Chapter Thirty-Four: A Fierce Battle Against River Bandits

Just as Lin Wanqing resolved to flee the family home with her mother, Qin Song returned to the Qin residence from the naval garrison and met with Qin Yuanhuai.

"Father, Uncle Hu has investigated thoroughly. That Yunlong Restaurant was established three years ago, and its owner is also from Qingzhou!"

"No wonder Lin You claimed back then, while at the restaurant, that his appointment as Prefect of Yuezhou had nothing to do with our Qin family!"

"It turns out that this bastard had already been one of Cao Renjie's men back when he served as an official in Qingzhou!"

"For these past three years, he has relied on Yunlong Restaurant to feed intelligence to Cao Renjie!"

By the time he finished speaking, Qin Song was burning with rage.

"I should have foreseen this long ago!"

After Qin Song finished speaking, Qin Yuanhuai, seated in his chair, remained surprisingly calm. "Do you know where this Qingzhou is located?"

Without waiting for Qin Song to answer, Qin Yuanhuai continued, "Qingzhou is Cao Renjie's hometown; it is the foundation of the Cao clan."

Qin Song, clearly hearing this for the first time, was stunned.

"It seems now that the marriage alliance between the Lin family and our Qin family three years ago was merely a ploy to gain our trust!"

Over the years, Qin Yuanhuai had told Lin You almost everything. Now, it was clear that much of what he had shared had reached Cao Renjie’s ears. Furthermore, the frequent plundering of the Qin family’s merchant ships by river pirates over the years was undoubtedly due to Lin You colluding with them in the shadows! Qin Yuanhuai even suspected that Lin You was not the only one involved in these illicit ties.

Regret filled Qin Yuanhuai’s eyes, but in an instant, they turned icy cold. "Since the Lin family wants to destroy my house and family, they should not blame us for being ruthless!"

The charge of colluding with river pirates alone was enough to cost Lin You his head.

"What did the Naval Admiral say?" Qin Yuanhuai asked, turning to his son.

"Lin You’s letter has already been sent. I believe Wang Long will receive it before long."

"Admiral Chu has also been informed of this matter, and he bears deep hatred for this band of pirates as well."

"However, to wipe them out, we need the full support of our Qin family."

"Eradicating the river pirates is our bounden duty," Qin Yuanhuai replied as soon as Qin Song finished. "As long as we eliminate Wang Long's gang and secure evidence of Lin You—or even Cao Renjie—colluding with the pirates, it will be enough for the Qin family to turn the tide, and perhaps even restore your uncle to his former position!"

"Song'er, continue. Our family will cooperate fully!"

Seeing his father’s resolve, Qin Song continued, "The ports and the river are filled with the pirates' informants. Therefore, the navy cannot deploy openly; they must be deployed in secret."

"According to the schedule, the Xiangyun brocade must be loaded and shipped to the capital by the morning after next."

"Naval soldiers will board the ships the night before, and once the brocade is loaded, they will sail north with us."

"Additionally, tomorrow afternoon, a detachment of the navy will leave port, heading south for patrol."

"During this maneuver, we must arrange for other vessels to meet them along their southern route and take the naval soldiers aboard. Once our men have departed, the navy will immediately turn north, tailing the ships transporting the Xiangyun brocade."

"However, these ships cannot be from our Qin family fleet; they must be merchant vessels from other families."

"I will handle this personally," Qin Yuanhuai said, his expression grave as he grasped the plan. "Even if I have to humble myself, I will secure those ships for you."

"There is one more thing," Qin Song said after a moment of hesitation. "I want to go on this mission to suppress the pirates."

"Absolutely not!" Qin Yuanhuai refused without a moment's hesitation. He had only one son, and suppressing pirates was no child's play. Those pirates were cold-blooded killers, and his son had no martial skill. If he were injured in the chaos of battle, what would he do?

"Father, our uncle has been stripped of his rank by the Emperor. The Qin family is like a lonely boat in the middle of the ocean, and we don't know how many dangers lie ahead. I am a part of this family too."

"Don't look at how glorious the Qin family seems now; I know you went through the same hardships to build it!"

"Besides, no matter how fierce the pirates are, they are no match for the navy. I want to be there to get the evidence of Lin You's collusion directly from Wang Long's own mouth!"

Hearing these words, Qin Yuanhuai’s expression softened, showing a mix of pride and reluctance.

"Song'er has grown up!"

"Father, my ears are calloused from hearing you say that!" Qin Song replied with a look of mock annoyance.

"You brat!" Qin Yuanhuai laughed, finally nodding. "Go then, but stay safe. I will have Uncle Hu take the best guards from the estate to protect you."

"Don't worry, Father!" Qin Song replied with a smile.

That night, Qin Yuanhuai slipped out of the estate to visit smaller families who still supported the Qin house. Unlike the Qin family, which possessed dozens of merchant ships, these smaller families owned only one or two. To ensure his son's safety, Qin Yuanhuai did his best to persuade them, eventually securing five merchant ships. Together with the last remaining ship from their own port, they formed a fleet.

The next afternoon at Yuezhou Port, Qin Song and Lady Wu stood together, bidding farewell to Qin Yuanhuai as six merchant ships prepared to depart.

Qin Yuanhuai led the fleet south under the pretense of purchasing textiles and silk. Once the naval warships arrived, he would need to step forward to persuade the crews of the other families' ships to disembark, allowing the naval forces to take control and turn the vessels north.

"Father, take care!"

"You too!"

Father and son exchanged a look at the port; everything that needed to be said was understood.

"Song'er, are you and your father hiding something from me?" Lady Wu asked, staring at her son as soon as he stepped into the carriage after seeing his father off.

Her husband’s sudden assembly of a fleet to head south had aroused her suspicion. The look exchanged between father and son at the pier had not escaped her. She was no fool, but she had not exposed them in public.

"Mother, you are overthinking it..."

"Are you trying to fool your mother?" Lady Wu asked, her face turning cold. "One of you is my own flesh and blood, and the other is the man I have been married to for over twenty years!"

"Speak! Or I will make sure you don't step foot out of this house tomorrow!" As a woman from the Chuan-Shu region, Lady Wu had a fierce temper when she was pushed.

"Mother, tomorrow morning, I must lead our family's merchant fleet north to transport the Xiangyun brocade," Qin Song said, realizing he could no longer hide it.

"Since when do we have Xiangyun brocade? Wasn't it all fake?" Lady Wu only knew that the family had used the few remaining bolts of brocade to flush out the traitor within the house; she did not know the subsequent plan.

"I know. The traitor inside the house was caught, but the mastermind has not yet been brought to justice."

"Beyond Qin Hu secretly colluding with Lin You, Lin You has also been working with river pirates. The frequent attacks on our merchant ships over the years were all Lin You's doing!"