Chapter 71 – Come Fight

When Sheng Changyun and Sheng Changhai, two brothers who had grown old at sea, learned about the upcoming war, especially considering they were traveling with Young Lin, they decided safety was paramount. After deliberation, they chose to bypass Danzhou and change course, heading south towards the Sunda Strait to explore. They had previously arranged some ships with the Lu family and planned to first collect those ships before proceeding to Borneo to clear their goods. Although it would take longer, it would be safer.

After deciding, they chose to rest temporarily on a nearby uninhabited island for the night. Xu Chun immediately asked if they could spend the night on the island, after all, having spent so much time on the ship, he felt joy and solidity from stepping on solid ground.

As the weather was still good, the Sheng brothers, Changyun and Changhai, agreed to his request. Changyun stayed on the ship while Changhai led a group of several dozen people to find a dry hillside on the island. They cleared an area, drove away insects, snakes, and wild beasts, set up tents for camp, and started fires to cook soup and food.

Xu Chun grilled fish and meat, watching as Sheng Changhai sprinkled a few cloves and cinnamon sticks into the soup. The fragrance was sweet and thick, the flavor strikingly vivid. He praised, “This smell is truly fragrant. Are we also planning to procure some of this to take back?”

Sheng Changhai replied, “Yes, when traveling to the South Seas, how can one not bring cloves and pepper? Many people exchange all their goods for these two items, and when they return, they’ll never suffer a loss. This spice island was previously seized by the disorganized red-haired barbarians. They burned all the clove trees not under their control and prohibited the private sale of clove tree seeds, monopolizing the market for clove sales and killing many people. To buy, one could only purchase through their hands, at prices that were extremely expensive. In recent years, there have been more and more barbarians and pirates vying for territory, and gradually, people have begun planting again, after all, the profits are too high.”

“I remember when the Wuhe people controlled it strictly, the highest price I recall was eight hundred times. Buying one tael of silver worth of goods, you could sell it for eight hundred taels when you returned. Can you imagine? Of course, the risk is also very high. If you encounter the Wuhe people, they’d kill everyone on the ship and seize everything.”

Xu Chun said, “This scent is indeed strong, but I’m not particularly fond of it. If you put too much, the flavor becomes too intense. I’ve mostly used it to repel mosquitoes or placed a few grains in sachets.”

Sheng Changhai said, “Yeah, here in the South Seas, some natives roll tobacco together with cloves to make cigarettes, which are said to be quite potent. Quite a few people on our ship have tried them, and there are those who chew cloves with betel nut, said to be invigorating, but those things are too easy to become addicted to. You shouldn’t touch them, don’t even try them.”

Xu Chun knew that Grandfather Sheng had always been very strict with his clan members regarding such matters. He smiled, “I know, I don’t even drink tea much.”

Sheng Changhai said, “This goes well with mutton! And cloves and cinnamon are a match made in heaven! Steamed beef and lamb are excellent! I remember there’s still mutton on the ship, let’s get one down to roast and eat.” True to his word, he stood up and turned around to give a few instructions. Soon enough, someone hurried back to the ship. Before long, two sheep were indeed brought down, and a group of people slaughtered and roasted them by the water, sprinkling them with spices. Indeed, the rich aroma spread further in the deep darkness of the night.

The four attendants, Spring Stream, Summer Tide, Autumn Lake, Winter Sea, and Dinghai lit a fire nearby and received half a sheep. Summer Tide, while roasting it, exclaimed, “When it comes to cooking, no one compares to Third Young Master. This is really fragrant. At this moment, if we could have some lamb wine or sour milk wine, it would be perfect. The wine here in the South Seas is also delightful.”

Spring Stream laughed, “We’re serving Fourth Young Master, how can we drink alcohol? Don’t act rashly, we haven’t seen any fighting nearby.” As he spoke, he cut off a leg and handed it to Dinghai, who had remained silent. Dinghai took the leg and saw a thick layer of shiny honey on the charred brown mutton, sprinkled with cloves and cinnamon powder. The warm heat was sweet with a fresh spiciness, the exotic aroma was captivating. He took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

Spring Stream then distributed portions to Donghai and Qiuhu. Qiuhu sat next to Dinghai and asked him, “Brother Dinghai, where are you originally from? It seems you haven’t been out to sea before. Looking at your appearance, you seem to be from the north.”

After taking a few bites, Dinghai tersely replied, “I’m from Qilu.”

Qiuhu’s eyes brightened, “No wonder you’re so tall! Summer Tide and I combined probably wouldn’t equal one of you.”

Dinghai ate silently, not appearing rushed. He took a baked flatbread in hand and alternated between bites of flatbread and mutton, but soon he had finished an entire leg and stack of flatbreads, his appetite astonishing. Spring Stream offered him his own leg, but Dinghai waved him off, “No need, you eat it. I’m fine with just the flatbread.”

Once the five of them had eaten their fill, Spring Stream noticed Xu Chun getting up and followed him, asking, “Where is Fourth Young Master going?”

Xu Chun said, “I’m full, I’m going for a walk by the seaside.”

Soon, Dinghai also followed him. Xu Chun looked up, surprised at his silent approach, and slightly embarrassed. He was actually looking for a secluded place to relieve himself. Spring Stream and the others had been with him since childhood, so it was alright for them. But Dinghai was a later addition, tall, broad-shouldered, and extraordinarily strong, giving off an intimidating presence, which put pressure on him as he merely wanted to urinate.

He said, “You should eat first. I’ll just walk along the beach below. There’s no one on this island, and no wild beasts or venomous snakes. With Spring Stream and the others accompanying me, there’s nothing to worry about.”

However, Dinghai simply followed him silently. The long knife at his waist jingled. Xu Chun knew he was being diligent in his duty, so he didn’t say anything more and slowly walked away. Spring Stream followed, but he also knew that Young Master wanted to relieve himself. He held a torch in one hand while Summer Tide carried a pot of warm water and a small, portable sea lamp.

When Dinghai saw them carrying water, he was taken aback. Then, when he saw Xu Chun turn a corner and head behind the shrubs, he realized what was happening. He stepped back a bit, turning to look out at the sea.

However, upon this glance, due to his exceptional eyesight, he immediately spotted something amiss. Suddenly drawing his sword, he called out, “Alert! Protect the young master! Men!”

Xu Chun had just fastened his belt and was extending his hand to receive water to wash his hands. Spring Stream turned to look at the sea and drew his sword, watching as a small boat approached from the sea. Several men aboard were armed with swords at their waists and firearms, holding torches aloft. Spring Stream and Dinghai exchanged glances. Dinghai quickly stepped in front of Xu Chun and whispered, “Young Master, move back. They have firearms.” He then preemptively shouted, “Who are you?”

The people on the boat did not initially respond, instead, they all looked on guard, raising their firearms and drawing their swords, similarly huddling in front to protect those behind them.

On the hillside, Sheng Changyun, who was roasting by the bonfire, sensed something was wrong. With a wave of his hand, several dozen guards, sailors, and crewmen stood up, all drawing their swords and rushing down with a loud clamor. Another squad of musketeers took up their firearms and stood on the slope, aiming at the approaching boat.

There were only four or five people on the small boat. Initially, they had only seen Xu Chun and his companions. Suddenly, they saw such a group of fierce guards descending from the hillside, and they were startled. They were momentarily at a loss and dared not dock any closer. For a while, both sides were at a stalemate, hearing only the rustling of the sea waves.

Sheng Changhai came down with his men, sword drawn, staring at the people on the boat. The torches blazed, allowing him to vaguely see that the people on the boat wore tattered armor and clothes stained with blood. Having spent many years at sea, Sheng Changhai recognized them at a glance, “Are all of you generals under the command of King Guangyuan?”

The faces of the few men tensed, and the person they were protecting suddenly said something, pushing aside the soldier blocking his path. A young general stepped forward. He was wearing golden chain mail, but half of his shoulder was dyed red with blood. His face pale, he managed to bow and said, “We are indeed soldiers under King Guangyuan. We were forced to dock due to being pursued by the Wuhe barbarian’s ship. Since this place was once an uninhabited island, and seeing that you all appear to be Chinese, we assumed you were merchants. Would you be willing to extend a favor and allow us to dock and seek refuge? Your noble virtue will be forever etched in our hearts.”

Sheng Changhai’s expression changed slightly, “There are pursuers?”

He waved his hand, “We’re regrouping and returning to the ship! Set sail immediately!”

The guards moved quickly, tightly surrounding Xu Chun and preparing to retreat. Xu Chun turned to look at the young man on the damaged boat. Upon closer inspection, they saw that even the mast had broken, and half of the ship’s side had been blown apart, clearly unable to sail any further. The few men also appeared to be injured.

He kept looking back but finally stopped and pulled on Sheng Changhai, “Third Brother.”

Sheng Changhai glanced at Xu Chun, knowing he couldn’t bear to leave them, and turned to the people on the boat, “We’ll leave you with food and water, up on the hillside. Once we’re gone, feel free to use them.” He then turned and gave orders, taking out a pack of medicine for wounds, placing it on a rock by the shore, “Here is medicine for wounds.”

The young man on the boat bowed deeply, “Thank you for your noble deed.” He smiled, as if he wasn’t facing a dire situation and didn’t need to beg for help. However, the distant sound of cannon fire could already be heard. Sheng Changyun looked over and saw the silhouette of a ship in the dense fog. He reached out to pull Xu Chun, “Hurry, that’s a pirate ship from Wuhe! It must be pursuing them!”

Xu Chun walked up the hillside, turned his head to look down, and saw the young man still watching them, not speaking. Seeing him turn around, the young man smiled faintly. Xu Chun asked Sheng Changhai, “If the pirate ship arrives, leaving them here is akin to sending them to their deaths. These medicines and food will be useless. They are fighting against the Wuhe people for slaughtering our Chinese people… They share the same roots as us…”

Sheng Changhai looked at Xu Chun’s expression and stomped his foot, decisively ordering, “Send a few men to bring them aboard, then set sail immediately!”

A squad of guards went over to guide them. The young man, seeing the guards come down and speak, was somewhat surprised. He raised his head and bowed in their direction again. Sheng Changhai then said to Xu Chun, “Let’s go, we must board the ship before they arrive.”

Everyone hurriedly boarded the ship. Some guided the wounded soldiers of King Guangyuan to the cabins and summoned doctors to treat them.

Xu Chun felt uneasy, watching as the large ship slowly set sail. Sheng Changhai approached, listened to Sheng Changyun’s words, and nodded, “Pass the order down, instruct all gunners, musketeers, archers, and crossbowmen to prepare for battle. All oarsmen should paddle at full speed.”

The entire ship seemed to awaken like a giant beast. Countless crew members ran out of the main cabin, torches illuminated the ship as if it were daylight, shouts and commands resounded continuously. Flags rose on the masts, signalmen climbed up the lookout poles and began waving flags and torches. All the other ships also seemed to come alive.

Several warships slowly surrounded the Golden Scale, assuming protective postures, while more smaller boats gathered to follow behind.

Xu Chun, still young, felt his heart pounding as he watched this scene. He said to Sheng Changyun, “Second Brother, should I not have saved them? Have I caused trouble for you?”

Sheng Changyun smiled, “Don’t panic, the Sheng family fleet isn’t to be trifled with. If they see this formation and realize we’re not to be messed with, they’ll retreat on their own. Since they’re pursuing stragglers, the pursuing warships won’t be particularly numerous.”

“Even if they don’t know their own death and insist on attacking, it’s the perfect opportunity to test our newly repaired cannons and use them for target practice.”

Xu Chun asked, “Will there be… deaths…”

Death at sea was far too common. Waves, bandits, illness… Sheng Changyun looked at Xu Chun’s expression, knowing he was afraid of involving the fleet. He comforted him with a smile, “There likely won’t be a battle. Do you think my brother Changhai and I have been wasting our time at sea all these years? Since Changhai promised to bring them aboard, it means we also believe they should be saved. How many merchants have we saved in the past? This is an act of accumulating blessings. It’s just that they’re too special, with pursuers behind them. Considering you’re on board, safety comes first. But you also want to save them. If we truly abandon them, we’ll feel regretful in the future. It’s better to take a risk once and seek peace of mind for the rest of our lives.”

“We’re just avoiding disaster, not fearing it. If we fight, we fight. Your third brother has been bored out of his wits these days. Let him stay behind and enjoy fighting, while we leave first.”

“Don’t worry, the Empress of Heaven will protect us.”