Chapter 440 Infiltrating the System
Wang Jiayin was momentarily stunned. "A salt smuggler," he echoed, "with boats, cannons, firearms, and even a large fortress? How audacious is that?"
Bu Zhan Ni huffed, "Absolutely audacious! Where does she get the gall? Playing such a dangerous game, isn't she afraid of government suppression? She even dared to attack my men!"
Wang Jiayin pondered for a few serious seconds. "Brother Bu Zhan Ni," he said, "don't be too hasty. Let me weigh this carefully, and I'll give you a reply as soon as I can."
Bu Zhan Ni clasped his fists in a perfunctory salute and exited.
Wang Jiayin mused, his thoughts unshared. *What do I care if Bu Zhan Ni's men died? Avenging them would only squander my forces. These underlings constantly bickering and fighting amongst themselves is hardly a rarity, so there's no need for me to wade into their murky affairs. However, this salt smuggler, Xing Honglang, now she's intriguing. To have built such a formidable fortress, armed with cannons, firearms, and even boats... she clearly possesses considerable power.*
The enemy of my enemy is, as they say, my friend. Salt smugglers are already at odds with the imperial court; there's a strong possibility of bringing them over to our side.
If I could attract such a capable individual into my ranks, it would prove far more beneficial than a crude upstart like Bu Zhan Ni.
With his course decided, he promptly dispatched a trusted confidant. The man was to travel south along the Yellow River's eastern bank, heading for the Gudu Ferry, with the mission to persuade Xing Honglang to join his burgeoning rebel army.
In Han City, Li Daoxuan held a bowl of liangpi, his gaze fixed on the Gao Family Village grain convoy. Accompanying this vital delivery were two men: Shi Jian and Bai Mao.
Bai Mao bristled. "Don't call me that name!" he snapped. "You know perfectly well my alias is Bai Mao; just call me Bai Mao!"
Shi Jian chuckled. "Oh, but that simply won't do. We're about to enter Han City. If someone overhears your 'bandit alias,' it could stir up a heap of trouble."
Bai Mao merely sighed, a wordless protest.
It was utterly exasperating. Shi Jian, unperturbed, called out again, "Wang Xiaohua!"
Bai Mao grit his teeth. "Can you possibly *not* call me that unless it's absolutely necessary?"
Shi Jian doubled over with laughter. "No, I can't!" he gasped between chuckles. "Wang Xiaohua, hahahaha, I just can't resist calling you that!"
Several veins throbbed visibly on Bai Mao's forehead, threatening to burst.
Just then, a procession emerged from Han City's gate. At its head was none other than Wang Cheng'en, the Grand General of Shaanxi.
Shi Jian and Bai Mao instantly ceased their antics, their faces snapping back to a mask of solemnity.
Wang Cheng'en strode forward, his gaze sweeping over the grain carts, and a wave of unconcealed delight washed over him. "My deepest gratitude to Chengcheng County for extending aid to this humble general," he declared. "This profound kindness, Wang Cheng'en shall never forget."
His trusted aide subtly gestured towards Shi Jian and Bai Mao. Wang Cheng'en instantly understood: these two were the token additions the Chengcheng County Magistrate intended to foist upon his army, merely to curry favor and claim undeserved merit.
Such a practice, he knew, was an inescapable reality for anyone navigating the bureaucratic labyrinth. There would always be peers attempting to shunt their sons or nephews into one's division for an easy living. Though Wang Cheng'en was considered an upright general, even he couldn't sidestep this entrenched custom. He nodded, addressing the pair. "You two may now serve in my army," he announced. "I don't have any particularly esteemed positions available for you at present, but for now, I'll appoint you both as Centurions. Does that suffice?"
A Centurion, of course, was traditionally a commander of a hundred men—the very same rank as a Captain of a Hundred.
His army, naturally, was not short on Centurions; every soldier already fell under the command of their assigned officer. In essence, he was granting them "empty titles"—positions that theoretically commanded a hundred men, but in practice, left them without a single subordinate.
To "earn military merits" through such means, holding a nominal post was hardly unusual.
Shi Jian and Bai Mao, having already prepared themselves mentally, showed no outward reaction. They clasped their hands respectfully. "Thank you, General," Shi Jian affirmed. "We shall certainly strive to perform our duties diligently."
With the pleasantries exchanged, the two had officially, if somewhat nominally, infiltrated the establishment.
Having received their identifying tags and been assigned their tents, they set off, seemingly cheerful, towards their new quarters.
They hadn't taken more than a few steps when a formidable figure blocked their way. A burly, intensely capable-looking man, he exuded an aura of raw menace, as if countless hardened bandits had met their end by his blade. He spoke with a brusque, challenging tone: "My name is Ma, and the men here call me Centurion Ma. Let me make one thing crystal clear: I earned my rank with my own sword and grit, not by pulling strings or sneaking in through the back door like you two. I despise freeloaders, so don't you dare come swaggering around in front of me, making a spectacle. Understand?"
At his outburst, both Shi Jian and Bai Mao merely exchanged amused glances, a faint smile playing on their lips.
Well, this exact scenario had been anticipated by the Heavenly Lord. Indeed, the Heavenly Lord had long since devised a strategy for handling individuals of this particular ilk.
They hadn't come to Wang Cheng'en's army to instigate conflicts or pick fights. Their true mission was infiltration... and when it came to infiltration, winning hearts and minds was, of course, paramount.
And the most effective way to win those hearts, naturally, was...
To shower them with riches!
Shi Jian approached Centurion Ma with a genial smile, speaking as he walked. "Ah, Brother Ma," he began, "your impressive martial prowess, I admire it greatly at first glance! Heavens, how could I ever presume to strut carelessly before a formidable figure like yourself? I hold you in such high regard, I scarcely know how to express it. Look, here's a small token of respect I've prepared as a welcome gift. Please don't disdain its humble value; accept it for now, and later, your younger brother will send you some special produce from my hometown."
As he spoke, he smoothly slipped a hefty silver ingot into Centurion Ma's unsuspecting hand.
Centurion Ma froze, completely taken aback. Before he could even process the words, he found a substantial silver ingot clutched in his palm, weighing at least five taels. *Well, I'll be damned...*
The officers and soldiers under Wang Cheng'en hadn't seen military rations or pay in ages; they were so destitute, they barely had food to put in their cooking pots. Then, out of the blue, someone hands you five taels of silver. Wouldn't you be tempted to call them your benefactor?
Centurion Ma's scowling demeanor vanished in an instant. The fierce, menacing expression he’d worn moments before melted away, replaced by an astonishingly genial smile. "Oh? Oh, my dear brothers!" he stammered, "Just now, I... well, that..."
He shifted uncomfortably, a sheepish flush rising to his cheeks. "My apologies, brothers," he mumbled. "My words just now were quite uncouth; pay them no mind, they were merely the ramblings of a child. Please, don't take them to heart. From this day forward, if either of you needs anything at all, simply come find old Ma."
At that moment, Bai Mao strode towards another Centurion, and with a practiced flick of his wrist, discreetly passed another hefty silver ingot into the man's hand. "Brother," he said amiably, "we're new here, so how about we host a grand feast tonight? We'll invite everyone to share a good meal, and every man present will get his fair share."
Someone from the surrounding crowd interjected, "But we're in a military camp; we're not allowed to drink alcohol!"
Bai Mao waved a dismissive hand. "No matter, no matter! We'll use tea instead of wine. The important thing is to eat plenty of meat!"
Meat!
Those two words instantly straightened the gazes of the surrounding, impoverished soldiers, their eyes gleaming with hungry anticipation.
Shi Jian and Bai Mao swept a respectful bow to the men around them. "Brothers, rest assured," Shi Jian declared, "with us two here, you'll never go hungry again! Tonight, we'll foot the bill. Let's head to the finest restaurant in Han City and feast until we burst!"
"But the restaurants don't even have grain to operate!" someone piped up.
"No matter!" Bai Mao announced. "We'll simply bring our own grain, pay the cooks their wages, and have them prepare it for us. What could be simpler?"
"Yes!"
"Fantastic!"
The rough-hewn soldiers erupted in cheers, utterly ecstatic. These two new 'connected' benefactors, they mused, certainly knew how to win people over. The more such benefactors, the better!
Shi Jian and Bai Mao exchanged a knowing glance. *Success!* they thought simultaneously. *With the Heavenly Lord's backing, turning these men to our side is truly effortless. Just keep showering them with resources, and the job is done.*
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