Chapter 338 The Bitter Meat Scheme

Xuan Zan settled the three people in the post house and was about to go to the office of the governor to visit Yang Chang, but he met Wu Song as soon as he went out on the street, so he went forward happily to greet him.

"Oh, it's such a coincidence that I met you here."

"What's a coincidence? I knew it when you entered the city."

Wu Song had a blank expression on his face. He stepped forward, pulled Xuan Zan aside, and asked in a deep voice, "Why did you bring Song Qing and the other two here?"

"Hmm? They came to see the general and said that Song Jiang wanted to join forces to attack the Jin people, so they came to discuss it."

"What's so great about beating the Jin people? Do we need outside help? The general has always been wary of Song Jiang, so you shouldn't have brought them here."

"I don't know. Wasn't it always like this before? Besides, it was Manager Lin who ordered it, little brother."

Xuan Zan saw Wu Song's tough tone and realized whether he had done something wrong, but he felt wronged because he was acting according to convention.

This matter could not be blamed on him or Lin Chong. Yang Chang and Lu Zhishen went north secretly. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, he did not tell too many brothers. Only a few core people in Yangqu knew about it, and he also reminded Sun An when he passed by the Pingding Army.

Wu Song felt that he had lost his composure after complaining, so he found an excuse to explain, "Elder Zhizhen passed away and Master Lu invited the general to Mount Wutai to watch the ceremony. He will probably stay for a while before returning. They came at a wrong time. Besides, the general has conflicts with Song Jiang and Zhao Gou, so how can they join forces to fight? I can make the decision and refuse. You can talk to them later and send them back tomorrow."

“So that’s how I saved myself.”

"Song Qing is very good at talking. Just say that the general is not in Yangqu and his return date is uncertain. Don't say more to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"Oh"

Xuan Zan clasped his fists and was about to turn around when Wu Song stopped him and warned him, "Song Jiang has bad intentions. You must keep an eye on these people. The commander has taught you martial arts, right? Don't keep an eye on them. It's not good to let them run around."

"Don't worry, brother." Xuan Zan patted his chest and said with disdain, "With just the three of them, even if the general didn't give me any guidance, my martial arts skills are good enough."

"We can't neglect this. Song Qing is very experienced in dealing with people and is very good at talking. Zhu Gui and Bai Sheng are both veterans. They are not simple characters. Otherwise, how could they gain a foothold in Liangshan?"

Wu Song patted Xuan Zan on the shoulder, and when he left, he was worried and called in twenty guards to set up secret sentries around the post station for surveillance, and then went home to accompany the pregnant princess.

He thought he could just brush them off lightly, but unexpectedly the three men were no ordinary people. Last night, when Xuan Zan returned to the inn and told them the situation, Song Qing followed suit and expressed his regrets, and then took turns urging the two men to drink.

Xuan Zan was drunk and Wu Song's conversation with him yesterday was revealed. Fortunately, he didn't know Yang Chang's whereabouts, otherwise he would go back and tell Song Jiang about it, and the other party would soon take advantage of the situation and send troops.

The next morning, Xuan Zan was in a daze and did not wake up.

Song Qing left Bai Sheng to take care of them, and he and Zhu Gui split into two groups. They went to see Hu Sanniang and Yang Jian under the pretext of delivering Shandong specialties, and confirmed with people around Yang Chang whether they were in Mount Wutai.

As the saying goes, you shouldn't hit someone who smiles at you. When Song Qing and Zhu Guiyuan came to meet their friend and give him gifts, the guards sent by Wu Song couldn't stop them. They could only accompany them and not let them wander around, while also reporting to their superiors as soon as possible.

When Wu Song learned about the situation of the two, he couldn't help but slap himself, thinking that he was careless yesterday. So he hurried to see Hu Sanniang opposite, wanting to make a unified statement in advance.

Although I don't know what Song Jiang's purpose is, he must have no good intentions by choosing this time to talk to Yang Chang.

Song Jiang had a precedent of colluding with the Jin people. Lu Junyi was a lesson for him. If he knew that Yang Chang was not there at the moment, he might join forces with the Jin people to attack Hedong. That was why Wu Song was so nervous.

As for Yang Jian's family, they didn't know where Yang Chang had gone, and they were sure that Zhu Gui would not be able to find out the reason.

During the month that Yang Chang was away, the women managed the house and lived in peace, but Wu Song suddenly came to their house in a hurry, surprising all three of them.

After hearing Wu Song's reminder, Hu Sanniang said that she would not say much to Song Qing. She then called Zhao Fujin and Qiu Qiongying together to share and express her opinions.

"Song Jiang is a calculating person. Your Excellency has fought against the Jin many times before, but he did not send troops to help fight against the Jin. Now he is actively asking for an alliance. This is definitely not his character. I suspect he deliberately gathered intelligence and then leaked it to the Jin people."

"Sister, don't doubt it. Has the black monkey done less disgusting things? Shi Xiu once appeared behind the Jin army, which means they have been colluding with each other for a long time. The same thing happened to Lu Junyi before."

"Don't get excited, Third Sister. I also know about this. But Song Jiang obeys Zhao Gou after all. He is a bit evil, but he is very loyal to his master. I remember that before the official left, he said that Bian Jing and Yingtian were fighting fiercely, and Yingtian seemed to have the upper hand. Zhao Gou shouldn't come to provoke us at this time."

“It’s hard to say.”

Zhao Fujin took over the conversation and murmured, "Although I am not familiar with Song Jiang, since the Jin people used magic to deal with Yang Lang, it means that they have a backup plan. Song Jiang may be helping to confirm it. It really doesn't have to be instructed by King Kang."

"Yes, the master had anticipated this before he left, and even asked me to pretend to be him."

"Third sister pretending to be an official can only work on people she doesn't know, but not on people like Song Qing."

"I know, but there is still a backup plan, right?"

Hearing Qiu Qiongying say this, Hu Sanniang immediately nodded and agreed: "You mean to recover the remaining states? But the master asked us to start in March, and it's only the beginning of February now."

"The situation has changed. A month earlier shouldn't have any impact."

"I suggest waiting until you meet Song Qing and discuss it with your second brother before making a decision."

"The princess said"

The three women chatted for a long time until Song Qing came to ask for a meeting.

Hu Sanniang was reminded by Wu Song, and the conversation at that time was flawless. However, Song Qing had tricked Xuan Zan last night and knew that his trip would be in vain, so he placed his hopes on Zhu Gui.

Zhu Gui is a veteran of Liangshan. He runs a hotel at the foot of the mountain to entertain guests. He is also a man of great eloquence. His friendship with Yang Jian comes from his brother Zhu Fu.

While Yang Jian was working for Song Qing, Zhu Fu was also serving as his deputy in charge of banquets. Zhu Gui visited him in the name of brotherhood and not only met Yang Jian and his wife, but also Yang De and his old wife Lu.

Zhu Gui stayed at the Yang family for half an hour and learned that the situation was different from what Xuan Zan said when he was drunk, such as Elder Zhizhen had passed away last year and Yang Chang did not come to pay New Year's greetings in the first month of the year.

Back at the post station, the carriage was ready.

Xuan Zan was drunk and made trouble last night, so Wu Song scolded him in front of Bai Sheng and ordered him not to drink at all on the way back. At the same time, he called Le He to keep him company and relieve his boredom. It was obvious that this was done for Bai Sheng to see, as if he was going to drive him away and would not tolerate any refusal.

Zhu Gui was invited to get on the carriage. Seeing Le He in the carriage, he had a lot to say but couldn't. Xuan Zan outside the carriage had already ordered to set off. Song Qing guessed that he had something to gain, but because Le He was traveling with him, it was difficult to ask, so he signaled Zhu Gui not to say anything with his eyes and prepared to find a chance on the road.

However, with Xuan Zan leading his troops to escort him outside and Le He eating and sleeping with him inside, he felt uncomfortable even chatting, let alone finding an opportunity to spread rumors. He just went south all the way until he was sent out of Tianjing Pass in Zezhou.

The three of them spent half a month traveling back and forth, and brought back some insignificant news. Song Jiang's conspiracy did not work.

Wang Boyan’s reminder is still fresh in his mind. If Song Jiang still does not put in any effort this time, I am afraid that Nianhan will really go south to attack Shandong, and Zhao Gou will be embarrassed then.

As a die-hard fan of Zhao Gou, Song Jiang naturally would not hold his master back, so he called Wu Yong to discuss countermeasures. He still hoped that the Jin army would move first.

After listening to Song Qing and Zhu Gui's intelligence, Wu Yong twisted his beard and thought for a long time before saying, "Xuan Zan relayed Wu Song's words, and Hu Sanniang's meaning is similar, but Yang Jian's family is different. There must be something strange going on."

"What's so strange? How can Yang Jian's ability match Wu Song's? His parents were both farmers. If they didn't stay with Yang Chang every day, how could they know Yang Chang's situation? As for the passing of Elder Zhizhen, there is no conflict between his passing last year and his burial this year. If the so-called curse of the Jin Man is false, isn't this just a way for us to run into a knife?"

"What the commander said is right. Yang Chang is a strange man. He has Little Dragon Girl by his side. I am also worried that the curse will not work. However, Hu Sanniang's answer is too perfect. Lu said that Yang Chang was about to visit and was anxious to send Si Lang and the others out. These are all suspicious points when you talk about them in detail."

"But even if Yang Changzhen has problems, Zhu Gui and Bai Sheng will not have the opportunity to spread rumors, which is still disadvantageous to our attack."

Song Jiang has been under a lot of pressure during this period. His originally mottled hair and beard have now turned half white and half black, and he seems to have aged ten years in an instant.

Wu Yong stood up and poured more tea for Song Jiang. He smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, Commander. It will take time for us to mobilize the army and prepare food and grass. You can complain to Nianhan again, hide the problems we found, and say that Yang Chang is in Mount Wutai. Let's see how he responds."

"Wonderful."

Song Jiang was overjoyed when he heard this and said excitedly, "I will send Dai Zong north right away."

"Don't worry, Taiwei." Wu Yong interrupted Song Jiang and reminded him sternly, "It's late February now, and the temperature hasn't warmed up yet. We can let Dai Zong go a few days later, and delay for a few more days. If we really go to war with Yang Chang, we still need internal support, so we have to prepare in advance."

"An insider? Hedong is run like an iron barrel, with soldiers stationed at every pass to interrogate, and even after entering the country, there are people monitoring you overtly or covertly. Unless you sneak in half a year or a year in advance, and you have to be absolutely loyal to me or Your Majesty, otherwise you will definitely not be able to succeed. It's difficult."

Song Jiang waved his hands with a bitter face. He had sent people to try to infiltrate spies a long time ago. No matter whether it was Zezhou guarded by Lin Chong or Luzhou guarded by Yan Qing, the spies were like meat buns thrown at dogs. After leaving, there was no news of them.

Wu Yong smiled and said, "It's not easy to be a spy. Why don't you send a few brothers to be undercover? If Yang Chang is really in trouble, how do you think Wu Song and the others will deal with it?"

"how?"

"I will definitely not bring him to Yangqu to meet him, and I will most likely arrange for him to be monitored on the spot, but it won't be blatant surveillance, and then I can help the general."

"Makes sense."

Song Jiang nodded heavily after hearing this, and then immediately asked, "Which brothers should I send? Those who are too close to me will not be trusted, and those who are distant from me will not be trusted."

"The group of brothers who separated from Lu Junyi in Zhending were either the general's confidants or outstanding generals. They are not suitable to be the insiders this time. Only those who came back from Lu Junyi can pick two who can adapt to the situation."

"Those few"

After Wu Yong reminded him, Song Jiang first counted them silently in his mind, and then counted them out: "Duan Jingzhu, Bai Sheng, Mu Chun, Meng Kang, Du Qian, Zhu Gui, Zhu Fu, Li Yun, it seems that there are only these eight people?"

"Half of these eight people are not suitable. For example, Mu Chun, Meng Kang, Du Qian, and Li Yun are not good at speaking."

"Among the remaining four, Duan Jingzhu is eloquent, but he was the first to betray Lu Junyi and was targeted by his old brothers when he went to be a spy. Then there are only Bai Sheng, Zhu Gui, and Zhu Fu left, but I am not too reassured about them."

Song Jiang twirled his beard as he finished speaking, frowning with an embarrassed expression.

These brothers who were at the back of the Disha were quite useful during the Liangshan period. After being recruited, they followed the army in its campaigns. They did not have much ability to manage the army and the people, and basically just spent their days collecting intelligence.

Naturally, Song Jiang would not get too close to the gangsters. He thought to himself, I have already done you a great favor by helping you wear green robes. Do you still want me to pay more attention to you?

If the Song Dynasty had not declined, these people would naturally be loyal. But now Yang Chang is quite powerful. If he really works hard to win over these hooligans, I believe no one will be able to resist him. The Green-faced Beast Yang Zhi is a lesson for us.

Seeing Song Jiang's hesitation, Wu Yong suggested quietly, "I recommend Zhu Gui to go undercover. He is a veteran of Liangshan. He is not close to the Taiwei, but he can be considered Chao Gai's man. He can talk to Lin Chong, Liu Tang, and the three Ruan brothers, so it is easier for him to gain the trust of others. In addition, if we leave Zhu Fu as a hostage, we don't have to worry about him not coming back."

"Zhu Gui? He is quite experienced, but if we send him alone, without even a companion to talk to, I'm afraid it will be difficult to accomplish anything. If we keep Zhu Fu, only Bai Sheng will be left. These two just went to Yangqu. Isn't it too deliberate?"

"No, no, no, they are just the right match. Bai Sheng's family is in Yingtian. He has no skills, and he will not be used under Yang Chang. If the general promises him a great deal, he will definitely not betray him."

"Ok."

Song Jiang nodded in agreement, and then looked at Wu Yong, "I'm afraid they will be rejected if they go to surrender."

"Don't worry, General. I have come up with a plan that can help the two of you get through this."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

“Give them some hardship.”

Wu Yong raised three fingers and told him the specific plan. After listening to it, Song Jiang clapped his hands and cheered.

The next morning, Song Jiang decided to behead Zhu Gui and Bai Sheng as a warning to others, accusing them of incompetence, making friends with Hedong officials without permission, and wanting to surrender to Yang Chang and betray the Song Dynasty.

Fortunately, a group of brothers pleaded for mercy, and Song Jiang spared the lives of the two men in consideration of their previous merits. However, he dismissed them from their official positions, and gave each of them fifty lashes and sent them away to become civilians.

Song Jiang made a big fuss about this and continued to enforce strict military discipline in the three states under his rule. The news was brought to Zezhou by the "refugees" and soon reached Lin Chong's ears.

However, Zhu Gui and Bai Sheng did not go to Zezhou, but went north together under the pretext of returning to their hometown in Shandong. Finally, they came to Fengyue Pass and asked Zou Run to take them in.

Seeing that the two men were covered in wounds and hearing Song Jiang's scolding, Zou Run felt sympathy for them, so he temporarily settled them in Fengyue Pass and sent someone to ask for instructions from the deputy general manager Sun Li.

Sun Li did not dare to make the decision for Yang Chang. While reporting to his boss Yan Qing, he also sent someone to Yangqu to find Sun Xin to deliver the message.

In the end, it turned out to be just as Wu Yong had expected. After discussion, Wu Song, Hu Sanniang and others made an excuse that Zhu Gui and Bai Sheng were recuperating on the spot and placed them directly under Yan Qing's nose, becoming the nails planted by Song Jiang in Luzhou.

(End of this chapter)