Chapter 349: Already Prepared
Wang Er finished speaking, and a heavy silence descended upon the tent.
The atmosphere was unsettling.
Yet, this turn of events didn't surprise Wang Er. He knew his words would have such an impact, and that Wang Jiayin would need time to consider them—and not a short amount of time, at that.
Wang Er cupped his fists. "My piece is said. I'll return to rest. All of you, my brothers, should give this matter serious thought."
With that, he exited the tent, returned to his own camp, found a corner, wrapped himself in his cloak, and settled down to rest.
It was a good while after Wang Er's departure before Wang Jiayin finally spoke. "Brothers, let's discuss this. What are your thoughts?"
The Chuǎng Wang and Zijing Liang exchanged a glance but remained silent.
Zhang Liwei, Wang Jiayin's brother-in-law, broke the silence. "Wang Er has already become disloyal to us."
Wang Guozhong, also of Wang Jiayin's clan, then added, "We sent him south to secure the Qichuan Ferry route to Huanglong Mountain, but he merely circled back without opening the road, only to find some Guyuan rebels... Hmph! What he's implying is that we aren't as capable as those Guyuan rebels, and we should follow their lead, isn't that right?"
Zhang Liwei pressed on, "I say, we should kill him. Otherwise, he'll sow discord among our ranks and corrupt our morale with his insidious words. Or, if he defects to those Guyuan rebels, many who only joined us because of him will surely follow."
Wang Guozhong seconded the motion.
With a grim expression, Wang Jiayin turned to the Chuǎng Wang and Zijing Liang. "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts?"
The two had intended to stay neutral, but now directly addressed, the Chuǎng Wang spoke. "I believe that to achieve great things, one must possess a certain magnanimity. If Wang Er truly believes the Guyuan rebels are superior, then let him go to them. There's no need for us to kill him; such an act would tarnish our reputation for camaraderie in the jianghu."
Zijing Liang also voiced his opinion. "I agree with Brother Chuǎng Wang. While we are gathered here, acting in concert, we are not a monolithic block. Each of us commands our own camp, and none are subordinate to another. If we kill Wang Er simply because he wishes to leave, what will the other leaders think? Full Sky Star, Shang Tianlong, King Tiger, Lone Wolf, Hao Lin'an, Liu Six... If they see Wang Er killed, they will all grow disaffected."
Listening to these words, Wang Jiayin's expression grew even more solemn.
Zijing Liang had a point!
Though everyone recognized Wang Jiayin as their elder brother, each rebel leader had brought their own kin and villagers into the fold. Every single one commanded their own distinct unit, each with their own core group of followers.
If Wang Er were killed, the leaders of all the various factions would undoubtedly think: "If I want to break away later, will the elder brother kill me too?"
Such an incident would shatter the entire army, causing it to disintegrate.
It would be better to be generous, let Wang Er leave. The world is wide, and perhaps they might meet again as brothers in the jianghu.
Wang Jiayin conceded, "Very well! Then this matter is settled. If Wang Er wishes to join the Guyuan rebels, let him go. We will not obstruct him, thus upholding our bond of brotherhood. This will prevent rumors from spreading that we lack tolerance in the jianghu."
Zhang Liwei grew desperate. "Brother-in-law, you mustn't be soft-hearted!"
Wang Guozhong also urged, "It's better to kill him and nip the problem in the bud, to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys."
Wang Jiayin cut them off. "There's no need for further discussion. My decision is made. Both of you, leave now."
Zhang Liwei and Wang Guozhong stomped out resentfully.
Once outside, Zhang Liwei murmured, "Brother Wang, you also think Wang Er should be killed, don't you? If we let this man go, he's sure to contend with us for territory in the future."
Wang Guozhong nodded. "Why don't we just quietly dispose of Wang Er behind elder brother's back? Afterward, when he asks, the deed will be done, and he'll have nothing to say. He can't possibly fall out with the living over a dead man. You're his brother-in-law, and I'm from his clan; he won't be able to do anything to us."
Zhang Liwei chuckled. "I'll bring a few of my trusted confidantes; they're all valiant men."
Wang Guozhong replied, "I'll bring a few of mine too, and we'll act together."
The two men quickly returned to gather their trusted followers. To avoid drawing attention, each brought only three to five men, totaling less than ten. Feigning a patrol of the camps, they stealthily approached Wang Er's quarters.
They saw what appeared to be Wang Er, wrapped in his clothes, lying on his side in the corner of a ruined wall.
The two exchanged a look, and their loyal men pounced on the figure of Wang Er in unison.
Several waist-swords slashed down simultaneously onto what they thought was Wang Er.
But as their blades struck, they heard a sharp *clink-clink-clink* of steel on stone. Upon closer inspection, the figure on the ground was not Wang Er at all, but merely his clothes wrapped around several large rocks.
Wang Er himself had long since vanished without a trace.
Zhang Liwei cursed aloud.
Wang Guozhong exclaimed, "This fellow was already prepared!"
From behind a distant tree, half of the West Camp Eight Great King's face emerged. He had been secretly watching the entire spectacle from behind them. Seeing how Wang Er had outwitted them, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Two fools, too inept to accomplish anything, yet capable of ruining everything. With these two causing trouble, Wang Jiayin's forces are bound to be ruined by them sooner or later."
He had originally planned to join forces with Wang Jiayin's army, but after this incident, he felt there was no need to stay. He might as well go carve out his own domain independently.
The West Camp Eight Great King quietly slipped out of Wang Jiayin's camp, leading his men north.
Meanwhile, the Heyang County militia, led by Squire Zhang, arrived at Qichuan Ferry.
There, they saw Bai Yuan standing by the dock with a group of shabbily dressed people.
This group, of course, consisted of Bai Mao and the villagers from Wangjia Village.
They had been waiting there for a full day, and with no sign of Wang Er returning, they knew something had happened to him. But Wang Er had taken all the boats and forbidden them from following, leaving Bai Mao with no recourse but to wait.
The entire group was consumed with anxiety, fidgeting impatiently as they waited.
Squire Zhang observed the strangely clad group, finding them suspicious and unlike respectable folk. He approached Bai Yuan, a quiet doubt gnawing at him. "Brother Bai, who are these people?"
Bai Yuan turned around. "Ah, Brother Zhang, you've arrived? No worries, these are honest folk from Wangjia Village in Chengcheng County. They've been displaced for over two years, only returning these past two days."
Squire Zhang's mind reeled at these words. *Displaced for over two years? What kind of displacement? Surely not...* He coughed discreetly.
Bai Yuan reassured him, "Brother Zhang, you needn't worry. They are all good people. Since your men have arrived, let's quickly construct a temporary stockade by the dock. We'll start with wood, and once the laborers arrive, we can assign them to build a proper fortress with cement. Then, Qichuan Ferry will be absolutely secure."
Of course, this task needed to be done immediately!
Squire Zhang promptly ordered the militia to fell trees and chop wood. They would first erect a wooden stockade by the dock; even a wooden wall would offer some defense.
Seeing this, Bai Mao quickly instructed the hundred Wangjia Village residents, "Everyone, let's get to work and help the Heyang County men build the stockade."
Comments