Secretly passing through Chencang, golden scales entering the sea
The flames from Bangyuan Cave lit up half the sky red, and the shouting and screaming did not subside until dawn.
Zhang Qing led hundreds of elite soldiers who survived the disaster, carrying heavy "trophies" on their backs, and followed the secret mountain roads that had been explored in advance, bypassing the main battlefield, hiding during the day and moving at night, rushing to the meeting point agreed upon with Lu Junyi.
Everyone knew what they were carrying: wealth enough to drive anyone crazy, yet also the source of fatal disaster. The atmosphere in the group was tense and solemn. No one spoke, only the sound of hurried footsteps and heavy breathing echoed in the forest.
Three days later, they arrived at a deserted mountain temple. Lu Junyi had already brought a few absolutely reliable confidants to meet them.
When Zhang Qing and the others unloaded their bulging packages and opened them to reveal the dazzling yellow and white contents, even Lu Junyi, accustomed to grand occasions, couldn't help but gasp. Those dozens of specially crafted thick cloth bags contained primarily gold and silver ingots, easily portable and divisible, as well as some exceptional jewelry and jade, their value inestimable!
"Good! Good! Good!" Lu Junyi said three good words in a row and patted Zhang Qing's shoulder vigorously. "Brother, you have worked hard! With this as a foundation, we can look forward to great achievements!"
This was not the time to examine it closely, so Lu Junyi immediately ordered his men to quickly transfer the treasures to the interlayers of several camouflaged carriages used to transport the "ashes of fallen soldiers." Meanwhile, Zhang Qing's soldiers changed into clean clothing and armor, rested briefly, and erased all traces of that night's operation.
The team then split in two. Lu Junyi, carrying a carriage loaded with treasure, led a small escort, heading back to his base in Hebei, under the pretext of "escorting the coffins of fallen brothers back home." Meanwhile, Zhang Qing led the majority of the troops, carrying a small amount of military equipment and supplies "captured" and registered at the Bangyuandong frontline, and returned to the main Liangshan camp to report to Song Jiang and Tong Guan.
While the atmosphere within the main camp was filled with triumph, thanks to the capture of Bangyuan Cave and the pacification of Fang La, a deep sense of sadness also permeated the air. The Liangshan army had suffered heavy casualties in this battle, with numerous leaders wounded and nearly half the troops reduced. Busy with providing relief to the wounded, reorganizing the troops, and responding to Tong Guan's inquiries and making follow-up arrangements, Song Jiang didn't dwell too deeply on Zhang Qing's detachment, which had also suffered heavy casualties on a "special mission." He simply praised them for their difficult flanking maneuvers and passed on the matter with a few words of praise.
Although Tong Guan was cunning and shrewd, his attention was mainly focused on reporting the victory to the court, dividing the credit, and how to further weaken the Liangshan army. He did not notice the "extra gains" that a detachment might obtain in the chaos that were not recorded.
The huge treasure was quietly transported away from Jiangnan under the noses of various forces.
Almost at the same time, Qiongying received the last secret report from Jiangnan that Yan Qing had risked his life to send in Yuncheng - Bangyuan Cave had been breached, General Zhang Qing's operation was successful, and Mr. Lu had evacuated as planned!
Qiongying's anxiety, which had hung in the balance for months, finally eased considerably. She immediately issued a high-level directive to Dengzhou: "The Wave-Breaking Ship and the prepared escort vessels must undergo a final inspection immediately. All selected crew members must assemble and be on standby for the arrival!"
Half a month later, the "coffin" convoy escorted by Lu Junyi arrived safely at the Hebei garrison after many twists and turns. He immediately sent the news of the safe arrival of the treasure and a rough list to Qiongying through the most confidential channels.
Looking at the dizzying numbers on the list, Qiongying knew that the most critical and dangerous step was coming - how to safely transport these hot potatoes overseas!
She devised a meticulous plan. The treasure couldn't be transported in one go; it had to be broken down into smaller pieces. She instructed Lu Junyi and Zhang Qing, leveraging their resident authority and the increasingly sophisticated trade routes of the "Four Seas Warehouse," to melt most of the gold and silver into more humble silver cakes and gold beans, mix them with legitimate commercial goods, and ship them to Dengzhou in batches and along multiple routes.
This process was extremely slow and demanding of patience. Any mistake in any link would result in all the previous efforts being wasted. After the battle in the south of the Yangtze River ended, Yan Qing quietly returned north and personally took charge of Dengzhou, responsible for receiving and hiding the arriving treasures and overseeing the final preparations for the "Polang" fleet.
Time passed in the anxious wait. The imperial court continued its campaign against the remnants of Fang La's forces, but the issue of the Liangshan army was also on the agenda. Sure enough, new orders were issued: under the guise of "rest and replenishment," the Liangshan army units were further divided and transferred to more dispersed locations, a clear attempt to completely dismantle their collective power.
The pressure was growing. Song Jiang seemed to be aware of the crisis, but he was still trying his best to maintain it, hoping to gain the court's trust by obeying.
In the autumn of the third year of Xuanhe, the last batch of treasures was safely transported to Dengzhou and hidden in a warehouse purchased by "Si Hai Warehouse" located in a remote bay.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. In an unnamed bay off the coast of Dengzhou, three refitted, deep-draft ships sat quietly anchored. Leading the way was the newly launched "Polang." Boss Zheng stood at the bow, compass in hand, his expression solemn. On shore, Yan Qing, Chen Laoduo, and others were conducting a final inventory.
Qiongying, still dressed as "Qingshizi", went to the seaside under the protection of her mute servant Shi Xiu. She watched the sailors carefully load boxes of "cargo" onto the ship, the weight of the boxes making the gangplank groan under the weight.
Yan Qing walked up to her and whispered, "Master, all the 'goods' have been counted and loaded onto the ship. The crew are all carefully selected people whose families are under their control. There will be no problem at all."
Qiongying nodded, her gaze fixed on the dark sea, where the unknown and hope lay. "Tell them that upon arrival, they should establish a base, stockpile supplies, and explore the surrounding area according to the plan. Subsequent personnel and supplies will be delivered in due course."
"clear."
In the darkest moment before dawn, three ships quietly left the bay with the help of the faint moonlight and the tide. The shadows of their sails gradually merged into the vast ocean and headed towards the unknown island in the east.
The golden scales have already entered the sea.
Qiongying stood on the reef until she could no longer see the shadow of the boat. The sea breeze blew her robe, making it rustle.
She knew that they had finally opened a door to heaven for themselves and those Liangshan brothers who were willing to follow them.
However, the storm on the shore has just begun.
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