Chapter 508: Victory Report and Suspicion

Liangshanpo, Hall of Gathered Righteousness.

Although night had fallen, the hall was brightly lit, heads crowded together.

A detailed battle report, personally written by Lin Chong and accompanied by captured Jin command arrows and severed heads as proof, had been sent back by fast boat and now lay quietly on the table before Song Jiang.

The contents of the battle report had already been spread among the gathered leaders in the hall by Dai Zong's mouth.

"Instructor Lin led his troops outside Bin Prefecture and encountered over thirty Jin cavalry scouts, slaying them all, capturing twenty‑eight warhorses, and more than twenty sets each of intact bows, sabers, and leather armor!"

"Our side suffered only five light wounds, with no fatalities!"

Dai Zong's voice was hard to hide its excitement, even trembling a little.

The news was so shocking that, even as he repeated it, he still found it hard to believe.

The hall first fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that a dropped pin could be heard.

Then, with a "Boom," like an exploding pot, exclamations, discussions, and cheers intertwined, nearly lifting the roof of the Hall of Gathered Righteousness.

"Good heavens! Over thirty Jin dog cavalry, not a single one escaped? How many of us went?"

"Instructor Lin is truly a tiger of a general! No wonder he was an instructor of the eight‑hundred‑thousand strong imperial army!"

"No fatalities! How… how is this possible? When did the Jin dogs become so fragile?"

"They captured that many warhorses and bows? That's hard currency!"

Many of the middle‑ and lower‑rank leaders, especially those whose fervor had not faded and who were indignant at the Jin atrocities, now glowed with pride, as if they themselves had won the battle.

The gloom that had hung over the stronghold due to recent defeats in the northern borders seemed to be torn open by this sudden victory report, letting in a glimmer of light.

However, Song Jiang, seated at the place of honor, showed little joy on his face.

He held the report in his hand, his fingertips repeatedly rubbing the rough paper, his gaze fixed on the four characters "no fatalities," unmoving for a long time.

His heart was a tangle of mixed feelings.

Joy, of course, was present.

After all, this was a victory won by Liangshan's troops, blunting the Jin army's edge and boosting the stronghold's prestige.

When word spreads through the martial world, even Song Jiang's face will shine.

This proves that his earlier "approval" of Lin Chong's northern expedition was not entirely mistaken.

But more than that, there is worry, doubt, and apprehension.

This victory came too swiftly, too cleanly, too contrary to reason.

The ferocity of the Jin cavalry had long been etched into people's minds by countless defeated soldiers and rumors.

What Lin Chong took with him was merely a small fraction of the fifteen hundred, mostly infantry—how could he possibly achieve such a lopsided result?

"No fatalities"… this is practically mythic!

Has Lin Chong's generalship reached divine levels?

Or… has the Northward Aspiration faction secretly mastered some unknown power?

He couldn't help but recall Wu Yong's recent ambiguous support for the Northward Aspiration faction, Shi Dun's unfathomable skill and origins, and Lin Chong's resolute, even decisive gaze in the Hall of Gathered Righteousness.

A chill crept silently up his spine.

This Northward Aspiration lineage is likely harder to control than he imagined.

Today they could easily annihilate thirty Jin cavalry; if they ever turned their spears against him… Song Jiang dared not think further.

He lifted his eyes, sweeping his gaze over those below.

He saw Liu Tang, Shi Jin, and others waving their fists excitedly, shouting approval;

Ruan Xiao II and Ruan Xiao V, though silent, had faces glowing with pride;

Even some of the originally neutral leaders now looked upon Lin Chong's former troops with added admiration.

This popular sentiment and morale were quietly tilting toward the Northward Aspiration faction.

While his direct subordinate Li Kui was shouting "Great kill!", Hua Rong, Dai Zong, and others wore thoughtful expressions, clearly also sensing that something unusual lay behind this victory.

"Brother, this is a great victory! Worth celebrating!"

Wu Yong stepped forward at the right moment, his feather fan swaying lightly, his face bearing a perfectly timed smile.

"Instructor Lin's initial victory not only raised Liangshan's military prestige, it also greatly boosted the morale of the anti‑Jin militias and civilians in Hebei and Shandong."

"In my humble opinion, we should richly reward the soldiers of this expedition and broadcast this victory far and wide, to manifest Liangshan's vow of 'acting on Heaven's behalf,' pacifying the borders and protecting the people!"

Song Jiang's eyelid twitched.

Wu Yong's words, though each sound reasonable, all seemed to be setting the stage for the Northward Aspiration faction.

"Rich rewards? Wide dissemination of the report? Isn't this just going to lift Lin Chong's and the Northward Aspiration's names even higher?"

But he could find no reason to object at this moment.

Both publicly and privately, he must display joy and support.

"The Military Advisor is absolutely right!"

Song Jiang's face instantly broke into his customary affable smile, he rose, and spoke loudly.

"Lin Chong's brothers and the northern expedition troops, serving country and people, have achieved this extraordinary feat—truly a blessing for Liangshanpo and for all of China!"

He waved his hand and issued the order.

"Issue the order! Slaughter ten fat pigs, prepare fifty jars of fine wine, load them onto ships at once, and send them to the Northern Front to reward Lin Chong's troops!"

"Brother Dai Zong, send more capable hands to disseminate this victory report to the prefectures and rebel strongholds of Shandong and Hebei! Let all under heaven know that our Liangshan heroes fight for what cause!"

The order was issued with generous fervor, and the hall erupted in cheers once again.

Yet, beneath the sleeves unseen by others, Song Jiang's hand clenched slightly.

His gaze swept over Wu Yong's seemingly calm face, and he thought to himself:

"Scholar, scholar, just whose side are you really on?"

Almost at the same moment, in the East of the Mountains East Circuit, the Yun Prefecture government office.

In the prefectural office, the lights remained lit as well.

The Prefect of Yun Prefecture wore plain clothes, pacing back and forth in the study, his brow tightly furrowed.

He also held a copied Liangshan battle report, news that had just arrived from Ji Prefecture.

"Over thirty Jin cavalry were wiped out…… the Liangshan bandits…… When did they gain such strength?"

He muttered to himself, his voice full of disbelief and deep worry.

As a local official, his feelings toward Liangshan were extremely complex.

On one hand, Liangshan is a grave threat, a sword hanging over his head;

On the other hand, now that the Jin invaders have marched south and the Imperial Court's forces crumble at the first contact, the fact that the Liangshan bandits have won such a mighty victory does, to some extent, indeed ease the military pressure facing this locality.

"Sir Prefect, this affair…… its blessing or curse is hard to foresee."

The advisor beside him twirled his beard and spoke in a low voice.

"If the Liangshan bandits can truly withstand the Jin troops, then for the people of Yun Prefecture it is naturally a good thing."

"But if we allow them to grow strong on this, bearing the prestige of a great victory, then…… they'll become too big to rein in, making future balance even harder."

He paused, then lowered his voice even more.

"Moreover, they fight under the name of the Northward Aspiration; although they have not explicitly declared a break from Liangshan, their intent is already evident."

"If the Imperial Court were to know of this, who knows what they would think?"

The prefect halted his steps and let out a long sigh.

"Troublesome times, troublesome times!"

He rubbed his brow.

"Issue the order: keep a close watch on the news about Liangshan…… no, about that Northward Aspiration, but for now take no stance."

"If they need to buy grain and supplies, as long as it is not excessive, we can quietly accommodate them."

"Everything…… shall await the Imperial Court's explicit instruction."

"His attitude reflects the contradictory mindset of many False Song local officials at this moment:"

"They both want to rely on this suddenly risen anti‑Jin force, yet they are full of apprehension about its bandit origins and its potential threat."

"The name "Northward Aspiration" entered the False Song officials' view for the first time in a strong posture, and it has triggered a subtle and complex change."

"Hundreds of li away lies the secret base of the Northward Aspiration."

"Chen Wen also received the battle report that Lin Chong had processed."

"After reading it, he simply gave a faint smile, then handed the slip to the excited Chao Gai beside him."

"Mr. Chen! The first battle was won, and our prestige has greatly risen!"

"Chao Gai waved his fists, his face flushed."

"Now let's see what Song Jiang has to say! Let's see if those Jin dogs still dare to look down on us!"

"Victory without pride, defeat without despair."

"Chen Wen spoke calmly as he walked to the sand table."

"Although we won this battle, it was merely a trial run; we did not annihilate the Jin army's main force."

"Next, the Jin's counterattack will surely be even more ferocious."

"The suspicions and constraints from Song Jiang's side will not cease either."

"He pointed his finger at Zhen Ding Prefecture on the sand table."

"Tell Instructor Lin to consolidate the gains, continue moving toward the Zhen Ding direction, and wait for an opportunity to act."

"Our goal has never been merely one or two small victories."

"His gaze was deep, as if he had seen through the tent to a distant battlefield that was even more tragic and grand in scope."

"The victory report is merely the beginning; what follows are greater opportunities and more severe challenges."