gnovel Chapter 13 "Act expediently and eradicate them completely."
Chapter 13 "Act expediently and eradicate them completely."
Dark as ink.
In the backyard of the Chao family manor in Dongxi Village, a secluded storeroom was brightly lit.
Ten large boxes were laid out in a row.
The lid of the box was open, and the light shining through it almost illuminated the entire room.
Golden Buddha statues, smooth jade ruyi scepters, crystal clear luminous pearls, and neatly stacked gold and silver ingots.
Liu Tang's eyes widened in disbelief. He reached out and grabbed a handful of pearls, watching them slip through his fingers with a crisp sound, while making continuous "tsk tsk" noises.
The three Nguyen brothers had never seen so much wealth before. They stood around a box full of gold ingots, their throats bobbing, unable to utter a word.
Even Gongsun Sheng, though a monk, couldn't help but breathe more heavily upon seeing the room full of jewels and precious stones.
Wu Yong and Lin Chong stood to the side, their expressions relatively calm, but the shock in their eyes was impossible to conceal.
Liu Bei was the calmest one in the room.
He walked to the table, picked up the teapot, poured himself a bowl of cool tea, and sipped it slowly.
The crowd's gaze gradually shifted from the treasure and focused on him.
They are waiting.
Waiting for this older brother to speak.
Liu Bei put down his teacup, stood up, and walked to the box.
He didn't look at the most dazzling gold and silver jewelry, but instead reached into a box full of silver ingots and began rummaging through it.
He was very careful, taking each silver ingot under the lamp to examine it closely.
Everyone was puzzled.
"Brother, what are you looking for?" Liu Tang couldn't help but ask.
Liu Bei did not answer, continuing to search intently.
A moment later, he pulled out dozens of silver ingots of slightly different designs from the bottom of the box.
These silver ingots were not cast as neatly as the others, and they did not have any official seals or stamps on them.
Liu Bei picked out the silver and placed it on an empty table.
He then turned around and looked at everyone.
"These silver coins are unmarked."
Everyone was taken aback.
Liu Bei explained, "Most of the gold and silver in the birthday tribute bear the stamp of the Daming Prefecture treasury. If it were used in the market, the government would immediately notice."
"These are the only ones that Liang Zhongshu secretly plundered. Their origins are unclear, so using them is the only way to ensure they are clean."
Everyone then realized what was going on.
Wu Yong clapped his hands and praised, "Brother, you are very thoughtful. I admire you."
Liu Bei picked up a silver ingot, weighed it in his hand, and estimated it to be about ten taels.
He counted out one hundred taels and handed them to Lin Chong.
"Brother, you've just arrived and haven't settled down yet. Take these with you and use them to buy some clothes and belongings."
Lin Chong quickly declined, "Brother, how can you do this..."
"Take it."
Liu Bei's tone left no room for argument.
"We are brothers, there's no need to distinguish between us."
He then counted out six hundred taels and handed them to Wu Yong, Liu Tang, Gongsun Sheng, and the three Ruan brothers.
"Brothers, you've all worked hard this time. Take this money back and buy some things for your families so that your parents, wives, and children can live a better life."
The group took the silver, and it felt heavy.
They looked at Liu Bei with eyes full of gratitude and admiration.
Liu Bei's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally settling on Ruan Xiao Wu's face.
"You can use the money without worry. But you must also remember my rules."
His voice turned somber.
"Do not spend money extravagantly or flaunt it in public. And absolutely do not use this money to go whoring or gambling!"
Ruan Xiaowu's body trembled slightly as he met Liu Bei's gaze without flinching.
He stepped forward, raised the silver coin high, and declared loudly, "Brother, rest assured! I, Ruan Xiaowu, swear here and now that if I ever touch dice or dominoes again, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"
Ruan Xiaoer and Ruan Xiaoqi also immediately stepped forward.
"Don't worry, brother, we two brothers will definitely keep an eye on him!"
Liu Bei nodded.
"Remember, we're doing something that could cost us our lives. Any carelessness could lead to utter ruin."
He then looked at Liu Tang.
"You are not allowed to step out of the manor until your hair and beard grow out."
Liu Tang touched his bald chin and head, looking aggrieved.
"elder brother……"
"Um?"
Liu Bei simply hummed softly.
Liu Tang immediately lowered his head.
"Okay, brother."
However, he rolled his eyes and added another sentence.
"Well... is it alright if I drink at the estate?"
The atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh.
Liu Bei also smiled.
"Plenty of alcohol."
He handed over the remaining unmarked silver to Wu Yong.
"Scholar, you're in charge of this money. Our daily expenses will all come from here."
"Yes, brother," Wu Yong replied solemnly.
Finally, Liu Bei walked to the chests filled with gold and silver treasures, closed the lids one by one, and locked them.
"The remaining items will be temporarily stored away and used slowly for future recruitment and expansion."
Everyone responded in unison, "We'll do whatever our brother says!"
……
Yang Zhi ran for more than ten miles in one breath, until he could no longer hear the shouts of battle behind him, before he dared to stop.
He leaned against a large tree, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently like a bellows.
The wound on his left shoulder, inflicted by Lin Chong's spear tip, stung terribly.
But he couldn't care less about any of that.
He looked back towards Huangnigang, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and resentment.
It’s over.
The 100,000 strings of cash for the birthday gift were gone just like that.
Yang Zhi came from a family of generals for three generations and had lived a clean life, yet now he was accused of embezzling public funds.
He leaned against the tree trunk, slowly sat down on the ground, buried his head in his arms, and the shoulders of this seven-foot-tall man couldn't help but tremble.
After an unknown amount of time, a series of disordered footsteps approached from afar.
Yang Zhi suddenly raised his head and gripped the broadsword in his hand tightly.
"Commander! Commander!"
It was the old steward's voice.
Then they saw the old steward, along with several soldiers who had managed to escape, supporting each other and limping over.
They were all disheveled, injured, and their faces were filled with fear and relief.
"Commander, you're alright, that's great!"
When the old steward saw Yang Zhi, it was as if he had seen a relative. He sat down on the ground and burst into tears.
Yang Zhi stood up, looking at the few remaining soldiers, and felt a chill in his heart.
"Where are the others?"
A soldier replied in a trembling voice, "They're all...they're all dead..."
Yang Zhi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the dejection in his eyes had turned into a resolute determination.
"Let's go! Back to Daming Prefecture!"
……
Daming Prefecture, Garrison Command Office.
Liang Zhongshu sat in a grand chair, holding a cup of freshly brewed tea, listening to a tune.
Suddenly, a close attendant rushed in in a panic.
"My lord! Something terrible has happened! Supervisor Yang is back!"
Liang Zhongshu frowned.
"You're back? How come you're back so quickly?"
The attendant swallowed hard, his voice trembling.
"Yes...yes, we lost! Tsuna...Tsuna Gin was robbed!"
"Snapped!"
The teacup in Liang Zhongshu's hand fell to the ground and shattered.
He stood up abruptly, his face ashen.
"What did you say?!"
A moment later, in the main hall.
Yang Zhi, the old steward, and the other soldiers all knelt on the ground.
Looking at their disheveled appearance, Liang Zhongshu trembled with anger.
"Yang Zhi! I trusted you so much, entrusting you with the birthday gifts, and this is how you repay me?!"
Yang Zhi slammed his head heavily against the ground.
"This humble general is incompetent and deserves to die! Please punish me, Your Excellency!"
"Punishment? Can punishment bring back my father-in-law's birthday gift?!"
Liang Zhongshu kicked over the incense burner next to him.
"Speak! Who are these thieves who dare to be so audacious!"
Yang Zhi raised his head and said, word by word, "It's Liangshan Marsh!"
"Liangshanbo?" Liang Zhongshu was taken aback.
"Exactly!" Yang Zhi said through gritted teeth, "The leader is none other than Lin Chong, the Leopard Head, instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards, who has taken up arms at Liangshan!"
The old steward, who had been kneeling to the side, finally realized what was happening and quickly added fuel to the fire, saying, "That's right! It's Lin Chong! I'd recognize him even if he were ashes! He's surrounded by dozens of henchmen, each one a fierce and ruthless killer!"
Liang Zhongshu paced back and forth in the hall, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water.
"You bastard Lin Chong...you bastard Liangshanbo...how dare you mess with me!"
Just then, the old steward's eyes darted around, as if he had remembered something, and he added a sentence.
"My lord, if I may be so bold, I have a guess."
"explain!"
"I suspect that they were also the ones who stole the birthday gifts that were robbed last year!"
Liang Zhongshu paused, then looked at him abruptly.
The old steward quickly explained, "Sir, think about it. They're just a band of mountain bandits who live off the land. Where would they get the money and food to support so many henchmen? If they hadn't robbed last year's tribute silver, how could they have the money and food to eat meat, drink wine, and live such a carefree life?"
This speculation is reasonable.
Liang Zhongshu immediately believed it to be seven or eight parts.
New and old grudges surged into my heart.
He felt a surge of anger rising to his head.
"You've gone too far! You've gone too far!"
He slammed his hand on the table.
"Someone bring pen and ink!"
An urgent letter was delivered to Tokyo overnight by the fastest carrier pigeon.
Three days later, a reply arrived from Cai Jing's residence in Tokyo.
The letter contained only eight words.
"Take it easy and make sure to wipe them out completely."
With Grand Tutor Cai's approval, Liang Zhongshu had no more reservations.
He immediately took up his tent and summoned all the generals and officers of Daming Prefecture.
Although Yang Zhi suffered a defeat, he was, after all, the only one who had ever fought against the Liangshan bandits.
Liang Zhongshu looked at Yang Zhi kneeling below the hall and said coldly, "Yang Zhi."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"I hereby appoint you as vanguard, with three thousand soldiers, and I will also allocate you ten large and small warships. You must raze the marshland and tear those bandits to pieces!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhi's spirits lifted.
He knew this was his only chance to redeem himself.
He knelt on one knee, his voice booming like a bell.
"This humble general will not fail in his mission!"
In an instant, the entire Daming Prefecture was abuzz with activity.
Troops and supplies were being mobilized and continuously flowing towards Liangshan Marsh!