Looking north towards the rivers and mountains

Chapter 370 Message

By September 12th, Fang Guozhen had already returned to Changguo Prefecture.

This group of islands in the ocean (the Zhoushan Islands) was probably one of the most dangerous places under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty.

Pirates came and went, not only from the Yuan Dynasty, but also from the Japanese pirates.

Every official who came to take up his post here would weep and wail before going to his new post, all believing that he was doomed to die. This may have been an exaggeration in the past, but now it is mostly true.

When Fang Guozhen sent people ashore, they suffered some minor losses.

A group of pirates, appearing out of nowhere, launched a fierce attack, killing and wounding more than twenty of his men and capturing three ships before fleeing north.

However, these were all minor incidents.

After the army landed, they quickly took control of the prefectural government.

Fang Guozhen went inside for a look and found that it seemed no one had lived there for a long time.

The ground was paved with blue bricks, and weeds grew in the gaps and corners. The doors and windows of the houses had been removed, and no one knew who had done it.

The water vat was full of duckweed, and papers were scattered all over the ground. A dirty stray cat was squatting on the roof ridge. When it saw the person coming, it meowed and ran away.

Fang Guozhen hired people to clean and tidy up the prefectural government office. However, he did not choose to stay there, but instead requisitioned an inn diagonally opposite as his temporary residence.

Not long after they were seated, Fang Guozhang led a man in his early thirties into the courtyard.

The man wore a short gray cloth robe and carried no weapons. He walked with small, steady steps, his eyes not wandering. Upon entering the courtyard, he first scanned the rooftops and corners of the walls before turning his gaze to the main hall.

"Third brother, this is Lin Shanyi's brother-in-law, surnamed Zheng, named Zheng Jiuba." After Fang Guozhang finished introducing him, he stood aside with seven or eight men, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

Zheng Jiu-ba stopped outside the threshold, cupped his hands to Fang Guo-zhen, and said in a humble yet respectful manner, "Third Master Fang, I have long admired your name."

Fang Guozhen glanced at him a few times, then pointed to the chair opposite him: "Sit down. Pour your own tea."

Zheng Jiu Ba didn't stand on ceremony. After sitting down, he poured himself a bowl of tea, took a small sip, and put it down.

"Your brother-in-law sided with Shao Shuyi?" Fang Guozhen asked bluntly.

"Yes."

"Did Shao Shuyi send you to find me?"

"It was my own idea to come and see Sanlang." Zheng Jiuba smiled. "My brother-in-law went to western Zhejiang, and I couldn't stay in Wenzhou. Fang Sanlang has defeated the royal army and his fame has shaken the southeast, so I wanted to come and see him."

Fang Guozhen waved his hand and said, "Stop with the nonsense. Shao Shuyi, just say what you want to say."

Zheng Jiu Ba's smile faded, and he leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice as he said, "Shao She said he's in Jiangyin, and Sanlang is at sea, one in the east and one in the west, keeping to themselves. If Sanlang intends to go south, he won't interfere; if Sanlang goes north, he won't stop him. But there's one condition..."

He paused for a moment, looking into Fang Guozhen's eyes.

"Shao She said that his men would not enter Wenzhou and Taizhou, and Sanlang's boats would not enter the Yangtze River. Each would draw their own lines and eat their own food."

"Is that all?" Fang Guozhen asked.

"There's one more thing," Zheng Jiuba said. "Shao She said he respects Sanlang as a true man. The battle at Wuhu Gate was impressive and attracted the attention of the imperial court. He wanted to remind Sanlang that the waters of surrendering to the emperor are treacherous, and you shouldn't be used as a tool. Both of you are disliked by the court. It would be foolish for you to fight each other, and sooner or later the court would deal with you both. Sometimes it's better to put on an act and keep it to yourselves."

Fang Guozhen had just picked up his teacup when he heard this and paused for a moment.

He put down his bowl, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Zheng Jiu Ba with a mixture of scrutiny, contemplation, and something else entirely.

"Your brother-in-law has defected to Shao Shuyi, and you're relaying Shao Shuyi's message. But what about yourself?" Fang Guozhen asked. "You're from Wenzhou. Would you rather stay at sea and work for me, or go back to western Zhejiang with your brother-in-law?"

Zheng Jiu Ba chuckled and said, "San Lang, what big ideas can a fisherman like me have? My brother-in-law asked me to deliver a message, so I came. After I deliver the message, whether he asks me to go back or stay, I'll listen to him."

Fang Guozhen looked at him for a while, then suddenly smiled.

"I received your message. Go back and tell Shao Shuyi—" He stood up, walked to the door, looked at the gray sky outside, and said, "I, Fang Guozhen, make a living at sea. I need to eat, not make enemies. If Shao Shuyi doesn't block my way, I won't block his. But if he does—"

—

He didn't finish his sentence, but Zheng Jiu Ba understood the unspoken meaning. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but ask, "San Lang, what kind of path do you mean?"

Fang Guozhen smiled and said, "You can only go as far as your abilities allow."

Having said that, he gestured for the guests to see out.

Zheng Jiu Ba's expression was not good. He stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I will definitely convey San Lang's words."

.

"And another thing," Fang Guozhen turned around and said, "If your brother-in-law can't stay in western Zhejiang, he can come back anytime. I, Fang Guozhen, will always have a bowl of rice for the brothers from Wenzhou. Shao Shuyi doesn't have much power. Working for him? Heh, well, everyone has their own ambitions. I was just saying that."

Zheng Jiu Ba paused for a moment, then nodded, turned and left.

Fang Guozhang saw him out, leaving Fang Guozhen alone in the courtyard.

He stood at the doorway, watching Zheng Jiu Ba's figure disappear into the alley, pondering to himself.

"Don't block each other's way—" he repeated the sentence in a low voice, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, whether it was a smile or something else was unclear.

Just then, Fang Guomin rushed in from outside, his face beaming with excitement: "Third Brother, people from Hangzhou have arrived!"

Fang Guozhen looked at her younger brother and asked, "Who is it?"

"The provincial governor of Jiangzhe Province has come by boat from Jiaxing, saying he wants to see you."

Is this a matter at the provincial level?

Fang Guozhen straightened his clothes, walked back to the main hall and sat down. He pushed the teacup aside, had someone replace it with a new pot of tea, and replaced a cracked chair next to him.

He sat upright, his hands on his knees, his gaze fixed on the doorway, waiting for the seventh-rank official from Hangzhou to step across the threshold.

It seems that in his eyes, Shao Shuyi was a dog-like person, not even as good as a seventh-rank official in the imperial court.

If I could gain the favor of the imperial court and be dressed in a vermilion official robe, I would die without regret.

******

September 16th, Songjiang Prefecture, Shanghai County.

The news spread faster than the wind.

First, Ganpu was occupied, and then Fang Guozhen's fleet sailed the seas.

Someone spotted their boat in Changguo Prefecture and was so frightened that they scrambled to their deaths and hurriedly sailed home.

Some people say they have already passed Jiaxing.

Some say they landed in the southeastern part of the county.

The truth and the falsehoods were mixed, and the rumors spread like wildfire throughout the city.

In the back hall of the Shanghai County Government Office, Magistrate Zhou Wenzhi sat behind his desk, with a newly arrived urgent report spread out in front of him and a cup of tea that had gone cold beside him.

He was in his early forties, slightly overweight, and usually had a smiling face, like a friendly businessman who made money. But at this moment, he couldn't smile.

Sitting opposite him were the county magistrate, the registrar, the county constable, and two local gentry—one was the old owner of the Shen family's silk shop, and the other was Hu Guangyan, a wealthy man who had been trading spices and grain for many years.

"Gentlemen, you all know about the situation in Ganpu and Changguo Prefecture," Zhou Wenzhi said, pushing the urgent report forward. "Fang Guozhen's fleet is still at sea, and we have news that it's heading north. Once it lands in Shanghai, what will we use to stop it?"

The county magistrate spoke first: "My lord, there are only about a hundred archers in the county, and they are all middle-aged or older. Let alone Fang Guozhen, even if a group of pirates came, we might not be able to stop them."

Zhou Wenzhi turned his gaze to the old manager of the Shen family and asked politely, "Old Shen, your company has quite a few people at the docks. Could you temporarily recruit some manpower?"

The old shopkeeper shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Your Excellency, the men I know are fine for unloading and carrying goods, but they're no good at fighting with knives. They'd probably go weak at the sight of blood. Rather than trying to fight them head-on, we should think of another way."

"What other way?"

Hu Guangyan exchanged a glance with the Shen family manager and asked, "Have you heard about Liujiagang, sir?"

Zhou Wenzhi frowned: "Liujiagang?"

"Shao Shuyi. That's the Shao Shuyi who occupied Changqiao Water Fortress, took the money and grain from Kunshan Prefecture, and guarded the docks for them," Hu Guangyan said. "Fang Guozhen is at sea, and the government navy can't defeat him, but Shao Shuyi has ships and men. He's in Liujiagang, not far from Shanghai. Could we invite him over?"

Zhou Wenzhi hesitated subconsciously.

"Your Excellency," the old shopkeeper sighed, "if Fang Guozhen comes, Shanghai County will become the second Ganpu."

The patrol station in Ganpu was burned down, the people were looted, and the wells were filled with the corpses of women. Do you think Fang Guozhen's men would be more polite when they arrived in Shanghai?

The hall was quiet for a moment.

Zhou Wenzhi tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times, unconsciously, as if he were tapping a question that had no answer.

"But Shao Shuyi is no pushover either," he said in a low voice. "I heard rumors recently that the provincial authorities don't like him."

"But at least he hasn't rebelled," Hu Guangyan said. "He's in Liujiagang, taking money and grain from the prefecture to guard the port for them. Although he seized the water fortress under the guise of it, he hasn't robbed the people, set fires, or killed anyone. Isn't that better than Fang Guozhen?"

Zhou Wenzhi remained silent for a while.

"Send someone to Liujiagang," he finally said, "to sound him out and see if he's willing to come. If he is, we can discuss the terms."

The county magistrate acknowledged and got up to make the arrangements.

"Send someone to the prefectural city again to urge the troops of the Songjiang Wanhu Prefecture," Zhou Wenzhi added.

"My lord, it seems the Songjiang Wanhu Prefecture is not coming; they're being held by the prefect," the county magistrate said with a wry smile.

"It won't hurt to urge them a little," Zhou Wenzhi waved his hand and said.

The county magistrate bowed and quickly left.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away near the mouth of the Wusong River, Kong Tie was sitting at the bow of the boat, chewing on a dry biscuit.

He arrived in Shanghai three days ago with ten boats and more than fifty people, ostensibly to "purchase ship materials," but in reality to recruit seafarers. He originally planned to stay for two more days before leaving, but this morning he heard that Fang Guozhen might be heading north, so he didn't rush to leave. Instead, he had people keep an eye on the situation in the county.

A troop of several hundred men, armed with swords, spears, bows, and shields, appeared on the distant horizon.

Leading the group was Wang Huadu, followed by Zhao Xiaoer and Ji Wu—the latter had arrived in April and was responsible for forming the third team in Shanghai to strengthen control over the smuggled salt market on Jiaxing Road.

Kong Tie stood up, jumped off the bow of the boat, and walked towards the dock on the soft, wet sand.

Wang Huadu saw him from afar, burst into laughter, raised the anchor axe in his hand, and shouted in a very childish manner, "Here I come!"

Kong Tie went to meet him.

"Raise the flag!" Governor Wang Hua waved his hand.

Behind him, a man held up a banner with the five large characters "Golden Spears Straight in Front of the Hall" written on it, exuding a strong Tang and Song Dynasty flavor, reminiscent of the Maqianzhi, Congmazhi, Changzhi, Yulongzhi and other troops that appeared in the long river of history.

The troops in Shanghai were given the designation "Golden Spear Straight to the Hall".

The "hall" is naturally the council hall that Ma Tuo Sha is building, and it is also commonly known as the "Hall of Gathering Righteousness".

The two troops in front of the hall were the Yellow Armor Army and the Golden Spear Army. The former had 142 men, with Shao Shuyi personally serving as the commander and Liang Tai as the deputy commander; the latter had 43 men, with Wang Huadu serving as the commander and Zhao Xiaoer, the squad leader, concurrently serving as the deputy commander.

Shao Shuyi will not give up the sparsely populated and underdeveloped Pudong area due to historical reasons.

This place offers opportunities to make money by going overseas, is close to several major salt fields, making it easy to obtain smuggled salt, can also be used to resettle refugees, cultivate wasteland, and even serve as an outpost for communication with forces in eastern Zhejiang.

He might come over in person again after a while, since Fei Xiong's home is not far from here.

Having taken control of Jiangyin, the next step is naturally to vigorously develop Shanghai and then extend influence north of the Yangtze River. This is a plan that has already been set—if it is not interrupted by the government.