A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 233 Borrowing a General

After the fall of Quancheng, Guan Luoyang first interrogated Liu Guang and others, and then sent Dai Zong to invite Li Kaixian, a local, to come and use Liu Guang's confession to identify the powerful families in the city and see which ones should be executed directly and which ones could be spared.

In just two days, these wealthy and ruthless clans who colluded with the government had their warehouses emptied. All the minerals stored in their homes were moved out, and those who tried to escape with large bags of gold, silver, and valuables were all blocked from leaving.

However, the people in the city did not have the extra energy to care about the life and death of these gentlemen—because Liangshan had opened its granaries to distribute grain.

Besides the official granaries in Jinan, the grain shops, salt shops, grain boats, and restaurants secretly controlled by officials of all ranks in Jinan were also turned into ready-made locations for distributing porridge and grain.

Guan Luoyang also sent people to transport grain to the city gates. He first fed the poor and beggars who had fled to the city with rice soup for a few days, and then distributed some grain to each of them.

As the Liangshan disciples in red walked among the crowds outside the city, they could hear voices of gratitude almost everywhere. Some people even brought their children to kneel and bow to them, while some teenagers mustered up their courage to approach and inquire, also wanting to join Liangshan.

Three days later, when the large contingent of soldiers was transporting grain and ore back to Liangshan, tens of thousands of people from the surrounding area of ​​Guangquan City followed them.

Along the way, some villagers saw such a big commotion and, after hearing about the Liangshan army's distribution of grain, the army unknowingly grew even larger.

There is actually a lot of fertile land in Liangshan that can be cultivated for growing grain. Some places were originally good farmland, but they have become overgrown with weeds and desolate because all the strong people were taken to work as miners.

However, land reclamation is an extremely difficult task. Lacking suitable farming tools, strong bodies, and food seeds, those who fled there in the past were unable to cultivate the land and could only choose to fish and hunt to barely make a living.

Now that Liangshan has so many soldiers, they can clear the wasteland first, and then the subsequent planting, irrigation, and pest control can be left to the local people.

"Alas, it's a pity that the spring plowing season has already passed."

Lin Chong uttered this remark while escorting the grain and minerals.

Lu Da laughed from his horse: "The chief had anticipated this long ago. He was going to stay in Quancheng for a while, so he wrote a letter and entrusted me to pass it on to Master Lin."

Lin Chong's eyes lit up: "It is said that Master Yuanmiao's Shenxiao Daoist technique is most adept at summoning wind and rain and controlling thunder, lightning and weather. With his cultivation, if he were to do his best to regulate the climate, he could indeed accomplish great things."

"But when I was in Bianliang, I heard that he was arrogant and looked down on everyone, even the civil and military officials in the court. Would he be willing to use magic for these common people?"

Lu Da said, "The chief said that after we go back, we should first call Li Ying and the others. After Master Lin has finished reading the letter, before he has a chance to speak, we should surround him and praise him. I think the chief is very confident, and this method will definitely work."

Lin Chong nodded thoughtfully: "Then I'll praise it too."

The sound of horses' hooves came from afar. Wu Song rode up and laughed, "We've spotted some scouts. It turns out they're from the nearby prefecture. They discovered our group's movements and sent people out to investigate."

Wu Song laughed loudly, "Hahahaha, I questioned those damn officials a few times, and they still don't understand what happened in Jinan."

Lu Da spat and said, "What a nuisance! Back when I was in the army, General Zhong, who commanded the troops, was often angered by these ignorant and incompetent prefects and magistrates."

Lin Chong smiled and said, "But now, this proves how quickly we broke through the city and how prudent our actions were. I'm afraid it will be until those defeated soldiers who fled to other prefectures entered the city and reported to the authorities that they will be able to sort things out and report to Bianliang."

His judgment was correct.

It wasn't until four days after Quancheng was captured by the Liangshan bandits that urgent reports from various parts of Jingdong East Road finally reached Bianliang.

The first to arrive there were the fast horses from Yizhou.

The general commander of Yizhou, Gao Lian, and his deputy, Gao Feng, have gone missing. The local prefect is the most anxious of all the high-ranking officials in the Jingdong East Circuit.

Upon hearing that Quancheng had fallen, he immediately dispatched his trusted confidant, riding the magnificent yellow horse that Gao Lian had collected over several months and was preparing to present as tribute, to Bianliang to deliver the news.

When the steed arrived outside Bianliang City, it was around midnight. The city's night market was ablaze with lights, illuminating half the sky.

Looking out from outside the city, one can see wisps of smoke rising, various kinds of incense, cooking smoke, and the famous incense burning in temples and palaces, lingering in the air above the capital like a fairy mist.

But all the enchanting and beautiful things in the city were blocked by the tall and majestic city walls, leaving only a gate connecting the inside and outside in front of the rider.

Since the civil and military heroes under Emperor Tianming defeated the Western Xia and intimidated the Tibetans, and a large army on the border intimidated the Liao Kingdom, the emperor was overjoyed and issued various decrees to demonstrate the prosperity of the Song Dynasty.

One of these rules is that the Xuande Gate of Bianliang City is never closed, regardless of day or night, wind or rain. How long has it been since the fall of Western Xia? How long has it been since the two gates of Xuande Gate have been closed?

The messenger on the back of the horse, amidst the vast expanse of yellow smoke, displayed his documents and badge outside Xuande Gate, while the soldiers below the city wall merely glanced at them.

The Taoist official guarding the city then cast a beam of magical light on the city wall, illuminating the cloud of auspicious smoke above the messenger's head, proving that his identity was genuine.

"The city's night market is bustling, and even late at night, there are noblemen and their sons walking on the streets. Although you are delivering an urgent message, you still need to know the rules. After entering the city, take the road through Bixie Lane, circle around half the city, and then go to the prefectural magistrate's office to report it."

The official gave a few instructions and then allowed the messenger to ride his horse into the city.

Upon entering the city, the first thing that entered the Yizhou courier's nostrils was the rich aroma, but if one could discern it carefully, one would discover that beneath this smoky fragrance lay a far more coarse and unpleasant pungent odor.

Tens of thousands of people in Bianliang City now practice demonic arts. The turbid air they exhale and exhale permeates every corner of the capital, causing smog every morning. Children with weak constitutions may even have their eyes watering if they walk in the smog.

The reason why spices are used up so quickly in the city is that the high-ranking officials and wealthy people who have some spare money all want to use incense to cover up this strange smell that is like iron being roasted.

Originally, unorthodox methods had too many hidden dangers. The cultivation methods of the immortal path, which initially involved refining the nine orifices and cultivating spiritual clarity, were too austere and difficult. Even though the nobles in Bianliang City all had some desire to seek magical powers, none of them could persevere.

In the past, if they wanted to experience the feeling of wielding supernatural powers, they could only try every means to become officials. Once they became officials, they would stop at nothing to become even higher officials and gain more power and fortune.

Since the rise of demonic cultivation techniques, officials of lower rank, scions of noble families without official positions, and wealthy merchants have discovered that there is such an easy-to-learn cultivation method.

With enough resources, anyone can cultivate strength of a thousand jin, leaping like the wind, chasing swallows and capturing eagles. If one can ask those Taoist officials to help mix the minerals, it will be even easier to practice.

How could they possibly give up on this path?

However, once the messenger arrived at Bixie Alley, the strangely strong fragrance faded considerably.

This alley was inhabited by Taoist officials of the imperial court. Most of them practiced Taoist magic, while some practiced unorthodox methods. In general, they disliked the smell of foul air, so each household had its own way of isolating themselves from it.

The streets felt very fresh.

The messenger noticed the unusual nature of the place and saw that the streets and alleys on both sides were filled with magnificent mansions. Some of the places with Taoist temple plaques were even more luxurious than the prefectural governor's mansion in Yizhou. So he unconsciously slowed down his horse.

In the Chen residence in Bixie Lane, Chen Xizhen was cultivating in his quiet room when he suddenly had a sudden inspiration. He did some calculations and vaguely sensed that it was related to the events in Quancheng and the people outside the residence.

He immediately went out and flew out of the mansion. He saw that the street was empty except for a single horseman riding slowly. The horseman was dressed as a messenger. He pointed and stopped the horse and rider in mid-air, and then pulled the documents from the messenger's back.

The Liangshan bandits gathered... Yun Tianbiao led a large army to attack Liangshan, but was killed... Liu Yongxi died... Quanzhou fell...

Chen Xizhen glanced at the document, his face instantly turning ashen. He barely managed to suppress his anger and read it over carefully from beginning to end.

Bang!

The documents were blown to ashes, and the air around the Chen mansion was filled with the deep, long sound of swords. A gentle breeze swept by, severing the fragrance outside the Evil-Repelling Alley and cutting off the green leaves on the branches at the end of the alley.

In the Wanshou Temple in Bianliang City, Liu Hunkang was enjoying the cool of the moonlight, lying on a recliner. The courtyard was filled with sleeping white cranes when suddenly several cranes were startled awake and cried out towards Bixie Alley.

Liu Hunkang opened his eyes, glanced at the teacup next to the rattan chair, picked up a little tea with his fingernail, flicked it into the wind, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

Inside the Fire Dragon Immortal Abode, bestowed by the emperor himself, Old Wang was pacing around the alchemy furnace, oblivious to the sound of the sword's clinking.

"Why hasn't the Purple Qi Divine Sand from the Cangshan Mine been delivered yet this year?"

That's all he cares about.

Many people in Bianliang City heard the sound of the sword, and Chen Xizhen's followers hurriedly left their homes and rushed to Chen's residence.

The group of Taoist officials and military officers moved quickly, and in a short while, more than forty people gathered outside the Chen residence.

When the evil-binding master Gou Ying smelled the blood, he glanced at the messenger and saw that the man had been affected by the sound of the sword and had seven or eight crisscrossing bloodstains on his body. Seeing that it was an eyesore, he reached out and prepared to slap him out of the alley.

Suddenly, a drop of clear, moist water fell from the sky, carrying the fragrance of tea, and landed on the courier's forehead. The water flowed all over his body, and his wounds healed instantly.

Gou Ying recognized Liu Hunkang's scent in the tea. She hesitated, her hand already halfway outstretched, and withdrew, avoiding looking at the messenger.

Many of Chen Xizhen's generals had already asked him why he had suddenly become angry.

When Chen Xizhen told them about what happened in Quancheng, everyone was initially stunned and incredulous. Then, they became excited and clamored to send troops to Liangshan to avenge Yun Tianbiao, Liu Yongxi, and Liu Guang's family.

"Grand Commandant Yun is my brother. Master Liu Yongxi is my sworn brother. Brother Liu Guangxian is my sworn brother!"

Chen Xizhen, his heart filled with hatred and anger, his tiger-like eyes brimming with tears, looked around at everyone and said, "This hatred is irreconcilable. When it is just dawn, I will go to the palace to ask the Emperor for permission. All brothers, go back and prepare your magical weapons and armor, bid farewell to your families, and tomorrow I will mobilize 100,000 troops to raze Liangshan to the ground."

Without another word, everyone returned home, each filled with anger.

Despite his grief and anger, Gou Ying appeared thoughtful and pulled Chen Xizhen aside, saying, "Daozi, we must avenge this great grudge, but do you intend to lead the brothers to join the army in attacking Liangshan?"

Chen Xizhen said, "That's right. The Emperor trusts us immensely and would never refuse this."

"I'm not saying the Emperor won't allow it, but the Liangshan bandits are so vicious. Even if we could lead our troops to raze Liangshan to the ground, we'd probably lose some of our old friends. Wouldn't that be even more heartbreaking?"

Gou Ying said, "Daozi, it's fine for you to be the commander-in-chief, but as for the vanguard generals and so on, why not borrow a few people from the border army? When the time comes, they can lead the troops to fight. Even if they die for the court, it will be a good thing for them."

Chen Xizhen thought about it carefully and nodded: "What Fellow Daoist Gou Ying said is true. However, since that's the case, we might as well borrow some more things. An army cannot move until its supplies are ready. Since the border troops haven't been fighting recently, we can use some of the supplies allocated to them first. We can return them to them after we've crushed Liangshan."

Gou Ying repeatedly praised, "Daozi's insight is truly remarkable."

After they had discussed and agreed on the plan, they waited for daylight so they could immediately enter the palace.

However, Chen Xizhen's anger at night had already attracted the attention of many people. When he entered the palace, several ministers who had always disagreed with him were already waiting in the palace.

The emperor did not hold court today. The chief eunuch of the palace stood to one side of the dragon throne, instructing them to report any matters to the emperor.

When Chen Xizhen mentioned the matter of borrowing generals and supplies, Li Gang and others, being among the few loyal and upright officials in the court, immediately became angry and refuted him.

"This is absolutely unacceptable."

Li Gang exclaimed, "Since the reigns of Emperors Taizu and Taizong, the Song Dynasty has always cherished the wish of its ancestors to recover the lost lands of Yan and Yun from the Liao Kingdom. After defeating the Xia Dynasty, the Song army was exhausted and the national treasury was empty, so they said they needed to recuperate for a few years."

"Now that our Great Song Dynasty is strong and well-equipped, and the Liao Dynasty is on the verge of decline, this is a golden opportunity that has come once every few centuries. It's one thing that His Majesty has been slow to order the start of war, but you even want to borrow our generals and provisions. What are your intentions?"

Chen Xizhen said calmly, "The Liao Kingdom is, after all, a vast and powerful nation, incomparable to the Western Xia. There's no reason why it should be so easily conquered. The border troops' delay is precisely because Your Majesty is considering the well-being of the Song people."

"However, those generals spend their days leisurely among the border troops, and they don't resemble military commanders at all. I'm using them to suppress bandits, which is the duty of a military commander. Li Gang, you don't understand military affairs, so please don't speak."

Li Gang and the others were unwilling to comply, and after much arguing, the matter came to nothing, and they could only wait for the emperor's decision.

After the court session ended, the ministers waited for three days, but the emperor still did not issue an edict on the matter. Chen Xizhen brought up the old issue again, and another debate ensued.

Two days later, Chen Xizhen secretly sneaked into the palace to request an audience with the emperor.

Only then did they learn that the emperor had been in seclusion for the past two days and was quite troubled after hearing about their argument.

In the Imperial Garden, the Emperor said to Chen Xizhen, "Destroying the Western Xia, intimidating the Tibetans, and then defeating the Liao Dynasty and recovering the Yan and Yun regions, I will be the most brilliant and illustrious ruler of the Song Dynasty, achieving an unparalleled feat since the Han and Tang Dynasties. Daozi, it's fine if you want to suppress the bandits, but why mobilize the border troops at this time?"

"Your Majesty's achievements are already on par with those of Emperor Taizong of Tang and Emperor Taizu of Han. Why rush the defeat of Liao? But if those bandits are not eliminated, I fear that unruly people in various places will follow suit. In that case, wouldn't history have to add more chapters about those bandits?"

Chen Xizhen was eloquent, and her words made the emperor frown slightly, and he felt even more disgusted with those unruly people.

It's a small matter if it tarnishes the annals of history, and it doesn't matter if some rumors spread among the people who don't understand the will of Heaven. But if it were to be a formal rebellion, it would damage the dynasty's fortune and hinder his spiritual practice, which would be extremely undesirable. In the end, the emperor nodded slightly and approved the matter.

The following day, the emperor sent someone to Han Shizhong's tent at the border to issue an imperial edict.

(End of this chapter)