Chapter Twelve: The Mountain Fortress Plot

  Meng Sheng had not yet responded, when Lian Zhu hurriedly said: "Yes! Brother Feng is right, we can only avenge the governor by heavily defeating the Li family! The governor has shown me kindness and raised me, I am a person of the Li family in life, and a dead man of the Li family in death!"

  All brothers were amused by Lian Zhu's words.

  Feng Manlin saw Meng Sheng only bowing his head in contemplation, and said: "Meng Sheng! I know that the burden of avenging one's father is heavy on your shoulders. But you've grown up now, and it's time for you to take on the responsibilities that are yours to bear! The commander only told you one thing before he died: 'Be a real man!' A man who can't take responsibility isn't a real man! I followed the commander for over ten years, watching him rise from being a banner general in the Beiyang Army to becoming a warlord who controlled his own territory. He took on more and more responsibilities at every step! The commander was a real man! A person like that may have lost battles, but he lived with the courage of a man! I, Feng Manlin, admire him!"

  In fact, Meng Sheng had always wanted to avenge his father! However, after losing his mother at the age of ten, his nostalgia and reverence for her reached an unparalleled level in his heart. He remembered every single thing she did for him and every word she said to him, believing that forgetting these would be a betrayal of his mother. The desire for revenge against his father's killer was irreconcilable, but his mother's teachings about being kind and not quarreling with others still lingered in his ears. He was just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid, and the long period of pampering had made him afraid, afraid that the weight of the irreconcilable hatred would crush anyone who shouldered it, so after burying his father, he refused Feng Manlin.

  However, since Meng Sheng killed Zheng Nancheng's general with a single shot at the Huibin Building, he gradually established confidence in himself. Thinking of Wang Tong's estrangement and Ya Jun's disdain, these two people he valued most in his heart also refused to see him because of his weak personality and lack of progress. Han Dashi's betrayal, Zheng Nancheng's cunning, the hardships and struggles on the road, and the desperate fleeing all deeply stimulated him. His excellent marksmanship and fighting skills earned him respect from others, and for the first time, he felt the great power of violence in this world. So he overturned everything his mother had taught him! Just like a newborn baby leaving its mother's body, he wanted to experience all the beauty of the world by himself, but also had to bear the wind and rain of the world.

  Feng Manlin and Lian Zhu saw Meng Sheng's death, lost in thought and speechless, both feeling a chill in their hearts. Feng Manlin's eyes gradually dimmed until the last spark was extinguished, he painfully closed his eyes, unable to bear looking at this son of the Meng family again.

  At this time, Meng Sheng slowly raised his head, the panic in his eyes replaced by determination, and said to Feng Manlin: "Brother Feng! I understand what you're saying! With a loyal minister like you, my father must be comforted in the underworld! A poor family knows its virtuous wife, a ruined country knows its loyal ministers! With your help, I will surely revive our fortunes and restore our ancestral business!"

  Feng Manlin savored Meng Sheng's words for a moment, then excitedly grasped Meng Sheng's shoulders and said: "Good! Good! Meng Sheng has grown up! All my mountain stronghold brothers will listen to your command! We'll die for you, no matter the cost!"

  Lianzhu's eyes were filled with hot tears as he grasped Mengsheng's hand and said, "Big brother! I knew you would definitely become a real man! I, Lianzhu, will follow you and never regret it!"

  Meng Sheng and three others were filled with emotion for a moment. After a while, Feng Manlin said: "How will Zheng Nan Cheng deal with it?"

  Meng Sheng said: "Zheng Nan Cheng was originally a bandit, occupying Zhenping County by force, oppressing the people, extorting money and goods, and doing as he pleased! I have long wanted to get rid of him! Our occupation of the mountain is not a long-term plan, it's easy to be strangled and attacked, and it's hard to gather personnel, grain, and military supplies. We need to borrow a place with advantages, nurture our strength, expand our army, and then we can compete with other heroes for dominance. Zhenping County has a railway station, with dense traffic, many shops, and thriving commerce; the land outside the city is fertile and suitable for farming. It's a great place to raise an army and store up strength. Unfortunately, Zheng Nan Cheng is short-sighted, only knowing how to accumulate wealth and nothing else, sooner or later he will let others take it away. Why not us, with our advantageous position, establish ourselves in Zhenping, and look out over the world!"

  "Good!" Feng Manlin applauded and said: "Indeed a dragon among men, with a grand vision! The Governor-General in the underworld must be delighted!"

  "Haha, I knew you'd want to replace Old Man Zheng! Few things that catch your eye escape you! Old Man Zheng has been doing it for too long, it's time for Old Man Li to take over!"

  Feng Manlin said: "Is there a specific plan?"

  Meng Sheng said, "Although the brothers are all seasoned veterans, our forces are still not enough to win a head-on confrontation. Although I am nominally the captain of the security team, there are only a few people under me who listen to me, and most of them are Zheng Nan Cheng's loyal followers. We need to think of a way to eliminate the security team, this security team is one of Zheng Nan Cheng's arms."

  "What method can be used to get rid of this security team?" Feng Manlin thought for a moment and said, "If you lure them up the mountain and find a suitable place to ambush them?"

  Meng Sheng said: "Zheng Nan Cheng, you old cunning fellow, won't let me bring all the troops to surround and annihilate you."

  "What if we sneak into the city?" Feng Manlin said again.

  "With too few people, it won't work; with too many, it's too conspicuous. If things go wrong, we'll be walking into a trap." Meng Sheng said.

  Lian Zhu continued: "We'll directly kill Zheng Nan Cheng and let them lose their leader!"

  "This isn't good either, he has not only the security team but also over a hundred guards watching his house, that's another arm of his. If things go wrong, you'll be surrounded in the city and can't escape." Feng Manlin said and fell into deep thought again.

  "Alas, what can be done?" Lian Zhu sighed.

  Meng Sheng also bowed his head in thought, and after a while, he had an idea. He raised his head and said: "The tenth is the day he should deliver the goods. He regards wealth as his life, and would rather die than give up his wealth. The security team usually doesn't fire guns, but his family's guards are fully armed. It seems that he doesn't even trust his brothers who have been through thick and thin with him before, and his suspiciousness is severe. Only by making good use of these two points can we find a way to win."

  Feng Manlin and Lian Zhu asked in unison: "Have you found a way?"

  "What happened to the silver coins and other goods you took from the neighboring county last time?" Meng Sheng asked Feng Manlin.

  "Some were given to the families of our fallen brothers, and some were used to purchase military supplies. The landmines buried on the mountain path were bought with these silver coins. There's not much left, what use do you have for them?" Feng Manlin said.

  "These are the lures for fishing." Meng Sheng again explained in detail to Feng Manlin.

  With a well-laid plan, Meng Sheng and Lian Zhu descended the mountain overnight. Returning to Zhenping County at dawn, they hastened to see Zheng Nancheng without rest. Zheng Nancheng was also waiting for their news, and upon seeing them return, he asked anxiously: "You two have worked hard! What did you see?"

  Meng Sheng said: "The two of us climbed the mountain, hid beside the bandit's lair, and saw that the bandits were drinking and having fun, discussing loudly, with very lax vigilance. So we boldly approached, wanting to hear their good fortune. We heard them say that they had recently gained a lot, and that it was not safe to keep the money in the camp, so they planned to dig a cave in the back mountain to store the silver dollars. They vaguely mentioned that there seemed to be as much as 2 million taels!"

  Meng Sheng glanced at Zheng Nan Cheng and saw that his eyes suddenly shone with light, thinking to himself: The reason why the fox is cunning is because there isn't enough bait; with sufficient bait even the most cunning fox will take the hook! He then intentionally said: "I think this group of bandits are just bragging wildly, we can't believe them lightly!"

  Zheng Nan Cheng covered his mouth and said: "How would they know you're eavesdropping on them from the side, it's probably true!"

  Meng Sheng said: "If it's true, why don't we take the opportunity to seize these ill-gotten gains!?" He also made a greedy expression.

  Zheng Nan Cheng saw Meng Sheng also had some movement in his heart, and cleverly said: "This matter will be discussed later, let's deal with the current crisis first!"

  Meng Sheng insisted on his own idea, saying: "On the tenth day, the bandits in Beishan will definitely move out to transport their wealth, leaving behind a weak and empty force. Why not take advantage of this opportunity to attack their lair with my men and retrieve those silver coins?"

  Zheng Nan Cheng absent-mindedly said: "Little brother's plan is excellent, I'll consider it carefully and then make a move."

  Meng Sheng pretended to say urgently: "Old Master Zheng! I will definitely get those silver coins back, send me!"

  Meng Sheng's increasingly anxious expression made Zheng Nan Cheng even more suspicious, worried that Meng Sheng would abscond with the 200,000 silver coins. So he said to Meng Sheng: "You've all worked hard for a night, go back and rest first, I'll think about this matter and make a decision later."

  Meng Sheng and Lian Zhuang pretended to bid farewell to Zheng Nan Cheng as if they were reluctant to part.