flstandardbreds Chapter 112 Negotiation
Chapter 112 Negotiation
In the camp hidden deep in the valley of Kaoshan Village, the night was as dark as ink. Sun Ying and Lin Kunlun sat side by side, and the flickering firelight stretched their shadows. Sun Ying's eyes flashed with doubt and worry. He turned his head and whispered to Lin Kunlun:
"Brother Lin, are we really going to reject Zhang Shan like this? His power is already quite strong now. If he harbors resentment in the future, I'm afraid..."
Lin Kunlun smiled lightly, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. He waved his hand, his tone calm and firm: "Brother Sun, don't worry. Our food and grass can still support us for a while. During this time, we can just observe the reaction of Southwest Prefecture. Although Dakun is in decline, its foundation is still there, and it cannot be easily overthrown. Right now, guarding the food and keeping everyone alive is the top priority."
A trace of worry flashed across Lin Kunlun's eyes. He knew that the situation in the west was even more serious. It was hard to find even wild vegetables in that barren land. But he also understood that they had to remain calm and firm at this moment.
Sun Ying was still worried. He frowned and said, "What if Zhang Shan sends people to attack us? After all, they have already captured the county town. Their fighting power cannot be underestimated."
Lin Kunlun smiled slightly, shook his head and said, "Brother Sun, you worry too much. Zhang Shan and his men will not attack us. Attacking us will not benefit them. I heard that after they entered the city, they burned, killed, looted, and committed all kinds of evil. It can be seen that they have no ambitions and only seek immediate benefits. At this moment, they are probably enjoying themselves in the county town. How can they have the mind to attack us?"
Sun Ying felt relieved after hearing this, but he still sighed and said, "I hope so. This world is really hard to understand."
At this time, Zhang Shan really had no intention to attack them. In his heart, he was more afraid and worried about Southwest Prefecture. After all, Southwest Prefecture was the orthodox court and had a regular army. Although the combat effectiveness might not be strong, it was not something that the miners could easily deal with.
But Chen Dong at this moment, was thinking differently. He sat in the tent, his eyes sparkling. He decided to meet Sun Ying in person. You know, Sun Ying was just a pawn they used to make illegal income, but now he has grown into a force they cannot ignore. He must go out in person to recruit this former pawn, now his opponent.
At dawn, Chen Dong rode on horseback with four or five guards and quietly left the county town, galloping towards the mountain village. The sound of horse hooves echoed in the empty mountains, like an exciting war song, inspiring his determination to move forward.
As the sun just rose in the sky, Chen Dong had arrived at the dense forest outside Kaoshan Village. He tightened the reins, slowed down the horse's pace, and then quietly observed the camp ahead. In the camp, smoke was curling up, and the soldiers were busy preparing breakfast, while Sun Ying and Lin Kunlun stood side by side, seemingly discussing something.
Chen Dong took a deep breath, straightened his robe, then dismounted and walked towards the camp. His steps were firm and powerful, and every step seemed to announce his determination to the world.
"Who is coming?" The guard outside the camp saw Chen Dong coming and immediately stepped forward to ask.
Chen Dong smiled slightly, bowed and said: "I am Chen Dong, and I have come to visit General Sun Ying."
Upon hearing this, the guard immediately informed the camp. Soon, Sun Ying came out in person. When he saw Chen Dong, a flash of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he immediately regained his composure.
"Mr. Chen? What brings you here?" Sun Ying's tone contained a hint of amusement.
Chen Dong smiled slightly. He was not angry! Otherwise, he would not have been in the position of county magistrate for so long!
Chen Dong stepped forward and said, "General Sun, we are old friends too. Why do you treat a friend like this?"
Sun Ying frowned upon hearing this. He looked at Chen Dong, then at Lin Kunlun, as if asking for his opinion. Lin Kunlun nodded slightly, indicating that Sun Ying could listen to Chen Dong's ideas.
So, Sun Ying invited Chen Dong to enter the camp, and the three of them sat around the fire and began to discuss cooperation. Chen Dong analyzed the current situation in detail and believed that although Zhang Shan's forces were strong, his subordinates were ordinary civilians who had not been trained! Moreover, they had no military discipline! They were also unpopular. It would be difficult for them to gain a foothold in Xishan County. So Chen Dong wanted to cooperate with Sun Ying. They would work together inside and outside to take down Xishan County. Then they would report their achievements to the higher authorities! At that time, Sun Ying could get a position based on this achievement.
"General Sun! You will definitely benefit from the imperial court by then! Maybe you can even get a title for your wife and children." Chen Dong said with a smile at this time.
After hearing this, Sun Ying and Lin Kunlun both felt that Chen Dong's plan was quite feasible.
"As far as I know, Zhang Shan has been very kind to your Chen family! Why are you thinking of joining forces with me to deal with him?" Sun Ying was able to carve up such a large family business by himself, so he was certainly not a simple person. After Lin Kunlun's reminder, he immediately thought of the key. He was afraid that Chen Dong wanted to use him and Zhang Shan to fight each other to a loss, and then he would benefit.
"Zhang Shan is a traitor! The most important thing is that he has no useful people under his command! It is impossible to accomplish anything without military discipline! How can I hand over the future of the Chen family to him!" Although Chen Dong's words sounded high-sounding, Sun Ying and Lin Kunlun were not people who could be easily persuaded. They knew Chen Dong's cunning and ambition very well, so they naturally had to be vigilant about his words.
Sun Ying smiled and responded to Chen Dong: "Mr. Chen, we appreciate your kindness. But as you said, Zhang Shan is very powerful. Although we are willing to compete with him, we have to do it within our capabilities. Moreover, we value the survival of those who follow us and their families more than personal fame and fortune."
Lin Kunlun also echoed: "Mr. Chen, your plan sounds good, but it is full of risks in practice. With just over 100 of us, how can we possibly fight against thousands of them!"
Seeing that the two were determined, Chen Dong knew that he could not convince them in a short time, so he stopped forcing them.
"Haha! I knew you wouldn't agree! So I got something better for you! Zhang Shan agreed to form an alliance with you! He will give you a batch of food! But he requires you to lend a helping hand if you encounter the imperial army in the future!" Chen Dong saw that his persuasion was useless. It must be said that Zhang Shan's conditions had been met.
"This condition is not bad! General Sun, you can consider it!" Lin Kunlun immediately thought of the key point. It can not only obtain food to develop himself, but also temporarily avoid conflict with Zhang Shan.