Chapter 2068: Flying Intelligence

"Yes." Wu Tiju, with his back to Lu Qinglin, repeatedly winked at A Hao. "Go now to sectors East Three, East Four, and East Six of the port. Tell all large ships carrying over two hundred passengers to unload their cargo and cease operations. The port needs to temporarily commandeer their large vessels!"

"Huh?" A Hao was surprised. "Tiju, isn't this... isn't this right?"

What port could do such a thing, except during wartime?

"Are you the one who decides what's appropriate?" Wu Tiju turned sideways and gestured towards Lu Qinglin. "This is Young Master Lu Er, from the Bailie chieftain's family. He has been ordered by Emperor Mou to commandeer all large ships in our port to set sail immediately! Oh, and each ship is to keep a maximum of ten sailors. Also, prepare enough food and water for two days—no, make that five days—based on full passenger capacity."

A Hao nodded, diligently trying to remember all the details.

Wu Tiju glared. "Got it? Now go quickly!"

"Going now." A Hao took off running.

Along the way, Wu Tiju called over four or five more managers, giving them similar instructions.

The abruptness of the order quickly led to a backlash.

Before long, shipowners arrived, storming into the Maritime Trade Office with indignant questions:

"What's going on? My ship is carrying oil and needs to depart! Who's responsible if we miss our scheduled return?"

Many of these maritime merchants rented their ships for business, and late returns meant very high demurrage fees.

"And you want us to unload our cargo ashore? Who's responsible if the goods are stolen?"

"Blade Port just decides to commandeer ships? I've been to many maritime ports, and I've never heard of suddenly requisitioning civilian vessels! This is an utter farce!"

"How will the charter fees be calculated, or the lost business? I have hired crew—how will their wages be covered?"

Wu Tiju, who had anticipated these troubles, instinctively looked at Lu Qinglin. The latter simply jutted out his chin. "I'll cover the costs; you handle the situation."

Wu Tiju could only give a wry internal smile, then cleared his throat and addressed the shipowners.

Meanwhile, A Hao, having received Wu Tiju's task, realized something was amiss just a few steps after leaving.

Something wasn't right!

A Hao was a Golden Spark person, originally working for the Yangshan Merchant Guild in Julu Port on the Golden Spark Plains. A few months prior, he had nearly botched an assignment, so the guild had sent him to Blade Port to act as a liaison between the Blade Port Maritime Trade Office and the Yangshan Archipelago.

On the surface, it seemed like a relaxed position, but it was actually a demotion. If he didn't achieve something significant, he would never be promoted.

A Hao had worked in Julu Port for years and was very familiar with port operations. However, notifying shipowners in the port area was not typically a task Wu Tiju would assign to him.

So why had Wu Tiju approached him directly?

The urgency in Wu Tiju's voice was clear, and the accompanying Young Master Lu Er of Bailie, with his stern, cold gaze, didn't seem like a benevolent figure. Behind him, a large group of guards clutched gleaming knives...

A Hao sensed trouble brewing.

Few could match the Golden Spark people's keen nose for war and unrest.

He had made a foolish mistake once in Julu Port, and now another opportunity lay before him; he intended to seize it.

Lu Qinglin's soldiers wouldn't pay attention to such a minor figure. A Hao slipped to the stables behind the Maritime Trade Office, blew a whistle, and a sea swallow fluttered down from the stable roof.

"Fly quickly to the main island of the Yangshan Archipelago and deliver this to Mr. Guan Ke! He will reward you handsomely!"

A Hao handed over a small note. The sea swallow swallowed it whole, flapped its wings, and flew eastward.

That morning, the sea breeze had fortunately shifted direction, giving the sea swallow a tailwind towards the Yangshan Archipelago, allowing it to fly extremely fast.

When Guan Ke received A Hao's note, he indeed rewarded the sea swallow generously.

He had originally been active in the Golden Spark Plains, but it wasn't practical for the entire main force of the Yangshan Merchant Guild to be there. Therefore, He Lingchuan had recalled him to the Yangshan Archipelago to oversee matters. With Ding Zuodong absent, he was now the chief steward of the archipelago.

A Hao had only been learning to write for just over a year, so his handwriting was crooked and somewhat messy, indicating the urgency of the situation. Fortunately, it was still legible.

His memory was excellent, and he had reproduced Wu Tiju's words verbatim.

Guan Ke scanned the note quickly, his expression slightly changing. He immediately rose to find someone.

He passed a small lake in the center of the island, where several rock goats were grazing by the shore. The largest and most imposing one had two golden rings hanging from its long horns. When it saw Guan Ke, it merely tilted its head, paying him no mind.

Guan Ke hurried into a two-story building.

This had originally been He Lingchuan's resting and office space on the main island, but it had now been given to someone else.

As Guan Ke entered, he saw the person reclining on a wicker lounge chair in the long corridor, letting out a long yawn.

The Yangshan Archipelago was a true haven, offering a pleasant life and ideal conditions for cultivation, though it could sometimes be boring.

"Chief Steward Guan, why are you here again? We just met half an hour ago."

"Mr. Fushan, there's unusual activity at Blade Port."

The person sprawled out was Fushan Yue. His fierce tiger, Jiao Yu, lay in the middle of the corridor, its tail gently tapping the ground.

Fushan Yue's ears twitched. "Tell me."

Guan Ke carefully stepped past the tiger on the ground and handed the note to Fushan Yue.

"One of my subordinates stationed at the Blade Port Maritime Trade Office sent this note back via a messenger."

Fushan Yue read it in one glance and, instead of asking "What's wrong?", said, "Is this the Lu family who once opposed your master?"

"Yes, the Yangshan Archipelago was purchased from the Lu family."

"Young Master Lu Er isn't using Emperor Mou's name for no reason," Fushan Yue mused. "Commandeering all large ships from Blade Port to set sail, but only provisioning them with three to five days of rations? Pfft, where could their destination be so close, if not the Yangshan Archipelago?"

With a tailwind, it only took a little over half a day to reach the open ports of the Yangshan Archipelago from Blade Port.

"If all ships at Blade Port are commandeered, how many soldiers could they transport?"

"It's currently the end of the palm harvesting season, and there are still many merchant ships transporting oil in the port, with considerable carrying capacity." Guan Ke estimated, "If they were all converted to carry people, I reckon they could transport at least thirty to forty thousand!"

Fushan Yue's breathing hitched, and he sprang from the wicker chair. "Well, well, this is a major operation!"

The current situation spoke for itself: Young Master Lu Er intended to exploit the Yangshan Archipelago's reduced defenses.

He Lingchuan had initiated the Dragon God War in the Golden Spark Plains, and naturally, he had taken the main forces of Yangshan to serve there. The Golden Spark Guard remaining locally numbered less than two thousand, most of whom were new recruits with less than two years of service, capable only of maintaining daily order in the archipelago.

Fighting a war? That would be challenging.

"The Lu family might not have the foresight to stir up trouble at such a critical juncture," Fushan Yue said, striding forward. "It seems Young Master Lu Er is merely acting on orders, and the Mou Kingdom isn't being very scrupulous."

His mind worked quickly, and he instantly understood: the Mou Kingdom was making a move on the Yangshan Archipelago.

He told Guan Ke, "Issue orders immediately: all ships at sea must return to port, and then blockade the shipping lanes at once!"

The Golden Shipping Lane, where Yangshan was located, was already one of the world's busiest routes. A blockade would incur significant losses. However, Guan Ke didn't hesitate.

"Understood!"