Wang Cuiqiao (Third Update)

Luo Longwen had originally wanted to ask Bai Xiaowen why the news of the amnesty had spread so widely, but seeing Bai Xiaowen's anger, he felt guilty first.

"Master Bai, calm down, calm down... The people who accompanied me last night were all Madam's trusted confidants, people she could rely on. I don't know why it became known throughout the island."

Bai Xiaowen said coldly, "I have some doubts about your sincerity in offering amnesty!"

At that moment, a gentle female voice rang out:

"Immortal Bai, please calm your anger."

Bai Xiaowen was taken aback, released Luo Longwen, and looked at the two people in black robes behind him. They weren't ordinary pirates, but women?

Two people in black robes lifted their black hoods, revealing themselves to be two women.

The woman in front of him had a very elegant demeanor. Her black hair was adorned with pearls and jade, and her skin was as white as snow. Unlike the other pirates on the island who were tanned by the sea breeze and the scorching sun, she looked more like a young lady from an official family.

The girl behind her, with her hair styled in two buns, stood respectfully behind the woman adorned with pearls and jade. She was a maid, but compared to the fair-skinned beauty of the woman, she appeared somewhat sallow and thin, as if she had not yet fully blossomed.

Luo Longwen sighed, "Master Bai, this is Master Xu's wife. She disregarded all advice and insisted on coming to see you in person. This should be enough to demonstrate our sincerity in offering amnesty."

Bai Xiaowen cupped his hands in greeting. "It seems I misunderstood you. However, I cannot stay here any longer and must leave immediately. Since Madam has come in person, besides replying to the letter, is there anything else you wish to instruct me to do?"

The fair-skinned woman, Wang Cuiqiao, spoke softly and gently, "I should have allowed Immortal Master Liu to stay for a few days, but the situation on the island is urgent, so I will not keep you any longer..."

"As for giving orders, I dare not presume to do so. I merely want to tell you, Immortal Master, that I can roughly guess what Ming Shan (i. e., Xu Hai) is thinking. Deep down, he is also willing to accept the amnesty, but the example of Wang Zhi makes him hesitant. In addition, the other leaders are not of one mind regarding the amnesty, so it will take some time and effort."

Bai Xiaowen nodded slightly.

Wang Cuiqiao then said, "I beg the Governor-General to request a pardon from the court, stating that as long as Ming Shan submits, his past crimes will be pardoned. If there is such a pardon, I am confident that I can persuade Ming Shan to repent and return to the right path."

Bai Xiaowen frowned and said, "The imperial pardon is no small matter, and Governor Hu dares not easily take on this responsibility. If the imperial edict is issued and you refuse the offer of amnesty, wouldn't Governor Hu be guilty of deceiving the emperor? So, we can accept the offer of amnesty, but Xu Hai needs to show sincerity."

This exchange was something Xu Wei had explained to Bai Xiaowen before setting off, and it was also mentioned in Hu Zongxian's secret letter to Wang Cuiqiao about the possibility of her being recruited.

Wang Cuiqiao sighed, "The Governor-General wants Ming Shan to eliminate the Wokou Pirates from Ye Mazi and Chen Dong's areas in Fujian as proof of surrender... However, this matter cannot be rushed, as both Wokou Pirates forces are no less powerful than Ming Shan's. I'm afraid Ming Shan cannot make such a decision in a short time."

"That depends on how much the lady holds in Xu Hai's heart," Bai Xiaowen said.

Wang Cuiqiao nodded silently.

"Madam is originally from Jiaxing. After being abducted by Xu Hai, she hasn't been close to her homeland for many years, has she?" Bai Xiaowen's voice Tranquility, adding a small weight to the argument. "Drifting at sea is not a long-term solution, and murder and robbery are even more contrary to the principles of morality. Please, Madam, consider this carefully."

Seeing Wang Cuiqiao's bright eyes filled with tears, Bai Xiaowen knew the time was right and turned to leave.

Wang Cuiqiao sighed deeply, "Since I started living abroad, I have never stopped missing the rice dumplings of my hometown, the water chestnuts of South Lake, and the shadow puppets and flower drums... If I could return home for even a day, I would gladly die."

After saying this, Wang Cuiqiao took out a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Bai Xiaowen, saying softly, "Master Bai, please inform Governor Hu that Chen Dong and Ye Ma have invited Ming Shan to a meeting on Kinmen Island in three days. I will try my best to persuade Ming Shan to take action against Chen and Ye. If it succeeds, the heads of Chen and Ye will be sent to Governor Hu's desk. Please also take care of the matter of the pardon edict."

Bai Xiaowen nodded and replied, "Of course."

After agreeing on some details for the rendezvous, Bai Xiaowen, accompanied by several of his personal guards, boarded a boat and left the island.

Bai Xiaowen also specifically asked Wang Cuiqiao for several Elite Tier pirate identity tokens. These tokens were made of iron and were much more exquisite than the bamboo tokens used by lower-level pirates. They had more "anti-counterfeiting" processes, with as many as thirteen hidden marks. Holding such an identity token would make Wokou Pirates a recognized Elite Tier pirate in Xu Hai Faction if one's identity was not exposed.

Back on the warship, Li Shuyi's first words were. "Now I know why Luo Xiucai chose to side with the Wokou Pirates."

Bai Xiaowen smiled without saying a word.

"He clearly likes Wang Cuiqiao!" Li Shuyi said. "When you were trying to fool Wang Cuiqiao and the others, I secretly noticed Luo Xiucai's eyes. They were definitely filled with admiration."

Bai Xiaowen continued to smile without saying a word.

"Is it right or wrong?" Li Shuyi grabbed Bai Xiaowen's arm and shook it forcefully, demanding the correct answer.

Bai Xiaowen laughed and said, "You women really have a keen intuition about love and romance."

"Am I right?" Li Shuyi was very happy.

"Actually, last night, I tested Luo Xiucai twice without success, so I guessed it might be related to romantic feelings," Bai Xiaowen said. "Otherwise, why would Luo Longwen, a scholar with official rank, willingly join the enemy? Moreover, although he addresses people as Master Hong and Master Xu, there's not much genuine respect in his words. On the contrary, when he mentions Wang Cuiqiao, he addresses her as 'Madam' with great deference."

Bai Xiaowen paused, then continued, "Also, Luo Longwen was originally a subordinate of the second-in- Xu Hong, Xu Hong, who opposed being granted amnesty... He went there to deliver a letter for Wang Cuiqiao, the wife of the first-in-command, Xu Hai, saying that there was no problem between the two of them and that it was impossible for them to be together."

"This Luo Xiucai is truly devoted to love," Li Shuyi remarked.

"Alright, forget about whether Luo Xiucai is infatuated or not, let's head to Ghost Reef now." Bai Xiaowen ordered the boat to set sail.

The crew of soldiers on board were immediately excited when they heard that they were going to help Yu Dayou collect herbs. They raised the sails and took the helm with great enthusiasm.

Bai Xiaowen, too lazy to argue with them, casually called over a personal guard, "Where are Zhang Ting and the others? Have they brought back any Ghost Mugwort?"

The guard's face flushed red. "No."

"It's only an hour's journey to Ghost Reef. They haven't returned yet, so their herb gathering must have been unsuccessful. Let's follow their route and see if we can meet them," Bai Xiaowen said.

The two boats sailed towards Ghost Reef. Gradually, the seawater turned from blue to black, and the surrounding wind grew chilly. Looking up, the afternoon sun was still there, but its light was weak and had a pale, feeble feel.