Chapter Forty-Four: The Calamity is About to Erupt

  Lin Chunhong was still waiting for the seeds of hatred to take root and sprout, but Wang Liangquan made him realize that the seeds of hatred had almost grown into towering trees.

  After learning about Wei Yuxiang's plan, Lin Chunhong appreciated Wei Yuxiang very much. He not only had a bold and meticulous heart, but also had a good grasp of the analysis and control of interests.

  "There's actually such a person in the guard squad! Neither Zhou Shu nor I discovered it before, what a dereliction of duty!"

  Zhou Wang was unmoved by Lin Chunhong's accusations and said, "It's all just a matter of course. Wei Yuxiang has only taken the field once, and it's strange that he can even show his face. I thought the guards were all useless, but now it seems there are some capable people among them." Zhou Wang had previously looked down on soldiers from the guards who were transferred to Liaodong, but this time he slightly changed his opinion.

  "Tangerines grown south of the Huai River are tangerines, while those grown north of it are trifoliate oranges. What's strange about that? It would be strange if someone from the border army could make a name for himself in that big dye vat! Lin Chunhong was very pleased with himself for giving some people their chance to shine, or rather, providing an environment for heroes to grow. Indeed, just a few years ago, many of his subordinates were still rustic and unsophisticated, but now they're managing things with flair?"

  Zhou Wang snorted in disdain at Lin Chunhong, hummed and said: "Don't think that the current guard is anything great, if these guys had encountered the Liaodong border army I used to lead, they wouldn't even have a chance to escape!"

  "It can't be this bad, right? They were all brought out by Uncle Zhou!"

  "Frequently going to battle, with the danger of being attacked by the enemy at any moment, can these soldiers compare to those guys? I think that if there's no fighting, it would be better to reduce the number of guards. Now, nearly a thousand people are idle, wasting food and resources, what's the point of just training?"

  Lin Chunhong had always thought that the Great Ming would be in chaos, so he kept as many bodyguards as possible, hoping they could play a role at critical moments. Now, reminded by Zhou Wang, he knew that he was indeed keeping a group of not-so-elite troops, consuming several thousand taels of silver every month, which was indeed not cost-effective.

  Lin Chunhong scratched his head and sighed, "Now the Ming dynasty is being beaten by the Jian Nu to the point where it has no power to fight back. Shaanxi, Henan, and Shanxi are also in a mess. As for whether the rebels can come to Hu Guang, I'm not sure either. I was thinking that with troops in hand, I could do something. Even if I couldn't do anything, at least I wouldn't lose my life."

  "A chaotic era is approaching, anyone with discerning eyes can see it, I also know you want to achieve great things, but an army isn't trained into existence, it must be battled-tested."

  Lin Chunhong chuckled and said: "There will be plenty of battles to fight soon, let's put this aside for now. Let's discuss the matter of the big field first."

  "What's there to discuss? You're now afraid that the world is not chaotic enough, and a mere Daxian is hardly worth mentioning."

  "Not good, I'm a bit reluctant to let Wei Yue Xiang be the bait now. How about this..."

  In Wei Yuxiang's plan, Lin Chunhong only needed to provide a shelter for these rebellious military households after the fact, and he could also get a batch of urgently needed armor and weapons. This is clearly inconsistent with Lin Chunhong's plan, as he not only needs Wei Yuxiang and his men but more importantly, he needs the entire Dadian Thousand Households to become his puppets.

  Ran Zhihuan was not unaware of Jun Hu's emotions, and he even knew about the last time everyone conspired to escape: someone had reported it to him. However, he thought that Jun Hu just wanted to escape, and this escape required a prerequisite condition: Lin Chunhong providing shelter for these poor devils. Ran Zhihuan couldn't be certain whether Lin Chunhong would provide shelter or not, so he sent a clerk to test the waters in Zhijiang. Under the pretext of increasing the military's wages, he asked Lin Chunhong to provide an additional 2,000 taels of silver every day. Lin Chunhong agreed readily. This put Ran Zhihuan at ease, and he never could have imagined that Lin Chunhong's ambition was already about to burst through the sky.

  In the fourth year of Chongzhen, on the eve of Qingming Festival, Wei Yuexiang took 23 military households back to Datian to worship their ancestors. Wei Yuexiang personally selected these people, with the standard being good bravery and deep hatred. According to Wei Yuexiang's original plan, he was preparing to take most of the military households back to their hometown to worship their ancestors, taking the opportunity to get rid of Ran Zhihuan and other officials in Datian. Lin Chunhong thought that there were too many people involved, and it was likely that Ran Zhihuan would find out about the secret plan, which wouldn't be good. So he let Wei Yuexiang select 20-30 men to follow him, while he sent another 200 people, led by Lin Chunyi, to coordinate with Wei Yuexiang's actions. More than half of these 200 people were military households, making it easier to incite the military households in Datian to rebel. Additionally, Zhang Zhao was ordered to prepare boats at Ya Zi Kou to provide backup in case of an emergency.

  Before Wei Yue Xiang set off, Lin Chun Hong repeatedly instructed him to ensure Ran Zhi Huan's safety. Although Wei Yue Xiang would have liked to reduce Ran Zhi Huan to dust and ashes, he still readily agreed to Lin Chun Hong's request.

  In the third or fourth month, the Clear River was so clear that you could see the goose eggs inside. The twenty-four military households got off at Duck's Mouth with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension in their hearts. They expected to arrive at Datian by noon the next day. The group of over twenty people pushed two single-wheeled carts, which were very suitable for traveling in mountainous areas. According to Lin Chunhong's words, they were like Zhuge Liang's wooden oxen and flowing horses. On the two single-wheeled carts, there were two huge boxes containing the silver that Lin Chunhong had collected for Ruan Zihuan, which was being brought back to Datian by the military households who had come to offer sacrifices to their ancestors.

  Wei Yue Xiang had already given these military dependents the lowdown, and this time he was going back to commit a crime, with 200 people cooperating behind him. The long-suffering military dependents were excited beyond measure. After all, if they risked everything this time, they would be able to shed their identity as military dependents and thoroughly integrate into Lin Chun Hong's forces. The annual wages and dividends, as well as the enticing land, were all beckoning to them, making them follow Wei Yue Xiang without hesitation.

  At the same time, Shu Li was persuading Ruan Zhihuan to be cautious of Wei Yuexiang and others' actions. He thought that Wei Yuexiang and others had never returned to their hometown to pay respects during Qingming Festival before, so why did they come back this time? Moreover, Lin Chunhong used to want to cut down trees near the big field and had asked Ruan Zhihuan for help, but now he didn't need to do that anymore. Why was he so willing to agree to increase the silver by 2,000 taels? One should be on guard against Lin Chunhong; one must not have a mind to harm others, but also must not lack a mind to defend oneself! These words made Ruan Zhihuan suspicious, and just as he was about to order his servants to strengthen their patrol, someone reported that Wei Yuexiang and others were bringing 4,000 taels of silver to see him.

  Ran Zhi Huan's face changed color upon hearing this, and he said to the clerk: "Normally, Lin Chunhong would personally send someone to escort the silver, but today he let these poor devils bring it back on their own? This is unusual, could it be that Lin Chunhong really wants to cover up for these worthless dogs?"

  The clerk saw that his advice had taken effect, and he felt at ease. He thought to himself that it was time for him to make a move, so he carefully considered the situation and said, "Does Wei Yue Xiang want to play a trick on Tu Mu's family?"

  This remark made Ruan Zhi's heart skip a beat, and he immediately summoned more than ten family servants to stand guard on both sides. He himself also put on his armor before ordering Wei Yue Xiang to bring in the silver ingots. After Wei Yue Xiang and the others entered, they set down the glittering silver and left, leaving Ruan Zhi and the clerk bewildered.

  Ran Zhihuan couldn't forget the fierce and unruly gaze of Wei Yuxiang just now, that gaze made him vaguely feel danger approaching. Ran Zhihuan believed that no matter what, Wei Yuxiang and his men could not stir up a big storm, and bringing in the silver earlier was their best chance to assassinate, but they didn't even seize this opportunity, did they think they could rebel with just over twenty people?

  Ran Zhihuan did not dare to be careless, ordering all the servants to guard the official residence and strengthening patrols. The clerk also reminded him that Wei Yuxiang was the leader of this group, so he should keep a close eye on him too, which he did accordingly.