In another room.
An Cui secretly hid some of his food and belongings in a secret place. After making sure that everything was safe, he went back to report as if nothing had happened.
He had been forced to deliver a letter. He had not eaten his fill for a few days, and his clothes were simple and crude. That was why he had fainted in the snow and almost lost his life.
When he returned to a small village near Chengde County, he was immediately surrounded by a few simple and honest brothers who were loyal to him.
Although these brothers were rude and did not know how to read, they had a warm and sincere heart.
"Big Brother, why did you only come back after so many days? You made me so worried," a dark-faced man said anxiously.
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes and the lack of pretense, one could tell that his anxiety was genuine.
If it weren't for the others holding him back, he, who had a bad temper, would have rushed out to look for someone long ago. He wouldn't have cared so much.
"Big Brother, the clothes you're wearing … Did something happen?"
An Cui secretly waved his hand, motioning for his brothers to keep quiet. He looked around as if to see if there were any spies around.
Seeing this, another strong man spoke up in understanding.
"Don't worry, Big Brother. There are only us brothers here. There's no one else. We can all trust you."
An Cui felt very insecure. He had to confirm it himself before he could be at ease. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He hurriedly summoned his brothers and trusted subordinates into the house.
This small thatched hut was simple and crude, so An Cui didn't dare to speak loudly.
His brows were filled with fatigue, but he still forced himself to stay awake. He spoke earnestly to his brothers, "… In my opinion, the Red Lotus Group won't be able to hold out for long. The world is too difficult now. As your big brother, even if I don't think for myself, I have to think for your future. If we are tied to the sinking ship of the Red Lotus Group, we don't know how we will die in the future. "
His brothers were simple and honest. The Red Lotus Group's brainwashing methods had no effect on them. That was why he could say these words without worry. For these men, the Red Lotus Group was a place to stay that provided them with food and clothing. It wasn't their final destination.
The honest, dark-faced man opened his mouth and said.
"Wherever Big Brother goes, I'll go. I'll follow you for the rest of my life. The Red Lotus Group isn't a good place. Let's find another one. "
The other men were almost as honest. Although they didn't say anything, the dark-faced man had spoken their minds.
The other person looked slightly more refined and spoke in a more genteel manner.
He said, "What's Big Brother's plan? Just say it, we brothers are willing to climb a mountain of swords and dive into a sea of flames, we won't say anything more. "
An Cui was secretly satisfied. Only then did he reveal his complete plan.
The brothers were startled and looked at each other in dismay. For a moment, they couldn't decide what to do.
Did their Big Brother mean to say that he was preparing to set up his own organization and use the Red Lotus Group as a stepping stone to establish his own business?
The black-faced man was a bit more impulsive, and he was the first to stand up for An Cui.
"Whatever Big Brother does, Little Brother will do. The Tsing Yi Army was openly robbing, while the Red Lotus Group was secretly deceiving. They were a nest of snakes and rats, and all of them were f * cking evil. Big Brother is kind-hearted, talented, and capable. It's really unfair for him to be in such a small position. He might as well seize this opportunity and kill him. If he won the bet, he could make his own decisions. If he lost, the worst that could happen was that he would lose his lowly life. What kind of dog's life are we brothers living now? If it weren't for Big Brother taking care of us, the weeds on our graves might be as tall as a man! "
The black-faced man was extremely emotional. Although his words were very crude, they had struck a sore spot for everyone.
If it weren't for An Cui taking care of them, they would indeed not have survived in the Red Lotus Group.
Thinking of the frostbite on An Cui's hands and feet, and the fact that he had to share food and clothes with them, their minds were instantly dominated by emotions.
The slightly gentle-looking man held back the surging emotions in his chest. "Fourth Brother is right. If we don't think of a way out now, Big Brother will be dragged down to death sooner or later. Now that there's such a good way out in front of us, if we don't take the risk, we'll definitely regret it in the future. "
Wasn't it just being a spy and stabbing the Red Lotus Group in the back?
It wasn't like they couldn't do it.
"… But …"
Someone hesitated.
The black-faced man said in a tiger's voice, "What 'but' is there?"
The other party was a bit clumsy. After a while, he stammered and finished his sentence.
"… But, why did such a good thing fall into our Big Brother's hands? Could it be a trap? "
This was indeed what everyone was worried about. They were afraid that Jiang Pengji would go back on her word and burn the bridge after crossing it.
However, An Cui said, "We have to believe in this matter. Even if we don't help, do you think these people from the Red Lotus Group can defend Chengde County? Although they claim to have 100,000 members, look at them. How many of them can fight and kill? Fengyi County really has 20,000 elite troops. It's a bit exaggerated to fight one against 10, but it's definitely not a problem for them to fight one against five. If that's the case, do we even have a chance to contribute? "
For Jiang Pengji's side, there were only two scenarios for attacking Chengde County.
One, they could easily take it down.
The other, they could expend some effort and lose a certain number of troops before taking it down.
In An Cui's opinion, Jiang Pengji was the foolish son of a landlord, but Liu She, who stood behind her, was certainly not foolish.
Who didn't cherish their reputation in the early stages of a business?
Even if Jiang Pengji didn't cherish it, Liu She would surely understand.
Therefore, going back on his word would definitely not happen.
An Cui said solemnly, "Our future depends on this."
The more refined man looked worried and troubled. Even if they wanted to do something big, they had to have enough manpower.
"Big Brother, we'll do as you say, but … won't we have too few people?"
An Cui took out a heavy pouch from his sleeve and poured out the bulging bag of silver and gold.
There was firewood burning in the room, so the light wasn't too dim.
When the shiny, white silver was poured out, it sparkled and almost blinded everyone's eyes.
An Cui was satisfied, but his expression was solemn as he said, "There's no hurry. There's still some time before spring. We'll plan slowly. Brothers, this matter concerns the lives of all of us, so we must be extremely cautious. We must absolutely not reveal even half a word of this. "
The men cupped their fists and said in unison, "Don't worry, Big Brother!"
As the saying went, money made things easier. An Cui used the money and provisions Jiang Pengji provided to win over another batch of low-level members of the Red Lotus Group.
On the other hand, Shangyang County had truly been included in Jiang Pengji's sphere of influence.
There were many aristocratic families in Shangyang County, but apart from the Feng family, the other aristocratic families were all small in scale. Jiang Pengji didn't have to worry about their thoughts at all.
The Feng family had handed Shangyang County over to Jiang Pengji. In reality, they were transferring military power, finances, and government affairs.
Jiang Pengji currently couldn't command the local troops in Shangyang County, so she could only transfer a portion of her own troops over.
Her territory had doubled, which meant that the workload of her subordinates had also doubled.
Naturally, she had to continue recruiting troops and buying horses.
Feng Zhen held his forehead. "Well, are you planning to tire us to death?"
What vacation, what fun, what wild horses that would run free in Shangyang County were all lies!
What about being able to rest after being busy for a while? It was all a lie!
The truth was that she would be busy for a while every year, and the while would last for a year!
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