Later that night, away from the noise and firelight the family gathered in a quiet chamber. The sounds of celebration were distant now, muffled by thick wooden walls.
A single lantern lit the room casting a steady glow over serious faces. Jin Mulan spoke first. "You're turning them against each other." She said.
Luo He nodded slightly. "Not yet. Only planting the seeds." Her father crossed his arms, still uneasy. "This is a dangerous game you are playing. If either side realizes what you are doing !"
"They won't," Luo He interrupted calmly. "At least not until it's too late. We should make sure they don't get mixed. Carry the two armies in separate ships." There was a brief silence.
Then Luo He straightened again, his tone shifting. "There is a change in plans." Both of them looked at him. "Tomorrow morning," he continued. "We sail."
"To where?" Jin Mulan asked curiously. "The Island of Gold." Luo He said. Her father's brows furrowed. "There is no gold there." Jin Quan said. Luo He gave a faint smile. "Correct. No true gold." Luo He said.
He walked toward the small table and traced a rough map drawn across it. "It earned its name because of its rich copper mines. When freshly extracted, the ore shines the same like gold ore, before it is properly purified."
Jin Mulan's eyes sharpened. "So the name is an illusion." "Exactly," Luo He said. "And illusions are powerful, especially to men who chase wealth without understanding it."
Her father looked at him carefully. "You intend to use the pirates' greed again." "Yes," Luo He replied simply. He tapped the map once.
"We tell them there is gold. Real gold. Enough for all." "And when they find out the truth?" Jin Mulan asked.
Luo He met her gaze, unbothered.
"They will eventually. But they'll be too late for that when they find out." His voice lowered slightly.
The room fell silent again. The faint echo of distant laughter drifted in from outside, a reminder of the chaos still unfolding.
Jin Mulan studied him for a moment longer before speaking. "You're not just leading them," she said quietly. "You're guiding them into something." Luo He didn't deny it.
"Control," he said. "Is not about force. It is about direction." Her father exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
"For someone so young you think like a seasoned warlord." Jin Quan said proudly. Luo He's expression remained unreadable. "Tomorrow," he said. "We move."
"The ships carrying the gold will leave for Prosperous Silk Isle before dawn." Luo He said, his finger resting on the map. "We will sail for the Island of Gold by midday."
Jin Mulan and her father listened in silence, sensing that this was only the beginning.
Luo He straightened slightly. "I need a letter sent," he continued. "To the guard captain of The Island Of Gold." Jin Quan frowned. "A letter?" He asked confused. "Warning them." Luo answered.
"Yes," Luo He reassured calmly. "Warning them of an attack by tomorrow morning. Tell them the new pirate king is coming for their gold with three thousand pirates."
He paused, then added deliberately. "Make sure the number 3000 is well emphasized." Jin Mulan's eyes widened slightly.
Her father's reaction was far less restrained. "Three thousand?" he repeated sharply. "We don't have that many pirates."
"That is not the point." Luo He said, cutting him off. A heavy silence followed.
Then realization struck.
"They have four thousand soldiers," her father muttered. "If they believe this they'll prepare for a full-scale assault. We only have 3000 men even if we take in the pirates."
"That's a gap of a thousand men. And their me are well trained and disciplined unlike the pirates. Plus have better quality weapons and armour."
"Exactly," Luo He said. Jin Mulan crossed her arms, thinking it through. "They'll fortify the beaches. Tight formations. Strong defensive lines."
"And weak offensive movement." Luo He added a faint smile forming on his lips. "They will expect a direct clash. A brutal landing. A fight where defence has the advantage."
Her father let out a slow breath. "That's what you want them to see." Luo He nodded. "A battlefield shaped by their expectations, not reality."
Luo He moved closer to the table and began outlining the plan in detail. "Now listen carefully." His tone sharpened.
"Father-in-law, you will lead an army of one thousand strong. Take the five hundred elite soldiers we bought and five hundred of the rookies."
The older man nodded slowly, focusing.
"You will hold the line for as long as possible," Luo He continued. "Among them, position three hundred archers.
The remaining seven hundred will form your main fighting force."
"A defensive stands?" Jin Quan asked.
"At first," Luo He replied. "You will make it look like a desperate hold." Jin Mulan leaned forward slightly. "And what about you?"
Luo He pointed to the left side of the map, a raised stretch of land overlooking the shoreline. "I will take these pirates and the remaining thousand of our men. We will move along this hillside." He said.
Her eyes followed his finger. "A flanking position." Jin Mulan's gaze widened. "Yes," said Luo He.
"But not immediately." He paused, letting the plan settle before continuing. "First, I will send the pirates." Her father frowned. "Alone?" He asked.
"They will attack from a different angle," Luo He said calmly. "Loud. Disorganized. Exactly as pirates are expected to be." Jin Mulan understood instantly. "A distraction." She said. "More than that," Luo He corrected. "Chaos." He tapped the map again.
"They will draw the enemy's attention away from the main line. Confusion will spread. Orders will falter. Formations will weaken." Luo He said confidently.
Her father's expression darkened slightly. "They'll be cut down." He said solemnly.
"Yes," Luo He said without hesitation. "And they will take the enemies with them." He said as if that's what he wanted all along.
Silence filled the room for a brief moment. Then he continued. "When that happens, you move. Bring the archers forward and join them to the battle line. Then lead a charge." His father-in-law looked up sharply. "Into the chaos?" He asked.
"Into thinning enemy ranks," Luo He corrected. "Both sides will already be weakened by then."
Jin Mulan's voice lowered. "And then you strike." Luo He met her gaze. "No we will." He drew a circle around the battlefield with his finger.
"When the numbers drop, when both sides are exhausted we will lead the remaining thousand rookies." His voice became colder now.
"We close in from the flank and surround them." Her father's eyes narrowed. "Both of them?" He asked if confused. "Everyone," Luo He said coldly. The words lingered in the air. "The pirates and the island's troops." He repeated.
Jin Mulan held his gaze, searching for hesitation. There was none. "It ends in one move," Luo He said quietly. "No divided forces. No loose ends."
Her father exhaled slowly, the weight of the plan settling on him. "You're turning the battlefield into a trap." He said. Luo He's expression remained calm. "No," he replied.
"I'm turning it into a conclusion. Pirates are not stable enough for conquest."
He then gestured for writing materials.
"Now… the letter." Jin Mulan stepped forward, taking the brush. Luo He dictated, his tone precise.
To the Guard Captain of the Island of Gold, You do not know me, but I write to you out of necessity. By tomorrow morning, your island will be attacked.
The new pirate king has gathered the fleet, and now sails under a single banner. His target is your island and its wealth.
He comes not with a small raiding party, but with a force of 3,000 hardened pirates.
I urge you to prepare your defences immediately. Do not underestimate the scale of this assault. If you value your island, you will act without delay. -An unknown informant.
When the letter was complete, the room fell quiet once more. Outside, the pirates still celebrated, laughing and drinking unaware of the fate that awaits them.
Jin Mulan set the brush down slowly. "You're shaping every side of this battle," she said. Luo He glanced toward the distant noise of the feast.
"They think they're sailing toward gold," he replied. His eyes darkened slightly. "But they're sailing toward their role in serving me." Luo He said proudly.