Water Margin: From a White-Robed Scholar to Donning the Yellow Robe

Chapter 132 The sound of war drums celebrates the victory

After a hangover, Wang Lun once again recalled his diary entries from before, in which he had boasted that he would quit drinking.

Quitting drinking isn't hard; the hard part is quitting having so many brothers.

In the past two days, he has further communicated with Shi Wenbin, listened to reports, and inspected the recovered grain, which amounted to nearly 300,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), leaving Wang Lun dazzled.

The aroma of wheat is particularly enticing, even more so than fine wine.

This made him determined once again that he should not only give Shi Wenbin an important position, but also recruit more scholars, because only scholars could handle these specific government affairs.

Therefore, Shi Wenbin was immediately appointed as the chief steward of internal affairs of the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army, in charge of all government affairs. Song Jiang, as the garrison commander, once again became Shi Wenbin's subordinate.

There are no longer any concerns about the military aspect, as Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, Guan Sheng, Luan Tingyu, and others are all capable individuals.

As for government affairs, there is only Shi Wenbin, and Wang Lun himself can be considered half a person who can handle government affairs.

After listening attentively to Shi Wenbin's more detailed report and inspecting the grain, he went to Ling Zhen's thunderclap bomb manufacturing workshop, discussed it with Ling Zhen for a while, and then inspected Tang Long's weapon and armor manufacturing workshop.

These two workshops are the core, and also where the most money is currently being spent.

But Wang Lun did not hesitate at all in these two aspects. As long as Ling Zhen and Tang Long asked for money, iron, or craftsmen, he would immediately send people to do it without any hesitation.

Only by ensuring that every soldier in the Flying Tiger Army is armored can they feel safe on the battlefield. Only by vigorously developing and manufacturing weapons such as the Thunderclap Bomb can they lead the era in weaponry and equipment, giving the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army greater combat power.

Fortunately, Ling Zhen and Tang Long are both capable people. Wang Lun provided them with resources and a platform, and they worked very hard, which made Wang Lun very gratified.

While civil and military officials are important, technical talents are also crucial, as scientific investigation is essential for technological progress.

Both workshops are progressing smoothly. After continuously plundering resources, these two workshops will expand further and will also need more technical personnel.

With a long road ahead, Wang Lun continued to encourage Tang Long and Ling Zhen, and raised their salaries by another level.

On the third day, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the four armies assembled outside the gates of Jeju City.

The generals were all as fierce as dragons and tigers, and the soldiers were all full of heroic spirit.

Wang Lun, dressed in white, stood atop the city wall, flanked by Wu Song, Yang Zhi, Shi Xiu, and Shi Wenbin.

Looking at the soldiers below the city, their ranks were neat and orderly. Their weapons and clothing were specially made for the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army. The spears were weapons commonly used by the Song Dynasty army, and the long swords were made by Wang Lun and Tang Long according to the design of Qi Jiguang's sword in the Ming Dynasty. They were tough and had great killing power.

The clothing consisted of a short, tight-fitting reddish-brown suit with slightly constricted sleeves and trouser legs, making it inconvenient for refuge, fighting, and training.

The rear stronghold on Liangshan Mountain was home to the families of the generals and soldiers. In addition to farming, they also helped make military uniforms under the organization of Liangshan. The materials for making uniforms were all provided by Liangshan, and they would receive a fee for each uniform they made.

This was Wang Lun's idea.

Because of this, they were very efficient, and because they were made for the Liangshan soldiers, the quality of their products was also very good.

Looking at the tens of thousands of Flying Tiger soldiers, Wang Lun's heart was filled with excitement. When he transmigrated here, he had only a few hundred followers, with Du Qian, Song Wan, and Zhu Gui as leaders, plus the uncertain factors of Lin Chong and the ill-intentioned Chao Gai and others.

After many events, Liangshan now has a regular army of 20,000, with dozens of leaders, including many capable generals like Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, and Guan Sheng.

Wang Lun's position is unshakeable. Not to mention Chao Gai, even Song Jiang, the Timely Rain, can only obey Wang Lun's arrangement as the "Tuntian Commissioner". Even for important matters such as soldiers going to war, without Wang Lun's approval, he is not qualified to come to the city wall to visit.

Having accomplished this, Wang Lun felt as if he were in a dream, truly experiencing a dreamlike illusion.

After a long moment of confusion, Shi Wenbin reminded him, "Chief, it's your turn to speak."

Wang Lun snapped out of his daze, nodded to the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army's chief steward beside him, cleared his throat, and with a slight gesture, the tens of thousands of soldiers below fell silent, all looking up at their Liangshan leaders.

"My Liangshan Flying Tiger Army soldiers, we march into battle today to demonstrate the righteousness of Liangshan in upholding justice, and to secure peace and stability for your wives, children, and elderly parents. Which of our Liangshan lads isn't a true hero, standing tall and upright? Lin Chong in the snow at the Mountain God Temple, Wu Song fighting the tiger on Jingyang Ridge, Lu Zhishen uprooting the willow tree—aren't these all earth-shattering feats? Now that we control four counties of Jizhou, the world is in turmoil. It is time for us to take up arms, mount our horses, and protect our territory and people!"

"Brothers, once the sword is drawn, we will fight to the death! Once the arrow is nocked, those government troops will tremble in fear! When we return victorious, we will drink wine from large bowls, eat meat in large chunks, and celebrate this peaceful land! If any of you retreat, hesitate, or are afraid of death, do not blame me, Wang Lun, for my ruthless military law!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

The soldiers brandished their spears, their voices echoing throughout Jeju Island.

The people gathered near the city gate to watch. They trusted the Flying Tiger Army of Liangshan very much, as the Flying Tiger Army had never robbed or kidnapped the people in recent days.

Wang Ying, who had only committed adultery, was also personally beheaded by Wang Lun.

With such a garrison, how could the people not be happy?

Wang Lun gathered his strength in his dantian and shouted, "Let's go!"

Outside the city gate, Lin Chong, Huyan Zhuo, Qin Ming, and Guan Sheng shouted in unison, "Let's go!"

The four armies, scattered in four directions, set off in a grand procession.

The simultaneous expedition of the four armies had already alarmed Zhang Shuye's spies in the vicinity, who panicked and immediately sent messages to various prefectures and cities.

As they went out to deliver messages, they were each followed by two members of the Liangshan Flying Tiger Army's intelligence division.

Since Dai Zong and Shi Qian joined the Intelligence Division, working together with Zhu Gui, they had already been preparing for this matter.

When Liangshan goes on an expedition, the imperial spies in Jizhou will surely go out to report, and they can all be captured. Then, by following the clues, the imperial spies planted in Jizhou can be wiped out in one fell swoop.

This matter received Wang Lun's strong support. In addition to the personnel from the Intelligence Division, Wang Lun also arranged for Wu Song and Shi Xiu to lead Wang Lun's personal guards to assist.

On the surface, the people of Jeju Island seem to be living in peace and contentment.

Behind the scenes, the intelligence department acted like vampires, sniffing out blood and arresting more than a dozen people who had gone out to deliver messages in just one day.

Through interrogation, more than 30 spies who had been hiding in Jeju were captured.

These people were not only spies for the imperial court; after interrogation, it was discovered that some of them were actually agents of Fang La from Jiangnan.

This gave Wang Lun a sudden insight. It turned out that his act of beating Li Tianrun, one of Fang La's men, and framing Shi Bao had attracted Fang La's attention, prompting him to send spies here.

Wang Lun immediately ordered the arrest of all Manichaeans within Jeju Island. Warriors were to be executed on the spot, while ordinary people were to be patiently persuaded.

This thorough investigation revealed that nearly a hundred Manichaeans were recruited by Fang La's spies in Jeju Island.

Ideological work must be taken seriously. Although there is freedom of belief, Manichaeism is clearly a cult controlled by Fang La and must be eradicated.

After a day and night of tireless effort, Wu Song, Shi Xiu, Dai Zong, Zhu Gui, and Shi Qian came together to pay their respects to Wang Lun.