Chapter 98: Breaking Through Haimen Gate

Torches surrounded them on all sides, the light blinding, so he couldn't make out what the dark shape in the river actually was.

Just as he was about to lean out for a closer look, a yellow croaker slapped him in the head.

"You say stop, we stop? Hurry up and carry the fish, quit your bullshit."

"There really is something in the river."

"Afraid you saw a water monkey, did you?" a bold soldier mocked.

"Shut up! Even Grandpa Water Monkey is not something to joke about?" a soldier said sternly.

"It's not a water monkey—it looks like a boat!"

"Damn it, even if the wokou came up the river tonight, I wouldn't let it delay me from eating fish! If you want to stand guard over the water monkey, go ahead and do it yourself. Hey, there's another barrel of oil in the hold—don't forget to carry it up. Deep-frying fish needs plenty of oil to be fragrant!"

The bird boat sailed far past Haimen.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Lei Sanxiang said, "Brother Yiguan, that trick of yours was brilliant. That fish—never mind the common soldiers, even I couldn't stop my mouth from watering."

"Was that boat owner one of Brother Yiguan's men?" Chen Jiao asked.

Zheng Zhilong grinned smugly: "Just an ordinary fisherman. I gave him fifty taels of silver this morning and told him to make a boatload of fried fish—the Lin household needs it urgently, deliver it tomorrow at dawn, and there'll be extra reward upon delivery. That's what they mean by 'men die for wealth.'"

Fifty taels of silver, the life of one boatman.

In this Great Ming, that was already selling at a high price.

After sailing much farther, Lin Qian ordered the fleet to anchor temporarily.

"Helmsman, why have we stopped?" Chen Jiao asked.

Lin Qian gazed into the distance at Haimen Guard and said flatly, "Brother Yiguan has prepared another good show. We'll leave after watching it."

Lei Sanxiang grumbled, "What other good show is there? Why are you being mysterious too?"

Lin Qian smiled without answering, and everyone turned their gaze toward the river mouth.

In the moonlight, more torches lit up at the guard stations on both the north and south banks, exceptionally clear to see.

Before long, a thunderclap-like explosion sounded from afar, followed by a splash of water, like a flood dragon plunging into the river.

In the moonlight, white spray could be faintly seen shooting up toward the cliff.

The river-blocking chain on the south bank snapped and fell into the water.

Lei Sanxiang's mouth hung open: "Brother Yiguan, you planted gunpowder on the cliff?"

Zheng Zhilong said, "Wouldn't using gunpowder leave evidence for others to seize upon? My method—I guarantee the guard station officers and soldiers won't spot a single flaw."

Lei Sanxiang urged, "Stop beating around the bush, just tell us already."

Zheng Zhilong turned back and glanced at Lin Qian.

Lin Qian: "It's your idea—you tell it."

"Yes, sir." Zheng Zhilong clasped his fists in salute.

While Zheng Zhilong was telling his story, Lin Qian ordered the fleet to set sail, heading toward the Yongning River.

"It's actually quite simple. Earlier, I had someone tie ropes to the river-blocking chain, and on those ropes I tied winch knots, with heavy weights connected to the lower ends.

The winch knots can let out the excess rope, so when the chain was lowered, no one noticed anything unusual.

Once it's pulled up, the winch knots tighten on their own, dragging the heavy weights in the river up along with them.

Under normal circumstances, if the north bank soldiers noticed the winch's weight was off and the rope was hard to haul in, they'd definitely report it to their superiors and send someone down into the river to investigate.

But today they secretly lowered the river-blocking chain and killed people and robbed a boat—if their superiors found out, it would be a grave crime, so they'd certainly force the winch to turn.

That heavy weight at the river bottom weighed over ten thousand jin. The river-blocking chain was old and poorly maintained, the iron links badly rusted, the cables severely worn—of course it snapped when pulled."

Zheng Zhilong paused a moment, savoring the stunned expressions on everyone aboard.

"The river water is muddy, hard to see anything underwater. Even if they send divers to fish out the chain, it'll take six or seven days, and then replacing the cables and iron rings—half a month would be fast. That's plenty of time for us to act in Huangyan."

Hearing this, Lei Sanxiang raised his thumb again: "That trick is truly brilliant."

Chen Jiao asked curiously, "The Ling River flows gently and the river is wide. Though both banks are cliffs, the terrain is gradual, with no falling rocks. What heavy weight is at the river bottom?"

That question hit the spot, and Zheng Zhilong promptly said, "Brother Chen asks well. At first I was stumped too—the bottom of the Ling River is all thick silt. Never mind boulders, even cracks between stones are rare.

I asked around and learned that this area often has typhoons, and every time a typhoon strikes from the sea, the Ling River floods, drowning countless fields.

The common folk and the authorities all believed an evil flood dragon was coming from the sea into the river to wreak havoc.

So in the second year of Wanli, the authorities raised donations, the great households led the way, the common people contributed money, and together they funded the casting of a Sea-Suppressing Roar statue, sunk into the river.

It was sunk right between the north and south guard stations at Haimen."

Lei Sanxiang pressed on: "And after building that Sea-Suppressing Roar, did it work?"

Zheng Zhilong shook his head: "Naturally it did no good at all—the Ling River flooded whenever it was going to flood."

Lei Sanxiang clicked his tongue in wonder: "After all that effort building the Sea-Suppressing Roar, it still couldn't suppress the evil dragon! The story's entertaining, sure, but it sure doesn't leave a man feeling satisfied."

Everyone on the boat fell silent for a moment.

At this time the wind was favorable; the bird boat raised its sails to complement the oars, speeding swiftly along the Ling River, its bow cutting through white spray, truly like a water bird.

Lin Qian stood at the bow, watching the left bank so as not to miss the Yongning River fork.

Lei Sanxiang said, "Speaking of stories, I've personally lived through a good one—called 'Helmsman Lin's Boat Breaks a Thousand-Foot Wave, All the Crew Gaze Upon Buzhou Mountain!'"

In the late Ming, the common folk had abundant pastimes and a rich cultural life—storybooks, novels, and professional storytellers were everywhere.

Though Lei Sanxiang couldn't read a single character, he could mimic the storytellers' way of naming chapters, and did a fair job of it.

Zheng Zhilong couldn't help but smile and said, "That's the time Brother Lin braved the typhoon at Luzon, right? I've already heard the sailors tell it."

"How dull!" Lei Sanxiang's story was cut off before he could tell it, and he glared in anger.

Zheng Zhilong quickly said, "Why don't Brother Lei San tell it again? With your gift of gab, I'm sure you'll tell it better than they did."

Lei Sanxiang grew angrier upon hearing this: "They? Who all told you about it?"

Zheng Zhilong raised his fingers to count: "Uncle Chen, Zhang Wusi, Skinny Old Horse, Qian Zhongbai, Uncle Huang..."

"Damn it! Old Huang's a mute, how can he tell stories? Don't you try to fool me!"

Zheng Zhilong: "Uncle Huang may not be able to speak, but he gestures with his hands, and it's quite vivid—plus his little apprentice chimes in from the side. He tells it really well."

"That bastard!" Lei Sanxiang cursed with a laugh.

A confused look appeared on Zheng Zhilong's face as he asked Lin Qian: "Helmsman, are there really flood dragons in the typhoon winds? Everyone says there are, so why have I never seen one?"

Lin Qian's head ached. If he said no, given how stubborn people of this era were, they'd argue with him to the bitter end.

By the time he explained pressure belts, monsoons, cyclones, and warm and cold air currents clearly, he'd probably be exhausted to death.

So Lin Qian brushed it off: "Maybe there are, maybe there aren't. Many things in this world—you have to try them yourself before you know the answer."

Zheng Zhilong asked again: "Then that time at Luzon, did Brother Lin see a flood dragon? Lots of sailors said they saw one."

Lin Qian slowly shook his head: "I didn't see one."

Zheng Zhilong looked thoughtful: "I understand."

As they spoke, a small mountain ridge appeared ahead of the bird boat.

Beneath the ridge, two waterways converged. The wider one was the Ling River, which from this mountain turned to flow from northwest to southeast.

The narrower waterway south of the mountain was the Yongning River.

Along the banks of the Yongning River under the moonlight, large stretches of farmland could be seen laid out in crisscrossing patterns, dark yellow rice ears swaying in the wind like waves.

Some fields had already been harvested, revealing pitch-black earth.

Amid the field paths, several low flat-roofed houses dotted the landscape.

It was the busy farming season, and in a few of the tenant farmers' houses, faint lamplight still glowed.

Lin Qian looked at the scene before him, feeling both unfamiliar and familiar. He took a deep breath and murmured in his heart: "Huangyan County, your Lin Qian has returned."

(End of chapter)

Yahei

Fenyuan

Pen