Wu Ku nodded, "Yes, I also think Ze'a Commandery is the most likely."
"They must think that the Grand Chanyu has returned to Wuqin, so they think they can try again, attacking us, perhaps, to save face?"
Everyone: "..."
Why does this reason seem so absurd?
Rong Liang couldn't help asking, "So you never saw their faces at all?"
Wu Ku lowered his head in shame, "No, the night was too dark, I couldn't see clearly. And their archery was superb; we didn't dare get close."
He meant, those who got close were all dead.
Tang Tishou felt a jumble of thoughts, unable to make sense of what was happening.
"Write to the Grand Chanyu, report last night's events in detail. Whatever decision is to be made, we will follow orders."
He looked back at Wu Ku, his eyes fierce, "Make sure the remaining ships are repaired as quickly as possible. We'll need them soon."
Wu Ku quickly nodded, "Rest assured, General. We already have several very skilled shipwrights."
Although the dock garrison wasn't diligent in training, the few who had been sent to learn the craft were making good progress, and they came in handy now.
Rong Liang sighed, a look of worry in his eyes, "By the way, the grain ships that left two days ago should have arrived at Wuqin by now, shouldn't they?"
Ningding Commandery didn't have a dock, so Qu Zhao had built a simple one there to transport grain.
Tang Tishou nodded, "Based on the time, they should be there."
Jiang Jin was in a good mood. She had not only gained over eighty sailors but also around four thousand dan of grain.
She hadn't expected the dock garrison's granary to hold so much grain. She didn't know if it belonged to the garrison or was just temporarily stored there for shipping.
Her naval force had also reached nearly a thousand men. This trip to sea was indeed worth it—more ships, more soldiers, and more grain.
In the afternoon, Dong Si finally arrived at Xunfeng Island.
Seeing the naval garrison taking shape, Dong Si beamed, "Our lord is truly brilliant."
Jiang Jin waved her hand with a smile, "Tonight, let's have some roast rabbit. These rabbits have overrun the island. Chengxuan always manages to hunt a few."
"That sounds wonderful," Dong Si nodded repeatedly.
Noticing some Junyang troops making wooden crates from freshly cut timber, Dong Si admired, "Are they planning to grow vegetables on the island?"
Jiang Jin nodded, "Yes. Once winter sets in and heavy snow seals everything off, they won't be able to leave the island, so they want to grow their own vegetables."
Every building she had constructed had heated kang floors and heated walls, making it completely feasible to grow vegetables indoors during winter.
Dong Si was pleased with their resourcefulness, "That's a good idea; it can save a lot of grain. Plant some sweet potatoes. They're delicious, so sweet and sticky."
"Though, getting the soil for planting might be a hassle—they'll have to dig it up from the rocky hills?"
Jiang Jin smiled, "It's fine, they'll just gather what they can. They'll have plenty of time on the island anyway."
Dong Si felt cheerful, enjoying the beautiful sea view, "I have a feeling life here in winter would be quite cozy."
"The island and the coast will be covered in white, even our ships will freeze over. It must be beautiful."
Jiang Jin: "..." Beautiful indeed, minus the part about the ships freezing.
Wang Liang arrived with Xin San and the others.
He performed a formal bow, "Thank you, my lord, for saving them. I have no regrets in this life. I only ask that I may serve under your banner from now on. Please accept us."
Xin San and the others also bowed, "Please accept us."
Jiang Jin smiled and nodded, "Good."
Wang Liang and the others finally let out relaxed smiles, though their feelings were complex. After the fall of their nation, they had finally found a new home.
Jiang Jin looked at them, very satisfied. They were all technical experts.
She pointed to the warships, "I have some large crossbows. Figure out how to install them on the ships."
Wang Liang was curious, "Large crossbows? The warships already have large crossbows. Though some are damaged, and we don't have many bolts, we can still repair them."
These past days, he had been busy with dock construction, especially the cement and the special heating structures in the buildings, which had broadened his horizons. He learned new knowledge every day.
Jiang Jin had originally planned to have Wang Liang install the bed-crossbows after the dock was finished, since it required technical skill and a specialist like him.
But now, with the addition of Xin San and the others, they could work on both at the same time.
Jiang Jin said calmly, "My large crossbows are nothing like the ones on the warships. I'll have someone bring two over later for you to see."
"All those on the warships need to be dismantled; their power is too weak, not even comparable to our Dragonfeather Crossbows."
Wang Liang had seen the power of the Junyang army's repeating crossbows, so his eyes lit up at once, "Can they shoot very far?"
Jiang Jin nodded, "Yes, up to four hundred fifty zhang, with immense penetrating power."
Wang Liang and the others were stunned, "F-four hundred fifty zhang?"
Jiang Jin confirmed, "Yes."
Thinking of something, she asked, "Do you have any experience fishing? The sea is rich in marine resources, but we don't know much about it. Wasting such bounty is such a pity."
Wang Liang was still recovering from the shock of four hundred fifty zhang, his voice flat with awe, "Fishing?"
Jiang Jin pointed to the Liberty One, "We have fishing nets, but no matter what, we can't seem to catch anything."
Wang Liang finally came back to himself and couldn't help laughing, "Rest assured, my lord, we actually know something about fishing."
He had to credit Qu Zhao for that. Ever since Qu Zhao captured the dock, aside from forcing them to teach their skills, he mostly had them fishing in the sea.
With disasters and shortages everywhere, fish was meat!
As water soldiers, they had slowly developed some fishing techniques over time.
Jiang Jin was delighted, "Good. Starting tomorrow, you'll split into three groups. One group goes out to sea to fish, one group installs the bed-crossbows, and one group continues building the dock."
She looked at Wang Liang and the others with growing satisfaction, "I'll assign some people to assist you and learn from you."
Xin San scratched his head, "My lord, the two small boats we had last night also have fishing nets. We can use them tomorrow too."
Jiang Jin hadn't expected such a pleasant surprise, "Excellent! Tomorrow, see how many ships you'll need. We have plenty of ships now."
With a surge in population, she desperately needed meat. Since she was already there, she might as well stock up on some sea fish.
If only conditions allowed, she'd even consider starting marine aquaculture.
While Jiang Jin was busy with construction and fishing, back in Wuqin, the Grand Chanyu Qu Zhao received a message via carrier pigeon from Tang Tishou.
Reading the note in his hand, his forehead creased, "Our dock was attacked."
Meng Su was shocked, "The dock?"
The Grand Chanyu massaged his temples, "Exactly. Two ships were taken, along with all the naval prisoners."
Meng Su flinched, "How many men attacked? Did the dock fall?"
The Grand Chanyu: "..."
He handed the note to Meng Su, "Take a look and tell me who you think is behind this."
