Chapter Twenty-Nine: Planning the Suppression of Bandits

Just as Lin Wanqing resolved to flee this household with her mother, Qin Song returned from the naval garrison to the Qin residence and went straight to see his mother, Madam Wu.

“Mother, Uncle Hu has finished investigating. The Yunlong Restaurant was opened three years ago, and its owner is also from Qingzhou!”

“No wonder Lin You said that day in the restaurant that his appointment as Governor of Yuezhou had nothing to do with our Qin family!”

“So that bastard had already become one of Cao Renjie’s men back when he was serving as an official in Qingzhou!”

“For the past three years, he has been using the Yunlong Restaurant to pass information to Cao Renjie!”

By the time he reached this point, Qin Song was already burning with rage.

“We should have realized it sooner!”

After Qin Song finished speaking, Madam Wu, seated in her chair, remained unusually calm.

“Do you know where Qingzhou is?”

Before Qin Song could answer, Madam Wu continued, “Qingzhou is Cao Renjie’s hometown. It is the very foundation of the Cao family!”

Clearly hearing this for the first time, Qin Song stood frozen in place.

“Now that I think about it, the Lin family’s marriage alliance with our Qin family three years ago was merely intended to win our trust!”

Over the years, the Qin family had kept Lin You informed of almost everything.

Now it seemed that much of what the Qin family had told him had eventually reached Cao Renjie’s ears.

And the reason the Qin family’s merchant ships had repeatedly been attacked by river bandits in recent years was that Lin You had secretly colluded with them!

Regret filled Madam Wu’s eyes, but in the blink of an eye, her expression turned utterly cold.

“If the Lin family wants to destroy the Qin family, then they cannot blame us for showing them no mercy!”

Lin You’s secret collusion with the river bandits alone was enough to cost him his head.

“What did the admiral say?” Madam Wu asked, remembering this matter.

“Lin You’s letter has already been sent. It should not be long before Wang Long gets his hands on it!”

“Lord Chu has also learned of the matter. He hates those river bandits to the bone!”

“However, eliminating them will require the full support of our Qin family!”

“Suppressing the river bandits on the river is our unquestionable duty.”

As soon as Qin Song finished speaking, Madam Wu said, “So long as we eliminate Wang Long and find evidence that Lin You, or even Cao Renjie, colluded with the river bandits, our Qin family will be able to turn defeat into victory. We may even be able to have your uncle restored to office!”

“Song, go on. Your mother will give you her full cooperation!”

Seeing that his mother had agreed, Qin Song continued.

“The port and the river are both watched by the bandits’ informants. The navy cannot mobilize openly; everything must be arranged in secret!”

“According to the plan, the Xiangyun brocade must be loaded onto the ships and sent to the capital the morning after tomorrow!”

“The naval soldiers will enter the holds one night in advance. Once the Xiangyun brocade has been loaded, they will travel north with us!”

“In addition, tomorrow afternoon, one naval unit will leave the port and patrol southward.”

“During that operation, we will arrange for other ships to intercept them as they head south and transfer the naval soldiers onto our vessels. Once our people have departed, the navy will immediately turn north and follow behind the ships carrying the Xiangyun brocade!”

“But these ships cannot belong to our Qin family. They must be merchant vessels belonging to other families!”

“I will handle this personally!”

Having understood the entire plan, Madam Wu’s expression grew solemn.

“Even if I have to set aside every last shred of pride, I will secure those ships for you!”

In only a few short days, Madam Wu had undergone a dramatic transformation. She now carried herself with considerable authority.

With the destruction of the Qin family imminent, she naturally had to stand up, help her son, and save the family.

“Mother, there is one more matter!”

After hesitating for a long while, Qin Song finally spoke.

“I want to take part in the campaign against the bandits this time!”

“No!”

As expected, Madam Wu rejected his request without hesitation.

Her husband had only recently died at the hands of the river bandits. Now her son wanted to face those same bandits as well. Naturally, she could not agree.

Qin Song was now her only remaining son. Suppressing bandits was no child’s game; every one of those men was a ruthless killer who would not blink before taking a life. Her son could barely defend himself. If he were injured when blades began to fly, what would she do?

If anything happened to her son, Madam Wu feared she would no longer have the will to live.

“Mother, Uncle has been dismissed by the Emperor, and our Qin family is now like a lone boat adrift in the sea, with who knows how many dangers waiting for us. I am a member of the Qin family too!”

“Don’t be fooled by how prosperous the Qin family appears now. I know that Father fought his way through wind and rain to build all of this!”

“Besides, no matter how formidable the river bandits are, they are no match for the navy. I also want to obtain evidence of Lin You’s collusion with them directly from Wang Long at the earliest opportunity!”

“More importantly, Father died at the hands of those very bandits. I want to avenge him myself!”

After Qin Song finished speaking, Madam Wu’s expression changed. There was more comfort in her eyes now, but even more reluctance to let him go.

“My Song has grown up.”

“Mother, I’ve heard you say that so often my ears have nearly grown calluses!”

When Madam Wu said it yet again, Qin Song could not help replying, his expression faintly exasperated.

“You little rascal!”

Madam Wu laughed and scolded him, then finally nodded.

“Go, then. Be careful. I will have Uncle Hu take the best guards in the household with you!”

“Don’t worry, Mother!”

Qin Song smiled as he answered.

That very night, Madam Wu secretly left the Qin residence and sought out the smaller families that had continued supporting the Qin family during this period. Compared with the Qin family, which possessed more than a dozen merchant ships, these smaller families had only one or two vessels each.

To ensure her son’s safety, Madam Wu did everything she could to persuade them. In the end, she secured four merchant ships from several small families. Together with the one remaining vessel at the Qin family’s own port, they formed a small fleet.

The following noon, at Yuezhou Port, Qin Song and Madam Wu were seeing off Steward Qian. Behind them stood five merchant ships preparing to depart.

As the Qin family’s longtime steward, Uncle Qian had worked for the household for several decades. Without question, he was the person Qin Song and Madam Wu trusted most.

Using the purchase of woven cloth, silk, and other materials in the southern regions as a pretext, Uncle Qian personally led the fleet southward.

Once the naval warships arrived, Uncle Qian would have to persuade the crews of the other families’ merchant vessels to disembark. The navy would then take control of the ships, turn them around, and sail north.

“Uncle Qian, take care on the journey!”

“Young Master, Madam, put your minds at ease!”

The three of them exchanged a glance at the harbor. Everything that needed to be said was conveyed without words.