(2-in-1) On the west side of Xihe Street, on the second floor of Chunlai Tea House, Lin Jue sat in a private room separated by a screen by the window, drinking tea and looking at the scenery outside the window.
Under the window is a side street, with a small courtyard not far away. Lin Jue is very familiar with this place. It was on that side street a year ago that he directed a street farce. Lin Boyong happened to watch it when he passed by. I went to Qian's house to catch Lin Quan's traitor. After that, Lin Quan was driven out of Hangzhou, and he was taught a lesson by Lin Boyong.
Now more than a year has passed, Lin Boyong is no longer the head of the Lin family, Lin Quan and himself have also settled their differences, and he is no longer a bullied character in the Lin family. In a short period of time, the world has changed, and it suddenly seems like yesterday.
There was the sound of footsteps outside, and the voice of a waiter came: "Please come with me, Mr. Lin is waiting for you in the box over there."
Shen Tan's response also came over. Lin Jue withdrew his gaze and stood up and looked at the side of the screen. After a moment, the burly Shen Tan appeared in front of Lin Jue.
"Commander Shen, Lin Jue is polite." Lin Jue smiled and bowed his hands.
Shen Tan hurriedly raised his hands and said, "Young Master Lin is polite. How can you be so polite and invite Shen to drink? Hahaha, how dare you do that?"
Lin Jue smiled and said, "I'm worried that Commander Shen won't give me the favor. Commander Shen is busy with his affairs, so I've wasted Commander Shen's time."
Shen Tan said hurriedly: "What are you talking about? Mr. Lin invites you. No matter how busy Shen is, he will come."
Lin Jue laughed heartily, and the two of them exchanged a few words. Lin Jue asked Shen Tan to sit down and then ordered the waiter: "Let's serve the food and wine. Did your shopkeeper tell you? I've reserved all the private rooms on the second floor. Don’t let anyone else in. Don’t greet anyone after you’ve served the food and wine.”
The young man is not surprised that guests often do this if they want to discuss important matters. It doesn't matter if they reserve a floor. What's more, this man is the famous Mr. Lin of the Lin family. Anyone who can meet him must discuss it. Big business. In the past, the head of the Lin family often came here to discuss business, and he did it the same way.
Not long after, the food and drinks were served, a large table full of the best and most expensive delicacies in the Chunlai Teahouse. The wine was also filled with a large jar of Bamboo Leaf Green, the finest wine.
"Master Lin, why are you so polite? Why do you want to invite Shen to drink today? Shen is so flattered." Shen Tan said with a smile.
Lin Jue smiled and said: "That day in the palace, Commander Shen helped me and let me go a little bit. I never had a chance to express my gratitude. So today I invited Commander Shen to have a drink. First, to catch up on old times, and secondly, to express my gratitude. .”
The incident Lin Jue was talking about was after the incident between the young princess and Lin Jue came to light half a year ago. When Lin Jue went to the palace, he was blocked in the pavilion by the young prince Guo Kun. Guo Kun threatened to kill Lin Jue at that time. Shen Tan and others were ordered to search for traces of Lin Jue. As a result, Shen Tan found Lin Jue and the little princess hiding in the pavilion, but chose to ignore the order and let Lin Jue leave. Although Lin Jue did not leave in the end, this incident made Lin Jue I am very touched. I feel that Shen Tan is very loyal.
Lin Jue brought up the old incident again, and Shen Tan also remembered it, and laughed and said: "So it was that incident. Mr. Lin is so polite. Is it worth thanking him for such a small thing? To say thank you, on Guishan Island last year If the young master hadn't been clever in his strategy, acted bravely and killed Hou Biao in one fell swoop, the lives of Shen, Lord Ma and the other six brothers would have been lost. Losing lives is still a trivial matter, the key is that the things that the prince told him to do are still not completed. It’s me who deserves to be thanked, and it’s me who deserves the drink.”
Lin Jue laughed and said: "What is this? I invited you to drink, how come you invited me to drink? That's all, there is no need to say thank you or not, it's just catching up with old times and keeping in touch with each other. That's okay, right? .”
Shen Tan said: "This is right."
Lin Jue picked up the wine jug and filled a large glass of wine for Shen Tan and himself. The two clinked the glasses and drank a full glass. After putting down the wine glasses, they looked at each other and laughed.
After eating a few bites of food and drinking a few glasses of wine, Shen Tan put down his chopsticks and said: "Master Lin, after I came back from Guishan Island, I often told my brothers about you. I have never subdued anyone in my life. , but I, Shen Tan, have to be convinced by Mr. Lin. Mr. Lin is the most courageous and scheming person I have ever seen. The incident on Guishan Island was only possible with the help of Mr. Lin alone. "
Lin Jue waved his hand and said: "Commander Shen, please stop talking about me like that. I can't sit still anymore. That's everyone's credit. I also risked my life to survive and worked so hard. I'm pretty lucky." What kind of strategic audacity can we talk about there?"
Shen Tan shook his head and said: "Young Master, please don't be self-effacing. If what happened on Guishan Island is just good luck, how about what happened on Peach Blossom Island? To be honest, at first I thought Young Master was crazy for actually asking Such a death plan. I didn’t expect that the young master caused chaos on Peach Blossom Island and actually succeeded in suppressing the bandits. All the guards in my palace were convinced. Mr. Lin has been to the palace several times. Didn’t he notice the guards? Do I respect you very much?"
Lin Jue smiled and said: "When you say that, it seems a little bit. Brothers seem to be kinder to me."
"It's not kindness, it's admiration. We people rarely admire anyone. The young master is world-famous in literature and praised by everyone. For us rough guys, that doesn't make any sense. But for his ability in fighting and planning, we But they all admire me very much. Let me tell you that Lord Ma asked someone to bring me a message some time ago. He also inquired about the current situation of the young master and asked you to go to the capital to get together when you have time. Look, Lord Ma has never forgotten you. Woolen cloth."
Lin Jue was stunned when he heard the words, and then burst into laughter. Ma Bin's big, fat face flashed in his mind. He didn't expect that this guy would still miss him.
Shen Tan also laughed and said: "I heard about the martial arts competition between Mr. Ma and Mr. Lin on the way to Guishan Island that day. To be honest, I was worried to death at the time, fearing that Mr. Lin would be punched to death by Mr. Ma. If I had known Mr. Lin’s strategy, I should have been worried about Mr. Ma. Poor Mr. Ma was knocked unconscious by Mr. Lin’s punch and almost lost his hand. Hahaha. If I have a chance to see Mr. Ma next time , you will definitely humiliate him."
Lin Jue laughed even more. When the laughter stopped, Lin Jue's face darkened and he sighed longly.
Shen Tan frowned and asked: "Did Mr. Lin encounter something unpleasant? Is it... something about the young master and the little princess? I say, don't be anxious, young master. Sooner or later, the prince and the little prince will understand that the young master is a human being. Longfeng, they will agree to your marriage to the young princess."
Lin Jue was stunned. Shen Tan actually knew about the matter between him and Guo Caiwei. This matter should be kept extremely confidential. Lin Jue himself and the little princess could not tell Shen Tan, so it was only possible that the little prince Guo Kun told Shen Tan. . All these things were told to Shen Tan, which shows that Shen Tan's status in the palace is very high.
"Commander Shen, why can't I understand what you said?" Lin Jue couldn't admit it. Even if Shen Tan knew everything, Lin Jue would still pretend to be confused.
Shen Tan chuckled and said nothing while picking up the food. But he heard Lin Jue say: "I thought of something, so I felt a little depressed."
Shen Tan said: "What is that? Someone is causing trouble for you? Please tell me and I will solve it for you."
Lin Jue raised his eyes and looked at Shen Tan and said: "Commander Shen, you should know what happened on Guishan Island later."
Shen Tan was startled, put down his chopsticks and sighed: "Hey! How could I not know? The young master is talking about the court turning against him and driving all the people on Guishan Island to death. I heard about this, and I felt very sad. Unhappy. Although the leader of Gao Dazhao is a female, his actions are still admirable. Besides, they also made great efforts in annihilating Haidongqing. It is really unreasonable for the court to do this."
Lin Jue said softly: "Not only is it unreasonable, it is really embarrassing. The great Zhou Dynasty actually played such a trick, which made the whole world laugh out loud. How can people be convinced like this? In order to help suppress the bandits, Gao Muqing and others followed I went through life and death, how many brothers were killed or injured? In the end, I ended up like this. It’s really heartbreaking to think about it.”
Shen Tan frowned and said: "Yes, if it were me, I would be very disappointed. Young master, please don't resent the prince. The prince and the young prince are also very angry about this matter. This is someone who is causing trouble, and the prince did not expect it." Something like this will happen. I know that it was the young master who provided the guarantee, so the leader of Guishan Island Gao Dazhao and the others will help the court to suppress the pirates. The young master who is involved in this matter is not a human being inside and outside. Hey, the young master must be in his heart Uncomfortable.”
Lin Jue said: "Commander Shen is a real person. Those in the court can naturally ignore these things. But for me, I can't feel at ease and pretend that nothing happened. As you said, everyone on Guishan Island is After listening to my words, he agreed to cooperate with the imperial court because he trusted me. Now that things have turned out like this, how do I feel in my heart? Although Lin is a commoner, he is also a man who values friendship and loyalty. Although the incident on Guishan Island It's the court's betrayal, but my responsibility in this matter is unquestionable. Do you think I can feel at ease?"
Shen Tan nodded and said: "I understand, I understand. The young master is a man of temperament, and this time he has indeed been trapped in an unjust situation."
Lin Jue said angrily: "It's ridiculous that the imperial court also awarded me the title of a righteous man. This is simply a travesty. When everyone on Guishan Island learned about this, they still didn't hate me to the bone? It is simply an insult to the word 'righteousness'."
Shen Tan looked at Lin Jue with a frown and said: "No wonder the young master said that he would reject this title that day. Alas, it is indeed not a reward, but more like a satire."
Lin Jue raised his glass and said: "Commander Shen knows my heart very well. I have never said this to anyone, and I have always been depressed in my heart. After I told Commander Shen today, I feel much happier."
Shen Tan said with a smile: "Young master, I have promoted you. I have expressed my sincerity to Shen. I am deeply honored. Master, please don't be too angry. We are really helpless in these matters. Even the prince and the prefect Yan can't do anything, so what can we do?"
Lin Jue nodded, and the two clinked glasses and drank the wine in one gulp.
"Commander Shen, do you know the current situation of everyone on Guishan Island?" Lin Jue asked in a deep voice.
Shen Tan put down the wine cup and shook his head: "I'm not sure about this. Didn't I hear that a small part of them broke out of the encirclement and went to Funiu Mountain? Funiu Mountain is a good place to hide. The terrain is steep, the mountains are high and the forests are dense. .There are still many bandits entrenched in the mountains, and the imperial court will not be able to attack them for a while. If they can gain a foothold there, they should be safe for the time being."
Lin Jue smiled bitterly and said: "It would be nice to be able to gain a foothold. At least I can feel a little comfort in my heart. However, the reality is cruel."
"Oh? Does Mr. Lin know their current situation? Does he know their current situation?" Shen Tan asked in a low voice.
Lin Jue glanced at Shen Tan and said in a deep voice: "I don't know what Commander Shen thinks of these people who are in the mountains and forests. For example, the people of Guishan Island, I don't know what kind of people they are in Commander Shen's eyes. Yes. As the imperial court said, someone who is so heinous should be rounded up and beheaded, or are there extenuating circumstances?"
Shen Tan was stunned for a moment and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Lin, do you want Shen to tell the truth?"
Lin Jue said: "You and I are chatting in private, and it won't be known to outsiders, so why bother to hide it."
Shen Tan said: "Okay, let me tell you the truth. Although Shen is on duty in the palace, he also has many friends in the world. To be honest, I don't think these friends in the world are all What kind of heinous people are they? Even though some of them behave perversely, and some ignore the laws and regulations of the court, do whatever they want, and do all kinds of evil. But many people are forced to do nothing and become bandits. Take the Gao Village Leader of Guishan Island as an example. This is a living force to force them to become bandits. Originally, they were willing to recruit people, but the court actually refused to give them a way to survive. Under such circumstances, how can they be blamed for turning into bandits again? I know these words are rebellious, but this is what I think in my heart .”
Lin Jue nodded slowly and said: "For Commander Shen to say these words, it proves that I have not misjudged the person. This is not a treasonous statement, it is a fact. I know the situation of Guishan Island Chief Gao and others. , I can inform Commander Shen."
At that moment, Lin Jue narrated the experiences of Gao Muqing, Liang Qi, and others in detail. Of course, Lin Jue was cautious and did not reveal that Liang Qi came to him, financed Yin Liang, and decided to provide weapons and armor for Gao Muqing and others. .He wanted to find out Shen Tan's reaction step by step.
Shen Tan listened to Lin Jue's narration dumbfounded, looking very shocked. After Lin Jue finished speaking, Shen Tan sighed: "I didn't expect, I didn't expect that they would encounter such a dangerous situation in Funiu Mountain. They The situation is very bad. How did Mr. Lin know these things?"
Lin Juedao: "Commander Shen, don't ask me how I know this. From Commander Shen's point of view, how can they get out of the situation they are in? Is it possible for them to survive and establish themselves?"
Shen Tan frowned and thought for a moment, then said slowly: "It's difficult. Judging from the description of the young master, they are now at the end of their rope and have nothing. Although they have occupied Luoyan Valley and have a place to stay, this move has already violated Funiu Mountain. The villagers were furious. This time, only Bao Meng's village from Luoyan Valley attacked them, but I'm afraid all the villagers in Funiu Mountain had this intention. Although I admire the bravery of the village leader Gao Da and others, defeating Bao Meng only temporarily gained them. It's just a breather. The severe winter is coming soon. The village leader Gao Da and his people may not be able to survive the severe winter. They have no food, grass, and clothing to keep out the cold. How will they survive this winter? Then Bao Meng stopped attacking, probably because he wanted to take advantage of the severe cold. They would freeze to death and starve to death."
Lin Jue nodded heavily. Shen Tan could still see the key to the problem. This was also the conclusion he had drawn from his previous analysis.
"Even if they survive this winter, when the flowers bloom in spring next year, they will face a more ferocious attack. Their manpower is too small, and it will be difficult for them to cope with Bao Meng's family alone, not to mention that next spring there may be several If the two families unite to attack them, they will be doomed." Shen Tan continued.
"Commander Shen thinks, under the current circumstances, how should they protect themselves?" Lin Jue asked.
Shen Tan pondered: "Under the current situation, they must first cope with this winter and find a way to solve the problem of food and clothing. Otherwise, there is no need to talk about anything." Lin Jue said: "If they can survive this winter, what about next spring? How to deal with the massive attack by bandits?"
Shen Tan thought for a while and said: "I'm afraid this will be difficult. If possible, it is best to make peace. Attach yourself to a powerful village in the Funiu Mountains to get protection. In that case, you may survive."
"However, those people who follow them are afraid that they will be driven out of Funiu Mountain or killed. Don't forget that it was precisely because he wanted to protect the people who defected to them that the leader of Gao Dazhai turned against Zuo Zongdao. Funiu Mountain There is a shortage of materials in the country, and no village is willing to support idle people. Most of the people are the old, weak, sick and young, and there is not much value in feeding them. But the tall and powerful village owners will never give up on them because they are old people in the village." Lin Jue said.
"In this case, there is no way to save them. They can't be beaten, and they will die if they go out. The court will not let them go. Hey, this matter is really a dead end. Forgive me for being stupid, I really can't think of it. There's a good way." Shen Tan shook his head and said with a heavy expression.
Lin Jue nodded and said softly: "Commander Shen should understand my feelings now. I already felt guilty towards them. If Chief Gao and the others could establish themselves in Funiu Mountain, I would feel better. But at the moment Under such circumstances, they have reached a dead end and are about to be completely destroyed. How can I ignore them?"
Shen Tan smacked his lips and said: "Yes, I can understand Mr. Lin's mood, but in this situation, Mr. Lin may not be able to save himself. Mr. Lin should not blame himself too much. This may be their reason. Take your life."
Lin Jue shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Life? I heard this when I went on an adventure on Guishan Island for birthday gifts. Didn't we all think that there was nothing we could do at that time and that this was our fate? But later on Isn't there a turning point? Therefore, it is wrong to believe in fate. There are always more solutions than difficulties. Fate can also be reversed. Otherwise, what is the meaning of people still living in this world? If everything is destined, why should people in the world be busy and hard. Destiny You should be well-dressed and in a high position, so why don’t you just do nothing when you are born and just wait for fate to favor you? But I don’t believe this."
Shen Tan smiled and said: "I just said this to comfort Mr. Lin. In fact, I don't believe it either. But as far as the current situation is concerned, it seems that I can't help them much."
Lin Jue nodded, picked up the glass and drank it all, then looked at Shen Tan blankly and said: "Commander Shen, don't you want to ask me how I know their current situation? It was Liang Qi who came to Hangzhou to find me. They informed me of their situation. I couldn't just watch them die, so I gave Liang Qi a sum of money and asked him to purchase grain, cotton clothes and other items in Ruzhou and transport them to the mountains. They will definitely survive this winter."
Shen Tan looked at Lin Jue in surprise, and after a while he whispered: "Master Lin, this is... a bandit."
Lin Jue smiled and said: "Yes, it is indeed a crime of collaborating with bandits, confiscating homes and exterminating clans. But I don't care, I said, I can't just watch them die this winter. I want to make up for the mistakes I made before. They believed what the court said, and they ended up like this. Does Commander Shen think what I did was wrong?"
Shen Tan frowned and muttered: "Young Master Lin is so benevolent and righteous that he dares to take such a risk. Shen can only admire him. He has no other ideas. Master Lin informed me of this matter, which is even more trust in me, Shen Tan. But Lin Young Master, please don’t forget, as I just said, even after this winter, it will still be difficult for them next spring..."
Lin Jue waved his hand and said: "Commander Shen, I just asked you for your opinion. You said there is no way to save them and they will definitely die. But I don't think so. I think there is a way to save them."
"Oh? Mr. Lin has a good opinion? Is there any way to do this in this situation?" Shen Tan said in surprise.
Lin Jue said: "I can't speak of high opinions. Under the current situation, we can only treat a dead horse as a living horse. We have just said that compromise and withdrawal from Funiu Mountain are impossible, so the only way left is to fight to the death. A battle."
"Fight to the death? Mr. Lin, isn't this also a dead end? You also agree that the attack next spring will be more fierce. Didn't you also say that Zuo Zongdao and Bao Meng might join forces to attack? There are other A bandit's stronghold? With just a few hundred people, how can it withstand an attack by thousands of people?" Shen Tan shook his head.
Lin Jue smiled and said: "Commander Shen, don't forget that when I competed with Master Ma, didn't you think that I would lose? You were even worried that Master Ma would kill me with one punch. But what was the result?"
Shen Tan frowned and said, "These are two different things. Mr. Lin had a martial arts competition with Mr. Ma that time because Mr. Lin had prepared for it. He had special armor on his body and finger tigers on his hands. Mr. Ma had no idea that he was defeated. Already."
Lin Jue smiled and said: "Even if he knows, can he win? Even if I let him put on the armor on the ship and use the sword, can he win? How is his ability compared to Qiu Biao?"
Shen Tan raised his forehead and said: "Oh, I forgot, Mr. Lin has such a powerful firearm. Mr. Ma is not Mr. Lin's opponent in any case. However, this is not the same as the battle between Gao Dazhao and the gang of bandits. What’s the comparison?”
Lin Jue said quietly: "Don't you understand, Commander Shen? What I mean is that equipment can change the outcome of both sides. Just like when I competed with Master Ma, I was not his opponent originally. Master Ma alone can beat me ten times, but I have armor on my body, a finger in my hand, and a firearm. Master Ma is no match for me. Even the extremely powerful Qiu Biao will die in my hands. Won't he die in Funiu Mountain? The bandits actually have average combat power, because they don’t have any armor, shields, etc. except for the weapons in their hands. In the final analysis, they are just a group of rabble. Although they are small in number, if they are protected by armor, they can use strong bows and crossbows. , can have sharp weapons, can have shields to block. Can't we take advantage of the favorable geographical situation to fight? Fighting in the mountains, from a high position, dozens of bows and arrows can block the attack of hundreds of people, even in the stage of hand-to-hand combat, In a fierce battle between opponents wearing armor and bare hands, I dare not say that one can defeat ten, but at least one can defeat two or three. There is no problem. Who knows the outcome?"
Shen Tan looked at Lin Jue talking with his mouth open, and was shocked in his heart. He admitted that Lin Jue's idea was reasonable. If there were strong bows, crossbows, armor, shields and swords, etc., then it would be impossible to deal with the mountains. The bandit's attack will definitely be of great convenience. Among other things, bows and crossbows are powerful weapons against enemies attacking mountains. If equipped with hundreds of bows and arrows, and use the favorable terrain, let's say thousands of people, it will be Even ten thousand people may be repulsed. If his 300 royal guards were in Funiu Mountain, they would definitely not be afraid of the opponent's attack, because they have enough means to repel the opponent.
"But Mr. Lin... you are talking about the situation where the leader of the village and his men are well-equipped. The problem is that they do not have these sophisticated equipment now. These things are strictly controlled by the imperial court, and there is no money. There is nowhere to buy it." Shen Tan said in a deep voice.
Lin Jue smiled slightly and said: "This is exactly the reason why I invited Commander Shen to have a drink today. Commander Shen, let's have another drink. I have an unkind request that I want to talk to Commander Shen."
Shen Tan was horrified. Looking at Lin Jue who was smiling and raising a glass, he suddenly felt that the wine cup in his hand weighed more than a thousand catties.
