A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 224 The Prefect of Jinan, A Thousand Sails Set Sail

Along the eastern route of Jingdong, there were many prefectures and cities, among which the most prosperous was Jinan (Spring City).

Looking out over the city, one can see mountains and rivers, and nearby, countless springs, waterways, lotus flowers, and beautiful gardens. This place has attracted countless sons of officials and wealthy families to settle here.

Liu Guang, the current prefect of Jinan, is related to Chen Xi, a favorite of the Emperor. He is exceptionally capable, able to reach the Emperor directly and win the hearts of the wealthy. He holds a high position and wields great power, and enjoys a prestigious reputation in the eastern part of Jingdong Road.

The plan to allow some young men from various places to flee to Liangshan was originally devised by Liu Guang, Shi Wengong, and others.

Over the years, whenever Liu Guang thought of this plan, he felt it was a brilliant scheme that would achieve multiple goals, and he had high hopes for it.

After many ordinary miners died, word reached Bianliang (Kaifeng). Some stubborn ministers in the court, such as Li Gang and Zong Ze, repeatedly remonstrated with the emperor, criticizing the actions of Liu Guang and others.

The Emperor Tianming relied heavily on those ministers and was unwilling to replace them easily. In the end, unable to bear the disturbance, he simply went into seclusion to cultivate himself.

Liu Guang was very dissatisfied with this, thinking: "As a subject, one should share the emperor's burdens. Those people claim to be loyal ministers and talk big, but they only cause trouble for the emperor. They are truly traitors and deserve to die."

But once the laborers of Liangshan are wiped out as bandits, the victory is reported to the court, and the prisoners are distributed to mines in various places, even if these rebellious and criminal people are all used until they die, Li Gang and others will have no more excuse to attack this official.

After waiting patiently for several years, most of the able-bodied men who wanted to escape from various places had gathered at Liangshan. When it was time to close the net, he began to notify the officials of various prefectures to mobilize troops.

"Liangshan is just a group of commoners; why would they need to make such a big fuss?"

In the study, a tall, imposing man was speaking to Liu Guang, "Give me two thousand soldiers, and I'll be able to crush everything in my path. Destroying Liangshan will be a piece of cake. Just have some constables and supervisors from the vicinity of Liangshan accompany us to help escort those petty thieves."

Liu Guang had two sons and one daughter: Liu Qi, Liu Lin, and Liu Huiniang.

The man in the study is the eldest son, Liu Qi. He has practiced martial arts since childhood, is rough and bold, and is exceptionally brave. He is very famous in Jinan.

"Of course I know my son's abilities."

Liu Guang smiled, stroking his beard, and said, "But you are still young and don't understand the principle of 'better safe than sorry.' Besides, my communication with various places, sending so many people to closely block Liangshan, and mobilizing troops are not really to borrow so many soldiers to succeed. It's just to share some of the credit with those people."

"That's how it is in officialdom. We always think of them, so if we really encounter difficulties, they will naturally help us."

Liu Qi thought for a moment and said, "That's fine then, but in this battle, I should be the one in charge."

Liu Guang's smile faded slightly as he said, "My son, do you still remember Shi Wengong from Cangshan? When we discussed this matter, it was already decided that he would be in charge of annihilating Liangshan. He is a first-rate military general, and we won't lose out by using this merit to win him over."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qi's expression darkened. However, he had witnessed Shi Wengong's martial arts skills firsthand, and they were indeed far superior to his own. Having such a great general meant being completely bound to the Liu family, which would bring many benefits in the future.

Liu Guang then advised, "Besides Shi Wengong, you are the second person to make the decision in this matter. Besides, my son is still young. Those commoners can be cut off and the regrowth will happen again in a few years when the child is older. Then all the credit will be yours."

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the door open.

Liu Lin strode into the room, holding several letters in his hand. His face was panicked. He called out, "Father, Zeng Nong from Zengjiazhuang outside Yizhou has sent someone on horseback to report that Shi Wengong from Cangshan Mine has been killed. The killer took all the miners with him and left by boat. They may be heading to Liangshan."

"A letter has arrived from Yizhou City, saying that the brothers Gao Lian and Gao Feng have taken their flying divine soldiers to Lin Lingsu's tomb. They have not returned for many days, and there has been no news of them. Officials of all ranks in Yizhou are sending people to search for them everywhere."

"Many wealthy families in various parts of Mizhou were looted, and nearly a thousand soldiers were lost in Mizhou city. Several generals were killed. Judging from the bandits' movements, they were heading to Liangshan."

Liu Guang had originally intended to reprimand his son for his rashness, but after hearing these messages, his face darkened, and he abruptly stood up, snatched the letter, and examined it carefully.

"This, this..."

After reading the message, Liu Guang clenched the letter, his eyes darting around. He let out a long breath before calming down and speaking in a soft voice, "Those people Zeng Nong mentioned were all wearing Taoist robes, and Lin Lingsu was vaguely visible among them. So this evil Taoist priest isn't dead after all?!"

"And Guan Luoyang, he must be an old friend and savior of that evil Taoist. How hateful! What were the Gao brothers thinking? They are officials of the imperial court, yet they personally went to dig up some tomb and dug up such a big problem."

Liu Qi hesitated and said, "Since something has happened, what about the matter of Liangshan...?"

"The insignificant people of Liangshan are still not a threat, but we must be wary of these few evil Taoists."

Liu Guang had completely calmed down and said, "Without Shi Wengong, the army needs to invite a few more generals and experts to keep an eye on those evil Taoists. Qi'er, go to Jiangzhou City and ask Yan Shude, the garrison commander there, to come and help. Lin'er, go and invite Guo Jing here."

The two sons dared not delay and left in a hurry.

Liu Guang paced back and forth in his study, glancing at the letters in his hand every now and then, fearing that he hadn't considered everything thoroughly enough. Then he got up and went to the backyard.

From Liu Huiniang's boudoir came the sound of soft coughing, and the concerned voices of several maids.

Just as Liu Guang arrived outside the boudoir, he heard a soft click as a mechanism clicked, and the window automatically opened, revealing the scene inside.

Inside the room, there was a large table placed close to the window. On the table were small sailboats and carriages, all made of pieced together wood.

The wooden ox, about the size of a palm, with its body inlaid with reddish-brown minerals, struts along on the table with its four hooves clattering incessantly.

Liu Huiniang leaned over the table, lightly covering the lower half of her face with a handkerchief, and looked out the window, saying, "Father, I hear you're walking hurriedly. Have you encountered some problem?"

"It's a problem, not too big, not too small." Liu Guang stopped outside the window, handed over the letter, and a maid came to take it.

The maidservant spread out the letter and moved closer to Liu Huiniang, waiting for her to see the handwriting clearly.

Liu Guang casually asked, "Have you been feeling any better lately?"

Liu Huiniang was multitasking, reading the letter while laughing and saying, "A few days ago, my two brothers took me to see that manor. The cattle, horses, and boats were indeed made according to my drawings. After visiting it, I felt refreshed and my headache was much better."

Liu Huiniang was injured in the womb. She was intelligent but weak and sickly from a young age and could not practice the cultivation techniques of immortals and demons. In her spare time, besides reading at home, she only liked to play with wooden figurines and animals.

More than ten years ago, an old monk passed by the Liu residence and saw these little creatures. He was amazed by their beauty and insisted on taking Liu Huiniang as his successor. Liu Guang refused, so the old monk stole the children under cover of night.

Liu Guang's wife missed her daughter so much that she cried until she went blind, and soon after, she passed away.

It wasn't until last year that Liu Huiniang returned home, saying that she had learned various techniques of divination, mechanical manipulation, and mind reading from the old monk. The old monk had already passed away, and only then was she able to leave the mountain.

Liu Guang was naturally overjoyed to have his beloved daughter back. Later, when he encountered some troublesome and unsettling situations in his official career, Liu Huiniang would point out a clear path for him with just a few words, which made him even happier.

Just to please his daughter, he fenced off a piece of fertile land outside the city, leveled the crops, mobilized laborers to build artificial hills and dig streams, and recruited hundreds of craftsmen to create all sorts of mechanical devices according to Liu Huiniang's blueprints.

Those things were made of wood, stone, and iron, driven by minerals, and were extremely exquisite. Even if the craftsmen followed the blueprints carefully, they still produced mountains of waste products, wasting countless precious minerals and materials. Finally, they created the paradise in the hearts of Liu Huiniang's lineage.

"So that's how it is."

After reading the letter, Liu Huiniang coughed softly and said, "Liangshan now has at least two fierce generals and two top-notch Taoist priests, and there are probably even more experts. Although we don't have any troops, we must guard against them taking the commander's head from among thousands of soldiers. Father, you must have already sent someone to invite Yan Shude and Guo Jing, right?"

Liu Guang nodded.

"That's not safe enough." Liu Huiniang thought for a moment, "Father, send someone to prepare gold, silk, fine horses, and fragrant inkstones to invite Lin Chong."

Liu Guang's face darkened: "Lin Chong? That fellow did achieve some merit when he conquered Western Xia, but he's also a scoundrel who doesn't know when to advance or retreat. He criticized many of my friends in Bianliang, which made the Emperor dislike him, so he was demoted here. In the past few years, I've done my best to suppress him."

Liu Huiniang smiled: "After all, he still holds an official position and is highly skilled in martial arts. Father, you only made him poor, and you didn't dare to really lay a knife on him. It's not a big deal."

Liu Guang sneered, "Many lowly officials and bandits from the Eastern Circuit of Jingdong, who served in the army together but didn't know how to be officials, still have some dealings with Lin Chong after returning home. It's not worth it for me to kill him..."

He paused mid-sentence, then realized what was happening. "Huiniang, you mean if I get Lin Chong, Lei Heng, Zhu Tong, Du Qian, Shi Xiu, and the others involved, they'll have to do things for us this time too?"

Liu Huiniang nodded and said, "These people are neither suited to the court nor fit to be associated with commoners, so they inevitably feel lonely and miserable. That's why they keep contacting us. Father, as long as you give them enough face, even if they don't want to be on your side, they'll always be willing to do something for you."

Liu Guang said confidently, "Besides, I can request an imperial decree, so they have no choice but to agree."

Liu Huiniang said, "The best approach is to use both kindness and severity."

Liu Guang was relieved and stroked his beard, laughing, "Turning enemies into pawns and using them as my vanguard—even I, as their father, lack such magnanimity and failed to think of them in time. My Hui Niang is truly a female Zhuge Liang!"

After Liu Guang left, Liu Huiniang saw that the sky outside the window was bright and clear. She swallowed a pill to suppress her cough and instructed her servants to prepare a carriage so she could go to the government estate for a visit.

The manor is outside the city; the carriage has to leave the city to enter.

Liu Huiniang had been admiring the scenery of the city while lifting the carriage curtain, but as they were about to leave the city gate, she noticed that there were more beggars on the road.

At the corner outside the city wall, many people who were poorly clothed and emaciated were squatting.

With just a glance from afar, Liu Huiniang seemed to smell the stench emanating from them, and covered her nose, saying, "Are there even more beggars here now?"

The coachman said, "I heard that some tenant farmers outside the city had their land sold to the prefect to build manors, and they became beggars."

Liu Huiniang shook her head and said, "My father's territory is so prosperous that even if we can't farm, we can do other jobs. If all else fails, we can become boatmen and help unload cargo."

The maidservant laughed and said, "They all look like old people, women, and children; how could they have that kind of strength?"

Liu Huiniang said, "You silly girl, there are many people in the city who look about the same age as them, with gray hair, and they can still spend the night in brothels. They are not actually that old. Look at them, they still have the strength to beg from passersby. They are not really old and weak, they are just lazy and unwilling to work."

She was kind-hearted after all, and couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she drew the curtains and waited eagerly to go play in the manor.

The horse-drawn carriage rolled along the road.

About half an hour later, several carriages also stopped in front of Lin Chong's house.

Liu Guang's men carried the treasures from the carriage into Lin Chong's house one by one. They stayed for three-quarters of an hour, chatting patiently, before taking their leave.

Lin Chong was dressed in a simple blue round-necked robe and wore a blue headscarf, looking quite refined. After seeing the person off, he sat at home with a worried expression.

A thin gentleman walked in from outside the door, cupped his hands, and offered his congratulations: "Congratulations, Brother Lin! Congratulations, Brother Lin! I saw the insignia of Prefect Liu on the carriage. With so many treasures sent, Brother Lin must be about to be given an important position. In the future, when you rise to prominence, please don't forget your younger brother!"

Lin Chong said angrily, "Li Kaixian, so that's how you see me. Forgive me for being a crude person, I'm not worthy to speak to you. Go back to your own home."

Li Kaixian quickly stepped forward and patted Lin Chong on the back, pleading, "I was just joking. If you're still angry, Brother Lin, why not punch me as atonement?"

Lin Chong clenched his fists and glanced at him, fearing that if he blew too hard, he could blow him to death. In the end, he held back and sullenly told him about Liu Guang's invitation.

"Attack Liangshan?"

Li Kaixian put his hands behind his back, took two steps, and said, "Brother Lin, I'm afraid you have no choice but to go about this matter."

Lin Chong said, "I suppose Liangshan Marsh is nothing more than a bunch of bandits. If Liu Guang really wanted to attack, it would be effortless. Why drag us brothers into this? I'm really worried that there might be some kind of conspiracy involved."

Li Kaixian laughed heartily: "Bandits? Brother Lin, do you really think they're robbers?"

"With eight hundred li of marshland, no swords or spears, and the surrounding area sparsely populated, who could they possibly rob? Brother Lin, in these past few years, have you heard of any villages or strongholds being plundered by Liangshan?"

"Those were just ordinary people who were deliberately forced to Liangshan by them."

Lin Chong's expression immediately changed.

His good friend Li Kaixian was a Jinshi who had taken the imperial examinations all the way from Jinan to Bianliang. He was exceptionally talented, intelligent, and had a strong personality.

When Li Kaixian intended to meet the emperor and explained the advantages and disadvantages, he was unable to go and was instead reprimanded. The next day, he brought a precious sword to the front of the imperial city.

When Lin Chong met him, he was about to cut his wrists and write words in his blood. When Lin Chong heard the story, he was ready to help him. In the end, they were both driven out of Bianliang and became close friends.

Li Kaixian never speaks without reason; since he's said this, there must be something even more suspicious about Liangshan.

As Lin Chong inquired further, he grew increasingly alarmed. Looking at the boxes laden with gold and silk, his eyes blazed with rage. He exclaimed, "That old scoundrel is so vicious! If you hadn't spoken up, I fear Zhu Tong and the others would have been caught in the crossfire, and a single misstep could have led to eternal regret..."

He gritted his teeth and shouted.

Li Kaixian reacted quickly, grabbing his wrist and lifting him sideways.

Lin Chong was startled and quickly stopped. Li Kaixian was then able to land and asked, still shaken, "Brother Lin, where are we going?"

"I……"

Lin Chong was filled with murderous intent, wanting nothing more than to rush into Liu's mansion and kill that old scoundrel Liu Guang. But when he thought that Liu Guang was, after all, a high-ranking official of the court, and he had not caught any concrete evidence of his crimes, he suddenly felt at a loss.

He pointed to the box and said, "I...I smashed all this filth in Liu the scoundrel's house."

Li Kaixian shook his head repeatedly and said, "Brother Lin, you know I originally wanted to commit suicide, but why did I stop mentioning it later?"

Lin Chong didn't know how to answer.

Li Kaixian said, "I've realized that our momentary impulses are worthless. Only by enduring can we find an opportunity to do something useful."

Lin Chong's face darkened. After a long pause, he said, "Brother, tell me, what should we do?"

Li Kaixian said, "Just consider it an invitation from Liu Guang to set off with them. Be sure to bring Shi Xiu and the others along. I predict that after these people take Liangshan, they will kill indiscriminately as a reward for their war. How many people you can save will truly demonstrate your abilities, Brother Lin."

"However, Liu Guang could have easily taken on Liangshan on his own. The fact that he came to invite you must mean something has happened. You will need to be extra careful on the battlefield."

Lin Chong was persuaded by him.

Li Kaixian then asked him and Shi Xiu to entrust their families to his care, and to secretly leave the city that night to hide until the matter of Liangshan was resolved.

The following day during the day.

Lin Chong, Shi Xiu, and others rushed to the army and set off with Liu Qi and Liu Lin.

Upon reaching the open waterway, three large warships and two or three hundred small boats were already waiting quietly on the river.

After everyone boarded the ship, the large sails were raised and filled with wind, and more naval vessels gradually gathered along the way.

A thousand sails race, heading towards Liangshan Marsh.

As the sun began to set in the west, after sailing for a long time, Lin Chong looked out from the bow of the boat and saw Liangshan Marsh in the distance.

After the group stopped their boats and rested overnight, foot soldiers had already set up camp on the shore, raising a large banner with the character "Yan" and another strange banner embroidered with the image of the Heavenly King.

The army was filled with neatly arranged weapons, the sounds of men and horses, and people everywhere. Some were checking bowstrings, while others were wiping the tips of their spears.

When Lin Chong and his group saw Yan Shude and Guo Jing waiting outside the tent...

Guan Luoyang also saw them on Liangshan Mountain.

(End of this chapter)