20demayo Chapter 130 Secretly Mobilizing Troops
Chapter 130 Secretly Mobilizing Troops
Chapter 130 Secretly Mobilizing Troops
Manor outside Jinan Prefecture.
This manor was Lu Yan's secret base in Jinan. It wasn't large, but it was heavily guarded. The manor was surrounded by trees, and from the outside, it looked like an ordinary farm.
But inside the manor, there is a completely different world.
Rows of barracks stood in neat rows, and on the drill ground, more than a hundred strong men were training. They were dressed in uniform gray short-sleeved shirts, holding long guns, and their movements were perfectly synchronized.
These are Lu Yan's personal guards.
Next to the barracks was a warehouse. The warehouse was filled with wooden crates containing flintlock muskets, gunpowder, and lead bullets.
Zhao Changying stood at the edge of the drill ground, watching his personal guards train, a satisfied look on his face.
"Commander Zhao!"
A guard ran over and handed him a letter.
"It came from Jinan city. They said it was sent by Master Shen Qing."
Zhao Changying took the letter, opened it, and his expression immediately turned serious.
The letter contained only a few words: "Quickly take your personal guards and all firearms to Dengzhou. Travel by land, passing through Qingzhou and Laizhou, avoiding the sea route. Be sure to keep it secret and do not let the news leak out."
The seal at the bottom was Lu Yan's personal seal.
After reading the letter, Zhao Changying held it up to the candle flame and burned it.
"Pass down the order," he said in a deep voice, "that the entire army depart at midnight tonight."
"yes!"
child time.
The manor gates opened quietly.
One hundred and twenty guards filed out, each carrying a bundle on their back and a short sword at their waist. Their steps were light and quick, making almost no sound.
A dozen or so large trucks followed behind, covered with tarpaulins, so it was impossible to tell what they were carrying.
But Zhao Changying knew that those vehicles were carrying 120 flintlock muskets, five breech-loading cannons, 3,000 catties of gunpowder, and 20,000 lead bullets.
This is the wealth that Lu Yan has accumulated over the years.
"Set off."
With a wave of his hand, Zhao Changying's team vanished silently into the night.
December 5th.
Qingzhou Prefecture, Linqu County.
Zhao Changying's troops rested in a dilapidated temple.
The soldiers sat on the ground, eating dry rations and drinking cold water. Although the conditions were harsh, no one complained.
These men were all veterans handpicked by Lu Yan, who had been through the baptism of blood and fire and were already accustomed to this kind of military life.
"Commander Zhao, there are people ahead."
A scout ran back and reported in a low voice.
Zhao Changying frowned.
"Who is it?"
"It looks like a caravan of merchants, about twenty or thirty people, heading this way."
"Merchants?" Zhao Changying pondered for a moment, "Have the brothers hide and don't alert them."
"Yes."
The guards acted swiftly, hiding in every corner of the dilapidated temple.
A short while later, a group of people came from the official road.
The leader was a middle-aged merchant riding a mule, followed by twenty or thirty assistants driving several large carts.
When the merchant passed by the dilapidated temple, he glanced inside, found nothing unusual, and continued on his way.
Only after the caravan had gone far away did Zhao Changying breathe a sigh of relief.
"Let's keep going."
December 8th.
Laizhou Prefecture, Yexian County.
Zhao Changying's troops set up camp in a valley.
This is not far from Dengzhou, but it is also the most dangerous part of the road.
"Commander Zhao," a personal guard approached, "the scouts ahead reported that they've spotted a group of people, who look like members of the Li family."
Zhao Changying's face darkened.
"The Li family? They're here?"
"Yes. There are about fifty or sixty people setting up a checkpoint on the main road."
Zhao Changying cursed inwardly.
The Li family's spies are indeed everywhere.
"Take a detour," he decided immediately. "Go through the mountains and avoid the main road."
"But the mountain road is difficult to travel, and large vehicles cannot pass—"
"Unload the firearms and let the brothers carry them," Zhao Changying said. "Leave the carts here and send a few men to guard them. We'll send someone to retrieve them when we reach Dengzhou."
"yes.
The guards acted quickly, unloading the firearms from the carts and packing them into baskets.
One hundred and twenty flintlock muskets, five breech-loading cannons, three thousand catties of gunpowder, and twenty thousand lead bullets—all these things combined weighed over ten thousand catties.
But none of the guards complained.
They knew that these firearms were the lifeblood of their employer, and also their lifeblood.
December 12th.
Dengzhou Prefecture is located ten miles outside the city.
Zhao Changying's team finally arrived at their destination.
Along the way, they traversed mountains and valleys, enduring wind and rain, and traveled for nine whole days.
But everyone arrived safely, and all the firearms were intact.
"Commander Zhao, there are backup ahead."
The scout ran back, his face beaming with joy.
Zhao Changying looked up and saw a familiar figure emerging from the woods ahead.
It's Shen Qing.
"Commander Zhao, you must be tired from your journey." Shen Qing bowed respectfully.
"Shen Qing, what are you doing here?"
"The boss sent me to meet you," Shen Qing said. "The boss said you've had a tough journey, so he sent me with some men to help."
Zhao Changying nodded, a warm feeling welling up in her heart.
"Where is the boss?"
"The master is waiting in the city," Shen Qing said. "However, you can't go directly into the city. The Li family has too many spies; you must enter in batches to avoid arousing suspicion."
"How should we divide them into batches?"
"I've made all the arrangements," Shen Qing said. "There are several villages outside the city, all occupied by our people. You'll rest in the villages first, then split into small teams, disguised as merchants, porters, and farmers, and enter the city one after another. Firearms will also be transported in in batches and hidden in our strongholds."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Changying couldn't help but secretly admire him.
Shen Qing is a meticulous person, no wonder his employer values him so highly.
"Okay, we'll do it your way."
December 15th.
Dengzhou City, the office of the Prefectural Magistrate.
Lu Yan sat in his study, a list laid out in front of him.
The list contained more than a dozen names, all of whom were small forces in Dengzhou City who had been oppressed by the Li family. These included merchants whose businesses had been taken away by the Li family, landlords whose land had been seized by the Li family, and commoners whose relatives had been framed by the Li family.
These people were all people Lu Yan was secretly contacting.
"Master," Shen Qing pushed open the door and entered, "Commander Zhao and his men have all entered the city. The firearms have also been hidden and are scattered across five strongholds within the city."
"Okay." Lu Yan nodded. "What about Zhao Changying?"
"Wait in the backyard."
"Let him in."
A moment later, Zhao Changying walked in.
He was travel-worn and tired, but his eyes remained sharp.
"Master, I have not failed in my mission."
"You've had a long journey." Lu Yan stood up and personally poured him a cup of tea. "Did you encounter any problems on the way?"
"We were almost discovered by the Li family." Zhao Changying took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. "Luckily, we took a detour through the mountains and managed to escape."
"The Li family's spies are indeed everywhere," Lu Yan said. "But it doesn't matter, they won't have the chance to keep an eye on us for long."
"What the employer means is—"
"Everything is ready, except for the final push." Lu Yan's lips curled up slightly. "Now all we need is an excuse to cause trouble."
"What excuse?"
"Doesn't the Li family support a gang of 'pirates'?" Lu Yan said. "I plan to send a merchant ship out to sea and deliberately let them plunder."
Zhao Changying was taken aback.
"Is the boss saying—'Luring the snake out of its hole'?"
“That’s right,” Lu Yan said. “The Li family’s ‘pirates’ hijacked my ship and killed my men, so I have a legitimate reason to send troops to suppress the bandits. Then, everything will fall into place.”
Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Zhao Changying's eyes.
"The employer is very capable."
"What's so clever about it?" Lu Yan waved his hand. "This is called 'feigning weakness to lure the enemy into a trap.' The Li family thought they were hiding in the shadows, but little did they know, their every move was under my control."
He walked to the window and opened it.
Outside the window, the cold wind howled and snowflakes fluttered.
Winters in Dengzhou are exceptionally cold.
But a flame burned in Lu Yan's heart.
"The Li family," he said in a low voice, "your end is near."
That evening.
The backyard of the magistrate's office.
Lu Yan summoned Zhao Changying, Shen Qing, Hu Jingshui, and Fan Fu for a secret meeting.
"Gentlemen," Lu Yan said, getting straight to the point, "the plan to deal with the Li family is almost complete. Now, I will explain the specific arrangements to you."
He pointed to the map on the table and said, "The first step is to lure them out. I will send a merchant ship out to sea, loaded with goods, and deliberately take the route frequented by the Li family's 'pirates.' Once they hijack my ship, I will have a pretext to send troops."
"The second step is to go to sea to suppress the pirates. I will use the pretext of 'warship construction' to mobilize ships and manpower, and personally lead a team to go to sea to pursue and suppress the 'pirates'. Zhao Changying, you will take your personal guards with you."
"The third step is to destroy their lair. According to Shen Qing's intelligence, the Li family's 'pirates' lair is on a small island near the Changshan Islands. We'll head straight for their lair and wipe them out in one fell swoop."
"The fourth step is to gather evidence. We're sure to find evidence of the Li family's collusion with the 'pirates' in their lair, and even evidence of treason. With this evidence, the Li family is doomed."
"The fifth step is to close the net. Take the evidence back to Dengzhou and publicly expose the Li family's crimes. They are guilty of treason and betrayal, crimes punishable by the extermination of nine generations of their family. No one can protect them."
After Lu Yan finished speaking, he looked at everyone.
"Gentlemen, is there a problem?"
Zhao Changying spoke first: "Master, I have a question. The Li family is deeply entrenched in Dengzhou; they have people in the government and the garrisons. Even if we obtain evidence, won't they resort to desperate measures and fight to the death?"
"Good question." Lu Yan nodded. "So we need to be quick. From setting sail to closing the net, it must be completed within ten days. We must not give the Li family time to react."
"Moreover," he paused, "I have already sent letters to the garrison eunuch and the provincial governor in advance, revealing some details about the Li family's smuggling activities. Although they will not take action on their own initiative, they will not help the Li family either."
"At that time, the Li family will be all alone."
Shen Qing nodded: "The master has considered everything very well. I have one more question—what about the sailors on that merchant ship?"
Lu Yan remained silent for a moment.
"This is the last thing I want to do," he said, "but there's no other way. To lure the snake out of its hole, someone has to make a sacrifice."
"I will select some volunteers and leave sufficient compensation for their families."
"Furthermore, I will try my best to get the ship close to the shore before it is hijacked, so that the sailors have a chance to escape."
Shen Qing nodded and didn't say anything more.
Hu Jingshui asked, "Master, what am I responsible for?"
"You'll be in charge of logistics," Lu Yan said. "Going to sea requires food, fresh water, gunpowder, and lead bullets; you'll be responsible for preparing all of these. Also, after the confiscation of the Li family's property, someone will need to take over; that's also your responsibility."
"Understood."
Fan Fu finally spoke: "Master, where are my subordinates?"
"You continue to infiltrate the Dengzhou business district," Lu Yan said. "After the Li family falls, many people will try to take advantage of the situation. You need to keep an eye on them and see who are friends and who are enemies."
"Yes."
Lu Yan looked around at the four men and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, this battle is crucial to our foothold in Dengzhou. We can only succeed; failure is not an option."
"yes!"
The four responded in unison.
Lu Yan nodded and looked out the window.
Outside the window, snowflakes continued to fall.
But he knew that a storm was coming.
Zhao Changying asked, "Master, the troops have been mobilized. What's the next step?"
Lu Yan pondered for a moment and said, "We're still missing an excuse."
"An excuse?"
"Yes," Lu Yan said. "The Li family is powerful, and I can't attack them without a reason. I have to wait for them to make the first move before I can retaliate legitimately."
He looked out the window, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Send a merchant ship out to sea, along the route frequented by the Li family's 'pirates.' Load the ship with some valuable goods to make them envious."
Zhao Changying was taken aback: "Is the boss trying to lure the snake out of its hole?"
"That's right," Lu Yan said. "They hijacked my ship and killed my men, so I'll have a pretext to send troops. Then, everything will fall into place."