Traveling through the late Ming Dynasty to promote Chinese civilization

Chapter 156 Befriending the Governor

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Fearing he might not fully grasp the point, Lü Yizhong added, "It would probably be inappropriate for the governor's office to directly intervene in this matter..."

Liu Ye knew that unless it was a life-or-death feud, officials usually only competed in secret and would not openly confront each other: "I understand. I'll just step in. If anything happens, they can just push it onto me. It'll just leave me with the impression of being reckless!"

Lu Yizhong extended his thumb from his sleeve: "General, you truly have a brilliant mind."

"Don't be like that, the one with the seven orifices of exquisite heart is Bi Gan, he didn't have a good ending," Liu Ye joked.

Lu Yizhong raised an eyebrow. Although Liu Ye was a military general, he had a thorough understanding of the ways of officialdom and even knew the story of Bi Gan taking out his heart. He must have been educated and was skilled in both literature and martial arts. No wonder he was able to commit such a heinous crime and still be recruited and exonerated safely.

The more someone is like that, the more important it is to cultivate a good relationship with them. Lü Yizhong volunteered to accompany Liu Ye to Dingfeng Shipping Company.

Liu Ye, accompanied by his guards and led by Cheng Youde and Lü Yizhong, arrived at Dingfeng Shipyard. Dingfeng was much larger than Chengji. Liu Ye glanced at the plaque on the gate of the shipyard and ordered, "Smash the plaque, tie up all the craftsmen, seal the timber, and come back to pick it up the next day."

Lin San replied, "Yes, sir!"

The team members began to dismantle the plaque when several burly men who looked like guards came over and shouted, "Where did these madmen come from, daring to cause trouble at Dingfeng? Do they know who's protecting them?"

Liu Ye, too lazy to argue with his henchmen, ordered, "Stop arguing, tie them up, gag them, and throw them aside."

Seeing that the other side was about to attack, several burly men cursed and prepared to grab their weapons to fight back. The guards didn't give them the chance; they smashed them down with rifle butts, and each of them cried out in pain. Then they were all tied up and gagged with rags.

Seeing that things were not going well, one of the stewards secretly slipped out through a side door and hurried to report the news.

There were five or six hundred craftsmen at the shipyard; there weren't even enough ropes to tie them all up. Liu Ye was delighted to see so many people and waved his hand, "Forget it, don't bother tying them up. Just take them to the dock, catch them on a ship, and send them to Bofu!"

The other supervisors and foremen scattered like birds and beasts, and Liu Ye couldn't be bothered with them. Lin San asked, "What should we do with the remaining ships under construction?"

"It's not finished and we can't move it, what else can we do but burn it down! Be careful not to damage the timber."

Flames shot skyward, and the surrounding crowd stood at a distance watching the spectacle, pointing and whispering. Just then, a man who appeared to be a steward arrived, panting, led by the shipyard manager. He shouted breathlessly, "Stop! Put out the fire... You... do you know whose shipyard this is? It belongs to... to Inspector Gao......"

Liu Ye took a rifle from a soldier and smashed it at the butler with the butt, knocking out several of his teeth.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you old scoundrel? I am ordered to collect timber and shipwrights to build warships to wipe out the pirate Liu Xiang. Once Liu Xiang is defeated, it will be a blessing for all the people of Guangdong Province."