68 The Collapse of the Green Mountain Army
“The granary was burned?”
Jiang Ming was shocked. What kind of motley crew was this?
The Green Mountain Army had besieged Jiangnan City for months because they had failed to attack the city. They wanted to rely on their abundant food supply to try to trap Jiangnan City.
No one would have thought that before Jiangnan City was taken down, the Green Mountain Army would suffer a blow.
“There’s a mole in the Green Mountain Army?” Jiang Ming immediately reacted.
“The granary was an important place for militarists, and there must be masters guarding it. Even if the imperial court sent people to sneak in and burn the grain, they would be discovered as soon as the open fire was lit, and they wouldn’t be able to burn much. The only possibility was that there was a mole, and this mole was not unimportant. Otherwise, he would not be able to make such a bold move!”
Guan Feng nodded. “You’re smart. You guessed it right away. It was said that the grain camp guarding the granary had rebelled collectively and a few of them were killed. Then, in the middle of the night, they secretly used kerosene and strong wine to set everything on fire at the same time. It was completely burned in an instant, and then they even took advantage of the night to escape without a trace! As for the Imperial Army of Jiangnan City, as the fire soared to the sky, they shot out countless arrows with paper slips tied to them. They used filthy words to mock the Green Mountain Army as well.”
Jiang Ming was speechless. High-level wars often only required the simplest operations. The Green Mountain Army had besieged the city for months and the weather was cold, so the morale of the army was probably at its lowest.
The granary being burned, coupled with the crazy taunting would have inconceivable consequences for the soldiers!
It could only be said that the Imperial Army still had ruthless people. They had developed the entire grain camp into spies. However, they had waited until now to make a move. They could only blame the Green Mountain Army for being too immature.
“If the Imperial Army suddenly attacks…” Jiang Ming trailed off.
“When the news came back, the cavalrymen of the imperial court had already rushed out of the city. This time, even if the Green Mountain Army doesn’t fall, they’ll be severely injured!” Guan Feng looked at him and sighed.
Jiang Ming also sighed. He did not care about the success or failure of the Green Mountain Army, but once the army was in chaos, the commoners would be in trouble.
Although he knew that the Green Mountain Army would not be able to accomplish much, when the moment came, Jiang Ming still felt a little helpless.
A moment later, Jiang Ming bid farewell to Guan Feng and returned home with the New Year’s goods. When he saw Zhou Wenxiu, he threw a bag at her.
“I’ve been practicing martial arts every day, and I’ve become rich! I got you some gifts!”
“I don’t want them. They’re so gaudy and ugly,” Zhou Wenxiu snorted, but she was grinning so widely that her smile almost reached her ears.
“Brat.” Jiang Ming shook his head and threw the rest of the things to her. “Clean up and quickly cook. I’m starving!”
He went back into the house and happily boiled some good tea leaves, not caring about the fierce eyes behind him.
“Now that the Green Mountain Army is on the decline, it’s only a matter of time before they lose!”
After the meal, Jiang Ming lay on the bamboo chair and had a nap, but his mind was active. “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. It’s time to find an opportunity to settle the debt of those who once used the Green Mountain Army’s name to act tyrannically! I’m considered a second-class martial artist with profound strength. With the help of the Blood-Burning Saber Technique and my heightened perception, I might be able to fight against a first-class martial artist. Of course, it’s impossible to fight them head-on.”
Jiang Ming would not stand out. It was naturally the best if he could fish in troubled waters!
* * *
A few days later, in the bar, Jiang Ming was sitting at the counter, drinking the good wine that Old Jiang had specially made for him, and listening to the customers discussing current affairs.
The news of the Green Mountain Army’s granary burning had finally reached them the day before yesterday, causing a commotion.
“Zhang Zhushi is shameless. He emptied my rice shop.”
A middle-aged man in slightly neat clothes was burning with anger. There were still wounds on his body, and it was obvious that he had been beaten up by Zhang Zhushi and his men.
Jiang Ming looked over. This person used to be an herb gatherer. He was lucky enough to pick fire cloud grass earlier and sold it for money to open a shop. He thought he was going to be rich, but he did not expect to encounter such a calamity.
“This is only the beginning,” Jiang Ming whispered to himself.
From Guan Feng’s news, the imperial court had already sent out an army from the capital to cooperate with the guards of Jiangnan City. Half a million troops had been sent out of Jiangnan City in an attempt to completely wipe out the Green Mountain Army.
The Green Mountain Army’s backyard was on fire again. The northern aristocratic families and Chambers of Commerce that they had roped in should have provided the Green Mountain Army with food for war preparation. However, more than half of them jumped ship in one night, cutting off their supplies to the Green Mountain Army.
Rebellions even broke out in many northern cities, overturning the Green Mountain Army’s city guards. Even the people who used to support the Green Mountain Army were now silent.
Only a few days had passed, but the Green Mountain Army seemed to have fallen into a precarious situation and was about to collapse at any moment.
Another four or five days passed, and Peace Town became more and more chaotic. Zhang Zhushi brought people to the streets to capture able-bodied men, search for food, silver, and wealth, and send them to the front to fight.
It was said that Great Cloud City was many times more chaotic than Peace Town. The Green Mountain Army plundered and killed people everywhere, as if they had turned from an angel into a devil.
“Zhang Zhushi, I don’t have any surplus.”
On this day, Jiang Ming stood at the door and blocked Zhang Zhushi’s chubby body. He frowned.
Zhang Zhushi’s eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse, “Silver, copper—anything. I want them all! And you, Chief Jiang, are you willing to go to the battlefield to fight for wealth and glory?”
Two guards quietly stepped forward from behind Zhang Zhushi.
“Chief Zhang, don’t be too impulsive. It’s easy to talk to me. We have plenty of people in Tiger Hunting Village,” Jiang Ming didn’t panic and said indifferently.
Zhang Zhushi shivered, and his mind seemed to have sobered up a little. He stared at Jiang Ming gloomily for a moment, then turned around and left, bringing his men to the other houses.
“You can’t do this.” Jiang Ming stared at Zhang Zhushi’s back as he left. However, he shook his head.
Now that the defeat of the Green Mountain Army was certain, according to the news from the Flying Cloud Castle, the army at the front was already in a state of defeat, retreating step by step and being beaten like a stray dog.
It was uncertain if they could even retreat, yet Zhang Zhushi still dared to plunder money so rampantly.
Jiang Ming thought of this guy’s direct superior, Li Yong. The two of them were bad people. They would go wherever there was more money. They had no loyalty to the Green Mountain Army at all. It was possible that their behavior today was mostly for their own pocket.
“I was planning to go straight to Great Cloud City and wait for the Shi family!” Jiang Ming thought to himself, “But since you dared come to me, then I’ll send you on your way first!”
Ever since Zhang Zhushi came here, he had collected a lot of protection fees from him. He had also stolen a few taels of silver from Yu Asheng. This debt would be settled together today.
“Is he trying to extort the Shi family?” Jiang Ming looked in the direction that Zhang Zhushi was walking in, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He had already thought of a way to make a move.
After telling Zhou Wenxiu that he was going to the bar, Jiang Ming left the house.