Chapter 591: Chapter 591. The Battle!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The following day, the shopkeeper dragged his tired body to feed the horses i the backyard. As soon as he returned to the inn, he saw a guest coming down from upstairs and instructing him,
Shopkeeper, send some hot water upstairs and prepare a serving of food.” The one who came downstairs was the guard, Little Ding. Last night, he had secretly returned to the inn with the Empress. Today, he was going to leave after eating and drinking his fill.
“Sir, you have to wait for a while. There’s only this old man in the shop, and IT too busy. Why don’t you go out and buy some food yourself?”
The shopkeeper told Little Ding with a bitter face that he couldn’t earn money. Guard Ding didn’t waste any more time with him. He knew where the waiter went. He was already dead.
He went out to buy breakfast and came back. The shopkeeper had just finished boiling water and was carrying it upstairs with difficulty.
“Give it to me. We will pay our bill and leave in a while.”
Guard Ding took the hot water bottle and ordered the shopkeeper for the bill.
“What? Are you leaving already?”
The shopkeeper was a little dissatisfied when he heard that they were leaving. Didn’t they say they wanted to stay for a few more days? Just like the old man from yesterday, they were all liars.
The guard, Ding, ignored him and went upstairs with the food. He knocked on the door of the upper room and called out respectfully,
“Master, I bought it earlier.”
“Yes, come in.”
A woman’s voice came from the room. Xiao Ding pushed the door open and entered the room. He poured the hot water into the wooden basin, left a portion of breakfast, and left respectfully.
An hour later, Zhang Jinglin and his men went downstairs and called out the people in the shared bed. They went upstairs and carried a woman and a man down with chairs.
The shopkeeper sat at the counter listlessly with his hands folded in his sleeves. When he saw the person being carried out, he glanced at her. That woman was carried in when she came in, and the man was carried in. He did not know what illness she had.
“Take care, sir. Come again next time.”
The innkeeper stood up and said goodbye to them. He was still counting on them to patronize the restaurant next time.
Knowing that the shopkeeper was alone, Zhang Jinglin did not expect him to lead the horse and hitch the carriage. He sent his men to the backyard to rush the carriage while the others rode horses.
The carriage had just arrived, but before the woman could get on, the county magistrate of Haicheng suddenly arrived. He was still dressed in casual clothes, and behind him was a servant carrying a load. When he saw the woman, he quickly walked over and bowed respectfully.
“This lowly one has prepared gifts for the crown prince to show his filial piety.
I have also prepared some food for you on the road. I wish you a safe journey.” The woman was sitting on a chair with a blanket covering her waist. Her expression was arrogant and cold. She didn’t even look at him. She only ordered coldly,
“Keep it!”
The people who came over put away the things. The county magistrate of Haicheng wanted to talk to the woman, but she had already been helped into the carriage, and the curtain was lowered.
The county magistrate of Haicheng had no choice but to retreat to the side dejectedly. He watched as the carriage headed towards the dock. After taking two steps, he was stopped by someone and ordered sternly,
“Don’t expose their identity.”
The county magistrate of Haicheng had no choice but to stop.
The carriage left the city and headed west. Today, the sea was as calm as a blue mirror. The golden sun rising above the sea level was a beautiful scene.
The convoy stopped at the seaside, where the pirates often landed. In the distance, there was a big ship slowly and cautiously approaching the seaside. Zhang Jinglin dismounted from his horse and stood by the sea, watching the big ship slowly approach.
The ship stopped a few hundred meters away from the shore. Someone stood at the bow and shouted in the Japanese language.
Zhang Jinglin responded calmly and exchanged a signal with the other party.
Two small boats from the big ship came to pick them up.
Zhang Jinglin ordered someone to carry the woman out of the carriage. This woman was none other than Su Qing, who was impersonating Princess Lanting. She looked calmly at the ships coming over. These pirates were as cunning as she thought. If it weren’t for the impersonation of Lanting and the envoy, they wouldn’t have been able to get close to the ship, let alone go to Japan.
Two small boats came over, and Su Qing was carried onto the boat. She clutched her stomach with a painful expression.
“What happened to the princess?”
The Empress of the Great Tang poisoned her.”
Zhang Jinglin used the excuse that Su Qing had instructed him to use. Su Qing could disguise himself as Lanting, but she could not hide her big belly, so she came up with such an excuse.
The people on the boat did not suspect anything. The people on the shore boarded the boat in turn. The carriage was left on the shore, and someone would take care of the aftermath.
After Su Qing and the others boarded the big ship, it turned around and returned. A few small fishing boats quietly went out to sea not long after they left. y
Su Qing sat on the chair and looked at the ripples created by the ship as it sailed towards Japan.
Her original plan was to seize this ship, but now she changed her plan. She wanted to go to Japan and get a few more ships.
The pirate captain of the ship came over to talk to Su Qing, but she ignored him with an arrogant look.
Zhang Jinglin and his men stood guard by her side. Whenever the pirates came over to talk, he would block them. They did not raise any suspicion along the way.
Lanting had always been like this when she was in Dongying. Other than respecting the royal family and the dignitaries, she had always been like this to her subordinates.
“There are a few Great Tang fishing boats behind us.”
A crew member came to report to the captain.
“Smash them into pieces.”
The captain looked at the side of the ship and ordered the ship to crush them.
There are important people on this ship, and they are only fishermen of the Great Tang. Don’t cause any trouble, and hurry on.”
Su Qing suddenly spoke and reprimanded the captain in an unquestionable tone.
“Yes.”
The captain was a little hesitant, but he still listened to Su Qing’s order and ordered the crew to speed up.
Zhang Jinglin looked at the captain and the others and felt a lingering fear. Fortunately, the Empress had given the order. Otherwise, everyone on the back of the ship would have died.
They had all grown up on dry land, and there were not many soldiers who were good at swimming. Even if they were good at swimming, they would not be able to survive in this boundless sea.
Just now, he had impulsively wanted to order people to control the pirates on the ship and seize the ship to return, but that would ruin the Empress’s plan, so he could only endure it.
The fishing boat behind them was lagging far behind and gradually disappeared. Zhang Jinglin frowned. He had brought ten people with him. Although there were more than thirty Japanese pirates on the boat, it would not be a problem for them to seize the boat.
However, they couldn’t do it when they reached Japan. If no one were to receive them, they wouldn’t be able to protect the Empress with just a dozen of them. This plan was too risky.
Zhang Jinglin secretly looked at Su Qing and admired her even more. The Empress was younger than him, but her calmness and courage in the face of danger were something he could not compare to.
Zhang Jinglin’s heart calmed down as he looked at the Empress, who was so calm and composed. With the Empress around, even a mountain of blades and a sea of flames could be flattened.
It was unknown if the captain had done it on purpose, but the ship had only arrived at Japan’s waters after dark. Although it was already night, the dock was as bright as day. The ship sped towards the dock and arrived at Japan..