Chapter 910 755: Mountain Master

The salt smugglers disappeared into the forest, and the archers only put away their bowstrings to retreat once their companions had left.

Old Ears watched this scene with amazement, clicking his tongue, "I haven't been to Jiangnan for more than ten years, yet now even salt smugglers use crossbows. They seem more elite than the Anti-Japanese Army. In this place, a hundred or so salt smugglers could storm the county town… Kid, did I just hear the words Meihua Ferry Crossing? That sounds somewhat familiar."

Chen Ji ignored Old Ears' jest, leading Zhaolei to follow the Anti-Japanese Army, "Please don't talk nonsense; getting involved with salt smugglers is a capital offense."

"It's just a coincidence they used the name Meihua Ferry Crossing, and coincidentally also used your Red Gate's codewords?"

Chen Ji remained unmoved, "What a coincidence indeed."

Old Ears chuckled and rode his little donkey up to an old soldier, "Brother, could you tell us about those salt smugglers?"

The old soldier carrying illegal salt glanced at him but didn't respond.

Old Ears rolled his eyes, dismounted the little donkey, and took the sack of hemp from the soldier's shoulder to place it on the donkey, "Take a breather, let the donkey carry it more easily."

The old soldier sighed with relief and rubbed his shoulder.

Leading the little donkey, Old Ears cheerfully inquired, "Brother, I saw those salt smugglers with about a hundred men, quite fierce they are! Who are they?"

The old soldier casually replied, "Those salt smugglers have way more than a hundred people. They definitely number seven or eight thousand, even the Five Peaks Ship Master Wang Zhi seeks their blessing when he lands."

Old Ears' expression changed, "Seven or eight thousand? That's quite a lot. The entire Jinling Central Army Governor's Mansion has only five thousand people."

The old soldier scoffed when he noticed the disbelief, "You think I'm lying? Earlier this year, when Wang Zhi landed, he even paid a special visit to the mountain stronghold to drink with Boss Huang. After drinking, Wang Zhi announced that as long as they were salt-makers under Boss Huang, his men wouldn't touch them."

Old Ears became intrigued, "I hadn't heard this, interesting indeed. So why is Boss Huang so formidable?"

The old soldier pondered, "A year before last, Boss Huang was just a small-time salt smuggler with about ten people carrying loads of illegal salt into villages. But later, he hooked up with powerful officials, managing to obtain official salt permits to cover the illegal salt entering the city…"

Old Ears glanced at Chen Ji meaningfully, but Chen Ji kept his gaze straight.

Old Ears smiled, then turned to the old soldier, "Where did Boss Huang get the illegal salt?"

The old soldier lamented, "In recent years, coastal pirates have been rampant, causing many salt-makers to be displaced. Yet the court not only ignored this but allowed officials to exploit them. Salt-makers had to buy the firewood for salt from officials, and even rent the iron pans for salt-making. By the end of the year, they earned nothing and were in debt, who would want to continue? Many salt-makers unwilling to produce for the court went to work under Boss Huang. They say Boss Huang is fair, and many salt-makers, after working for him, manage to save up in Deqing within a year."

Old Ears thought for a while, "But in just a year, forming a force of seven or eight thousand seems excessive."

The old soldier clicked his tongue, "Even with official salt permits, you'd need to slowly accumulate capital and rise. But this Boss Huang had backing from officials of incredible power. I heard that the official gave him hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to start…"

Upon hearing this, Old Ears glanced again in Chen Ji's direction.

The old soldier continued, "Even with money, without enough manpower, you'd still be at someone else's mercy. Other salt smugglers have many strongholds; if you sell salt in their territory, they'd fight you to death. But this official then sent five or six hundred men to assist him."

Old Ears glanced again at Chen Ji, who finally couldn't hold back, "Why do you keep glancing at me?"

Old Ears chuckled, turning to ask the old soldier, "How do you know the officials helped him, is this information you can access?"

The old soldier was displeased, "It's all over Jianghu; how could it be false? Those people spoke with an Imperial Capital accent; clearly, they aren't from the South. They even set new rules in the Jianghu, defining territories between salt smugglers through wrestling… When did the South ever have such rules? Those are Northern rules. I guess that official is probably in the Imperial Capital, likely a noble."

Old Ears agreed, "Yes, such an affair would require at least a marquis."

Chen Ji rolled his eyes.

The old soldier continued, "This group from the North isn't just fierce in fighting but also skilled with fists. Not only that, some can use cow tendons to make bowstrings… And there are about thirty Executive Officers among them. What other salt smugglers have seen such a formation, one by one they surrendered under Boss Huang's banner."

At this moment, Jiang Chai was perplexed, "What Imperial Capital official is so fierce, using illegal salt to form a private army in Jiangnan like this? Isn't this rebellion? The court doesn't care?"

The old soldier shook his head, "Of course they do. Why wouldn't they? Jinling Central Army Governor's Mansion made several attempts to capture Boss Huang but failed each time. This group from the North is tightly-knit, with their own coded language that outsiders can't understand. And this force has all sorts of strange nicknames from top to bottom, like White Paper Fan, Double Flower Red Stick, Straw Sandals, Left Minister, Right Minister, as well as terms like sitting in the hall, Assistant Hall, ceremony hall, Punishment Hall, it's all dizzying to hear."

Jiang Chai raised his hand: "Hold on, hold on, I'm getting dizzy just listening."

Old Soldier chuckled: "Even if you catch a few private salt traders, those traders don't know the names or whereabouts of the people above them. Boss Huang's men come and go like the wind and have thoroughly explored this area, making it difficult for the Jinling Central Army Governor's Mansion to deal with them. However, I heard the Eight Great Merchants gathered in Jinling this time specifically to discuss donating to the court, but the condition for the donation is that the court must eliminate Boss Huang's private salt traders."

Old Ears responded with an "Oh": "The private salt traders have gathered seven or eight thousand soldiers scattered among the populace, which will be challenging to suppress."

Old Soldier nodded: "Furthermore, I've heard that Boss Huang is just a Deputy Mountain Master, and there's someone else behind him—the Mountain Master, who takes seventy percent, while Boss Huang takes thirty percent. That Mountain Master seems to be the noble behind Boss Huang, with connections everywhere; he might not allow the Eight Great Merchants to have their way."

Old Ears sighed: "This Mountain Master is quite daring, like someone grabbing sea arrest warrants during a birthday celebration."

Old Soldier laughed heartily: "Look at what you're saying; who grabs sea arrest warrants during a birthday celebration?"

At that moment, Jiang Chai approached, unperturbed: "Isn't the Anti-Japanese Army the official army? How can they dare to associate with private salt traders?"

Old Soldier raised his eyebrows: "The official army needs to survive too; without dealing with them, what would we eat and drink? Can we rely on those scholars?"

Jiang Chai asked again: "How can we find Boss Huang?"

Old Soldier smiled: "You can't find him; you have to wait for him to find you. If he thinks you're useful, he'll come to you."

Jiang Chai returned to Yuan Xi and the others: "See, the Southern Dynasty's military preparedness is disorganized; only the Nine Border Army and the Imperial Three Camps are formidable. The South is already in chaos; even the private salt traders can't be subdued, revealing a facade of strength but hollow within."

Yuan Xi nodded in agreement: "The Southern Dynasty's Anti-Japanese Army's equipment is broken beyond repair. If our dynasty sends a navy to land from Haimen, we could sweep through Jiangnan within a month, plundering the Jiangnan gentry entirely. By the time the Three Major Camps dispatch troops southward, Chongli Pass would certainly be empty."

Jiang Chai shook his head: "No, no, no. We should find the Mountain Master behind Boss Huang and plot great things together. Our dynasty should aid him in rising in the South, letting him grow stronger; he can then constrain the Jiangnan gentry and the official army while severing the Southern Dynasty's northern grain transport hub. Once the border army is deprived of supplies, the Nine Border will collapse without attack. When our dynasty advances southward, we'll grant him a Duke title."

The group whispered their plans, while Chen Ji glanced over.

Old Ears stopped inquiring about salt traders from the Old Soldier and went over to Chen Ji with Little Fur: "Kid, isn't Boss Huang under your control? Aren't the salt permits in his hands all obtained from your Meihua Ferry Crossing?"

Chen Ji feigned ignorance: "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

Old Ears chuckled: "When the court dismantled your Meihua Ferry Crossing, this old man thought those Red Gates would fight for territory, but it remained peaceful in the Imperial Capital with only the Three Mountains Association functioning. At that time, I wondered when those ruffians turned so docile, realizing they were all dispatched by you to Jiangnan."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Old Ears curiously asked: "But Chen Chong went to Guyuan, so who is managing those ruffians now?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "Not me."

Old Ears realized: "If not you, then it's your wife. She sent the ruffians to Jiangnan early on, aiming big... She wants to help Zhang Zhuo vie for the position of Grand Secretary, right? So that's why you came to Jiangnan; tsk tsk, Suzhou flourishes, the world prospers. Many don't know the latter half of the saying—pacify Jiangnan, gain the Grand Secretary."

Chen Ji continued to ignore him.

Old Ears leisurely said: "Why, when the Second Miss Zhang saved you in front of the Qi family, you want to repay her favor? But have you thought that when she went to the Qi family and asked you to marry her, it wasn't to make you owe her a favor?"

Chen Ji calmly replied: "She has helped me more than once, and I'm doing more than just repaying a favor."

Old Ears became interested: "Oh, have you figured it out?"

Just then, firelight rose ahead, smoke ascended into the sky, and even three miles away the stench of burning was detectable.

Zheng Jiye looked from afar and shouted: "Not good, pirates have entered Jingjiang County!"

...

There will be more updates tonight; everyone can read them in the morning.