Chapter 188

The weather was hot, and with green trees providing shade along the way, the ailing Zhao Jiu, accompanied by Lady Wu, slowly returned east from Dengfeng. Yang Yizhong, bearing military orders, had set out early, returning to Dongjing first, then leading two thousand Imperial Guard troops to reinforce Jingdong.

Since the main thrust of the puppet Qi was Dongping Prefecture, the two thousand Guards did not take the route through Nanjing to the front lines. Instead, they went directly along the Yellow River, passing through Huazhou and Puzhou toward Dongping Prefecture.

Of course, besides the convenience of marching, Yang Yizhong's move also had two military advantages, one public and one private... For public matters, passing by the opposite bank of Puyang City, which was under Great Ming Prefecture, allowed them to further probe and confirm the movements of the Jin army. For private motives, facing the puppet Qi troops, Song army commanders generally felt no psychological pressure. He was worried that if he went through Nanjing, he might miss the action, so it was better to cut directly into the gap between Jinan and Dongping to see if he could achieve a remarkable feat.

However, on this day, as the two thousand Guards force-marched into Dongping Prefecture and arrived before Yanggu County town in the northwest corner of Dongping at dusk, they unexpectedly encountered an unforeseen incident.

"Why won't you let us enter the city to prepare?"

Yang Yizhong frowned slightly. "Does the Garrison Commander in the city not know that we are the Imperial Army from Dongjing? Or is it that Yanggu, being on the front line and having faced large armies several times, still doesn't understand the dangers of war, and the wealthy families in the city are afraid of us causing trouble when battle comes?"

"Reporting to the Grand Commandant, the Garrison Commander in the city definitely knows your identity," said a middle-aged man, clearly the leader among the wealthy merchants sent out to negotiate, stepping forward from the rest. He responded with a bitter face and caution. "We people here have experienced several Jin army incursions south; how could we not know the dangers of war? Naturally, we understand that having the Imperial Army in the city during such a battle is a good thing..."

"Then why has it come to this situation?"

Yang Yizhong pressed on, but his tone suddenly dropped. Clearly, with his shrewdness, he had immediately guessed a possibility.

"Reporting to the Grand Commandant," the merchant cupped his hands and spoke directly, confirming Yang Yizhong's suspicion. "The Garrison Commander in the city is appointed by Zhang Rong of Liangshan Marsh, and he has always been wary of government troops."

Behind Yang Yizhong, the Guard officers were all furious, and some even drew their blades and cursed.

It must be said that since ancient times, proud soldiers and fierce generals have never submitted to one another, let alone the Imperial Guard, which was the highest-ranking formation in the realm, the so-called trusted confidants of the Son of Heaven. In fact, even Zhao Jiu could not escape certain conventions in some matters. Not only did he give the Guards the highest treatment, but he also took advantage of this major reorganization to place some officers he knew and trusted from his personal service in various posts, and also transferred some elite troops from other units to bolster the Guards... This made the Imperial Guard an undeniably fast track for promotion.

Moreover, from Xiacai to Nanyang to Changshe, the Imperial Guard had never faltered in life-or-death combat, making this army arrogant from the inside out to a certain degree.

To put it bluntly, they were supposed to be the ones bullying and excluding other units, but they never expected to be bullied in turn by a bunch of bandits in Yanggu County town.

No wonder Zhai Biao was directly brandishing his blade, wanting to storm the city.

"Quiet down!"

Amidst the noise, the several wealthy merchants from Yanggu were already trembling like sieves, but unexpectedly, Yang Yizhong spoke softly, and the noise behind him suddenly fell silent.

The merchants were startled and looked at each other in confusion... The meaning was clear: although this officer was young, he wielded great authority and was truly someone who could make decisions and be relied upon!

However, this was the limitation of people from small places.

How could they know that this 'young Grand Commandant' was not only a capable man, but was actually one of the key figures counted among the Great Song court at the time? In front of Zhao Jiu, Yang Yizhong was becoming increasingly cautious and careful. In front of men like Lu Haowen and Han Shizhong, he was also extremely respectful and never made a mistake.

Of course, even so, he was still constantly being shouted at to be killed by this one or that one.

But in the end, how many Zhao Jius were there in the world, and how many Lord Lus or Grand Commandant Hans?

Besides, Yang Yizhong himself was the most senior leader of the Imperial Guard, its founder from the very beginning. It was only after Kang Lü was chopped to death by someone and Liu Yan led the Red Heart Unit to join that there was some check on his power.

"What is the name of this Garrison Commander in the city, and what is his background?" Yang Yizhong stopped the commotion and then asked the merchants seriously.

The merchants, uneasy, became even more cautious. The same leader stepped forward, bowed, and replied: "Let the Grand Commandant know, the Garrison Commander in the city is named Xiao En. He is a local fisherman from Liangshan Marsh, considered a trusted man of that person from Liangshan... After the Battle of Jinan, that person from Liangshan reorganized his subordinates, appointing many local fishermen as garrison commanders in various places. So he was hastily made a Controller-in-Chief and County Magistrate, and that's how he came to control our Yanggu County!"

Yang Yizhong seemed thoughtful, then asked again: "How many troops does he have? How many are armored?"

"Five or six hundred men, forty or fifty suits of iron armor," the man answered readily.

Hearing this, Yang Yizhong suddenly smiled: "And what is your name, and what is your background?"

"My name is Zhang Maode. I am a native of Yanggu, from a family that has always been law-abiding," the man said, his heart tightening inexplicably, yet also stirring with a strange hope. "The Grand Commandant may call me Zhang Erguan."

Yang Yizhong was unconcerned and asked further: "At the beginning, you called Xiao En 'that Garrison Commander,' without using a respectful title. You also know exactly how many troops he has. Yet you came out to lead this awkward liaison, and you've been deliberately stirring things up... Do you have a grudge against him?"

Zhang Erguan was stunned by this question, then gritted his teeth and replied: "It's not a grudge, but I truly can't stand it anymore... The Grand Commandant doesn't know, but ever since Xiao En took over county affairs, whenever there is a lawsuit, regardless of right or wrong, he always rules against the rich and for the poor. In just over half a year, people like us, the local families of Yanggu, even those of moderate means, have gone bankrupt. Families like mine, who have accumulated virtue for generations, have had eighty percent of their property squeezed out by those street ruffians. We can barely survive anymore."

Yang Yizhong naturally knew the man was exaggerating. If it had truly come to that, they would have just run away; why would they still be holding on here?

However, he couldn't be bothered to care and simply continued asking: "Is this refusal by Xiao En to let the Imperial Army enter the city his own decision, or a specific order from Zhang Zhenfushi of Liangshan Marsh?"

"Uh..."

"Tell the truth!"

"It should be a specific order from Zhang Zhenfushi," Zhang Erguan replied cautiously. "Because there was a rumor earlier that Yue Taiwei from the south had already led a hundred thousand troops to Zhongdu County south of the Wenshui River, but then suddenly stopped and didn't move. That was because Zhang Zhenfushi sent word across the Wenshui, saying that if Yue Taiwei crossed the river, he would sever all past ties of brotherhood... He also said that he would personally repay all old grievances from that day."

Yang Yizhong was silent for a moment. He knew things had become difficult.

It must be known that Zhang Rong had rendered great service. No matter how you looked at it, the great victory at Liangshan Marsh was an earth-shattering achievement for him. And as a trusted confidant of the Emperor, Yang Yizhong was also very clear that Zhao Jiu had a distinct attitude towards this man—he was a friend, not an enemy, and was exceptionally appreciative of him.

However, at the same time, anyone with a little insight could also detect that Zhang Rong was deeply wary of the court. Although he had previously accepted the court's appointment as Pacification Commissioner, he completely ignored it, freely handing out official positions and treating the court's titles and honors as playthings... That was one thing, but the key was that later, when the Emperor returned to the old capital and specially wrote a letter summoning him, he also turned a deaf ear. He even privately proclaimed that life was happy in Liangshan Marsh, free from the Emperor's control.

To put it plainly, just four words: his bandit nature remained unchanged!

Only, this bandit was one that the Emperor kept in his heart.

Nevertheless, even so, Yang Yizhong only hesitated briefly before making up his mind... After all, he had learned on the road that large-scale fighting had already broken out near Pingyin County, on the other side of the Jishui River ahead. During wartime, so close to the front line, with military matters at stake, how could he afford to hesitate?

"Zhang Erguan," with this thought, Yang Yizhong immediately asked softly. "Since you were bold enough to come specifically to incite me, let me ask you: can you open the city gate when you go back?"

"No need to go through the city gate," Zhang Maode quickly responded. "A section of the western city wall is next to my family's herbal medicine warehouse. The Captain on that section of the wall was originally a proper Captain who used to catch bandits in this county. He has always been on good terms with me... I'll go back and make the arrangements. The Grand Commandant can send your heavenly soldiers over the wall in a steady stream, and they can assemble in my family's warehouse. However..."

Without waiting for the man to hint further, Yang Yizhong directly nodded: "I understand. The city's attitude has already angered me. I will detain these men and only let you return to the city, to prepare cattle, wine, gold, and silver to ransom them back!"

Zhang Maode was overjoyed, silently praising that although this officer was young, he was a capable man. So he only said a few more words, then left behind a group of stunned fellow county magnates, hastily put on a mournful face, and hurriedly took his leave to return.

However, Zhang Maode, with a mournful face, turned back alone into the city. In just a short while, he came back out again, still with a mournful face, accompanied by several dozen soldiers. The leader among them had a particularly strange appearance. As they drew closer, one glance was enough to make him unforgettable.

It turned out that this man had a dark, ruddy complexion and a short, stocky build. He looked like a poor man who made his living on the water. Yet he wore an ill-fitting green Magistrate's robe and a hard-winged hat, but only tied a hemp rope around his waist. With a big stride, he revealed a pair of hemp sandals with exposed toes... He waddled along, exactly like a duck that had come ashore.

The generals behind Yang Yizhong saw him from afar and couldn't help laughing. Only Yang Yizhong himself grew serious.

"You damned Imperial Army from Dongjing, how dare you detain the envoys of our Yanggu County?" This man, standing a few dozen paces away, pointed and shouted loudly. "How many years has it been, and you're still as arrogant as you were under the Daojun Emperor? The nation and its people have all been ruined by you. The Jin people and the Qi people were also brought about by your ruination. Now that we won't let you into the city, what are you going to do about it?"

Behind him, Zhai Biao and the others were enraged, but Yang Yizhong's expression remained unchanged. He cupped his hands from a distance: "Are you County Magistrate Xiao? We are the Imperial Guard, here on the Emperor's decree to fight the puppet Qi in Dongping. I ask you, County Magistrate Xiao, the military situation is serious. I heard on the road that the puppet Qi troops seem to be fighting Zhang Zhenfushi near Pingyin County. That place is only a few dozen li from here. If their cavalry comes, they can be here in one night. How can you leave us exposed in the open?"

The newcomer, who was the Liangshan Marsh leader Xiao En, was also taken aback by this, but then gritted his teeth and replied: "If that's the case, just retreat. I'll send someone to escort you back to Puzhou to settle down!"

"I am here on the Emperor's decree!" Yang Yizhong lowered his hands and replied coldly. "The Emperor himself gave the order: two thousand Guards to go to the front line to assist. How can I retreat without even fighting?"

"You keep saying 'the Emperor,' but do you know that since Zhao Jiu made my elder brother the Pacification Commissioner, he has granted him the entire Dongping Prefecture?" Xiao En, hearing this, also snatched his hat off his head, grabbed it in his hand, and replied bluntly. "And today, my elder brother is determined to wash away past shame. He won't even let Yue Zhenfushi, with all his friendship, come to help. Even if you are sent by the Emperor, how can I tolerate you? Today, it's only because I don't have enough troops to stop you, otherwise I wouldn't even let you pass through, let alone enter the city!"

"So you truly won't allow us to enter the city?" Yang Yizhong showed a hint of impatience.

"No!"

"What if the Jin army or the puppet Qi troops really come?" Yang Yizhong pressed on.

"If you stubbornly refuse to retreat, I will come out of the city to help you then!" Xiao En answered bluntly. "But first, return the envoys from my city... Even though they are all heartless rich dogs, they shouldn't be detained for no reason by you damned bastards from Dongjing!"

Yang Yizhong nodded, then calmly turned around and gave the order: "Use the city wall as a support, set up camp at the foot of the wall, and release these men."

As soon as these words were spoken, every Imperial Guard soldier was indignant. Xiao En was also stunned. As for the wealthy merchants who had been sold out by Zhang Erguan, they were overjoyed. Only Zhang Maode on the opposite side was dumbfounded—it seemed this officer was just a paper tiger, and he had bet wrong after all.

But it was at this moment that Yang Yizhong, knowing full well what these people were thinking, turned back around, one hand resting on his blade and the other pointing at Xiao En, replying with solemn resolve:

"County Magistrate Xiao, Commander Xiao! Though I yield to you today, I want you to know that it is not because I, Yang Yizhong, am afraid of you. Your three to five hundred troops are nothing in my eyes. I respect you today because you wear an official robe and come to seek justice for the people under your jurisdiction. And since I am an appointed official of the court, even if I look down on you as a rebel from the Water Marshes, I must still respect you as a proper guardian of Yanggu County—that is all!"

PS: Recommending the book *Asking the Mortal World*... For Ji Cha, everyone, keep it up!

Also, a heads-up: Xiao Jiu has run off. This is written by Liudan Pa Shui as a substitute... Searched all night, don't know if we can still find him... Just a few days ago, I was trying to record a bonus chapter with him.