Chapter 1020: Ship Seizure

No one noticed that Zhao Jin was also on the dock. Liu Yong, Lei Cai, and Ma Chonghao were all there too. They were all seated inside a tea shed at the corner of the dock. Screens had been cleverly set up in the inner part of the shed, and there were people behind them. Inside and outside the tea shed, all were household troops disguised in the various outfits of dock workers. At this moment, every person on the dock was actually a household trooper or militiaman. The local volunteers from Xuzhou and Pizhou who were good swimmers were positioned near the water's edge. If anyone familiar with the Zhao Character Camp were present, they would see Cai Qing of the Yellow River Cai family lying on the deck of a boat, seemingly resting his eyes in exhaustion.

The urgent sound of horse hooves could be heard stopping not far away. Footsteps rapidly approached the tea shed. Some household troops went out to receive the messenger, and soon returned to report beside Zhao Jin's seat: "They are almost here. They've been spotted along the lakeshore."

As soon as this report was made, the atmosphere inside the tea shed instantly tensed. Everyone subconsciously looked northward. At that moment, another household trooper strode in quickly and said in a low voice: "Master, Squad Commander Zhou requests an audience."

Zhao Jin nodded. Shortly after, a sturdy man in a short tunic walked in. Seeing Zhao Jin, he hurriedly cupped his fists in salute and said with a beaming smile: "Greetings, Master Jin."

Zhao Jin smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, gesturing for Squad Commander Zhou to take a seat. Squad Commander Zhou thanked him again and sat down beside Zhao Jin. This squad commander was a man of the world. Once seated, he smiled and said: "Why trouble yourself to come in person for such a small matter, Master Jin? Just let the subordinates handle it."

"The stakes are too high, and the wealth over there is too great. If I didn't come, I feared someone might be tempted by the riches and ruin my plans," Zhao Jin said with a nod. These blunt words made Squad Commander Zhou's expression turn slightly awkward, his smile stiffening into a dry chuckle.

After a moment of silence, Squad Commander Zhou finally said: "Who would dare disobey Master Jin's orders? Anyone who did would have to be either a madman or a fool."

Only a faint breeze stirred. The tribute barges moved slowly across the lake. Word had come that the ships would still take a while to arrive. After making his greetings, Squad Commander Zhou felt it was awkward to remain seated there and soon rose to take his leave.

"Everyone has loyalty, and everyone knows fear and respect. But none of that is absolute. Given enough temptation—or perhaps not even that much—they will change. The men on the canal reported the news to us for money; they could just as easily conceal things from us for money," Zhao Jin said in a deep voice.

There were other things left unsaid, but everyone understood the reason. The Second Regiment and Third Battalion were the closest, yet they were not skilled in the matters of the Internal Guard or the underworld. Moreover, a large-scale movement of household troops would create too much commotion and easily alert the prey. Zhao Jin leading his men swiftly here was the most reliable method—he could hold the situation steady and had enough capable hands. The most critical reason was this: the stakes were simply too high; Zhao Jin had to handle it personally.

"They're here!" Not long after, more news came from outside. Zhao Jin and the men around him all stood up, putting on their wide-brimmed sun hats. However, the main purpose of these hats was to cover half their faces.

At this moment, everything on the docks of Luoma Lake and Yutou Town appeared normal. Only someone truly familiar with the place could detect something odd. But people minded their own business. On the boats, separated from one another, and with no harm coming to themselves, no one would meddle and give a warning. Everyone quietly went about their own tasks.

A fleet of sixteen ships appeared in view. They were called tribute barges, but the structures on their decks resembled those of pleasure boats or tower ships. When traveling from the north to Huaiyang and Jiangnan, those with money and leisure often chose the canal route. They could drift southward in comfort, spared the hardship of bumpy roads, and enjoy the scenery along the banks. When the tribute barges traveled north, they often returned south empty and were quite willing to carry these wealthy passengers, who were generous spenders and often had plenty of commercial goods to ship along. For this reason, the barges were specially modified for such people, turning cargo vessels into ones suitable for carrying passengers.

The fleet showed no sign of intending to stop. If their supplies were sufficient, stopping at Yutou Town was not mandatory. However, some "kind and meddlesome" small boats approached them, shouting: "The river channel ahead is blocked! Honored guests, why not dock at the pier, have some tea, and stretch your legs?"

There was nothing unusual about this. Along the canal docks and berths, such small boats always solicited customers, using the opportunity to sell their tea, fruit, and snacks, or to draw patrons to the inns and restaurants ashore—they got a cut for it.

The fleet was quite cautious. They did not rush toward the dock. Instead, they lowered several small boats. Some rowed ahead to scout, while others went to nearby vessels to ask around. The river channel was indeed blocked—no one would deny it, and they could see it with their own eyes. Before long, the small boats all returned to the fleet and confirmed the news. Only then did the fleet slowly begin to approach the dock.

"Don't rush. Go about your business as usual. Wait until the mooring lines are secured to the posts before making a move," someone urged the men on the dock in a low voice. Because of the fleet's approach, the seemingly normal bustle on the dock had already grown somewhat strange. By this time, some men had already climbed the watchtowers on the shore. There were flags on the platforms. If the fleet did not dock, they would use the flags to signal the boats out on the lake, where a second line of preparation was waiting.

However, the people on the fleet noticed nothing amiss. The boatmen and sailors on board were busy maneuvering. Some passengers dressed in the manner of wealthy families stepped onto the decks, leisurely and curiously observing the lakeside scenery of Yutou Town on Luoma Lake. As they neared the dock, the sailors on the ships shouted and threw out mooring lines. Men on the dock immediately caught them, nimbly tied the lines to the wooden posts, and wound them round and round.

"Need to unload cargo?" "There's a batch of liquor to be delivered to Qingjiangpu." "Honored guests, care for some tea or wine? Tea, wine, and dishes can all be delivered to your ship. We can even arrange a private theatrical performance!" "Fresh seasonal fruit! Fresh seasonal fruit!"

Just as every time a ship docked, a crowd surged forward on the pier to solicit all kinds of business. All sorts of people quickly packed the area. The boatmen and sailors were long accustomed to this scene; those at work remained indifferent, while others shouted to drive these people away so as not to delay the docking. The passengers on board, however, watched the scene with grins, finding it quite novel. There were even quite a few young women among them watching the excitement.

The ship's side touched the berth at the shore. The dock at Yutou Town had been renovated many times by Cloud Mountain Trading. The berths were now raised and reinforced, nearly level with the ships' gunwales. Just at that moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Make way, everyone! Let the honored guests disembark!"

This single shout brought instant silence to the dock. Almost simultaneously, all those various people soliciting business drew sharp blades from their bosoms or behind their backs and charged straight onto the ships. Other men on the dock took large iron hooks and drove them directly into the ships' gunwales, making it impossible for the vessels to leave. In truth, even without this, the ships could not have raised their sails or pushed off with poles in such a panic—they were already immobilized.

Caught completely off guard, the leisurely and contented passengers on the fleet never imagined such a calamity would suddenly befall them. Some roared in fury, some screamed in terror, and even more wailed and wept. Some people on the fleet reacted quickly, however. Seeing the situation turn bad, they jumped directly into the lake from the other side, hoping to use their swimming skills to escape. But this path was also blocked. When the fleet had been docking, some small boats and other tribute barges had seemingly drifted unintentionally to the other side. At this moment, they had already sealed off the fleet on the water.

On the boats sealing off the water escape, men held long bamboo poles. The ends of these long poles were either fitted with sharp spikes or iron hooks. Those who had jumped into the water were ordered to obediently climb aboard. Those who disobeyed were either stabbed by the bamboo spikes or hooked directly and hauled onto the boats.

"Surrender and you will not be killed! Drop your weapons and kneel, and you will not be killed!" These shouts rose one after another. Many people knelt on the ground, crying and wailing. Yet there was still resistance on the ships.

Most of the people on the ships were panicked and at a loss, but some reacted the moment the household troops charged aboard. Seeing men rushing at them, their reactions were not slow. They immediately drew their weapons and met the attack, beginning to fight back. In a field battle, when the household troops of the Zhao Character Camp formed ranks and charged, no force could withstand them. But in this fight to seize the ships, they became entangled at several points. Any of the ship guards who managed to react were able to hold out for a while. In a few places, even several Internal Guard troopers were cut down.

The expressions of Zhao Jin and his group, who had moved close to observe, remained very calm. Liu Yong and Lei Cai's faces, however, did not look good. Zhao Jin was indifferent. Ma Chonghao took a few steps forward and stood, intently watching the fighting on each ship. But this resistance did not last too long. Moments after the fighting began, archers started climbing to the high points on the dock, shooting down from atop the piled cargo. Squads of soldiers wielding long spears also began entering the fray. No matter how brave an individual was, they could not withstand a large unit fighting in formation.

Screams rang out continuously. Some were slashed by blades, some were struck by arrows, and some were stabbed by blades after being shot first. Corpses floated one after another on the lake's surface. The sailors on the boats used iron hooks to haul the bodies up one by one. Anyone trying to play dead would truly die in the process; there was no chance of escape.

The fiercest resistance was only on the third and fourth ships. When the household troops charged aboard with blades, it turned out that several of the women who had been sightseeing could also fight. In the chaos, not only did the troops fail to gain the upper hand, but several were killed or wounded. Ma Chonghao immediately gave orders. The archers loosed a volley directly. The guards on those ships were skilled enough to know to take cover. But what boarded next were not Internal Guard troopers. Instead, it was the personal guard troopers, clad head-to-toe in iron armor and wielding long-handled sabers. In small groups, they pressed forward step by step. They did not seek to kill with a single blade or spear thrust; they simply squeezed the resisting fighters into the corners, and then delivered the killing blows.

"It's nothing serious. This kind of close-quarters slaughter isn't what the Internal Guard is meant for," Zhao Jin said in consolation. He then made a hand signal toward the rear unit. Armored personal guard troopers filed out in formation from the warehouses on the dock. The archers suppressed the resistance on the ships, allowing the first wave of attackers to withdraw and be replaced by the armored soldiers for the assault.

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