Pei Yanqi looked solemn as he picked up a pen and sketched the outline of Yue City on the paper. "Yue City has three docks - the South City Dock, the East Street Dock, and the Tongyi Square Dock. They form a triangular formation."
He tapped the tip of his pen lightly, and the layout of the three docks clearly emerged.
"Later, I'll trouble Young Master Liu and Yiyi to take out half of the naphtha and fireworks from the South City Dock. We didn't find any flour there, so we need to leave more supplies."
His pen moved continuously, and the ink spread on the rice paper, gradually outlining the layout of the berths and piers. Even the positions of the bollards were drawn accurately.
"We have nine people in total now, and we can divide into three teams." Pei Yanqi looked around at everyone. "Under the guise of newly - arrived merchants, we'll store the supplies we've taken out at the East Street Dock and the Tongyi Square Dock respectively."
"Storing the goods isn't difficult..." Pei Yanqi frowned slightly as he gently tapped the pen on the paper. "But the difficult part is how to set up on the docks right under the noses of the Anluo defenders."
If they wanted to destroy the entire dock in one fell swoop, they had to enter no later than evening and finish arranging all the items before midnight.
"But all three docks have guards on duty day and night. It'll be hard for us to operate..."
"This is easy!" Seeing Pei Yanqi looking troubled, Liu Shuheng felt extremely pleased. A look of smugness appeared on his face.
"Money makes the mare go. I've been here for seven or eight days, and I haven't seen a single guard in Yue City who isn't greedy for money! Give each of them two qian of silver, and they'll let you drive a carriage straight into the river!"
Pei Yanqi's eyebrows twitched, and he said, "But we have to hold them off for a while. If they find out, we'll..."
"Coincidentally, Master He in Yue City is celebrating his birthday today. He's set up a hundred tables of banquets at the Red Sleeve Courtyard..." Liu Shuheng leisurely dusted off his sleeves. "If we take a few girls from the Red Sleeve Courtyard out and tell those guards that Master He thinks they've been working hard defending the city and has sent these girls to reward them... Do you think they'll happily accept?"
"The Red Sleeve Courtyard?" Liu Yiyi said angrily. "After being out for so long, all you've learned are these shady things..."
But a glint flashed in Pei Yanqi's eyes, and he said softly, "Brilliant! In this way, we can distract the guards and gain some time." He turned to the angry Liu Yiyi and gently explained, "Although this plan isn't a conventional one, it suits our current needs. We should prioritize the overall situation."
...
At dusk, lanterns were gradually lit on the long streets of Yue City.
Yue City was the most important commercial port in the southern border, so it was far more prosperous than Yanchuan and Shou'an.
Moreover, since there was no curfew in Anluo, even though it was already getting dark, the streets were still bustling with people. The cries of the peddlers could be heard non - stop.
At the South City Dock.
Liu Yiyi anxiously stood on tiptoe and looked into the distance. Her embroidered shoes made a soft "tapping" sound on the deck.
All the items had been transported and arranged properly. They were even lucky enough to find a batch of flour in the warehouse of the South City Dock. Now, they were just waiting for Liu Shuheng to come with the girls.
"Do you think he stayed at the Red Sleeve Courtyard to drink?" Liu Yiyi was so impatient that she couldn't help but curse under her breath.
"No." Pei Yanqi looked at the sparkling waves on the river and said firmly, "Brother Liu isn't such an irresponsible person."
"Brother... Liu?" Liu Yiyi was stunned for a moment and slowly turned her head. "When did the two of you become so close?"
"I've always respected Brother Liu's quick wits." Pei Yanqi said seriously.
A sweet and greasy fragrance of powder wafted over from the front. Liu Shuheng helped a few graceful girls out of the carriage. Each of them had a beautiful face and a willowy waist.
"Yes, ladies, I'll definitely visit next time..." There was a smear of ambiguous rouge on his cheek, and the corners of his eyes were slightly red. There was a hint of drunkenness in his smiling eyes.
A girl with big eyes stepped forward, and her slender fingers painted with red nail polish pinched his cheek. She said boldly, "Then it's a deal. When you come next time, you must come to me... Don't look for Hongxiao again!"
After saying that, she deliberately pulled down her loose crimson silk dress, revealing her plump chest. Her fair skin glowed under the moonlight, making people blush.
Liu Shuheng quickly bowed and apologized, which made the girls giggle.
The fragrant breeze blew by, and the girls walked towards the government office wing on the dock with a smile. Their skirts fluttered like colorful butterflies, leaving only a faint fragrance and a hazy figure.
Liu Shuheng followed behind them and walked in with a smile. A moment later, he came out again and snapped his fingers. Several servants immediately carried wine jars and walked in one by one.
After the servants came out, he casually tossed a piece of broken silver, which immediately made the servants beam with joy.
Liu Shuheng turned around and closed the door of the wing, hiding all the charm and noisy ambiguity inside.
Under the moonlight, the drunkenness in his eyes faded.
He paused for a moment, then quietly nodded at Liu Yiyi and Pei Yanqi in the corner and made a gesture: It's done.
The same method was used at the East Street Dock and the Tongyi Square Dock. Liu Shuheng successfully sent the girls in and managed to hold back those greedy Anluo defenders.
...
The night was as dark as ink, and the huge South City Dock was bathed in the silver moonlight.
The river was unusually calm, with tiny sparkling waves. The shadows of the ships moored in the distance turned into blurry blots of ink. The masts were like a forest, stabbing obliquely into the sky, as if they were the jagged bones of a giant beast under the river.
Liu Yiyi turned her head and looked back. In the government office wing not far away, the lights were bright, and the sound of singing and laughter could be faintly heard.
Her palms were all sweaty.
She wiped the sweat on her clothes, clenched her fists, and let out a soft breath. "Let's move."
Two dark shadows behind her rushed out in response, like arrows leaving the bow, heading towards the junction of the moonlight and the shadows.
Flour, fireworks, and naphtha were quietly carried onto the deck and poured out.
It was eerily quiet all around. Only the sound of the river lapping against the shore could be heard, one sound after another, like a knife hanging above one's head slowly coming out of its sheath inch by inch.
Silence was more terrifying than a fight - it was like the moment when the world held its breath before a storm.
...
"General, the midnight has passed!"
Deep in the dense forest, the young scout's voice was extremely low, but he couldn't hide his anxiety.
"Wait a little longer." In the darkness, General Hu's eyes were unusually bright. "Miss Liu and Scholar Pei are in the city. Since they've sent the signal, they must have everything under control!"
He turned his head and called the adjutant beside him. "Pass my order! The whole army is on alert and ready to attack the city at any time!"
The adjutant took the order and left, disappearing into the darkness.
The night became even more silent.
Even the cicadas' chirping in the forest seemed to become sharper. One chirp after another was like countless tiny claws scratching at people's hearts, making people extremely impatient.
Suddenly -
The cicadas' chirping stopped.
General Hu suddenly looked up, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
Above Yue City, a thin golden line tore through the night sky, like a dragon breaking out of the abyss, soaring straight up. The next moment, it exploded in mid - air, blooming a magnificent firework.