With 100,000 elite soldiers at the start, what should you call me?

……

Wang Qi was instigated to go find Li Tian, ​​but the two couldn't agree on anything and started arguing after only a few words.

Wang Qi lost his status as a soldier and became a labor camp prisoner.

They were also labeled as "lackeys of the landlord class".

This infuriated Wang Qi, who cursed Li Tian incessantly.

However, while Wang Qi was searching for Li Tian...

the other side.

Yun Richu and his second son Yun Huan have secretly returned to Jianning Prefecture.

As soon as the father and son returned, they secretly contacted their old subordinates and prominent families in the city.

"Father and everyone else are here."

Inside the main hall of the Yun family mansion, several people were already seated, including Zhu Xingqiu from the Zhu family and You Liren from the You family.

These people were representatives of local prominent families and wealthy merchants.

"Mr. Yun, it's so good that you've come back at this time! You have to save us!"

You Liren from the You family stepped forward, his eyes filled with excitement as if he had seen a savior.

Yun Richu glanced at You Liren. The You family was in the tea business in Jianning Prefecture. With the Jianxi River, the You family's tea could be sold all over the world, and they even did business with the Red-haired Devils.

Because the You family's tea business was so successful, many local prominent families had also become involved in the You family's business.

"Those bandits confiscated all of my You family's fine tea plantations! How are my entire family supposed to survive now? Those bandits are utterly despicable! They don't care about the lives of ordinary people at all, forcibly taking our land. What's the difference between them and the Jurchen barbarians seizing land on horseback?!"

"Yes, all the land my family has painstakingly accumulated over generations has been taken away without a word. Those bandits are utterly despicable! Now my family has no land to cultivate!"

The crowd chimed in, listing Li Tianxin's crimes one by one, as if they wanted to portray Li Tianxin as a demon.

"Father, our land was taken away in the same way," Yun Huan added from the side.

Yun Richu's old face remained calm. After listening to everyone's rebukes, he roughly understood what had happened.

A bandit named Li Tian, ​​relying on his superior numbers, seized the opportunity to occupy Jianning Prefecture and, by sheer luck, defeated the Qing army. Now he wants to seize the land for himself.

"Rest assured, everyone. I have returned today to help you escape from this predicament."

"I have gathered more than two thousand of my old troops and hidden them in the outskirts of Jianning Prefecture. In three days, as long as we cooperate from within and without, Jianning Prefecture will be easy to take over."

"I will personally behead Li Tian and present his head to His Majesty."

As he spoke, Yun Richu cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards Guilin.

At this time, Emperor Yongli, Zhu Youlang, was hiding in Guilin. Although he was a fleeing emperor, he was still a banner of anti-Qing sentiment in the hearts of the righteous army.

"With Elder Yun taking action, we are naturally at ease, but aren't we a bit short-handed? The rebel army has 100,000 men," Zhu Xingqiu said with some concern.

Yun Richu remained calm and a smile appeared on his face.

"I've already inquired about Li Tian's situation; he's just a group of bandits who temporarily gathered together."

"At that time, we will directly behead Li Tian. This bandit army will be leaderless. After we break through Jianning Prefecture, we can cleanse them and bring them under our command. This will also strengthen the Ming army."

Everyone who heard this thought the plan was feasible.

Yun Huan: "In that case, we need to arrange for people to respond within the city, as well as people to assassinate Li Tian."

You Liren then said, "I know someone who is the most suitable."

"Who?" Yun Huan asked.

"Wang Qi, the Imperial Preceptor."

"Wang Qi is still alive?" Yun Richu was surprised to hear the news about Wang Qi.

He thought that Wang Qi was already dead after the fall of Jianning Prefecture.

"The news is correct. Just this afternoon, one of my men saw him walking on the street. Judging from his appearance, he has probably been captured and incorporated into the bandit army," You Liren said.

Hearing that Wang Qi was alright, Yun Richu was even more confident in the plan; "With the Wang Preceptor still alive, and his prestige, he can rally people in the city, then kill Li Tian unexpectedly, and the matter will be accomplished."

"In that case, we'll find out where Wang Qi is, and then we can persuade him."

"Elder Yun, please leave this matter to me." You Liren took the initiative to take on the task.

After discussing the matter, everyone quietly left.

You Liren left from the back, looked around and found no one, then slipped into a carriage that had been prepared in advance.

The carriage traveled around the city several times before You Liren arrived at a secluded residence.

The You family were famous tea merchants in Jianning Prefecture, but within the prefecture, they were involved in a wide range of industries.

Among these industries were teahouses, brothels, and gambling dens, which were places for gathering intelligence.

However, after the new army moved in, the brothels and gambling dens were shut down.

Those prostitutes and hooligans who had lost the protection of brothels and gambling dens were still in the city.

Some reformed their ways, participated in labor, and settled down to farm. The prostitutes found honest men to marry and settled down to do handicrafts at home.

But some people are just not good at doing things properly; those people are inherently unruly and don't know how to make honest money.

You Liren then kept this group of subordinates.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Li Laowai."

As You Liren entered the mansion, he saw a burly man with a scarred face lying on a chair in the courtyard, enjoying the afternoon sun.

The man named Li Laowai opened his eyes, saw You Liren arrive, and smiled, but showed no intention of standing up.

"Oh, isn't this Boss You? What brings you to my house today?"

"Now I'm just an ordinary, honest citizen."

You Liren sat down on the stone bench next to Li Laowai and laughed;

"Old Li, I need your help with something."

Li Laowai didn't speak, and closed his eyes to rest.

"If this matter succeeds, I guarantee you that you will be in charge of all the casinos in Jianning Prefecture from now on."

"Are you serious?" Old Li's eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up from his chair, staring intently at You Liren.

"really."

"Does Boss You have such great abilities? Could it be that his daughter married that important person?" Old Li looked at You Liren with suspicion.

You Liren is just a merchant, what great abilities does he have? But his two daughters are naturally beautiful. If they marry Li Tian, ​​and his daughters whisper sweet nothings in his ear, they might be able to get rid of the brothel or gambling den.

His gambling den was shut down, and he couldn't even muster a temper, because anyone who did would be beaten to death on the spot.

Li Laowai witnessed it firsthand that day and was terrified of the New Army's decisive style of shooting at the slightest provocation.

You Liren shook his head; "This matter cannot be known by too many people. Help me find out where Wang Qiguo's tutor is. It would be best to have the results tonight."

If you want to get information, you have to find a professional. This Li Laowai is the biggest underground tycoon in Jianning Prefecture. He can find out anything in a flash. His connections are everywhere.

"Boss You, leave this to me. I'll definitely find the Imperial Preceptor Wang within a few hours."

Li Laowai patted his chest and assured everyone that he was going all out to regain control of all the casinos in Jianning Prefecture.