Chapter 182: Meat buns hitting dogs (6k)

"Grandpa won't let go!"

Even though Song Jiang was drunk at the time, he would have scolded like this in public, but now he was mostly sober and had to suppress his anger.

After staring at Liu Tang for a long while, he smiled and leaned over to put his arm around Liu Tang's shoulder, saying affectionately, "It's a good thing that you want to settle down. It was also my brother who helped me find the Qin Tongzhi family. Let's celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival today, and we can talk about it in detail tomorrow when we sober up. There's no need to rush. Right?"

"Alright."

"Come on, come on, it's a rare day of fun today, don't think about other troubles, brothers, drink up the wine in your bowl."

Seeing that Liu Tang had been stabilized, Song Jiang hurriedly toasted everyone.

Before getting up and leaving, Song Jiang glanced at Liu Tang. He was anxious and worried, so he hurried back to the front to find Wu Yong and asked Zhi Duoxing to help him watch over him.

A good Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is a rare opportunity to gather people's hearts, so nothing can go wrong.

After hearing what Song Jiang said, Wu Yong immediately brought wine to sit in front of Liu Tang, but did not mention anything about his desire to settle down. Instead, in front of Yang Zhi, the Green-faced Beast, he talked about his experience of robbing the birthday gift and how he went to Liangshan later.

I wanted to use the past to evoke the old friendship, but unexpectedly Liu Tang wiped away the hair that was blocking the cinnabar birthmark and replied meaningfully: "I thought the military advisor had forgotten."

"It is unforgettable, how can we forget each other?"

"Although we were few in number then, we were happier than we are now. Being a high-ranking official? It's meaningless just to think about it."

"That's wrong. Since you want to settle down, you should seek to gain a foothold in the government so that your descendants can be blessed. Brother, you have been wandering around in the martial arts world in your early years. How many vicissitudes of life have you seen? It's not easy for common people to live in hardship."

"It's not easy for a commoner, but the advantage is that he is free and easy. If I hadn't come to him, King Chao might still be free and easy in Dongxi Village, and there wouldn't be so many problems. I always feel guilty when I think about it."

When Wu Yong heard Liu Tang mention Chao Gai, a complex expression flashed in his eyes. He paused and said comfortingly, "The person is gone and cannot be brought back. If there was no Heavenly King Chao, there would be no Liangshan. Since you feel guilty towards your Heavenly King brother, you should work harder to build achievements and let him rest in peace in the afterlife."

"King Chao has always been against the amnesty."

“One time, another time.”

The topic kept revolving around Chao Gai, so Wu Yong couldn't continue the conversation. A deeper discussion might affect their unity.

When the Seven Stars gathered together, Chao Gai had already passed away, and Gongsun Sheng and the three Ruan brothers also left one after another. At this time, Liu Tang was thinking of leaving, and he should have felt a sense of grief for the loss of the rabbit.

Seeing that he could not persuade him any more, Wu Yong sat beside him and urged him to drink.

When it comes to keeping people, Song Jiang has to take action personally, after all, he is the best at speaking.

Thanks to Song Jiang's timely response, this little incident in Liu Tang did not affect the normal progress of the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet.

If the problem is not solved, it will not disappear but will continue to accumulate and may even lead to greater hidden dangers.

Song Jiang understood the seriousness of the problem. He did not wait until he sobered up the next day as agreed at the banquet, but found Liu Tang that night and promised solemnly that they would defeat Fang La together and he would choose a good girl to marry him.

It's actually against my will to say this.

Liu Tang was born with red hair and a cinnabar birthmark on her face. With this appearance, she would be considered an alien wherever she went in ancient society. Which good family would be willing to marry a "demon"?
To change your fate, you need money and power.

If I could wear a scarlet robe, would I still be missing a woman?
Of course, with Liu Tang's peculiar appearance, he could not wear a scarlet robe even if he had made great contributions. He could probably only get a small official position in a green robe.

But even a minor official in a green robe has advantages in choosing a spouse.

At this time, it was more difficult to ask Song Jiang to act as a matchmaker than to find Hu Sanniang for Wang Ying.

So just after Heisabalang finished his persuasion, he asked himself in his heart: What kind of joke is God playing on me? Why does he always make me do the work of matchmaking and boatmanship? And they are all ugly.

Even so, Liu Tang still didn't appreciate it.

He was as if he had eaten a weight after hearing this, he shook his head and said firmly: "Brother, don't persuade me, I don't plan to find a good man, the prostitutes in the brothel will do, I don't care about her appearance"

"you"

Song Jiang felt uncomfortable, but he couldn't say anything harsh, so he tried to persuade him earnestly: "How can you allow yourself to fall? Didn't I send you to Tokyo several times to do things when you were in Liangshan, and then..."

"If my brother says so, then so."

In order to get out of this situation, Liu Tang was willing to accept the consequences.

With my dignity, I'm afraid I'll have to pay extra to visit a brothel.

Song Jiang couldn't hold back after hearing this, and he said in a deep voice, "It's ok to play with a prostitute, how can you marry her? I won't allow this. Follow us to fight Fang La. No matter if you have made any contribution or not, I will marry you. Brother, your promise is worth a thousand gold!"

"Is this a woman's business? Besides, didn't brother send Yan Qing to a brothel to recruit him? Now that you've used him, you say this? I'm just tired of it. I've been dreaming about King Chao at night lately, and I want to find a quiet place to live in seclusion."

"you."

When Liu Tang said this, outsiders were speechless.

Seeing that he could not persuade Liu Tang to stay, and also worried that forcing him to stay would affect the morale of the troops, Song Jiang agreed to Liu Tang's request to leave.

That night, Wu Yong gave Liu Tang some money and asked him to secretly leave the camp early the next morning. As for what he said to the other brothers, it was not something Liu Tang could control.

Day 16, dawn.

Liu Tang hung his bag on his machete, put it on his shoulder and left quietly without looking back.

It was just dawn and the sun had not yet risen above the horizon. Liu Tang had gone to bed very late last night, but he did not feel tired at all.

The east is getting bright and the sun is about to rise.

As long as you are heading in the right direction, the brighter the future will be.

Song Jiang and Wu Yong also got up early, but in order to prevent Liu Tang from affecting the morale of the army, the two deliberately did not take the initiative to see him off. Instead, they let Dai Zong accompany them for a while, deliberately creating the appearance of a mission to outsiders.

As the noise gradually grew louder, officers and soldiers in the camp got up one after another, preparing to finish breakfast and then line up for training.

Song Jiang stood in front of the main tent, looking at the groups of people gathered in twos and threes, frowning, not knowing what he was thinking. Wu Yong was beside him, not saying a word, just standing there quietly.

After standing for a while, Wu Yong suddenly pointed forward and whispered, "Brother, Dean Dai is back."

"I see. Let's go back to the tent."

Song Jiang turned around and went inside. Just as he sat back on his seat, Dai Zong arrived in a hurry.

"Brother, Military Advisor, I accompanied Liu Tang for two miles. From what he said, I think we were going to Yuncheng."

"Sure enough, they went to look for the Ruan brothers. I was worried that they wouldn't set a good example. Today, Liu Tang really happened. I don't know what's in his head. He wants to settle down for no reason."

Wu Yong listened to Song Jiang's complaints and twisted his beard to express his opinion: "Remember that Liu Tang is from Luzhou, and Luzhou is adjacent to Qinzhou."

"Huh? You mean he's going to join Yang Chang? No way!"

Song Jiang's tone was very simple, and he sneered and added: "As the saying goes, people always go to higher places. Yang Chang already has Lin Chong, Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, Zhu Tong and others under his command. What can he do if he goes there?"

"Maybe you really plan to go back home?"

"It's even more impossible. If he could make a name for himself in his hometown, why would he travel thousands of miles to Yuncheng and instigate King Chao to rob the birthday gift? In the final analysis, he was held back by his appearance. Only by working for the country can he have a future. But he still can't see through it at such an old age, and he was actually instigated by the Ruan brothers. It's a pity to think about it."

Wu Yong wanted to remind Chao Gai of the reason, but he took the words back and changed his words to compliment him: "Brother, you have a good idea."

"Just wait and see. When we have defeated Fang La and become successful, he might come looking for us again. What future do we have with the Ruan brothers? Go back to Liangshanpo and become fishermen?"

Song Jiang became more and more excited as he spoke, and at this point he began to disparage his departed brothers.

"My brother mentioned the Ruan brothers. They have a good relationship with Yang Chang and followed him to conquer Pingyang and other places last year. Is it possible that they will go to Qinzhou?"

"Military Advisor, you are overthinking. Or is it what I just said about Liu Tang? What can they do in Qinzhou? There are only a few small rivers there, and even large ships can't pass through, let alone forming a navy. Why would Yang Chang keep them to eat for free?"

"Yang Chang is extremely brave and is now the governor of Qinzhou. If..."

"Stop. I know what the military advisor wants to say, but Yang Chang has a bright future and will never go down that path. Anyone with such great fortune will not do anything stupid if they use their butt to think."

Seeing that Song Jiang was so confident, Wu Yong dispelled his doubts.

Just then, Lu Junyi finished his morning patrol and came to the big tent to wait for dinner.

As Song Jiang responded with a salute, he unconsciously asked, "Mr. Lu, you drank a lot of wine yesterday. Is everything normal this morning? Are all the brothers up?"

"No problem, it's just Liu Tang from the Infantry Battalion."

"Liu Tang had some personal matters to attend to. I asked him to leave the camp temporarily this morning. It will take some time for him to return. You can skip the roll call in the future."

"How long will it take to get back? We are leaving for Jiangnan next month. There is only half a month left. Can Liu Tang make it in time?"

Lu Junyi didn't know the truth, but Song Jiang had thought of this excuse and explained calmly: "We don't know how long it will take. If we can catch up, we can set out together. If we can't catch up, we can go back to Jiangnan. One less person won't matter."

"Oh, I see. Then Yang Zhiye."

"What happened to Yang Zhi?"

Before Lu Junyi could finish his words, he was interrupted by Song Jiang's exclamation.

"He was not in the camp either. His soldiers said that he rode out of the camp at daybreak."

"It happened!"

Song Jiang slapped his thigh in shock, pointed at Wu Yong and ordered anxiously: "Quickly prepare the horses, I want to chase them myself."

"okay."

"Dean Dai, please stop working so hard. Use your magical powers to hold him back."

"Where are you chasing, little brother?"

"In the direction of Liu Tang, Yang Zhi must follow."

"Oh."

Lu Junyi saw Song Jiang giving orders and had no idea what was going on. As Wu Yong and Dai Zong left, he lowered his head and asked, "Brother, what are you doing?"

"To be honest, Liu Tang insisted on leaving, so I had no choice but to let him go."

"Then follow Yang Zhi."

"Yang Zhi and Liu Tang are good friends, so they must go together, really."

"They are good friends? How come I didn't see that? Liu Tang has an active personality, while Yang Zhi is a loner. How deep can their friendship be? Just because they sat at the same table yesterday?"

When Song Jiang saw Lu Junyi's face, he thought to himself, it's no wonder that you have so little intelligence. It's just that you usually just focus on practicing martial arts. If you are friendly to others, it will definitely be written on your face, right?

"If you have nothing to do now, shall we go after Yang Zhi together? Even if you want to leave, you have to give an explanation. I will tell you the reason."

"Okay, I will chase after you with my brother."

Lu Junyi followed Song Jiang and rode out to meet the enemy. He listened to Heisablang's analysis while running. After listening to it, he immediately felt that his mind was opened up. He thought to himself, can he still look at the problem in this way?
According to Song Jiang's analysis, Yang Zhi had a large blue mark on his face and was usually withdrawn because of his inferiority complex, while Liu Tang had a cinnabar red mark on his face, so the two were a pair of brothers in distress.

Liu Tang was not from a military family. Although he was also influenced by red hair and cinnabar, he was not as self-deprecating and withdrawn as Yang Zhi. Instead, he tried to make as many friends as possible. Yang Zhi felt the enthusiasm of his kind and therefore took Liu Tang as his confidant.

Song Jiang's views are very novel, but Lu Junyi has his own ideas.

With his excellent riding skills, he approached Song Jiang and asked, "Is this all your conjecture? Or is there any evidence? Since I came to Liangshan, I haven't found that the two have a close relationship. Liu Tang seems to be more intimate with the three Ruan brothers." "Do you still remember Zhang Qing's flying stone to beat the general?"

"Brother, are you talking about Dongchang Prefecture? What does this have to do with Liu Tang and Yang Zhi?"

"Zhang Qing defeated several cavalry leaders of Liangshan, so I called on the infantry leaders to give it a try. Liu Tang volunteered to fight but was captured. Before I could issue the order, Yang Zhi grabbed a horse and went out to fight."

Good guy, is this all okay?

Lu Junyi swallowed hard, and immediately clasped his fists and complimented: "Brother, you are very observant. I am ashamed to be inferior to you."

"Thank you, sir. Let's hurry up and chase them. I hope Dean Dai can intercept them."

"As long as the direction is right, Dean Dai should be able to catch up."

"Hopefully."

Of course Dai Zong could catch up, so Yang Zhi didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.

Song Jiang's analysis was correct. Liu Tang might not have regarded Yang Zhi as his best friend, but he was Yang Zhi's only friend in Liangshan.

Liu Tang proposed to leave at the banquet yesterday. Yang Zhi vaguely sensed that something was wrong and planned to find him at night to ask him about it. However, Song Jiang and Wu Yong got there first.

Taking advantage of the dim night, Yang Zhi stayed outside the tent for a long time to confirm that Liu Tang would leave tomorrow.

True friends don’t pour cold water on you, they only give you blessings.

Yang Zhi guessed that Liu Tang would go to look for the Ruan brothers, so at daybreak he left the camp five miles to the east to see off his only friend.

Dai Zong accompanied Liu Tang for two miles and had no idea that there were people waiting ahead, which led to a misunderstanding.

At that time, the two men parted ways, and Liu Tang carried his broadsword and strode eastward.

The sun slowly rose, and golden light illuminated the earth. The red-haired ghost hurried towards the light, and couldn't help but use his hands to block the light.

I don't know how long I walked when I suddenly heard the neighing of war horses.

Looking in the direction of the sound, I saw a man and a horse walking out from under the willow tree.

"Leaving now?"

"Envoy Yang? Why are you here?"

"I came specially to see you off."

Yang Zhi dismounted and looked Liu Tang up and down, then explained, "At the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet yesterday, Brother Liu said he wanted to go home. I wanted to ask him at night, but I overheard your conversation."

"I see."

Liu Tang clasped his fists in thanks and said with emotion: "I left in a hurry today and didn't have time to say goodbye. It's a pity that you came so far. You have good martial arts skills, but you are too reserved. Please take good care of yourself in the future, especially when you go to Jiangnan."

"I will." Yang Chang nodded in affirmation, and then went straight to the point and asked: "Brother Liu, you are going to find the Ruan brothers, and then where are you going?"

"What?"

Liu Tang didn't know what Yang Zhi meant, so he smiled and said perfunctorily: "I haven't made up my mind yet. Maybe I will go to a brothel, redeem a woman, and then hide in the underworld."

"you will not."

"what?"

"Others don't understand you, but I know you very well. If you hadn't thought it through in advance, you would never have gone this way. As for going to a brothel to look for women, that's not the Red-haired Ghost's personality."

"Uh"

Yang Zhi said it with great certainty. Liu Tang looked at him in shock, thinking, how do you know me so well?

Liu Tang was stunned for a long while before he murmured, "The envoy came all the way here just to talk about this? Did Song Jiang send you here?"

"Brother Liu, don't worry. Yang Zhi only represents himself today. I want to know where my friends are going. When I return from the expedition against Fang La, I will go find you to share my joy."

"Haha, Liu Tang is overthinking. It's okay to tell the envoy, but please keep it a secret from others."

"I don't have any other skills, but I can definitely keep my mouth shut."

Seeing Yang Zhi patting his chest to make a promise, Liu Tang looked around to see if there was anyone around, and then he whispered, "To be honest, my brothers Ruan and I will all go to join Yang Chang."

"Yang Observation? But why?"

Yang Zhi had guessed that the Ruan brothers would go to Qinzhou. After all, they had fought on the western front with Yang Chang. However, Liu Tang had little contact with Yang Chang whether in Liangshan or after he was recruited, so it was very abrupt to hear this at this time.

Liu Tang, who was smiling just now, suddenly became serious and replied, "We followed Yang Chang because of King Chao."

"How?"

"Before his death, Tianwang Chao praised Yang Chang for his loyalty, quick mind, and adaptability, and said he was a good candidate to take over as the leader of the village. It was a pity that he did not have enough prestige at the time, otherwise we would have pushed him to be the leader. Brother Tianwang has passed away for several years, and the old brothers have been missing him a lot. In fact, the day was barely enough, but after the surrender, they kept fighting, and it was not as refreshing as before, so..."

Although Liu Tang didn't finish his words, his meaning was conveyed.

Yang Zhi stroked his beard and thought for a while, then nodded and said, "Yang Guancha is indeed a man of loyalty and righteousness. He is now highly valued and in charge of Qinzhou's military and political affairs. It would be a good idea for you to follow him. When I am done, I will go to Qinzhou to find you and reunite with you."

"Why wait until later?"

Liu Tang suddenly had an idea and pretended to make a joking suggestion: "Master Lu, Wu Dutou, and Cao Zheng are all in Qinzhou, and the commander also came from Erlongshan. Why don't they come with me?"

"Forget it. Yang Zhi is very clear about coming and going. He won't leave without saying goodbye. Take care of yourself, Brother Liu."

"Everyone has his own aspirations. It is inconvenient to force them. If I leave the camp for too long without permission, I am afraid that it will cause misunderstandings from Song Xianfeng. Let's say goodbye now."

"Well, have a nice trip."

Yang Zhi and Liu Tang clasped their fists and saluted, then walked away with their backs to each other.

The sun shines on them, reflecting different appearances.

Liu Tang walked towards the light, although the sunlight was very dazzling, he had left the shadow behind him; Yang Zhi rode his horse towards the western camp, his vest was warmed by the heat, and he felt very comfortable at the time, but he was always walking in his own shadow.

Being a descendant of a military family, Yang Zhi would not have had a bad life originally, but bad luck followed him like a mark on his face all his life, and nothing he did went smoothly.

Later, he went to Erlong Mountain to become a bandit and hung out with gangsters, and only then did he gradually regain some confidence.

It is better to be an official than a thief.

Yang Zhi was finally recruited, so naturally he would find ways to bring glory to his ancestors and would not give up halfway like Liu Tang.

He believed that Liu Tang and the three Ruan brothers' surrender to Yang Chang was just like his surrender to Liang Zhongshu. Their future and ceiling were not as good as his own hard work. Although he did not dare to dream of wearing a scarlet robe, at least he could get a military rank and position, which was better than being a guest general under someone else.

On the way back to Chenqiao Posthouse, Yang Zhi first met Dai Zong and gave a long explanation. Later, when he met Song Jiang and Lu Junyi, he had to talk to them again.

Why would I, Yang Zhi, run away? Who am I looking down on?

On the way back to the camp with the two vanguards, Yang Zhi thought of Liu Tang's words about Chao Gai, and suddenly felt that the difference between Yang Chang and Song Jiang was obvious.

Song Jiang thought that Liu Tang's departure would be the end, but unexpectedly, his departure was just the beginning.

On August 19, the third day after Liu Tang left the team, Su Yuanjing suddenly came to Chenqiao Station.

At that time, Guan Sheng and Hu Yanzhuo were organizing training. Su Yuanjing stopped to watch for a while with curiosity, and then followed Song Jiang and Lu Junyi to the central army tent to chat.

As soon as Su Yuanjing sat down, Song Jiang clasped his fists and made a report.

"En Xiang is here to inspect today, is it for the expedition against Fang La? The soldiers have almost finished their rest, and the injured officers have basically recovered, and are just waiting for the court to allocate enough food, fodder, and military equipment."

"I just saw that the Liangshan soldiers are very motivated, but I'm afraid they will have to wait a while for food, fodder, weapons, and other supplies."

"Why?"

"Tan Xuanfu has recovered Shuo, Ying, and Wei. Currently, strategic resources are focused on the north. In addition, Guo Yaoshi severely damaged Xiao Gan a few days ago, seized Yelu Deguang's golden seal, and surrendered more than 20,000 Liao soldiers. He is also asking the court for money, food, and military equipment. Your Majesty has always responded to his requests."

Song Jiang's heart sank after hearing this. He was worried that if they rested for too long, the people would lose their morale. He was thinking of attacking Fang La early, but the Liangshan army was different now. They could no longer bring their own food and fodder like they did to attack Tian Hu. They had to rely heavily on the court for things like artillery shells and weapons.

The continued recovery of territory in the north overshadowed the Liangshan army's efforts to suppress bandits, and Song Jiang suddenly felt that he was born at the wrong time.

Seeing his gloomy expression, Su Yuanjing hurriedly comforted him, "You don't have to worry. Fang La is causing a big disturbance in Jiangnan. Your Majesty has made up his mind to eradicate him. The court is busy preparing military supplies. It will take at most a month."

"Thank you, Enxiang."

Song Jiang hurriedly stood up to thank him, and then carefully reminded him: "If possible, it would be best if you can go earlier. The weather will be cold in October, and we have to consider winter clothes."

"It doesn't matter. The south will get colder later, but we still need to be prepared."

Su Yuanjing answered calmly, then changed the subject, stroking his beard and added: "By the way, I came here today to communicate and to find someone."

"You want someone?" Song Jiang's heart sank, and he asked carefully, "Who does the Prime Minister want?"

"It's not that I want to, but His Majesty has been ill recently. I heard that you have a miracle doctor under your command. I want to bring him back to treat His Majesty. I wonder if you are willing to let him go."

Su Yuanjing's words were full of sarcasm, and Song Jiang bowed his head and said solemnly, "Your Excellency, I am very honored to be able to treat Your Majesty. It is An Daoquan's blessing and my honor to be able to treat Your Majesty."

"Get up."

Seeing Song Jiang's "raised buttocks" again, Su Yuanjing felt a headache and thought, should we not kneel down at every turn?
"There is one more thing. Bai Li, the lieutenant of Qinyuan County, was executed for treason. Yang Guancha recently recommended Xiao Rang, one of your subordinates. The Ministry of Personnel has not had time to select an official to fill the vacancy, but has preliminarily agreed to his recommendation. I am letting you know today. If there is no observance by the censors, the Ministry of Personnel will soon send you the certificate of appointment."

"Chapter Yang poached people from me? How could he think of letting a poor scholar be a county lieutenant?"

Su Yuanjing's tone was not negotiable, so Song Jiang could only complain in this way, thinking, "Do I need you to arrange my people?" But when he remembered that they had lived in the same room in Liangshan, he felt that it was reasonable for Yang Chang to ask him.

After all, roommates will receive special care.

"It is because Xiao Rang is a scholar that the Ministry of Personnel agreed to Yang Chang's recommendation. I heard from you that this person is in your army and is responsible for writing military documents and other literary matters? It is not easy to appoint an official after defeating Fang La. Now we can settle one down. Don't think that Yang Guancha is poaching people. Don't you know his background? It's better to do a favor than to make enemies with both sides."

"Thank you for your teachings, En Xiang."

How could Song Jiang dare to say no? He not only agreed but also thanked him.

Su Yuanjing nodded with satisfaction, supported his thigh and stood up and said, "It's getting late, I have to return to the capital, you guys continue to train the troops, and I will send someone to notify you as soon as there is new news from the court."

"Mr. En, you have come here so fast that you haven't even had a sip of wine. I have already sent someone to prepare it."

"No need to worry. Treating His Majesty is the most important thing. Go and call Doctor An Shen and leave immediately."

"Yes Yes Yes"

Song Jiang responded with a nod.

Before leaving, he ordered Le He and Su Yuanjing to return to Beijing, thinking that if there was any new news from the court, it would be more convenient for his own people to pass on the information, but it was a futile act.

On August 21, Yang Yuhou, who served in Yuanjing's mansion, accompanied the manager of Wang Duwei's mansion to Chenqiao Posthouse to ask for someone because he was good at singing and wanted to be an official in the mansion.

Captain Wang was a powerful official in the capital, and he had Su Yuanjing's men following him, so Song Jiang had no choice but to obey.

In less than a month, the Ruan brothers, Liu Tang, An Daoquan, Xiao Rang, and Le He left one after another, and the people in the Liangshan camp were suddenly in a panic.

(End of this chapter)