"Could it be General Dugu who has come to save us? So General Dugu truly intends to wipe out the bandits!" The soldiers behind Nan Jiyun looked incredulously, on the verge of tears.
They were already contemplating how to apologize to Dugu Ling with thorns on their backs!
A general in the distance responded loudly, "It is our Great Qian's Marquis An, Grand Master of Bestowal of Splendor, Minister of Works, Lord Liang!"
Marquis An!
Everyone exchanged glances.
The one commanding the army to move and rescue them was the recently prominent Marquis An from the capital?
How could Dugu Ling willingly hand over military power to him?
Nan Jiyun came back to his senses, his face filled with joy, "Excellent!"
At this moment, Nan Jiyun almost shed tears of a tough man, all the grievances he had suffered over the years swept away.
His intuition told him that the noble person destined for him had arrived!
Liang Xiao's warships finally approached. Liang Xiao, at the bow of the ship, waved to the soldiers below and saluted.
"You have all performed great service, and will be heavily rewarded upon return. The families of fallen soldiers will be compensated according to the standards of the fallen White Robe soldiers from the Yanzhou campaign!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts warmed, tears welled up in their eyes, and they returned the salute.
Their sacrifice finally bore fruit!
Liang Xiao's gaze landed on Nan Jiyun, who stood out from the crowd, and he asked, "Are you General Nan Jiyun?"
Nan Jiyun was flattered and nodded repeatedly, "I dare not! This humble officer was originally a contingent general; now I am merely a boatman in the East Sea Navy camp!"
Liang Xiao appraised Nan Jiyun and praised him sincerely, "Fearless in the face of danger, composed in honor and disgrace, unyielding, a fierce general!"
"A fierce general?!"
Upon hearing Liang Xiao's praise, those around Liang Xiao were greatly surprised, and then they all echoed, "A fierce general!"
Nan Jiyun could no longer maintain his composure, his old face blushing, "Marquis An overpraises..."
Looking at the bodies of the sacrificed soldiers on the three ships, Liang Xiao did not laugh heartily but ordered men to assist immediately, while looking towards the distant naval battle.
The Great Qian army had caught up with the pirate fleet, arrows raining down like locusts, shooting towards the pirate warships, reaping the lives of the pirates!
This time, Liang Xiao had specifically ordered a large portion of the East Sea Navy's arrows to be brought along, for the purpose of eradicating pirates all the way.
But what truly surprised Liang Xiao was this pirate fleet!
They seemed to be cornering Nan Jiyun, and Liang Xiao's fleet's unexpected arrival to support them had created a situation of "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," enough to capture them all.
However, it was illogical for the pirate fleet to be able to trap Nan Jiyun here.
This indicated that someone in the East Sea Navy camp was colluding with the pirates, possibly Dugu Ling, or perhaps someone else!
Thinking of this, Liang Xiao praised again, "General Nan, you have achieved illustrious merit; this battle will surely be recorded in history!"
The soldiers on the three warships were both surprised and delighted, while the soldiers behind Liang Xiao looked envious.
Who would have thought that these "reckless youths" who resolutely set out to suppress pirates would accidentally achieve such immense merit!
But if they hadn't had the courage to set out, how could they have achieved merit? The distant soldiers, while envious, felt ashamed and secretly admonished themselves not to be cowardly in the future.
The generals on the other warships, looking at the battlefield to the northeast, could not hold back and pleaded, "Marquis An, allow us to also go and suppress the pirates!"
Liang Xiao readily agreed and immediately issued orders. The warships of each unit charged towards the battlefield like arrows loosed from a bow.
After making arrangements, Liang Xiao looked at Nan Jiyun again, "General Nan, let us have a chat on board!"
Nan Jiyun rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, "Marquis An, this humble officer is ranked eighth in his family; you can call me Nan Ba!"
Liang Xiao did not comment and ordered Nan Jiyun to board his warship.
Nan Jiyun suddenly remembered something and pointed to the old woman still crying on Captain Chen's ship, saying, "Marquis An, this old lady was rescued by us from that foreign merchant ship! Only this old and young are left; all other foreign crew members on board were annihilated!"
Liang Xiao glanced at the old woman, a hint of doubt in his mind, "Is she from Great Qian?"
"Bring that foreign merchant ship back to the East Sea Navy camp as well! We will bury the soldiers and these foreigners later," Liang Xiao ordered on the spot.
Hearing Liang Xiao's voice, the old woman, who had been holding the baby and crying, suddenly startled awake. With tears in her eyes, she knelt and kowtowed to Liang Xiao, "Thank you, thank you, General!"
Everyone was surprised, "She is indeed from Great Qian!"
The language of Great Qian was only common in surrounding countries, not necessarily in overseas nations.
This old woman was tall and did not resemble someone from Izumo. She was either from Liang or Great Qian, as the two countries shared common origins.
Seeing the old woman's distressed state, Liang Xiao sighed and said softly, "Grandmother, please calm yourself. Let's return to Donghai Commandery, it is very safe there."
"Dong, Donghai Commandery?"
Upon hearing the name, the old woman, who had stopped crying, burst into tears again and nodded incessantly, comforting the crying infant in her arms.
Nan Jiyun did not continue to participate in the battle but offered sacrifices to the bodies of his fallen comrades on the ship with his fellow warriors, his mood heavy.
As night fell, only two fast ships of the pirate fleet escaped; the remaining vessels were all captured by the soldiers, and six captains and thirty sailors were apprehended.
A decisive victory!
Such results even surprised Liang Xiao at first, but upon reflection, he understood: Dugu Ling had been operating in the East Sea for over a decade, and his campaigns against pirates were mere shows. Perhaps this time it was the pirates colluding with Dugu Ling to ambush Nan Jiyun, and Liang Xiao had caught them off guard!
"Marquis An, we have annihilated over seven thousand pirates in total!"
Li Mo was so excited that he was almost incoherent.
This was a complex naval battle, not a land battle. In over ten years, the East Sea Navy camp had never achieved such astonishing results!
Because of Liang Xiao's arrival, the East Sea Navy camp became famous in one battle!
Liang Xiao's brows relaxed, and he nodded, "Bring the ringleaders over."
The six captains, bound hand and foot, were brought to Liang Xiao's ship, begging for mercy.
Liang Xiao looked at these Izumo pirates and noticed they had only small mustaches on their lips, wore familiar samurai topknots, and were short in stature.
Are these Izumo pirates who are "living well in small days"?
Liang Xiao's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly realized something, his anger flaring.
Why are they still haunting him in this world too!
"My lord, spare us! We were merely entrusted by someone!" The captains pleaded.
Liang Xiao narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Confess truthfully! Who ordered you?"
"General Dugu! It was General Dugu! Why betray our friendship of over ten years!" one captain cried with a mournful face, kowtowing incessantly.
Liang Xiao's face darkened, and he smiled, "General Dugu is loyal to the country. You slander him without proof; are you tired of living!"
Nan Jiyun beside him's expression changed: Could Marquis An also be Dugu Ling's henchman?
Li Mo and others suppressed their laughter, not daring to speak.
Dugu Ling, the "loyal to the country" general, had been beheaded by Liang Xiao with a single sword and his family confiscated...
"We have correspondence from General Dugu. One was delivered yesterday and is on me, and two from last year are on the ship!"
"Correspondence?" Liang Xiao was skeptical.
How could this old scoundrel cause trouble in the East Sea for over a decade and leave himself vulnerable to pirates.
But it didn't matter! The Feathered Forest Army was currently searching Dugu Ling's estate; perhaps letters from the pirates to him could be found at Dugu Ling's home!