Chapter 884 Snatch

Chapter 884: Snatch Chapter 884: Snatch Editor: Atlas Studios Butler Xia’s face was full of tears.

“Master doesn’t know how to swim.

I got someone to speed up and report to His Highness, but just as they left the house, they were stopped by Yu Cheng and his men.

He even sent troops to surround our residence.

He claimed that he was doing that to protect us, but he didn’t allow us to spread the news.” Furious, Mu Yangling slapped the table beside her, instantly smashing it.

“Zhou Zhou is from the side branch of the Zhou family.

What’s his relationship with Yu Cheng?” Butler Xia knew that Mu Yangling was asking why they were colluding, so he hurriedly said, “Your Highness, the moment something happened to the Duke, Assistant Commander Zhou sent people out to sea to search.

The soldiers surrounding us were from the government office, and none of them were from the Naval Division.” In other words, Zhou Zhou and Yu Cheng were not on the same side.

Mu Yangling’s mood finally improved a little.

She said, “I understand.

You can leave for now.” “Yes.” Butler Xia bowed and left.

At this moment, the port was in chaos.

Zhou Zhou’s Naval Division had not returned, but there were many garrisons in Guangdong.

Zhou Zhou moved quickly, swiftly transferring 5,000 men to surround the port in an instant.

The place where the Westerners lived was also surrounded.

Before they could draw their swords, they found themselves facing rows of archers, so they did not dare to move rashly.

Red with fury, the Westerner demanded, “Objection!

I vehemently object.

I want to see Magistrate Yu!” Zhou Zhou came in from outside and sneered.

“Magistrate Yu?

The only person you’ll get to see now is me.

I’m here to inform you that your ship has been requisitioned by us.

If you know what’s good for you, quickly get your crew off the ship.

Otherwise, it won’t be good if the cargo is destroyed when my men attack.” “You’re violating the law.

This is our property.

What right do you have to requisition it?

I want to see Magistrate Yu.” A Westerner drew his sword and said, “You’re destroying the diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

Do you want to become enemies with our country?” “A diplomatic relationship?” Zhou Zhou used the Princess Consort’s words to reply to them and asked, “Has our Great Qi established diplomatic relations with your country?

Besides, this port belongs to Great Qi.

You dock here to sell goods and do business, but you don’t pay a single cent of merchant tax…” “Assistant Commander Zhou.” Fei Bai interrupted him and walked in quickly.

He whispered into his ear, “His Highness said that although we’re seizing their ship, we have to be reasonable.” Dumbfounded, Zhou Zhou asked in a low voice, “How… how to go about this in a reasonable manner?” “Pirates are rampant along the coast of Guangdong.

There are cases of plundering even after we retreated five miles inwards, let alone the itinerant merchants’ ships.

How can these Westerners be clean seeing as they can come and go freely on the sea?

Didn’t you report that there are Japanese and Westerners among the pirates?

In that case, you can just accuse them of colluding with the pirates to scheme against the Duke of Peaceful State of Great Qi.

Do you know who the Duke of Peaceful State is?

He’s the life-and-death brother of His Majesty and His Highness, Prince Rong.

Now that the Duke’s fate is unknown, the suspicion on them can’t be washed away.

By being willing to use their ship, we’re in fact saving them.” Having learned from the best (Qi Haoran), Fei Bai was extremely shameless.

“If something happens to the Duke, not only will you and your men have to be buried with him, but these Westerners will also be buried with him.

In short, you have to reason with them and make them willingly give up their ship.” Staring at Fei Bai, Zhou Zhou wondered, ‘Could it be that the nobles are all so shameless?’ Zhou Zhou turned to look at the Westerners who were watching them and swallowed with difficulty.

Fei Bai whispered in his ear, “General Zhou, do you disagree with His Highness?” Fei Bai’s tone was slightly cold as he sneered.

“I don’t believe that these people have nothing to do with the pirates.

When have you seen them being robbed?” Zhou Zhou said, “But they have cannons on board.

It’s not surprising that the pirates are deterred by that.” “But the goods on their ships are worth tens of thousands of gold taels.

Meanwhile, Great Qi is backed by the countless soldiers and good generals on land.

Yet, they dare to come over to plunder our people, while not having the guts to rob the Westerners whose homeland was far far away?” Fei Bai said, “You won’t go wrong heeding His Highness’s suggestion.

You just have to ask boldly.

There’s no need to act like a bandit.” Back then, when they were in the north, they would go to the rich families of the Jin Kingdom from time to time to rob them.

Due to this, they knew the psychology of bandits very well.

If there was anyone in the army who knew bandits the best, it would be Prince Rong.

Wasn’t a pirate a bandit?

Thus, the same logic applied.

The corners of Zhou Zhou’s mouth twitched, thinking that the Princess Consort was probably the one behind this.

He turned around and looked at the Westerners.

With a light cough, he raised his head and puffed out his chest.

After looking at them with a deep gaze, he went forward… At this moment, Qi Haoran was leaning against the bed and drinking water.

After sweating all over, he felt light and strong all over, and his thinking capacity had also returned to normal.

Only then did he recall Mu Yangling’s orders and hurriedly called Fei Bai in to make up for it.

It was not that he feared a couple of Westerners, but he thought that it wasn’t a good idea to offend them all at once.

Moreover, if news of him snatching a Westerner’s ship reached the capital, he would definitely be impeached.

He had to find a legitimate reason.

Almost right away, it occurred to Qi Haoran to accuse the Westerners of colluding with the pirates.

At this moment, he was preaching to Mu Yangling.

“If you want to rob a person, you have to do it righteously.

Why are you letting Zhou Zhou talk nonsense with them?

Just attack and kill them all.

Then, just charge them with the crime of colluding with bandits.

Who’s going to stand up for a few Westerners?

Now, I have to clean up your mess.” “So I’m wrong not to kill people?” Mu Yangling rolled her eyes and handed him a meat patty.

“Since you’ve recovered, get up and settle the matter.” Qi Haoran nodded and finished the meat patty in a few bites.

Having just recovered from a serious illness, he was ravenous.

After filling his stomach and washing the sweat off his body, Qi Haoran went to the front.

Looking at his determined back, Mu Yangling heaved a sigh of relief.

It was undoubtedly the best for them if Qi Haoran could return to his normal state.

However, Yu Cheng and the others felt that a disaster was coming.

They originally thought that the Princess Consort was already fear-inducing enough—reprimanding them and asking them to seize the ships.

But now that they looked at Prince Rong, they finally understood why the duo could become husband and wife.

After all, Mu Yangling had only ordered them to seize the ships.

Qi Haoran even wanted to snatch the other party’s crew, as well as a Westerner to lead the way for them.

He put it nicely as: letting the Westerners redeem themselves.

The Guangdong sea merchants had not been out to sea for a long time, so their knowledge of the sea was limited to 20 years ago.

Furthermore, they were all sailors left behind from the past.

Not to mention their experience, just the fact that it had been 20 years since they’d gone out to sea made Qi Haoran distrust them.

On the other hand, the Westerners’ ships often sailed between the West and the Guangdong Sea.

After docking in the Guangdong Sea, they would even go to Fuzhou.

It could be said that their understanding of this sea was not inferior to the Guangdong Naval Division.

Because the Naval Division only fought against pirates near the coast and did not even go as far as Nanyang, Qi Haoran could not count on them to find Fan Zijin.

Therefore, he wanted to requisition even the Westerners.

Their lives were in his hands, so he was not afraid that they would not comply.

Businessmen pursued profits, and such people cherished their lives.

This was why Qi Haoran was not afraid that they would play tricks.

However, Zhou Zhou didn’t possess Qi Haoran’s shamelessness.

In his negotiation with the Westerners, he failed to get them to willingly hand over their ships, let alone send their people to lead the way.

Qi Haoran was so livid that he directly ordered the Westerner to be forcefully brought to him.

Yu Cheng wanted to dissuade him, but Qi Haoran suppressed him with just a look.

Qi Haoran asked softly, “I remember that Governor Yu is from Minnan?

But all your children have been brought to Guangzhou?” Yu Cheng’s heart skipped a beat.

He took a step back and bowed slightly.

“Yes.”

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