"Oh? What a coincidence! It seems I'm truly benefiting from your presence today!" Shao Bowen said, smiling as he looked at Zhang Jing.
"Hahahaha, Mister, you are too kind. I believe Brother Liu here intended to treat you personally. It's I who am taking advantage of you!" Zhang Jing said, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
"You jest, sir. I can afford this meal!"
"If that is the case, then I shall not refuse?"
"Please, sir!" Liu Siye gestured invitingly to them both.
"Yanei, please!"
Zhe Shijiu had departed, leaving Shao Bowen with only a few guards. However, facing the ill-intentioned Liu Siye, he felt no fear.
On the vast expanse of the sea, Zhe Shijiu led his fleet directly towards the waters near Wanli Shitang. Although it was winter, the sea waves were not too rough. Facing the sea breeze with its faint salty aroma, Zhe Shijiu felt much more comfortable. The climate in Jiaozhi was muggy, and it had been raining recently, leaving the air with a musty scent. For a man from the north like him, it was a nightmare. Now, back at sea, feeling the sea breeze, his mood had greatly improved.
"Boss, we've already sailed out more than ten li. Shall we start now?" Seeing that it was almost noon, some soldiers below impatiently asked.
"Let's start. Tell them to hurry. They can still take a nap. Once those brats catch up, we won't have this leisure!" Zhe Shijiu yawned and said, as the horizon had already disappeared from his sight.
"Yes!" Upon receiving his order, the soldiers on the ship quickly relayed his command to all vessels via signal flags. The soldiers, who had been ready for action, immediately began their work.
Bagnu crossbows were swiftly brought onto the deck. Slightly different from ordinary Bagnu crossbows, these were all equipped with a base. The specially made base could be locked into several hidden clasps on the deck, followed by several hidden stakes driven into the deck. Thus, the Bagnu crossbow was instantly integrated with the entire ship. Though this small structure looked simple, with it, the stability of the Bagnu crossbow during firing had greatly increased. This special base could also rotate 360 degrees, and when combined with specially made crossbow bolts, any ship daring to approach within five hundred paces would be enough to make its hull fill with water with a single hit.
"General, we have spotted those Song ships. They are currently heading towards Wanli Shitang!" By the time it was getting dark, Liu Yutang, who had been searching at sea with his subordinates for a long time, finally found Zhe Shijiu's trail.
"Tell the brothers to put in more effort and pursue them immediately. Tonight, we'll let them know how powerful we are!" The sea offered no cover. Liu Yutang discovered Zhe Shijiu at the same time Zhe Shijiu discovered them.
"Boss, the big fish has taken the bait. Shall we find a place to make our move?" Seeing a fleet suddenly appear behind them, the soldiers under Zhe Shijiu's command all became excited.
"Look at yourselves! What are you all like? Aren't they just a few wild monkeys? Mister already said, either don't move, or when you do, take them all down in one go. They are all small, dilapidated ships. If we really start fighting, the ones we send into the sea first might escape before the ones behind are dealt with!" Zhe Shijiu rolled his eyes at their excited expressions.
"Then what do you suggest? The legs are on them, and they clearly have more ships..."
"Don't worry, Mister. Everything was arranged days ago. Our team is already waiting at Wanli Shitang. Anyway, their ships are not much faster than ours. Just let them follow behind. Remember, do not retaliate unless it's absolutely necessary. Lure them into the deep sea. Once our people arrive, we'll take them all down in one go!" Upon hearing Zhe Shijiu's orders, all the soldiers revealed a sly smile. On the surface, they appeared to be merchant ships, but who would have thought that all the ships in their fleet were actually warships?
At this moment, even Zhe Shijiu was starting to look forward to it. If it weren't for the distance, he truly wished he could see the expressions on their faces when they discovered that their prey was an ocean-going fleet from the Great Song Dynasty.
"General, they seem to have spotted us and are now sailing towards the deep sea!" Seeing the fleet ahead hoist full sails, the lookout on Liu Yutang's ship immediately noticed the situation.
"Issue an order to pursue at full speed. We absolutely cannot let them escape!" Seeing the Song people actually start to flee, Liu Yutang became even more excited. In recent years, they had attacked many passing sea merchants, but until now, their targets had always been those barbarians who came from afar. Fearing the power of the Great Song, they had never dared to rob Song merchant ships. Now that they finally had such an opportunity, how could he bear to let these fat sheep slip away before his eyes? Jiaozhi was too poor compared to the Great Song. Whether it was shipbuilding technology or other aspects, the gap was not small. If they could capture these Great Song merchant ships, after a little modification, they could be turned into real warships. If they suddenly gained over a dozen large ships, their influence in this sea area would immediately increase significantly.
"Chase them, chase them. When we reach the destination, grandpa will give you something good to eat!" Seeing that the Jiaozhi people were indeed pursuing them desperately, Zhe Shijiu's face was also full of excitement. Compared to the Jiaozhi ships, Zhe Shijiu's warships had a significant size advantage. Furthermore, they were sailing in formation. Whenever their ships got close, Zhe Shijiu and his men would immediately form a ship formation. They would directly present an appearance of being ready to charge headlong into them and perish together. To avoid direct collision of the ships, Liu Yutang and his men could only lower their sails temporarily and adjust their positions. However, by the time they had adjusted their positions, the other party had long since disappeared. Thus, a chase ensued at sea, a process that was repeatedly replayed until the fleet was nearing Wanli Shitang. Finally, Liu Yutang discovered that the other party had stopped.
"Prepare to attack! Put the fire ships at the very front!" Seeing the other party stop, Liu Yutang did not hesitate and directly issued the order.
"Hehehehehe, brothers, don't let these fat sheep run away!"