xymnovel Chapter 59 Jianghu Daily
Chapter 59 Jianghu Daily
When Wang Lun took control of Jeju, he asked Shi Wenbin to manage the daily affairs. This was a very correct decision and the result of his careful consideration.
Shi Wenbin was an upright and honest man with a chivalrous heart, unlike the pedantic scholars of the past.
Sure enough, after a series of mental preparations, Shi Wenbin began to immerse himself in his work.
Stabilize public sentiment, stabilize production, and stabilize commerce.
In just a few days, Jeju Island has returned to normal.
Apart from the change of soldiers on the city wall and the alteration of flags on the wall, almost nothing else has changed.
Wang Lun didn't interfere with Shi Wenbin, letting him do as he pleased.
He sent men to confiscate the armor and weapons from the armor and weapon storehouse, and after removing those used by the soldiers, sent the rest to the warehouse in the right stronghold of Liangshan.
Now, one thousand of the four thousand soldiers of Liangshan Marsh are armored, and each of them carries a qualified Song Dynasty weapon.
Saying they were armed to the teeth is a slight exaggeration, but these four thousand soldiers are now stronger than the Song Dynasty's Xiang Army.
In particular, the physical fitness and martial arts skills of these four thousand soldiers were rigorously trained by Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, Wu Song and others, and they did not relax at all.
However, after attacking Yunseong in Jeju, they captured a thousand soldiers, who needed to be trained.
With Jeju and Yuncheng stabilized, news of their capture should have spread by now, but there has been no movement from the imperial court.
Wang Lun had already established a printing bureau in Liangshan and appointed Wu Yong as its director.
Although Wu Yong always wanted to be a strategist and offer advice in the army, Wang Lun, mindful of his ulterior motives, decided to put him out of the loop for now.
Therefore, he was only appointed to manage the printing bureau and publish the "Jianghu Daily".
Several issues of the "Jianghu Daily" had already been published in Liangshan, all of which were about Liangshan's performance or military situation, for internal reading within Liangshan.
During the Spring Festival, a New Year's greeting was published and spread to nearby prefectures and counties, along with a poem by Wang Lun.
Now that we have captured Jizhou and Yuncheng, we should naturally publicize it widely through the "Jianghu Daily," and it would be best to send this newspaper directly to Emperor Huizong of Song's desk.
After all, according to Wang Lun's plan, using war to sustain war was the fastest way to develop and grow stronger.
As long as the imperial court doesn't send an army of 100,000 to suppress them, Wang Lun is willing to negotiate with them. Furthermore, this newspaper will also reach the hands of bandits who rule from the mountains in various places; seeing that Liangshan has taken such a large-scale action, they will surely follow suit.
"Let things get chaotic," Wang Lun thought. He knew that only by creating chaos would the court not concentrate its efforts on dealing with him.
He had Wu Yong move the printing press to Jeju Island, where there was more printing equipment, the quality was better, and the printed characters were clearer.
In this issue of the newspaper, Wang Lun had Wu Yong write about the news of Liangshan's capture of Jizhou and Yuncheng, emphasizing that no civilians were killed and no households were robbed after the siege.
Also attached was Shi Wenbin's "Five Deadly Sins".
At the very back of the newspaper, a poem "written" by Wang Lunxin was printed in larger font.
Poetry:
I do not bloom when all the flowers are in bloom; if I were to bloom, they would all be terrified.
To fight the west wind, one must be clad in golden armor.
Wu Yong had this newspaper distributed by his men. As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast, and this newspaper indeed spread quickly throughout the Song Dynasty.
The whole country was shaken.
Five days later, this "Jianghu Daily" reached Tokyo.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Ji, was in the Chongzheng Hall, holding this newspaper and reading the poem written by Wang Lun.
After reading it, he snorted heavily and said, "This poem is written in a very colloquial style. It seems that this bandit named Wang Lun is not very talented."
He was dressed in a Taoist robe, with a thin face, and did indeed have a somewhat otherworldly air about him. Even after learning that the Liangshan bandits had rebelled and seized Jizhou, he remained calm and composed, displaying both refinement and authority.
This was not a meeting of the imperial court, but rather a meeting where Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Yang Jian came to report on the matter.
Originally, Cai Jing did not want to come and report on this matter, and this "Jianghu Daily" would not have entered the palace. Zhao Ji was obsessed with Taoist cultivation, calligraphy and painting, so why would he care about such a trivial matter?
However, things took an unexpected turn. While the four were discussing this matter at Cai Jing's residence, an imperial decree arrived, ordering them to meet the Emperor at Chongzheng Hall.
Although Cai Jing held immense power in the court, he dared not neglect the Emperor and quickly went into the palace with the other three.
Hearing that Zhao Ji did not seem angry, Cai Jing knew that the matter was not serious and stepped forward to say, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. What great waves can a mere unsuccessful scholar stir up?"
Emperor Huizong nodded and asked, "What countermeasures do you have, my dear minister?"
Cai Jing and the others had already made their plans. When Zhao Ji asked, they replied, "This old minister recommends two people. These two are suitable for both civil and military affairs and will surely defeat the Liangshan bandits."
Emperor Daojun, who had always held Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, and others in high regard, put down his newspaper and asked, "Oh? Whom do you recommend, my dear minister?"
"Your Majesty, Jizhou has fallen, and Prefect Chen Fang has been killed by bandits. We are in dire need of a bold and decisive person to guard Jizhou. I have thought of Zhang Shuye, the Vice Minister of Rites. In the first year of the Zhenghe era, he was sent as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom and previously served as the Prefect of Haizhou. He has a wealth of experience. Why not appoint him to go to Jizhou to oversee the suppression of the bandits, and after the suppression, appoint him as the Prefect of Jizhou?"
Zhang Shuye's cousin had impeached Cai Jing multiple times, and Cai Jing had long disliked the two brothers. Although Zhang Shuye was indeed capable of being trusted, Cai Jing also considered sending him away from Tokyo.
After a moment's thought, Zhao Ji nodded in agreement and asked, "Who is the second person?"
"Although Zhang Shuye is capable of suppressing bandits, he is ultimately a scholar. In my opinion, Huyan Zhuo, the commander of Runing, is highly skilled in martial arts and can serve as the general to lead the expedition. He should accompany Zhang Shuye on the expedition."
Zhao Ji hesitated for a moment at Cai Jing's answer, then frowned and asked, "Who is Huyan Zhuo?"
Gao Qiu stepped forward and explained, "Your Majesty, Huyan Zhuo is a descendant of Huyan Zan. He is skilled in using double whips and possesses the courage of ten thousand men. This man was summoned back a few days ago to await orders and is currently outside. Your Majesty may have a look at him."
Zhao Ji smiled and said, "Minister Gao is indeed worthy of being a former member of the Prince Duan's household. His actions are very much to my liking. As you said, summon Huyan Zhuo to see me."
Gao Qiu had followed Emperor Huizong since he was still Prince Duan, and therefore knew better than other ministers how to please him.
Before long, Huyan Zhuo entered the hall to pay his respects.
Upon seeing Huyan Zhuo, Emperor Huizong was overjoyed to find him to be an extraordinary man, a true hero. He said, "Minister Cai and Minister Gao have recommended excellent talents. With these two here, the Song Dynasty can be secure and worry-free."
Huyan Zhuo was somewhat bewildered. The Emperor had clearly summoned him, yet inexplicably praised Cai Jing and Gao Qiu. What did this mean?
"Huyan Zhuo, I hereby appoint you as the general in charge of the campaign against the bandits, and send you to Jizhou to annihilate the Liangshan bandits. I hereby bestow upon you the Snow-Treading Black Steed, a precious steed capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, to help you annihilate the bandits as soon as possible and return to the capital to report back."
Zhao Ji's voice was clear and bright, but his words struck Hu Yanzhuo like a thunderbolt. He never expected that the emperor would show him such favor.
He immediately knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in my mission and will present Wang Lun's head to Your Majesty."
Emperor Huizong smiled and nodded. Looking at his four trusted ministers, Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, Tong Guan, and Yang Jian, and then at his fierce general, Huyan Zhuo, he felt that the Song Dynasty was truly powerful, and that he, as the emperor, could be compared to Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.
"Father!"
Just then, a clear voice rang out, and a beautiful figure rushed into the hall, heading straight for Zhao Ji.