Chapter 2067: The Coming Calamity of War

Wu Tiju was greatly alarmed. "Who are you? This is an important government office; don't cause trouble!"

Yet, the armor and uniform style of this army seemed remarkably familiar.

The person at the front removed his helmet and smiled at him. "Wu Tiju, long time no see."

"You are..." The face was vaguely familiar but not one he saw often. Without thinking, Wu Tiju blurted out, "Lu... Second Young Master Lu?"

Lu Zhensheng's two sons bore a slight resemblance. Accustomed to seeing the elder Lu, he instantly recognized this as Lu Qinglin, the second son of the Bailie family head!

Lu Qinglin had gone to the State of Mu as a general, where he was granted the title "General Xu" and had become a rising military star. The Bailie family head brimmed with pride whenever he spoke of his second son.

Indeed, the armor worn by the soldiers around Lu Qinglin was also the battle attire of the State of Mu.

"What are you...?" Wu Tiju, usually so adroit, stammered. "Why are you at Blade Harbor?"

Lu Qinglin's lips curved into a smile, but no warmth reached his eyes. "I need to borrow your port and ships for a while."

"Oh, I see!" As soon as official business was brought up, Wu Tiju regained his composure. "Please wait, I'll write to the Royal Court to report this..."

A general from the State of Mu coming to his territory for official business meant he naturally had to be accommodating. However, as a mere Tiju, his authority was limited; such a significant matter as lending out the port and ships required approval from the Qing Royal Court.

As Wu Tiju reached for his writing brush, Lu Qinglin stepped forward, gently taking the brush holder from his hand and setting it aside. "Given the urgency, you should first assign the vessels to me. You can report it to your superiors at your leisure afterwards; it won't be too late."

"This..." Wu Tiju swallowed. "To mobilize ships, you must have an official seal or a written order. Just let me see it for a moment."

Lu Qinglin took a command tally from his tunic and slapped it onto the desk. "I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. Take a look."

It was his military command tally.

"Is there also a mobilization order or a military dispatch?" Wu Tiju asked in a low voice.

"Mobilization orders are confidential; are they something you are privy to?" Lu Qinglin said grimly. "Just do your job properly for me, or someone else will be sitting in your position as Tiju."

Behind him, two guards had their hands resting on their sword hilts.

"Alright, alright, I'll handle it, right away." The State of Qing was a vassal state of Great Mu, and the other party had arrived leading an army, projecting an official demeanor. Wu Tiju's face was contorted in a worried grimace. "But you should at least tell me the destination so I can ensure they prepare adequate food and water according to the sea route."

A map lay nearby. Lu Qinglin pointed to its southern edge. "Right here. It's very close, isn't it?"

As the second young master of the Lu family, his sudden arrival at Blade Harbor with troops to forcibly requisition ships made his intentions clear to anyone with a modicum of sense—the Yangshan Archipelago lay directly opposite. There was no need for him to conceal his purpose.

Besides, he could land on Yangshan in less than half a day. With a massive army bearing down, what resistance could his opponents possibly mount?

Wu Tiju's tone, as expected, was not one of surprise. "The Yangshan Archipelago?"

Under normal circumstances, if Lu Qinglin wished to visit the Yangshan Archipelago, he would simply go. Yangshan itself had no barriers and welcomed visitors from all corners.

But Wu Tiju, observing his demeanor and the fully armed elite soldiers behind him, knew that he had come with ill intent.

Lu Qinglin wanted so many ships, naturally, to transport people—no, to transport soldiers.

Wu Tiju could have guessed Lu Qinglin's intentions towards the Yangshan Archipelago with his eyes closed. With Island Master He currently absent and the island's elite forces having been redeployed to the Glimmering Gold Plains, Lu Qinglin was clearly planning to exploit this vulnerability, wasn't he?

Wu Tiju's heart hammered. No, that's not right. Why would Lu Qinglin, on his own, suddenly launch an offensive against Yangshan?

So, was the State of Mu intending to confront the Yangshan Archipelago?

In that instant, countless thoughts whirled through Wu Tiju's mind, ultimately consolidating into one concern:

Was Blade Harbor about to face immense misfortune?

Would he ever have peaceful days again?

Oh, what a headache!

Lu Qinglin asked him, "What is the current population of the Yangshan Archipelago, and how many defenders are stationed there?"

"Ah, population," Wu Tiju replied offhandedly. "Around four to five hundred thousand permanent residents, not including transient merchants and laborers. As for the number of defenders, we simply don't know; Yangshan wouldn't allow us to."

He swallowed. "The Yangshan Archipelago comprises numerous islands, with a constant thick fog in its deeper parts, and there are often shadow hydras lurking. The islands where their defenders are stationed are completely distinct from the trading islands; outsiders cannot get close to them."

Yangshan held its own secrets. Ever since Proprietor He had given both him and Bailie a stern warning, Blade Harbor and Yangshan had enjoyed a very amicable relationship, and they no longer pried into each other's affairs.

Lu Qinglin then asked, "But I've heard that Yangshan has been transporting significant amounts of grain, troops, and personnel to Glimmering Gold. Surely you know about this?"

"Ah, yes..." Wu Tiju thought to himself, *How could I possibly have information on that?* "But we don't know the exact figures."

"Useless!" Lu Qinglin sneered, looking at him. "Have the ships and crews prepared for me!"

"Yes, yes, how many vessels do you require?"

Lu Qinglin replied, "I observe about thirty to forty large vessels currently docked in the harbor; commandeer all of them for me."

It had to be said, Blade Harbor was far more prosperous now than it had ever been.

"What?" Wu Tiju broke into a cold sweat. "Th-those are merchant ships transporting palm oil. They have owners and specific schedules; they don't belong to Blade Harbor..."

Lu Qinglin grew impatient. "Do you understand what 'requisition' means?"

A chill surged through Wu Tiju's heart, even as beads of sweat streamed down his forehead.

Forcibly requisitioning foreign merchant ships? Such an act would surely destroy Blade Harbor's reputation!

Furthermore, while Lu Qinglin's arrival was intimidating, he held no imperial decree from the Mu Emperor. What if he simply completed his objective and left, abandoning the entire mess to Blade Harbor?

The most frightening prospect was that Lu Qinglin was about to provoke Yangshan, and Blade Harbor would appear to be an accomplice, supplying both ships and personnel. This was...

Wu Tiju sighed. "Second Young Master Lu, if you wish to mobilize ships from this port, I will certainly do my best. However, you must provide me with clear authorization, at the very least a signed document. Without it, I truly cannot release them. Even if you kill me, I cannot."

Without Wu Tiju's cooperation, the vessels in the harbor truly could not be mobilized. After all, this was territory belonging to the State of Qing.

Lu Qinglin regarded him for a long moment before nodding. "Very well, I will write you a note and sign it."

Wu Tiju's brush flew swiftly, completing the document in a flourish, then he presented it for Lu Qinglin's signature.

Lu Qinglin reviewed the content, found no issues, and signed it with a similarly bold stroke.

Wu Tiju carefully put away the document, then turned to leave. "Please wait, I will go make the arrangements immediately."

Lu Qinglin, however, walked alongside him. "I'll go with you."

That old man was extremely cunning; he needed to be kept under close watch.

Wu Tiju dared not object. With so many armed soldiers by his side, all with weapons at their waists, even a full turnout of guards from his office would not be enough to contend with them.

What was he to do?

As soon as he stepped outside, he began shouting for someone at the top of his lungs:

"Where's Ahao? Come here, Ahao, come over!"

The person he called out to clearly paused, dropped what he was doing, and strode over. "Tiju, did you call for me?"