Chapter 121: It's better to break up Liangshan (7k)

Song Jiang had been on Liangshan for two and a half years. Every year, major events happened around New Year's Eve, so he was never at peace during the New Year.

Around the New Year's Eve of the seventh year of Zhenghe, Shi Qian stole a chicken and offended Zhujiazhuang, and the Liangshan heroes were busy attacking Zhujiazhuang.

Around New Year's Eve of the eighth year of Zhenghe, the heroes first defeated Hu Yanzhuo's linked armored cavalry, and were later invited by Sanshan to attack Qingzhou.

Now, on the New Year's Eve of the first year of Xuanhe, the leaders of Liangshan, both big and small, can finally celebrate the New Year with peace of mind, and friends and relatives will visit each other and get together.

For a moment, smoke rose from everywhere in Liangshan, and laughter could be heard everywhere on the waterside.

At this time, there were more than 90 leaders. Except for a few single men like An Daoquan, the rest had one or two close friends. The two largest groups were the surrendered generals from the imperial court and the affiliated mountain leaders.

On New Year's Eve, Song Jiang held a banquet in the Loyalty Hall and invited nearly twenty important leaders, but he chose to invite the surrendered general Guan Sheng.

Guan Sheng and Hao Siwen are sworn brothers, and are also old friends with the ugly county horse Xuan Zan. When their good brother goes to Zhongyi Hall for a reunion banquet, Hao Siwen seeks Xuan Zan to partner up.

The food during the first two months of the march was rough, and the food has been simple during these days back in the mountains.

It was not easy to wait until the end of the year, when it was New Year's Eve. Each leader received wine and meat, but most of them did not know how to cook, and their subordinates could only cook it.

Hao Siwen went to find Xuan Zan because he wanted to try different skills and flavors, but Xuan Zan complained that his own minions were not good enough. However, he did not plan to start fighting himself, but went to find his colleagues in Tokyo to join in the fun, namely Han Tao, Peng Qi and Ling Zhen.

Hao Xuan and his companion brought wine and meat and went to Ling Zhen's residence first.

"Envoy Lingku, we are here to wish you a happy new year."

"Who?"

Han Tao and Peng Qi were visiting Ling Zhen's home. When they heard someone calling them from outside the door, they walked out and saw that it was Hao Siwen and Xuan Zan.

Ling Zhen followed closely behind them. Seeing what the two were carrying, he curiously asked, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with General Guan?"

"We would like to, but unfortunately we are not qualified."

Xuan Zan put down the wine and meat, and explained helplessly: "General Guan was called by Brother Gongming to the Loyalty Hall to celebrate the New Year with the core leaders of the mountain stronghold. We have nowhere to go but to seek refuge. Envoy Lingku will not turn us away, right? We are all colleagues in Tokyo."

"It's Chinese New Year, so it's more lively with more people. But my family's cooking skills are not good, so please don't be disgusted."

Ling Zhen smiled bitterly, thinking that you all came uninvited, and now there are four more mouths to feed, it will be difficult to prepare in a hurry, so he gave some precautions in advance.

Xuan Zan insisted and joked, "Envoy Lingku, there is no need to be modest. Hao Siwen and I are not picky. Besides, my sister-in-law is from Tokyo, so her skills must be better than those of people from small places."

"You can't say that."

Ling Zhen was talking halfway when he suddenly remembered that he once passed by Wu Song's door and heard him praising Yang Chang's cooking skills, so he said meaningfully: "You don't know, Brother Yang who captured you in the battle before, his cooking skills are better than Song Silang's cook."

"Really?" Xuan Zan was ugly but shameless.

Seeing Ling Zhen nod affirmatively, Xuan Zan immediately wanted to eat for free.

Han Tao also added, "Just now when Peng Tuan and I came here for training, we saw Wu Dutou, Master Lu, Master Lin and others all carrying wine and meat to the back mountain. Perhaps they were going to enjoy a feast?"

Xuan Zan quickly bent down and picked up the wine jar, and said seriously: "Then what are you waiting for? Since Chief Yang has extraordinary skills, what are we doing here?"

"No." Han Tao was surprised. "Is Junma familiar with him?"

Xuan Zan spread his hands and said nonchalantly, "It's because we're not familiar with each other that we need to interact more. If you don't go, I'll go by myself. If I'm late, I won't be able to catch up."

"I'll go with you." Hao Siwen agreed first.

"Then us"

"Go together."

Han Tao, Peng Qi, and Ling Zhen looked at each other, and finally decided to shamelessly go for a free meal.

When they arrived at the small village on the back mountain, they heard cheers from afar.

When I got closer, I saw that Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong were fighting with weapons.

The two of them fought back and forth, causing dust to fly all around, but the leaders watched with great interest.

"it is good!"

The five people were stunned by what they saw. Xuan Zan couldn't help but applaud and cheer, which made the leaders who were watching the battle look back at the same time.

Wu Song saw the five newcomers, each holding wine and meat, and immediately guessed their intention. He smiled and joked to Shi Jin: "Sanlang has a lot of guests today. It seems that the dinner time will have to be postponed again."

"It doesn't matter."

Shi Jin waved his hand and said, "Brothers, you can't relax in the mountains. Let's move around in this small village today. It will be refreshing even if we don't eat or drink."

"Don't believe him, Wu Dutou. Master Shi will go to the next door later, so he won't eat or drink here."

"Hahaha, brother is right."

Li Jun suddenly responded with a joke, causing the Tong brothers to join in the fun.

Shi Jin knew he was joking, but he responded seriously: "With so many good brothers here, why would I go to the next door? Call Zhu Wu and the others later."

"Then Sanlang's burden has increased again," Wu Song shook his head.

Shi Jin clasped his fists and said, "Let Brother Yang prepare slowly. We can stretch our muscles for a while. I will ask the captain for some boxing and kicking advice later."

"Okay, I'll help Sanlang greet the guests first."

After Wu Song finished speaking, he called a few minions to help serve the wine and meat to Xuan Zan and others.

Small village, fire house.

Yang De's family of three were busy from early morning until noon.

They had planned to get some wild game and vegetables grown this year, along with the fish and pork distributed by the village, and then steam two trays of buns and steamed buns as staple food, so that they could have a good New Year with Yang Chang and his wife.

Considering that Wu Song might come, we prepared more dishes of all kinds in advance, but plans cannot keep up with changes.

Wu Song brought Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong, followed by Zhu Tong, Xiao Rang and Jin Dajian, and then Li Jun and the Tong brothers, as well as Shi Jin who went to the next door to pay New Year's greetings.

If Zhu Wu, Chen Da and Yang Chun were included, there would be thirteen more mouths to feed.

This was not a situation that Yang De could handle. Yang Chang made a prompt decision to adjust the cooking method and transferred Cao Zheng to prepare side dishes with him, allowing the butcher to experience the job of cutting meat in advance.

Yang Chang stopped making steamed buns. He brought two large iron pots from the village, intending to mix all the ingredients together and stew them, and then put steamed buns on the side of the pot as the staple food.

Around the hour of Si, most of the ingredients had been prepared, and Yang Jian began to add firewood and start cooking.

At this time, Hu Sanniang suddenly rushed into the kitchen and said to Yang Chang, "Sir, Han Tao, Ling Zhen and others are here too, bringing raw meat and wine. There are five of them."

"hehe."

Yang Chang smiled leisurely and replied disapprovingly: "It's good that you brought the ingredients. Anyway, we are just stewing in a big pot, so it's no big deal to add a few more pairs of chopsticks."

"No. How many people are there? Including our family, there are more than twenty people, and there is no room for so many tables in the house." Hu Sanniang looked depressed.

"Can't put it down"

Yang Chang frowned and thought about it, thinking, can a living person be suffocated to death by urine? If there is not enough room in the room, just change the place.

He suddenly understood something when he thought of this, so he smiled and said, "I will call a few people right away to set up two earthen stoves in the open space in the village. We will cook and eat outside later, which will probably be more lively."

"That's a good idea. The stove here has just been lit. Should we put it out first?" Mrs. Lu asked while washing radishes.

"The meat that is difficult to cook should be stewed first, so there will be no delay in cooking both sides."

Yang Chang gave his uncle's family a few instructions, then took Cao Zheng out to build an earthen stove.

The action of the minions moving stones to build a stove attracted Lin Chong, who wanted to take a break.

He walked slowly towards the earthen stove and saw Yang Chang holding two pieces of burning firewood.

"Brother Yang, what are you doing?"

"Today, we have many friends. The house is too small to sit comfortably, so we built a stove outside to light a fire and cook meat. Everyone gathered around the pot and ate the hot food directly."

"What a great idea! Brother Yang has a brilliant idea!"

"hehe."

Yang Chang smiled and glanced into the distance. Hearing the cheers from the onlookers, he curiously asked, "Isn't the coach sparring with Master Lu?"

"We just finished. Now it's Wu Dutou and Shi Zhuangzhu. They are fighting with each other in boxing and kicking."

"It's cold, so it's good to move around."

"Brother Yang, how about that?"

"My hands are full. I have to prepare food. Otherwise, when can I eat? I guess everyone else is drinking by now."

"Everyone seems to be in no hurry. Isn't the purpose of celebrating the New Year to have fun? Brother Yang, take your time to prepare."

Perhaps due to his personality, Lin Chong was very polite in his words and deeds. After exchanging greetings with Yang Chang, he went back to watch the battle.

Soon, two earthen stoves in the open space outside were equipped with large pots to boil water. When the water boiled, the processed ingredients were thrown into the pots and simmered.

After Yang Chang finished all this, he came to the gate of the small camp to watch the competition. This time, Zhu Tong and Xuan Zan were fighting with swords.

He saw Han Tao, Peng Qi and the other three people were acting awkward at the edge of the crowd, so he approached them and said comfortingly, "Everyone, there are no rules here. Just relax when you come and look at the Xuanjun horses."

"Is it Brother Yang?"

"Haha, we can't compare to him."

The words of several surrendered generals caused Wu Song, Li Jun and others to look back.

When Lu Zhishen saw Yang Chang, he patted his belly and joked, "Brother Yang Chang, when can we have dinner? I'm starving."

"The meat has already been put into the pot. You can eat it as soon as you smell the aroma."

Seeing Yang Chang pointing at the open-air stove, Lu Zhishen immediately rolled up his sleeves and showed his fists, suggesting: "Are you done? If you are, let's have a fight?"

"Master Lu, please find someone else. I have to watch the pot, otherwise the meat will get burnt."

"Okay."

Lu Zhishen scratched his head stupidly.

After noon, everyone smelled the aroma of meat, and the head monk urged everyone to take a seat.

When I walked to the stove in the open space, I saw Yang Chang holding a basin with a mass of white liquid in it.

Wu Song didn't know what it was, so he asked, "Sanlang, what are you doing?"

"You have to wait a while before you can eat the steamed buns near the pot. Everyone can take a seat and drink first."

After Yang Chang finished speaking, he reached his hand into the basin, grabbed a ball of wet batter and shaped it on the edge of the pot, which made the group of strong men watch him more seriously than if he were sparring with each other.

Xuan Zan saw that Yang Chang was very skilled, so he immediately grabbed the corner of Ling Zhen's clothes and asked, "Brother Ling, you are not lying to me. I don't know how to make this pot-side steamed bun, do you?"

“It’s the first time I’ve seen this.”

Wu Song heard Ling Zhen's words and thought, "Is this your first time seeing this?" This is also my first time seeing this. This is not the eldest brother's skill. It is probably a delicacy from Sanlang's hometown.

After noon, Yang Chang finally opened the lid of the pot, and hot steam rose with the aroma of meat.

About twenty strong men sat on low stools around the earthen stove. They didn't even have a table, and the wine, bowls and chopsticks were placed directly on the ground.

Even in such a simple environment, everyone was enjoying the meat and wine with constant laughter.

"Eating meat and drinking wine is very much to my taste."

“This is what Chinese New Year is all about!”

"I'll make it clear first. I'll come again next year."

"Sanlang, are you looking for a skill to learn? I'm about to swallow my tongue."

"It must be my uncle and aunt who taught me this. Uncle Yang, let Wu Song offer you a bowl of this."

"I'm an old man who can't talk. Anyway, everyone, eat and drink well. You are all good friends of Sanlang. This child has a pitiful life. Please take good care of him in the future."

Yang De's family was originally having dinner inside, and Hu Sanniang was accompanying them inside. Halfway through, Lu asked her son to go outside to sit with them, wanting him to get to know more leaders on the mountain.

Yang Jian was timid and didn't want to go out, so Yang De took him with him to give him courage. The father and son each had a stove and controlled a low fire to keep the food warm.

This left only two women in the house.

Hu Sanniang didn't eat much, and after eating for a while she would glance outside from time to time.

Mrs. Lu knew that she was looking at Yang Chang, so she asked in a low voice: "Sanniang, when are you going to have a child? While your aunt is still in good health, I can help you take care of it."

"To be honest, Aunt, I also want to give birth to a son for you, but unfortunately my stomach is not doing well and there has been no movement so far. I also asked Doctor An to take our pulse and diagnose us. He said that we are all fine and it may be that our destiny has not arrived yet. Alas."

Hu Sanniang has a straightforward personality and does not hide anything from her elders.

Seeing that she was sincere, Mrs. Lu responded solemnly, "Since Dr. An said so, maybe it's really not the right time. Anyway, you are both very young, so there is no need to be too anxious. However, if you can't get pregnant for a long time, you have to think of another way."

"Aunt, please teach me."

"Adopt a child to bring good luck, or find a concubine for Sanlang. Sometimes fate is magical, and outsiders can bring good luck to you. Auntie is just giving you a suggestion, maybe you will get one soon."

“I saved it.”

Hu Sanniang was a lady from a wealthy family, and she knew these principles very well. In ancient times, if a man had power and wealth but no children, his family would be extinct, so his family would try every possible means. Even if the man did not want to take a concubine, the mistress would help him find a woman.

While Hu Sanniang was deep in thought, she didn't know that she had become the topic of conversation between Song Jiang and Wu Yong in the Loyalty Hall.

The banquet arranged by Song Qing included all traditional dishes and methods. The leaders drank the wine and meat and soon left after being full, leaving Song Jiang and Wu Yong to look forward to the future.

Just as the two were talking about Daming Prefecture, Song Qing suddenly came back and brought information about the back mountain.

After listening to the lively scene, Song Jiang immediately frowned.

Wu Yong counted on his fingers and confirmed with Song Qing, "Lin Chong, Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, Zhu Tong, Li Jun, Tong Wei, Tong Meng, Han Tao, Peng Qi, Ling Zhen, Xuan Zan, Hao Siwen, Shi Jin, Zhu Wu, Chen Da, Yang Chun, Xiao Rang, Jin Dajian, plus Yang Chang, Hu Sanniang, and Cao Zheng, there are already 21 people. How can Yang Chang be so popular?"

"It's not all because of Chief Yang's popularity. In fact, most of it is people bringing people."

Song Jiang half-closed his eyes, shook his head and muttered to himself: "But Han Tao's five men are very strange. Four of them were captured alive by Yang Chang and his wife. Could it be that they captured people with good relationships?"

Song Qing added: "I heard that they all went there on their own. They ate around the pot in the open air. The conditions were simple but there was constant laughter."

"Oh?"

Song Jiang blinked, stroked his beard and said, "Let's ask Guan Sheng and Hu Yanzhuo to ask them. There might be a reason why these people suddenly wanted to get close to Yang Sanlang. I really underestimated him before. He has such a strong cohesive force. Fortunately, he is indifferent to fame and wealth and does not fight for it."

"Shiro, go get busy first."

Wu Yong sent Song Qing away, and then whispered to Song Jiang: "Don't trust those who are honest, beware of those who are unkind. Brother, don't take it lightly, and let them lead the troops less in the future."

"Makes sense."

Song Jiang nodded in affirmation and added, "My father told me a few days ago that in the future, when assigning combat missions, we should try to have them and their spouses together. I think Sanniang has said something to my father. What does the military advisor think is the best way to deal with this?"

"A couple together? That's easy."

Wu Yong smiled and twirled his beard, saying, "There will be lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in Daming Prefecture, which is the best opportunity for us to seize the city. We should send people in disguise to enter the city in advance to ambush and set fire. They can just pretend to be a young couple watching the lanterns."

"Very good, but I wonder if the ulcer on my back will be healed by the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."

"Brother, you'd better stay in the mountain to recuperate. I will go down the mountain on your behalf when the time comes. I will definitely live up to your trust."

"Ah."

After the two giants held a small meeting, they sent spies down the mountain on the third day of the lunar year.

The spies disguised themselves as peddlers, hunters, merchants, beggars, tourists, monks, and public servants.
Wu Yong took care of every detail and arranged everything clearly, sending out twenty or thirty people at once.

The three couples all pretended to be villagers watching the lanterns, planning to blend in with the crowd on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Their mission was to set fire to Lu Junyi's house.

Yang Chang did not refuse the funded travel, but he also did not want to travel with Zhang Qing and others, so he went down the mountain and left the team with Hu Sanniang.

The two of them rode on one horse, traveling during the day and sleeping at night along the way without any rush, just like a honeymoon trip.

After two days of traveling, we arrived at the foot of Dulong Hill. When we looked around, we saw only a desolate scene.

The scattered villages are still there, but the three prosperous villages have become ruins.

Hu Sanniang came to the entrance of her village and stood there for a long time without saying a word, as if she was mourning for her deceased relatives.

Yang Chang put his arm around her shoulders and comforted her softly, "Don't be sad, my lady. I will always remember your family feud. When the time is right, I will definitely make Li Kui pay the price."

Hu Sanniang was touched by what she heard, but she didn't want Yang Chang to take any more risks, so she shook her head and said, "Why not? That black guy is Song Jiang's confidant, and Chao Gai was plotted against by someone. We can't defeat him."

"There is no need for a direct confrontation. As long as we can find Song Jiang's weak spot, killing Li Kui will be a piece of cake."

"Song Jiang's weak spot?"

"Now that Liangshan is growing stronger, the imperial court will certainly consider recruiting them. This is Song Jiang's biggest weakness. I guess he dreams of recruiting them. As long as Li Kui destroys the recruitment, what do you think Song Jiang will do?"

After hearing Yang Chang's idea, Hu Sanniang murmured without blinking, "Since Li Kui is Song Jiang's confidant, how could he go against Song Jiang's wishes?"

"It's hard to say now. The Liangshan leaders have their own ideas. It won't be smooth sailing to recruit them. Anyway, I will act according to the situation. I will add fuel to the fire when necessary. I am not afraid of not being able to kill Li Kui."

"It feels dangerous. Sir, are you sure? Don't hurt yourself."

Hu Sanniang was really nervous.

Seeing this, Yang Chang gave her a pat on the head and said confidently: "Don't worry, my lady, I will sneak into the village without firing a gun. Besides, with my current connections, if Song Jiang really wants to turn against me, I'm afraid he will have to think twice."

"Sir, don't be too optimistic. It's impossible for all the leaders who came to our village for the New Year's Eve reunion to help us."

"I know it well."

Yang Chang certainly understood all this. Friends made for eating and drinking are never as stable as those made for interests. Perhaps the only person he can rely on now is Wu Song.

However, Wu Song's anger caused blood to splatter ten steps away, which was enough to scare the villains, not to mention that Yang Chang was not made of clay.

The two men traveled around the mountains and rivers for more than ten days and arrived outside Beijing before the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The city of Beijing lights lanterns from the night of the 13th to the 17th, and merchants and tourists from near and far flock in like a tide.

Yang Chang and his wife had shown up at the foot of the city before. At this time, they disguised themselves as villagers and blended into the crowd, easily entering this important northern town.

Although Hu Sanniang was born in a wealthy family, she had never traveled far since she was a child. This was her first time to a big city, so she found everything new to her.

The fragrant street snacks, the small gadgets sold on poles, and the dazzling array of various lanterns made her mouth water and her eyes shine.

The closer you get to the city center, the more fascinating the bustling scenery becomes.

The two walked past three blocks and the sky gradually darkened.

Cuiyun Tower in the distance was the first to light up, and then the lights immediately spread from near to far, spreading like dominoes, and soon lit up the entire city.

The residents in the upper floors along the street all opened their windows and chanted the same auspicious words.

"Zizheng has arrived, and a new day has begun."

"The divine lamp goes out, the human lamp lights up, and the heavenly officials bless you."

When Hu Sanniang heard the singing, she stopped where she was and looked around. She saw: colorful high-rise buildings lined up one after another, fish and dragon lanterns dazzling, and tourists on the street smiling like flowers.

"The tall building that first lit up its lights is the legendary Cuiyun Tower?"

"That's the highest place, Shi Qian should have arrived early. Where do you want to go to see the lights?"

Seeing that Yang Chang was speaking in a serious tone, Hu Sanniang shook her head and sighed, "The flashing fire is so beautiful, but when the fire comes out, it will turn into a fright. It's a pity for this elaborate arrangement. Let's go and do our own things."

"Mr. Lu's family has already gone, so there is no need for us to do anything unnecessary. There is still one shift before the fire starts, so I will accompany my wife to visit Beijing."

"Is this appropriate?"

"Of course it's appropriate. Our mission is not important. We are just making up the numbers."

"Ok."

With a man in charge, Hu Sanniang naturally felt at ease.

While following Yang Chang in eating and having fun, Hu Sanniang treated herself as an ordinary woman and forgot for a moment her identity as a Liangshan bandit.

It was not until the second watch that a fire broke out in Cuiyun Tower and riots broke out in the city that she was brought back to reality.

"What to do next?"

"Second brother, Master Lu wants to seize the South Gate. Let's rush to the south to support them."

"it is good."

There were guards checking when entering the city today. The couple did not carry any sharp weapons, only a whistle stick on Yang Chang's waist.

The attacks happened simultaneously from all directions. Governor Wang, who was sitting on the street, was panicked. The people in the city were crying for their parents and running around in panic, causing many people to trample on each other.

During the Lantern Festival, the city gates are not closed and there is no curfew.

Yang Chang did not want to harm civilians, so he moved very slowly among the crowd and it took him a while to reach Nanzheng Street.

This street was unexpectedly not crowded. It turned out that someone was killing indiscriminately.

Hu Sanniang hurriedly reminded Yang Chang: "Sir, look quickly, it seems to be the Kong brothers."

"These two beasts slaughtered civilians indiscriminately."

Seeing Yang Chang holding up his whistle stick after scolding him, Hu Sanniang grabbed him and asked in surprise, "What do you want to do, sir?"

"I want to teach my son for Master Kong!"

"Ah? They are..."

Before Hu Sanniang could finish her words, Yang Chang broke free from her and stepped forward, and in a flash he was near Kong Ming and Kong Liang.

boom!
boom!
The whistle baton swept across the Kong brothers, causing them to jump up in pain.

"Which bastard dares to attack our Liangshan?"

"Yang Chang? What are you doing?"

"Does it make you proud to massacre civilians? Go find the government troops and fight them!"

"No, what's your business?"

Kong Liang stared at Yang Chang with wide eyes and scolded him sternly: "Brother Gongming hopes to be recruited, but you are killing people and harming people here. Aren't you bringing trouble to him?"

"What's causing trouble?"

Kong Ming covered his arm, his eyes filled with resentment, and asked back through gritted teeth: "What do you mean by surrender? We are trying to seize Beijing, so don't meddle in our business!"

"What if I insist on intervening?"

Yang Chang held the whistle stick horizontally in his hand, meaning that he could control the situation with his harder fist, and Hu Sanniang had also arrived. Seeing this, Kong Ming was instantly speechless.

Since the two brothers came to the mountain, they had never suffered such humiliation.
Kong Liang warned harshly: "Yang Chang, you'd better know how to explain it to Master."

Damn it, the one I beat was Song Jiang's disciple! He even has to thank me.

At this time, the Liangshan soldiers rushed in from the south gate, and the scene of Yang Chang teaching the Kong brothers a lesson was seen by Xuan Zan and Hao Siwen.

Every leader in the mountain knew clearly the identities of the Kong brothers. Xuan Zan did not expect Yang Chang to be so brave, which further strengthened his image as a living Bodhisattva.

After a while, Xuan Zan rode forward to break the siege, clasped his fists to the Kong brothers and said, "Military Advisor Wu has just issued an order that all brothers should not kill innocent people. Those who disobey the order will be beaten with twenty military sticks!"

"understood."

Although Kong Liang responded by clasping his fists, his tone was filled with dissatisfaction.

After Yang Chang, Xuan Zan and others walked away, Kong Liang approached Kong Ming and said with a frown, "Brother, I think Yang Chang did it on purpose just now. He was avenging the beating he received before."

"What can we do? We can't beat him." Kong Ming stopped talking halfway and pointed at Kong Liang, "There are two more ruthless ones coming up behind."

Kong Liang looked back and saw Wu Song holding a sword and Lu Zhishen holding a water-ground Zen staff, striding forward with great vigor.

They are indeed two tough guys. After being beaten up today, they can only go back to Liangshan to ask their master for help.

Under Wu Yong's ingenious arrangement, the Lantern Festival night operation went exceptionally smoothly, with everyone performing their duties, such as setting fire, rescuing people, blocking the road and killing the enemy.

Upon hearing the news, the prefect Liang Zhongshu ran in panic and almost fell into the tiger's mouth several times. Fortunately, Generals Wen Da and Li Cheng fought hard to cover him, and finally he escaped with only a few riders.

After the Liangshan army retreated, Liang Zhongshu returned to the city to clean up the mess. By then, the city was in a mess and most of the people in the mansion, young and old, had died. His wife escaped by hiding in the back garden.

Liang Zhongshu was so grief-stricken that he could not control himself. Later, with Cai's suggestion, he wrote a letter and sent his confidant to Tokyo overnight to inform the news.

A few days later, in Tokyo Bianliang, the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

Liang Zhongshu's confidant was Cai's dowry servant. He prostrated himself at Cai Jing's feet in the study, crying that his brother-in-law obeyed the emperor's order and let the people light lanterns. This gave the Liangshan bandits an opportunity to shirk their responsibility as much as possible.

After hearing this, Cai Jing pondered for a while, took a sip of the freshly brewed tea in the cup, and then said calmly: "Being an official is like tasting tea. You can only know the taste when you drink to the bottom of the bowl. You have to push away the foam on the surface of the soup before drinking the tea. My son-in-law used the imperial edict as an excuse to shirk responsibility. Are you questioning whether the government should enjoy the fun with the people?"

"That's not what you meant, uncle."

The servant boy trembled with fear when he heard this, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.

"Whether Guan Sheng surrendered to the enemy or Beijing fell, these are no longer important. Don't forget that Liangshan conquered Qingzhou first. He only needed to prove to the court that Liangshan is now powerful. The generals who surrendered to the enemy were captured by a trap and then forced to become bandits by Song Jiang."

"I see."

"You may not know, but the son-in-law mentioned in the letter that Suo Chao had betrayed us. What exactly happened?"

"I know this very well. Suo Chao left the city without permission that day."

The person recommended by Cai Jing surrendered to Liangshan. Cai Jing did not want to bear the blame for negligence, so he looked for the reasons from the generals themselves. Therefore, he first understood the actual situation and then made artistic processing.

The trusted servant was not finished talking when Cai Jing suddenly stopped him. He frowned and asked, "Suo Chao was captured by Yang Chang? Do you know what Yang Chang looks like and how old he is now?"

"He is said to be handsome and in his early twenties."

"It's really him!"

Cai Jing suddenly raised his voice to a high note, and the servant leaned forward again, fearing that he had said something wrong.

After sending the servant away from the study, Cai Jing held a teacup in his hand and frowned, muttering: "Wu Lang wanted to marry Princess Maode, but the princess seemed to have fallen in love with this thief at first sight, so the emperor rejected the Cai family's proposal. I originally wanted to promote the recruitment of Liangshan..."

Cai Jing suddenly stopped talking halfway through his words. He stared at the teacup in his hand, then suddenly stretched out his hand and pushed it forward. It fell to the ground with a clang and broke into pieces, with the tea splashing onto his shoes.

"It's better to break up Liangshan. A bowl of tea won't wet your shoes."

(End of this chapter)