Chapter 46: Farewell at the City Gate, Wheel Tracks Stretch Far (Part 2)

Without any intention of waiting for Wang Hou's message, Han Gang quickly finished his preparations. The mules pulling the carts had already been fed, and according to his agreement with Wang Hou, Han Gang left behind three injured men and a cart loaded with captured weapons and heads. He was not worried that anyone would take these spoils of war while he was away; with Wang Shao's son looking after them, no one would dare to claim his credit. Besides, in Fugang City, apart from Wang Hou, few people would know that he had left these spoils in the camp.

After a few whips cracked, the supply convoy left the camp. Han Gang's departure did not disturb anyone else. After the convoy left the camp, it headed north along the main road of the city. Today was the last leg of the journey, a total of sixty miles. Following the Gangu River north, it was thirty miles to Anyuan Fort, and another thirty miles to Gangu City.

Although the situation in Gangu was unstable, the first half of the journey to Anyuan Fort would be safe. They could first reach Anyuan Fort and then decide their next move. If Gangu City fell, it would not be his fault. If it did not fall, he would find a way to deliver the supplies. In any case, staying in Fugang City was not an option. Yesterday, Han Gang had already spoken his mind, and if he changed his mind today and did not go to Gangu City, it would be like handing a knife to Xiang Bao to stab him. Xiang Bao did not need to act personally; just a nod would ensure that a group of villains would rush forward, making Han Gang's life worse than death, or even cost him his life.

Wang Hou had indeed brought his father, Wang Shao. When the convoy arrived at the north gate of Fugang City, the father and son, along with a few guards, were waiting there.

"It's Wang Jiyi!" Zhao Long whispered excitedly to Han Gang, as he was familiar with Wang Shao's appearance, having guarded the city gate.

"Really?" Wang Shunmin's mood also lifted. He did not expect Wang Hou to actually drag his father over, which meant that Scholar Han Gang might indeed be promoted.

"Yes, I see him." Han Gang's voice was steady as usual. He had already confirmed Wang Shao's identity before Zhao Long spoke, seeing Wang Hou following him.

At first glance, Han Gang knew that the Jiyi of Qinfeng Road was not as easy to deceive as his son. His dark, thin face bore the marks of wind and frost. Under his straight brows were a pair of eyes that could see through human nature. His gaze was not aggressive or oppressive, but as solid as a rock. Based on Han Gang's past experience, people with such eyes were very difficult to sway with words, and it was not worth wasting saliva or time on them.

"Student Han Gang pays respects to Jiyi."

Approaching Wang Shao, Han Gang respectfully bowed, his expression unchanged, as if he were meeting an ordinary superior. Bending his waist was merely a matter of etiquette. Han Gang was very clear that when dealing with someone like Wang Shao, the best strategy was to act straightforwardly and do what needed to be done.

Wang Shao was not tall, and when Han Gang straightened up, Wang Shao had to look up at him. But even without considering his position as Jiyi of the Military Council, Wang Shao's presence was no less than Han Gang's.

Wang Shao stood with his hands behind his back, showing no emotion, but his posture itself spoke volumes. Han Gang's eyes flickered, knowing that he would not hear a single word of recruitment from Wang Shao today. The script he had prepared, where he would refuse a high position and insist on going to Gangu City, emphasizing his sense of duty and national importance, had lost its chance to be performed...

...Since that was the case, he would settle for the next best thing: getting Wang Shao to help solve some of his headaches and fully utilize the resources, which was always Han Gang's principle.

Han Gang's refined and tall appearance was very likable, but Wang Shao was never one to judge people by their looks. He did not intend to waste time on pleasantries and directly asked Han Gang to recount the events of the battle in Pei Gorge the previous day.

Han Gang's expression was almost a mirror image of Wang Shao's, calm and composed, with the sharpness in his eyes deeply hidden. He described the battle in simple, plain language, unlike ordinary scholars who liked to add exaggerated embellishments. He did not include his own feelings or speculations, nor did he boast about himself. He was completely faithful to the facts. If there was any distortion, it was that Han Gang attributed much of the credit to Wang Shunmin and the laborers. However, he deliberately omitted some key points, but Han Gang was confident that Wang Shao would see through them.

As expected, Wang Shao, who was deeply knowledgeable about military affairs, immediately spotted the gaps in Han Gang's account: "Pei Gorge is full of vegetation and has many side valleys. The bandits, numbering only a hundred, could easily hide. How did you, Scholar Han, see through it? Why did you take precautions as soon as you entered Pei Gorge?"

Wang Shao's question hit the crux of the matter. The Wei River valley below Fugang City had always been under the control of the Song army, and no one would expect bandits to appear. But why did Han Gang, upon entering Pei Gorge, take precautions? If the army was suddenly ambushed, even experienced generals would find it difficult to quickly organize their troops to counterattack. However, maintaining constant vigilance would greatly affect the speed of the march. How could a convoy of over thirty people, moving quickly, have the leisure to watch for hiding places in Pei Gorge?

Wang Shao had been in Qinfeng for a year and was well aware of the arrangements for convoys traveling from Qin Prefecture to the northern forts. If Han Gang's convoy could enter Pei Gorge by the afternoon, it must have been moving at full speed. In such a situation, if a hundred bandits suddenly attacked from the mountains, unless they were prepared in advance or there was a hero in the convoy capable of fighting a hundred men, the entire convoy would be annihilated.

Wang Shao's gaze sharpened as he asked, watching Han Gang's facial expressions.

Han Gang's performance was flawless. He smiled bitterly, with a genuine sense of helplessness: "Because I knew the road would not be easy even before leaving Qin Prefecture."

The case of Huang De was classified as a Western spy attempting to burn down the military arsenal. Huang Daliu was a close associate of Chen Ju, which was common knowledge in Qin Prefecture, but Chen Ju had used tens of thousands of strings of cash to sever his connection with Huang Daliu. However, if someone wanted to frame Chen Ju, it would not be difficult to do so.

Han Gang succinctly explained his grievances with Chen Ju to Wang Shao, then focused on Chen Ju's power and wealth: "Chen Ju's family has held power in Chengji County for three generations. All the clerks in the county are his lackeys, and even the county magistrate appointed by the court cannot touch him. Many county magistrates and clerks have been framed and disgraced by Chen Ju. He could easily come up with tens of thousands of strings of cash to clear his name, showing how much ill-gotten wealth he has accumulated through trade with the tribes!"

Before Han Gang finished speaking, Wang Shao's expression remained unchanged, but the slight changes in his eye sockets and mouth did not escape Han Gang's notice. Han Gang was skilled at crafting his words and controlling his tone to make his statements more credible. He was also adept at tailoring his approach to directly touch the listener's heart.

Wang Shao, as the Jiyi of the Military Council, was not supposed to interfere in Qin Prefecture's internal affairs, but after the battle in Pei Gorge, the main road to the front lines was compromised, giving Wang Shao a good reason to intervene. Power was never too much, and if Wang Shao could bring down Chen Ju and oversee the division of his tens of thousands of strings of cash, his influence and authority among the officials in Qin Prefecture would greatly increase. How could Wang Shao not be tempted?

Hiding his satisfaction behind a serious expression, Han Gang concluded: "Huang De was just a lackey, how could he dare to burn down the military arsenal? In the past twenty years, Chengji County has been ravaged by fire three times. How could this be the work of one person? The one who rules Chengji is Chen Ju, and the one capable of setting fires is also Chen Ju. The one who has close ties with the tribes is none other than Chen Ju. By accidentally ruining Chen Ju's plans, even though I am shallow and mediocre, I could not fail to see his murderous intent. With tens of thousands of strings of cash, it would not be difficult for Chen Ju to mobilize a tribe. If it were not for my luck and the fact that I had asked Wang Jun to accompany me from Wu Jiepan, the thirty-odd people with me would not have escaped."

After finishing, Han Gang waited quietly for Wang Shao's decision. He knew that Wang Shao would not believe one-sided accounts and would investigate further upon returning to Qin Prefecture. But Chen Ju's fate was already sealed. Whether he was a Western spy was a minor issue; his tens of thousands of strings of cash were the main concern. Now that Han Gang had handed Wang Shao a good knife, he did not believe that Wang Shao would not be tempted by the fat sheep that was Chen Ju.

Wang Shao fell into deep thought. He had been in Qin Prefecture for a year and had heard of Chen Ju's name. For Han Gang, a minor official, to have a falling out with Chen Ju and still be alive was no small feat. Han Gang's relationship with Jiepan Wu Yan also earned him some respect from Wang Shao. If even half of what Han Gang said was true, it would be enough to ruin Chen Ju. However, Han Gang's cunning was evident from his words, and Wang Shao did not mind using him to bring down Chen Ju, but he also wanted to teach him a lesson.

Without much thought, Wang Shao said to Wang Hou: "Second Son, go to the camp where Han Gang stayed last night, take the heads and weapons from the cart to the city hall, and request rewards for Han Gang after verification."

"Your son obeys." Wang Hou, unaware that this was his father's way of sending him away, thought Wang Shao wanted to verify the truth of Han Gang's words. He nodded excitedly, gave Han Gang a meaningful look, and hurriedly led two guards into the city.

After Wang Hou left, Wang Shao's gaze swept over the convoy. "Gangu City urgently needs support, and this convoy must not be lost."

Han Gang clasped his hands and replied formally: "This is my duty, and I will do my best to complete it."

"You can think this way, and you have not wasted your studies of the sages," Wang Shao praised, then looked up at the rising sun and lowered his head, casually urging Han Gang: "It's not early, and if we delay, we might not reach Gangu City before nightfall."

Han Gang bowed again without hesitation: "If so, I will not trouble Jiyi to see me off. I take my leave!"

Throughout the conversation, Wang Shao never showed any intention of recruiting Han Gang. Instead, he urged him to leave, leaving Wang Shunmin and Zhao Long, who had been excited for Han Gang, stunned. Only Han Gang's mood remained unchanged, and he responded very readily.

Without hope, there would be no disappointment. Since Wang Shao had no intention of recruiting him now, he would continue to do his job. There would be plenty of opportunities to show his abilities, and it was not hard to find places to demonstrate his skills. There would always be a chance to stand out. Why rely on Wang Shao? No matter what, Han Gang would not place his hopes on others. Getting Wang Shao interested in Chen Ju was enough.

Without resentment or expectation, Han Gang followed the proper etiquette to pay respects to the Jiyi of the Qinfeng Road Military Council, then bid farewell to the still stunned Zhao Long, and led his convoy north, not looking back.

Han Gang's overly casual farewell made Wang Shao frown. Watching Han Gang's convoy slowly disappear into the morning light, he wondered if he had misunderstood Han Gang: "Did I misjudge him?"