Liver in Water Margin, outlaw madman

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

The news of the change of ownership of the stronghold had already spread throughout the hundreds of henchmen of Liangshan.

The former chieftain Wang Lun stepped down to a lower position, and the newly arrived Zhang Shan took his place, becoming the new leader of Liangshan.

The henchmen were all terrified, fearing both the new chieftain's harshness and their longing to escape the days of hunger. They gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.

The council chamber on the mountaintop had been hastily tidied up; the tables and chairs were arranged neatly, and the floor was swept clean. Although still simple, it had gained a more orderly appearance.

A mountain breeze blew in through the window, carrying the dampness of the lake, which made me feel a little more awake.

Du Qian glanced at Zhu Gui beside him, lowered his voice, and asked with a heart full of doubt, "Brother Zhu Gui, why didn't you leave?"

Zhu Gui shook his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, his tone tinged with melancholy: "The world is so vast, yet the government imposes exorbitant taxes, and refugees are everywhere. Where can I go? How many places can I find refuge?"

Earlier, some of the henchmen who had fled by boat ran to the hotel at the foot of the mountain and reported that bandits had attacked Liangshan.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gui did not flee. Instead, he immediately closed the inn, gathered his men, and rushed back to Liangshan overnight, intending to help defend the stronghold.

Little did he know that by the time he reached the mountaintop, the situation had already been decided, and the new chieftain had firmly secured his position.

Only now, standing in the council hall and seeing the faces of Zhang Shan, Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and the others clearly, did Zhu Gui break out in a cold sweat.

These people were the same group of heroes who had passed by his hotel a few days ago!

He secretly rejoiced that he hadn't acted rashly or deliberately made things difficult for others. If he had been greedy or had evil intentions at the time, he would probably be dead by now.

Zhang Shanhuan glanced at the crowd gathered below, his chest heaving with emotion.

From meeting Lu Zhishen to killing Gao Qiu and breaking through the encirclement in Dongjing City, he wandered all the way, cautious at every step, as if walking on thin ice, and traveled thousands of miles. Finally, he found a place where he could settle down and make a living in Liangshan Marsh, which is eight hundred miles long.

"Gentlemen," Zhang Shan began, his clear voice echoing throughout the council hall, "a country has its laws, a family has its rules, and a mountain stronghold has its own regulations. Before formally promulgating the stronghold rules, let's first redefine everyone's position and division of labor."

He had already discussed this matter with Lu Zhishen and Lin Chong beforehand, and announced it to the public without the slightest hesitation.

"Lu Zhishen, seated in second place, commands the infantry on the mountain."

Lu Zhishen grinned broadly and patted his chest heavily: "I'll obey whatever my third brother orders!"

"Lin Chong, sit in the third seat, in charge of teaching martial arts to all the brothers in the village."

Lin Chong cupped his hands and bowed: "Yes, Third Brother."

"Wang Lun, sit in the fourth seat, assisting the chieftain in managing the internal affairs of the stronghold."

Wang Lun suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief, staring blankly at Zhang Shan.

"Li Si, seated fifth, is in charge of the mountain stronghold's logistics, finances, and provisions."

Li Si remained calm and nodded slightly; this was a task he was very familiar with.

"Ruan Xiaoer, Ruan Xiaowu, and Ruan Xiaoqi, respectively, are in the sixth, seventh, and eighth positions, and are fully responsible for building the navy and guarding the defense of the eight hundred li of waterways."

The three Nguyen brothers' eyes shone with excitement; they hadn't expected to be entrusted with such an important task so soon after arriving at the mountain.

"Du Qian, seated ninth, is responsible for the repair and construction of mountain strongholds, camps, and passes."

"Song Wan, ranked tenth, is in charge of the defense of various passes on the mountain."

"Zhu Gui, sits in eleventh place, reopens the hotel at the foot of the mountain, and is also in charge of intelligence transmission and assisting Li Si in managing logistics."

After the seating arrangement and division of labor were announced, everyone in the hall looked surprised, with varying expressions.

Wang Lun was deeply shocked and overwhelmed.

He thought he would be expelled from the mountain at best, or even lose his life at worst. Unexpectedly, Zhang Shan not only spared his life but also allowed him to remain in fourth place and continue as the leader of Liangshan.

Such magnanimity and breadth of mind are something he himself could never achieve.

The Ruan brothers were so excited that their bodies were burning with excitement. They were originally fishermen from Shijie Village, but they had taken command of the navy as soon as they arrived at Liangshan. This trust made their hearts burn with joy.

Ruan Xiaoqi, being the most impatient, immediately stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said loudly, "Rest assured, Chief! We brothers will guard this eight-hundred-mile stretch of water so tightly that not even a sparrow can fly in!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan smiled and casually asked, "Oh? Then tell me, how do you plan to make it completely impenetrable?"

Ruan Xiaoqi was just speaking her mind in a moment of emotional excitement, without any careful planning. She immediately scratched her head and replied with a silly smile, "Anyway, it definitely won't be like before, where someone sneaks up the mountain without us even noticing!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Lun, Du Qian, Song Wan, and others from Liangshan in the hall immediately blushed with embarrassment, lowered their heads even further, and wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Zhu Gui was even more astonished upon hearing the ranking, and stood frozen in place.

He had served under Wang Lun for many years, but had always been just a hotel manager, never holding a formal leadership position. Now that the new chieftain had taken over, he was directly given the position of the eleventh leader and entrusted with the important task of intelligence gathering.

His mind raced, and without further hesitation, he immediately knelt down with a thud, kowtowing heavily: "Thank you for your high regard, Chief! Zhu Gui is willing to serve you to the death, Chief, and would never dare to have the slightest disloyalty!"

"Haha, Brother Zhu Gui, please rise." Zhang Shan smiled and raised his hand to indicate that the stronghold was in dire need of manpower, and he would need to rely on you for your help in the future.

Wang Lun sat to the side, watching this scene unfold, and felt a strange unease rise in his heart.

Zhu Gui was originally one of his protégés, but in just a short time, he has become completely devoted to the new chieftain.

He secretly thought to himself that the reason he hadn't given Zhu Gui the official leadership position wasn't because he was stingy, but because he knew that power shouldn't be given lightly and that he needed to control the hearts of his subordinates through promotions and demotions.

Bandits are also a group, and every group has a hierarchy. People naturally gravitate towards the top, and he used this to control everyone. But Zhang Shan did not play by the rules at all.

Once everyone had calmed down a bit, Zhang Shan's expression suddenly turned serious, his gaze sharp as he swept over the crowd below.

"The rankings are now set. Next, I will promulgate the first rule of Liangshan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

Everyone unconsciously sat up straight and listened attentively. Even Lu Zhishen, who was usually carefree, put away his smile and sat upright, as if he were receiving orders in front of General Zhong's tent.

Zhang Shan spoke each word clearly and forcefully:

"From this day forward, no one from Liangshan is permitted to descend the mountain without authorization to rob or plunder passing travelers!"

These words shocked everyone in the room.

Wang Lun's eyes widened suddenly, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his face full of disbelief.

Du Qian and Song Wan looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion. If they didn't rob passersby, what would the hundreds of people in the mountain stronghold eat?

What would you like to drink?

How do they make a living?

Lu Zhishen, Lin Chong, and the Ruan brothers also frowned, their minds filled with doubt.

If you go up the mountain to become a bandit and become a strongman, what else can you rely on to make a living if not plunder?

This is an age-old truth about bandits.

Zhang Shan's gaze fell on the flustered Wang Lun, a faint smile playing on his lips as he asked calmly, "What's wrong, Brother Wang Lun? Do you have a problem with this?"

Wang Lun snapped out of his daze, hurriedly waving his hands, his face pale, his tone urgent: "No, no objection! It's just... I'm just worried. If the chieftain doesn't allow the brothers to go down the mountain to plunder, how will he feed the hundreds of brothers in the stronghold in the future?"

This was not just Wang Lun's concern, but a question shared by everyone in the hall.

All eyes turned to Zhang Shan, eagerly awaiting the answer.