Shilipo Meeting: Sparks of Determination
Shilipo is located to the west of Yuncheng, on a slightly higher slope. There is an abandoned post station on the slope, surrounded by overgrown vegetation and rarely visited by people.
Qiongying, still dressed as the Taoist "Qingshizi," arrived at the posthouse early, secretly escorted by her mute servant Shi Xiu. The early summer breeze, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, blew her gray wig and loose Taoist robe, but it couldn't soothe the inexplicable throbbing deep in her heart.
She didn't wait long.
The sound of horse hooves approached steadily from afar. Soon, a white horse appeared at the end of the path down the slope. The rider was unarmored, dressed only in a dark, tight-fitting outfit. His posture was as straight as a pine tree. It was Zhang Qing.
He reined in his horse, swiftly dismounted, tied the reins to a nearby tree, and then strode toward the posthouse. The ravages of months of battle seemed to have left few marks on his face, though his eyes, now deeper and calmer than Qiongying remembered them, seemed to hold countless unspoken emotions.
He walked outside the pavilion, stopped, and his eyes fell on "Qing Shizi" who had his back to him. After a pause, he said, "Master, how are you?"
Qiongying slowly turned, meeting his gaze. In the moment their eyes met, countless words seemed to merge silently. She saw a flash of extremely complex emotions in his eyes: concern, inquiry, admiration, and perhaps a hint of... warmth that she dared not delve into.
"General Zhang, congratulations on your triumphant return." Qiongying suppressed her emotions and responded calmly in a "blue stone" voice.
Zhang Qing stepped into the pavilion and stood across from her, separated by a stone table. "If it weren't for the Taoist priest's warning, this 'triumphant return' would have been nothing but a mirage." He spoke sincerely, his gaze fixed on her carefully embellished features, as if trying to penetrate the disguise and see the true face beneath. "The front lines are treacherous. I'm sorry to have troubled you, Taoist priest."
"General, you are blessed by the gods." Qiongying avoided the main point and got to the point. "I heard that the court has expressed its intention to reward you. I wonder what your plans are?"
Zhang Qing's eyes turned slightly cold when he mentioned the imperial court. "Rewards? It's nothing more than a strategy to divide and disintegrate us. They want to transfer us brothers to different places, calling it promotion, but it's actually a cage."
"As expected." Qiongying was not surprised. "Then what does Brother Song Gongming mean..."
"Brother Gongming..." Zhang Qing sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and heaviness. "He still has faith in the court's integrity. He believes that as long as we serve sincerely and achieve unparalleled achievements, we will be able to dispel suspicion and bring honor to the family. This time, he intends to reorganize his troops and prepare to march south to defeat Fang La."
"Do we still want to fight?" Qiongying frowned. "General, you know this Fang La is not Wang Qing. He has deep roots in Jiangnan and the people are loyal to him. Even if the Liangshan brothers win, they will suffer heavy casualties and their vitality will be greatly damaged! If the court then resorts to the strategy of putting away the bows and birds, how much power will you still have to protect yourselves?"
Zhang Qing was silent for a moment, his gaze gazing at the rolling hills outside the pavilion. His voice was low, "I know what the Taoist priest said. But... military orders are as strong as a mountain, and public opinion is hard to disobey. Brother Gongming's prestige in Liangshan is unmatched, and most of the brothers are still willing to follow in his footsteps."
"So, General, you plan to keep going until... there is no way to go?" Qiong Ying's tone became a little sharp.
Zhang Qing turned his head abruptly and looked at her, a flash of pain and determination in his eyes. "No! Precisely because the road ahead is piercing the abyss, Qing cannot sit idly by and watch our brothers step into death!" He took a step forward and lowered his voice, "Master, Mr. Lu has informed me of what he discussed with you. 'Find another river or sea' and preserve our strength. This is the only way to survive! Qing, I am willing to work with you and Mr. Lu on this!"
He finally made his stance clear! And like Lu Junyi, he stood firmly on the "third way"!
Qiongying was certain that her months of hard work had paid off. She pressed the issue, "General, since you have such a heart, what are your specific plans? Regarding Chief Song..."
"Brother Gongming is difficult to persuade right now." Zhang Qing shook his head. "Forcing a split will only lead to internal strife in Liangshan, which will only make the relatives sad and the enemies happy. I have discussed this matter with Mr. Lu, and we need to proceed step by step and in secret."
He elaborated, "First, using this opportunity to divide our garrisons, Mr. Lu and I will do our best to assign like-minded brothers, such as Hu Sanniang, Zhu Wu, and Sun Erniang and her husband, as well as their elite troops, to the same area or adjacent garrisons so that we can support each other."
"Secondly, we need to expedite the Taoist's deployment in the rear. 'Four Seas Warehouse' must infiltrate Jiangnan as quickly as possible. This will provide logistical support and information for a future campaign against Fang La (if unavoidable), and will also allow for the identification of suitable secret bases in Jiangnan, and even... some limited, unofficial contact with Fang La's forces."
Contact with Fang La? A flicker of surprise flashed across Qiongying's eyes, then she understood. This was to leave room for negotiation or exploitation, to avoid a deadlock.
"Third," Zhang Qing looked at Qiongying with burning eyes, "is the 'overseas retreat' that Taoist mentioned earlier. This matter needs to be put on the agenda as soon as possible, and absolutely reliable people should be selected to prepare ships and supplies. This matter... may require more effort from Taoist."
Qiongying nodded. "I have some clues about the overseas affairs. Yanqing is looking for people to help. However, this matter is very costly and will not be accomplished overnight."
"As for funding, Mr. Lu and I will try to secretly draw some from the military treasury and personal savings. In addition..." Zhang Qing paused for a moment, "The expedition against Fang La may also be an opportunity."
He didn't say it explicitly, but Qiongying instantly understood what he meant—gain wealth through war! Fight to support war! Although cruel, it was one of the fastest ways to accumulate capital in troubled times.
In the abandoned posthouse, bathed in the early summer sunshine and gentle breeze, the two men gradually outlined the vast and dangerous future plan. From integrating personnel, raising funds, and building intelligence networks to exploring overseas bases and dealing with various forces... they exchanged ideas and filled in any gaps.
At this moment, they are no longer isolated individuals, but true allies, partners who will jointly steer the ship in this chaotic world.
Before I knew it, the sun had set.
Zhang Qing glanced at the sky and said, "I need to return to camp as soon as possible to avoid arousing suspicion." He paused, looked at Qiongying, and his tone became particularly serious. "Master, the road ahead is difficult and dangerous. Qing... I entrust my life and property, as well as the future of so many brothers, to you."
Qiongying met his gaze, a surge of pride and responsibility in her heart: "General, rest assured. Now that I have entered this situation, I will do my utmost to create a better future for you, Mr. Lu, and all the other patriots!"
Zhang Qing looked at her deeply, as if he wanted to carve the image of this person in front of him into his mind, then clasped his fists and saluted: "Take care!"
"Take care, General!"
Qiongying stood there for a long time, watching Zhang Qing jump onto his horse and disappear at the end of the path shrouded in dusk.
This meeting marked the formal formation of the core triangle of the "Spark" alliance - her, Zhang Qing, and Lu Junyi - and they had a clear roadmap for their practice.
She knew that the peaceful days were coming to an end. The Liangshan army's triumphant return would not bring peace, but the beginning of a new and more intense round of competition.
But she was fearless.
She touched the warm flying stones in her sleeves and cast her gaze towards the vast and unknown world in the south.
The sparks have gathered, just waiting for the wind to come.
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