Weaving a web in the dark night, the wind is blowing
Zhang Qing's arrangements were extremely thoughtful. He left behind a mute old servant named Shi Xiu to look after Qiongying. Although Shi Xiu could not speak, he was nimble and quick, with a keen eye. He was extremely loyal to Zhang Qing and was clearly his most trusted confidant.
The mute servant Shi Xiu was not only responsible for Qiongying's diet, daily life and dressing changes, but also brought her the latest news from the outside world every day, especially about the movements of the Liangshan army.
Qiongying's leg injury healed quickly thanks to her self-care and the meticulous care of her mute servant. She wasn't idle either. On the one hand, through her mute servant, she began to consciously gather intelligence from Yuncheng and even the wider area, especially regarding local tyrants, strongholds, and government officials. On the other hand, she was also secretly looking for people to use.
The An Clinic was temporarily closed, but her reputation as "Doctor An" remained. She had her mute servant secretly spread the news that Doctor An had returned home to visit relatives, with an uncertain return date. At the same time, she began to leverage the connections she had made through her previous medical practice, using the mute servant to contact lower-class people who had received her favors, had clean backgrounds, and possessed a certain sense of loyalty. These included the head of the dock porters, street vendors, and even some well-informed beggars.
She was not in a hurry to show her hand, but simply offered some money or medical help as a friend of Doctor An, subtly showing her favor and observing his character. She knew that building her own strength depended on trust and profit, and that there was no need to rush.
During this time, she learned, through the news brought by her mute servant, that the Liangshan army had already set out as planned, heading straight for Huaixi Wang Qing. As one of the Eight Great Cavalrymen, Zhang Qing naturally accompanied the army on the expedition. Everything seemed to be developing along the trajectory of the original novel.
However, subtle changes have occurred.
That day, the mute servant Shi Xiu came home later than usual, with a serious look on his face. He gestured eagerly to Qiongying.
Qiongying had been with him for many days and could roughly understand what he meant: "The court... is urging you? Food and fodder... are insufficient?"
Shi Xiu nodded vigorously and gestured the words "slow" and "Zhang".
Qiongying's mind stirred. "Are you saying that General Zhang Qing and his men...are intentionally slowing down their advance? Because they're running low on food and fodder?"
Shi Xiu nodded again, a hint of approval in his eyes, and then gestured the words "drag" and "wait".
Qiongying understood immediately. Was this the first step in Zhang Qing's "preserving strength" strategy? Using a shortage of food and fodder as an excuse to delay the advance would not only prevent a premature confrontation with Wang Qing's main force, which would deplete their own strength, but also allow them to observe the imperial court's reaction and subsequent supply arrangements.
"Brilliant!" Qiongying couldn't help but exclaim. This seemingly passive "delay" was actually a good exploratory move. It was both logical and unlikely to arouse suspicion, while also achieving strategic objectives. Zhang Qing had indeed grasped everything and was capable of influencing Liangshan's military operations.
It seems that his prestige and interpersonal relationships in the military are even deeper than imagined.
"Is there any other news?" Qiongying asked.
Shi Xiu thought for a moment, then gestured again. This time, the information frightened Qiongying even more. He mentioned "Tong Guan," "military supervisor," "urging," and even used a hand gesture for "internal support."
"The imperial court sent Tong Guan's confidant as the military supervisor? Is he urging the army to advance? And... there might be an insider from Liangshan on Wang Qing's side?" Qiongying interpreted each point one by one, her expression gradually becoming serious.
The arrival of the military supervisor signified the strengthening of the imperial court's control over and distrust of the Liangshan army. And the internal accomplice... this seemed to be a detail not explicitly mentioned in the original novel, or perhaps overlooked by her. If there truly was an internal accomplice, then Zhang Qing and his team's "delaying" tactics would likely face even greater pressure.
The situation is more complicated than imagined.
"We need to know more about that 'inside agent,'" Qiongying said to Shi Xiu. "Also, find a way to investigate the details of that military supervisor and the specific details of the court's subsequent grain and fodder transfers."
Shi Xiu nodded solemnly to show that he understood.
After the mute servant left, Qiongying fell into deep thought. While Zhang Qing was dealing with covert attacks at the front, she couldn't just settle for small-scale operations at the rear. She needed to quickly establish an effective intelligence network, at least in Yuncheng and the surrounding areas, to form a "net" capable of capturing any signs of trouble.
She turned her attention to the candidates she had previously selected. It was time to move on to the next step.
One night a few days later, in an abandoned land temple outside Shijie Town.
The dim oil lamp illuminated several faces, some nervous, some puzzled. There were four of them: the leader of the dock porters, Zhao Da, a burly and honest man; Sun Er, a street vendor, clever and eloquent, well-informed; Xiao Qi, the beggar leader. Though young, he controlled most of the beggars in Yuncheng and had spies everywhere; and Zhou Wu, a waiter at the town's only inn, who had access to guests from all over.
These four people have all received great kindness from "Doctor An".
Qiongying was still dressed in men's clothes, with a slight modification on her face to hide her overly outstanding appearance, but the calmness and sharpness in her eyes made people dare not underestimate her.
"Everyone," she said straight to the point, her voice calm yet powerful, "I've asked you all to come here today to discuss an important matter. Doctor An has been very kind to you all, and I, at Doctor An's request, wish to establish something in Yuncheng. I need your full support."
Zhao Da was the first to clasp his fists and said in a resounding voice, "If you have any orders, I will never refuse, even if I die!"
Sun Er rolled his eyes and said with a smile, "I wonder what this business is? What do you need us to do?"
Xiaoqi and Zhou Wu also looked at Qiongying nervously.
Qiongying glanced at the four people and said slowly, "This isn't about murder or robbery, nor is it about opposing the government. I just want to establish a 'Tongxin Association' in Yuncheng where we can share what we have and look after each other. On weekdays, you can still go about your business. You just need to collect what you see and hear, especially unusual news about the government, the underworld, and military movements. The association will reward you accordingly based on the value of the information. In addition, if any of the brothers in the association encounter difficulties, everyone should do their best to help them."
She paused, then emphasized, "This matter is confidential. It concerns your life and property. Joining the organization is entirely voluntary. If you don't want to, you can leave now. I won't stop you. I just hope you keep your mouth shut."
The temple was completely silent. The four of them exchanged glances, each trying to process the meaning of these words. This didn't sound like a rebellion, but more like... a secret intelligence syndicate? And there was money involved?
Sun Er was the first to realize this was tailor-made for him! He walked the streets every day, hearing the most gossip, and was worried about how to cash in. "I'll join!" he immediately declared.
Zhao Da thought about it and nodded heavily: "I believe in you! I will join!"
Xiaoqi and Zhouwu hesitated for a moment, but then, thinking of Doctor An's kindness and possible rewards, they agreed one after another.
"Okay!" Qiongying nodded, took out four small amounts of silver that she had prepared long ago, and divided them among the four people. "This is the basic remuneration for this month. From now on, I will assess the value of the information. Shi Xiu will let you know the contact information and code later."
She did not reveal her true identity, nor did she mention Liangshan, but only referred to herself as "Mr. An." She knew that trust needed to be built slowly, and now was just the stage of casting a net.
Thus, a preliminary network was quietly formed. Although it was still very weak, the seeds had been sown.
Just as Qiongying was busy weaving her intelligence network, news from the battlefield ahead continued to arrive.
The Liangshan army engaged in several skirmishes with Wang Qing's forces, with both sides winning and losing, but progress was indeed slow. The military supervisor repeatedly urged Song Jiang to advance, even threatening him with "delaying military action," and Song Jiang reportedly endured immense pressure. Furthermore, the mute servant Shi Xiu was unable to gather any further information about the "internal support," seemingly keeping it strictly confidential.
One day, Shi Xiu brought back a piece of news that made Qiongying feel uneasy.
During a frontier battle, Zhang Qing was ambushed by Mi Xian, a fierce general under Wang Qing. Although he repelled the enemy with his unique stone-flying skills, his horse was shot and killed, and he was almost injured by Mi Xian's axe. Fortunately, his subordinates risked their lives to rescue him and he escaped danger.
The moment she heard the news, Qiongying's hand, which was pounding the medicine, suddenly stopped, and the pestle hit the bottom of the mortar with a dull sound.
She found herself worrying about that person's safety involuntarily.
This feeling... is very strange.
She shook her head, suppressing the inexplicable emotion and focusing on the information before her. Was Zhang Qing's distress an accident, or... was it related to that mysterious "inside agent"? The water ahead seemed to be getting increasingly muddy.
She had to make the network at the rear work as soon as possible, at least to catch any danger signals that might spread from the front.
The wind has already started from the tip of the green duckweed.
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