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

In early September, the autumn chill deepened day by day in the capital, yet the candlelight in the Imperial Study burned even brighter than in the height of summer.

When Hua Jieyu appeared at the door of the Imperial Study, she brought a cool breeze, different from the dryness of autumn, carrying a salty and fishy smell.

What she held in her hands was not an ordinary report, but a rolled-up nautical chart carefully wrapped in oilcloth.

"Your Majesty, it was sent back via express courier through the Qiongzhou Strait."

Wei Zhao put down the vermilion brush in his hand and reached out to take it.

The nautical chart was spread out on the large imperial desk, densely marked with various symbols and numbers using cinnabar and ink.

"Of the three spies sent by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, two were killed before they were able to deliver this map. They confirmed that Ke Zhenchuan's stronghold was located on the largest island in the South China Sea, which they called 'Black Shark Island'."

Her finger touched a large island on the map, heavily circled in red.

"There are about seventy ships on the island, that's all they can see. The main fleet is all concentrated here. The granary is built in a sheltered valley on the west side of the island. It is a wooden and stone structure, and the garrison is about two thousand men, all of whom are his old subordinates who came from the previous dynasty's navy. They are extremely brave."

"In addition, at least eight thousand people are stationed on two small islands adjacent to Black Shark Island. These people are usually scattered in various places, fishing, repairing boats, and reclaiming land, but they can be assembled and boarded ships within an hour in wartime. They are the main force that Ke Zhenchuan uses for combat."

After Hua Jieyu finished speaking, she stepped aside and said no more.

In the imperial study, only the soft crackling of the burning candlelight could be heard for a moment.

Wei Zhao didn't speak; he just lowered his head, his gaze slowly moving across the nautical chart.

Seventy ships, two thousand old troops, and eight thousand soldiers.

This is no longer the more than 10,000 remnants he had previously estimated.

While licking his wounds in the South China Sea, Ke Zhenchuan continued to recruit soldiers and annex scattered bandits, like a giant beast quietly growing stronger in the shadows, its power increasing rather than decreasing.

This is no longer just a group of pirates; it is a separatist kingdom entrenched in the South China Sea, possessing its own territory and manpower.

Wei Zhao stared at that picture for a very long time.

He could almost see the island teeming with people, hear the desperate men sharpening their knives, and smell the musty grain emanating from the enormous granary—enough to sustain a major battle.

"Make two copies of this intelligence report, word for word." After a long while, Wei Zhao finally spoke, his voice so calm that it was impossible to detect any ripples. "Send one copy to Quanzhou by express courier, and give it to Liu Jingshuang and Shang Wanqing. Send the other copy to Prime Minister Li now."

He paused, then added, "Let Prime Minister Li deduce what we would need to take down these three islands simultaneously."

Li Huai practically ran into the Imperial Study. By the time he arrived, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

He didn't sleep all night, and more than a dozen officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War stayed with him to calculate the numbers.

He did not present the account book, but simply bowed and stated a number.

"Your Majesty, my colleagues in the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Works have conducted a strategic analysis. If we are to achieve a complete victory in one battle and thoroughly destroy Ke Zhenchuan's three interconnected strongholds, we will need at least 15,000 elite troops to land on the islands for combat. Furthermore, we will need at least 30 new-style fast ships to completely blockade all waterways between the three islands during the operation, preventing them from splitting their forces to break out or supporting each other."

Fifteen thousand people, thirty fast boats.

This number, like two towering mountains, weighed heavily on the Imperial Study.

With all its current forces combined, excluding the necessary troops for the northern border defense and various local garrisons, Xinwu simply cannot muster enough mobile forces to mobilize immediately.

Wei Zhao's face remained expressionless after hearing the report. He knew very well that the number Li Huai had given was still the most ideal scenario.

He was silent for a moment, then said something that surprised Li Huai.

"Let's gather enough boats first, then we'll talk about people."

Li Huai was taken aback for a moment, then understood what His Majesty meant.

Without enough ships and absolute control of the sea, sending more men to the island would only be sending them to their deaths at the hands of pirates. Ships are the key to winning this naval battle.

"Your Majesty, I understand."

The response from the southeast came faster than Wei Zhao had anticipated.

On the evening of the third day, two letters from Quanzhou were delivered to the Imperial Study one after the other.

The first letter was from Shang Wanqing. The letter paper had a strong smell of tung oil, and the handwriting was still so stiff, as if each stroke had been carved with a ruler.

"The seventeenth and eighteenth fast ships will be launched within ten days. At that time, I will have eighteen fast ships at my disposal. This number is enough to completely block the waterways between the three islands. But I have no way to deploy troops to land on the islands."

At the end of the letter, Shang Wanqing wrote another line in heavier handwriting, revealing the cold tactical intuition unique to her as a master of weaponry.

"Your Majesty, the granaries on the island are made of wood. My kerosene canisters can be thrown up there and burned."

Wei Zhao looked at that sentence and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

This Shang Wanqing, all she ever thinks about is how to destroy the enemy in the most direct and effective way.

He placed Shang Wanqing's letter under the paperweight and opened Liu Jingshuang's letter.

Liu Jingshuang's letter was clean, with elegant handwriting, but it contained only one word.

"wait."

Looking at that character, Wei Zhao felt a sense of peace.

The word "wait" shows that Liu Jingshuang understood the overall situation and also understood his thoughts.

She knew that now was not the time for a decisive battle, and the Xinwu court was not yet ready.

She was waiting, waiting for the ships to be built, waiting for the troops to be mobilized, waiting for the most suitable time to strike.

She believed he could prepare everything.

After finishing military affairs in the southeast, it was already late at night.

A eunuch entered silently and presented another letter.

The envelopes were made of the most common type of yellow hemp paper found at the post stations, and they had been sent back from Yangguan.

It was a letter from Fang Zhaoru.

Wei Zhao opened the letter; the paper was rough, but the handwriting was still upright.

"We have passed the old land of Yumen and entered the former territory of the White Wolf Tribe. Jinle said that after another ten days of travel, we will reach the last oasis where his ancestors left. Along the ancient road, white bones are scattered everywhere, which must have been left behind during the westward migration three hundred years ago. Jinle did not say a word along the way, but his face was solemn. He often dismounted and sat alone in front of those white bones for a long time."

After reading the letter, Wei Zhao carefully folded it and put it into the black lacquered wooden box on the left side of the imperial desk, which was specifically used to store documents from the Western Regions.

He made no annotations or replies.

The game of chess in the west is a matter of human nature and time; it cannot be rushed. It is a long road home, paved with three hundred years of history, and also a peaceful road that opens the gates of the Western Regions for Xinwu.

To the east, however, lies an imminent, life-or-death battle.