Wind moves Shandong secretly to support
Chapter Quote: Although Daming Prefecture has been settled, Shandong is experiencing a storm. After all, I cannot bear to see some old friends repeat the same mistakes.
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With Li Gu executed and Jia divorced, the internal dangers of the Lu Mansion were finally eliminated. After several turbulent times, Daming Prefecture finally enjoyed true peace. Lu Junyi accepted the appointment of Deputy Commander of the Militia, officially assisting in Daming Prefecture's defense. His reputation grew, and his position became more secure. His days were filled with either military training or discussions with his colleagues on city defense, a fulfilling and prestigious life.
Yan Qing watched with a cold eye, knowing that his master was safe for the time being. Wu Yong had suffered heavy losses in Daming Prefecture, including the deaths of Li Gu and Shi Qian, and would not dare to act rashly in the short term.
Yet, he couldn't completely relax. The turmoil in Daming Prefecture had subsided, but in Shandong, under the shadow of Liangshan Lake, those familiar figures from past lives, were their fates heading towards a tragic end?
He thought of the golden spear master Xu Ning, who should be teaching his golden spear class in Tokyo Bianliang at this moment. The family heirloom goose feather armor must still be hanging safely on the beam, unaware that it has been coveted by the Liangshan bandits.
He thought of Zhu Tong, the man with beautiful beard, who was holding the little yamen official in his arms in Yuncheng County, enjoying the happiness of family life, completely unaware that a fatal disaster caused by him was approaching.
He also thought of the vanguard, Suo Chao, a regular soldier left behind by Daming Prefecture. In his previous life, he had been captured and taken to the mountains during a battle with Liangshan. In this life, thanks to his intervention, Daming Prefecture and Liangshan had avoided a large-scale conflict, and Suo Chao's fate seemed to have changed. But whether this change was a blessing or a curse remained unknown.
"I can't just guard this little piece of land in Daming Prefecture." Yan Qing stood on the rockery in the back garden of the Lu Mansion, gazing southeastward. There was Shandong, Liangshan Lake, the center of countless grudges and entanglements. "I need to get out for a walk."
He needed a good reason to leave. Simply telling Lu Junyi he was going to Shandong to stir up trouble wouldn't work. He found a pretext and reported to Lu Junyi, saying he'd heard Shandong was uneasy lately, with several gangs of strongmen gathering and potentially disrupting the Lu family's business. He wanted to personally inspect the situation and gather some insider information, just in case.
Lu Junyi now almost obeyed Yan Qing's every word, and he also felt that Daming Prefecture was temporarily stable, so he readily agreed and allocated him a team of capable servants and sufficient travel expenses.
Yan Qing, however, selected only four or five smart and reliable confidants, traveled light, and quietly left Daming Prefecture. His purpose was not to inspect business, and having more people would have been a burden.
The group rode at full speed and within a few days, they entered Shandong. Yan Qing did not go directly to the vicinity of Liangshan Lake, but first visited several shops and manors under the name of the Lu family. On the surface, he was inspecting the accounts, but in fact, he used this as a cover to secretly collect intelligence.
He soon learned several key pieces of information:
First, Liangshanpo has indeed added a lot of new leaders recently, and its momentum has grown stronger, causing occasional friction with the government troops.
Secondly, in Tokyo Bianliang, it seemed that the families of officials came to Shandong to visit relatives, and there were vaguely guards from the imperial guards in the team.
Third, Lei Dutou of Yuncheng County was exiled for some reason, and his good friend Zhu Tong has been in a depressed mood recently.
Yan Qing's heart was filled with awe. Putting these pieces of information together, the direction was already very clear!
The official's family from Tokyo was likely a prelude to luring Xu Ning! Lei Heng's exile was the turning point in Zhu Tong's fate! Following the trajectory of his previous life, Wu Yong, Li Kui, and the others plotted to kill the young yamen official and force Zhu Tong to the mountains!
"We must stop it!" Yan Qing's eyes were determined. Xu Ning and Zhu Tong were both heroes. They didn't deserve this unprovoked disaster, let alone being forced into a desperate situation by Liangshan using such despicable means.
He first set his sights on Xu Ning's case. Compared to Zhu Tong's, Xu Ning's incident occurred earlier and involved Hu Yanzhuo's linked horses, which was related to a major strength increase for Liangshan.
He carefully recalled the details of his past life. To defeat Hu Yanzhuo, Liangshan sent Shi Qian to steal Xu Ning's precious goose feather armor. Then, Tang Long tricked Xu Ning into joining Liangshan by posing as his cousin. The key point lies in the goose feather armor and Tang Long.
"We need to alert Xu Ning in advance and stop Tang Long from thinking about it, or make Tang Long unable to speak." Yan Qing pondered.
He couldn't go directly to Tokyo to find Xu Ning. Firstly, his status was not convenient, and secondly, Xu Ning might not believe his words. He needed a more subtle method.
After much deliberation, he came up with a plan. He ordered one of his attendants to return to Daming Prefecture immediately and use Lu Junyi's connections to find a reliable person in the capital who could approach Xu Ning's residence. At the same time, he personally wrote two letters.
The first, addressed anonymously to Xu Ning, is from the perspective of a "young martial artist who admires the fame of the Golden Spearman." It doesn't mention the Liangshan conspiracy, but rather hints at the key point with the following: "I've heard that scoundrels are coveting the armor. Teacher, be careful, especially if distant cousins you haven't spoken to for a long time suddenly visit."
The second letter, written in the tone of a gangster, was addressed to some local thugs in Tokyo. It spread the news that Mr. Xu, the teacher of the Golden Spear Squad, had hidden a valuable treasure in his house, which had attracted the attention of various factions. It warned them to "stay out of trouble" and avoid getting involved in this turbulent water. This was intended to further create tension, so that Xu Ning would get wind of the situation, and also to warn other thugs in the capital who might be used by Liangshan to be cautious.
He handed the two letters and the necessary silver and money to the servant, gave him careful instructions, and ordered him to make sure they were handled properly.
After sending his attendants away, Yan Qing immediately turned his attention towards Yuncheng. Zhu Tong's matter was more pressing and more difficult to resolve. It involved the life of an innocent child!
He took the rest of his men and rode quickly to Yuncheng County. Upon arrival, he didn't enter the city, but instead found a secluded inn outside. He sent his men to disperse and gather information, paying particular attention to Zhu Tong, the county magistrate, and any recent appearances of the unfamiliar fat monk and the dark, stern-looking man.
Soon, the news arrived. Lei Heng had indeed been exiled. Zhu Tong had recently taken leave, often taking the magistrate's young servants on outings to relieve his boredom. And indeed, several unfamiliar, large men of varying appearances had appeared in the city, seemingly observing Zhu Tong from the shadows.
Yan Qing knew that Wu Yong, Li Kui and the others had already arrived! The action would be taking place soon!
He had to prevent the tragedy from happening. But how? Should he show up and tell Zhu Tong directly? Zhu Tong might not trust a stranger like him, and it might even alert Wu Yong and the others, prompting them to resort to more extreme measures.
"We must get the young yamen runner out of danger before they strike, and we must not let Zhu Tong harbor an irreconcilable hatred for Liangshan," Yan Qing pondered. He had to save him while also minimizing the conflict between Zhu Tong and Liangshan, preventing him from strife with them in the future. This balance was incredibly difficult to strike.
He carefully deduced Wu Yong's possible plan. It was nothing more than taking advantage of Zhu Tong's affection for the child to lure him to a secluded place, where Li Kui would then attack him. The key to breaking the situation, then, lay in preventing Zhu Tong from reaching that "secluded place," or preventing Li Kui from attacking him.
After much deliberation, a bold plan gradually took shape in Yan Qing's mind. This plan was somewhat risky and required precise timing and a good understanding of human nature.
He called over his two most clever attendants and whispered, "You two, do this and that..."
The next day, the weather was fine. As expected, Zhu Tong carried the delicate little yamen out of the county office and strolled through the streets, buying candy and toys that made the child giggle. However, a lingering worry remained between Zhu Tong's brows.
Yan Qing had already disguised himself as an ordinary merchant, wearing a bamboo hat, blending into the crowd and following from a distance. He saw several figures in inconspicuous places like street corners and teahouses, vaguely observing Zhu Tong. One of them, with the muscular build of a black bear and the playful demeanor of an iron bull, who else could it be but Li Kui?
Zhu Tong, holding the child, gradually walked towards the less-traveled Golden Beach to the west of the city. The forest there was deep and dense, making it the perfect spot to strike.
Yan Qing knew that the time had come!
He made a silent gesture.
Just as Zhu Tong was about to step into the woods, two half-grown children suddenly rushed out from the nearby alley. Running so fast, they bumped into Zhu Tong's legs. Zhu Tong's lower body was stable, so he was naturally unharmed, but the two children fell to the ground, crying out "wa".
This sudden change immediately attracted the attention of Zhu Tong and the few passers-by nearby. Zhu Tong quickly bent down to help the child, comforting him.
Almost at the same time, a burst of rapid gong sounds and shouts came from the other direction: "Fire! Fire! The granary is flooded!"
I saw a thick smoke rising into the sky from the direction of the city center!
Zhu Tong's face changed! The granary fire was a serious matter! As the head of the city, he had the responsibility to defend the territory!
He glanced at the young master in his arms, then glanced at the direction of the thick smoke, and was instantly caught in a dilemma!
At this moment, a well-dressed man who looked like a butler came running over breathlessly and said to Zhu Tong urgently, "Captain Zhu! I've finally found you! Your wife suddenly has a severe chest pain. Please take the young master back home immediately! The sedan chair is waiting at the street corner ahead!"
The child, the fire, his wife's illness... all these things happened at the same time, and Zhu Tong's heart was completely in turmoil! He no longer cared about going to Jinshatan. He hugged the young master and followed the "housekeeper" to the sedan chair parked at the street corner.
Li Kui, Wu Yong and others who were hiding in the dark were dumbfounded when they saw this sudden change! Their carefully designed trap was ruined by a series of "accidents" before Zhu Tong even stepped into it!
Li Kui was the most impatient. Seeing Zhu Tong about to get into the sedan chair and leave, he growled and rushed out to snatch the child away.
Yan Qing, who was disguised as a traveling merchant, "happened" to walk near Li Kui at this moment. He seemed to be pushed by the crowded crowd, and he "stumbled" and his elbow "accidentally" hit the soft and numb part under Li Kui's ribs.
Li Kui felt half his body go numb, and he couldn't catch his breath, so his movements froze. During this delay, Zhu Tong had already loaded the child into the sedan chair, and the sedan bearers lifted it and quickly headed towards the county government office.
"You bastard!" Li Kui recovered his breath, flew into a rage, and wanted to chase him again.
Wu Yong, standing beside him, grabbed him, his face gloomy enough to drip water. He scanned the chaotic streets sharply, watching the departing sedan chair, then glanced at the back of the merchant who had just "bumped" Li Kui and now disappeared into the crowd, and suspicions welled up in his heart.
All of this was such a coincidence! It was so coincidental that it seemed like someone had carefully planned it!
Who is it? Who is secretly protecting Zhu Tong and destroying Liangshan's plan?
The handsome figure who had repeatedly frustrated him in Daming Prefecture suddenly flashed through Wu Yong’s mind—the prodigal Yan Qing!
"Could it be...he's come to Shandong too?" Wu Yong felt a chill in his heart. If it really was Yan Qing, he would be like a ghost, omnipresent, specifically opposing Liangshan!
He made a quick decision: "We can't stay here any longer! Let's retreat!"
The plan completely failed. If he stayed and was discovered by Zhu Tong or targeted by the government, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Yan Qing stood in the crowd in the distance, watching Wu Yong, Li Kui and others leave in disappointment, and then looked at the sedan chair carrying Zhu Tong and the young yamen back to the county government safely, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Although the grudge between Zhu Tong and Liangshan could not be completely resolved, at least the innocent and lovely child was saved, and Zhu Tong did not have to endure the heartbreaking pain of losing his child.
That's enough.
He tugged at his bamboo hat and turned to blend into the crowd. His trip to Shandong had just begun. Next, should he meet Tang Long, the "Golden Leopard," or visit the "One Zhang Green" of Hujia Village?
The wind rises from the tip of the green duckweed, and the waves form among the ripples. He, like a butterfly, needs to flap his wings more.
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Chapter 7 End
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