Chapter 54: This kid never plays by the rules…

Chapter 54: This kid never plays by the rules...

In early March, as the grass turns green and orioles sing, the capital is still waking up to spring, but Pengxi Town, nestled at the foot of Cangkuo Mountain in the south, is already lush and green. This unassuming little town has houses densely packed along a stream, with smoke curling up from cooking fires. The stream, named Anxi, is so narrow that a few wooden planks could easily bridge it, but there are no bridges here—boats are the only way across.

Pengxi Town has about three hundred households, with a population of over a thousand. The locals don’t hunt or farm—they mine for a living. An hour’s walk southeast along Anxi takes you deep into the mountains to a mine. Here lies a massive sinkhole, and people from four or five nearby towns mine here. They haul the daily mineral output out of the mountains using wooden or flatbed carts and ship it downstream to the coast along Anxi, reaching Haimenwei, from where it’s shipped across the Great Jin Dynasty and even to the South Seas.

Generations of locals have made their living from mining, earning monthly wages to feed their families. The mine owners pay well but forbid them from leaving. Over time, some grew so desperate they tried to escape, only to be caught and killed on the spot as a warning. With the mines growing and the local population shrinking, the mine owners came up with a solution: they bribed county officials to smuggle death row prisoners here, with a fifteen-year term, after which they’d be set free.

The prisoners, desperate for a shot at survival, jumped at the chance.

Qiu Shan was one of them. He’s twenty-four, from a poor family, with elderly parents and young siblings to care for. But he crossed a powerful man, was framed, and thrown on death row. Within six months, he was shipped here and has been slaving in the mines for three years.

Every day, he’s either mining or setting off explosives. Once, he was nearly buried alive in a mine collapse. The daily grind has left him weary and desperate. A man not yet thirty now looks like he’s over fifty.

Today, Qiu Shan is on duty again. Poor guy, he had diarrhea last night and is now weak and shaky. Pushing a cart full of earth, he struggles up a mountain path when a long arm reaches out to help him with the cart handle, giving him the strength to push it up.

Qiu Shan puts down the cart, and the earth slides down the slope into a pit on the other side. After finishing the trip, he wipes his sweat with his sleeve and smiles at the man behind him.

"Thanks, brother." Upon closer inspection, he realizes it’s a new face and is slightly surprised, looking him over again.

"Brother, are you new here?" His eyes light up.

The old miners here, living in darkness, always hope for new arrivals to share stories of the outside world.

The man is very tall, wearing a short linen shirt, his trousers tucked into old boots. He looks relatively clean and quite particular.

He looks around casually and replies, "Yeah, just got here, thrown into this mine, not sure what to do. Saw you pushing the cart, so I came to help."

Qiu Shan nods, wiping his forehead with his sleeve again. "What’s your name?"

"Lu Xusheng."

Qiu Shan smiles, "Good name." Though he doesn’t know why it’s good, it just sounds nice. "Sounds like a scholar’s name. Brother, your accent doesn’t sound like you’re from Pengxi?"

This place is a mountain top, and looking around, one sees endless mountains, as if they stretch forever.

Lu Xusheng smirks bitterly, "Yeah, I’m from Luzhou, working for a security escort. Came down to the south, got into a fight with bandits, and ended up in jail."

"Damn it, when I get out, I’ll pull out his teeth and grind his bones to dust."

Qiu Shan, seeing that Lu Xusheng has a similar experience, feels a kinship and looks at him with more warmth. He glances disdainfully at the mine shaft not far away, where about a hundred people are mining, all listless but sweating profusely. Behind them, a guard in brown clothes wields a whip, lashing anyone who steps back or works too slowly.

"Brother, I’m not scaring you, but you won’t get out!"

Lu Xusheng is stunned, "Why? I was only sentenced to three years. The jailer told me clearly before I came that he’d come to get me in three years."

Qiu Shan looks at him deeply, signaling him to lend a hand. Together, they push the cart to a secluded spot and rest under a tree in a pit.

The pine wind blows gently past their ears. Qiu Shan points to the path leading out of the mountain with a serious expression.

"Last year, three people’s terms were up. The officials came to take them out, but what happened? The two older ones were executed, and the younger one was sent to another mine pit. They said if he wanted to live, he should work honestly and forget about leaving. We were all kept in the dark until one night, that man crawled out of the cave and told us the truth."

Lu Xusheng is indignant, "You just let them bully you like that?"

Qiu Shan, seeing Lu Xusheng’s righteous anger, sneers, "You think we don’t want to? That night, a group of us tried to sneak out, but once we got down the mountain, their people were everywhere, and we were forced back. This is the Shen family’s territory. The Shen family head, you might not know, is the richest man in the south. Not just in the south, but even in the capital, he has connections. The officials here all follow his orders. When the soldiers and his private troops come, none of us have a way out."

Lu Xusheng scoffs, "That’s because you’re weak. If it were me, I’d kill them all."

Qiu Shan wasn't angry; instead, he gently patted Lu Xusheng's shoulder, "Young man, don't talk big."

Seeing the head supervisor looking for him, Qiu Shan had no choice but to pull Lu Xusheng up and push the iron cart to the mine to move dirt.

That day, Lu Xusheng was full of energy and hardworking; wherever there was work to be done, he was there.

Except for the deep pits, Lu Xusheng had almost explored the entire mine in half a day.

Three supervisors, one hundred guards, and a thousand miners, among whom five hundred were people from Pengxi Town, and the remaining five hundred were prisoners. These five hundred people from Pengxi Town had an extra job: to keep an eye on the prisoners and stop them from causing trouble.

Even though there were more prisoners than guards, they still couldn't overpower them.

Because the people of Pengxi Town wouldn't help the prisoners rebel; they had families and had lived here for generations, all being the Shen family's servants. How could they oppose the Shen family? Not only would they not oppose, but they would even help the Shen family.

Countless private mines under the mountains in Jiangnan maintained stability this way.

After a long day, the miners went back to the camp on the mountaintop across from the mine to rest. Food and water had to be hauled up from below. That day, Lu Xusheng helped many veteran miners, and everyone liked him very much. His youthful face reminded them of their sons and grandsons back home, making them feel more affectionate.

Some of the older miners, who had been around for years, had connections and got some meat from the guards, sharing a bit with Lu Xusheng. Lu Xusheng didn't think twice and ate it right away.

Among the three newcomers, Lu Xusheng was the most energetic, and everyone asked him about the outside world.

Lu Xusheng talked about the Qinhuai tunes and the lively nightlife outside, which everyone dreamed of.

The prisoners dreamed of freedom, while the people of Pengxi Town hoped to someday leave the mountains and see the bustling city of Jinling.

"The women on the painted boats are as lovely as flowers, and their voices can echo for days."

At these words, the men all laughed. Those with wives thought of their wives, and those without wished they had experienced such joys, all showing expressions of regret.

"What else?"

"There's also..." Lu Xusheng glanced at the patrolling guards, stopped talking, and focused on eating his bun. "Nothing else."

There was clearly something more.

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, the prisoners who were friends with Qiu Shan carried Lu Xusheng to their room, put him at the end of the bunk, and huddled around him under their blankets.

"Come on, tell us what else is out there."

Having been trapped in these deep mountains for decades, they had long lost touch with the outside world and didn't know what it was like.

Seeing he couldn't avoid it, Lu Xusheng whispered, "The court sent an envoy to Jiangnan to survey the land and take over the mountains from the powerful local factions."

Everyone was stunned. "Why?"

Lu Xusheng replied, "Why else? The court's broke and wants to take people and land from these powerful Jiangnan families to boost taxes."

The prisoners looked at each other, slowly pondering the deeper meaning.

After two days of heavy rain, the miners were stuck in the camp, too afraid to go outside. Food was scarce, and that night, everyone got just a couple of buns. Some of the stronger ones couldn't help but curse. Every time it rained, the people of Pengxi Town were given a holiday to return to the village, leaving only the prisoners. Watching the water on the ground rise and the sky remain gloomy with no sign of the rain stopping, everyone's mood was very gloomy.

"It's only five miles from here to Pengxi Town. Why can't they push the iron ore out and bring some food up? We're working our lives out for them, aren't we worth a bite of food?"

"Brother, haven't you realized yet? This mine has been open for about twenty years, and now the iron output is getting less and less. Last time, I heard the foreman say that a copper mountain was discovered in Yongkang. I'm afraid this mine is going to be abandoned."

Because of the heavy rain outside and the lack of food and water, half of the hundred guards went down the mountain to look for food, while others hid in the tents eating and drinking. Outside, it was pitch black, with no one in sight.

Hearing this, everyone was stunned.

"What are we supposed to do if the mine is abandoned?"

"I don’t know. Maybe we’ll be sent to another mine, or maybe..." The man didn’t finish his sentence, swallowing it down with a bite of the dry bread.

Or maybe they’d just kill us to keep us quiet—this is shady business, after all.

A heavy, eerie silence filled the tent.

Suddenly, one person smashed a ceramic cup on the ground and shouted,

"Screw this! We’re done with this. Let’s fight our way out and carve a path to survival!"

Everyone gaped at him, stunned.

The man who spoke up was none other than Lu Xusheng.

Qiu Shan, aware of his reckless courage, quickly tried to talk him down,

"Brother, don’t let your emotions get the better of you."

Before Qiu Shan could finish, Lu Xusheng cut him off with a sharp glare, "Are we just supposed to keep living like this, miserable and beaten down?"

No one wanted to, but fear held them back, their faces etched with doubt.

"Do you believe in me?" Lu Xusheng looked at each of them.

The tent held about fifty people, young and old alike. They exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke up.

Without a word, Lu Xusheng turned and strode out.

"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Lu, where do you think you’re going?"

Qiu Shan moved to stop him, but someone grabbed his arm.

"Watch it—he’s a loose cannon. Don’t get mixed up in his mess."

Qiu Shan held back but kept craning his neck to peek outside.

Moments later, Lu Xusheng returned, drenched from the rain, clutching something in his hand. He stormed into the tent and hurled it to the ground. Everyone crowded around, and as the figure rolled over, a familiar face came into view.

It was one of the guard squad leaders!

The room erupted in gasps of shock.

There were a hundred guards here, divided into squads of ten, each led by a squad leader. These squad leaders were the ones who cracked the whip, and everyone loathed and feared them in equal measure. And now, this squad leader—the very man who’d struck terror into their hearts—had been swiftly and silently dispatched by Lu Xusheng.

What kind of man *was* this?

The way everyone looked at Lu Xusheng shifted instantly—admiration, fear, and a touch of awe flickering in their eyes.

Lu Xusheng’s narrow eyes swept across the room as he drew a soft sword from his waist,

"Are you with me?"

Just now, he had gone out and happened to run into this squad leader relieving himself, and he had silently taken care of him.

Now, everyone in the tent was stirred up.

Among them was a middle-aged man in his thirties, known for his hot temper, who had often been disciplined by the squad leader and hated him deeply. Seeing this, he slammed down his tea cup, stood up, and shouted,

"Count me in!"

His eyes blazed like a leopard's as he pointed at the head on the ground. "Brothers, we have no choice but to act now, or we're dead men. What do you think they'll do when they find out the squad leader is dead?"

They would suspect the prisoners of rebelling and immediately send troops to suppress it.

This was exactly why Lu Xusheng killed the man.

Good, that statement backed everyone into a corner.

"Let's do it. I'm ready to risk it all—either return alive to see my mother or die a quick death, better than living as a slave!"

"Grab whatever you can find, and let's take them down!"

In a fury, they grabbed pots, pans, sticks, and rods, rushing toward the guards' tents.

Of course, there were a few patrolling the woods, who would shoot signal arrows at any sign of trouble to notify the neighboring hilltops, and then troops would be dispatched to encircle and kill.

But Lu Xusheng made sure they never got the chance.

His men had stealthily climbed the hill and taken out the patrols.

Five hundred miners surged forward, overwhelming the fifty guards, all dead in just fifteen minutes.

Seeing the bodies scattered in the tents, everyone was stunned.

What now?

Once the arrow leaves the bow, there's no turning back.

Everyone looked for Lu Xusheng.

The young man stood under a camphor tree, drenched to the bone. He no longer seemed the naive, reckless newcomer to the mine. He seemed transformed, his gaze deep and steady, as he said calmly,

"Follow me."

In just two days, Lu Xusheng and his men seized five nearby hilltops. With miners and willing locals joining, their numbers swelled to three thousand.

With so many people gathered together, chaos was inevitable. What to do?

Leading troops was where Lu Xusheng excelled. He brought fifty Silver Mountain soldiers and Cheng Mingyu's thirteen shadow guards, dividing every fifty men into a squad led by former soldiers from Silver Mountain, thus immediately bringing order to the chaotic miner ranks.

"Where do we go next?"

Several experienced leaders among the miners gathered around Lu Xusheng to ask.

At this moment, the sky had just brightened after two days of heavy rain. The ground was muddy, and landslides were a constant danger. The dawn peeked through the dark blue sky, and the weather cleared.

Lu Xusheng squatted on the easternmost hilltop, gazing ahead.

The terrain of Jiangnan was complex, with hills everywhere, crisscrossing mountains, and dense rivers. The local people lived scattered along the rivers. At Lu Xusheng's feet was a small county town, not large, located at the confluence of two rivers, with continuous houses and a bustling population, indicating a significant number of inhabitants.

Several hilltops to the east had been taken by him, but the hilltops behind the county town were still in enemy hands. Once the rain stopped, the guards and officials from the powerful local factions would surely come.

"We must take the county office before they come up the hill!"

The miners were shocked. "Brother, are you going against the imperial court?"

Lu Xusheng glanced over with a quiet intensity, "Are you sure the county magistrate here listens to the court?"

The miner immediately clammed up. The court had strictly prohibited private mining, yet the vast hilly regions of Jiangnan hid countless illegal mines. It was evident that the county magistrate here had long been in the pockets of the powerful local factions. Those who couldn't be bought off were either shipped out on some pretext or eliminated. Why was the court so keen on surveying the land? In reality, it was to wrest power from the powerful local factions. In Jiangnan, these powerful local factions controlled the population, land, mining, fishing, shipping, salt industry, and more. The court's tax revenue hinged entirely on how much these factions were willing to part with.

Cut deals with them? Play the game of interests?

No way. That's their go-to move. They relied on the court's dependence on Jiangnan's taxes to avoid major conflicts, forcing the court to compromise with them.

Lu Xusheng wasn't about to buy into this nonsense.

He had never let anyone pull his strings. The powerful local factions of Jiangnan thought they could control him? Fat chance.

And now, it was the powerful local factions' turn to follow him.

With his decision firm, Lu Xusheng signaled with a few hand gestures.

"Team Three, take the high ground on the western left hill. Team Five, take the high ground on the western right hill. The rest of you, advance through the center and follow me into the city. Team Six will be the reserve, covering the rear!"

The Silver Mountain warriors, who had fought tooth and nail with him, had their loyalty to him carved into their very bones. Upon receiving the order, the shadow guards immediately led their respective teams forward.

The miners, used to backbreaking work, were swift on their feet. They ducked into the haystacks outside the city walls before the gates creaked open. The moment the gates cracked open, a few shadow guards slipped in and took down the gate guards. The rest of the shadow guards surged through the gates, heading straight for the county office.

The county magistrate had caught wind of the miners' uprising the night before. Such news popped up eight to ten times a year, and each time, the miners were quashed, thrashed, and sent back to the grind.

So, he brushed it off.

Slowly, the county magistrate was dressed in his official robes by his concubine and headed to the front office. As he strolled through the hall, a bailiff bolted from the front courtyard and dropped to his knees before him.

"Master, Master, all hell's broken loose outside! Someone's rallied the miners and they've surrounded our county office!"

"What? Such audacity! Go, call Zhang Ping, and have the leader killed!"

The bailiff replied sheepishly, "Zhang Ping is no match..."

The county magistrate's expression changed. Without even straightening his robe, he rushed to the front office and out the main gate. There, he saw the opposing force arrayed in a V-shape, blocking the entire front gate of the county office. At the forefront was a man in a black robe, sitting tall on his horse, exuding an imposing aura.

"Who are you? How dare you besiege the county office? Do you know what crime this is?"

The magistrate's advisor, seeing the magistrate appear, suddenly gained confidence and chimed in, "Besieging a government office is tantamount to rebellion, a crime punishable by the extermination of nine clans!"

The county office also had many officers, who stood protectively around the magistrate, creating a standoff.

Lu Xusheng sat on his horse, his eyes smiling as he looked at the magistrate and asked,

"Besieging the county office is a capital crime, but what about privately mining? What crime is that?"

The county magistrate choked, eyeing Lu Xusheng suspiciously. He felt that this man's demeanor was different, not like the typical miner from the mountains.

"Who are you?"

"I am Lu Xusheng."

The county magistrate felt that the name was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

"Which Lu? Which Xu? Which Sheng?"

"The Lu of Lu Xusheng, the Xu of Lu Xusheng, the Sheng of Lu Xusheng."

This is just asking for trouble.

After years as an official, this was the first time the county magistrate had encountered such a stubborn troublemaker.

His expression darkened, "Where are you from?"

"From the capital..."

The county magistrate's heart skipped a beat, his eyes narrowing with suspicion, "The capital?"

Lu Xusheng propped his elbow on the horse's back, leaning down, his tone casual, "From the capital, under His Majesty's orders, here to survey the land!"

The county magistrate felt as if he'd been struck on the head, his vision blurring, his body slumping. His aides had to steady him. Still shaken, he stared at Lu Xusheng, "You... you're that Lu Xusheng?"

Now, not only the county officials but also the miners gazed at Lu Xusheng in awe and fear.

No wonder this young man seemed so confident and composed; he was a high-ranking official from the capital.

Before, everyone had been cautious, afraid of court retaliation. But since Lu Xusheng was from the court, they had chosen the right person to follow. Now, they stood tall, pointing at the county officials and hurling the vilest insults at them.

The county magistrate panicked, shoving his attendants aside and dropping to his knees before Lu Xusheng, "Lord Lu, please forgive this humble official for failing to recognize your greatness. It is my fault, my fault. But since you are here to survey the land, why surround the county office? If you need to survey the land, just give the order, and I will be your loyal servant, ready to serve you."

Though the county magistrate said this, his mind was racing.

Lu Xusheng had arrived here and incited the miners to rebel, which meant he must already know about the powerful local factions' illegal mining operations.

If this matter were to be reported to the imperial court, it would be a crime punishable by the extermination of one's nine clans.

This county magistrate would be left with no way out.

Even if Lu Xusheng holds a high official position, a powerful outsider can't overpower the local factions. He came alone to the deep mountains of Jiangnan, like a bird with broken wings, unable to fly even if it wanted to. Why not first keep him calm, find an opportunity to eliminate him, and then it would be done without anyone knowing. What could the imperial court do about it?

Although this is a county office of the Great Jin Dynasty, the real power does not lie with the imperial officials but with the local powerful clans. Beyond these mountains lie more mountains; beyond this city, more cities. These powerful clans have been entrenched here for hundreds of years, controlling an unknown number of troops. The mountains protect each other, and they support one another. A few coordinated encirclements would trap Lu Xusheng.

A young wealthy gentleman, thinking he could stir up trouble in Jiangnan, is simply delusional.

After considering his options, the county magistrate looked up with a flattering smile,

"Lord Lu, you've come a long way. Why not rest in the office and let me host a welcoming banquet for you?"

Lu Xusheng smiled and cut him off,

"County Magistrate, from this moment on, I am taking over the county office. Hand over the official seal and the military token."

Upon hearing this, the county magistrate immediately stood up, this time with a forced smile, "Lord Lu, isn't this inappropriate?"

Lu Xusheng, unperturbed, slowly dismounted from his horse and calmly drew the imperial sword from his waist. Step by step, he approached the county magistrate, who retreated in fear, his eyes fixed on the gleaming golden sword.

Lu Xusheng blew on the cold blade, once, then again, waiting until everyone saw the silver edge fogging up and their eyes began to blur. Suddenly, with a swift motion too fast to see clearly, the county magistrate's head was severed and rolled on the ground.

Everyone was so shocked they couldn't catch their breath.

Lu Xusheng calmly wiped the blood off the blade on the clerk's clothes, expressionlessly surveying the surroundings,

"The county magistrate aided and abetted evil, privately opened mines, and according to the law, deserves death. I wield the imperial sword, and for those below the third rank, execution is immediate. Does anyone else object?"

The remaining officials were terrified out of their wits and immediately knelt down, "We await your command, Lord Lu."

Lu Xusheng incorporated Pengxi County into his jurisdiction and that night opened the granaries to provide a feast for the miners.

After leaving Jinling, Shen Yi, the family head of the Shen family, the wealthiest in Jiangnan, made his way to Suzhou Prefecture.

However, inquiries along the route from Jinling turned up no evidence of Lu Xusheng being kidnapped, which was strange. Could it have been his nephew?

His nephew had a notoriously violent temper, defiant and fearless, capable of any atrocity. If he had eliminated Lu Xusheng, it wouldn’t be surprising.

His nephew was in Suzhou Prefecture, so he hurried there. Just as his carriage reached the outskirts of Suzhou, he saw a group of riders approaching, led by one of his family’s escorts who usually managed the mines.

Seeing the escort’s anxious expression, Shen Yi asked, "Why are you in such a panic?"

The escort immediately dismounted and approached the carriage window, urgently saying, "Family head, a catastrophe has occurred! Lu Xusheng has seized all our copper, iron, and gold mines in Cangkuo Mountain, Dapen Mountain, and Xiandu Mountain!"

"What are you saying?" Shen Yi nearly spat blood, slamming his hand against the carriage window. "How is that possible? How did Lu Xusheng know about our mines there?"

The escort cried, "There’s no time to dwell on that now. What’s worse, Lu Xusheng has rallied the miners to revolt, and their numbers have swelled to tens of thousands. If this continues, not only will we lose our lands and people, but our mines, shipping, timber, ironworks, and salt production—everything will be wiped out."

Realizing the severity of the situation, Shen Yi collapsed against the carriage wall, his face ashen.

Just a month ago, Lu Xusheng had been berated by the leaders of the powerful local factions, unable to respond, seeming like nothing more than a skilled but simple warrior. Little did they know he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, silently orchestrating a massive rebellion.

He wasn’t here to measure the land; he was here to bring Jiangnan entirely under the court’s control.

By mobilizing the miners and purging the local governments, not only the lands but also the mines, the people, and all industries—fishing, shipping, timber, and salt production—would fall under the court’s control.

Lu Xusheng was intent on annihilating the powerful local factions of Jiangnan!

Despicable! Hateful! Infuriating!

No, he must be stopped.

After a moment of rage, Shen Yi quickly calmed down, "Change our route—we’re heading to Hangzhou Prefecture!"

Jiangnan was home to hundreds of powerful local factions, the largest of which were the Shen, Zhang, Yu, Wang, Xie, Xiao, Liu, and Cui families. These eight families dominated key industries in Jiangnan—ironworks, salt production, silk, copper and gold mining, and shipping. Smaller merchants eked out a living on their scraps or by aligning themselves with these families.

Though these eight families often formed their own factions, they would band together against a shared threat.

Recently, Shen Yi had secured a major deal with the South Seas, inviting the other families to share the profits, quietly establishing himself as the leader. Thus, in the current campaign against Lu Xusheng, the Shen family took the lead.

Shen Yi abandoned his carriage and rode to Hangzhou Prefecture in half a day, calling together the representatives of the powerful local factions at the Shen family’s restaurant by Jinhu Lake in Hangzhou. Before him lay a sand table, a black figurine representing Lu Xusheng at its center, encircled by mountains symbolizing the territories of the powerful local factions. Each family had their elite forces poised to defend their territories.

"With only ten thousand men, we’ll allow him in but ensure he never leaves."

After his initial anger, Shen Yi was now completely calm, even with a hint of disdain in his eyes.

"What does it matter if he’s the commander of the border army or the backbone of the Great Jin Dynasty? We’ll show him and the emperor who truly rules Jiangnan!"

The Yu family head pondered, "What is your plan, Family Head Shen?"

Shen Yi picked up a pointer and began strategizing, "Lu Xusheng is currently in Pengxi County. If he tries to break out, he will likely head east towards the coast, following the river to the sea, possibly to rendezvous with Jiang Chengbin’s naval forces. If he heads east, the Yu family will deploy three thousand troops, and the Liu family will deploy five thousand, deploying strong bows and crossbows to barricade the river mouth, cutting off any chance of him reaching the sea."

"Understood," the Liu and Yu families responded.

"If he intends to continue expanding his control over the mines and delve deeper into the hinterland, he will surely head to places like Dongyang. In that case, my Shen family will mobilize thirty thousand militia and household troops to press from the north, while the Zhang and Wang families must hold the southeastern defense line, stationed in Yongkang and Jinyun, preventing them from moving south. We will trap him from both sides."

"What's so difficult about that? Rest assured, I won't let him set foot in Yongkang," said the Zhang family head, who harbored deep hatred for Lu Xusheng and was eager to take action.

Shen Yi then set up defensive positions to the west of Lu Xusheng. From the strategic map, it was clear that Lu Xusheng was surrounded by no fewer than a hundred thousand troops, leaving him with almost no way out.

Due to their business connections, the powerful local factions had established a network of communication outposts in the crisscrossing mountain valleys for information transmission. Normally, messages from Hangzhou Prefecture could reach all parts of Jiangnan within two days, and carrier pigeons made it even faster.

Thus, Lu Xusheng's movements toward Dongyang were detected by Shen Yi.

Shen Yi quickly tightened the encirclement, preparing to eliminate Lu Xusheng.

However, every detail of Shen Yi's deployment was secretly obtained by Cheng Mingyu's men and delivered to Lu Xusheng's command center.

Had he not experienced it firsthand, Lu Xusheng would have found it hard to believe the efficiency and reach of the Cheng family's intelligence network. No wonder all the court ministers unanimously recommended Cheng Mingyu to head south—only he had the capability to confront the powerful local factions of Jiangnan.

But Lu Xusheng wasn't here to deal with them. They weren't worthy!

The news of Lu Xusheng's encirclement, of course, reached the Imperial Guards and was delivered to the emperor's study.

The emperor was so anxious that his hair grayed a bit. He urgently summoned Cheng Mingyu to the palace and berated the Jiangnan factions.

"These rebels have absolutely no regard for me or the court," the emperor fumed.

He handed the Imperial Guards' intelligence report toward Cheng Mingyu. "Look at this, look at this! Xusheng is surrounded. He's unfamiliar with the terrain, and I fear he might suffer. Ah, this child, still too impulsive."

Cheng Mingyu skimmed through the report and understood Lu Xusheng's intentions. He smiled and bowed to the emperor.

"Your Majesty, do not worry. While it appears that Lu Xusheng is surrounded, I believe the Jiangnan factions have already walked into his snare."

The emperor was startled and immediately turned to him. "What do you mean, Cheng Gong?"

Cheng Mingyu smiled. "Your Majesty, may I ask what Lu Xusheng is best at?"

The emperor replied without hesitation, "Military strategy and warfare."

"Exactly, military strategy and warfare," Cheng Mingyu said with gravity. "Therefore, General Lu will use his greatest strength to subdue Jiangnan and present Your Majesty with a completely pacified region."

It wasn't until last night, after receiving a secret report from the shadow guards, that Cheng Mingyu grasped the true purpose of Lu Xusheng's mission.

This young man was daring yet detail-oriented. Though his methods differed from Cheng Mingyu's, his foresight and determination were equally profound. Only Lu Xusheng could carry out such a thorough overhaul of Jiangnan.

The emperor finally understood and sighed, running his hand over the imperial desk.

"This child never follows the usual rules. Only he would go to such lengths, even risking his life, to address my concerns. Someone, prepare a handwritten letter for Jiang Chengbin, ordering him to assist from the sidelines."

Even without the emperor's decree, Jiang Chengbin had already devised a plan to support Lu Xusheng.

Although the Jiangnan Governor controlled all military forces in the region, the local magistrates were heavily involved with the powerful factions. They promised one thing to Jiang Chengbin but acted differently behind his back. Only Jiang Chengbin's direct naval forces truly obeyed him, but their operational range was limited. They couldn't navigate the narrow, turbulent rivers, forcing Jiang Chengbin to blockade the sea exits and the major river mouths to support Lu Xusheng.

Meanwhile, in Hangzhou Prefecture, several family heads gathered at a lakeside villa near Golden Bull Lake, closely monitoring the progress of the standoff with Lu Xusheng.

"Master Shen, the first encirclement failed. That bastard Lu Xusheng is too clever by half. He didn’t head towards the eastern coast or the western Dongyang, but slipped past our forces from behind Yongkang and quietly took over Jincheng!"

Shen Yi was both shocked and furious, "Jincheng is heavily guarded. How the hell did he get in?"

The informant smiled bitterly, "The commander of Jincheng’s garrison is a son-in-law of the Cheng family. Lu Xusheng walked right into the city without a fight, holding an imperial decree."

Seeing his prey slip right through his fingers, the head of the Zhang family was instantly humiliated and enraged, "So that sly old fox Cheng Mingyu is backing his son-in-law," he turned to look at Shen Yi,

"Shen Yi, the Cheng family also has quite a bit of business in Jiangnan, right? We need to sever all ties with the Cheng family to prevent them from leaking information to Lu Xusheng!"

"Good point!" Shen Yi, decisive as ever, quickly ordered a blockade against the Cheng family.

Since Jincheng was within the Zhang family’s sphere of influence, the head of the Zhang family couldn’t sit still,

"I’ll head to Jincheng myself and take Lu Xusheng out."

As he was about to leave, Shen Yi called out to him, "Wait."

The head of the Zhang family stopped and looked back, "What is it?"

Shen Yi stood up, approached him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said with a smile,

"Brother Hanzhang, we’ve been through thick and thin together all these years. My nephew has married into your Zhang family, making us practically family. I know Jincheng is your stronghold, but listen to me, rather than watching Lu Xusheng cause chaos everywhere, we need to crush his momentum once and for all and not let him continue to act arrogantly."

The head of the Zhang family looked at him suspiciously, "What are you planning?"

Shen Yi said, "I’ll lend you a few cannons, and we’ll encircle Jincheng together, burying Lu Xusheng there for good and all."

"Yes, that’s it. Lu Xusheng has already destroyed more than a dozen of our strongholds. If this continues, our old hideouts will be overrun."

Almost all the powerful local factions present agreed with Shen Yi’s proposal.

The head of the Zhang family twitched his lips, "But Jincheng is my territory. Attacking Jincheng with cannons would cost me dearly."

Shen Yi immediately responded, "I’ve thought of that too. We’ll all back off from the current South Seas silk trade and let you take it all for yourself to compensate for your losses in Jincheng."

The head of the Zhang family was silent for a moment, then clenched his teeth and said, "Fine."

As he left Hangzhou Prefecture and galloped towards Jincheng, his son asked him on the way,

"Father, are we really going to follow that sly fox Shen Yi and wreck Jincheng?"

The head of the Zhang family sneered, "Not a chance!"

"Shen Yi has seen our Zhang family’s rising power over the years and wants to replace us. He’s trying to use Lu Xusheng to wipe out my stronghold. You think he really wants to kill Lu Xusheng? Sure, he wants Lu Xusheng dead, but his real aim is to use the chaos after taking him down to encroach southward and seize our gold mine on the southern hills of Jincheng."

This gold mine was discovered not long ago, and the head of the Zhang family had been guarding it fiercely, but somehow Shen Yi had found out about it.

He even suspected that the reason Lu Xusheng could bypass Yongkang and reach Jincheng directly was because Shen Yi had let him through.

"So what does father plan to do?"

The head of the Zhang family said, "Play the same game, push Lu Xusheng into Shen family lands, and after Lu Xusheng destroys Shen family’s strongholds, I’ll swoop in and mop up the mess."

"Father is wise."