Late at night, outside of Ba County.
A flickering light emanated from a dilapidated temple. Two burly men, each wielding a short blade, stood guard at the entrance.
Inside the temple, a group of people huddled around a fire, listening intently to the man speaking in their midst.
The speaker, around sixty years old, wore a simple linen robe. His hair and eyebrows were snow-white, and despite the early spring, he held a goose-feather fan, giving him an air of otherworldly wisdom.
This was Xu Da Qiu, the head of the Ba County branch of the Wenxiang Sect!
He had originally been a barefoot country doctor, but when Xu Hong Ru's Wenxiang Sect rebellion erupted, he joined the chaotic army and profited greatly.
When Xu Hong Ru's forces were crushed, Xu Da Qiu fled to the countryside, seeking refuge.
After the heat of the crackdown had subsided, Xu Da Qiu resumed his travels, practicing medicine, but secretly continued to spread the doctrines of the Wenxiang Sect, building a following of over a thousand in Ba County.
This dilapidated temple served as the local headquarters for the sect in Ba County, where he often gathered followers for his teachings.
Xu Da Qiu was speaking eloquently and passionately when a sound of footsteps reached them from outside.
The guards at the door peered out and saw Jiang Jie approaching with a few others.
These men were all burly and in their early thirties. The man at the front was lean, clad in a tattered linen tunic with two short daggers hanging from his waist.
“Brother Jiang, you’ve returned so quickly. Why hasn’t Brother Hu Da You returned? And who are these…?”
Jiang Jie smiled and said,
“These are fellow believers from Shanxi. Brother Hu Da You went to Shanxi to contact more followers. I’ve brought these brothers to meet the Sect Leader!”
Jiang Jie was clever and eloquent, a trusted lieutenant to Xu Da Qiu. The guards didn’t suspect anything and allowed them entry.
As they entered the temple, Jiang Jie led his companions to bow before Xu Da Qiu:
“Sect Leader, these are fellow believers of the Wenxiang Sect from Shanxi. They’ve heard of your exceptional talent and leadership and insisted on seeing you. That's why I brought them here.”
Xu Da Qiu chuckled and glanced at these new faces. With the air of a celestial being, he stroked his beard and said:
“So, you are believers from Shanxi. Tell me, what are your names?”
The dark-faced man spoke in the Shanxi dialect of Mandarin:
“My name is Shen Ran. I’m from Wan Ping, Shanxi. I was in the capital these past few days, gathering information and contacting fellow believers. I happened to run into Brother Jiang!”
He gestured to the group behind him:
“These are all my fellow believers from Shanxi.”
This lean man was none other than Shen Lian!
He had adopted the name Shen Ran, combining a character from Shen Lian and Chen Ran, to infiltrate the Ba County branch of the Wenxiang Sect. He was here to carry out Chen Ran’s plan.
The men who came with him were Chen Ran’s elite Jinyiwei assassins!
The Wenxiang Sect had a system of secret codes and markings for communication. Jiang Jie had already taught these to Shen Lian and his companions, so Xu Da Qiu had no reason to doubt them.
“Brother Jiang Jie, how is the situation in the capital?”
Jiang Jie’s face immediately clouded with worry:
“Sect Leader, Wei Zhong Xian has been executed recently. The Chongzhen Emperor seems to have caught wind of the Wenxiang Sect’s activities across the land. Word is, he’s ordered the Jinyiwei to investigate throughout the provinces and appears to be targeting our sect!”
“Before I left, I heard that Jinyiwei are already stationed in Ba County!”
Xu Da Qiu’s face blanched at these words.
Ba County was too close to the capital. If Chongzhen truly intended to crush the Wenxiang Sect, the followers here would be the first to fall!
With the Jinyiwei already stationed in Ba County, it was clear that Chongzhen was preparing to launch a crackdown on the sect here.
If they began to move, the thousands of followers in Ba County would crumble in an instant!
But Xu Da Qiu had been preaching here for years, accustomed to a comfortable life sustained by his followers. He couldn’t bear to leave so easily!
At this moment, Shen Lian spoke up:
“Sect Leader, I’m from Shanxi, the same province as Tian Hong Yu, the father of Empress Tian Gui Fei. Before I left, I stayed at the Shanxi Guildhall in the capital for a few days.”
“I heard that Tian Hong Yu has collected a great deal of treasure and beautiful women from the south, intending to present them to Chongzhen. He’s supposed to pass through Ba County within the next few days!”
As soon as Xu Da Qiu heard about the treasure and beautiful women Tian Hong Yu was bringing through Ba County, his eyes gleamed.
“Brother Shen, you mean…”
Shen Lian smiled and said:
“Since Chongzhen the little bastard is preparing to attack us, why don’t we seize Tian Hong Yu’s convoy? We can use the hostages to force the Ba County Magistrate to open the city gates. Then, we can take control of the city, raise the banner of rebellion, and overturn the entire damn system!”
Xu Da Qiu’s expression turned grim after hearing the daring plan.
Shen Lian’s boldness made him uneasy.
But the plan had merit!
Tian Hong Yu’s treasure was said to be vast, and there were bound to be many beautiful women from the south!
Xu Da Qiu had thousands of followers in Ba County. Swaying the hearts of the populace and gathering over ten thousand men would be a simple matter.
If they could get their hands on those tribute gifts destined for Chongzhen, they would be set for life!
With that wealth, they wouldn’t even need to rise up in rebellion. They could run off to a place where no one knew them and live out their days in luxury!
Moreover, by capturing those people, they could pressure the Ba County Magistrate to open the city gates. With Tian Hong Yu’s people in their hands, the Magistrate wouldn’t dare refuse.
Once they were inside the city, Xu Da Qiu could raise the flag of the Wenxiang Sect, and followers from all over would rise to join him.
He could finally relive those glory days when Xu Hong Ru had led over one hundred thousand followers to conquer cities!
Even if they lost, they could always disappear into the countryside, like before, hiding until the heat died down. Then they could start anew!
Xu Da Qiu’s eyes darted back and forth in the firelight, but his mind was still indecisive.
At that moment, a follower rushed in from outside:
“Sect Leader! I’ve just heard news that a group of people from the capital arrived in Ba County. The Magistrate personally went to greet them, and then the city began mobilizing the people. It seems they’re preparing something!”
Xu Da Qiu’s heart sank.
This news aligned perfectly with what Shen Lian and Jiang Jie had told him.
Clearly, the capital was ready to move against the Wenxiang Sect!
Now, Xu Da Qiu had two options: either flee and disappear once again, or gather his followers, seize Tian Hong Yu’s convoy, and launch a rebellion.
His mind raced, still wrestling with the decision.
Rebellion was no picnic.
It was a risky gamble that could easily end in death!
Just then, Jiang Jie suddenly smiled and said,
“Sect Leader, as they say, fortune favors the bold. The rougher the sea, the more precious the fish!”
These words were exactly what Chen Ran had said to him.
But now, Jiang Jie had used them on Xu Da Qiu.
Xu Da Qiu’s mind was made up. He slapped his thigh and declared:
“Brother Jiang Jie is right! Fortune favors the bold! We’re not running this time. We’ll take on Tian Hong Yu!”