RWNEFE -Chapter 95 I Have a Bold Idea!

Shen Lanxi opened the bamboo tube and said: “Disaster relief!”

Liu Yanhui lowered his gaze: “Relief efforts are supposed to head north. How did we end up in the southeast?”

Shen Lanxi handed him a piece of paper. “Read this, then call Master Hu and Liu Laohu here.”

After reading the contents, Liu Yanhui’s breathing tightened. He gently set the paper down, pressed it under a book, and hurried off to summon them.

Liu Laohu and Wei Dongzhu arrived quickly.

Shen Lanxi signaled Liu Yanhui to show them the paper.

Their reactions were identical to Liu Yanhui’s.

“How did it erupt into a riot?” Liu Laohu muttered in disbelief.

Shen Lanxi spoke calmly: “The drought has lasted for half a year. Before leaving the capital, did you hear even a hint of it?”

Liu Laohu and Liu Yanhui shook their heads.

Wei Dongzhu, traveling from the west, had heard nothing either.

“You mean the local government hid it?” Liu Yanhui whispered.

Shen Lanxi: “I can’t think of any other explanation.”

Liu Yanhui couldn’t believe it: “Why? How could they hide something so huge?”

Shen Lanxi’s voice was cold: “Officials have food to eat; who cares if the common people die?”

Liu Yanhui ground his teeth, eyes full of rage.

Liu Laohu was equally furious: “They don’t realize that crops have failed, people are starving—of course the populace will riot!”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes were deep: “Reporting the drought to the court is risky. If it’s deemed minor, the higher-ups blame local mismanagement. Light punishment affects promotion; severe punishment means demotion.”

Wei Dongzhu clenched his fists: “So they hid it. Now the truth can’t be contained?”

Shen Lanxi: “For us, this is an opportunity!”

The three looked at Shen Lanxi. There’s a riot, and she calls it an opportunity?

“If there were no riots, every time our exile team reached a prefecture, official documents would need stamps. If they weren’t delivered in time, punishment would be added.”

“Now that riots are happening in multiple areas, prefectures and county offices are ineffective. Missing a few stamps on the paperwork? No one cares!”

Liu Yanhui and the others frowned. Calling this an opportunity sounded like a stretch.

Shen Lanxi handed over the second piece of intelligence.

“Plague…”

All three exclaimed.

Shen Lanxi analyzed: “As our ship sails north, we must not stop at ports.”

“Large numbers of refugees will flock to water sources. If the riots are real, ports will already be occupied by the mob. Docking to resupply is like walking into a tiger’s den!”

Liu Yanhui: “The food I bought at the dock is enough for two ships for half a month. If we catch enough fish daily and save a little, it might last a month.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to buy more, but there wasn’t enough stock anywhere. The half-month supply was already bought in multiple batches to avoid suspicion.

Shen Lanxi’s third piece of intelligence was a maritime chart.

“At this speed, in three days we’ll reach the Jiaozhou Archipelago. Pirates are active there year-round. With riots and failed crops everywhere, pirates will have no food supply and will take risks.”

“So?” Liu Yanhui pressed.

“The opportunity?”

Shen Lanxi: “I have a bold idea!”

All three hearts skipped a beat. That phrase sounded eerily familiar.

“What idea?” Liu Yanhui asked, voice trembling.

Shen Lanxi curved her fingers into claws, hovering over the Jiaozhou Archipelago on the map.

“Help the people, and wipe out all the pirates there!”

Liu Yanhui, Liu Laohu, and Wei Dongzhu: Aren’t they the sheep here?

“Master, those are trained pirates! If we act rashly, who knows who’ll be eaten first?” Liu Yanhui had to play the skeptic.

Wei Dongzhu analyzed the manpower objectively: “The forces on both sides are vastly unequal!”

Liu Yanhui glanced at Wei Dongzhu, then lowered his head back to the map.

Shen Lanxi retracted her hand and said casually: “That’s why I plan to borrow troops.”

The words hit like thunder. The three stared at her, speechless for a long time.

After a while, Liu Yanhui stammered: “Master… you mean borrow from whom?”

Shen Lanxi’s lips curved in a smile, as if each word weighed a thousand gold: “The Third Princess!”

What?!

Aren’t they being hunted by the Third Princess right now? How could she possibly lend them troops?

“Master, can you explain? We don’t understand.”

Shen Lanxi’s eyes briefly flashed disdain: “Isn’t the Third Princess chasing the Shen family?”

Liu Yanhui nodded.

“Then what if we let her people know the Shen family is with the pirates?”

Wei Dongzhu raised his eyebrows: “They’re not idiots. Wouldn’t they just let us do the work for them?”

Shen Lanxi: “Or… we go to the pirates for protection ourselves?”

Wei Dongzhu: Can it really be this bold?

Liu Yanhui and Liu Laohu’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

“Everyone in the Great Zhou knows the Shen family stole the Wei family army’s supplies. Pirates became outlaws for money. What if the Shen family offers the supplies to the pirates for protection?”

The three: “…Is this even legal?”

Liu Laohu rubbed his nose: “Isn’t this a bit… immoral?”

Shen Lanxi gave him a sidelong glance, took a deep breath, and swore under her breath: “It’s called ‘all’s fair in war.’ Don’t pretend you understand, why say the absolute truth?”

Who doesn’t know fools die from speaking the truth?

~

She… actually understands military strategy?

Liu Yanhui and Wei Dongzhu’s hearts skipped a beat.

Shen Lanxi pulled out the fourth piece of intelligence, pointing to a solitary island: “Take Tongluo Island first!”

Wei Dongzhu: “Know yourself and know the enemy. We don’t know anything about Tongluo Island—number of troops, layout, weapons. We must scout first.”

Shen Lanxi: “Send someone to surrender first.”

Liu Laohu and Wei Dongzhu both stared at Liu Yanhui.

Liu Yanhui’s heart skipped: “W-Why me?”

Liu Laohu grinned: “Among us, you’re like the brother-in-law!”

Wei Dongzhu even raised a rare smile.

Shen Lanxi: “Reward for the scout: 5,000 taels of silver. For those fighting: one pirate killed, one tael.”

Liu Yanhui immediately straightened: “The Shen family’s brother-in-law? That’s me!”

Hearing 5,000 taels, Liu Laohu’s eyes gleamed.

“I think I’m more like the elder brother!”

Liu Yanhui and Wei Dongzhu: “…”

Shen Lanxi lightly tapped the table: “This plan only works if the Third Princess’s people pursue us. Then we can use them, letting both sides harm each other. If her people don’t come first and the pirates arrive first… the sea will be our grave!”