Chapter 775: An Unexpected Visitor
The Jin merchant's retainer was quickly ushered in.
The retainer was a formidable man, clearly a fearless hero. Seeing a large gathering of bandit chiefs, he showed no fear, confidently cupping his fists. "Greetings, esteemed heroes," he began. "I am a household retainer of Zhai Tang, a Jin merchant. You may not be familiar with my master's name, but anyone engaged in trade in Shanxi or along the border has, to some extent, heard of him."
"Zhai Tang?" the Dashing General muttered, a frown creasing his brow. "I am familiar with that name. He's quite renowned in Xuanfu and Datong, handling substantial ventures."
The retainer smiled. "Since General Chuang is acquainted with my master, that simplifies things considerably. There's no need for me to elaborate on his influence."
The Dashing General nodded. "Why have you come to us, and for what purpose?"
The retainer replied, "To be frank with you, esteemed heroes, my master has run into a minor snag. His business isn't quite as smooth as it once was."
The Dashing General raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Can Steward Zhai truly face difficulties in his trade?"
The retainer explained, "My master used to conduct business in Xuanfu and Datong, supplying grain and military equipment to the border armies, earning great merit for the Great Ming's frontier defense. Unexpectedly, a few days ago, the Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da was swayed by a treacherous individual, who forcibly declared my master's dealings illegal and harmful to the Great Ming. Supreme Commander Zhang Zongheng sent men to apprehend him, severing our Zhai family's trade routes in Xuan-Da..."
Chuǎng Wang exclaimed, "Such a thing happened? That treacherous official has gone too far!"
Chuǎng Wang asked, "So, Steward Zhai is now also an enemy of Zhang Zongheng?"
The retainer nodded. "Indeed! The Great Ming court has now become an enemy of the Zhai family. My master is forced to hide, unable to move about openly. All of this is due to that treacherous individual."
Chuǎng Wang seized on the key detail. "Who is this treacherous person?"
The retainer replied, "That treacherous individual is an expert with flintlock rifles."
At that statement, the expressions of the bandit chiefs in the room simultaneously hardened.
The retainer continued, "My master's maxim is, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.' The Jin merchants are prepared to join forces with you, esteemed kings, to confront this treacherous individual."
The Dashing General asked, "How can Steward Zhai assist us?"
The retainer offered a slight smile. "My master is not versed in many things, but he excels at trade. Thus, any cooperation with you, brave heroes, would naturally commence with business."
At this, the Dashing General understood. "Steward Zhai, are you proposing to sell us the goods you originally intended for the border army?"
The retainer chuckled. "Precisely! You gentlemen plunder far and wide, seizing untold amounts of gold, silver, and precious jewels. Yet, these treasures cannot be eaten, nor can they directly fuel your battles. In fact, you have no way to spend this wealth."
This was the undeniable truth!
The roaming rebels plundered county after county, even breaching several prefectural cities. What they seized wasn't merely grain, but also vast quantities of gold, silver, and precious jewels.
However, with all that gold and silver in their possession, it remained inert, unable to be converted into usable supplies. No one, after all, would openly conduct business with roving bandits.
Each bandit chief had amassed considerable wealth! But it was unspendable, utterly unspendable.
The retainer declared, "My master can help you convert your gold, silver, and jewels into essential supplies: grain, salt, cloth, Three-Eyed Arquebuses, gunpowder, lead bullets, Repeating Crossbows, armor, and shields... Whatever we supplied to the border army in the past, we can now provide to you. You have no cause to doubt our capabilities; if we Jin merchants can sustain the border forces, we can certainly sustain you."
The bandit chiefs exchanged glances, then almost in unison, declared, "Excellent! We'll take this deal."
The retainer added, "Since we've all agreed to be friends, my master can offer one more small assistance... There's a secret mountain path nearby that can help you escape the government troops' encirclement."
The bandit chiefs were overjoyed. "Where is this path?"——
Shangnan County.
Li Daoxuan, Zheng Gouzi, Luo Xi, and Lian Guoshi sat gathered around a table, a massive map spread across its surface.
Lian Guoshi's finger rested on Yunyang Prefecture City. "Jiang Yunyi, the Pacification Commissioner of Yunyang, is currently besieged by rebel forces, retreating to defend Yunyang Prefecture City and unwilling to sally forth. With cannons mounted on the city walls, the rebel army dares not launch another reckless assault."
Finishing, he shifted his finger to Yunxi County City. "The Dashing General's main forces should still be in Yunxi County City. Meanwhile, units led by Rampaging Wolf, Yi Dou Gu, Sweeping King, and Myriad Stars have already advanced into Sichuan, currently engaging the White Pole Soldiers amidst its mountains."
His finger then moved north to Shangnan County. "We are here!"
He then shifted his hand slightly northeast. "Zhang Yingchang is positioned here."
Lian Guoshi sighed. "None of these forces can cross the provincial border into the Yunyang Pacification Commissioner's territory. So, everyone is powerless to aid Yunyang Prefecture, relegated to watching helplessly from afar."
He quickly moved his finger again. "Only Zuo Liangyu can intervene; he's currently leading his army to rapidly reinforce Yunyang Prefecture City."
Zheng Gouzi looked perplexed. "Why can't anyone else, yet only Zuo Liangyu can pursue them from Shanxi into Hebei, then from Hebei into Henan, and then from Henan into Yunyang?"
Lian Guoshi explained, "Because he has a palace eunuch serving as an army supervisor."
"A palace eunuch?" Zheng Gouzi didn't understand the term.
Luo Xi quietly clarified for him, "It's an army supervisor sent from the capital... a eunuch, you see..."
Zheng Gouzi's eyes widened in sudden realization.
Chen Dajin, the trusted eunuch dispatched by the Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youjian, was currently overseeing Zuo Liangyu's forces. Being a direct confidant of Zhu Youjian, his presence effectively gave Zuo Liangyu an imperial sword of authority. This allowed him to launch attacks at will, completely disregarding the provincial boundaries of Shanxi, Henan, or Yunyang; he could simply go wherever he pleased.
Lian Guoshi declared, "We are holding our positions, effectively forming a massive snare. The roving bandits are caught within this trap. When Zuo Liangyu brings his forces to bear, it will be like 'catching a turtle in an urn' – an effortless capture. We will wipe out these bandits in one decisive strike, and these scourges who have plagued the realm can finally be brought to a halt right here."
Luo Xi, as was his habit, chimed in with praise: "Governor, a truly profound insight!"
Li Daoxuan, however, pondered silently: *Is it truly that simple? I can't shake the feeling that something is amiss.*
He had a persistent feeling that these roving bandits wouldn't be so easily eradicated.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, a messenger rushed in from outside, frantically exclaiming, "Governor, something terrible has happened, something truly terrible!"
Lian Guoshi demanded, "What has occurred?"
The messenger reported, "Chen Dajin and Zuo Liangyu pursued the roving bandits to Yunxi County, only to discover that the rebel forces were no longer in the county town. Unsure of their whereabouts, and having only rescued a number of women, the two commanders feared the rebels had made for Yunyang Prefecture, so they rushed there to provide reinforcements."
"Unexpectedly, Vice Commissioner Xu Jinglin, who was guarding Yunyang Prefecture, saw numerous women accompanying the relief army. He immediately suspected these reinforcements were actually roving bandits in disguise and ordered the cannons on the city walls to open fire..."
Everyone in the room stared, aghast.
The messenger continued, "Chen Dajin and Zuo Liangyu were inexplicably subjected to an artillery barrage, suffering heavy losses in both soldiers and warhorses. A palace eunuch would never tolerate such an indignity! Chen Dajin was enraged, and he has already memorialized the court, demanding the arrest and punishment of both Xu Jinglin and Jiang Yunyi, the Pacification Commissioner of Yunyang."
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