Standing on the deck, Sheng Chi felt only the biting chill of the sea wind, despite it already being May.
The road ahead was shrouded in uncertainty. No one knew what awaited them in Sizhou.
When he thought of the money and provisions they had brought along, his heart settled somewhat.
Kong Yi stood beside Sheng Chi, gazing at the turbulent sea. His own heart was no calmer.
When he thought of the soldiers and civilians abandoned in the city, he could not help feeling disappointed, even though he had expected this outcome long ago. He was disappointed in the great families—and in himself.
As before, he had not dared to break away from the great families and stand with Feng’an County through life and death.
Sheng Shang sighed. “We should never have traded with the Jinyang Army for those high-yield grain seeds. They turned out to be completely useless, and we lost so many ships besides.”
Huo Chun nodded. “Indeed. Otherwise, we could have transported more grain.”
The great families had a large population. Including advisers, trusted retainers, personal guards, and others, there were more than four thousand people in total. After loading all the gold, silver, copper coins, bolts of cloth, and other valuables, there were few ships left for grain.
Kong Yi shook his head. “How could they be useless? The high-yield grain seeds can serve as a gift when we arrive in Sizhou. If we present them to the First Prince, we may gain some benefits.”
Weariness flickered in his eyes. “As for the grain we couldn’t take with us, it can at least feed the soldiers and civilians in the city. Perhaps it will help them hold out for a few more days.”
Last year’s severe drought had caused a serious drop in the harvest. After being consumed throughout the winter, little grain remained in Ze’a Commandery.
After they retreated to Feng’an County and faced Quzhao’s fierce siege, the situation became extremely critical. It had reached the point where the entire population had been pressed into service.
To steady the civilians and soldiers in the city and make them fight desperately to defend it, Sheng Chi had ordered the granaries opened, allowing everyone to eat their fill.
Only with full stomachs would they have the strength to fight and buy time to transport their belongings aboard the ships.
Thus, more than twenty thousand dan of grain remained in the city, while they had brought roughly twenty thousand dan with them.
If that grain were consumed only by their few thousand people, it would last for a very long time.
Of course, once they reached Sizhou, if they wanted to secure a certain position and gain benefits, they would have to “donate” some of it.
Zhang Tinghan snorted coldly. “Feeding those lowly commoners is a waste.”
“Besides, who knows how many days they can hold out? The city might fall today. Then won’t all that grain simply end up in the hands of the Quzhao tribes?”
Sheng Chi said nothing. He mourned not only the thousands of dan of grain, but also the ten thousand soldiers. Those were the private troops he had raised with his own money—the last few soldiers he had left after all the fighting.
The wind and waves grew stronger. As the fleet sailed farther and farther away, the shoreline soon disappeared from view. The ships entered the open sea and headed toward Sizhou.
No one knew how much time had passed when a shout suddenly rang out from the crow’s nest.
“There’s a fleet ahead!”
Everyone was startled, especially Zhang Tinghan. “Damn it, could the Quzhao Army have caught up with us?”
Huo Chun frowned. “How is that possible? Quzhao doesn’t have a fleet.”
Sheng Chi shouted an order. “Regardless of whose fleet it is, get us out of here at once!”
But the lookout soon called down again, “They’re heading straight for us, and their ships are faster than ours!”
Their ships were overloaded, making it impossible for them to move quickly.
Standing on the deck, Sheng Chi and the others could now vaguely make out the approaching fleet. A terrible premonition settled over their hearts.
As the distance between the two sides gradually closed, Sheng Chi finally saw the military banners flying from the fleet. His eyes widened.
“It’s the Jinyang Army!”
Huo Chun immediately sensed that something was wrong. “Why is the Jinyang Army blocking our path?”
No one could answer him, but everyone felt that the situation was far from good.
“Archers, ready!” Sheng Chi shouted.
He was not naive enough to think that Jiang Jin had come to reminisce with him.
Under Xie Nanxiao’s command, the Jinyang Army’s fleet approached the great families’ ships in a semicircular formation, the encirclement slowly tightening.
Sheng Chi gritted his teeth and shouted toward Jiang Jin’s fleet, still more than a hundred zhang away, “Stop, or don’t blame me for showing you no mercy!”
Jiang Jin acted as though she had not heard him. The fleet showed no sign of slowing down.
Although Sheng Chi was furious and anxious at being ignored, he did not dare to attack in earnest.
Even when Jiang Jin’s fleet drew closer and entered bowshot range, he still held back.
He knew all too well that he was no match for Jiang Jin.
Jiang Jin did not stop until she was only a few dozen meters from Sheng Chi’s fleet.
Sheng Chi’s entire body was taut. He listened to the Jinyang Army’s flags snap in the sea wind while cold crossbows pointed at them from the decks and through the ports.
Both shocked and enraged, he shouted, “Princess, what do you mean by this?”
Earlier, Zhang Tinghan had cursed at Jiang Jin without restraint. Now, however, he was trembling with fear. He had hidden inside the cabin, secretly peering outside.
He might not have been very clever, but he was not stupid. He understood the principle that the stronger party held the advantage—and he was terrified that Jiang Jin had heard what he had said before.
Jiang Jin greeted him with a smile. “What do I mean? What a coincidence. We happened to run into each other while sailing around on the sea.”
Sheng Chi: “…”
He forced out a stiff smile. “Since there’s nothing going on, we’ll be on our way.”
Jiang Jin shook her head. “Meeting is fate. Since fate has brought us together, why don’t you make a little contribution to that fate?”
Sheng Chi’s heart tightened, and he eyed her warily. “What kind of contribution?”
Jiang Jin pointed toward the great families’ fleet. “Since this money and grain belong to Fengzhou, leave them here in Fengzhou.”
Sheng Chi was furious. “We have no enmity between us. Don’t push us too far.”
Zhang Tinghan could not hold himself back either. He poked his head out and shouted, “That money and grain are our lives! You’re trying to take our lives!”
Dong Si gave a cold snort. “And what if we are?”
“You…” Zhang Tinghan’s face flushed red with anger. He was about to continue when he caught Dong Si’s gaze—that cold look of someone staring at a dead man. He immediately shrank back inside.
Under Xie Nanxiao’s command, the Jinyang Army’s fleet had completed its encirclement of the great families’ ships.
Dong Si secretly rolled his eyes at Zhang Tinghan’s inexplicable behavior.
“What ‘you’? My lord is merciful. That is the only reason you’re still alive and able to speak to her. Otherwise, do you think you would still be standing here?”
Jiang Jin had no desire to waste time. “We are all Han Chinese, so I will not slaughter you to the last. You need only leave behind ninety percent of your supplies, and you may live.”
“If you consider the oarsmen and sailors burdensome, you may leave them behind as well.”
Sheng Chi felt humiliated and desolate. He was the head of a great family, yet Jiang Jin, a mere woman in his eyes, was treating him with such contempt and threatening him.
He clenched his teeth. “Leave room for future reconciliation. We may meet again someday.”
Jiang Jin smiled. “So, by your logic, it would be best if we never met again? I wouldn’t mind sending you on your way.”
The Dragon Shadow Guard behind her instantly raised the Dragonfeather Crossbows in their hands, their cold muzzles aimed at Sheng Chi.
A chill surged from the soles of Sheng Chi’s feet to the crown of his head. His entire body turned cold. It seemed that the moment he dared to say no, an arrow would pierce his throat.
Zhang Tinghan and the others fell silent as well.
More than a hundred ships faced one another on the open sea, yet not a sound could be heard. Only the howling wind and roaring waves filled the air.
Jiang Jin curled her lips. “Well?”
She was not afraid of fighting, but if possible, she did not want to.
Although the great families had only a few thousand people, those who had remained by their side and been brought along were certain to be elites.
If they fought, she would have to wipe them all out, which would take some time. She had time—but the civilians of Feng’an City did not.
Kong Yi hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Princess, you can see for yourself that there are several thousand of us. If we leave behind nine-tenths of our supplies, I’m afraid we won’t survive for long. I hope Your Highness will show us mercy.”
Jiang Jin nodded. “That’s the price after I raised it.”
She gave a sardonic smile. “Back then, you didn’t leave the Northeastern Army even a single grain of rice. Compared to you, I’m practically a paragon of virtue.”
