I’m the Farmgirl You Can’t Mess With
Chapter 894 - Chapter 894 Old Friends

Chapter 894: Old Friends Chapter 894: Old Friends Editor: Atlas Studios “Your Highness, ships have appeared near the port, and these also belong to Westerners,” Zhou Zhou reported as soon as he received the news from his subordinates.

Qi Haoran slowly finished his breakfast before asking, “Have they docked?” “No, they’re just loitering around the port and don’t even dare to go near the coast.” “How many ships do they have, then?” “Two.” Zhou Zhou said, “The pirates said that they only have four ships in total.” Qi Haoran snorted coldly.

“Then what are you afraid of?

Transfer troops to surround the port.

Have you returned the Westerners’ ship?” “Not yet.” Zhou Zhou said, “I was thinking of returning it later.” As there were too many things, they had spent half the night yesterday moving the things.

Also, they had to carry the seized cannons down.

Unlike the incredibly strong Princess Consort, they had to slowly move the cannons down in order not to damage them.

Therefore, they haven’t had the time to return the ship.

“Then borrow it for another day.

Bring the soldiers on the ship and see what the pirates are here for.” As the Zhou family’s ship was still docked at the port, they could easily ask them if they wanted to borrow it.

It’d be five ships against two.

It was not like he was asking them to go to war, and his intention was just to scare the other party.

Qi Haoran looked at Zhou Zhou with a slightly disappointed expression.

“How did you deal with these pirates in the past?

We clearly won a battle, but they neither escaped nor dodged, but still dared to provoke us.” Zhou Zhou lowered his head in shame.

At the side, Mu Yangling stretched out her leg and kicked him.

Qi Haoran waved his hand and said, “Hurry up and leave.” Zhou Zhou hurriedly retreated.

“Only the Westerner pirates came, but the Japanese and the other pirates aren’t taking any action.

Looks like they’re adopting a wait-and-see approach.” Mu Yangling asked, “How long do you plan to stay here?” It was only with Qi Haoran around that the Naval Division could be so unyielding.

If he was not around, they would probably turn cowardly again.

However, Qi Haoran had left the capital urgently, so they obviously could not stay for long.

However, Qi Haoran did not want things to end in such a shoddy manner.

After pondering for a while, he said, “I’ll talk to Big Brother and see if we can stay here to reinforce Zijin, since those pirates won’t give Zijin face.

Why don’t you return to the capital first?” Qi Haoran was also worried about the children at home.

Mu Yangling said, “Yeah, let’s ask Big Brother.” Qi Haoran nodded and went to the study.

Mu Yangling planned to go to the market to see the state of things in Guangzhou at the moment.

As soon as they arrived at the market, they realized that the people today seemed to be especially excited.

So much so that the stall owners were no longer in the mood to entertain customers.

Mu Yangling bought a piece of jade from a vendor and asked, “Is there a joyous occasion today?” Seeing that she did not have a local accent and spoke in Mandarin, the vendor asked, “You’re not from here, are you?” Smiling, Mu Yangling replied, “I followed my husband here to do business.

I came out to take a look today out of curiosity.” Today, Mu Yangling was wearing female clothes, so the vendor did not suspect anything.

With a happy smile, he said, “Then you’re lucky to have encountered His Highness winning a huge battle.

Today, those obtuse pirates actually dared to come and provoke us.

Assistant Commander Zhou is bringing people to resist the enemy, so everyone can’t help but be excited.

Look, many people have gone to take a look.” Mu Yangling raised her eyebrows and asked, “Aren’t those people afraid of becoming collateral damage?” The vendor said confidently, “What’s there to be afraid of?

Considering His Highness is still in Guangzhou, do those pirates dare to come ashore?

His Highness has just exterminated 3,000 of them.

This is the biggest victory we’ve had against the pirates in more than 20 years.” An old vendor beside him snorted coldly and said, “Geez, are you even 20 years old to be claiming that?” “But I’m telling the truth.

Ever since the maritime ban, when have we ever won such a huge battle?

In the past, when Assistant Commander Wang was around, we could still win two out of ten battles.

However, ever since Assistant Commander Wang was defeated, we’ve been completely suppressed by pirates in the past few yearsaEUR|” With a sigh, the old vendor said, “This is indeed a huge victory.

Not only is it the only victory we’ve had in more than 20 years, but it’s a huge victory even in the context of the past few decades when the Guangdong Naval Division was not considered weak.

But kid, don’t be too smug.

Prince Rong has got to return to the capital someday.

When he is around, those people in the government office have to get their act together somehow.

Once His Highness leaves, those people will definitely return to their old ways again.

What’s the use of leaving behind a lousy navy?

If the pirates counterattack, we’ll be the ones suffering.” Mu Yangling looked at the old vendor in surprise and asked casually, “Isn’t dealing with war the navy’s business?

What has it got to do with the government office?” The old vendor shook his head and smiled.

“Madam, we need weapons, ships, grain, and medicine to fight a war.

The government office is responsible for giving them these things.

If they don’t give them to us, how can the navy fight a war?

Considering they can’t even gather enough arrows, surely they can’t fight the pirates with wooden sticks?

Therefore, the navy still has to listen to the government office.” “The military and politics should be separatedaEUR|” “That’s the garrison we’re talking about.

They have military fields and are self-sufficient.

Naturally, they don’t have to listen to the government office.

However, the navy is at sea.

Without any military fields, they rely on the government office to provide them with the logistics.” Mu Yangling asked curiously, “Shouldn’t it be given by the Ministry of War?” “When the Ministry of War issues the orders, they would collect them from the local regions.

However, after the money is grifted layer by layer, very little ends up reaching the navy.” The old vendor sighed.

“Why was Assistant Commander Wang defeated back then?

It was because he didn’t want to tolerate this anymoreaEUR|” At this point, the old vendor hurriedly stopped talking and smiled.

“I’m old and like to spout nonsense.

Madam, don’t mind me.” He stood up and hurriedly closed his stall.

Then with a smile, he said, “I’ll go to the port to watch the commotion too.” Mu Yangling watched as his back disappeared.

She glanced at the guards subtly, and one of the guards quietly left to follow him.

Mu Yangling continued to choose the goods from the vendor’s stall and asked with a smile, “That old man knows a lot and doesn’t at all resemble an ordinary vendor.

He’s really impressive.” When the vendor saw that she had taken a jade horse, he immediately said ingratiatingly, “Madam, you have no idea.

He’s not an ordinary vendor.

A few years ago, he was also the number one figure in the navy, following Assistant Commander Wang to kill enemies.

Later, Governor Yu defeated Assistant Commander Wang.

Those who fought alongside him were all dismissed and lost their livelihood.

That’s why the old man set up a stall to sell things.

He’s not doing so poorly among those who used to work under Assistant Commander Wang though.

There are some who are slogging away in hearthstone workshops in the eastside of the city, or doing hard labor carrying goods for the Westerners and only earning a few copper coins in return.

They are quite pitiful.” “Governor Yu?

Why isn’t it the previous magistrate?

How can he be more powerful than the magistrate?” The vendor hesitated to answer.

A guard gave him a piece of silver, making the vendor’s eyes widen.

This silver weighed about two taels, which value was almost his annual income.

The vendor hesitated for a moment.

He remembered that Governor Yu would probably be killed because of what had happened to Magistrate Fan.

This was what the old vendor had said to him, and his words had always been very accurate.

After making up his mind, the vendor looked around before whispering to Mu Yangling, “Madam, you’re an outsider, so you don’t know.

Actually, our previous magistrate is a good official.” How could he not be a good official considering he had died fighting against the pirates?

Mu Yangling had never thought that he was a bad official.

“aEUR|I don’t know about these things either.

It was the old vendor who told me.

Back then, he was a top figure in the navy, the Military Advisor by Assistant Commander Wang’s side.

Just like the military advisors described in books, he predicted things like a god.

According to him, the magistrate was suppressed by Governor Yu.”