Wang Xuance and the torch team quickly got busy, notifying the other two ships to prepare for battle and removing the tarps covering the rocket launchers and machine guns.
Report, fire control room is ready!
Report, rockets are ready to fire at any time!
Report, machine gunners in position!
Fang Er glanced at Li Shimin, only to see the old Li glaring at him and roaring: What are you looking at me for, get to it!
Attention all hands, the ship flying the sun, moon, and five-star flag is a merchant ship, and the others like it are also merchant ships!
Apart from these two, the rest are bandits. Aim at them and fire!
Received!
Received!
Received!
Soon, the sonar radar had marked the bandit ships. The rocket launchers automatically adjusted their attack parameters. As the fire switch was pressed, dozens of rockets took off from the three ships in succession.
Whoosh~~
Whoosh~~
For a time, all three hovercraft were enveloped in smoke, like white clouds drifting on the sea.
Head Boss, quick, look what that is!
Among the bandits, a small subordinate had been constantly paying attention to the hovercraft. Upon seeing the rockets continuously flying up, he immediately panicked and shouted to Wu Yefan.
As a result, Wu Bufan didn't even look and slapped him on the head: What are you looking at? Finish this first!
At this moment, the bandit ships had already closed in on the merchant ships, and it would only take a few breaths to board them. How could he have the time to care about what was happening next to him?
Even if the imperial soldiers really arrived, they would still seize these two merchant ships before escaping!
Bandits never leave empty-handed, a truth that has remained unchanged for a thousand years!
But in the next moment, those rockets, with their piercing whistles, made him unconsciously look up.
He saw dozens of large clubs spitting flames, hurtling directly towards them.
Damn it~~ Jump ship!
With a loud shout, he was the first to press the ship's railing and leap, jumping towards the merchant ship.
Almost at the moment he jumped, the rockets accurately hit the bandit ships.
Boom~Boom~Boom~~
The continuous explosions and billowing flames perfectly enveloped the three bandit ships.
Only the area close to the merchant ships was spared from the rockets.
In just an instant, the three ships were mercilessly torn apart, turning into pieces of burning wooden planks, drifting into the sea.
The old helmsman was stunned. What had he seen?
Was this the wrath of the gods?
Looking at the merchant ships, which had only suffered minor damage from some fragments, tears flowed from the corners of his eyes. He looked up at the sun, moon, and five-star flag on the mast, and with a bend of his knees, he knelt down.
With three thuds of his forehead against the deck, he then roared towards the sun, moon, and five-star flag.
Our Great Tang! Mighty!
Seeing this, the other boatmen excitedly shouted along.
Our Great Tang! Mighty!
After all, they had escaped from certain death, and no one would begrudge this bit of emotion. For a time, everyone on the two ships shouted to express their feelings.
Our Great Tang! Mighty!
Wu Yefan was blown by the blast wave and hit the ship's hull. He lay on the deck for a long time before groggily getting up.
Looking at the three ships that were intact just moments ago, now reduced to countless fragments in the blink of an eye, he was completely dumbfounded.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Guards, seize that sea king!
Yes!
All the boatmen on the ships rushed out, tying up Wu Yefan and the other bandits who had luckily jumped onto the merchant ships and escaped death, bundling them like zongzi and throwing them onto the deck.
Meanwhile, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Wei Zheng on the hovercraft were seeing the power of rockets for the first time, staring at Fang Er like idiots.
Fang, Fang, Little Friend Fang, those three ships just now, they're just... gone?
Fang Er nodded nonchalantly: Yes, gone.
"Hahahaha! What's this? A triple salvo of ships can blast even a mountain flat!"
Li Shimin laughed heartily, said a parting word, and walked out of the cabin with his hands behind his back.
Move closer!
Fang Er instructed the soldier steering the ship and then followed him out.
Fang, Du, and Wei exchanged glances, seeing in each other's eyes an immense shock.
They had thought the Wuyan Great Ships were already awesome, but compared to the hovercraft beneath their feet, the Wuyan Great Ships were instantly reduced to dregs!
The hovercraft quickly approached the merchant ships. Seeing the strange hull, the old helmsman hurriedly bowed to Li Shimin and the others.
Kunshan Feng Family Trading Company thanks you for your assistance. May I know if you could reveal your identities, so that our company's owner may pay his respects in the future.
No need for thanks, protecting you is my duty!
Li Shimin nodded at him with a smile.
The old helmsman was dumbfounded. He first dug his ears to make sure they were okay, then slapped himself in the face, realizing it wasn't a dream!
The person opposite actually dared to call himself "朕" (zhen, the imperial "I")?
You, you, you are the Emperor?
He asked Li Shimin with disbelief.
Hahahaha, what, don't I look like an Emperor?
Li Shimin was amused by his reaction and asked back with a smile.
Fang Er behind him was speechless, that was a shameless thing to say!
As if all the people in the world knew what you looked like...
But in the next moment, the old man ran back into the cabin without a word, took out a newspaper from inside, looked at the portrait on the newspaper, then looked at Li Shimin, and then knelt down with a thud.
This humble subject thanks the Emperor for his heavenly grace! Thank you, Emperor, for your heavenly grace!
Li Shimin was a little confused by his actions. After jumping from the hovercraft to the merchant ship, he picked up the newspaper beside the old man and looked through it carefully.
The first thing he saw was the content of the front-page headline.
Seventy-year-old man kneels to a sow, not the Emperor, why!
There was also a large accompanying picture, which was a photo taken by Fang Er.
The picture was divided in half, one side was Li Shimin, and the other half was an old man kowtowing to a sow.
Fang Er, who had followed, couldn't help but mutter three words in his heart upon seeing the picture.
Too careless!
He had actually forgotten about the newspaper's accompanying picture. With this, it was not impossible for people all over the world to recognize Li Shimin.
Li Shimin kindly pulled the old helmsman up from the deck and then asked about their merchant trading.
Where are you from, where are you going, what goods are you selling, what is the market like, he asked about everything in detail.
The old helmsman was so moved that tears streamed down his face. Before him was the current Emperor, and he was alive!
He answered questions without any hesitation, wishing he could reveal even the matter of him peeking at a widow bathing when he was a child.
Upon learning that they were going to Bishacheng, Li Shimin decided to see the good deed through and waved his hand generously to Fang Er: Notify everyone, we are also going to Bishacheng to take a look!
Thus, this merchant fleet, consisting of only two ships, received unprecedented protection. On each side, a hovercraft escorted them, while another hovercraft led the way in front.