Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Zhu Biao opened a box and found a batch of neatly stacked celadons inside. They looked ordinary on the outside, but upon closer inspection, he discovered that there was a sealed wooden cover on the bottom of the porcelain.

"Uncle, there is something hidden at the bottom of these porcelains." Zhu Biao frowned.

Zhu Han went forward to check and skillfully opened the bottom cover of a piece of porcelain. He found a short knife hidden inside. There was a unique pattern engraved on the handle. It was obviously not an ordinary item.

"These weapons are so well disguised, no wonder no one noticed them along the way." Zhu Han sneered, "Huo Qingshan's methods are indeed not simple."

Zhu Biao continued to check other boxes and found crossbows, bowstrings and other weapons, each of which was carefully disguised. He gritted his teeth and said, "If these weapons flow into Jinling, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"So we have to stop these things from reaching their destination." Zhu Han said calmly, "But taking direct action is too risky. We need to find a safer way."

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, with a gleam of determination in his eyes: "How about this, we set up an ambush in advance where the cargo ship must pass, and once they reach the shore, we can catch them all in one fell swoop."

Zhu Han nodded: "Okay, this time let Huo Qingshan have a taste of what it feels like to lose more than you gain."

As the sky brightened, the people on the boat gradually began to move. The two guards who had been knocked unconscious regained consciousness, rubbing their foreheads with confusion on their faces.

"What happened last night? Why did I fall asleep?" one of them complained.

"Don't ask too many questions, just check if there is any problem with the goods in the warehouse!" The other person hurriedly checked the lock of the warehouse and was relieved when he found nothing unusual.

At this time, a short but sharp-eyed man came over, obviously the supervisor on the ship. He looked at the two coldly and said, "Who told you to leave your post last night? If the captain knew, he would skin you alive!"

"Overseer, we didn't leave. We just felt dizzy for some reason and..." The guard was kicked away by the supervisor before he could finish his words.

"Stop talking nonsense! This batch of goods is priceless. If anything goes wrong, both of you and your family will be in trouble!" The supervisor's tone was filled with cold threats.

Zhu Biao and Zhu Han saw the whole scene.

"It seems that this group of people are not united internally, and there is an opportunity to take advantage of them." Zhu Biao said in a low voice, with a gleam in his eyes.

Zhu Han nodded slightly: "But we must find the opportunity to strike faster. Keep observing."

At noon, the fleet approached a small dock to replenish water and dry food. Several low-rise restaurants and inns near the dock looked shabby, but in fact they were faintly alert.

"This is not an ordinary anchorage." Zhu Han whispered, looking around the dock, "What are these people guarding against?"

"Maybe it's their transit station." Zhu Biao guessed.

As the two were observing secretly, the captain personally walked off the boat and talked in a low voice with a middle-aged man at the dock.

"Is the cargo ready?" the captain asked in a cold tone.

"It's been prepared long ago. Your men should hurry up and not waste time." The middle-aged man answered, glancing around from time to time, appearing extremely alert.

After the two talked for a while, a dozen boatmen moved several boxes of goods from the warehouse and transferred them to a carriage on the dock. These goods looked ordinary, but Zhu Biao and Zhu Han knew that there was murderous intent hidden in them.

"These goods are delivered in batches. They want to reduce the risk of being discovered," Zhu Han analyzed.

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle, we can't wait until Nanjing to take action. If we can intercept this batch of goods, we can make them lose their composure."

"That's right." Zhu Han nodded, "But there are so many people here that we will be exposed if we act rashly. We need a cover-up."

Zhu Biao looked around and his eyes stopped at a shed where miscellaneous items were stored at the dock. He suddenly had an idea: "There are a few barrels of kerosene there. If we create some chaos, maybe it can distract them."

Zhu Han smiled: "Good idea. But remember, don't make too much noise, just delay the time."

The two men moved quickly, using the crowd as cover to get close to the shed, and quietly poured a few barrels of kerosene on the debris. Zhu Biao used a tinderbox to light a pile of grass, and flames rose instantly, with thick smoke billowing.

"There's a fire! Put it out!" someone shouted.

The people on the dock were in chaos. The captain shouted, "Don't panic! Leave a few people to watch the cargo, and the others go put out the fire!"

In the chaos, Zhu Biao and Zhu Han took the opportunity to approach the carriage. They quickly moved several boxes of goods to the side, their movements light and fast.

Zhu Han whispered, "Hide these boxes in the reeds. By the time they come to their senses, we will have disappeared."

After hiding the cargo, the two quickly hid in the bushes on the river bank and watched the situation develop. The fire was gradually brought under control, but the captain soon discovered that the cargo was missing and he was furious.

"Who did it! Find them quickly!" the captain roared and ordered his men to search everywhere.

Zhu Biao whispered to Zhu Han, "They found us, but couldn't find us. The next step should be to send someone to speed up the delivery of the remaining goods."

"That's right." Zhu Han nodded, "We have disrupted their plans. Next, we just need to wait for the imperial court's reinforcements to arrive and completely cut off their retreat."

Night fell again, and the fleet moved slowly forward on the river, the water hitting the hulls, playing a low rhythm.

The captain was standing in the middle of the deck, his face so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it. His men stood beside him with their heads hung low, and no one dared to say a word.

"You bunch of good-for-nothings! You lost a few boxes of cargo at the dock, and now you still have the nerve to stand here?" The captain's roar was particularly harsh in the night wind.

"Boss, we've searched the entire dock and even the riverbank, but we really can't find it." A braver boatman whispered in defense.

"Can't find it? If you can't find it, I think you guys must have teamed up to steal it!" The boat captain suddenly pulled out the short knife from his waist and pointed the tip of the knife directly at the boatman's throat, "Believe it or not, I will throw you into the river right now!"

The boatman was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Boss, spare our lives! We dare not touch your cargo!"

"Hmph!" The captain snorted coldly and put away his knife. "If you do it again, I won't let you off. Keep a close eye on the remaining goods! Do you understand?"

Everyone responded tremblingly and retreated.

Zhu Han saw this scene clearly. He whispered to Zhu Biao, "Although this man is vicious, his mind is already confused. The more he forces his men, the more it shows how much he values ​​this batch of goods. What we need to do is to further disrupt his judgment."

Zhu Biao nodded: "We can take advantage of the dissatisfaction of our boatmen and cause them to split internally."

"Good idea." Zhu Han's eyes flashed with approval, "But for this kind of thing, we need to find a breakthrough."

Zhu Biao's eyes fell on the boatman who had just been scolded: "That man is the breakthrough point. He has just been humiliated and must have accumulated resentment in his heart. With a little guidance, he may become our pawn." Late at night, the boatmen took turns to rest, and only a few stayed on the deck to guard. Zhu Biao and Zhu Han quietly approached and selected the humiliated boatman.

"Hey, brother, don't be nervous, we are not here to harm you." Zhu Biao lowered his voice and patted the man on the shoulder.

The boatman turned around suddenly, his face pale with fear: "Who are you! Why are you on the boat?"

"Don't make a sound," Zhu Han gestured to silence her. "We are here to help you. You just got scolded by the captain. Are you upset?"

The boatman was stunned, and after a moment he whispered, "What on earth do you want to do?"

"It's very simple." Zhu Biao said with a smile, "We know you are unwilling to be ordered around by the captain all the time. He only treats you as servants and takes it out on you when something goes wrong. But have you ever thought that you can completely get rid of him and even gain more."

"Get rid of him?" The boatman frowned, seeming to find it incredible.

Zhu Han took over the conversation: "Yes. You just need to cooperate with us and let us see the goods in the warehouse, and we can change the owner of this ship. And you may even get a reward."

A hint of hesitation flashed across the boatman's eyes: "But...if the boss finds out, he will kill me."

"Don't worry, we will protect you." Zhu Biao said firmly, "Besides, you can see that the current situation is no longer under his control. If you don't seize the opportunity, he will use you as a scapegoat sooner or later."

The boatman was silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Okay, I'm willing to try. But you must save my life!"

Zhu Biao smiled and said, "Don't worry, we won't let you take risks in vain."

The next morning, the boatman took Zhu Biao and Zhu Han to the warehouse as agreed. He looked around and confirmed that no one was paying attention, then whispered, "These are the goods. Look!"

Zhu Biao opened a box and saw exquisite weapons and armor. He touched the blade with his fingers and said coldly, "It is indeed something from the army."

"These things are enough to equip a small army." Zhu Han whispered, "It seems that their mastermind behind the scenes has great ambitions."

"What should we do now?" the boatman asked nervously, "Are you going to take these goods away?"

Zhu Biao shook his head: "Now is not the time. We have to let them expose themselves. From now on, you just need to follow our instructions."

Several boatmen on duty noticed the movement in the cargo hold and immediately went forward to check. The boatman hurriedly pretended to check the lock and waved his hand, saying, "It's okay. I just heard some noise inside and thought it was a rat."

"Rat?" One person was half-believing and half-doubting, "This warehouse is locked up tightly, where did the rat come from?"

"If you don't believe me, come and see for yourself!" The boatman said with a hint of impatience in his tone.

In the cargo hold, the captain was conspiring with two of his confidants.

"Once we enter Jinling, we will unload the goods to the warehouse in the south of the city as soon as possible." The captain lowered his voice, with a hint of urgency in his tone, "Remember, anyone who comes close must be driven away. This batch of goods is more important than life!"

A confidant nodded and said, "Don't worry, Boss. Our brothers are already guarding the warehouse and will not let anyone get close."

Another person whispered, "But Boss, what about those boxes of lost goods? If the higher-ups investigate..."

The captain's face darkened instantly, and he slammed his fist on the table: "Don't mention those boxes of goods anymore! I'll find a way to deal with the higher-ups after this batch is safely delivered. The most important thing now is to do the job at hand. Do you understand?"

The two of them nodded quickly: "Yes!"

Outside the cabin, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao approached the cargo hold and heard the conversation clearly through the gap. Zhu Biao frowned slightly and asked in a low voice: "Uncle, they obviously attach great importance to this batch of goods. Should we take action in advance and seize the goods?"

Zhu Han hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said, "Now is not the right time. If we act now, it is likely to cause chaos and even alert the real person behind the scenes. Only after entering Jinling can we find a bigger breakthrough."

"Okay, then let's keep our troops on hold for now." Zhu Biao nodded in response.

When the ship docked, a thin layer of morning mist covered the river. On the dock, several strong men were leaning against a wooden box smoking dry tobacco. When they saw the cargo ship slowly approaching, they quickly put out their cigarettes, picked up the rope and went to meet it.

"Boss, the ship has finally arrived. It wasn't easy to get this batch of goods." A bearded man shouted to the captain with a smile.

The captain stood on the deck and squinted at him. "Stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and gather everyone to unload the cargo. Remember, move quickly and don't delay!"

"Yes, boss!" the man responded and quickly called out to the workers nearby, "Get moving, don't dawdle!"

The captain walked down from the deck, his eyes sweeping around like a knife: "This section of the journey is very tight, you all remember the orders from above, right? This batch of goods is more important than life, whoever dares to make a mistake, I will skin him alive!"

"Understood, boss!" Several strong men said in unison and hurriedly lifted the box.

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao hid not far away, watching the cargo being unloaded from the ship and loaded onto several carriages. Zhu Biao whispered, "Uncle, this group of people looks experienced. We have to be careful."

Zhu Han nodded, his eyes watching every detail of the dock like a hawk: "They are making quite a big show, but the bigger the show, the easier it is to reveal flaws. Remember, we can't alert them."

Zhu Biao frowned slightly: "But what if they change their route halfway? What if we lose them..."

"No," Zhu Han sneered, "Look at the stern of that ship."

Zhu Biao followed his gaze and saw a deliberately camouflaged black water bird at the stern, with some kind of mark faintly flashing under its feathers. His eyes lit up: "It's the tracking mark of the secret guards!"

Zhu Han nodded: "Yes, this is what I arranged in advance. As long as they move this batch of goods, our people will follow them secretly. Even if we lose them, we are not afraid of not being able to find the target."

Zhu Biao showed admiration: "Uncle, you really think it through."

The two changed into dock workers' clothes and quietly mixed into the moving team while the crowd was busy. Zhu Han whispered, "Be careful not to reveal any flaws. Pretend to work more and talk less."

Zhu Biao nodded, bent down and picked up a wooden box, pretending to move it to the side of the carriage with difficulty. He muttered quietly: "These boxes are really heavy. I wonder what's inside them."

A sturdy man nearby snorted coldly: "Stop talking nonsense! This batch of goods is not yours to ask about. Finish the work, get your wages and get out of here."

Zhu Biao nodded quickly: "Yes, yes, I dare not ask, I just said it casually."

Zhu Han was watching the placement of the goods. He gently lifted a box and noticed a special seal on the bottom of the box. He put the box down as if nothing had happened, and he was somewhat confident. (End of this chapter)