Chapter 514: Sometimes You Must Walk the Wrong Path
What happens in Chapter 509 of "The Great Ming in the Box"? With the envoy gone, it meant the army would soon come.Everyone began preparing for battle!Old... Read on to find out!
With the envoy gone, it meant the army would soon come.Everyone began preparing for battle!
Old Nan Feng approached Gao Chuwu and his wife Xing Honglang, chuckling, âGeneral Gao, now we should also send an envoy.â
Gao Chuwu asked curiously, âTo also send someone to provoke Wang Guozhongâs camp? If so, I recommend Ground Rabbit.â
Old Nan Feng shook his head, âSend an envoy to see Yang He.â
Gao Chuwu: â?â
Xing Honglang: â?â
Neither understood, but Old Nan Feng grinned, âYang He is already on his way here to negotiate appeasement with us, but Wang Guozhong doesnât know this. You deliberately didnât tell him earlier. Just saying weâve accepted appeasement wouldâve stopped his attack. Yet we chose not to, and now we wonât appear justified when trouble brews later.â
From the side, Iron Bird Flies poked his head out, âSo what if we lack justification? Why bother making the officials think weâre in the right?â
Old Nan Feng laughed, âThis isnât just about dealing with officials. It affects Boss Xingâs reputation throughout the land. Act without honor, and who will respect you? Who would join under your banner? Ending up despised like infamously treacherous Wang Guozhongâwho betrayed even his own sworn brother Wang Jiayinâis pitiable whether weâre enemies or not.â
That struck a chord!
Xing Honglang was an old-school forest hero who valued reputation deeply. To such warriors, honor outweighed life itselfâprinciples must never be abandoned.
To act unreasonably meant risking isolation from fellow forest heroes.
Xing Honglang asked, âSending an envoy solves this?â
Old Nan Feng nodded, âWeâll send someone to Yang He. Tell him Wang Guozhong attacked us despite us desperately pleading that weâve accepted appeasement and you were arriving. Claim he ignored us purely to crush competition, fearing weâd outrank him after joining the officials.â
Xing Honglangâs eyes brightened, âShift all blame to Wang Guozhong! Yang He would likely believe us, since we proactively sent an envoy showing willingness to appease. Heâd never think we wanted conflictâmaking Wang Guozhong seem the instigator.â
Old Nan Fengâs grin widened, âExactly! Given how officials behave, theyâll trust us over Wang Guozhong. Yang He will report this. The world will see Wang Guozhong as unreasonableâa traitor who sold out even Wang Jiayin. No one would doubt his guilt.â
Xing Honglang snickered, âBrilliant. Utterly cunning.â
Gao Chuwu suddenly gasped, âBut isnât this⌠lying?â
Old Nan Feng replied, âMore than lyingâitâs the villain striking first. Pure wickedness.â
Gao Chuwu exclaimed, âWould we truly do something so vile?â
Old Nan Feng shrugged, âFighting scum? Whatâs wrong with dirty tactics?â
Gao Chuwu stammered, âBut⌠butâŚâ
Conflicted, he turned to Master Zhan Sheng beside him, âVenerable monkâis deception right or wrong?â
âAmitabha,â Master Zhan Sheng sighed deeply. âMy Buddha judges deeds not just by immediate joy or suffering but by their future consequences⌠If deceiving here serves a greater good, it is correct. If honesty breeds disaster, it is not compassion.â
Gao Chuwu: â???â
Understanding that was harder than climbing mountains for Gao Chuwu.
He looked up at the puppet deity on his shoulder, âDeity⌠should we lie?â
The puppet deity sighed heavily, âSometimes, we must walk the wrong path to reach the right destination.â
Gao Chuwu beamed, âAh! Now I understandâTaoist teachings make more sense than Buddhist ones!â
Master Zhan Sheng murmured, âAmitabha⌠This isnât Taoism versus Buddhism. This poor monkâs cultivation is shallow, wisdom lackingâinferior to your Deity.â
Old Nan Feng interjected, âFirst learn to recite âAmitabhaâ properly before discussing cultivation.â
Master Zhan Sheng: âKindly manage the situation!â
Old Nan Feng leapt three paces back, âStop saying that to meâit creeps me out.â
Master Zhan Sheng: â???â
After the banter, their envoy set out toward Yang Heâs approaching direction, determined to intercept him mid-journey and lodge the false accusation first.
MeanwhileâŚ
Wang Guozhongâs envoy returned to camp and reported Xing Honglangâs stance.
Wang Guozhongânever wanting her surrenderâhad sent the envoy solely for formality. Ritual completed, justification for attack followed. Baring vicious teeth, he grinned, âIf Xing Honglang refuses peace, itâs her own fault. Rally the troops!â
The envoy warned, âHer firearms are deadly. From yards away, she shot my hat clean off. They defeated Old Zhang Fei tooâwe must prepare.â
Wang Guozhong nodded dismissively, âPahâfirearms are just tools. Fighting against the officials taught me a defense: shield carts. Now we are the officials, so we can train porters to build heavy vehicles overnight. Push those workers recruited by the Governor of Puzhouâeasy constructions. Fifteen shield carts, no later than three days!â
Night deepened over Yongji Water Fortifications.
A ragged peasant approached the stockade walls.
The sentinel atop the watchtower spotted him instantly, drawing her bow while commanding, âIdentify yourself!â
The peasant cried out, âDonât shoot, hero! Iâm a carpenter fleeing Puzhou City. Walked thirty miles to warn you!â
The sentinel: âWarn us?â
The man wheezed, âBoss Xing and Boss Iron saved me once. Must repay! That new Deputy Wang Guozhong conscripted city craftsmen to build shield carts and catapults all night. Heâs coming here!â
The sentinel gasped.
The peasant bowed, âMy dutyâs done. Now I return to Puzhou City. Please winâI beg you, leave us a Common Trade.â
He turned to leave.
âWait!â ordered the sentinel.
She tossed down silver, shouting after him, âTake this! Return after the battleâyouâll be rewarded far more!â