While Ruan Yuan was investigating and handling the prosecution case, Li Changgeng once again made preparations to go south to patrol the seaside in Ningbo, Zhejiang.

"Bu Yun, are all the ships ready for this sea trip? Although the front line has reported that Cai Ni's ships are not many this time, Cai Ni has always been cunning and there will inevitably be an ambush, so it is better to be cautious." Li Changgeng.

Before going to sea, Chen Buyun was also given detailed instructions one by one.

"Sir, don't worry about the ship." But as he spoke, Chen Buyun couldn't help but sigh and said: "It's just that we haven't had a few days of rest this year. In the spring, Cai Ni

We fought a battle with him on Daxingyu. In summer, Zheng Yi invaded the eastern coast of Guangdong, so we went to Guangdong to help out. In autumn, we just patrolled Fuyingyang. Now in mid-winter, we have to go south to pursue Cai Ni. Your Excellency,

It’s not that I don’t dare to go south, it’s just that I’ve been doing battles and patrols for a year, and I’m afraid my brothers won’t be able to hold on?”

"Yes, there have been a lot of wars this year." Li Changgeng also sighed: "Having said that, I haven't been able to go home for three years. You said I miss my family, of course I do.

? But what can be done? If Cai Ni is not dead, there will be no peace in the East China Sea. If he just wants to be comfortable for a while, won't he let the people along the coast suffer? What's more, even if Cai Ni is deceitful, most of his ships were destroyed in the battle of Lu'ermen last year.

, the large ships he has shown us these few times when he went out to sea are only about twenty. If we can concentrate the ship artillery of the two provinces to fight Cai Ni, the advantage will definitely be on our side."

Seeing that Chen Buyun still had doubts, Li Changgeng also advised him: "Otherwise, look, there is the Guandi Temple opposite. Let's go and get a lottery first. If the lottery is good, it's better to improve morale before going on the expedition."

?”

Chen Buyun had no objection, so the two of them entered the Guandi Temple on the side. The worshipers in the temple saw two senior military officials coming to ask for the fortune, and quickly took the lotus tube. After Li Changgeng burned incense to worship Guan Gong, he left

I took out a sign from the tube and walked to the outer hall to look at it. I saw two lines of words written on the sign:

"In the end, it will be detrimental to my family's affairs, and my reputation will be passed down through the ages."

"Sir, this... is not good in the end... is this a sign of great disaster?" Chen Buyun looked at the words on the signature, but he was also surprised, and hurriedly said to Li Changgeng: "Sir, if this... this is really God's will.

...It's disadvantageous, then... After all, Cai Qian only has a small fleet of ships this time, and they probably can't make waves, so... I think it's not too late to go out again next year?" As he said that, he would also

He lowered his voice. After all, facing the always tough Li Changgeng, if he didn't have this stick, he would undoubtedly be scolded for saying such things.

"Bu Yun, why is this disadvantageous? How disadvantageous is it? There is nothing written on the signature. Why can't we go south this time? If Cai Ni hears that our army has arrived and escapes on his own, then we don't catch them. It is considered a disadvantage.

', But haven't you experienced this kind of thing many times? You, I don't know who you have listened to, why do you want me to mention something about the battle formation?" Li Changgeng was not angry, but

His intention to pursue Cai Qian southward did not waver at all.

"Master Li, this lottery... Actually, there is something wrong with this lottery." The steward on the side saw that Li Changgeng seemed to have drawn an "evil lottery" and quickly stepped forward to comfort him: "We have a lot of lottery here.

They are all old things from seven or eight years ago and should have been replaced a long time ago. My lord, this lottery tube is also old, so I see that this lottery will definitely not count. Otherwise, I will prepare a new lottery tube and my lord will draw again.

How about once?”

"That's all, since it's an old lottery, just pretend I haven't drawn it before." Li Changgeng didn't want to spend too much time on such an insignificant matter as asking for a lottery, so he returned the lottery to the steward and left the Guandi Temple with Chen Buyun.

But just as he walked back to the street, he saw a sedan at the corner. Inside the sedan, a woman was walking out. When Li Changgeng walked closer, he could see clearly that this person was his wife Wu.

.

"Madam, you...why are you here?" Li Changgeng looked at Wu, but he felt sad for a moment, because the last time he saw his wife was two years ago. In the past two years, even if he occasionally

When I had time to return to Ningbo, I stayed in the army to repair warships and plan coastal defense matters. Thinking about it this way, the person I felt most sorry for was probably the Wu family.

"Master, did you... just draw a lot? What was written on the lot?" Mrs. Wu looked at Li Changgeng with tears in her eyes, and she was very excited. However, Ms. Wu knew Li Changgeng's temper and always put business first.

So I had to suppress my emotions and ask about the lottery first.

"This... is just a lottery win, no disaster, no disaster, but no benefit." Li Changgeng prevaricated.

"Master, if there is no benefit if you go, then why don't you go back to your home first and see your grandson?" Mrs. Wu couldn't hold it in any longer and sobbed to Li Changgeng: "It's been two years and I finally see you.

On the one hand, it has been three years since you last entered our house. Master, is this matter at sea really so difficult to understand? Master, why should you be running around on the sea day and night for years? The children of Da Cong's family,

He is now six years old. The last time he came to our house, he asked me what my grandpa looked like. He said... I haven't seen my grandpa in three years, but I have... but I have forgotten..." After that, Mrs. Wu said again

Unable to restrain himself, he only covered his face with his clothes and kept sobbing.

Li Changgeng looked at his wife's sad look, how could he give up in his heart at this moment? He also stepped forward, put his hands on Wu's shoulders, and said softly to her: "Madam, this... I am indeed sorry for you, and I am also sorry.

Da Cong and his family, Madam, don’t worry, if I can’t catch the thief at sea this time, I will come back. It’s almost the twelfth lunar month, and I will go home to celebrate the Chinese New Year. When the time comes, we will call Da Cong and his family as well.

, the child can’t remember grandpa, so let him watch it all at once! What do you think?”

"But Master, since this trip to sea is of no importance, why do you need to go out again?" Wu cried.

"Alas, I can't help it." Li Changgeng couldn't help but sigh: "In the past two years, I have always commanded the Fujian and Zhejiang Navy. Rongjun, Yufeng and others are in Fujian again. Only then can the Fujian Navy be able to

Follow my orders and you can handle the war with ease. But I also know that there are still a group of old people in Fujian who have never been of great use. This time I went to sea, it was insignificant just now, but without me, Cai Qian will be unscrupulous.

If Fujian cannot resist the New Year, then... how many people may not be able to survive the New Year? Madam, now that I am the admiral and commander-in-chief, with great power, the responsibility... will naturally be greater, right?"

"Master, then... then you must be more careful when you go this time. If there are too many pirate ships, or if you really can't see a single ship, you, don't be brave and come back as soon as possible. I... we

I'm waiting for you at home..." Seeing that Li Changgeng had decided to leave, Mrs. Wu knew that she couldn't persuade him to come back, so she had to ask him to be more careful.

"Don't worry, Madam. I will be careful this time. If I don't see Cai Qian, I will come back right away! It's been three years, and I still want to see what my family is like," Li Changgeng comforted.

"Well... Master, be sure to take care..."

"Okay, by the way, is that kid from the Da Cong family literate now? Is he looking for his husband?"

"I know a lot of words now. It's spring next year, so I'll invite you sir."

"Okay, I still haven't forgotten the books I read when I was young. When I come back, I will personally teach him the art of war!"

In this way, Li Changgeng led his troops to sea at the end of November and soon arrived at Fuyingyang in Fujian. Coincidentally, at this time, Cai Qian's fleet was also looking for opportunities in this area. When he saw Li Changgeng's warship, he immediately

Order to fight back.

"Fire! Fight them back!" Cai Qian personally gave the order this time.

"Bang bang bang bang!" Soon, the pirate ship launched the first wave of attacks on the official army.

"Don't panic, everyone, prepare to fight back!" Li Changgeng listened to the sound of cannons and quickly discerned Cai Qian's real situation, saying: "The sound of the thieves' artillery fire was half less than last year at Lu'ermen. Cai Ni is now at the end of his war effort!

Everyone man the boat and line up, listen to my orders, and prepare to fire! This time, we must not let Cai Qian escape!"

Soon, the official and military warships entered in a row and loaded their ammunition one after another. After the "bang bang" sound, it turned out that the ships on Cai Qian's side had begun to be overwhelmed and swayed in all directions.

"Damn it, this Li Changgeng is really evil...Has he seen through the real situation here?" Cai Qian knew that he was the captain of the ship at this time, and in the past year, there had been very few robberies at sea, and most of the pirates had not fought.

I actually started to panic.

"Cai Qian, how about we retreat to the west? The wind is blowing from the northeast right now, and going north is not good for us. But if we turn to the southwest and retreat to Hue, maybe we can make a comeback?" Lu Lao also expressed concern about the pirate situation.

Once it became clear, he took the initiative to persuade Cai Qiandao.

"There is no other way... withdraw, withdraw!" As Cai Qian's main ship began to turn, the encounter ended early. And all this was clearly seen by Li Changgeng, who was not far away.

"Sir, should we catch up, or..." asked Mr. Qian, who was next to Li Changgeng.

"I've come across it... and it's really a good opportunity..." In fact, at this time, Li Changgeng didn't want to return to the army early and reunite with his family as soon as possible? But seeing that Cai Qian's fleet at this time didn't have many ships, and

When they retreated, they went their separate ways. I had fought with Cai Qian for many years, and I knew that he was a serious man and never showed mercy to his subordinates. Therefore, even if he retreated, he would never lose his position. At this time, the pirates dispersed, which only meant that Cai Qian

Qian has been forced into a desperate situation by himself.

Perhaps, as long as we chase after him and annihilate Cai Qian in one fell swoop, we can get away with it once and for all...

"The whole army listens to my order and pursues forward!" Li Changgeng said immediately: "Also, quickly send a boat to inform Vice Admiral Chen and ask him to contact the Fujian Navy Admiral Zhang Jiansheng and say that Cai Ni has been defeated. I think it is a true defeat.

, we can work together to put an end to this rebellion! Let him quickly mobilize the navy and go south with me to chase the thieves!"

"Yes!" Mr. Qian responded. Immediately, Li Changgeng's fleet continued south, chasing Cai Qian's ship all the way. However, after a few days, it had entered the Guangdong sea, and Cai Qian's fleet had ships gradually deviating from the waterway.

Looking in the direction, Li Changgeng could see that only the last five or six ships of Cai Qian's fleet were left. As long as the two sides could engage in battle, the government and army would be sure to win.

But while Li Changgeng was chasing Cai Qian, Ruan Yuan on the Henan side was gradually falling into trouble. Although Guangxing promised him to report Huang and Chen's dereliction of duty, there was no news for several days.

.On this day, Ruan Yuan knew that he could wait no longer, so he took the initiative to go to the place where Guangxing and his party were staying, preparing to ask him what happened.

However, when Ruan Yuan walked more than ten steps in front of Guangxing Gate, he suddenly heard an official inside the door saying to Guangxing: "Sir, this... this page of paper is stained..."

"What's wrong with it getting dirty? Just change the page." Guang Xing replied in a slightly impatient voice.

For a moment, Ruan Yuan didn't pay attention. He just stepped forward and told his name. When he heard that Guang Guang agreed to let him in, he pushed the door open and walked in. When he walked in, he was also surprised.

The smell of alcohol was everywhere in the concierge in Xing. Two officials were on one side, flipping through papers on the table carelessly. Guang Xing was also sleepy-eyed. He watched Ruan Yuan enter the door and said to Ruan Yuan: "Haha,

Isn't this Mr. Ruan? It's rare for a minister to come to my place on his own initiative? Come on, sit down quickly, Mr. Minister, if you have anything important to do, it doesn't hurt to say anything!"

"You are so polite, Mr. Guang." Although Ruan Yuan was quite unhappy when he saw the situation in front of him, he had no choice but to hold back his anger, sat down, and said to Guang Xing: "Mr. Guang, regarding the matter of Huang Mingqi and Chen Zhongchen, the minister is presiding over the interrogation.

, it must be six or seven days, right? I also want to ask, when will this trial end, and how long will it take for this case to be concluded? "

"Haha, Mr. Ruan, are you in a hurry to close the case now?" Guangxing couldn't help laughing. While laughing, he reluctantly sat up from his recliner and said to Ruan Yuan: "At that time, Mr. Ruan discovered these two things.

During the case, I advised the minister not to pursue it like this? Why, now that I have handled these two things, the minister is anxious instead? "

"Shilang Guang, what are you talking about?" Ruan Yuan listened to Guang Xing's strong words and argued with him: "Once this case is found out, it will be handled. But once it is handled, we can't just disappear all day long.

The result, right? If the two of them have indeed confessed, then the case should naturally be closed early. Otherwise, while I am on a business trip, do we have to use more money and food from the Henan government to supplement my work? "

"Master Ruan, don't get angry, don't get angry?" Although Guangxing's words were comforting, his tone was full of impatience: "Look, aren't they the two confessions? They,

They have confessed a long time ago. Next, we only need to copy their confessions one by one with red heart paper, and then we can close the case. But look at Ruan Shilang, when we used the red heart paper before, we did not consider the following.

What’s the matter? So now, whether it’s paper or ink, it’s become a problem, there’s not enough, right?”

"Shilang Guang, if we save a little, can we still get some paper for the confessions of these people?" Ruan Yuan thought about the situation before entering the door, always feeling that something was wrong, and continued to ask: "Forget it.

We don’t have enough ink on the paper we are waiting for. Let’s save some money and buy some of inferior quality. Can’t we also finish writing this confession?”

"Ruan Shilang, this is your first time handling a prosecution case. You don't know the situation in Beijing, right?" Guangxing couldn't help but smile: "Who among those who go out to handle prosecution cases doesn't need high-quality red heart paper? Then we will

He handed the document to the emperor. The emperor saw that everyone else was using high-quality paper, but the paper between you and me was mediocre. So what did the emperor think? At best, I don’t need you and me to handle cases in the future. At worst,

, it’s not impossible to lose your title, right?”

"Then...then we can save some money on other expenses, right?" Ruan Yuan asked.

"Sir Ruan, do you think that only you and I are handling this case, don't you?" Guang Xing said again: "Actually, if only the two of us are handling the case, the daily expenses will be more frugal, but I can't

Do you want to do this? Look at them." As he said that, Guangxing pointed to the staff around him, and then pointed outside to show that there were staff in other rooms. "It's not like they just work without taking anything.

Salary? You don’t know, Mr. Ruan, that they are all selected by the emperor from the chief ministers of various ministries, and their salaries are already meager. If there is no extra money, why should they work for us? "

"Then Mr. Guang, is there no other way to deal with this matter?" Ruan Yuan heard what Guang Xing said, and it seemed to make sense. After careful consideration, he stopped arguing.

"There's no way...it's definitely not impossible. But Mr. Ruan, it's more appropriate for you to think about some things yourself than for me to tell you directly. Otherwise...if Mr. Ruan goes out to Beijing to handle the case next time, it won't be difficult.
Chapter completed!