Although Song Jiang could not confirm Wang Xuan's identity, he was prepared to do things for him while secretly investigating his identity.
If this person is truly a prince, then Song Jiang will have risen to the top in one fell swoop. If he is merely the son of a high-ranking official, then he has not lost out.
Of course, there's another possibility: that Wang Xuan is just a businessman, simply trying to fool him. If that's the case, his friends in the martial arts world will naturally stand up for him!
Chapter Nineteen: Attacking Yuncheng County!
Wang Xuan and Song Jiang spent a short time together. Each of them had their own ulterior motives, but on the surface they seemed to be having a good time.
Not long after, Wang Xuan took his leave and returned directly to Liangshan.
"Wang Lun, go and summon the leaders of Liangshan. I have an important decision to announce!" Wang Xuan said to his strategist.
Wang Lun accepted the order and left. Not long after, several leaders of Liangshan arrived at the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.
To this day, there are only a handful of leaders left at Liangshan Marsh, but they have subtly split into two factions.
One of the factions included Du Qian, Song Wan, and Zhu Gui, who represented the old forces of Liangshan and controlled the eight hundred infantrymen of Liangshan.
Another faction consists of the three Ruan brothers, who are newcomers and command the Liangshan navy.
Although Wang Xuan saw through it, he ignored it. As the great man aptly said: "Without parties outside the party, there is imperial thinking; without factions within the party, there is a myriad of strange things." Internal factions cannot be eliminated. As long as they don't fight amongst themselves and weaken their own strength, why should Wang Xuan bother with them?
"I wonder what brings Master here?" Ruan Xiaoqi asked with a fawning smile, showing no formality whatsoever. Although he had been Wang Xuan's disciple for a shorter time than Du Qian and Song Wan, Wang Xuan treated him somewhat favorably because of his superior talent and the strongest aura he possessed.
Wang Xuan glanced at his disciples and said calmly, "Get ready. In three days, we will launch an attack on Yuncheng County!"
"Hiss!" A collective gasp of cold air suddenly filled the Hall of Righteousness.
Don't be fooled by Wang Xuan and his gang's rule over Liangshan Marsh and their robbing of passing merchants. In the eyes of the Song Dynasty, it was nothing more than petty squabbles, not worth the effort to eradicate.
But if they dare to attack the county seat, then the nature of their actions will change, turning them from bandits into rebels! As long as Wang Xuan dares to send troops to attack Yuncheng County, regardless of whether he succeeds or fails, the Song Dynasty will send troops to suppress them!
Could their Liangshan Marsh withstand the encirclement and suppression by the imperial army?
"Master, please reconsider!" Zhu Gui hurriedly advised, "Although the money and food on the mountain are a bit tight recently, we can just rob a few landlords and rich people. There is no need to attack the county town!"
During this period, Wang Xuan had been carrying out sweeping reforms of the mountain stronghold, no longer engaging in his old bandit activities. In addition, Liangshan had recruited several hundred more men, so the money and provisions accumulated during Wang Lun's time were almost exhausted. Du Qian and Zhu Gui both believed that Wang Xuan was attacking Yuncheng County to solve the problem of money and provisions, and therefore tried to dissuade him.
Wang Xuan rolled his eyes and said irritably, "My purpose in attacking Yuncheng County is not just about money and supplies, you don't need to try to persuade me anymore!"
Now that Wang Xuan had made his decision, they said no more. This era valued respect for teachers and elders, and Wang Xuan was not only the leader of the mountain stronghold but also their master. Therefore, they could not refute Wang Xuan's decision.
"Xiao Qi, how is our mountain stronghold's naval training going? If the imperial court comes to attack, can you hold them off outside the marshland?" Wang Xuan asked, still somewhat uneasy.
Ruan Xiaoqi said confidently, "Master, don't worry. Our naval brothers train day and night and are no longer a rabble. Moreover, if the imperial court attacks, they won't be able to gather many ships. We are confident that we can defeat them!"
Hearing Ruan Xiaoqi say this, everyone immediately felt relieved.
With eight hundred miles of water blocking the way, as long as the navy is not defeated, they can take advantage of this invincible position.
The entire Liangshan Mountain was like a war machine, and it roared into action at Wang Xuan's command.
In the blink of an eye, it was the third day. Wang Xuan was still dressed like a young master, with Wang Lun by his side and fifty or sixty henchmen. They arrived in Yuncheng County.
These henchmen were all handpicked elites, disguised as guards of wealthy families, and outsiders would never be able to tell their origins.
Their large group did not enter the city, but waited not far from the entrance of the county town.
Not long after, the two constables, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, arrived with several carts of medicinal herbs. Song Jiang was also in the procession, clearly having contributed to the acquisition of these herbs.
"Young Master Wang, all the medicinal herbs you requested are here. Would you like to inspect them?" Song Jiang said with a smile.
Wang Xuan also smiled and said, "No need, I trust you to handle things."
"Someone, bring these cartloads of medicinal herbs back immediately!"
Soon, a dozen or so henchmen rushed over, took the cartloads of medicinal herbs, and turned to leave.
Zhu Tong and Lei Heng felt a pang of anxiety and asked hesitantly, "Young Master Wang, would you like to pay for the goods first?"
Wang Xuan waved his sleeve, and his men brought up a box filled with silver ingots.
"Young Master Wang is indeed generous and magnanimous! We will never refuse your orders in the future!" Lei Heng was dazzled by the silver and kept flattering Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan said, "It's still early, how about we go into town for a drink?"
Song Jiang and his men were just looking for an opportunity to get closer to Wang Xuan, so they quickly agreed.
So they went into the city.
Wang Xuan brought fifty or sixty men with him. Although more than a dozen of them escorted the medicinal herbs back, there were still quite a few left.
Logically speaking, if such a large group of them entered the city, the soldiers guarding the city gate would definitely conduct a thorough search. Wang Xuan's dozens of men were all armed, and if they were searched, they would surely be exposed.
But now that Song Jiang, the clerk, and Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, the two captains, are here, how dare the lowly soldiers at the city gate still check them?
After entering the city, Wang Xuan and Song Jiang found a restaurant, ordered a table of food and wine, and drank until it got dark before saying goodbye and leaving.
Wang Xuan had no idea what Song Jiang and his men had gone back to do; at that moment, he was leading his men straight toward the city gate.
After he fired a signal arrow, a sudden change occurred. A cloud of dust rose outside the county town, and a large number of bandits, led by Du Qian and Song Wan, charged toward the town.
"Oh no! Bandits are attacking the city! Close the city gates immediately!"
The city gates were quickly closed. There were several hundred soldiers in Yuncheng County. Under normal circumstances, Liangshan's current strength would not be enough to take Yuncheng County.
However, at this moment, Wang Xuan suddenly launched an attack with dozens of his men who had infiltrated the city. How could the twenty-odd soldiers guarding the city gate possibly withstand them?
The city gates were flung open instantly, and a large number of Liangshan bandits poured into the county town.
"Pass down my orders: no harassment of civilians, only plundering those rich and heartless tycoons!" Wang Xuan wasn't one to kill innocent people indiscriminately. Now that he was carrying the banner of acting on behalf of Heaven, even his robbery was done with finesse.
Yuncheng County was just a small county town. Hundreds of soldiers from Liangshan Marsh marched into the town and headed straight for the county government office and the treasury.
Chapter Twenty: Clerk Song is a Bandit!
Before attacking Yuncheng County, Wang Xuan had also inquired about the location of the imperial granaries and identified several notorious wealthy households as key targets for their attack.
At the beginning, the Liangshan army was truly unstoppable, directly breaking through the county government office and forcing the county magistrate to flee in a sorry state.
However, after they captured several government treasuries and seized large amounts of money and grain, they had to allocate manpower to escort them. Meanwhile, the wealthy households and officials in the city calmed down from their initial panic and began to organize the people to resist.
Liangshan Marsh didn't have a good reputation before; it wasn't the people's army that would later become known for its impeccable conduct. When the people of the county town heard that bandits had invaded the city, there was no reason for them not to resist.
"Master, the magistrate of Yuncheng County has fled outside the city and is gathering local militia. He could attack the city at any moment!" Du Qian, having practiced the martial arts taught by Wang Xuan, had greatly increased his martial prowess. He slashed down a county soldier with a single stroke, reached Wang Xuan's side, and reported to him.
If Wang Xuan were to take action personally, a mere small county town would be easily captured. However, he did not intend to do so, because killing would create karma, and this karma would deplete one's own fortune.
"Pass down the order: we'll rob the rich and leave immediately. Take as much money and grain as we can, and distribute what we can't take to the people in the city!" Wang Xuan directly unleashed his trump card of "robbing the rich to help the poor."
This tactic worked perfectly. When the Liangshan army first entered the county town, the people were united in their resolve. But when they discovered that these bandits were different—not only did they not rob the people, but they also robbed the rich to help the poor—they lost all will to resist.
The people, who had initially organized their resistance in an orderly manner, quickly descended into chaos, busy looting and scrambling for valuables.
Meanwhile, in the crowd, a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties angrily cursed, "Damn it, where did these bandits come from? How did they manage to break into the city so easily? Did the guards at the city gates eat shit?!"
Surrounded by twenty or thirty soldiers, along with several clerks and officials, the middle-aged man was Shi Wenbin, the magistrate of Yuncheng County. He had actually infiltrated the city, waiting for an opportunity to organize a popular uprising!
Clearly, the information Du Qian received was incorrect; it was a false alarm deliberately spread by Shi Wenbin.
A clerk reported with a distressed expression: "Sir, we have found out that the bandits who have invaded the county town are from Liangshan Marsh!"
"Liangshan Marsh?!" the magistrate exclaimed in surprise. "So it's the men of that failed scholar Wang Lun. Although Wang Lun has gathered bandits in the mountains, he has always been law-abiding, fearing only that he might attract the court's wrath. How could he be so bold this time?"
No one present could answer this question.
Wang Xuan had only seized the position of leader of Liangshan for half a month. In that era, news was scarce, and even the fishermen near the marshland were unaware of it, let alone the officials in Yuncheng County.
"You know nothing about this and that, you didn't even know that a large band of bandits from Liangshan was approaching the county town. What use are you? Are you just here to eat?!" Without getting a reply, County Magistrate Shi Wenbin scolded him with a dark face.
One of the officials defended himself, saying, "Your Excellency, although the county's soldiers have been somewhat lax in their duties, the commotion caused by nearly a thousand bandits approaching the county town is impossible to conceal. We noticed it long ago and have kept the city gates closed, preparing to hold out for reinforcements."
“Under normal circumstances, this band of bandits would not be able to break into the county town in a short time. We can calmly organize the people to help defend the city, and the city will be safe.”
"The reason why the county town fell so quickly is because there was a traitor within our ranks; someone was colluding with the bandits!"
"Colluding with bandits?!" Shi Wenbin gritted his teeth in hatred upon hearing this. Local officials like him needed to demonstrate good performance to be promoted. Now, during his tenure as magistrate, Yuncheng County had been ravaged by bandits. Forget promotion; he'd be lucky if he wasn't dismissed and investigated by the imperial court.
"Who on earth dares to collude with bandits? This matter cannot be left unresolved; it must be thoroughly investigated!" Shi Wenbin's face was contorted with rage, his veins bulging, as he stared intently at the official like a tiger ready to devour its prey.
The clerk dared not be negligent and said, "You know the magistrate who colluded with the bandits; he has a great reputation in the martial arts world."
"Instant rain falls in all directions, Shandong calls for justice, hero Song Jiang!"
"What?! It turns out that Clerk Song Jiang is colluding with bandits?!" Shi Wenbin was incredulous. Song Jiang was a clerk he had high hopes for, skilled in writing. How could he have colluded with bandits?
Could it be that this fellow framed him to replace Clerk Song? Shi Wenbin looked at the clerk with a suspicious expression.
That clerk was a shrewd man; seeing the county magistrate's gaze, how could he not guess what the other was thinking?
He immediately protested, "Your Excellency, how ignorant you are! The reason the Liangshan bandits were able to storm the city so quickly is because there was another group of bandits inside the city who colluded with them to open the city gates. That group of bandits was let in by Song Jiang, the clerk, and the two constables, Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, were also involved. Many people saw this, there is no doubt about it!"
A huge accusation was dumped on Song Jiang and his men, leaving them no room for argument. After all, it was a fact that Wang Xuan had indeed followed Song Jiang and his men into the city.
"Is it really that short, dark-skinned Song Jiang who's colluding with bandits? And Zhu Tong and Lei Heng too! I entrusted them with such important responsibilities, handing over the defense of Yuncheng County to them!" The magistrate was furious.
Just as County Magistrate Shi Wenbin was berating Song Jiang and his men, the Liangshan army had already collected enough money and provisions. The excess could not be taken away, so it was distributed to the people.
They had to evacuate Yuncheng County as soon as possible, since his troops were limited in number. If the surrounding government troops came to their aid, things would be very bad.
Carrying large and small bags, Wang Xuan led his men out of Yuncheng County in an orderly manner and returned to Liangshanbo.
There were no obstacles along the way. The county magistrate was busy appeasing the people and couldn't wait for them to leave. How could he dare to stop them?
Upon returning to the stronghold, Wang Xuan immediately ordered the leaders to take stock of the troops, wanting to know how many men had been lost in the attack on Yuncheng County.
After taking stock, Wang Xuan was speechless. There were only eight or nine hundred people when they set off, but now more than 1,200 people had returned to Liangshan, several hundred more than when they set off!
“Master, you told us to rob the rich and help the poor, and to distribute the money and grain that we couldn’t take with us to the people. This has made Liangshan somewhat famous in Yuncheng County.” Du Qian first found out the reason, and then explained to Wang Xuan: “Some people who received the benefits were worried that the government and those rich households would settle accounts with them. So, the men who had no family ties followed us up the mountain.”
Chapter Twenty-One: Military Preparations and Warfare
Regardless, having several hundred more underlings was undoubtedly a good thing, and Wang Xuan accepted it happily.
Of the several hundred new recruits, Wang Xuan selected one hundred who knew how to swim and assigned them to Ruan Xiaoqi and his men, further expanding the size of his naval force. The rest were all organized into a battalion, which he would personally lead.