The Thief Prince

Meanwhile, Gan Zhu, the leader of the Jin Fan bandits, had been secretly impressed by Li Zheng's demeanor ever since they had spoken and interacted in front of Jinsha Beach.

Upon returning to Liangshan Marsh that day, before even selling the looted goods, they headed straight for Liangshan Marsh.

Guided by Ma San, Gan Zhu abandoned his boat and went ashore, taking two followers with him as they walked along the newly built dirt road toward Liangshan.

As he watched the scenery of Liangshan change drastically along the way, he was secretly surprised.

They originally thought that Li Zheng and his group were just using Liangshan as a temporary nest, but they never expected that they would manage Liangshan so well and even settle down the refugees.

There are thousands of people in that group. How much food would they consume every day? He would definitely be reluctant to do that.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, they found many soldiers had finished their rest and were continuing their sparring with wooden poles.

Du Yu, Luo Pan, and other leaders took whips and stood guard in place of Li Zheng.

Not far away is a newly cultivated vegetable field.

Some elderly people and women were weeding in the fields. Even when the shouts of battle came from the drills, they remained calm and unperturbed.

Gan Zhu was even more surprised to see this scene; it gave him a sense of vibrant life.

This kind of vitality can now only be seen in the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty; it cannot be found in any other county or village.

The crucial point is, this place is a den of thieves!

Is it right for a den of thieves to be so harmonious?

Gan Zhu couldn't help but say to the person next to him, "I originally thought that Li Zheng was already being kind by not driving away these refugees, but I didn't expect him to even open up fields for them."

The man was wearing a long gown and a Dongpo scarf.

Upon hearing Gan Zhu's words, he smiled but remained silent, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

It wasn't until a hearty voice rang out that the three of them came to their senses: "Hahaha! Brother Gan Zhu!"

Looking over, Gan Zhu saw Li Zheng with his hair down and his clothes open, striding towards her.

He couldn't help but smile: "Zhen Shandong! I've come to have a drink with you!"

Li Zheng laughed and said, "I forgot our promise the other day, and I was just wondering when you would come to ask for a drink."

Gan Zhu said, "The government troops on the river were in hot pursuit, and it took some effort to shake them off."

Having said that, he held up the fish basket in his hand: "I caught two big golden fish on the river, which are quite novel. I brought them to you as a gift."

Li Zheng peeked out and saw two large, golden fish lying in the basket, their scales gleaming, though he couldn't tell what kind they were.

He couldn't help but sigh, "These fish are so beautiful, but my mountain village is newly built and there is no pond to raise them."

Gan Zhu waved his hand dismissively: "What's the point of keeping it! We're all rough men; we hunt it for food!"

Li Zheng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Brother, you're so generous! Alright, let's try the taste of this goldfish today."

Gan Zhu then pointed to the two men beside him: "I brought two brothers along today to mooch a few drinks. Is it convenient for you, Brother Li Zheng?"

Li Zheng said, "My brother's brother is naturally my brother, what's the problem? May I ask how you two are addressed?"

One of the young men patted his chest: "My name is Gan Xun, my brothers in the underworld call me 'Crossing-the-River Dragon,' greetings, Brother Li Zheng!"

Gan Zhu said, "He is my cousin, and he manages a large ship under my command. I brought him here to introduce him to my family."

"As for this gentleman, he is Mr. Wang Zhaoyuan, whom I have recently made a new friend."

Dressed like a scholar, Wang Zhaoyuan bowed to Li Zheng and said, "I am Wang Zhaoyuan, greetings to my elder brother."

"Excellent! You are all heroes and outstanding individuals. It is my honor to have you as guests in my mountain stronghold."

Li Zheng returned the greetings one by one and waved to lead everyone into the village.

Several leaders who remained in the village, including Wu Anqing, Han Zhu, and Zhang Yin, also came to greet them, and everyone sat down as host and guest.

The three men from Ganzhu saw that although the hall was simple, it had wooden beams and stone foundations, and the village flags were hung high, giving it a certain grandeur.

He couldn't help but speak first, saying, "I was worried about what would happen to these refugees after you went to Liangshan, but I didn't expect you to be so generous as to actually keep them here."

Li Zheng laughed and said, "The world is in a bad state these days, and everyone is suffering. They're just sticking together for warmth."

Gan Zhu praised, "Brother, you are a benevolent and righteous man. I used to use this marshland as a place to hide. When I met these refugees, I felt sorry for them, but I had no intention of helping them. I am not as good as you."

Li Zheng smiled and said, "I'm not supporting them for nothing. They need to farm, build roads, and do other work. Only by being self-sufficient can we last."

After talking for a while, Gan Zhu, his mouth dry, immediately laughed and said, "We've talked so much, we're thirsty. Why isn't there any wine?"

Li Zheng immediately called for someone to fetch the wine.

After a while, the eldest son came running over, looking troubled.

Seeing his expression, Li Zheng asked, "What's wrong?"

The eldest son said, "Brother, we drank all the stored wine at the banquet a few days ago, not a drop was left."

Li Zheng's expression hardened slightly, and he was about to speak when Gan Zhu's face darkened with displeasure.

"Chief Li, I've come to ask for a drink in front of you; are you really going to refuse me even this small token of respect?"

Upon hearing this, the leaders of Black Wind Stronghold were also displeased.

Wu Anqing stood up and said, "Brother Gan, if you're out of wine, just buy some. Why get angry with my brother?"

Gan Zhu said, "I, Gan Zhu, value integrity above all else when it comes to making friends. Since the chieftain said he would treat me to a drink that day, I should leave him a bowl."

"To make excuses when there's no wine—is that the behavior of a true man?"

Wu Anqing was about to say something when Li Zheng reached out and stopped him, saying, "This time it was my fault."

Li Zheng knew that people like Gan Zhu valued their reputation the most.

I had promised to treat him to drinks, so even though he didn't come, I still had to leave this bowl of wine.

Now that they can't produce any wine, both of them have lost face, and it's all their fault no matter what.

Gan Zhu snorted coldly and got up to leave.

Li Zheng stepped forward to stop him: "Brother, where are you going? I made a mistake, you can scold or beat me if you want, but are you going to cut ties with me?"

Gan Zhu sneered, "You are a notorious bandit from Shandong with a thousand or so brothers under your command. If I dare to fight you, I'm afraid I won't even be able to leave Liangshan."

Li Zheng said, "In that case, brother, please sit here for a while and give me half a day. I will go down the mountain to buy it myself."

Gan Zhu looked at him: "Really?"

Li Zheng said, "Having already broken my promise, how could I dare to deceive you again?"

He then looked at the crowd and said, "I'll be right back. None of you need to come with me."

The leaders all looked alarmed: "Brother, you mustn't!"

Wu Anqing frowned and said, "Brother, you are of noble birth, how could you..."

Li Zheng interrupted, "Don't say anything more!"

After saying this, he took a hand axe from the side and tucked it into his waistband, then took a silver ingot and cupped his hands in greeting to the three people from Ganzhu.

He then turned and strode out of the village gate, actually going down Liangshan Mountain alone with an axe.

Gan Xun and Wang Zhaoyuan wanted to persuade him, but seeing that Gan Zhu remained silent, they had no choice but to give up.

Because Li Zheng had given his prior instructions, no one in the village dared to follow.

Seeing Li Zheng really go down the mountain by himself, Gan Zhu looked at his back and a look of shock flashed in his eyes.

He thought to himself: This person left so decisively, it's really unusual. This is the first time I, Ganzhu, have seen such a bold and generous person.