xymnovel Chapter 50 Brother's Benevolence
Chapter 50 Brother's Benevolence
The back room was quiet for a moment.
The sounds of drills in the courtyard ceased, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the locust trees. Liu Bei leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.
"The best course of action."
A glint of light flashed in Wu Yong's eyes.
"Brother, while the best strategy offers the greatest potential reward, it also carries considerable risk. If Yang Zhi's five hundred soldiers were to join the Liangshan bandits and run into Instructor Lin, while they wouldn't be a major threat, it would still cause some trouble."
Liu Bei waved his hand.
"I'm not afraid of setbacks. What I fear is missing an opportunity. Five hundred elite troops, plus the fierce general Yang Zhi, are worth a try."
He paused.
"However, there is one thing I'm worried about."
Wu Yong said, "Brother, please speak."
"Most of those five hundred soldiers are from Daming Prefecture. Their families are all there. If they become outlaws, what will happen to their parents, wives, and children? If Liang Zhongshu can't capture them, can't he capture their families?"
Wu Yong was stunned for a moment, then gave Liu Bei a deep look.
"Brother, you are kind and righteous. I was so focused on getting things done that I forgot about this."
Song Jiang also raised his head and looked at Liu Bei, his eyes filled with more respect.
Liu Bei walked back to the table and sat down.
"We can't just think of ourselves when we do things. Those soldiers are just following orders. We had no choice but to push them to the brink, but I can't bear to see them lose their families as well."
Wu Yong cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
"Don't worry, brother. I'll figure something out."
He stood up and paced around the room a couple of times.
"The first step is to find out if any of those 500 soldiers have any ties to Yuncheng County. Even just one or two can be connected. Once we can get in touch with their leader, things will be much easier."
Liu Bei said, "Leave this matter to Sun Sheng. His men are good at nothing else, but they excel at gathering information and currying favor with relatives."
Wu Yong nodded: "I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
He turned to leave.
"Scholar," Liu Bei called out to him.
Wu Yong stopped and turned around.
"After making contact, tell them—I, Chao Gai, respect Yang Zhi as a hero and sympathize with the difficulties faced by soldiers. If they are willing to come to Liangshan, I will find a way to take care of their families. If possible, I will try my best to bring them out."
.........
When Sun Sheng was summoned, he was watching the shop assistants move grain sacks at the entrance of the rice shop.
His head wound hadn't fully healed and was still wrapped in bandages, but he had mostly recovered his spirits. Hearing Wu Yong call him, he rushed into the back room.
"Scholar, you wanted to see me?"
Wu Yong asked him to sit down.
"Sun Sheng, I have a favor to ask of you."
Sun Sheng sat up straight: "What are your instructions, Scholar?"
"Your men know the people in Yuncheng County best. Go and check if any of Yang Zhi's five hundred soldiers are related to anyone in Yuncheng County. Even if they are only distant relatives, find them as long as you can talk to them."
Sun Sheng was stunned for a moment.
"Scholar, Yang Zhi's soldiers are from Daming Prefecture, which is hundreds of miles away from our Yuncheng County..."
"That's why I sent you to investigate," Wu Yong interrupted him. "Traveling merchants, peddlers, and ordinary people with relatives in both places. Don't let any clue slip by."
Sun Sheng thought for a moment and nodded.
"I understand. But... Scholar, why are we looking for these people?"
Wu Yong glanced at him but did not answer directly.
"Go check it out first. Once you find it, it will be useful."
Sun Sheng knew he shouldn't ask any more questions, so he stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, and said, "I'll take care of it right away."
He turned to leave, but Wu Yong called him back.
"Remember, this must remain a secret. Send your most astute subordinate to handle this; don't use anyone who can't keep a secret."
Sun Sheng responded and quickly walked out.
.........
Wu Yong stood at the entrance to the back hall, watching Sun Sheng's figure disappear outside the courtyard gate.
The sky had darkened. Lanterns on the distant city wall lit up one by one, like a string of dim yellow beads.
He took out the feather fan from his pocket and slowly waved it twice.
Yang Zhi.
Zengtou City.
Five hundred soldiers.
These three things are like three chess pieces placed on the chessboard. A correct move brings victory; a wrong move leads to total defeat.
He recalled Liu Bei's last words: "If you can get help, do your best to get help."
My brother's vision and approach to things are truly exceptional, far surpassing that of ordinary people.
Wu Yong put away his feather fan, turned around, and walked back to the back hall.
The oil lamp was lit, and Liu Bei sat at the table with a map spread out in front of him. He held a brush in his hand and drew a circle around the location of Liangshan Marsh.
"Scholar, do you think Yang Zhi will come to Liangshan?"
Wu Yong walked to the table and looked at the map.
"He might not necessarily come, but there's nowhere else to go. Liangshan Marsh is the closest; it's an 800-li marshland, more than enough to hide 500 people. The key is that he knows Liangshan Marsh has already been burned down by government troops once, and it's now an empty lot. There's no leader, no henchmen; if he comes, he'll be the master."
Liu Bei put down his pen and looked up.
"So he might not necessarily side with us. He might just become a mountain king himself."
Wu Yong nodded.
"That's possible. That's why I said the best option is the riskiest. Yang Zhi is a mountain bandit, and he's our neighbor. Whether he'll be our friend or foe in the future is hard to say."
Liu Bei remained silent for a moment.
"Let's get in touch first. Show him our sincerity and see how he responds."
Wu Yong cupped his hands in greeting: "I understand."
.........
In the following days, Sun Sheng's hooligans scurried about in the streets and alleys of Yuncheng County like ants.
Teahouses, taverns, inns, docks—wherever there were crowds, you could find them. They didn't make a fuss, they didn't advertise, they just casually inquired—
"Do you have a relative serving in the army in Daming Prefecture?"
"I heard that one of the squad leaders under Supervisor Yang has connections with people in our Yuncheng County?"
"Sister-in-law, is your husband's cousin serving under Yang Zhi?"
Three days later, Sun Sheng brought back a person.
The man, surnamed Zhou, was in his forties and worked as a peddler, going from street to street. He carried a shoulder pole and sold needles, thread, cosmetics, and miscellaneous goods. His brother-in-law was serving as a soldier under Yang Zhi, holding the rank of squad leader and commanding fifty men.
Sun Sheng led the man to the back room of the official granary.
Liu Bei looked at the peddler. The man stood below the hall, his legs trembling slightly, but his eyes remained relatively calm.
"What's your name?"
"Replying to Chief Clerk Chao, my surname is Zhou, and my name is Zhou Fu."
"What's your brother-in-law's name?"
"His surname is Wang, and his name is Wang Cheng. He serves as a soldier in Daming Prefecture, under Commander Yang, and I heard he's a squad leader."
Liu Bei nodded.
"Can you get in touch with him?"
Zhou Fu swallowed hard and said cautiously, "Sir, if I may be so bold as to ask... what brings you to him?"
Wu Yong, fanning himself, interjected, "Your brother-in-law is currently in a predicament outside Zengtou City. He's starving, unable to fight, and unable to go home. We're here to help him find a way to survive."
Zhou Fu's expression changed.
He had certainly heard about Zengtou City. The whole town was buzzing with rumors that Yang Zhi's five hundred soldiers were in for trouble. His brother-in-law, Wang Cheng, was among those five hundred.
"A way out... what way out?"
Wu Yong did not answer directly, but instead glanced at Liu Bei.
Liu Bei took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Zhou Fu.
"Ten taels of silver. Take it first."
Zhou Fu looked at the silver ingot but didn't dare to reach for it.
"Go to Zengtou City for me, find your brother-in-law, and tell him that Chao Baozheng of Yuncheng County is willing to help him, his men, and their families."
Zhou Fu's legs trembled even more violently.
He knew who Chao Baozheng was. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, a figure who now held absolute power in Yuncheng County. He couldn't refuse to be sent by someone like that to deliver a message.
"Lord...this humble servant...this humble servant is afraid he won't handle it well..."
Liu Bei looked at him, his tone calm.
"You don't need to do anything big. Just pass on the message. If your brother-in-law can make the decision, bring him to see me. If he can't, tell him to find someone who can."
Zhou Fu bit his lip, thought for a moment, and finally reached out and took the silver ingot.
"Lord Bao, I'm off."
Liu Bei nodded.
"Go quickly and come back quickly. Be careful on the road, and don't let anyone know."
Zhou Fu put the silver in his pocket, turned around and walked out.
Wu Yong watched him leave, then turned to Liu Bei and said, "Brother, this is only the first step. Even if Wang Cheng is willing to come, someone still needs to speak to Yang Zhi."
Liu Bei picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"No rush. Let's check Zengtou City first to see if anything happens in the next few days."