I served as an admonisher in the Song Dynasty

Chapter 501: Dog bites dog, and the result is a mouthful of fur! Don't use your wits against Su Jingming

into the night.

Above the sea, the stars are shining brightly.

The wind is slightly salty.

The sea water sways gently, like a huge piece of inky silk.

Su Liang's ten large ships followed a Japanese merchant ship in front and headed east.

present.

When sailing at night, one mainly relies on stargazing and a compass.

In such coastal areas, night navigation can be carried out almost as smoothly as during the day, except that the speed will be slower.

According to Qingyuan Youde.

A Japanese merchant ship that had been oppressed and extorted by Cao Hu was hijacked by a group of Song pirates who were suspected to be Cao Hu's subordinates and left on an unknown island, with their life or death unknown.

They went there to get to the bottom of the matter.

In recent days.

The only evidence Qingyuan Youde found that could prove that Cao Hu oppressed and extorted Japanese merchants was on that unnamed island.

……

In the fleet, on the Song Dynasty official ship in the middle.

Inside the cabin.

Su Liang, Qingyuan Youde, Xiao Kaishi, and Wang Youcheng were all sitting inside.

Xiao Kaishi looked at Su Liang and asked, "Su Zhongcheng, after we land on the island, what should we do? Should we attack directly, or surround the island and ask them to hand over the hostages first and then surrender?"

Su Liang smiled slightly.

"This matter is the Qingyuan Special Envoy who is collecting evidence. You should obey Qingyuan's orders. This Minister will fully cooperate."

Xiao Kaishi turned and looked at Qingyuan Youde.

Qingyuan Youde said solemnly: "I suggest that we go directly to the island. Su Zhongcheng has 3,000 soldiers with him. It shouldn't be difficult to capture these people alive!"

Qingyuan Youde deliberately emphasized the word "capture alive".

Su Liang looked normal.

"It's not difficult. Once we catch him, we will immediately hand him over to Special Envoy Xiao and Special Envoy Wang for interrogation. What do you think, Special Envoy Qingyuan?"

"No problem! If I have wronged the Song Dynasty, I will keep my promise and commit suicide in front of Su Zhongcheng." Qingyuan Youde said with his chest puffed out.

Su Liang nodded.

Then the cabin became quiet.

Qingyuan Youde glanced at Su Liang, who was full of confidence, and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a hint of pride.

He understood why Su Liang was so confident.

Because the latter knew that Cao Hu and others had never engaged in arson, killing, looting, extortion or blackmail, and had never let Cao Hu contact the Song Dynasty court.

Su Liang was absolutely sure that he could find out the truth.

What Qingyuan Youde is proud of is——

He has already lured Su Liang into an ambush, and his mission is to get Su Liang and his 3,000 soldiers to the island.

After arriving on the island, the people at Qingyuan Bridge will find more opportunities for assassination.

Even if it fails.

In addition, Wang Youcheng, the Goryeo envoy, promised that 20,000 Goryeo troops disguised as Liao troops would surround the island before dawn.

Until then.

Su Liang, the three thousand Song soldiers, and Cao Hu would surely die.
Then the Song Dynasty would blame the Liao Kingdom, and Goryeo and Japan could sit on the sidelines and watch the fight between the two tigers. Qingyuan, who is virtuous, could also survive.

Qingyuan Youde felt excited when he thought of this result.

now.

What Qingyuan Youde didn't know was that the Goryeo envoy Wang Youcheng also glanced at him with a faint smile on his face.

His purpose this time is to frame Japan.

Japan has the ability to consume the military strength of the Song Dynasty. If the two sides fight, they can take the opportunity to plunder more merchant ships.

Moreover, Goryeo had decided to form an alliance with the Liao Kingdom, and their ultimate goal was to divide the Song Dynasty.

at the same time.

A smile also appeared on the face of Xiao Kaishi, the Liao Kingdom's special envoy.

This frame-up plan was something he came up with on the spur of the moment.

After reporting to the Liao Emperor Yelu Chongzong, the latter readily agreed.

If it can be done.

The Liao Kingdom was able to cause an all-out war between Japan and the Song Dynasty without sacrificing a single soldier.

Until then.

As the Song Dynasty faced the dual threats of Western Xia and Japan, the Liao Kingdom became profitable.

As for Goryeo.

It was just a chess piece in their eyes. It was much weaker than Japan. It would be easy for the Liao Kingdom to destroy it.

The three special envoys each have their own thoughts.

Su Liang leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes slightly. He didn't look at anyone, but his mind was as clear as a mirror.

……

Near the time of child.

The ship gradually slowed down.

Liu Sandao came to Su Liang and bowed, saying, "Zhongcheng, the Japanese merchant ship ahead has stopped. Ahead is the island where the pirates are hiding."

"This island has no name and is very small. It is about ten miles long from north to south and about ten miles wide from east to west. No one lives there permanently and it has no affiliation. When the waves are high in summer, part of it will be submerged. We found four ships ahead, one merchant ship and three fishing boats..."

"Is that merchant ship from Japan?" Qingyuan Youde looked at Liu Sandao and asked.

Liu Sandao pretended not to hear and ignored Qingyuan Youde.

At this time.

Su Liang stood up and said, "Order 500 soldiers to quickly control these ships and check other ships around the island. Do not let anyone leave the island by boat."

"Then leave another 500 soldiers to stay on our ship, and the rest of you, all go to the island, capture the pirates, rescue the hostages, and try to capture the pirates alive, but if their lives are threatened, you can kill them!"

"Yes, Zhongcheng."

Liu Sandao said loudly, then quickly walked out and gave orders.

Lean slightly.

Su Liang, Qingyuan Youde, Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng also came to the deck.

At this time, the starlight gradually dimmed, and the visible distance was no more than a hundred meters.

but.

Relying on the information from his informant, Su Liang has clearly seen the dangers hidden in this sea area tonight and has made adequate arrangements.

Not long after.

Nearly two thousand Song soldiers rushed onto the island with weapons in hand.

Although they held torches.

But the island ahead, hidden in the sea fog, was still dark and silent.

at this time.

Suddenly, in the distant sea, there was a "boom boom" sound similar to thunder.

From time to time, several bright lights flashed in the northwest sky.

Although the distance was very far, the sound was very small, and the light was dim, it was still seen by everyone standing on the deck.

Xiao Kaishi, the Liao envoy, said with some confusion: "There are still stars in the sky, but there are thunder and lightning over there. It's really strange!"

Qingyuan Youde raised his head.

"Special Envoy Xiao, you don't understand! The weather at sea is unpredictable. A leaden cloud can bring thunder and lightning and heavy rain. The weather at sea is caused by one cloud at a time."

"I see."

Xiao Kaishi nodded. He was rarely at sea, so he didn't understand these things.

Su Liang and Liu Sandao beside him looked at the flickering light with joy on their faces.

That was not lightning, but the artillery of the Song Dynasty.

……

More than half an hour later.

The island was quiet and the surroundings were also silent.

Qingyuan Youde couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Wang Youcheng discussed with him that after midnight, within half an hour at most, 20,000 Goryeo soldiers disguised as Liao troops would surround this nameless island.

And now, it's clearly timed out.

Qingyuan Youde looked at Wang Youcheng from time to time.

Wang Youcheng was also a little anxious and kept turning his head to look behind him.

at this time.

A soldier came onto the deck and whispered something to Liu Sandao who was walking over.

immediately.

Liu Sandao came to Su Liang and said loudly: "Zhongcheng, all 500 pirates on the island were captured, no one was injured or killed, and no Japanese merchants were found, but some books and goods of Japanese merchants were found."

Su Liang smiled and nodded.

Qingyuan Youde was stunned and asked, "How...how is this possible? The pirates all have weapons, so they won't resist?"

"Maybe I slept too soundly!" Su Liang replied.

Qingyuan Youde frowned.

He knew very well that these 500 pirates were all 500 Japanese assassins, and Qingyuan Bridge was among them.

Although their weapons were inferior because they were disguised as pirates, their fighting power was very strong. And they knew that the Song army would land on the island around midnight tonight.

Their mission was to kill as many Song soldiers as possible, and then after some of them were killed, Qingyuan Bridge would lead his men to hide in the bushes and caves, looking for an opportunity to assassinate Su Liang.

Some Japanese warriors who pretended to be pirates of the Song Dynasty would claim that they were Cao Hu's men and had killed all the Japanese merchants and thrown them into the sea to feed the fish.

This way, there would be no evidence to prove their wrongdoing, allowing them to maintain their identity as "Song Dynasty pirates, Cao Hu's subordinates" for a longer period of time.

But the report now is that five hundred pirates were captured.

Five hundred. This number shows that their assassination plan on the island has failed and could be easily exposed.

At this time.

Su Liang smiled and said, "I didn't expect it to be so smooth! How about we take them back for questioning?"

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Su Liang's words had just fallen.

Qingyuan Youde, Xiao Kaishi, and Wang Youcheng all took a step forward and said almost in unison: "No."

Su Liang curled his lips and looked at the three people. Their reactions were obviously a bit too much.

Xiao Kaishi quickly explained: "Su Zhongcheng, the witnesses and evidence are all on this island. It would be troublesome to take them back for trial. Why not give us two nights to ensure that we can investigate them clearly?"

"Yes! It is most convenient to check here. If we move it back, accidents may happen. I am afraid that Special Envoy Qingyuan will also have objections." Wang Youcheng added.

"Yes, it is most appropriate to interrogate here!" Qingyuan Youde also cooperated.

The three of them naturally did not want Su Liang to retreat. They were still waiting for 20,000 Korean soldiers to surround this place!

Ruo Suliang and others returned to the boat.

Even if 20,000 people attacked 3,000 people, it would be impossible for Su Liang's men to be completely wiped out.

Once Su Liang returned to land, the plan failed.

At this moment, the three people's hearts were pounding, fearing that Su Liang would not agree.

now.

All decision-making power lies in Su Liang's hands.

Su Liang looked around, looked at Liu Sandao, and shouted: "Go to the island!"

After saying that, he strode forward.

Qingyuan Youde, Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng breathed a sigh of relief.

About half an hour later.

Su Liang and others came to a wooden shed that had been built not long ago on the island.

Five hundred pirates dressed in Song Dynasty clothes, all in a daze, were tied together.

Among the crowd, there was an inconspicuous man, it was Qingyuan Bridge.

When he saw Qingyuan Youde coming, he immediately lowered his head, fearing that it would arouse suspicion.

It was not until this moment that he understood.

They were all captured, not because they slept too soundly, but because they were drugged tonight.

What they didn’t know was that the king who dominated this sea area was Cao Hu.

Although Cao Hu was on the ship, his subordinates had already known the whereabouts of these people. Then, according to Su Liang's arrangement, they put a large amount of knockout drugs in the evening meal.

This made it possible for the Song army to capture them all without any effort.

Su Liang looked around and said, "Special Envoy Qingyuan, this is the evidence you are looking for. You can also listen here. I want to avoid suspicion, so I will go to sleep!"

Su Liang took two steps and turned back to say, "San Dao, you stay here with us. If someone doesn't tell the truth, you will be responsible for torturing them. We have arrested many people, so it doesn't matter if two or three die. We can use severe punishments!"

"Yes." Liu Sandao said excitedly.

Then, Su Liang found a clean place under a shed in the distance and fell asleep.

Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng had no choice but to interrogate a pirate first.

"Who are you? Dongying, Song, Goryeo, or Liao?"

"Song people."

"Whose merchant ship is this near the island? Where are the people on it?"

"It was a Japanese merchant caravan with seventeen members. We killed them all and threw them into the sea to feed the fish!"

"Did anyone instruct you?"

"Yes...our leader Cao Hu ordered it."

……

These Japanese assassins were fluent in the coastal dialect of the Song Dynasty and had been specially trained. They answered questions fluently, and every word they said was meant to frame Cao Hu.

But if it goes too smoothly, it will feel fake.

Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng asked one question, then the second, and then the third. They were basically the same questions and had the same answers.

The more you ask, the slower and longer it takes.

After questioning five people, Liu Sandao said, "Two special envoys, these people gave the same answer. How about I call Cao Hu over and let the two sides confront each other?"

"No hurry, not yet! I have my own way. If his answer is false, I can find the flaw quickly." Xiao Kaishi did not want the two sides to confront each other immediately.

Once a confrontation occurs, the situation will easily become a stalemate. Once a stalemate occurs, Su Liang may have to come forward. Once Su Liang comes forward, he may reveal his flaws more quickly or even leave the island.

The three special envoys were extremely anxious.

I really can't understand why the 20,000 troops from Goryeo haven't arrived yet.

Later, one of the Japanese assassins, due to nervousness or poor memory, answered haltingly and kept repeating nonsense.

Liu Sandao suddenly became annoyed.

First he kicked me, then he started punching and kicking me in the head.

boom! boom! boom!
Liu Sandao's fist, which is the size of a baby's head, has great attack power.

After a short while, the man was beaten to the ground, half dead.

Next, Liu Sandao let himself go and started beating people up.

The three special envoys couldn't control him at all.

Xiao Kaishi, Wang Youcheng and Qingyuan Youde were very nervous, fearing that someone would not be able to withstand the beating and tell the truth.

Soon, the sky gradually brightened and a pale sky appeared in the distance.

Liu Sandao beat up more than ten people. Some of the injured had two or three broken ribs, while others would basically be unable to walk upright for the rest of their lives.

Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng interrogated more than 30 people, and the answers were basically the same.

At this moment, the three were almost certain that the 20,000 troops from Goryeo could not come.

Qingyuan Youde and Xiao Kaishi looked at Wang Youcheng from time to time, wishing they could beat him up.

Now, the plan is ruined.

These five hundred Japanese assassins may seem to be tough on the outside, but if the people of Song Dynasty were to investigate their ancestral home, relatives, and daily lives, they would quickly find out that they are Japanese.

By then, Qingyuan Youde would definitely commit suicide.

……

At this time, Su Liang, who had just woken up, strode over.

"Two special envoys, how is the investigation going?"

Xiao Kaishi said: "These people all admitted that they were from the Song Dynasty and that they were ordered by Cao Hu to kill the Japanese merchants, but whether their identities were true or false, I'm afraid it will take the local officials of the Song Dynasty to confirm!"

At this moment, Xiao Kaishi could only pick him and Wang Youcheng out first.

The two of them pretended that nothing had happened, and all the consequences would be borne by Qingyuan Youde.

Qingyuan Youde looked excited, but had nothing to say.

at this time.

Someone whispered something to Su Liang.

Su Liang immediately understood. He looked at Qingyuan Youde and said, "Special Envoy Qingyuan, please come with me. I have something to tell you."

"That pirate come over here too!" Su Liang pointed to a place not far away.

Qingyuan Youde followed Su Liang's finger and gaze, and his heart was filled with turbulent waves.

The pirate that Su Liang was referring to was none other than the leader of these 500 assassins, Qingyuan Bridge.

Qingyuan Youde thought to himself that it was bad, and it was possible that all his plans had been discovered by Su Liang.

Immediately.

Qingyuan Bridge, with a confused look on his face, was picked up by a soldier and walked forward with Qingyuan Youde.

Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng didn't know what Su Liang was going to do. When they were about to move, several Song soldiers holding bows and crossbows surrounded them and their followers behind them.

"You can't move!"

Xiao Kaishi and Wang Youcheng became more and more nervous, but they dared not move at all.

After a while.

Su Liang and his entourage brought Qingyuan Youde and Qingyuan Bridge to a high place on the edge of the island.

A large ship suddenly appeared in front of the two of them, and on the deck of the ship stood nearly a hundred soldiers in Japanese military uniforms, but they were all kneeling on the ground with their hands tied.

"This... this... this is?" Qingyuan Youde was puzzled. If the ruler of Japan sent troops out to sea, he would not have hidden it from him.

Su Liang said: "Last night, about 3000 Japanese soldiers boarded warships disguised as merchant ships and headed towards this island. They were surrounded and annihilated by the Chuzhou and Haizhou navies of the Song Dynasty. of them were captured and the rest were all killed. The fire we saw last night was our army's artillery!"

"Special Envoy Qingyuan, and this General Ohashi, please give this Minister an explanation!"

Qingyuan Bridge was shocked. He didn't expect Su Liang to call out his name all of a sudden.

Qingyuan Youde thought about it carefully and immediately understood everything.

"Central Prime Minister Su, these... these people are not our Japanese soldiers, they are all Korean soldiers. It is Wang Youcheng who intends to annihilate us all on this island." Qingyuan Youde said with trembling legs, cursing Wang Youcheng countless times in his heart.

The other side ordered 20,000 Goryeo soldiers to pretend to be Japanese soldiers instead of Liao soldiers. If they had really wiped out the Song army and killed Su Liang last night, then what would await Japan would probably be the destruction of its country.

Su Liang looked at Qingyuan Youde and asked, "How did he know the whereabouts of this island? Didn't you tell anyone?"

"I...I...it's my fault. I slandered the reputation of the Song Dynasty. I am wrong. I deserve to die. I deserve to die, but...but Gao Li deserves to die even more. This matter must have been instigated by Xiao Kaishi. They are more vicious. They intend to make the Song Dynasty and Japan go to war, and then reap the benefits!"

"Pfft!"

Qingyuan Youde knelt in front of Su Liang. In order to save his life, dignity and face were not worth mentioning at all.

Qingyuan Bridge slowed down and also knelt on the ground.

(End of this chapter)