Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 361, Right or Wrong Stance

"General, my brother has been framed by that traitor Zhang and is about to be executed. I beg you, General, to do me justice!"

The young Cai Ji knelt on the ground, her thin and frail body embracing the robust Fang Zhi, her eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Fang Zhi couldn't stand these things the most.

Cai Ji was twenty-six years younger than him. Although she was a concubine, she was well-educated and virtuous, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting. In terms of both background and appearance, she was far superior to his ignorant and sallow-faced first wife.

"Don't cry, don't cry, sigh, I also..."

Fang Zhi looked helpless.

This was Fang Yong's order, and how could he dare to disobey it?

He had already taken a huge risk by tipping off Cai, and now that Cai had failed to escape, what other options did he have...?

Cai Ji cried her heart out.

She pressed her whole body against him, rubbing against Fang Zhi, making him feel both tender and distracted.

Her beautiful eyes were red from crying, and she spoke with a sorrowful tone:
"I know your difficulties, General. How could I trouble you further and jeopardize your future? Yet, I cannot abandon my blood relatives. I was unfilial to see my brother die and could not save him. I dare not live any longer! General, I will repay your kindness in my next life!"

After saying this, Cai Ji staggered towards a precious sword hanging in the room, drew it, and was about to commit suicide!
Fang Zhi quickly stopped her, snatched the sword, and held Cai Ji in his arms.

"My beloved concubine, my beloved concubine, how could I leave you..."

Wuchang, Nancheng District.

This is where ordinary people and some small vendors live.

The policies implemented by Fang Yong were largely aimed at supporting these people.

However, unexpected things can happen sometimes, because the implementation of policies mainly depends on the people who implement them.

Zhang Haicheng's role was to eliminate the higher-ranking gentry and powerful families, but his soldiers would not miss the opportunity to extort money from the lower-ranking small merchants and vendors.

It's true that money will be distributed among those powerful families after their property is confiscated, but after being divided up layer by layer, not much will end up in their hands. Even a small amount is still money, and they can't let go of any opportunity to squeeze every last drop of profit from those lower-level families.

Most ordinary people were poor and had very little money, but some small business owners still had some wealth.

At a coffin shop, soldiers of the Ding'e Army violently kicked open the door and entered the shop to extort money.

The coffin shop owner said tremblingly:
"You, you, you even want money from the dead!"

In this world, farmers lack food, steamed bun sellers can't get enough to eat, but his coffin-making business is thriving.

The leader of the Ding'e army stepped forward and grabbed the old shopkeeper's beard, threatening him:

"Old man, stop your fucking nonsense. I'm here to collect your coffin money. If you don't give it to me, I'll send you to your coffin early!"

The old shopkeeper was in so much pain from being grabbed that he could barely breathe, but his small business had been so difficult to run, and he really couldn't bear to part with the money. So, he forced himself to argue back:

"Aren't you the Huaiyin Army? You're robbing the people! I'll report you!"

"Oh shit!"

The leader was enraged and drew his sword to strike.

The soldiers of the Ding'e Army behind them quickly stopped them and whispered:

"Brother, don't kill anyone! Things aren't like they used to be!"

Upon hearing this, the leader glared, took a few breaths, and sheathed his knife.

That is, now that he has joined the Huaiyin Army, he is afraid that if he kills someone, his past will be brought up again.

In the past, humph!

"Whoosh!"

They kicked the old shopkeeper aside and rushed inside, soon finding about ten taels of silver and a few strings of copper coins.

"Wow, this old geezer is actually pretty rich!"

After all, it was just a small coffin shop in the southern district. No one expected it to have so much money. They originally thought they could only steal a few taels of silver to spend, but now they had more than ten taels. Little did they know that this was the old shopkeeper's life savings. The old shopkeeper had no children and could only work desperately to save up this little bit of money so that he would have something to rely on in his old age.

But now, all that money has been snatched away by the other party.

With a substantial reward, the soldiers were in much better spirits and left with the money.

The old shopkeeper lay on the ground, clutching his kicked stomach. Watching the departing men, his heart filled with despair, he listened until their footsteps faded into the distance before daring to curse them:
"Those damned Huaiyin soldiers are so demoralized, their bloodlust will kill them! They stole my coffin money, and now the camp is ravaged by plague, their backsides are covered in itchy warts, their hands, feet, and eyes are rotting, their livers, lungs, and hearts are rotten, their faces are like ox heads and horse faces standing on either side, and the Grim Reaper is following behind. You won't be able to spend the coffin money, and the camp will catch fire. They've lost all conscience, those damned Huaiyin soldiers have lost all conscience!"

Ma San's cursing voice was heard by the Huaiyin army passing by.

This soldier from Huaiyin was a naval officer under Fang Zhi. After hearing Ma San's insults, he couldn't help but come in to inquire about the situation.

Under the cold questioning of the Huaiyin Army, Ma San tremblingly recounted the whole story.

Upon learning of the situation, the Huaiyin soldier was furious and immediately gave chase.

The two sides soon encountered each other on the street.

There were four soldiers from the Ding'e Army who robbed Ma San.

The Huaiyin Army consisted of only one person.

Outnumbered and outmatched, they were no match for the enemy.

"boom!"

A gunshot rang out, and the leader of the Ding'e Army was shot in the leg and fell to the ground on the spot.

The matter quickly escalated and reached Zhang Yuan's hands.

Logically speaking, the Huaiyin Army is undoubtedly innocent.

The enemy's robbery of civilians was already a violation of military regulations. In a moment of urgency, it would have been perfectly acceptable to kill them on the spot.

However, the Ding'e Army also had its own version of events.

Zhang Haicheng argued that his men were not robbing civilians, but rebels.

Furthermore, they produced evidence that the old shopkeeper had secretly supported the rebel forces.

This so-called evidence is obviously fabricated.

If Zhang Yuan wanted to, he could expose Zhang Haicheng's lies in a second.

However... aside from right and wrong, he must consider other political factors.

Zhang Haicheng is clearly determined to protect his subordinates at all costs.

Fang Yong needs Zhang Haicheng to persecute those powerful and influential families.

Punishing Zhang Haicheng at this time would be a minor matter in itself, but a major issue is the negative political signal it sends.

Even if the discipline of the Ding'e Army is poor, they are now working for the Huaiyin Army.

For the sake of the bigger picture, he cannot punish Zhang Haicheng at this time, at least not openly.

After some consideration, Zhang Yuan first reported the cause of the matter to his superiors, and then took it upon himself to use his own influence to arrange a reconciliation between the two parties.

The coffin shop owner was the easiest to deal with; a triple compensation made him overjoyed, and he immediately praised the Huaiyin Army's reputation.

The difficult ones are Zhang Haicheng and Fang Zhi.

Zhang Haicheng's men were shot, and their injured legs were basically amputated. As a result, the opposing soldiers were very resentful and shouted that the Huaiyin soldiers who fired the shots should take their legs!
In order to appease his subordinates, Zhang Haicheng also exerted tremendous pressure.

It was impossible to force a knee. Zhang Yuan's plan was to first offer superficial compensation to the other side, then reward the Huaiyin soldier who fired the shot internally, and then lead his troops away from Wuchang. This way, he would neither damage the other side's face nor lower the morale of his own soldiers.

But for some reason, Fang Zhi insisted on making a big fuss and even actively incited hostility between the soldiers and the Ding'e Army.

If Zhang Yuan hadn't discovered it in time, things might have become unpredictable.

"You bastard! Guards, lock him up!"

(End of this chapter)