flstandardbreds Chapter 335 Pan Zhang felt insulted
Chapter 335 Pan Zhang felt insulted
Men are rational beings; they think through the potential consequences and costs of doing something before they do it.
The top leaders of Dongwu were among the best, and they naturally knew how much infamy they would bear and how much damage they would cause to the merchant community if they crossed the river in white robes, but Dongwu didn't care.
Once Jingzhou is in our hands, it's ours. As for whether the merchants' interests are harmed, what do they care? These mere merchants think they can turn the world upside down?
No one in the Eastern Wu leadership, including Pan Zhang, cared about the fate of the traveling merchants, but now Pan Zhang had to consider this variable.
Reminded by Ma Zhong, Pan Zhang frowned and fell into deep thought. He said slowly, "What you said makes sense. Merchants may indeed be providing Guan Xing with provisions, and the two may even be colluding. If that's the case, those merchants in the military market have probably become Guan Xing's eyes and ears. We must be wary of them."
"Starting today, send more spies to keep an eye on these merchants. Also, send a few quick-thinking soldiers to disguise themselves as merchants and set up stalls in the military market. Quickly infiltrate their ranks and become one of them. Then, sound them out. If they are honestly doing business, let them continue. If they are using business as an excuse to provide information to Guan Xing, follow the trail to find their superiors and publicly execute them as a warning to others. I want to see which merchant dares to be disrespectful in front of me!"
"Of course, the most important thing is still food supplies. Select two thousand elite soldiers to go to Linru County. Then, use the county as the center to explore the surrounding area within ten miles, or guard all the main roads into the mountains. If you find anyone transporting supplies into the mountains, seize them immediately. If anyone dares to resist, kill them on the spot. Make sure that the merchants can't send a single grain of food into Bloodwood Ridge. Without the support of the merchants, let's see how long Guan Xing can stay in Bloodwood Ridge."
Ma Zhong nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
After saying this, he turned and left. Just as he reached the door and lifted the tent flap, a messenger rushed into the tent and bumped into him. Both of them stumbled several times. Before he could regain his balance, the messenger said urgently, "General Pan, Commander Ma (Ma Zhong's official title), Peng Qi has rebelled! He led his navy to rob our goods at the border of Poyang Lake and Riyue Lake, killed our cargo transport soldiers, and even claimed that Riyue Lake is his. He told you to leave as soon as possible, or he would throw you into the lake to feed the fish."
"Uh..." Pan Zhang was stunned for a moment, then slammed his fist on the table and angrily cursed, "Who does Peng Qi think he is, daring to spout such nonsense? Does he really think I can't handle him?"
Pan Zhang felt extremely insulted. If Guan Xing had said he would throw him into the lake to feed the fish, he would not have been angry but would have been extra wary. But what was Peng Qi? A mere mountain bandit chieftain and a water bandit in Poyang Lake. Who gave him the courage?
Ma Zhong quickly reminded him, "General, calm down. Peng Qi is not the scary part; the scary part is that he's allied with Guan Xing. Guan Xing's infiltration army is already at Bloodwood Ridge. Don't you think Peng Qi's timing for rebelling at this time is quite clever?"
Pan Zhang frowned and said, "You're right, so what's your opinion?"
Ma Zhong pondered, "Peng Qi has been operating in Poyang Lake for many years. Although he only has six or seven thousand men under his command, if he really raises the banner of rebellion, he can instantly gather twenty or thirty thousand men. But this is just a rabble and is not scary. What I'm afraid of is him joining forces with Guan Xing."
"Guan Xing was extremely skilled at training troops. In just a few days, he trained a force capable of defeating Generals Han and Xu in a head-on battle with Guan Yu during the raid on Jianye and the southward march to Wushang. This shows how strong his ability to train troops was."
"If Guan Xing joins forces with Peng Qi, Guan Xing's ability to train troops, combined with Peng Qi's large army, will put us in a lot of trouble."
Wu Jun had been fighting Guan Xing for so long that he had captured many Han soldiers. From the prisoners, he learned a bit about Guan Xing's training methods. Peng Qi's bandit army was also large in number. If they were really handed over to Guan Xing for training, they would probably be able to fight Pan Zhang's army head-on in less than a month. Just thinking about that was terrifying.
Ma Zhong continued, "Therefore, I suggest that we send troops immediately and strike decisively before Peng Qi has established a firm foothold by raising the banner of rebellion. We should eliminate this guy with lightning speed. At the same time, we should use large sums of money to bribe and promise high-ranking officials to win over the group of junior generals under Peng Qi and get them to help us provide Peng Qi's exact location. We should try to eliminate this hidden danger of Peng Qi before Guan Xing makes a move and stabilize our rear."
Wu Jun's biggest challenge in dealing with the Yue bandits was not that he couldn't defeat them, but that he couldn't find them. Peng Qi had been roaming Poyang Lake for many years and knew every part of the lake well. If they searched blindly, they really wouldn't be able to find them in a short time.
Pan Zhang pondered and said, "What you said makes sense. Let's proceed according to the original plan. You take two thousand elite troops to Linru to block the mountain and prevent merchants and goods from entering the mountain. But if Guan Xing comes out of the mountain, don't fight him head-on. Try to avoid his sharp edge and wander around, keeping them entangled in Xuemu Ridge. As for Peng Qi, I will deal with him personally. Also, send a letter to General Zhuge, telling him about Peng Qi's rebellion and to be on guard."
“Yes…” Ma Zhong turned and left.
Pan Zhang wrote a letter to Lu Xun and Zhuge Jin, which he then sent to a messenger. He then began to organize his troops and prepare for war, intending to deal with Peng Qi, this troublesome scoundrel, before turning his attention to Guan Xing.
……
Cats have cat lanes, rats have rat lanes.
People from all walks of life have their own ways of making a living. When similar ways of making a living come together, they naturally form their own circles. Officials have their circles, businessmen have their circles, and bandits from the mountains and rivers also have their own circles.
You Chong, the leader of the Bloodwood Ridge sect, is a core member of the Mountain Yue circle, so he can naturally contact people inside the circle through other members.
After descending the mountain on Guan Xing's orders, You Chong led Ning Huan to Poyang Lake via a small path and then took a boat to Peng Qi's lair, Nanji Island.
When they arrived, Peng Qi had just returned from his robbery. Upon seeing You Chong, he immediately rushed over and gave him a big bear hug. Pointing to the looted supplies, he laughed and said, "Brother You Chong, look, this is what I just snatched from Pan Zhang. That damned Pan Zhang not only set up a military market at Riyue Lake, but he also dared to build a ferry crossing on the shore of Poyang Lake for transportation. He really doesn't respect me, Peng Qi, at all. Don't forget that I am the master of Poyang Lake."
Following his finger, You Chong saw the several ships of supplies that had been brought back and praised them, saying, "Brother Peng's style is as impressive as ever, and he's still so decisive. Will Pan Zhang set up another military market later?"
It's one thing to set up military markets in peacetime, but now that there's a war going on, while Lu Xun is fighting fiercely against the Han army on the front lines, Pan Zhang is doing business in the rear, and doing it very well.
Is this guy obsessed with money?
Peng Qi laughed and said, "After dealing with Pan Zhang for so many years, don't you understand him? That guy even steals from his own men. He's more interested in making money than getting married. Is it strange that he set up a military market?"
"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's get down to business. Brother You, I've already raised the banner of rebellion and robbed Pan Zhang, winning the first victory. What do you think? As long as you join me, I'll immediately appoint you as my deputy leader. Let's join forces to first destroy Pan Zhang, then take Nanchang, and then occupy the entire Yuzhang. What do you say?"
You Chong's father was Zong Shuai You Tu. Although You Tu was dead, his name had not faded and he still had a strong influence among the Yue people, so he had to be won over.
You Chong glanced around, then pulled Peng Qi aside and asked, "Brother Peng, tell me honestly, do you want to pledge allegiance to Cao Cao and Liu Bei, or do you want to establish yourself as king?"
This needs to be clarified, because it directly relates to their future attitude towards Peng Qi.
Without a second thought, Peng Qi blurted out, "Of course, I'd declare myself king! Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of an ox. Who the hell would be a subject when given the chance to be a monarch!"