Now the granaries have been sealed. If Zhang Liang were to lead men to seize them by force, that would be rebellion.
Thus, the eunuch’s move is an open ploy, and Qing Xinyao truly cannot think of any particularly good countermeasure.
Just as both men are frowning with worry, a bodyguard rushes hurriedly into the tent.
Zhang Liang maintains extremely strict military discipline, so such a thing almost never happens.
Yet today, with Qing Xinyao visiting, this bodyguard bursts in.
This makes Zhang Liang feel he has lost face, and he glares fiercely at the bodyguard.
The messenger, aware of his mistake, quickly takes out a small bamboo tube and says excitedly, “Captain, a letter from Mr Jin!”
“A letter from the gentleman?”
Zhang Liang no longer bothers to reprimand the bodyguard. He snatches the bamboo tube. “Lord Qing, I am illiterate and need someone to read the letter for me. Please excuse me for a moment.”
Finding someone to read the letter is merely an excuse. Zhang Liang is actually worried that Jin Feng might have written something in the letter not suitable for Qing Xinyao to hear, so he deliberately steps away.
Qing Xinyao naturally understands this and smiles with a nod. “Brother Zhang Liang, please go ahead.”
Zhang Liang nods and strides quickly out of the tent.
The words on the note have been carefully copied onto it by someone sent by Da Liu, written in extremely small characters.
After hearing the clerk read the contents of the letter, Zhang Liang lets out a long sigh of relief.
In the letter, Jin Feng once again reminds Zhang Liang not to clash with the authorities. At the same time, he instructs Zhang Liang to take the Zhen Yuan Army and any refugees willing to go to Xihe Bay back to Jinchuan.
Finally, Jin Feng emphasises particularly that Zhang Liang should send people as soon as possible to take over Jianmen Pass. No matter what happens, they must hold Xihe Bay to the death and protect the safety of the village, Iron Jar Mountain, and other places.
Although he does not explicitly mention rebellion, Zhang Liang already understands.
He does not fear fighting, but he fears that once fighting starts, it will drag Xihe Bay into utter ruin.
This responsibility is too great. Even if Zhang Liang were to die, he could not bear it.
Now, with Jin Feng backing him, Zhang Liang immediately feels secure in his heart.
He puts away the note and returns to the central command tent.
“What did Mr Jin say?”
Qing Xinyao asks quickly.
“The gentleman says the war in Xichuan is over and wants us to return to Jinchuan to take control of Jianmen Pass,” Zhang Liang replies.
“Return to Jinchuan?” A flash of panic crosses Qing Xinyao’s face.
In the previous battles, he has already witnessed the fighting strength of the bodyguards.
Although the most elite black-armoured team has now been taken away by Jin Feng, the combat ability of the ordinary bodyguards remains formidable.
At the very least, they are far superior to his own most elite Iron Tiger Battalion.
Not only the bodyguards, but the newly formed Zhen Yuan Army has also completed its recruit training.
Though it has not yet been tested in actual combat, the Zhen Yuan Army consists mostly of refugees bearing brands on their faces. Many had already resolved to die before joining, so the morale and discipline they display are far beyond those of ordinary armies.
With Dan Zhu’s elite force completely annihilated, Qing Xinyao cannot guarantee that Ga Da will not send people for revenge.
Having Zhang Liang stationed at Da Mang Slope with the bodyguards and Zhen Yuan Army makes Qing Xinyao feel very secure.
Naturally, he does not want Zhang Liang to leave.
Yet Jin Feng holds no official position. His presence in Xichuan is at the invitation of the Ninth Princess to help. Neither the bodyguards nor the Zhen Yuan Army are under Qing Xinyao’s command. No matter how reluctant he is, if Zhang Liang wants to go, Qing Xinyao cannot stop him.
Having thought this through, Qing Xinyao’s expression soon returns to normal. He nods and says, “The situation in Xichuan is now chaotic. With the gentleman and Wu Yang absent, and me stripped of my post, it is better for you to return, lest the eunuch targets you.”
“That is also what the gentleman thinks,” Zhang Liang replies, going along with Qing Xinyao’s words.
“Then when does Brother Zhang Liang plan to return?” Qing Xinyao asks.
“As soon as possible,” Zhang Liang answers. “We will set off once the grain from Da Mang Slope has been delivered to Zhou Family Village.”
“You are not taking the grain with you?” Qing Xinyao asks.
“Given the current situation in Xichuan, Mr Zhou has over ten thousand refugees under him. If we took all the grain away, what would they eat?”
Zhang Liang shakes his head. “We will not take it. Leave it for Mr Zhou.”
“Then what will you eat on the road?”
“The gentleman said we should suppress bandits and seize grain from them!”
Zhang Liang says, “Bandits are all ground rats. Dig out one bandit lair, and it will feed us for a long time. Anything left over can even be used for local disaster relief.”
Hiss!
Hearing this, Qing Xinyao cannot help drawing in a sharp breath.
“Mr Jin intends to make enemies of the entire northwest Sichuan!”
Bandits always have local gentry backing them.
Even when beating a dog, one must consider its master. By having Zhang Liang suppress bandits, Jin Feng is effectively turning completely against the gentry behind them.
From Xichuan to Jinchuan, the route crosses the entire northwest Sichuan region.
By doing this, Jin Feng will offend not just one or two gentry families, but the entire northwest Sichuan gentry.
“My gentleman has said that the gentry are nothing but parasites. If they dare show their heads, just crush them!”
Zhang Liang says coldly, “If anyone tries to block my bandit suppression, I will not mind crushing a few!”
“This move by the gentleman is brilliant!”
Qing Xinyao exclaims with genuine admiration.
Earlier, he and Zhang Liang had been racking their brains over what to do next.
Yet Jin Feng, with just one letter, has found a way to break the deadlock.
This move by Jin Feng can be said to strike directly at the fatal weakness of the gentry.
No matter where one goes, suppressing bandits is always the side of justice.
Even the eunuch cannot stop Zhang Liang.
“This time, the crisis in Xichuan has been resolved thanks largely to the generous assistance of Mr Jin’s Zhen Yuan Escort Agency. Qing now stands alone with nothing to repay, so I can only offer one bow!”
Saying this, Qing Xinyao clasps his fists and bows towards the black flag of the Zhen Yuan Escort Agency outside the tent.
The attendants behind him follow suit and bow.
With Jin Feng absent, Zhang Liang, as the highest leader at Da Mang Slope, returns the courtesy on Jin Feng’s behalf. “The gentleman has said that defending home and country is the duty of every common man. Lord Qing, you are too polite!”
After seeing Qing Xinyao off, Zhang Liang immediately sets to work.
First, he sends men to notify Zhou Youda to bring people to Da Mang Slope to transport the grain.
Then he selects three hundred elite bodyguards and three hundred elite new soldiers from the Zhen Yuan Army to form a six-hundred-strong cavalry unit. That very afternoon, they set off through the snow to return to Jinchuan and take over Jianmen Pass.
After the six hundred cavalry depart, Zhang Liang divides the remaining bodyguards and Zhen Yuan Army into five thousand-man teams, preparing to set out from five directions to advance while suppressing bandits.
If Qing Xinyao knew Zhang Liang’s plan, he would certainly be shocked again.
Jin Feng’s bandit-suppression plan is already ruthless enough, yet Zhang Liang is even more ruthless.
According to the marching route map drawn up by Zhang Liang, the areas covered by the five thousand-man teams are no longer limited to northwest Sichuan. Instead, they encompass almost the entire northern Sichuan region north of the Xichuan-Nanchong line and west of the Jialing River.
Zhou Youda acts quickly. Upon receiving the message from the bodyguards, he hurries to Da Mang Slope at once.
“Brother Liang, why the sudden decision to return?”
“This is the gentleman’s decision.”
Zhang Liang does not trust Qing Xinyao, but he trusts Zhou Youda.
He takes the note from his sleeve and hands it over.
Zhou Youda reads it and falls silent.
The note reveals Jin Feng’s dissatisfaction with the court. Even Zhang Liang, an illiterate, could hear it. For a scholar like Zhou Youda, it is even more obvious.
As a traditional scholar, he has been taught loyalty to the sovereign since childhood.
His first thought upon reading the note is to stay far away from someone as treasonous as Jin Feng in future. Yet this thought flashes only briefly before vanishing.
He is now too deeply entangled with Jin Feng to separate.
Moreover, thinking carefully, Jin Feng has done nothing wrong.
The one at fault is the court!
