331: Chapter 331: The Smuggling Begins

Just as Si Chen ordered his crew to stop the ship, a Great Qin tower ship pulled alongside them.

Over a dozen Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers, holding torches in their right hands, jumped onto Si Chen's cargo ship.

"Officers."

Si Chen hurriedly brought out some money.

The purpose of these Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers guarding this post, besides checking passing merchant ships for contraband, was to collect transit taxes from them. This was a major source of revenue for the local commandery's finances.

After the squad leader collected the money, he inquired about Si Chen's purpose for entering the territory.

"Transporting goods, just transporting goods."

Si Chen quickly replied, "The ship is still empty right now!"

The captain did not respond; he simply glanced at his subordinates.

His men moved with perfect coordination, entering the interior of the cargo ship to check if Si Chen was transporting any prohibited items.

When the Lou Chuan Soldier responsible for the inspection came out, he shook his head at the captain.

The captain pulled out a travel permit.

A subordinate brought him a writing board and a brush, and he placed the permit on the board.

"Name."

The captain questioned Si Chen.

"Si Chen."

Hearing this, the captain began to write with his brush.

"Great Qin Era, Year Eleven..."

This 'Great Qin Era' was a new calendar created by Zhao Fusu, starting from the year Great Qin unified the world.

"June 18th, cargo ship belonging to Si Chen enters Hengshan Commandery empty."

"Arrived at Hengshan, passing through Hengshan."

"This permit is specially issued to grant passage."

After he finished writing, the captain stamped the official seal onto the permit.

"Here."

The captain handed the permit to Si Chen.

With this permit in hand, Si Chen could pass through Hengshan Commandery.

If he encountered Lou Chuan Soldiers guarding other sections of the river, he would only need to show them the permit.

Once he reached the next commandery, Lujiang Commandery, he would have to obtain another travel permit for Lujiang before he could enter.

After Si Chen passed through the river section controlled by the Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers, he cast a worried look behind him.

Would Huang Long and the others be able to successfully sneak across?

Plans can't keep up with changes; the searchlights used by the Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers were too bright, illuminating everything within three or four hundred meters.

The river section guarded by the Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers was only three or four hundred meters wide, and the searchlights could sweep the entire stretch of water!

Si Chen's face was full of anxiety.

When the time reached the latter half of the night, Huang Long looked at the night sky.

He said, "Move out."

assault boats, one after another like sharp arrows, approached the river section guarded by the Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers.

"Stop!"

Huang Long watched the searchlights on the river ahead constantly shifting directions, and his expression suddenly turned grim.

With the speed of their assault boats, they could rush across very quickly, and the Great Qin Lou Chuan Soldiers wouldn't even be able to intercept them if they wanted to.

But if they did that, they would be exposed.

This would have a significant impact on their plan to attack the Great Qin steam train in Kuaiji Commandery.

"Battalion Commander, what should we do?"

The expression of the squad leader under Huang Long changed.

"No need to worry."

Huang Long said, "When I left Yunmeng Marsh, Military Counselor Zhang Liang gave me a silk pouch."

"He told me to open it if I encountered an unsolvable problem."

Huang Long took out the silk pouch Zhang Liang had given him and opened it.

"If it is truly impossible to smuggle across the checkpoint on the water, you may carry the assault boats onto land, disguise yourselves as fishermen, and bypass the river section along the shore."

Huang Long nodded slightly.

Having a plan, Huang Long immediately directed his men to go ashore, carry the assault boats, and move through the reed beds along the bank.

They didn't dare go too far inland; some people lived not far from the shore, and some even kept dogs. Alerting too many people would not be good for them.