Chapter 54

Watching the two figures gradually disappear, Xu Ning walked up to Wang Lun and said, "Brother, is it not that the weapons and armor in our stronghold are somewhat lacking?"

Wang Lun nodded and began to recount the current situation of Liangshan to Xu Ning. He concluded, "Although the imperial army dares not look at our stronghold head-on, our main camp does not have the strength to attack the prefectures. While we are not short of weapons, there is no way to replenish the armor and other equipment. Even the leaders cannot be fully equipped. I remember when I went down the mountain, two of my brothers were hit by arrows while borrowing grain. Fortunately, it was not a vital spot, or it would have been too late to regret!"

Xu Ning listened thoughtfully and, holding Wang Lun's hand, said, "I have a childhood friend in Tokyo City named Fan Tianxi. He is now in charge of the Tian Si Supervision at Mount Muto. He often talks about how the officials there privately take and sell the official horses. I didn't take it to heart before, but now that our stronghold lacks horses, this connection could be very useful!"

Wang Lun was overjoyed upon hearing this. If it weren't for Xu Ning mentioning this horse breeding base of the Song Dynasty, he would have forgotten about it!

"Brother, that's great! But will Fan Tianxi still remember this friendship now that he knows I am in trouble?"

Xu Ning sighed deeply and said, "Although Gao Qiu is a ruffian by nature, he is also quite shrewd. He won't make a big fuss about wanting to take my life. Let's put that aside for now. This time, we are not asking Fan Tianxi to risk his life for us; it's just a favor for him. Moreover, I will help him with his business. This is a win-win situation, and I don't think he will refuse!" Xu Ning sighed again.

"I have already thought it through. I will write a letter, saying that I was entrusted by the warden of Mengzhou Prison and had no choice but to act. Then I will find someone to dress up as Shi En and go negotiate with him. He will think I want to be on good terms with the warden and his son to secure a peaceful future, so he won't suspect anything! The Tian Si Supervision has about 30,000 horses. We will buy three or four hundred, which won't draw much attention. If he remembers my favor, he will surely send us some good horses, but we might not get a good deal on the price!"

Wang Lun was delighted by Xu Ning's thorough consideration. "I still have some gold and silver, Brother, don't worry! I think we should have Jiang Zhipeng dress up as Shi En and take your letter to him. Once we get his response, we can make further plans!" Zhang Qing and Sun Ergniang's stolen goods still have a large portion left, which can be used to buy armor and horses.

Thinking about this, Wang Lun saw Xu Ning nod and called Jiang Zhipeng over, instructing him on the task and emphasizing the need for caution and safety. Jiang Zhipeng said, "This is a small matter! Brother, please rest assured. If anything goes wrong, I will return alone! Once Teacher Xu writes the letter, I will go find him!"

Wang Lun encouraged him a few more times and then called everyone to get in the carts, saying, "Master Lu must have arrived a while ago. Let's hurry up and go!"

Everyone responded loudly and got into the two carts, rushing to Anren Village.

As everyone was eager to return, the journey was uneventful. Soon, the carts arrived at the foot of the mountain near Anren Village. Wang Lun pulled back the curtain and saw two large men practicing martial arts, with a group of men watching with drooling mouths. Wang Lun couldn't help but smile and called out, "Master Lu, Brother Jiao Ting..."

Everyone heard the commotion and rushed over. Lu Zhishen and Jiao Ting stopped their practice and walked over, laughing. Wen Huanzhang, who was accompanying the Zhang family, also walked over gracefully.

Once the cart stopped, Wang Lun got out and introduced everyone. They all greeted each other warmly. Jiao Ting, as usual, was silent but ran over to Wang Lun and smiled foolishly. Lin Niang greeted Xu Ning's wife, saying, "Sister, it's been a while. How have you been?" She then looked at the slightly protruding belly of the Ruan family, feeling both envious and sad.

After the introductions, everyone walked back to the thatched cottage. A feast was already prepared for the weary guests. They ate and chatted, and after about an hour, Wang Lun pulled Jiang Zhipeng aside, handed him the letter Xu Ning had written, and gave him a horse from the cart, instructing him to be careful.

After Jiang Zhipeng left, Wang Lun called everyone to rest. The days of travel had made everyone tired. After everyone dispersed, Wang Lun went to Wen Huanzhang's room. They talked for a long time, and once all the important matters were discussed, Wen Huanzhang got up and asked Wang Lun to rest as well. He then stayed in the hall, reading and waiting for news from Mo Shisan and Jiang Zhipeng.

Unconsciously, time passed like a white horse through a crevice, and the dark night quietly descended.

Wen Huanzhang woke everyone up and invited them to have a meal. Wang Lun also woke up, stretching lazily, thinking that this was the first time he had slept in a bed for many days, and it was incredibly refreshing.

Suddenly, he heard a knock on the door, and Jiao Ting brought Tang Long and Mo Shisan into the room. Wang Lun quickly got dressed and stood up, saying, "Brothers, you have worked hard. How long have you been waiting?" Then he asked Jiao Ting, "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Jiao Ting laughed and said, "Brother, it's not Jiao Ting's fault. We just arrived!"

Mo Shisan, seeing Wang Lun dressed, said, "Leader Wang, there is great news. The matter of buying armor has been settled!"

Wang Lun, hearing this, quickly invited everyone to sit down, poured them water, and prepared to listen to Mo Shisan's detailed account.

Mo Shisan took a sip of water and said, "Today, I used my connections and went directly to the eunuch in charge. When I saw his luggage packed, I knew something was off! Leader Wang, do you know what happened?"

Tang Long, seeing Mo Shisan teasing, kicked him and continued, "It turns out this eunuch has been transferred to a new position and will be handing over his duties in the next two days. When he heard our intentions, he was overjoyed and wanted to sell us all the inventory in the warehouse! We asked how much there was, and the eunuch, without putting on airs, revealed everything. There are 1,100 paper armors, 500 leather armors, and 100 iron armors, all unrecorded private goods. The eunuch asked for 20,000 strings of cash!"

Hearing this, Mo Shisan smiled and said, "If it were a normal day, 20,000 strings of cash for all these items would be a great deal. But when I saw the eunuch trying to make one last profit, I said, 'The merchants from the East China region don't need the iron or leather armors much. The local rich people just want them for protection, not for battle. They won't be able to resell them. They are only interested in the paper armors!' The eunuch got anxious and said, 'Either buy everything or nothing at all.' After much persuasion, I reluctantly agreed but pretended to be poor, saying we didn't have enough money. The eunuch asked how much we had, and Brother Tang Long said we had 16,000 strings of cash. The eunuch didn't hesitate and agreed immediately!"

"Brother Tang Long then mentioned your requirements, telling the eunuch that there are many bandits on the road and that the merchants from the East China region are traveling with their families to celebrate the New Year in Tokyo. They wanted an official document and a few dozen soldiers to escort them. The eunuch laughed and said, 'Is this a small matter to bother me with? But the money must be paid tonight!' I took the initiative and agreed to everything, setting the time for midnight, when we will exchange money for goods!"

Wang Lun laughed and said, "This is truly a stroke of luck! The eunuch is leaving his post and doesn't want to leave any private goods behind, which gives us an advantage. We will meet him at midnight. Well done, brothers!" He then called Jiao Ting to fetch the money and placed it in front of the two. He also took out 100 taels of gold and gave it to Tang Long, saying, "Take 1,000 strings of cash to buy a high-end gift for the eunuch in Tokyo. We might need to deal with him again. The rest of the money, you two can keep!"

Tang Long, hearing this, quickly refused, saying, "Brother, you spent a lot saving my brother. If I take this money, I will have no face to show!"

Wang Lun patted Tang Long's shoulder and said, "Then, Brother Mo Shisan, you keep it all!"

Mo Shisan was overjoyed and thanked Wang Lun, saying, "Thank you, Brother! I have already contacted over a dozen craftsmen willing to leave, and Brother Tang Long has found many more. They are waiting for our signal to leave the city!"

Wang Lun asked, "Are you sure no one will leak our plans?"

Tang Long and Mo Shisan both nodded and said, "We told them we are going to a wealthy master's place. We will reveal our true intentions when we are close to the mountain."

Wang Lun nodded and asked about Tang Long's injuries. Tang Long moved around in the room to show he was fine. Wang Lun then said, "Once the armor is secured, please take these craftsmen on a separate route to the mountain. Ask them if they are willing to join us, and if not, don't force them."

The two quickly nodded in agreement.

Wang Lun then called Jiao Ting to bring Lu Zhishen, Wen Huanzhang, Xu Ning, and Zhang Jiaotou into the room. He explained the plan. Wen Huanzhang said, "Since the eunuch is willing to issue an official document, we can travel with the convoy tonight. This will prevent any trouble from the Imperial Guard. However, we still need someone to wait for news from the Tian Si Supervision. If the horses are bought, he should escort them back. We will return to the mountain in three groups!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Lu Zhishen and Xu Ning both volunteered to stay and wait for news. Wang Lun thought for a moment and said, "Master Lu, you should stay. Brother Xu Ning should not show himself for now. He will travel with us in the convoy. I will also leave some of our brothers who can ride horses to follow Master Lu's orders!"

Wang Lun then gave the remaining money to Lu Zhishen, keeping only 100 taels of gold for himself. Lu Zhishen said, "These corrupt officials are selling military horses. Why should we pay them? In the past, many good men died in battle due to the lack of horses.