Chapter 508: Wang Guozhong is Coming to Attack
July, the fourth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.
Summer had arrived, and temperatures soared with each passing day. The once-refreshing river breeze now carried a faint, dry heat.
The Puppet Heavenly Lord was playfully skipping stones by the Gudu Ferry!
He was using his wooden hands to skip small stones across the water.
Suddenly, a horse galloped furiously into the water fort. Before the rider even dismounted, he let out a frantic cry: “Disaster! Disaster has struck! Wang Guozhong has been appointed Deputy Commander of Puzhou by the imperial court... he’ll take office any day now!”
His shout truly sent ripples through the camp, startling the villagers. Xing Honglang, Zao Ying, Lao Nanfeng, and the others were all taken aback, rushing towards the council hall.
Only Gao Chuwu remained, innocently standing by the river. He picked up a small stone, mimicked the Puppet Heavenly Lord’s flick of the wrist, and watched as it skipped three times across the water.
He clapped his hands, beaming. “Haha, Heavenly Lord, I skipped it three times!”
Li Daoxuan chuckled. “Head to the council hall, quickly.”
Li Daoxuan replied, “It seems Wang Guozhong is about to attack.”
Gao Chuwu stared, dumbfounded. “Huh? What?!”
Only then did Gao Chuwu snap to attention. Yongji was located in Puzhou, and the Gudu Ferry itself fell under Puzhou’s jurisdiction. If Wang Guozhong had been appointed Deputy Commander there, then his arrival was imminent, of course.
He hastily placed the Puppet Heavenly Lord on his shoulder, then sprinted towards the council hall. By the time he arrived, the other leaders had already convened their meeting.
Xing Honglang began, “Wang Guozhong betrayed Wang Jiayin and defected to Cao Wenzhao. He’s been appointed Deputy Commander of Puzhou and will take up his post very soon. As you all know, Puzhou City is less than thirty *li* from our Gudu Ferry. Once Wang Guozhong is garrisoned there, it’s impossible he won’t notice us. He could launch an attack at any moment.”
Zao Ying added, “The messenger reports that Wang Guozhong commands roughly three thousand elite soldiers, hand-picked from various rebel factions, all former border or garrison troops. These men are not to be underestimated in battle. If they set their sights on our water fort, they will certainly cause us trouble.”
Xing Honglang continued, “We have a bookstore in Puzhou City, along with many merchants who supply us with various goods. Moreover, the salt we transport from Xiao Lake has to pass through Puzhou. If Wang Guozhong cuts off that route, we’ll be in a very tough spot.”
Gao Chuwu, sitting nearby, listened with a bewildered expression. “Huh? A single traitor causes this much trouble? Why not just eliminate him?”
Lao Nanfeng gently patted Gao Chuwu’s shoulder. “Eliminating him isn’t hard. However, we’ve always kept a low profile, staying hidden by the river at the border of Shanxi and Shaanxi. We don’t want to draw attention and invite imperial scrutiny like Wang Jiayin did. If we move against Wang Guozhong, our low profile will be shattered.”
Gao Chuwu finally grasped the situation. It wasn’t that they couldn’t defeat him, but that fighting him would stir up a hornet’s nest, inviting a full-scale siege from imperial troops. That would be a major headache.
Everyone in the room was caught in a dilemma. At times like this, they truly wished the Heavenly Lord would offer his divine guidance.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Lord was outside the diorama box, diligently looking up information.
A quick search of the data confirmed it: historically, after Wang Jiayin’s demise, Wang Guozhong had indeed been appointed Deputy Commander of Puzhou. This aligned perfectly with the records.
And that scoundrel Wang Guozhong, once he received his official post, immediately saw himself as a true imperial soldier. He became even more zealous than career officers, relentlessly suppressing rebel forces and currying favor with the court. He was, in essence, a brutal executioner of peasant uprisings, a counter-revolutionary figure until, years later, Li Zicheng’s nephew, Li Guo, defeated him and had him executed in Suide City.
If this man had a history of ‘re-defection,’ things would be simple—they could eliminate him when he next changed sides. But no, he truly became a loyal imperial official from that point onward, never ‘re-defecting.’ That made matters significantly more complicated.
Li Daoxuan needed to devise a superior plan!
“I’ve got it!”
The Puppet Heavenly Lord finally spoke. “Send an envoy to meet Yang He. Tell him Xing Honglang has turned over a new leaf and is willing to accept imperial amnesty. Yang He will undoubtedly come to pacify her. On his journey, we can intercept and defeat Wang Guozhong.”
Xing Honglang and the others exchanged surprised glances. “Oh?”
Lao Nanfeng burst into laughter. “The Heavenly Lord truly enjoys playing tricks on mortals! This is a masterful stroke; it predicts the imperial court’s disposition with uncanny accuracy.”
Xing Honglang grinned. “Excellent. Let’s set this plan in motion immediately.”—
Supreme Commander of the Three Borders, Yang He, was currently suffering from a monumental headache.
The situation in Shaanxi and Shanxi grew more chaotic by the day. His pacification policies had all but ground to a halt; rebels would accept amnesty one day only to rise in revolt the next, creating widespread instability.
He had desperately appeased Shen Yikui, but now even Shen Yikui seemed to be wavering. There was no telling how long he could be placated, or when he might rebel again.
His head throbbed with exasperation!
“Report!”
A subordinate rushed in. “Sir, a rugged fellow is requesting an audience. He claims to be a messenger from Xing Honglang of Yongji.”
“Xing Honglang of Yongji?” Yang He sifted through a mental archive of intelligence before finally recalling. “Ah, yes, a minor salt smuggler. She commands only a few hundred rebels. Word is, she’s merely holding the Gudu Ferry at Yongji and has never indulged in attacking cities, burning, killing, or looting. She’s been rather... compliant, which is why the imperial court has never dispatched forces to suppress her. Why would she send someone to see *me*, the Supreme Commander?”
The subordinate whispered, “He was exceedingly polite. It’s possible he’s here to seek amnesty.”
At this, Yang He’s spirits visibly lifted. “Actively seeking amnesty? Haha, this is excellent news, truly excellent! It saves this Supreme Commander a great deal of trouble.”
With that thought, Yang He quickly ordered, “ Usher him in at once!”
Moments later, Xing Honglang’s envoy entered. It was Old Zhu, a shrewd, seasoned salt smuggler who had traversed north and south with her for years. He clasped his hands in greeting to Yang He. “Supreme Commander,” Old Zhu declared, “my leader, Xing Honglang, wishes to turn over a new leaf, secure an official post, and bring honor to her ancestors.”
Yang He offered a gentle smile. “Since Chieftain Xing is willing to abandon the dark path and embrace the light, to turn over a new leaf and become an honest person, how could this Supreme Commander possibly refuse? Guards! Prepare our escort! We shall make a trip to Yongji.”
He then added, “Go and notify Imperial Censor Wu Shen. Tell him to bring some funds and provisions...”
“That won’t be necessary, Supreme Commander,” Old Zhu replied, clasping his hands with a chuckle. “My leader, Chieftain Xing, has dealt in private salt for many years and has amassed a considerable fortune. She is perfectly capable of supporting herself and requires no imperial relief. Imperial Censor Wu Shen’s funds would be better utilized where they are truly needed.”
Yang He’s delight only deepened. Merely arranging for the settlement of other rebel groups gave him immense headaches, but Xing Honglang didn’t even require funds for resettlement. This was truly a godsend, freeing him from considerable worry.
“Very well!”
Yang He chuckled. “Then let us proceed at once with the pacification ceremony!”
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