What goes around comes around! I've run into the ancestor of all scoundrels today.
I feigned surprise and asked, "What's going on?"
Zhu Yuanzhang picked at his teeth and said, "Didn't we just finish reducing the army? Now we have 100,000."
I offered him a cigarette and said with a forced smile, "Can't we just re-incorporate them after we've cut them off?"
Zhu Yuanzhang, puffing out smoke rings, said, "Oh dear, this is no easy task, it takes a lot of effort."
I chuckled and said, "Then I'll wait for you. I'll come back whenever you've successfully recruited them."
Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback, and his gaze towards me turned somewhat resentful. This was a stalemate between an old scoundrel and an old rogue. After a moment of silence, we both realized that since we were the same kind of people, we might as well speak frankly. Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Xiao Qiang, don't blame your brother for not helping you. 500,000 is no joke. If you take it and disappear, where will I go to cry?"
I chuckled and said, "See, you told the truth now? Why would I lie to you about 500,000 people? I'd have to support them. I'll pay you back in a few days."
Zhu Yuanzhang shook his head and said, "It's not easy to manage. Soldiers are like money; it's more reassuring to keep them in your own hands. Hey, why don't you lend me some money? I'll lend you 500,000 Ming Dynasty Treasure Notes."
"...You want me to take money from the Ming Dynasty and spend it in the Song Dynasty? Aren't you just creating inflation?"
Zhu Yuanzhang shrugged: "Then there's nothing we can do."
I said, my expression changing, "Why are you making things so difficult for me? To tell you the truth, I've already raised over 2 million. If you don't agree, I'll bring them here first!"
Zhu Yuanzhang asked warily, "What do you want to do?"
I sneered, "Don't worry, I won't hit you. You're rich, aren't you? I'll bring these 2 million people to eat you up, and let them all taste your roast duck."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a mournful face, "How unlucky am I to have met someone like you? Tell me, when do you want it?"
I said, "You should set off in three days, go as soon as possible." This guy was considered rich among the founding emperors, so I didn't stand on ceremony.
Zhu Yuanzhang said with a pained expression, "Alright, finish this roast duck and then hurry up and leave."
I laughed and said, "Don't be like that. In the future, who won't need whom?"
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it and agreed, then picked up his cup and said, "Come, let's drink."
I counted on my fingers and said with a troubled expression, "I can't drink anymore. I have to go find my third brother to think of a solution."
Zhu Yuanzhang asked, "What is it now?"
I spent ages trying to figure it out but couldn't come up with anything, so I had to call Wu Yong first. As soon as he answered, he asked, "How much have you borrowed?" I had already told him about military strategy earlier.
I said with a worried look, "Not much, far from the target."
Wu Yong asked cautiously, "Do you have 500,000?"
"Including our Liangshan, the total is 2.8 million."
Wu Yong exclaimed in surprise, "You say this isn't much? How much do you want to borrow?"
"Isn't our target 8 million?"
Wu Yong asked in bewilderment, "Who made this decision for you?"
"...Didn't you say you wanted to outnumber the enemy tenfold?"
Wu Yong chuckled and said, "I was just saying, you actually took it seriously? We have 2.8 million..."
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed and said, "Forget about 2.8 million, I'll round it up to 3 million."
Wu Yong laughed and said, "With these 3 million men, how can we not deal with Jin Wuzhu?"
My worry turned to joy. To be honest, I didn't want to bother Wu Sangui either; it would only make him more miserable. Besides, going to him wouldn't be of much help; a Yunnan king would only be worth 200,000 or 300,000 at most. I said easily, "So, we don't need to raise another 8 million?"
Wu Yong pondered for a moment and said, "Actually, 8 million is also simple."
I asked intently, "Really?"
Wu Yong nodded seriously and said, word by word, "Let's just call it 8 million!"
I:"……"
Chapter 153 Without guns or cannons, the enemy made them for us.
With Wu Yong's "claim," my journey to borrow troops can finally be temporarily concluded. Actually, it's my fault for being so stubborn; I took his casual remark of 8 million seriously without considering the possibility of a "claim." Moreover, this seems to have been a common tactic in ancient warfare, as prevalent as drug dealers taking kickbacks today. The most common scenario is a country claiming a million-strong army when it actually has at most 200,000. A typical example is Cao Cao's father, who claimed 700,000 or 800,000 troops for the Battle of Red Cliffs. I simply don't believe 800,000 men could be reduced to a few hundred by a single fire.
On the way back to Liangshan, I reflected on this trip to borrow troops. Overall, it went relatively smoothly, but there were difficulties, mainly with a few stingy emperors. They were all incredibly wealthy, and borrowing troops was like asking for their lives, even though it didn't cost them anything. I also noticed that if you asked them for official positions, money, or beautiful women, they'd readily hand them over without hesitation, but they were extremely sensitive about military power. That's just how it is with me; anyone else, even their own father, probably wouldn't have agreed. But I can't blame them; it just shows they understand the hardships of starting a business.
Back at Liangshan, the bandits were already fully prepared to set off. Wu Yong pulled me aside and looked at the blueprints for a long time before saying, "Based on the distance, the Tang and Song armies will probably be outside Taiyuan Prefecture in three days. Let's set off tomorrow so that we can have someone to meet us then."
I nodded and said, "Let's do it this way. I'm going to take a nap first."
Jin Shaoyan grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously, saying, "Brother Qiang, we owe you a lot this time."
I rolled my eyes at him and said, "Let go. If it weren't for the fact that my wife would also get caught... I would have to help too. Isn't Shishi my cousin?"
Before I could even go to sleep, Qin Qiong called and questioned me, "Xiao Qiang, you're not planning to abandon us here, are you?"
I laughed and said, "How could that be? We're counting on Second Brother to lead the troops."
Cheng Yaojin shouted from the side, "Stop talking nonsense and come pick us up quickly."
I hung up the phone, shrugged, and said, "Fine, I have to go back."
Wu Yong said, "It's good that they've come. We can't have 3 million people without a few who know how to lead troops into battle."
I asked Jin Shaoyan, "Are you going back?"