Everyone hurriedly sat around again. More than half an hour ago, everyone was sitting here. At that time, Shen Tan and Ma Bin were busy bragging and joking with each other, and a group of guards were busy cheering and cheering. No one took Lin Jue's attention. Take it seriously. But now, everyone is sitting politely, their eyes are also on Lin Jue, and no one is saying an irrelevant word.
Lin Jue nodded secretly. This is a world where the jungle prevails. The justice of this world is who is stronger than the other. Before, he was ignored by them because he did not show such strength, but now, after experiencing everything just now, they Will show respect. Compared with the previous life, my thinking was so wrong. In the previous life, I always thought that tolerance and compromise would bring peace and respect, but the facts proved that it was absolutely impossible.
"The first rule is that starting tonight, no one is allowed to drink. Do you have any objections to this rule?" Lin Jue said.
"I'll listen to you. If you don't want to drink, I won't drink." Ma Bin muttered.
Shen Tan smiled and said: "It's okay if Shen doesn't drink. Mr. Ma has an injury on his hand, so he can't drink. Everyone just abide by this rule."
Shen Tan's words are a small step down for Ma Bin. After all, his hand is injured and he can't drink. This is also a reason. It is better than being forced not to drink. After all, this person is a fifth-grade official from the famous Imperial City. Where is the deputy envoy?
"Okay, second, from now on, you must have a regular schedule. You are not allowed to eat or sleep in the sea, or wander around on the deck at will. We are on duty at the bow and stern of the ship every day. The closer we get to Hongze Lake, the more Be careful of your whereabouts being exposed. This is not to restrict your freedom, I just want to remind you that the plan starts from the moment we board the ship and leave Hangzhou, and we must not take it lightly at any time."
"What Mr. Lin said is absolutely true. It's us who have become undisciplined. We must abide by this rule." Shen Tan and Ma Bin are also sensible people and know that what Lin Jue said is true.
"Third, from now on, we can no longer call each other Mr. Lin, Mr. Shen, and Mr. Ma. If we want to blend into the bandit camp, we all have to have another identity. I thought about it and blended in according to what we discussed before. The method of banditry, since we are evil people who have killed people and escaped, we treat each other as brothers. Mr. Ma is the elder, so he is Mr. Ma. Commander Shen is the second Mr. Shen, and I am the third Mr. Lin. The others are all They are the brothers who gathered with us, and we each gave them nicknames. In the two days before arriving at Hongze Lake, we must call each other familiar so as not to leave any traces."
"Yes, yes, I have wanted to say this for a long time, Mr. Lin... No, no, what the third child said is that it is better to change your words as soon as possible, so as not to let the word slip in the bandits' den and cause big trouble. ." Shen Tan nodded and said loudly.
Ma Bin also nodded in agreement, and having the title of Boss Ma comforted him a little. After all, he was the same age as Shen Tan, and the month was younger than Shen Tan. However, Lin Jue made him the boss, which was right. His kind of respect makes people feel comfortable.
"We will abandon the boat in Gaoyou County and walk to Guishan Town in the southwest of Hongze Lake. Although our boat is a broken boat, Mr. Ma's brothers in the Imperial City Division also said that entering Hongze Lake is within eight meters. Within ten miles, the lake bandits are well-covered, and we must not leave any trace. Finally, let me reiterate that you must listen to me on this trip. No matter what you do or say, you must not act without my permission, otherwise you will be killed without mercy. I would like to ask Lord Ma and Commander Shen to be responsible for these few disciplines. If there is any violation, please deal with it immediately so that no hidden dangers are left."
Lin Jue's voice was calm but cold, and everyone's hearts trembled. They all sensed the murderous intent in Lin Jue's words.
…
After one day and one night, the boat sailed to Gaoyou County. At a remote wild ferry, Lin Jue, Ma Bin, Shen Tan and others got off the boat. After watching the wooden boat return, they passed through the desolate wild villages and headed northwest. go.
Less than fifty miles south of Hongze Lake is a small town called Pingyuan Town. Although it is still fifty miles away from Hongze Lake, it is actually the place where the Hongze Lake bandits have spread. Lin Jue and others came in the evening When they arrived at Pingyuan Town, several people had already changed their clothes. Each of them only wore civilian clothes, looking like they were on the run. As soon as they entered Pingyuan Town, Lin Jue and others felt the strange looks from the people in the town.
In fact, on the road more than ten miles away from Pingyuan Town, Lin Jue and others discovered the spying figure following them from a distance. The lake bandits have spies all over the surrounding area within a radius of seventy or eighty miles. Anyone who enters these areas Strange and suspicious people will be targeted, and the plot of the operation will be completely mastered. The news will be sent to the secret stronghold of the Lake Bandit in the town as quickly as possible.
In fact, although this Pingyuan town is not completely controlled by the lake bandits, the lake bandits' eyes and ears are hidden among the merchants and seemingly ordinary people in the town. You think there are no suspicious people around, but in fact you Every move, word and deed is probably controlled by them.
Not all bandits are just a mob, especially those who still existed in the prosperous age of the Zhou Dynasty. They are by no means ordinary people. The imperial court has suppressed the lake bandits many times, but has never succeeded, except for some other things. In addition to the reasons, an important reason is that the Lake Bandits have such a powerful information intelligence network. Once the officers and soldiers are dispatched, information on troop strength, routes, weapons equipment, etc. will be quickly compiled to facilitate the Lake Bandits' response.
The most famous battle was that in the seventh year of Jinxiu, 40,000 soldiers and horses encircled and suppressed the Hongze Lake water bandits. In Tushan Town in the north, they were attacked by more than a thousand bandits and burned their weapons and food, leading to a massive siege. The battle failed midway. This incident also caused shock in the court, and many people were unlucky. Later, the courtiers were rarely willing to take the initiative to mention the eradication of the lake bandits, because they were afraid of being implicated if they failed. The court of the Great Zhou Dynasty Shangxia chose to turn a blind eye and allowed this cancer to remain in the land of Dazhou.
Lin Jue and the others stayed at an inn in the north of the town. It seemed random, but it was carefully chosen. Because this inn named Guangyuan was actually the eyes and ears of the Imperial City Secretary here. In a place like this Being able to establish a new set of eyes and ears shows how powerful the Imperial City Division is. Not only does the Guangyuan Inn operate here, but it has also gained the trust of the Lake Bandits and has a very good relationship with them. That is precisely because of Guangyuan The owner of the inn can use the power of the Imperial City Division to transport a lot of salt and iron that the imperial court has embargoed around Hongze Lake. This convenience is exactly what the lake bandits need.
That night, the owner of Guangyuan Inn secretly sneaked into the low-level guest room of Datongpu where Lin Jue and others lived, because their official, the deputy envoy of the Imperial City Department Ma Bin, was here. The news he received beforehand was that, They want to meet Ma Bin here to report something.
In the Datongpu guest room, everyone was sitting in the dark, talking quietly to each other, and no one could see anyone's face clearly.
"Has the news been released? Did you get the news here?" Ma Bin's deep voice sounded.
"Reporting to the deputy envoy, the news has been released. The news was received here a day ago. The bandits must also have received the news. Everything is normal. Someone came to me to inquire about the news. I have confirmed it."
"Very good. After we leave tomorrow, you can release some more news about the relationship between us and that matter. When we arrive at Guishan Town, I hope everything will go well."
"Don't worry, sir, I will do my best."
"Very good, this matter has been settled. When I come back, you can be transferred out of here. Our Imperial City Si Yamen in the capital is short of a small manager, and I think you can do the job."
"Thank you, sir. I can't thank you enough. I will try my best."
"Okay, go ahead and avoid leaking the news."
"I resign from my humble position."
After a short meeting, or just a brief conversation in the dark, the contact ended. When a few people settled their accounts and left the store early the next morning, they didn't even make eye contact with the shopkeeper sitting behind the counter.
It's like what happened last night never happened.
…
Guishan Town is located at the entrance of the southern bay of Hongze Lake, guarding the main road along the lakeside, and encompassing three deep-water docks in the southern part of Hongze Lake. Hongze Lake overflows every year, so much so that it forms a lakeside area that is more than several miles wide.
Over the years, aquatic plants, reeds, and trees have grown tangled in the silt of the shoal, clogging the lakeside waterways. Clearing a boating channel leading to the lake will be a huge and difficult task.
project.
Because of this, the only eight deep-water wharves left are extremely precious. Several wharves in Tushan Town in the north ensure that Hongze Lake is connected to the canal waterway for cargo entry and exit, and there is another one in the east that connects to the entrance of Qingzhou Jian River.
The three deep-water docks in the south are under the jurisdiction of Guishan Town.
Among the reeds in the shoals, it is no problem for small boats to enter and exit, but if large ships want to enter the lake, they must use these deep-water docks, otherwise there will be no way to enter. Because of this, the bandits in the lake who are entrenched here must firmly control these
It can be used to attack the strategic location of Guishan Island in the lake. Gao Yuankui, the bandit leader who settled here twenty years ago, was originally a martial artist and served in the capital's forbidden army. He naturally possesses high military literacy and strategic skills.
Under his full management, Tushan Town in the north and Guishan Town in the south have become bridgeheads guarding key areas under the complete control of the lake bandits.
It was already late in the afternoon when Lin Jue Mabin and others arrived at Guishan Town. On the way from Pingyuan Town to Guishan Town, as we got closer and closer to Hongze Lake, the atmosphere felt extra intense.
Nervous and weird. Even when walking in the deserted wilderness, you can seem to feel the spying eyes everywhere. Not to mention the woodcutters carrying firewood you occasionally encounter on the road.
People carrying baskets, people pushing carts, etc. They all look like ordinary people, but as long as you take a look at them when you pass by them, you will immediately feel the difference. That bamboo hat
The eyes under the straw hats had a chilling sharpness and ferocity, as if they would pull out a knife from their waists and slash at everyone at any time.
Lin Jue and others all understood that these were by no means ordinary people, but the eyes and ears of bandits. Such frequent spying, even at close range, was enough to show that the whereabouts of himself and others had actually caused a stir in Hongze Lake.
The bandits are on high alert. In this area, their whereabouts have been monitored from all directions.
Of course, this is not surprising to Lin Jue and others. In fact, Lin Jue and others already knew about these situations. On the way here, Lin Jue had already learned a lot about the situation here through Ma Bin's mouth. Of course, the sources of the information were all
It came from the hands of the Imperial City Division. In addition, the situation of being closely 'served' along the way from Pingyuan Town to Guishan Town was actually what Lin Jue and others were happy to see. This illustrates one point, before the Imperial City Division
The rumor sent out as required has worked, and has successfully aroused the lake bandit's strong interest in himself and others.
Two days ago, on the way to Pingyuan Town, Lin Jue, Ma Bin and others discussed how to sneak into the bandit village. This is actually the difficulty in the whole plan. Only by infiltrating into the bandit village can there be negotiation or negotiation.
If you can't do this, then don't talk about anything. Although the lake bandits are bandits, they are not people who want to join the village and become lake bandits. The lake bandits will welcome you up the mountain with gongs and drums.
.It is even less likely that they will get what they want by raising their fists and shouting in Guishan Town, "I want to be a bandit, and I want to hang out with you." On the contrary, if suspicion is aroused in this matter, then they will not be greeted by success.
The glory of being a bandit is to die an untimely death. In the past ten years, the imperial court has not sent agents to sneak into the village. These people have also caused huge damage. Therefore, the lake bandits are extremely strict in preventing this.
.
It's a bit ridiculous to say that becoming a bandit in the Guishan Island village is sometimes more difficult than becoming a Jinshi. This is also the reason why the number of lake bandits on Guishan Island has only been controlled at about 3,000 people, including family members.
Including the people who voluntarily live on the island, there are not more than 10,000 people. Because the island houses all die-hard and loyal people.
In this way, it seems that being a bandit is an extremely difficult thing. However, as long as you know the inside story, there is nothing difficult about it. The rules are there, and as long as you act according to the rules, then it is not that difficult.
Now. There is only one rule for Guishan Island to recruit new members, and that is that you must have a certificate of nomination approved by them. For the lake bandits who hold high the banner of killing the rich and helping the poor for justice, their certificate of nomination is
It's very simple. If you want to go up the mountain, you must have killed people, and the ones you killed were corrupt officials and wealthy families.
From a general point of view, what you did was a righteous act, you were doing justice for heaven, you were killing the rich and giving to the poor. People who fall into the grass talk about righteousness, and they will say these big principles when they accept you, but in fact the real truth is more
To be straightforward and simple. If you kill such a person, the court will not tolerate it. You will only die. Then you will become a bandit with all your heart and regard this free land as your home. You
You will protect this place to the death, because once this place is gone, you will have no way to survive.
It was based on this that Lin Jue and the others formulated a strategy to sneak into the village. They used various strongholds in the Imperial City Division to send out the news. Within one day, they reported that a Tianchang County magistrate was rushed into the house by several thugs and beheaded.
It became a reality. Even the Tianchang County Magistrate himself did not make any response. Instead, he seemed to cooperate and closed the yamen and front offices tightly after the news spread, making it look like he was really killed.
Moreover, drawings and graphics were posted on the street entrances and city gates inside and outside Tianchang County, and the drawings were exactly the images of Lin Jue and others. It was only unclear what the crime was. But it was this unclear description that made
The rumors became more credible, and people thought they were deliberately concealing the truth in order not to cause panic. The Imperial City Division knew this well and knew how to make a piece of news believable without confusing the truth. In short, here
In this matter, they fully demonstrated their means.
After arriving in Pingyuan Town yesterday, the brief conversation at night was about this matter. The conversation between Ma Bin and the owner of Guangyuan Inn was to ask whether Pingyuan Town had received the news, and the result was yes. And Ma Bin
Bin asked the owner of Guangyuan Inn to release another piece of news to fuel the flames. The news was that the people who killed Tianchang County Magistrate had arrived in Pingyuan Town and were heading towards Guishan Town. Therefore, the care they received along the way was
A large part of the reason why it is so strict is also related to this news.
The reason why Lin Jue and others did this was naturally to let the lake bandits in Guishan Town know that these eight of them were desperate people who had committed a big case. They were obviously going to join the copycat. The rules of the surrender letter were satisfied.
What is left may be some temptations and tests from the Lake Bandits. Lin Jue firmly believes that it is not that the Lake Bandits do not want to expand their team. After all, the more people there are, the safer they will be and the more capital they will have to fight against the official army. Especially when they
They had just done a big case and hijacked the Queen Mother's birthday ceremony. They were extremely cautious and hoped to recruit troops as soon as possible to deal with the possible encirclement and suppression by the court, so they could not ignore the arrival of these eight of them.
If the lake bandits can take the initiative to contact you and others, it will be more credible than going to them yourself, and you will be able to enter the village smoothly.
When the eight people hurriedly entered Guishan Town, the whole town seemed to be quiet. The shops, pubs and teahouses on the roadside were full of people, and everyone looked at the eight people. The eight people walked in the narrow and chaotic town.
The small and medium streets were like walking in a wilderness surrounded by wild beasts, as if countless wild beasts would swoop out at the next moment and tear them into pieces.
Two guards were obviously frightened by this posture, their faces turned pale, and their legs and feet began to tremble when they walked. Lin Jue whispered: "Don't be afraid, it is useless to be afraid at this time, the more you are afraid, the more you will reveal your secrets. Not only don't be afraid,
And I have to walk with my arms crossed."
Ma Bin said in a deep voice: "You're right, you have to walk with your arms crossed. This place is already a bandit's den. It's too late to escape now. Are you afraid of a bird?"
Having said that, everyone is still scared. The bandits of Hongze Lake have become notorious in recent years. In the past, they rarely disturbed the surrounding people, but now they dare to kill anyone, creating a chaotic atmosphere. These people have done some things before coming here.
Those who have done some homework all know the ferocity of these lake bandits. Moreover, they all know what will happen next according to Lin Jue's plan. Lin Jue had already decided before entering the town that if no one paid attention to him and others,
They will take the initiative to cause trouble.
"Follow me." Lin Jue whispered in a low voice, and then swaggered down the street towards the grass shed in front of a tea shop. Ma Bin and Shen Tan looked at each other and followed behind.
There were more than a dozen people sitting in the tea shed. When they saw Lin Jue and others approaching, they all looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Some even stretched out their hands and began to search around their waists. There were bulging bags there, obviously hiding weapons.
Lin Jue came under the shed and shouted: "Shopkeeper, do you have a seat?"
A short man came out with a smile, bowed his hands and said, "This guest, would you like to have tea?"
Lin Jue said with a smile: "Yes, my feet are sore from walking and I am very thirsty. I will drink a few sips of tea to quench my thirst. Your business here is good, and the seats are full."
The man chuckled and said: "They are all idle folks who sit with a pot of tea for a long time. I'll let them move to their homes. It's not okay to occupy the latrine and not poop. It will delay my business."
Lin Jue rolled his eyes. It was obviously a tea table, but the shopkeeper himself said it was a pit. When he greeted the guests like this, the guests still had appetite. One sentence revealed that the shopkeeper was not the real shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper turned around and winked at the tea tables around him and said, "Everyone, please clear your seats and make a table for the guests who have come from afar."
Seven or eight 'guests' stood up silently and moved their seats with great cooperation. The shopkeeper turned around and said with a smile: "Guests, please take a seat."
