When the rooster crowed three times and the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, the people in the villages began to move.
They were far away from the prosperity of the southern part of the Wu dynasty. In the area of Dulonggang, all they did was to live. There wasn't much entertainment. The villagers worked the fields, and the women in the village did needlework. When the farming was idle, they would visit each other and gather in front of a house to enjoy the cool air. This was the daily life of most farmers in the Wu dynasty. Day after day, year after year. In the Lone Dragon Mound, if there was anything more, it would be to protect the villages. They would organize the villagers to go through war training. Many times, the fierce and swift folk customs were born from these training sessions.
The formation of places like Dulonggang and Wanjialing was similar to a bandit's stronghold. First, the gangs that ruled the area started to gather. Later on, the number of people gradually increased. Now that they were close to the trade routes, a new order was gradually established. They no longer relied on robbing and killing to earn money, which would attract the attention of the government. Instead, they began to collect protection fees and do some gray income business. Even if they fought with others, it was only because they wanted to fight for territory and protect it. In Shandong, especially near Liangshan, these things were unavoidable. Most of the villagers returned to farming when the situation was a little more peaceful.
Dulonggang's terrain was unique. There were also many workshops in the three villages that employed the villagers. Although they couldn't compare to the prosperity and professionalism of the big cities, these small workshops could meet the needs of the 20,000 to 30,000 people in Dulonggang. On the other hand, they could produce products and trade with the outside world to make huge profits. For example, the salt and iron businesses that were strictly controlled by the government could be hoarded and operated by the villagers in Dulonggang. As long as they didn't go too far, they could live comfortably.
Farming, practicing martial arts to protect the village, and doing all kinds of business to make money were the three things that went hand in hand in Dulonggang. Of course, due to the growing influence of Liangshan, the villagers' training had become the most important thing in recent days. Everyone in the Lone Dragon Mound had become nervous. Early in the morning, the villagers could be seen practicing under the guidance of the instructors.
Hu Cheng walked on the bluestone path in front of him. When he arrived at the grain-sunning ground, he saw his younger sister who was quarreling with the villagers. She put one hand on her waist, smiled and looked up, "If you have the guts, come and fight with me!" The one quarreling with him was Liao Sibao, the son of the chief steward of the manor. Liao Sibao and his sister had grown up together, so it wasn't the first time they had quarreled like this.
Their mouths were noisy, but of course, they didn't fight. His younger sister's martial arts skills had been excellent since she was young. Now, she was taller than the average man and had two Sun and Moon Sabers on her back. Her saber techniques were swift and fierce, and there weren't many people in the village who were her match. Liao Sibao would not fight with her. In fact, Sibao was probably interested in his sister. San Niang was pretty, and children who grew up together with her would be interested in her. But if he couldn't beat her, it would be useless.
Among the young people in the villages, only Zhu Biao from the Zhu Village could slightly surpass San Niang. After San Niang was betrothed to Zhu Biao, no one had anything to say.
"Alright, Bao Si, don't argue with her anymore. Bring everyone to practice. San Niang, you only know how to quarrel so early in the morning … "
As the elder brother, Hu Cheng went over to persuade her, and both sides gave him face. It was common for villagers to bicker and quarrel. If they got married, they would say all kinds of dirty words without restraint. The younger sister was not married yet, so this was a good thing. No one would argue too much. After this little farce, the younger sister walked to the side with her brother. She lifted her chin and asked, "Who's that over there? That … Young Master who does business? "
Following her gaze, there were a few people doing simple exercises at the side of the grain-sunning ground. They weren't from their own village. The young man in the middle was wearing beautiful clothes that were almost showing off. He was also looking in their direction. His hands were on his waist, and he was twisting his buttocks like a noodle, which made him look a little evil. He waved his hand in greeting, and Hu Cheng also cupped his hands in greeting.
"Yes, it's that Young Master Lei who came here the day before yesterday. He's here to discuss business."
"What's he doing? He's acting weird? I heard he knows martial arts? "
"He said he knows martial arts. The guards around him are not bad, but it seems like he's just a guy who has been casually practicing with his master for a few years. He's from a big family in the capital. He said … he has a nickname called Mixed Element Thunderclap Hand, and he probably practiced a few palm techniques … When he came over, he said he was interested in the war here, and wanted to follow and watch … "
"These young masters from the city, do they think this is a fun place? I'll let him use one hand. " The young woman named Hu Sanniang squinted her eyes and looked in that direction. "But, could he be sent by Liangshan at this time? Why did they let him into the village … "
"That's not likely." Hu Cheng shook his head. "Yesterday, I confirmed with the officials that the young master of the Lei Family has a background. The day before yesterday, he spent more than six thousand taels of silver at the Zhu Family to buy things and make orders. His family sent him to do business, but what he's most interested in is war. Although he's not good at martial arts, and is a bit muddle-headed when it comes to war, he's very good at doing business. When we talked at the Li Family Village yesterday morning, Uncle Li Shishu was full of praise. "
The three villages in Dulonggang were led by the Zhu Family Village, because Zhu Chaofeng was the best at seeing the big picture. But when it came to doing business, the Li Family Village's owner, 'Pouncing Sky Eagle', Li Ying, was quite good. This new young master Lei had successively won over Zhu Chaofeng and Li Ying in business. Yesterday afternoon, he was invited to the Hu Family Village again. Old Eunuch Hu asked him for advice on how to improve a few workshops. It was said that big places like the capital were using new methods, so this young man was quite persuasive when he talked about business.
"But, when we talked about business, he changed the topic to martial arts and war, talking about what we should do when Liangshan attacks. What bad luck, and what he said was a mess. I really wanted to beat him up, but Uncle Li Shishu said he's a genius in business and asked us to learn from him, so I held back. I don't know how Zhu Biao, that brat, saved his strength when we were at the Zhu Family Village. "
Among the three brothers of the Zhu Family Village, Zhu Biao's martial arts were the best. Although he was Hu Cheng's future brother-in-law, Hu Cheng and the others knew that he was arrogant and hot-tempered. It was not easy for this young master to not be beaten up by him.
After a few words, Hu Sanniang changed the topic. The armed forces and business in the village were two separate forces. She didn't care much about this, so she changed the topic. She talked about Liangshan again. Although the atmosphere was a little tense, to say that they would really attack, at least for the young people like Hu Cheng and Hu Sanniang, it seemed a little distant. They grew up here and had participated in hundreds of people's fights. But Liangshan was obviously rebelling. If tens of thousands of people fought with all their strength, it would really be a war.
"Instructor Luan Ting and Yu Luan from the Zhu Family came back a few days ago. I heard that they felt that there might be a war."
"Our village has a good location, and we have a lot of people. If these bandits really dare to attack, I'll chop off dozens of their heads with my Sun and Moon Dual Blades!"
"Just be careful. Last year, Zengtou City was really badly beaten, but our Dulonggang is not to be trifled with. If they really want to attack, we'll definitely let them know the consequences."
The brother and sister talked about this and no longer paid attention to the rich young masters. On the other side, Ning Yi, Wang Shanyue, Su Wenyu, the Qi brothers, and the others were also stretching their muscles and bones as they talked.
"Brother Lei, you said … you're interested in a girl. Is it Hu Sanniang? She's really tall … "
Ning Yi started practicing Tai Chi leisurely. "I'm also a little disappointed. She's pretty, but she looks like a village girl …"
Wang Shanyue sat on a wooden stump with a calm expression. He actually looked a bit more beautiful than Hu Sanniang. He watched him practice Tai Chi and said, "This Miss Hu is highly skilled in martial arts. She's ranked among the top in Dulonggang. She's already been betrothed to the third young master of the Zhu Family, Zhu Biao. The day before yesterday, you guys almost got into a fight … I want to remind you that this young master Zhu has inherited the teachings of Instructor Luan. He could even withstand more than a hundred moves from Instructor Luan without losing. If you're interested in this Miss Hu, you'd better think twice."
Scholars often thought of themselves as romantic. Wang Shanyue, who had a long history of learning, had seen this many times. At this moment, he spoke up to warn them. Ning Yi nodded as he practiced Tai Chi. "I know. She's probably not much weaker than Lin Chong and his gang. That means … she's almost at the level of Fang Shuchang, the Tyrant Saber Zhuang. Brother Qi, can you beat her?"
Qi Xinyi said, "About the same … If it's Fang Shuchang, we might be slightly weaker … Anyway, it'll be hard to win. Maybe we can hold our ground."
"Oh, then Brother Wang must be very powerful?" The leader of the Wolf Bandits was highly skilled in martial arts. He came and went like the wind. Ning Yi had heard of him before. With such an evaluation, it seemed like he could fight Lin Chong to a draw. However, after asking, Wang Shanyue said, "My martial arts are not that good. You've misunderstood." He paused. "I've been weak since I was young. Practicing martial arts is always half the result. If we really fought, I might not even be a match for Zhu Long and Hu Sanniang …"
"Ah?" Ning Yi was stunned. He then shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "But it's okay. I'm just curious. After seeing it, it's nothing."
"Why are you curious?"
"It's a secret." Ning Yi smiled. Although he did not know much about Liangshan in the Water Margin, he had heard of Hu Sanniang's name. It was said that she was highly skilled in martial arts. She was beautiful and sad. When he saw Zhu Village, he wanted to take a look. But now that he had seen her, he felt that she was just the daughter of an ordinary village chief. She was not bad looking, more confident than most women, and not too rude. But to be honest, she was just like a slightly taller Guo Fu.
It seemed that Hu Sanniang, who had not been raped by that wretched shorty, and whose whole family was still alive, did not have enough charm …
This was just a small pastime on the way to serious business. Ning Yi did not take it to heart. In his opinion, this time's timing was good. Information from the government, the underworld, and other sources showed that Liangshan was ready to fight a war around Shuipo. The war might break out at the end of this month.
After staying in Dulong Gang for two days, Ning Yi also made a trip to Wan Jia Ling. Similarly, he used the excuse of "discussing business" to meet with the patriarch of Wan Jia Ling's Ji Clan. However, the scale of Wan Jia Ling's Ji Clan was only about 60% of Dulong Gang's strength when compared to Dulong Gang. After this simple meeting, Ning Yi returned to Dulonggang. He asked Qi Xinhan to follow Su Wenyu to Ji Province City and contact the government to spread some simple rumors.
Wang Shanyue followed him all the way, but she did not quite understand what Ning Yi wanted to do. The rumor he asked the government to spread was simply "Song Jiang wants to negotiate amnesty with the government." There was not much manipulation or arrangement. The credibility of such a rumor was extremely low. Compared to the Office of Secret Investigation, the efficiency of the government in Liangshan was astonishingly low. Even if they spread rumors all over the world, it was impossible to shake the internal structure of Liangshan.
On the other hand, Ning Yi's methods and plans to discuss business with Dulonggang and Wan Jialing were extremely reliable. Ning Yi had basically come up with a smuggling plan that would run through the entire Shandong region. Dulonggang and Wanjialing were the most important links in this plan. If they could ensure that the roads were unimpeded and then cooperate with the merchants in the capital, they would be able to reap great profits. A portion of their goods could even be processed in Dulonggang and Wanjialing. This plan could even be vaguely expanded to the north. If they opened up Luliang Mountain, they could even cross the border into Liao and make huge profits from the salt, iron, tea, and so on.
Wang Shanyue had a profound family background. He could tell if something was feasible after a little thought. After a few days, he had some doubts about whether Ning Yi really wanted to do business. When they were staying in an inn in Lone Dragon Hill, he had directly asked about it.
"If you really want to deal with Liangshan, you should gather all the forces around. Dulonggang, Wan Jialing, and even the surrounding villages can all join forces now. You've already prepared the identity documents of the government. Why have you only talked about business these days and not dealing with Liangshan? If we really fight, you won't have this chance … "
In the past few days, apart from going to Dulonggang and Wan Jialing, Wang Shanyue basically told Ning Yi about the various heroes in Liangshan for him to summarize. That night, Ning Yi, who was sorting out the information while eating peanuts, clapped his hands under the light.
"It's not time yet. Brother Wang, you also know that although Dulonggang has cleaned up a little, they don't have a good impression of the government. In other words, everyone knows what the government is like. Wu Ruiying had a war with Liangshan before and was humiliated. On the way here, Prince Consort Kang and Prime Minister Qin both told me that it's not impossible to force them to send troops, but at most they can gather 20,000 people and fight once. In a situation where everyone cherishes their lives, even in the best situation, Wu Ruiying has 20,000 people, plus Dulonggang and Wan Jialing has 15,000 people … Even if they have 40,000 people in total, it's still meaningless if they don't want to fight. "
"According to Brother Ning's calculations, Wu Ruiying will definitely cherish his life. Dulonggang and Wan Jialing may fight if they are forced to the extreme, but that won't make much sense. If they are beaten until only a few thousand people are left, even if they fight with all their might, they won't be able to take Liangshan. Instead of letting them be defeated one by one, wouldn't it be better if they can strengthen their momentum and maintain the current situation? "
"I don't want a stalemate. I want to break up Liangshan." Ning Yi shook his head and looked at Wang Shanyue. Then, he tapped on a small map beside him. "As long as Wan Jialing and Dulonggang are not defeated immediately, it's fine. These two places are their own homes. They will definitely help in defense. I just want them to defend for ten days or half a month."
"Ten days … half a month?" Wang Shanyue frowned. "Can we turn the situation around?"
"Maybe we can destroy Liangshan." Ning Yi smiled. "There are no other big forces around, so we definitely have to take advantage of them. I don't have time to wait for them to attack Ji Province, so for now, this should be our only chance. Of course … I'm not very confident. We'll take it one step at a time. "
Wang Shanyue thought for a while. Places like Wan Jialing and Dulonggang were where the lives of the villagers were. They could definitely defend for a period of time. But … Liangshan had already expanded to more than 50,000 people and was going to go up to 60,000. With only a dozen of them, or at most 40 people, how could they turn the situation around and destroy Liangshan in ten days or half a month? What was this guy thinking …
"Then … what else do we need to prepare next?"
"Actually, nothing much." Ning Yi closed his eyes and thought for a while. He shook his head. "The rumors about Wen Yu have been spread. Your people should be here soon. Now … we just wait for the battle to start. The only thing we need to ensure is …"
He smiled. "When the battle starts, we have to stay in the village …"
Wang Shanyue thought for a while. "Then I'll wait and see."
After getting up and leaving the room, he shook his head. The Wolf Bandits ran amok in this area, and both good and bad people were frightened by their name. However, he was also at his wits' end when it came to Liangshan. The matter and the person in front of him made him feel indescribably strange and inexplicable.
It had only been six or seven days. It was hard to clearly describe his impression of this person. In front of outsiders, he seemed a little reckless, but he did manage to control the situation in some aspects. When everyone was alone, he had been sorting out the information he had on Liangshan. He compared and modified the information he had before and arranged the things that others should do. He raced against time and was meticulous. He looked even younger than him, but the impression he gave off at that time was an indescribable sense of oppression. He had seen this kind of aura from his grandfather, his teacher, and the others. On his side … he could see that he was doing things seriously, but he couldn't tell what he was thinking.
When the news came from the capital that someone would be in charge of Liangshan in the future, he had thought about how the other party would handle the matter. For example, he would mobilize the power of the government and the army, and unite the forces near the lake. The matter would be trivial and difficult. The situation was huge, but it still had to be resolved. It would definitely take a long time. But the matter at hand had never appeared in any of his speculations.
He had indeed made arrangements that required the cooperation of the government and the army. He had made use of the people around him, because only by staying here for a period of time could it be possible for the army and the government to move. He had even made arrangements for the aftermath if things did not work out. But these were not the core of his plan. He didn't seem to want to overly force the army and the government to deal with Liangshan. In less than seven days, he could only use more than 40 people, and he was ready to face Liangshan directly.
If he stayed in the village after the war, he might not have a chance to escape when Liangshan broke through Dulonggang.
It was estimated that the war would start in three to five days. Next, it seemed that he could only wait. For a moment, Wang Shanyue wondered if he should make a decision at this time that might cost him his life. Although his teacher's letter did ask him to fully cooperate with this person's action …
He was slightly puzzled as he thought about this. He didn't know that not long after he left the room, a dark shadow walked in the darkness outside and knocked on the window of Ning Yi's room.
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