slaughtered. Their cries shook the earth, but couldn’t reach the other islands.”

Zhao Haicheng looked at Liu Zhenqing with wide eyes. Tears welled up in them but refused to fall.

He had seen his father be killed, and his mother, sister, and even his younger brother be played with to death in turn by those beasts. His grandparents were hung up, whipped, and beaten to death.

Before he died, his grandfather continuously whispered to him: Shouldn’t have obeyed, shouldn’t have listened to them, shouldn’t have offended the pirates, shouldn’t…..it’s all Prime Minister Liu’s fault, all his fault.

As for Zhao Haicheng and the others, they were waiting to be sold since they were in good health. People came to rescue them, but by that time, there were less than one hundred people on the island.

That tragic scene was a nightmare that Zhao Haicheng couldn’t forget to this day.

He looked at Liu Zhenqing, whose pupils were quivering, and thought that he was frightened. But he still wanted to talk. It was as if he wanted to tell this person who looked very similar to him what evils that person had committed.

“For three days and three nights, the blood of our kinsmen dyed the ground red. We saw everything with our own eyes. On an island with hundreds of people, bodies were piled up like mountains. It was all caused by Liu Zhenqing! He made us victims for his own selfish desires! Tell me, shouldn’t he be hated? Shouldn’t he have died?!”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly at the mad and hateful Zhao Haicheng. He wanted to ask, were the communication towers useless? Why were there still people living on the island years after he was gone? Why didn’t they leave?

But looking at Zhao Haicheng’s expression, Liu Zhenqing gave up on arguing. There was no point.

It was indeed his actions that led to the pirates’ crazed revenge. Fighting against pirates and protecting the islanders was indeed not his main purpose in seeking military power in the first place. Strictly speaking, the people on this island were victims of a power struggle. Liu Zhenqing could not argue against this. The chain reaction could not be stopped. Even though he had thought his plans were foolproof, they still backfired in the end.

He could feel guilty and blame himself, but he didn’t have too many such emotions. He just felt a little sad. After all, he could not regret or second-guess every step he had taken in the past.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes gradually went cold as he looked at Zhao Haicheng, and Zhao Haicheng was stunned for a moment, as if he was seeing an ice-cold superior.

“The ones who rescued you must have been the rebels.” Liu Zhenqing spoke the key point.

Zhao Haicheng’s infuriated mood gradually calmed. “Speaking of rebels, is there a bigger rebel in the world than Liu Zhenqing? He was the one who wanted to assassinate the emperor, and the group of people who fled the island were just Liu Zhenqing’s defeated followers. If he hadn’t wanted to choose a puppet emperor in order to control the royal family, then the government would belong to those among these rebels.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression turned cold: “I don’t know about everything else, but there is currently no puppet emperor or powerful, treacherous minister in the world now. Even though there are problems, at least it is relatively peaceful. As a navy official, you still want to help the rebels create trouble. Lieutenant General Zhao, I really thought you were a good and upright person.”

Zhao Haicheng was stunned, as if a loophole in his logic had been attacked, and said with some shame and anger: “Although Liu Zhenqing is dead, Song Xingmu and the Song family are also our enemies. We will not let go of our blood feud. What’s more, if those people hadn’t saved us, we would have been wiped out long ago, so why should we not repay the favor? What does the rest of the world have to do with us? Why should we care? When Liu Zhenqing did all those things, he never cared about our lives.”

“Is that so? You joined the navy to serve as an informant for the rebels and help them control the port, and also for revenge against the Song family. What about the pirates who actually killed your people? I remember that your men are also colluding with pirates?”

The words ‘colluding with pirates’ were like hitting Zhao Haicheng’s weak point, making him extremely uncomfortable.

“This is nothing more than a stopgap measure. Bribing the pirates to prevent them from attacking the island is just to avoid Song Xingmu’s attention and keep the situation on the island from leaking out. Besides, all of the pirates who came to our island have long been killed.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t speak, and just looked at this quibbling man silently.

As if humiliated, Zhao Haicheng rushed to the bed once again and grasped Liu Zhenqing’s throat, saying furiously: “What do you know! You’re just a plaything wandering between men! What do you know of important matters!”

Liu Zhenqing was forced to raise his neck. He had difficulty breathing for a moment, and such trouble along with the hot touch of someone’s skin stimulated the drug’s properties.

The initially suppressed impulse began to spread within his body, taking on momentum like a spark.

Liu Zhenqing bit his tongue hard and the taste of blood spread. Only then could he continue to remain calm. He needed more information.

“Lieutenant General Zhao, I didn’t mean to anger you, it’s just that I don’t understand. Your lives were saved in the end, so why do you need to rebel? Aren’t you afraid? Song Xingmu has 30,000 sailors under his command.”

“Hmph, what about them? Will they recognize the command talisman, or will they recognize me?”

“But there are still…..still millions of Zhou Dynasty troops outside. Even if you have the upper hand, how can you compete with them, Lieutenant General Zhao? It’s better not to take the risk. You only have one life, ah.” Liu Zhenqing donned a persuasive appearance.

“In the end, you’re just afraid that you will be implicated and die. Let me tell you, if it weren’t for my troublesome men who sent you to me, in a few days, you would have perished in a sea of fire. So what if there are millions of troops? They are spread all around Great Zhou, so can they all be transferred here?! We are not afraid,” Zhao Haicheng said coldly.

Liu Zhenqing was confused when he heard this, and wanted to inquire, but the way he frowned and lowered his eyes still fell into Zhao Haicheng’s heart.

At such a close distance, Zhao Haicheng smelled a faint fragrance. That was the unique scent of Liu Zhenqing, which he had smelled when they were riding in the carriage together. It was familiar to him, and strangely alluring.

And why was his skin so hot? It was as delicate as fine, warm jade.

Zhao Haicheng unconsciously caressed his neck where he had a grip on it. He didn’t know whether it was because he was emotionally agitated just now, or because he remembered the incident that caused him to fall in love for the first time, but he suddenly had a feeling of infatuation for the person he hated to the bone.

The person was currently in his bed, and since he could be with that guard and with the Sea King, why couldn’t he be with him? Why should he care when he was so dissolute? Thinking of the scene he witnessed in the alley, Zhao Haicheng felt that his genuine feelings had been betrayed, and he became even more impulsive.

Just before Liu Zhenqing returned to his senses, Zhao Haicheng suddenly pushed him down and pulled down his collar.

Liu Zhenqing was startled, and he heard a tearing sound as the collar was ripped.

“What are you doing!” Liu Zhenqing had thought that at the very least, Zhao Haicheng was not such a despicable person. He reached out quickly to shove him, but his body gradually went soft.

“Why are you pretending to be so noble and reserved? You should know who to throw your arms around now!” Zhao Haicheng sneered. As soon as he pressed against his body, he suddenly felt something and began to laugh. Seeing Liu Zhenqing blush in embarrassment, he didn’t know what he was pretending to be.

Liu Zhenqing was nauseous. He understood one thing very clearly – other than Er-gou, nobody could do this to him. He couldn’t bear even the simple pressure, and if not for the drug, he could have vomited on the spot. “Zhao Haicheng, are you crazy? I didn’t expect you to force someone. What is the difference between you and those pirates?”

Zhao Haicheng reached out and grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s struggling hands, pressing them down on both sides. He was about to kiss Liu Zhenqing, but suddenly froze when he heard these words.

“Are you playing hard-to-get with me?!”

“Bullshit!” Liu Zhenqing was furious. “You were the one who drugged me!”

Zhao Haicheng’s expression changed several times, and in the end, he scoffed. “Is that so? Perfect, I’ll give you the antidote!”

Liu Zhenqing’s face changed drastically. He saw the unstoppable desire in Zhao Haicheng’s eyes, and it was obvious that this man really intended to take action. The scent of another man completely enveloped his body, making his stomach churn, but he needed to calm down and save himself.

“In fact, they’re lying to you!” Liu Zhenqing’s words caused Zhao Haicheng to stop in doubt.

“What?”

“I was actually sent as a spy by He-daren to monitor you and Song Xingmu.”

At that time, He-daren was one of the princes’ subordinates. He was the fastest to make trouble, and also the fastest to run after failure. Liu Zhenqing had to take a gamble that He-daren was on the island.

Sure enough, when he said this, Zhao Haicheng’s expression changed. “You know He-daren!”

Liu Zhenqing was instantly energized. 

“Of course, He-daren has a large mole on his neck, doesn’t he? He-daren bribed me to follow Song Xingmu first, then to seduce you and keep an eye on you. I didn’t want to, and just wanted to run away with my lover. So…..in fact, they don’t trust you at all. After acquiring the 30,000 troops, they plan to kill you first and let their own general take your place. After all, you’re not as safe as one of their own, right? I was also the one who helped to hinder Song Xingmu and Yi Chuan in the beginning, so that those people could sneak into the water prison and kill the prisoners…..”

It was easy for Liu Zhenqing to deceive the civil and military officials in court, let alone Zhao Haicheng. Before he could finish his words, Zhao Haicheng directly sat up with a very ugly expression.

As expected, he was still suspicious.

“You deceived me…..” Zhao Haicheng tried his best to maintain a calm tone, but he couldn’t fool Liu Zhenqing.

“If you don’t believe it, you can have He-daren confront me. Or any of his confidants, they all know me. I was the one who deliberately delayed Song Xingmu that night so that you could have a chance to assassinate Yi Chuan, wasn’t I? My commitment was not voluntary, nor did I want to serve others. I just wanted to be with my lover. Lieutenant General Zhao, for the sake of me speaking the truth, please do not touch me.”

When Zhao Haicheng heard this, his face changed colors and he finally withdrew his hands and left in shame and anger.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t know how he would act, but he knew that he had to use the opportunity to get out. Fortunately, when Zhao Haicheng was about to attack him, he messed up the ropes first.

Liu Zhenqing untied himself at once and tried to leave the bed, but his legs were weak and he instantly fell. He had been kidnapped suddenly, without a blade or medicine, so he could only use a hairpin to cut his hand in order to stay sane.

When he just barely had a grip on his body and was preparing to escape, he saw the scroll on the table. Gritting his teeth, he rolled it up and took it away. Er-gou liked it, after all. Five thousand taels of gold, ah!

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Chapter Ninety-One << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Three