Chapter 717: Chapter 6 Parting Sorrow (Conclusion) Chapter 717: Chapter 6 Parting Sorrow (Conclusion) Beneath the towering Divine Tower Ship, various sailboats were crowded together. Sailors carried grain, emergency medicine, and other supplies into the ship’s hold. One after another, old women with white hair and baggage on their backs, along with other women and children, boarded the deck amid low cries and comforting whispers.

At the front of the queue was an old man with a red turban, leaning on a crutch.

“Uncle Ba, be careful on the way.”

Li Yan took out two silver ingots and a long string of Copper Coins from the box beside him and handed them to the old man.

With teary eyes, the old man quavered, “Dragon Head, take care.”

“I know.”

Li Yan patted Uncle Ba’s shoulder, and the latter felt a warm flow from his lower abdomen spreading to his limbs, straightening his hunched back a bit as though he had grown several years younger.

Elder Ning was rubbing his brush on the ledger, making check marks before calling out loudly, “Next.”

Li Yan looked back. Half of the queue was still there; this was the last group, and by tomorrow morning at the latest, they would all be able to board.

In the past three days, Li Yan had personally given a sum of silver to nearly every pirate who was dismissed. He spoke a few words to them before sending them onto the ship. These weren’t just elderly, weak women, and children; close to ten thousand were able-bodied men, who were simply dismissed by Li Yan’s order because they had parents and family, and were sent back to their hometowns. In three days, the Red Flag Gang had “slimmed down” by nearly half, with over ten thousand able-bodied men dismissed by Li Yan.

For a long while to come, the Red Flag Gang would disappear from the jurisdiction of the officials. Yet, Li Yan didn’t think that these dismissed able-bodied pirates would lose contact with the Red Flag Gang; frankly, if the officials could truly ensure that every farmer had his field and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, there would not have been hundreds of thousands of pirates raging through the bloody South Seas, fighting and plundering.

…

Busy until the morning, the last wave of ships set out together, led by one of Lin’s Treasure Ships, and fifty large sailboats, escorted by Qian Tuo, a leader of the Red Flag, headed for Macau.

On board were five thousand pirates and over three thousand elderly, weak women, and children. Many of them had not set foot on land for two generations, spending most of their lives on Lantau Island. They were extremely loyal to the Red Flag and to the Treasure Island Zheng Family, so the idea of dispersing them to rely on relatives or integrate into the coastal towns and villages was not feasible.

Therefore, Li Yan had specifically arranged for Qian Tuo to take these people to Macau.

Today’s Macau was under the joint control of the Red Flag Gang and Cai Qian, nominally belonging to the officials but lacking even a County Magistrate. Both the officials and the East India Company turned a blind eye to its existence for a variety of complex reasons.

Shortly after the Red Flag and Cai Qian had captured Macau, the Emperor of France in Europa launched a thunderous offensive, capturing the capital of Portugal in one fell swoop. The once-glorious Portuguese Empire thus fell into decline. The nobility fled across the sea, with no capacity to care for their far-eastern colonies. The lease agreement with the officials and Portugal was in name only.

However, the directors of the East India Company were ambivalent about the actual ownership of Macau. Although they agreed to form an Allied Fleet with the officials to eradicate the Five Flags Alliance, they were extremely resistant to the officials’ involvement in Macau’s affairs, preferring to maintain the status quo.

As the last sailboat disappeared beyond the horizon, Li Yan wiped his face with a wet towel, feeling somewhat worn out.

Autumn Yak could cure a variety of chronic diseases caused by aging, and could even rejuvenate people, but facing thousands of weak and old from the Red Flag Gang, Li Yan could only do so much to restore some vitality to their bones so that they wouldn’t suffer too much from the journey.

Now on Lantau Island, there were less than twenty thousand fierce sailors left, each sharpening their knives and firearms, transporting cannons, and creating an extremely solemn atmosphere.

“Tianbao Dragon Head, Mr. Cai has replied to the letter, agreeing wholeheartedly. He will take good care of these old Red Flag women and children,” said Zhi Nong, her index finger adorned with a ruby ring and a black seagull perched on it, with a message tube tied to its claw.

“I was just being polite; he doesn’t need to take care of them. As long as he doesn’t trip me up behind the scenes or report to Governor Yang, that’s good enough,” replied Li Yan, gazing out to the sea.

Zhi Nong chuckled at this, “Cai Qian won’t play the villain for no reason. If he were to betray us by reporting to Yang Sheng, not only would he offend the Red Flag, but Governor Yang wouldn’t appreciate his efforts either. I’ve heard that the Governor is intent on reforming the Thirteen Hongs’ trade to be government-run; he’s pushed several times to shut down the Tianbo Division.”

“You’re keeping quite the close eye on things,” Li Yan observed.

Zhi Nong’s smile faltered as he was about to say something in his defense, but Li Yan tossed the towel into the basin, “Whatever Cai Qian sends you, keep it, no need to tell me. By the way, have the people been caught?”

As Li Yan spoke, his brows unconsciously furrowed.

Zhi Nong silently sighed with relief and said coquettishly, “Of course, I wouldn’t let Dragon Head be disappointed.”

…
Qiu Ru’s vision alternated between light and darkness, and her head was heavy and muddled. It took a while before she slowly came to.

Over her head was a bed frame decorated with the patterns of bamboo and chrysanthemums, and she was covered with a quilt embroidered with coins. She touched her head and found that the wound on her forehead had been bandaged, though the dressing still felt sticky with blood.

As she attempted to rise, she noticed that Zheng Xiu was curled up asleep at the edge of the bedding. Her movements naturally halted.

Yet Zheng Xiu still heard the rustle and abruptly opened her eyes. Seeing Qiu Ru awake, joy appeared on her face, “Godmother.”

She quickly went to the table, brewed a bowl of warm water, and offered it to Qiu Ru, her eyes red with sincerity, “You’ve been wronged, Godmother.”

Qiu Ru gripped Zheng Xiu’s hand, “What became of the two scoundrels, Yang Feng?”

“Everything turned out perfectly,” Zheng Xiu passed the bowl to Qiu Ru, “Now that Tianbao has recovered, he’s been handling all the matters for Red Flag.”

Zheng Xiu added finally.

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Qiu Ru nodded repeatedly, tears brimming in her eyes, “With Tianbao Dragon Head at the helm, he can surely turn the tide, and you, a young girl, won’t have to trouble yourself.” As she spoke, she gently caressed Zheng Xiu’s face.

Zheng Xiu bit her lower lip, clasped her nurse’s cracked palms in her own, but her heart was torn between guilt and worry.

Her godmother was not one for scheming; she had been loyal to her mother all her life, and after the death of Madam Shi, she was also loyal to her. If it wasn’t absolutely necessary, Zheng Xiu would not have wanted her nurse to play this painful ruse. There were many things that Qiu Ru did not know.

“Godmother, you rest well. I’ll have the kitchen make a bowl of lotus seed soup for you.”

After comforting Qiu Ru, Zheng Xiu left the room, passed several courtyards, and, making sure no one was around, she asked in a low voice, “Have the people been sent back to An Nan?”

A moment later, another figure emerged from the shadows of Zheng Xiu, contorting in the morning light.

The shadow answered hoarsely, “They left on the ship yesterday with those who were dismissed; they should be on land by now.”

Zheng Xiu’s expression relaxed, “That’s good.”

“Leader Xiu, here you are.”

No sooner had this voice sounded than the writhing shadow scattered with a puff.

Zhao Xiaoyi approached, “Tianbao Dragon Head has been looking everywhere for you.”

“Got it, brother Xiaoyi, I’m on my way,” replied Zheng Xiu, her expression unchanged, “My godmother has woken up; please ask the kitchen to prepare a bowl of lotus seed porridge for her.”

“Sure thing, leave it to me.”

Having heard this, Zheng Xiu then drifted away.