160. Xu Shan Flees into the Enemy Camp

Lu Jin sat in his chair, frowning as he looked at the letter in his hand, feeling momentarily dazed.

This was a letter written to him by his wife. Besides expressing her deep affection and longing for him, she had also attached an additional sheet summarizing the recent developments in the Great Liang Dynasty.

He had not even been here for a month, yet the situation had shifted so drastically. No matter how much he had hurried, it seemed he was still too late.

The first major event was the dismissal of Xiao Yi as Chancellor. Xiao Yi had no direct connection to him, but he was the maternal grandfather of his sworn brother, Wu You. Lu Jin wondered how Wu You was doing now, and given Wu You's temperament, Lu Jin could not help but worry.

The second matter concerned the imperial court's Ten Strategies for Strengthening the Country. Unlike Shen Hao, who only saw opportunities in salt production and winemaking, Lu Jin's blueprint encompassed much more than that; measures like the unification of currency were already on the planning board, though they had not yet been implemented due to the lack of a mature opportunity.

These various measures looked precisely designed to sever his financial lifeline. Why didn't they enact monopolies earlier or later? Right when he was beginning to build his career, they suddenly decided to institute state monopolies!

However, considering the turbulent currents sweeping across the realm, Lu Jin did not panic excessively. Much like Shen Hao's perspective, whether the Great Liang Dynasty even had the fate to pull this off was questionable, as the entire nation was rapidly turning into a powder keg.

The third matter was the state of the entire realm. Currently, the Bairong tribes and the coastal rebels of Linhai had formed a pincer movement against the capital, turning the entire northeastern region into a vast battlefield. Internal rebellion and external aggression had erupted simultaneously in this very area.

Moreover, the uprising of these insurgents was exceptionally fierce. Only recently had they been heard of as mere rumors, yet now they had already captured major cities.

Historically, such large-scale popular uprisings were utterly devoid of order. Wherever they swept, they left devastation in their wake, and ordinary citizens bore the brunt of the suffering. This could not help but fill Lu Jin with deep concern.

Furthermore, Jiangbei Prefecture was not actually far from Linhai Prefecture; at their closest point, they were separated only by Haidong Prefecture. Yet Haidong Prefecture was precisely the place where the earliest signs of chaos had manifested. Would those rebels strike southward?

Therefore, for Lu Jin, the threat from the north was a tangible reality. Compared to Bairong, he was even more apprehensive of the civil unrest in Linhai.

Finally, regarding the situation in Jianglin, Tantai Ming had returned. The letter stated that the Tantai family had fully agreed to cooperate with Lu Jin in several business ventures. Since he had already given instructions to Liang Muxue before his departure, he was not too worried.

What Lu Jin had not expected was that his paternal aunt and Pei Yunrui had also returned. What on earth had that eldest cousin of his been doing for the past six months? Was he just roaming around the northern frontier?

Under his current monotonous lifestyle, having an eldest cousin around whom he could bully might actually help relieve his boredom.

Lu Jin read through the letter one more time before placing the paper over a candle and burning it to ashes.

For Lu Jin, all these events pointed to only one conclusion: he had to accelerate his actions, or everything would be lost.

"Yuanfang, go call Xu Shan to see me," Lu Jin shouted toward the doorway.

After a short while, Yuanfang brought Xu Shan into the room.

"Military Governor!" Xu Shan raised his hand in a salute.

"Sit down and let's talk."

Once Xu Shan took his seat, Lu Jin stared at him silently for a moment.

Xu Shan was speechless. What was wrong with these people in Jiangnan? Why did every man here like staring at others so intently?

"How do you feel about things here during this period?" Lu Jin asked, gesturing for Xu Shan to drink the tea that Nie Wuci had just served.

"The Military Governor is brilliant in military administration and divine in strategy; it has truly opened this subordinate's horizons and benefited me immensely."

"It seems you are at least literate. You must have served in the army before, right?" Lu Jin asked casually.

"You flatter me, Military Governor. This subordinate served in the northwestern border army for a few years and even held a minor officer's rank." At this point, Xu Shan found it difficult to keep up the concealment.

Xu Shan had originally expected the people of Jiangnan to keep pressing him about why he had become a water bandit, but to his surprise, Lu Jin smoothly changed the subject.

"You've been quite diligent these past few days. It proves my judgment of you was not misplaced."

"You overpraise me, Military Governor."

You have been a water bandit in Yunmeng Marsh for quite some time now, haven't you? Do you know who the largest faction in Yunmeng Marsh is?"

"The Jiangnan Elephant!"

"Do you know him?" Lu Jin asked with curiosity.

"I don't know him personally, only by reputation."

"Then I think you should get to know him," Lu Jin smiled.

"What do you mean by that, Military Governor?" Xu Shan asked, bewildered.

"You should know that my goal is to unify Yunmeng. And the Jiangnan Elephant—that fierce bandit who claims to wield the power of the Four Elephants—is a target we must eliminate. Now that the surrounding water bandits have been largely wiped out by us, if we want to advance further, the Jiangnan Elephant must be removed."

"However, destroying him is not about fighting a bloody battle to the bitter end, but rather about rapidly expanding our own strength. The Jiangnan Elephant possesses several hundred large and small warships and three to four thousand water bandits. You know our current scale quite well; if we force a direct confrontation, it will inevitably result in mutual destruction where the gains do not outweigh the losses," Lu Jin stated.

"Won't those heroes with the red scarves help us?"

"Even with their addition, we would only have four thousand troops, which is still on par with the Jiangnan Elephant. Besides, the crucial thing is that we must rely on our own strength rather than constantly pinning our hopes on others."

"But isn't the combat effectiveness of the Military Governor's troops incomparable to ordinary water bandits?" Through days of intense training and combat, Xu Shan naturally understood the formidable power of Lu Jin's methods; the former water bandits now all behaved like starved wolves.

"We have worked hard to accumulate this modest foundation; we cannot gamble it away unless there is absolute necessity. My current preference leans toward a clever strategy."

"What clever strategy? ... My apologies, Military Governor, this subordinate overstepped." Xu Shan blurted the question out naturally, but before he even finished his sentence, he hurriedly stood up to apologize. Such confidential military plans were not something he was qualified to know yet.

"No harm done. Sit down and speak. I called you here precisely to tell you about this. Not only am I going to tell you, but I am also going to rely heavily on you," Lu Jin pacified him.

"You have been with us for over half a month now, and you naturally know about the Bairong army's advance. We were able to press forward relentlessly during this period precisely by seizing that opportunity. But given how much time has passed, do you think the Jiangnan Elephant—the largest fierce bandit in Yunmeng Marsh—remains unaware of this news? Or could he be oblivious to the massive movements we have made lately?" Lu Jin guessed that it was highly likely the bandit leader already knew, yet he could not fathom what the Jiangnan Elephant's intentions might be.

"What the Military Governor says makes sense," Xu Shan pondered and replied.

"Therefore, I intend to use a strategy of coordinating from within and without to crush the Jiangnan Elephant in a single blow."

"So the Military Governor plans to send this subordinate to the Jiangnan Elephant's camp?" Xu Shan asked.

Since Lu Jin had laid the matter out to this extent, it was impossible for Xu Shan, a former junior officer, not to understand.

"Precisely! I have thought it over, and currently, your identity is the most suitable, and you possess the capability. You can defect to the Jiangnan Elephant under the guise of a fleeing bandit. Using your own competence, your men, and the intelligence you gather from us, you can win the Jiangnan Elephant's trust..."

"Intelligence?" Xu Shan was startled.

"Yes, because I will attack the Jiangnan Elephant in no more than five days, and you can bring him this piece of intelligence," Lu Jin said calmly.

"Military Governor, isn't that too risky? What if the Jiangnan Elephant launches a counterattack against us or gathers more troops?" Xu Shan felt the plan was somewhat unreliable.

"If he launches a counterattack, it will save us the trouble of a long-distance expedition. As for him gathering more forces, there is nothing to fear; how many men can he possibly muster in just a few days? Besides, I am merely giving you the general concept; as to what extent you reveal the information, you can judge the situation and handle it yourself."

"The crucial question is: are you willing?" Lu Jin stared at Xu Shan.

"The Lanjian River Fleet presses ever forward!" Xu Shan stood up and declared.

"Very well. Go find those you were previously familiar with, take a dozen or so men, and set out tonight. When the time comes for us to attack the Jiangnan Elephant, you can take the opportunity to stage an uprising from within. Whether you capture the Jiangnan Elephant or throw their ranks into chaos, it will all depend on your ability."

"Understood!"

"Go prepare. If you need any supplies, just find Shen Luo and Xu Chong," Lu Jin patted Xu Shan's shoulder and said.

As Xu Shan walked back, a flurry of thoughts raced through his mind. He had only been here for a little over ten days—why did they trust him so completely? Weren't they afraid he would take the opportunity to run away?

Inside the room.

"Did you really just let Xu Shan go like that?" Nie Wuci asked in astonishment.

"Did you expect me to keep him for dinner?"

"No, even just listening to that plan sounded entirely too precarious. What if he runs away? Or even if he doesn't run away, what if he can't exert any influence from the inside? Won't we suffer a massive defeat?" Nie Wuci asked anxiously.

Moreover, this stubborn man had actually told the enemy the exact time of the attack, as if he were afraid the enemy wouldn't be prepared! Had he been overworked for too long and lost his mind?

"That doesn't matter. You surely don't think I've staked all my chips for victory entirely on Xu Shan, do you?" Lu Jin smiled.

"What do you mean?" Nie Wuci was slightly dazed. Did he send a dozen men along just for amusement?

"Whether Xu Shan succeeds or fails is not important; I never counted on him to act as an internal agent to conquer the Jiangnan Elephant. Sending him there is simply to test this man."

"How do you test him?"

"To see if he has courage, whether he has capability, and whether his heart has truly turned to our side."

"How so?"

(⊙ꇴ⊙) Lu Jin looked at Nie Wuci, feeling somewhat speechless. You picked up the cue so smoothly—were you born to be a straight man's comedic foil?

"The so-called courage means seeing whether he dares to venture deep into the enemy's lair. Capability means observing whether he can win the Jiangnan Elephant's trust and accomplish something. As for whether his heart has turned, that goes without saying. If he truly accomplishes something and renders meritorious service in this battle, I will undoubtedly heavily promote him after the war. And if he really runs away or betrays us, then it's better that he runs early, saving me the trouble of worrying about him."

This was Lu Jin's true purpose in sending Xu Shan; to put it bluntly, it was an exploratory mission for Xu Shan. Lu Jin was currently in desperate need of talent, and if Xu Shan truly proved himself, his status would skyrocket.

"Then you didn't need to tell him our actual plan! What if he really betrays us?" Nie Wuci pressed anxiously.

"So what if he betrays us? If they come to attack us, is it because we can't defeat them?" Lu Jin laughed.

"At least the other side will be prepared! What if they gather even more people? Won't it be even harder for us to fight them then?"

Nie Wuci wasn't actually worried about the enemy attacking; after all, this man was no pushover, and since he had thought of this, he naturally had countermeasures in reserve. Moreover, though she knew little of military strategy, after witnessing several battles, she had come to understand that the combat power of the Lanjian River Fleet was truly not something ordinary water bandits could contend with.

"Then why do you think I told them? Precisely to make them concentrate all their forces so we can settle the outcome in a single battle."

"What if we really can't beat them?" Nie Wuci said indignantly. Who knew how many people the enemy would gather, what kind of thugs they would recruit, or what preparations they would make?

"If by any chance we can't beat them, I'll just have to send you to them as their bandit chieftain's bride. What else can I do?" Lu Jin sighed.

"Hmph! I'll make you a bandit chieftain's husband first!" Nie Wuci blushed deeply and lunged at him.

"Hey, hey, let go, let go!" Lu Jin shivered all over.

What was wrong with this girl? She always resorted to physical force at the drop of a hat.

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That night at the戌 hour (around 8 PM), Xu Shan led a dozen battered and ragged former bandits, rowing two dilapidated boats eastward as they stepped onto a journey of unknown outcome.