A family of loyal martyrs, starting with nine wives to continue the family line.

The first downpour of summer came suddenly and fiercely.

Large raindrops pounded on the glazed tiles of the Imperial Study, making a continuous, crackling sound.

The hall was lit with lamps, casting a dim, yellowish light that blocked out the gloomy sky outside the windows, which was permeated with moisture.

Wei Zhao was looking at the northern border defense map sent by the Ministry of War. His finger had just stopped at the border between Xianyuan and Beirong when a series of hurried footsteps came from the long corridor outside the palace. They came from afar and were urgent, as if breaking through the rain curtain.

He raised his head.

Hua Jieyu practically ran in. Her usually meticulously styled hair was disheveled by the wind, and half of her scarlet palace dress was wet, with patches of deep and light sweat. Clearly, she had come in such a hurry that she hadn't even bothered to hold up an umbrella properly.

She held a letter in her hand; the sealing wax was intact, but the corners of the envelope were damp and slightly wrinkled.

"Your Majesty, an urgent message from Quanzhou, 800 li away."

Hua Jieyu handed over the letter, her voice still carrying a hint of hurried breathing.

Wei Zhao's heart sank slightly.

The item came from Quanzhou and was sealed with sealing wax used in urgent military reports, indicating that something must have happened to Shang Wanqing.

He took the letter; it was slightly cool to the touch. He tore open the seal and pulled out the letter inside.

The letter was short, written in Shang Wanqing's handwriting, which had a craftsman's touch, with hard, straight strokes, as if it had been written with a carving knife.

"The eleventh fast boat has been built and has undergone three near-shore sea trials, confirming that it can keep up with the speed of Ke Zhenchuan's old boats. In addition, there have been frequent sightings of unfamiliar vessels outside Mingzhou Port recently, which do not appear to be fishermen."

Wei Zhao's gaze lingered for a moment on the last sentence, "doesn't seem like a fisherman."

He folded the letter and placed it on the corner of the desk, his face expressionless, but several thoughts were already running through his mind.

Shang Wanqing never speaks nonsense.

She was being extremely polite when she said "doesn't look like a fisherman."

This is most likely a scout boat sent out by Ke Zhenchuan to explore the area.

"She was afraid of alarming the imperial court, so she left room for maneuver in her words."

Wei Zhao looked at Hua Jieyu and said calmly, "This is the pirates' sentry ship."

Hua Jieyu nodded, her expression also becoming serious: "Before the letter was sent out, I had already instructed the Southeast Embroidered Uniform Guard to strengthen surveillance along the coast. Any unusual activity will be reported immediately."

Wei Zhao hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

Ke Zhenchuan, that old fox, has been licking his wounds in the South China Sea islands for two months, and he still hasn't given up.

The remaining force of over 7,000 men, using the islands in the South China Sea as a springboard, has likely recovered most of its supplies and morale.

Now, he's starting to test the waters.

That night, the rain gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of water dripping from the eaves.

The imperial study was brightly lit.

Wei Zhao sat alone at his desk, with a huge map of the southeastern sea spread out in front of him.

The map is the latest version obtained from the Ministry of War's Geomancy Department, which details all the ports, islands, reefs, undercurrents, and tidal patterns from Mingzhou to Quanzhou.

His finger moved slowly across the map, finally stopping at the islands scattered like chess pieces south of the Qiongzhou Strait.

Ke Zhenchuan's old lair is there.

Shang Wanqing built her ships quickly enough; in less than two months, she had eleven fast ships that could keep up with the speed of the main force of the Shanghai pirates.

This speed would have been unimaginable for the Imperial Arsenal in any other dynasty.

But his opponent was Ke Zhenchuan.

A former naval vice admiral, a man who had spent half his life at sea and knew more about naval warfare than any general on land.

The seven thousand men under his command were not a rabble, but desperate men who had followed him through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Wei Zhao's gaze returned to the coastline of Xinwu.

Liu Jingshuang was stationed in Yuezhou, and the 20,000 cavalry under her command were the most elite mobile force in Xinwu.

But cavalry is cavalry after all; once they dismount and go to sea, their combat effectiveness is greatly reduced.

Moreover, the battle lines along the coast of the three states are too long.

Deploying 20,000 cavalrymen was like pouring a cup of water on a beach; it looked wet, but the sun dried it up quickly.

As long as Ke Zhenchuan finds a weak point in the defense, he can easily cut in like a red-hot knife.

Eleven fast ships are a surprise force, a dagger, which can be used for night raids, harassment, and burning ships.

However, with this small force, it was impossible to fight a fair and square decisive battle at sea against Ke Zhenchuan's main force.

Wei Zhao picked up his vermilion brush and gently drew a circle on the sea outside Mingzhou Port.

The area is small, but it perfectly frames several islands and reefs suitable for ships to moor and hide.

He wrote a word next to the circle.

"post".

Ke Zhenchuan sent out scout ships to probe Xinwu's defenses, trying to find out exactly how many ships Xinwu had and where its defenses were located.

Wei Zhao knew very well that this test was just the prelude.

Once Ke Zhenchuan figured out the situation, the next time it would not be a few sentry boats, but an entire fleet of seven thousand men.

He can't wait.

We must keep Ke Zhenchuan guessing and uncertain before he makes a move, making him feel that this coastline is full of traps.

Wei Zhao put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and rubbed his temples.

In his mind, countless chess pieces were being analyzed.

Ships, soldiers, supplies, ports, wind direction... every link must be flawless.

The next morning at the imperial court, the sky had cleared up.

The atmosphere inside the hall was as usual, with civil and military officials reporting on local government affairs in an orderly manner.

As Wei Zhao listened to the Minister of Revenue report the amount of summer grain stored in the granary, his gaze swept over the marquises standing in front of the military officers, finally landing on Li Huai.

Only after all the reports had been submitted did he slowly begin to speak.

"The southeastern coast has been experiencing considerable wind and waves lately."

He only said this one sentence, without going into detail about the hidden worries in Shang Wanqing's letter, nor did he mention the pirate sentry ship.

However, the expressions of several perceptive old ministers in the hall changed slightly.

Wei Zhao turned his gaze to Li Huai: "Prime Minister Li."

Li Huai immediately stepped forward: "Your subject is here."

"The Maritime Trade Office will slow down the shipments of several caravans that were originally scheduled to be sent to the southeast."

Wei Zhao's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter: "Let's talk about it after the storm at sea passes."

Most of the officials were confused, simply thinking that the emperor was being considerate of the merchants and worried that they might encounter storms.

But Li Huai understood.

He raised his head and met Wei Zhao's gaze. In just an instant, he understood the weight behind those two words.

The sound of the wind at sea.

That wasn't about timing, it was about military affairs.

His Majesty is telling him that war is about to break out in the southeast.

The caravan was slowed down not because of the wind and waves, but because these merchant ships, laden with goods, would become the first piece of meat to be devoured by pirates.

"My lord, I obey your order."

Li Huai bowed and accepted the order without asking a single question.

After the court session ended, he did not return to his own office, but went directly to the Maritime Trade Office.

He knew in his heart that this matter had to be dealt with immediately and could not be delayed in the slightest.

His Majesty used the term "rumors" instead of "military intelligence" to minimize the impact of the matter and avoid causing panic among the people.

He cannot betray this trust.

Li Huai's figure disappeared outside the palace gate. Wei Zhao withdrew his gaze and looked back at the empty dragon throne.

The calm and tranquility in the court was something he deliberately maintained.

But a real storm is probably coming soon over the sea in the southeast.