Marrying a White Snake Wife is Super Cool

Chapter 531: Chapter 290: Raid My House? Who Would Dare Come for Me, Lu Yuan?

Finding no further opportunities to pursue, the master of Celestial Dynasty Palace changed the subject. "It is rather strange. Why has the Court conscripted all the Daoists from my palace? I have no idea what they’ve been sent to do."

"Oh, is that so? Most of the Daoists from my temple have also been conscripted by the Court," the master of Le Shen Temple responded.

Lu Yuan raised his teacup and said, "It’s best we don’t inquire too much into worldly affairs."

"True enough!" the others replied.

...

On the vast, boundless sea, the wind howled.

The fleet led by Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu, was cutting through the waves, returning to the Court in triumph.

The lookout on the flagship spotted hundreds of densely packed warships dead ahead and cried out in alarm, "Marquis, hundreds of warships spotted ahead!"

Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu, went up to the bow deck. The opposing fleet was flying the bright yellow dragon flags of the Divine Ling Empire.

’Strange,’ Marquis Yongchang thought, a little puzzled. ’We’ve already driven back the Wokou pirates. Why would the Court send reinforcements?’

Marquis Yongchang shouted to the lookout, "Signal them with flags! Ask the purpose of their voyage."

The lookout picked up two flags that were set aside and began waving them in his hands.

But the other warships gave no reply. Instead, they sent a small boat rowing over.

Meanwhile, on another of Marquis Yongchang’s warships, his second adopted son, Lantian, gazed at the hundreds of warships ahead and spoke to Lan Yu’s sixth adopted son.

"Xiaoliu’Er, what are you doing here? You should be at your post on your own warship."

Lan Yu’s sixth adopted son chuckled. "Second Brother, what are you saying? Your sixth brother missed you, that’s all. I came over for a drink and a meal with you."

"We are on a military campaign. If you’re not at your post on your own ship, that’s dereliction of duty. If Adoptive Father finds out, you’ll be dealt with by military law," Lantian said.

"It’s fine, it’s fine. If you don’t tell and I don’t tell, Adoptive Father will never know," Lan Yu’s sixth adopted son said with a wave of his hand, standing beside his second brother.

’It’s strange, though. Why would the Court send Navy warships?’ Lantian was also puzzled.

The small boat from the Navy rowed up to the port side of Lan Yu’s warship, and Lan Yu had his soldiers lower a rope ladder.

The men from the small boat used it to climb aboard the large vessel, then produced an order from the Ministry of War and read it aloud:

"By order of the Ministry of War, Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu, is to surrender command of the Three Guards of the Mansion and return to the Imperial City with the Navy fleet."

Marquis Yongchang glanced at the hundreds of Navy warships ahead and said dismissively, "I answer only to Imperial Edicts! An order from the Ministry of War has no authority to command me!"

"You!"

The soldier holding the Ministry of War’s order pointed at Marquis Yongchang, his expression turning ugly.

Marquis Yongchang’s face turned cold. His powerful voice, tinged with severity, commanded his soldiers, "This man dares to disrespect me. Seize him at once!"

Just as the soldiers were about to move forward and seize the man holding the order...

The soldier with the Ministry of War’s order leaped into the sea.

This bizarre move startled Marquis Yongchang. ’I didn’t want him dead. Why would he jump into the sea to kill himself?’

At that very moment!

The cannons on the hundreds of Court Navy warships roared like thunder. Cannonballs exploded on the sea’s surface, throwing up massive columns of water.

The naval battle erupted in an instant. Gunpowder smoke filled the air, catching the Three Guards of the Mansion completely by surprise.

The firepower of the Navy warships far surpassed that of the Wokou pirates’ shabby little boats.

In an instant, the officers and soldiers of the Three Guards of the Mansion were thrown into complete disarray.

Staggering on the deck of his flagship, Marquis Yongchang drew his Treasure Sword and commanded his soldiers.

"Counterattack!"

Seeing his adoptive father’s warship under fire, the second adopted son, Lantian, ordered a bombardment against the Court’s Navy warships.

Lantian reacted quickly. Shoving his sixth brother, who was in the way, aside, he yelled to his soldiers, "Fire on the warships ahead!"

"Second Brother, Second Brother, that’s the Court’s Navy fleet!" Lan Yu’s sixth adopted son cried, trying to stop him.

A look of disgust crossed Lantian’s face. He looked at his sixth brother and said, "Shouldn’t you be getting back to your own warship to command the counterattack?"

Right in front of Lantian, the sixth adopted son steadily drew his sword and lunged with a quick thrust.

The blade plunged into his abdomen.

Lantian clutched his stomach, disbelief on his face. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he said weakly, "Xiaoliu’Er, you..."

A smile on his face, the sixth adopted son quickly pulled his sword back and bellowed, "By order of the Court, I am to execute the traitorous general, Lantian!"

At the same time, the few soldiers the sixth adopted son had brought with him quickly subdued Lantian’s subordinate generals.

The sixth adopted son took a step forward, leaned close to his second brother, Lantian, and patted his shoulder.

"I hate it when people call me Xiaoliu’Er. From now on, you’ll call me Lao Liu’Er!"

Marquis Yongchang’s second adopted son, Lantian, died on the bow deck, his eyes wide in an unblinking stare of disbelief.

Lan Yu’s sixth adopted son took control of his second brother Lantian’s warship and sailed away from the coast, moving out of the Navy fleet’s cannon range.

The warship originally commanded by Lan Yu’s sixth adopted son sailed toward the coast, also moving out of the Navy fleet’s cannon range.

These two warships were the largest in Marquis Yongchang’s fleet, aside from the flagship itself.

A soldier reported, "Marquis, the two large ships on our flanks are leaving the formation."

"What the hell are those two up to? Deserting in the middle of a battle! Just wait until I get back, I’ll have their heads," Marquis Yongchang cursed.

The various warships of the Three Guards of the Mansion fell into chaos.

Some warships followed Lan Yu’s flagship and opened fire on the Court’s Navy fleet.

Others followed the other two large ships, moving out of the Navy fleet’s cannon range.

A Navy warship broke through their defensive line like a fierce shark and closed in on Lan Yu’s flagship.

Navy soldiers swarmed onto the deck like a tide, engaging the Three Guards of the Mansion in brutal close-quarters combat.

Lan Yu, Treasure Sword in hand, fought back fiercely, his eyes filled with indignation and rage.

Soldiers fell one by one beside Lan Yu, but he remained standing, swinging his Treasure Sword like a cornered beast fighting for its life.

However, the Navy soldiers were numerous and their morale was high, for they represented the Court’s righteous cause.

Marquis Yongchang, though incredibly valiant, was no Lü Bu or Xiang Yu. Wounded in several places, his strength gradually began to fail.

Finally, he stumbled, and the Navy soldiers seized the opportunity to tackle him to the ground.

His Treasure Sword was wrested from his grasp. He could only pound the deck in fury, roaring, "Let go of me!"

The Navy soldiers then quickly bound him hand and foot.

Marquis Yongchang’s eyes were wide with fury, and he continued to curse endlessly, but it was all in vain.

The Marquis was mercilessly and roughly dragged to the flagship’s watchtower and displayed for all the officers and men of the Three Guards of the Mansion to see.

"Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu, feigned compliance while acting in defiance, deceiving His Majesty the Emperor! By His Majesty’s decree, he is to be arrested and returned to the Imperial City!"

The Navy soldiers all roared in unison!

The soldiers of the Three Guards of the Mansion who had been resisting dropped their weapons one by one, allowing the Navy soldiers to board and take control.

The fierce naval battle concluded with the capture of Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu.

On the sea, the gunpowder smoke slowly dissipated, leaving only damaged warships and floating wreckage.

Navy Admiral Liao Yong’an never confronted Marquis Yongchang face-to-face; he didn’t even see him once.

Navy Admiral Liao Yong’an directly dispatched one-third of his Navy to escort Marquis Yongchang and the warships of his Three Guards of the Mansion back to the Imperial City.

Navy Admiral Liao Yong’an personally led the remaining warships, patrol boats, and grain transport barges to continue north...

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan had just seen off the Daoists from the Celestial Dynasty Palace and Le Shen Temple.

Marquis Yongchang’s first adopted son, Lan Ying, arrived at Lu Yuan’s residence, leading the Assistant Generals of the Left and Right Guards of the Mansion.

It was the first time the servants of the residence had ever seen so many military commanders burst in, and they didn’t even have the courage to try and stop them.

Lu Yuan had just stepped through the Mansion Gate and hadn’t even had a chance to catch his breath.

Hearing the commotion in the front hall, Su Liyan and Gu Ziye came running as well.

Gu Ziye looked at the menacing Government Army Guard commanders, her heart tightening. She whispered nervously:

"Sister, these Government Army Guards just barged right in. They’re not here to ransack the house, are they?"

Lu Yuan heard Gu Ziye’s quiet muttering and thought to himself, ’Ransack the house? Who would dare try to ransack my home?’