After clearing the bandits in Guangyuan, Zhang Liang did not immediately march the suppression force to other prefectures. Instead, he gathered the troops again for another round of intensive training.
The influence of a commander over his army is immense. Through this campaign, Zhang Liang had successfully established authority over the suppression force. During the second training session, the soldiers were far more obedient, and everything went much more smoothly than the first time.
Zhang Liang had planned to set off for other regions in the next day or two, but unexpectedly captured one of Mr Feng’s subordinates.
Upon learning that Mr Feng had previously been in contact with the Tubo people, Zhang Liang instantly realised the gravity of the situation and rushed the prisoner back to Xihe Bay without delay.
When he found that Jin Feng was not in the village, Zhang Liang immediately had Xiao Yu send riders through the night to inform him.
Normally, if Jin Feng praised him, Zhang Liang would respond with a few modest words.
This time, however, he had no time for pleasantries.
“Thank you for the praise, sir.”
Zhang Liang replied offhandedly, then continued, “Sir, we are in serious trouble now.”
“Are you worried about the Tubo, Brother Liang?” Jin Feng asked.
“Yes,” Zhang Liang nodded. “I have fought the Tubo before. I know them only too well.
The Tubo are brutal and rapacious, a hundred times more savage than bandits.
Bandits merely extort the common people, but the Tubo do not regard the people of Great Kang as human at all. They burn, kill, and plunder without restraint.
If the Tubo invade again, all our bandit suppression will have been for nothing!”
“Xiao Yu, did you send the message to Her Highness the Princess as quickly as possible, as I asked?” Jin Feng turned to ask.
“I did. The moment I received the news, I sent A-Qiang and his men riding hard for Xichuan,” Zhang Liang answered.
“You have done very well, Brother Liang.”
Jin Feng gave Zhang Liang another approving look.
Not only could he fight, but he could also spot a crisis early. Zhang Liang was becoming more and more suited to be a general.
“What should we do now, sir?” Zhang Liang asked.
“I’ve already sent Da Liu to fetch Xiao Bei and the others. We’ll decide once everyone is here.”
Jin Feng casually pulled over a stool. “Xiao Yu, bring me a bowl of food.”
He had expended a great deal of energy first thing in the morning and then ridden hard ever since. He was starving.
Xiao Yu went to the escort cooks’ canteen and brought back a bowl of millet porridge for Jin Feng, along with a few steamed buns and a plate of pickled vegetables.
“Sir, that’s all they had in the canteen.”
“No matter. Anything will do.”
Jin Feng picked up a bun and took a bite.
Halfway through the meal, Tang Xiaobei, Tang Dongdong, the village head, Man Cang, and the others arrived one after another.
Once everyone was assembled, Jin Feng nodded to Zhang Liang while still eating. “Brother Liang, explain the situation to everyone.”
“Very well.” Zhang Liang recounted the current situation once more.
“Feng my boy, Liang, aren’t you two overreacting?”
The village head said, “The Tubo have been fighting Great Kang for years, ever since I was a child. It’s always been small skirmishes. The Tubo troops raid a bit along the border and then leave. They rarely come far inland.”
In truth, not only the village head, but Man Cang, Tang Dongdong, and others also felt Jin Feng was making too much of it.
Only Tang Xiaobei looked thoughtful.
During the period when the Ninth Princess had stayed in Xihe Bay, Tang Xiaobei had often been at her side and had listened to Jin Feng and the Princess analyse the situation across the realm.
“Village head, this time is different,” Jin Feng explained. “In recent years, the Tubo were also plagued by internal strife, so the forces that invaded our borders were only scattered stragglers and did not dare penetrate deeply.
But their civil wars have now largely ended, and they have grown restless. They keep provoking incidents, looking to start a full-scale war.
Great Kang is already stretched to the limit fighting the Dangxiang and Khitan. We absolutely cannot afford to provoke the Tubo as well, which is why the Princess is going to offer a marriage alliance, hoping to use Tubo strength to pin down the Dangxiang.
On her journey, Her Highness has been attacked several times, all connected to Feng Sheng and the Dangxiang. Now Feng Sheng is entangled with Tubo envoys. This marriage alliance is eighty percent likely to fail.”
After Jin Feng’s explanation, everyone roughly understood the current situation and why he was so tense.
“I always knew the Tubo had the ambitions of wolves!” the village head cursed angrily. “Still, Feng my boy, the old folks say that more than a hundred years ago the Tubo took Xichuan Prefecture several times, but they always went east afterwards. They never came to northern Sichuan. They won’t come this time either, will they?”
The Tubo are primarily nomadic, and their cavalry is extremely strong.
Guangyuan lies in northern Sichuan, a region of mountains and ridges that is unsuitable for cavalry operations. Therefore, after capturing Chengdu Prefecture, the Tubo usually headed east to plunder the flat, fertile Sichuan Basin, the ideal territory for cavalry raids. They rarely came to the Guangyuan area.
“Village head, whether the Tubo come or not, we must prepare as though they will,” Zhang Liang said. “We can prepare and end up not needing it, but we cannot wait until they arrive and find we have made no preparation at all.”
“Brother Liang is right. We must carry an umbrella in clear weather and prepare for the worst. We cannot wait until the boat is in midstream before patching the leak,” Jin Feng said. “Great Kang and the Tubo have harboured grudges for a long time. War is inevitable. Even if it does not happen this time, it will happen later.”
“I think it will not be long,” Zhang Liang added. “Feng Sheng is cunning and has roamed Sichuan and Shu for many years. He knows the region extremely well. Now that he has fled to the Tubo, it is highly likely he will incite them to attack Great Kang.”
“Which is why we must prepare right now!” Jin Feng continued.
“Sir, big brother, just tell us what to do,” Man Cang asked.
“First, to avoid unnecessary panic, no one is to speak of today’s matter outside this room!” Jin Feng instructed.
“Understood!”
“Got it!”
Everyone nodded.
“Xiaobei, some time ago I asked the merchant caravans to buy grain. Any results?” Jin Feng turned to Tang Xiaobei.
With grain in hand, the heart remains steady.
Grain is the most fundamental guarantee of survival.
It was the issue Jin Feng cared about most.
“Only two shiploads so far, both purchased from the Jingzhao Prefecture area,” Tang Xiaobei replied. “Word from Jiangnan says the harvests there have been good these past two years. Many grain merchants are hoarding large stocks. We have bought a considerable amount, but sailing against the current is slow. It will probably take a while longer before the ships return.”
“Hire as many trackers as possible, double their wages, and, provided safety is ensured, have them pull the boats in continuous shifts. Get the grain back here at maximum speed!” Jin Feng ordered. “Also, buy as much as we can from the grain merchants. Fill the granaries at Double Camel Peak, Tieguan Mountain, Hutou Mountain, and Heishuigou to bursting. If there still isn’t enough room, build more granaries!”
“If we do that, the grain merchants will certainly raise prices, and we may not have enough silver…” Tang Xiaobei said with difficulty.
“If any merchant demands too high a premium, go to the next one and find other suppliers! As for silver…”
Jin Feng thought for a moment. “In a while I’ll fetch some glass beads for you. Use the glass to trade!”
After this period of production, the glass workshop had accumulated beads like mountains.
As for how many to release, Jin Feng still needed to discuss carefully with Tang Xiaobei.
But however many they released, it would definitely be enough to buy grain.
