Chapter 112 Flowers in the Mirror and Moon in the Water (7k)

"It's really Saburo!"

"Saw"

Mrs. Lu saw that Yang Chang was excited, but Yang De remained as steady as before, standing in front of his wife and children like a general on the battlefield.

There was no scene of relatives reuniting after a long separation and crying. Lu and Yang Jian, who were excited at first, became reserved after seeing Yang Chang clearly.

The unpleasant parting two years ago is a thorn in the hearts of Yang De and his wife.

I thought Yang Chang had died in a foreign land, but unexpectedly he became one of the leaders of Liangshan.

The moment Yang De's family appeared, Yang Chang knew that they were sent by Chao Gai.

At this time, the three of them stood there without saying anything. Yang Chang mistakenly thought that they did not want to stay in Liangshan, so he bowed and said, "For God's sake, please come and sit down and talk. Last year, I sent people to Jingnan Township to look for you, but I heard that you had moved away a long time ago. My nephew has been away fighting these days, and I didn't know anyone invited you to the mountain."

"It was arranged by King Chao. It is said that he sent many people to Yanggu to inquire."

After Hu Sanniang added to the conversation, Yang Chang continued, "If you don't like it here, I will find a way to send you down the mountain, but there is no rush for this matter."

The 'hostages' that Chao Gai had worked so hard to find were like coins that had entered the mouth of a Pixiu. It was extremely difficult for them to get out again. However, Yang Chang knew that they would be recruited later, so at worst he would have to endure it in the mountains for a few years.

Unexpectedly, before Yang Jian finished speaking, Lu pulled Yang Jian to sit down first and sighed, "Sanlang is too polite. Compared with the previous days of starving, we are already very satisfied to be able to eat a full meal in Liangshan."

"Your life is so hard?" Yang Chang swallowed his saliva, then turned his head to stare at Yang De's tanned face, frowned and asked: "Fifth Uncle, is it because I abandoned the county official that the officials in Yanggu deliberately made things difficult for me?"

"Yes and no, alas"

"How?"

After hearing Yang De's answer and sigh, Yang Chang's frown deepened. He blamed himself for not thinking carefully enough and causing his uncle's family to be implicated.

Before Yang De could reply, his aunt Lu took over the conversation and replied, "This matter has nothing to do with Sanlang. It's all because the officials didn't give him a way out and forced the land without title deeds to be counted as public land. Most of our land was reclaimed by ourselves, and there was no such thing as title deeds. In the end, we had to pay rent for reclaiming the land ourselves."

Yang Chang listened to Lu's complaints silently, and then he realized that the new land policy had been rolled out in Jingdong East Road. (Jingdong East Road was one of the local administrative regions in the Northern Song Dynasty, covering all of Shandong today, and parts of Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu.)

Yang De was an honest country man who moved to Jingnan Township from another place. Although he had no money, he could not stop the court from exploiting him. He had to give up the land he had worked hard to cultivate, and then hid in the mountains with his wife and children, barely making a living by hunting.

Seeing an honest man in trouble, who was related to him, he couldn't help but think of some arguments in later generations, saying that the Song Dynasty was the most suitable era for time travel. Compared with the militarily powerful Han and Tang dynasties, the Song Dynasty had a prosperous economy, abundant materials, and the people lived a rich life.

However, even a hard-working commoner like Yang De could be forced to die because of a policy. This so-called good times in ancient times were only a good time for scholars and literati. The court's current policy of "collecting rent from public land" could only be implemented at the level of ordinary people.

Yang Chang saw that his fifth uncle's family had lost a lot of weight, and he could imagine how they had been suffering in the past two years, so he immediately instructed Hu Sanniang.

"Madam, when does dinner start in the camp? Ask them to prepare a few more dishes tonight. I want to personally cook a good meal for Uncle Wu's family."

"Sir, the bandits from Taohua Mountain and Erlong Mountain have settled nearby. The two leaders, Cao Zheng and Zhou Tong, will come to pay us a visit soon."

"We have met at the Juyi Hall at noon. Tell them to come back tomorrow morning. We have to reunite with Uncle Wu and the others tonight."

"Well, I'll go and tell you right away."

Hu Sanniang stood up and was about to leave the tent when Yang De suddenly called her in a deep voice.

"Wait a minute, Sanniang!"

Ok?
Yang Chang and Hu Sanniang were both startled.

Yang De said seriously, "Sanlang is the leader of Liangshan and the commander of the village behind the mountain. You should go about your business. We are lucky to have a place to live. We have been treated well these days. How can we hold you back? Now that we know it's you, we are relieved."

"Is there any fake Yang Chang?"

"Sanniang told us a lot of things about you, but we didn't dare to take them seriously."

Yang Chang put on an incredible expression, and Lu immediately glanced at Hu Sanniang.

She didn't understand the things in the underworld and only analyzed it from a woman's perspective. She thought to herself, you boy was such an ordinary person in Jingnan Township, and suddenly you married such a beautiful woman. Who would believe it if you told others about it?
"Haha." Yang Chang smiled suddenly, stood up and walked to Hu Sanniang's side, muttering: "I feel like I'm dreaming too."

"It's all clear now."

Yang De slapped his thigh and stood up, waving his hand to Lu and Yang Jian, and said in a commanding tone: "Let's go back to our residence first. When Sanlang finishes his work, it won't be too late for us uncle and nephew to reminisce about the past. When the time comes, Fifth Uncle would like to ask you for a favor.

"We are all relatives. Just tell me if you have anything to ask."

"No rush, no rush."

Yang De turned around and raised his hand, still as stubborn as before. His son Yang Jian smiled and waved goodbye, then followed him in one step.

Lu walked up to Yang Chang and praised him in a low voice: "Sanlang is so lucky. Your wife is one in a million."

After watching his fifth uncle and his family disappear outside the tent, Yang Chang suddenly nudged Hu Sanniang with his shoulder and joked in a playful tone.

"Let's go too, one in a million"

"Hmm? Where are you going?"

Hu Sanniang had already gotten over her newlywed shyness, but when she was praised by Aunt Yang Chang, her pretty face turned red again uncontrollably.

"To do the so-called official business. I have no distinguished family background, and I have never held a high-ranking official position. So don't expect others to come to pay you a visit. I will go there in person."

"That's right. You've had a fight with Master Lu in Qingzhou, so you don't need to build up your prestige. It might be better to be approachable."

“I didn’t think that much.”

It is obvious that Cao Zheng and Zhou Tong came to the back mountain to serve as deputy generals. This is an arrangement made by Chao Gai and Song Jiang to integrate Erlong Mountain and Taohua Mountain. When these mountains are completely integrated into Liangshan, there will inevitably be another adjustment.

Yang Changben didn't take the two men seriously, but since Zhou Tong had experience in kidnapping brides, he had to warn him in advance.

As for Lin Chong's apprentice, the butcher Cao Zheng, he was ranked very low after the great gathering and was also responsible for the slaughtering work in Liangshan. Obviously, he did not benefit from Lin Chong's help.

Perhaps because of Lu Zhishen's prestige in Qingzhou, or perhaps because Chao Gai and Song Jiang both had a special liking for Yang Changqing, Cao Zheng and Zhou Tong were very respectful and humble towards Yang Chang and Hu Sanniang.

Among them, Zhou Tong surprised Yang Chang the most. This second in command of Taohua Mountain, who had a bad record, didn't dare to look Hu Sanniang in the eye in front of Yang Chang, and spoke in a flowery manner, which was very inconsistent with his identity as a bandit.

Yang Changyuan intended to show his power, but he didn't expect that both of them were soft persimmons.

At that time, the gangsters and their families from Erlong Mountain and Taohua Mountain had not yet settled down. They had to set up simple tents before dark, and the living area and camp area were still in chaos.

Yang Chang didn't want to cause any trouble, so he went straight to Yang De's residence after a round of inspection. He had been kept in suspense by Hu Sanniang today, and he no longer wanted to guess the needs of Yang De's family.

At night, Mrs. Lu made simple porridge and rice.

When Yang Chang and Hu Sanniang arrived, it was time for dinner, so they ordered more bowls and chopsticks and had dinner with Yang De's family.

While eating, Yang De expressed his request.

"Sanlang, since you are in charge of this back mountain, Uncle Wu plans to ask you for a piece of land to cultivate and grow vegetables and food. Maybe we can be self-sufficient. Chief Chao will not ask us to pay rent, right?"

"pay rent?"

Yang Chang was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said: "Uncle Wu, what are you talking about? Sanniang and I are the leaders of Liangshan. You don't have to work hard to farm. Food and clothes will be distributed on time."

"Your aunt and I are farmers. We have been used to farm work for many years. We don't want to wait to share food and drink. Besides, you will have children to raise in the future, and you can't spend all your money on us."

"But."

"Uncle Wu, please."

"Ok."

Yang Chang could not resist Yang De's insistence, so he accepted the request and looked at Lu and asked, "What are Jian's plans? He is too young to join the army. Should he learn farming and hunting from his uncle and aunt, or learn another skill to support himself?"

"His father, look"

Lu looked at Yang De for a decision. Yang De, holding his rice bowl, said without hesitation: "Follow us to farm first, and we will deal with other things when they get bigger. Anyway, you can't leave for the rest of your life."

"Uncle Wu, don't be pessimistic. Song Gongming is only interested in serving the country and seeking amnesty. Just be patient in Liangshan for a few years. Sooner or later, you will be restored to your status as a good citizen."

After hearing Yang Chang's words of comfort, Yang De remained calm and said to himself, "If there is no way to survive as a good citizen, I would rather stay in Liangshan and farm."

Ordinary people have very low demands. As long as they can have food to eat, they rarely choose to become bandits.

Yang De was an ordinary, kind and upright person. The fact that he could say such words showed that he had no hope in the court.

"You can't write two Yang characters with one stroke. From now on, if my nephew has something to eat, you will have something to eat too. You will never have to worry about making a living again."

After leaving these bold words, Yang Chang turned around and left with Hu Sanniang.

Judging from Yang De’s experience and changes, the Zhao Song Dynasty has lost the support of the people. If the Jingkang Incident really happens in the future, how many people will lead the Jin people?

Just like the ordinary people who led the foreigners when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Beijing, were they born traitors?

Another example is the classic line in "Tea House": I love my country, but who will love me?
Yang Chang is in the world of Water Margin. He knows that the plot ends with "Song Gongming's spirit gathers in Liaoerwa, and Emperor Huizong wanders in Liangshanpo in his dreams." However, it is difficult to predict whether Jing Kang will appear later.

What's even more fatal is that Yang Chang has been here for more than three years and is unable to convert the ancient calendar into the Gregorian calendar.

He had served in Yanggu and Yuncheng counties and had no specific concept of the so-called Zhenghe year. Unless the imperial court immediately changed the year name to Jing Kang, he would know that the end of the Northern Song Dynasty had come.

Yang Chang remained silent on his way back. Hu Sanniang recalled his conversation with Yang De and endured for a long time before asking, "Sir, what are your plans for Uncle Wu's family?"

"What can we do? Uncle Wu is a strong and stubborn person. He definitely doesn't want to rob people. If he wants to farm, let him do it well. It's good to have something to do."

"That's not what I meant. I think Uncle Wu is disillusioned with the imperial court. If the imperial court really issues an order to recruit him, will Uncle Wu and his family return to their hometown to serve as civilians? Or will they be brought to your side to fulfill their filial duties?"

"Ok?"

Yang Chang suddenly stopped and looked around, seeing only a gray color.

It was not yet completely dark, in the gap between sunset and moonrise, only the lone star Chang Geng was shining in the sky, just like the person on earth looking up at it, alone in the darkness.

"Everything is in chaos, why bother to determine the future too early? Right now we are like the Changgeng star, with a weak light that cannot illuminate people. We should strengthen ourselves first. Only when we become stronger will we have more choices."

"I don't quite understand what you are saying. How do you want to become stronger?"

"hehe."

Yang Chang laughed out loud when he heard Hu Sanniang's question. He thought to himself that his buddy must have the fate to pick up corpses to dare to make such a bold statement. It is not easy for ordinary people to survive.

He put his arm around the woman's shoulders and said seriously, "You don't need to worry about these things, my lady. These are what you as a man should do. In short, just wait to enjoy the good life."

"But I want to help you, sir, and I don't want you to work too hard."

"No problem, sweat with me later."

"Sweating?"

Hu Sanniang was stunned when she heard this. It took her a long time to remember that the man was teasing her, and then she punched him with her little pink fist.

Yang Chang returned home after a long battle, and the night was filled with tenderness. The next morning, Yang Chang took Yang De to select land for reclamation in the back mountain, while Hu Sanniang accompanied Lu's family to talk.

During the time when Yang Changyuan was away, Yang De and his family were very distant from Hu Sanniang.

They were worried that the bandits had made up a story to cheat Yang Chang, and they were relieved only when the uncle and nephew recognized each other.

It was the turn of the year, and Yang De selected several pieces of land to be reclaimed, wanting to start working before the spring.

Yang Chang was a master farmer and had more experience in farming than Yang De, but he considered it for the best and did not offer any suggestions.

He thought that the stubborn man was hard to persuade and that the surrounding land was uneven and infertile, so he could not expect to grow high-yield crops.

Yang De's self-sufficiency is worthy of encouragement, but Yang Chang will not just sit there and do nothing. He will continue to provide help in both overt and covert ways.

When the uncle and nephew were about to go back, Hu Sanniang suddenly came with Wu Song.

"Second brother? You just arrived at Liangshan, and I thought you would be busy today."

"There's nothing to do. I handed over all the minions I had, and I wanted to come and see you. This is your uncle."

"My name is Yang De, and I have met Wu Dutou before."

"Wu Song remembers."

When Yang De saw Wu Song in Liangshan, it was like seeing an old friend. His tiger-fighting style gushed out in his memory like a spring, making him feel like he was still in Yanggu.

Seeing that Yang De was in a good mood and Wu Song was visiting his territory for the first time, Yang Chang asked Hu Sanniang to instruct the cooking room in the camp to arrange a family dinner in the tent at noon.

During the preparations for the family dinner, Chao Gai suddenly sent someone to the back mountain to invite Yang Chang and Yang De to the top of the mountain for a drink.

Since Chao Gai invited Yang Chang's uncle and nephew, only Hu Sanniang and Yang De's wife and children were left in the back mountain. This made Wu Song, who was the guest, very embarrassed. He didn't know whether to leave or stay.

Yang De thought that Yang Chang would cancel the family dinner, but his nephew directly declined the invitation from Liangshan's top leader on the grounds of the family dinner.

Seeing the messenger returning in dismay, Yang De and Wu Song both wanted to lecture Yang Chang, but they did not speak because of the presence of others. As a result, the messenger returned in the middle of the family dinner.

Instead of getting angry at being rejected, Chao Gai asked Yang Chang and Wu Song to meet at noon, postponed the drinking time to the evening, and invited Wu Song and Yang Chang to go together.

After hearing the message from his minions, Yang De suddenly felt that he had aged a lot and was no longer qualified to teach Yang Chang a lesson.

After a simple meal and some wine, Yang De said goodbye and left with his wife and children, leaving the space to Yang Chang and Wu Song.

I am just a farmer, and my nephew has become an important leader of Liangshan. The leader Chao Gai almost invited him to dinner three times. How can I point fingers at the gangsters?
In the afternoon, Yang Chang took Wu Song to visit the camp, and then the two climbed to the top of the mountain together.

When the two were halfway along the road, Wu Song saw a large bluestone on the side of the road, and pointing at it, he suggested that they take a break.

Wu Song and Yang Chang sat down one after another, and then murmured, "I have only been on Liangshan for one day, and I found that Chao Tianwang thinks highly of Sanlang. He spent a lot of effort to find your uncle and added a lot of soldiers to the back mountain. I wonder what Sanlang is going to do?"

"What the second brother meant."

"You said before that the situation in Liangshan was complicated. I didn't think it was a big problem at the time, but I saw it clearly at the welcoming banquet yesterday. King Chao and Brother Gongming were secretly competing with each other. As the saying goes, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. Brother wants to ask who Sanlang supports?"

"This..." I didn't expect Wu Song to ask so directly. Yang Chang hesitated for a moment, frowned and shook his head, and said: "Second brother has a keen eye, and Brother Gongming has come from behind. Chao Tianwang, as the leader of the village, cannot control the overall situation. Naturally, he will not sit and wait for death. But both of them treat me well, so I really can't say anything..."

Wu Song also frowned after hearing this, pinching his chin and continued to ask: "Brother Gongming is famous all over the world, and heroes from all over the world come to join him because of his reputation, which has created the current situation in Liangshan. The Green Forest competes with fists and loyalty. Do you think King Chao can turn the tide?"

“It’s just not going to be easy.”

“Since it’s not easy.”

Seeing Yang Chang pursed his lips and shook his head, Wu Song suddenly turned sideways to face him and advised him earnestly: "Sanlang has always been smart, loyal and kind, so don't easily become a knife to others. When my second brother was in Yanggu and Enzhou, he was helped by others out of kindness and loyalty, and he suffered a great loss later."

"Don't worry, brother. I won't..."

"Won't?"

Thinking of the past events of Happy Forest and Yuanyang Tower, Wu Song could not help but interrupt Yang Chang and said sternly, "When you are in the martial arts world, you have no choice. If you waver, you are not a hero. It is best to make your attitude clear in advance. Why didn't King Chao try to win over Hua Rong? When my sister-in-law got married, Sanlang and Brother Gongming had a rift, and then someone took advantage of it. You can't fail to see it."

"Yeah." Yang Chang nodded and did not deny it, then asked back: "Second brother persuaded me to completely side with Brother Gongming?"

"Brother Gongming and I have a sworn brotherhood, so I will naturally support him unconditionally. Now I am persuading Sanlang to express his feelings. Although this may disappoint King Chao, it will actually help him give up on you sooner, so that he won't waste his energy. However."

Seeing that Yang Chang was not smiling, Wu Song suddenly changed the subject at the end and said in a deep voice: "I have sworn brotherhood with many people, but you are my brother. If you want to stand on the side of Chao Tianwang, my second brother can at least remain neutral."

"How dare I, my little brother, bring injustice upon my second brother?"

Yang Chang shook his head and waved his hands while speaking, and then threw out a fatal question, "Second brother, do you like your current life, or do you hope that the court will recruit you?"

Wu Song is also a meticulous man, how could he not hear the hidden meaning? Yang Chang obviously focused on his inner needs and asked him to choose between Chao Gai and Song Jiang.

Is this still a choice?
"Brother, to be honest, I like my current life. I am free and happy to take revenge. It is really meaningless to join those filthy people. I understand Sanlang's intentions."

"Understand? I don't want to support anyone."

"What do you mean?"

Yang Chang stood up from the bluestone, looked at the white mist beside the hillside, and said meaningfully: "It is cold in the first month of the year, and the mist seems to have covered Liangshan, but that is just a mirage. As the temperature gradually rises in spring, the mist will disappear. So why should we blow away the mist to see the mountain scenery, or shuttle through the mist to see the mountain scenery? Isn't it enough to wait until spring comes and midsummer arrives?"

“I am confused.”

Wu Song looked at Yang Chang with a confused look on his face, as if to say that he understood but not completely.

"I don't want to side with anyone, no matter who controls Liangshan in the end, and no matter whether they are recruited by the court or not, I stay in Liangshan just to protect the people I want to protect."

"hiss"

After hearing Yang Chang's final answer, Wu Song frowned and took a breath of cold air, and reminded him seriously: "Sanlang is now the chief commander of the back mountain, and his status in Liangshan is not low. If you continue to not express your attitude, they may try to win you over, or they may give up at the same time."

"No problem." Yang Chang didn't take it seriously, and sneered, "I don't care about these rights at all. Aren't we still bandits after all? What's the difference between being trapped in this 800-li lake and being trapped in a cage?"

"Sanlang sees things clearly, and Second Brother is ashamed of himself."

Wu Song sighed, pulled Yang Chang to continue forward, and comforted him: "Just do what you want, even if Chao Tianwang and Brother Gongming are against you, Second Brother will support you!"

"Hehe, actually, I don't think it's as serious as my second brother. There are many people in Liangshan who have such thoughts. Sun Tixia of Dengzhou is an example."

"Sun Li? I've heard of his name. Since there are few people on the mountain road right now, Sanlang, please tell me more about the leaders of each village. I hope my second brother will have a better idea of ​​them."

"No problem, I'll start with the Dengzhou sect."

Yang Chang stood at the "God's perspective" and analyzed the various factions of Liangshan for Wu Song along the way. His conclusion was just as he had said before, the situation in Liangshan was very complicated.

With a powerful force like Erlongshan, and several of its leaders being very strong, Chao Gai and Song Jiang had no choice but to fight for it.

That night, Chao Gai invited Yang Chang and Wu Song to have a drink, and agreed to invite Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen the next day; and when Song Jiang got the news, he also held a banquet the next day and directly invited Wu Song, Yang Zhi, Lu Zhishen and Yang Chang, which had a strong sense of tit-for-tat.

Wu Song did not completely side with Song Jiang because of Yang Chang. Yang Zhi had a grudge with Chao Gai before, so Song Jiang's policy of amnesty was very suitable for him, so he quickly joined the team.

As for the Flowery Monk Lu Zhishen, he was not deceitful in his heart and could not be won over by both Chao Gai and Song Jiang. However, both of them wanted to win back this powerful general, so after they returned to the Water Margin, people would invite the monk to drink every day.

Sometimes Chao Gai and Song Jiang prepared the banquet themselves, and sometimes their confidants took turns to prepare the banquet, which made Master Lu, who loved wine, exhausted. He accidentally discovered that his neighbor Wu Song often went to the back mountain and missed many banquets hosted by the leaders.

After trying to visit the back mountain, Lu Zhishen opened the door to a new world.

Sometimes he went alone, sometimes with Wu Song, sometimes with Lin Chong, or they drank wine, practiced martial arts, or stayed in the back mountain and daydreamed, and he was able to gain inner peace.

The big guys at all levels of Liangshan went to the back mountain to "check in" many times, and Yang Chang asked Chao Gai and Song Jiang to pay more attention to it.

Longzhong would invite Yang Chang to attend important gatherings, birthdays of leaders and relatives, and his popularity once surpassed that of other generals.

Yang Chang was like a 'promiscuous scumbag', flirting between the two bosses, not taking the initiative, not refusing, not taking responsibility, and not making promises.

The end of January, the beginning of February.

Lin Chong came to the back mountain to celebrate Cao Zheng's birthday, and when he arrived at the big village in the back mountain, he met Yang Chang.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yang Chang remembered that he had not seen Lu Zhishen for a few days, so he took the opportunity to ask, "Brother Coach, why didn't Master Lu come with us?"

"Brother Yang, don't you know?"

"I have been busy in the camp these days and have not had the opportunity to go to the mountaintop stronghold."

"Brother Lu saw the lively reunion in Liangshan, and he remembered his old friends in Shaohua Mountain. He went to Huazhou five days ago, intending to recruit a few heroes to join the group. Wu Dutou will be his companion."

"So that's how it is." Yang Chang nodded suddenly.

No wonder I haven’t seen my second brother for several days. It turns out he was accompanying Lu Zhishen on a long journey.

Yang Chang's understanding of the Water Margin plot mainly came from the 98 TV series Water Margin, which did not include the plot about Lu Zhishen and Wu Song in Huazhou, so he had no idea about it.

As Lu Zhishen and Wu Song are the strongest fighting force of Liangshan infantry, Yang Chang is not worried at all about their official mission.

But after eight or nine days, Chao Gai and Song Jiang suddenly summoned all the leaders and threatened to send troops to Huazhou to rescue Lu Zhishen. Only then did Yang Chang realize that the monk was in trouble.

Chao Gai and Song Jiang had frequently shown their goodwill to Lu Zhishen before. Yang Chang thought that they would quarrel over who would go down the mountain and recreate the scene before they sent troops to Qingzhou to rescue people. However, he did not expect that Chao Gai seemed to have changed his personality and actually sat in the village leader's chair and watched Song Jiang's performance.

Song Jiang was also surprised by Chao Gai's performance, but he had no time to consider the other party's thoughts. He took the lead as the commander-in-chief and appointed Hua Rong, Qin Ming, Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, and Hu Yanzhuo as the vanguard of the front army, Wu Yong, Zhu Tong, Yang Chang, Xu Ning, Jie Zhen, and Jie Bao as the central army, and Li Ying, Yang Xiong, Shi Xiu, Li Jun, and Zhang Shun as the rear army. He also ordered Pei Xuan to mobilize 7,000 elite cavalry and infantry to go down the mountain.

Chao Gai was acting out of character today and was not willing to give up power. The main reason was that he felt that Huazhou was a long way away and he would have to pass through the important area of ​​the capital on the way. It would be dangerous if he was surrounded by government troops. Secondly, after failing to seize military power last time, he found that he could mobilize very few forces, so he planned to make plans before taking action. He wanted to take advantage of Song Jiang's expedition to Huazhou to win over the leaders who stayed in Liangshan.

As for who to fight for? Through Song Jiang's dispatch of generals today, Chao Gai discovered some clues.

Among the five vanguards, except for the veteran Lin Chong, Chao Gai had no confidence at all. The five men in the rear army were either alone or had special experiences with Song Jiang, and it was not easy to win them over in a short time. Only several people in the central army had a chance, among which Jie Zhen and Jie Bao were the strangest.

Shouldn't the "left and right guards" be Alex Fong and Guo Sheng? How come it has become the Lie brothers now?
Chao Gai remembered that the last time we attacked Qingzhou, the Xie brothers had followed the army. This time, he took them alone without Sun Li. Did he fail to win Sun Li and settle for the next best thing? Then shouldn't I take advantage of the opportunity?

Seeing that Chao Gai was "well-behaved" today, Song Jiang said a few polite words to him, but he didn't expect that this guy would "take advantage of him".

"Brother, Xiaoke has been transferred. Do you have any additional supplies?"

"Of course."

Chao Gai stood up holding the handle, looking disdainfully at the dozen or so leaders who were called, and finally set his eyes on Yang Chang, saying seriously: "Brother Yang Chang has just reunited with his family, I think he will not go to Huazhou this time, there are still dozens of brothers in the mountain stronghold, my dear brother, don't be so unkind!"

"Uh"

Song Jiang was stunned by the rebuke, but he did not show any anger, and replied with a smile: "Brother is still thoughtful, I just considered that Wu Dutou was in Shaohua Mountain, thinking that they could fight side by side."

"My dear brother, you haven't considered everything. I will certainly help you to find out the omissions and fill in the gaps. Although we have become bandits in Liangshan, we must also consider the family ties and human relations of our brothers. Hurry up and take the people down the mountain. Don't delay in saving people."

"Eh"

　I said I would write more when I have time in March, and the author has kept his word. Today I have written a 3-word chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)