Manager Da Hu and his men had been going to Black Wind Stronghold for several days to “conduct business” and had already become familiar faces with the brothers on the mountain.
The stronghold leader, nicknamed “One Blade,” had already become sworn brothers with Manager Da Hu and the others.
This day they again discussed matters late into the night. Manager Da Hu said, “The Emperor only cares about himself and doesn’t care whether others live or die. If we brothers move away the stones for his imperial mausoleum construction, we’ll vent our anger and have something to talk about with the young ones later. I’m not doing this for anything else—I just want to vent my anger.”
One Blade stroked his full beard and laughed heartily, “Straightforward! I love dealing with forthright people like Brother Guan. To be honest, I heard about your Azure Sky Alliance’s reputation years ago. Your Azure Sky Alliance has great influence in the south, and every man in it is like this.” He gave a thumbs up. “Brother, I won’t speak falsely with you. If someone else came to discuss this matter with me, never mind three visits—even three hundred visits wouldn’t make me lead my brothers to do something that could cost us our heads.
“But when Azure Sky Alliance brothers do business, all the brothers on our mountain respect that. I won’t be polite with you—three thousand taels will serve as settlement money for the brothers’ wives and children at home. Brother, I’ll lead my subordinates and make this trip with you, Brother Da Hu. Isn’t it just moving stones? We must give that old Emperor a hard time. Whoever backs down is a dog!”
“Excellent!” Manager Da Hu laughed heartily and clinked his wine bowl with One Blade’s.
One Blade took a sip and laughed cheerfully, then put his arm around Manager Da Hu’s shoulder, “Brother, hey, from now on Black Wind Stronghold and Azure Sky Alliance know each other—we’re family now. Black Wind Stronghold is in the north, Azure Sky Alliance is mainly in the south. Whatever happens, just one word from you, Brother Da Hu! Come, bottoms up!”
“Bottoms up!”
The two drained another bowl.
The meal lasted until midnight. Manager Da Hu was seventy percent drunk but still paid the three thousand taels of silver and agreed to act on the night of the sixteenth day of the fifth month.
After the drinking, Manager Da Hu politely declined One Blade’s invitation to stay and descended the mountain with Liu Ban.
Liu Ban had also been drinking, but not as much as Manager Da Hu. When the two returned to their temporary cottage in the outskirts and confirmed no one was eavesdropping, Liu Ban asked, “Big Brother, you gave the silver in advance. Do you think those people from Black Wind Stronghold might renege and refuse to go with us when the time comes?”
Manager Da Hu opened his mouth and let out a long wine burp, shaking his head, “He won’t. Didn’t you see? That One Blade fellow is cunning as a fox. He’s not looking at us few brothers—he’s looking at the Azure Sky Alliance behind us. All the brothers in the underworld know Azure Sky Alliance has great power. No matter how impressive Black Wind Stronghold is, they’re just mountain bandits with at most a hundred brothers. When Azure Sky Alliance brothers gather, they’re not something they can handle.
“By agreeing to my deal, they not only earn silver but also establish connections with Azure Sky Alliance. They’re delighted. Besides, if stones go missing, who would guess it was a group of mountain bandits who stole them? Mountain bandits would be busy robbing homes when they have time—who would steal stones?”
Liu Ban scratched the back of his head and chuckled, “Big Brother, you think things through thoroughly. That’s exactly right. So we can rest easy and wait for action on the sixteenth.”
“Mm.” Manager Da Hu lay down on the kang, listening to the lingering rain outside. “Now we just pray there won’t be a bright moon on the night of the sixteenth.”
“There won’t be.” Liu Ban assured him, “I don’t know about other things, but I can still read this. After all, we used to farm—I understand weather. This rain won’t stop for half a month; the clouds are thick. On the sixteenth, I guarantee there’ll be no moon or stars—a pitch-black night.”
Manager Da Hu felt relieved hearing this. With the alcohol hitting him, he opened his mouth and started snoring.
Liu Ban, however, thought about the large sum of gold and silver that would soon be in hand, imagining future days of embracing beauties left and right, eating delicacies and drinking fine wine. He was so excited he couldn’t sleep for half the night.
Over the next two days, Liu Ban and Manager Da Hu led their other brothers to observe the situation around the stone quarry, familiarizing themselves with the terrain.
They also counted the carts needed for moving stones and what carts the mountain stronghold had.
Finally, they arranged the route for secretly transporting stones and the final hiding place for the stones.
Everything was ready—they only lacked the opportunity.
The fifteenth was another rainy day as usual.
The continuous rain didn’t make Manager Da Hu, Liu Ban, and the others feel annoyed. Tomorrow would be the day of action, and everyone was too excited to sleep.
At midnight, several brothers were gathered around a crude wooden table, eating large chunks of meat and drinking wine by the light of an oil lamp.
Suddenly, sounds of commotion came faintly from the northwest direction.
Manager Da Hu, half-drunk, heard the sounds and put down his wine bowl with a laugh and curse, “What the hell is going on up on the mountain?”
“Who cares? Those people go ‘do business’ every few days. Maybe some good goods arrived and they’re celebrating,” Liu Ban laughed.
The drunkards all nodded, unanimously feeling that no-cost business was truly good—just exert some effort and intimidate people, and you’d have lots of silver.
By midnight, everyone was tired from drinking and found places to sleep.
The next afternoon, the group prepared their carts, carefully checked the transportation route again, then headed toward Black Wind Stronghold while chatting and laughing.
Who knew that halfway there, several of them simultaneously sensed something was wrong.
“Big Brother, why don’t the footprints on the ground look right?”
Manager Da Hu was also looking down.
After a night of rain, the mountain path was very muddy, full of chaotic footprints deeply sunken and filled with muddy water.
Manager Da Hu crouched to examine them, his expression gradually becoming grave.
These footprints clearly showed people going both up and down the mountain, and most of them looked like they were made by official boots!
“This is bad. Black Wind Stronghold might be…”
Manager Da Hu stood up, looking hesitantly at the mountain.
Liu Ban also noticed the problem with the tracks and said anxiously, “I’m afraid the mountain was raided by government officials and garrison troops! Big Brother, let me go up and take a look!”
“Don’t! Don’t act rashly!”
Manager Da Hu turned and walked down the mountain, not forgetting to call the other brothers, “There might be other government troops stationed up there. If we rashly charge up, it’s like delivering sheep to tigers. If it really was imperial forces that destroyed the stronghold, they’ll definitely publicize it to show their achievements. Let’s go back and wait for news first.”
“But Big Brother, we already gave the stronghold three thousand taels of silver. If they don’t do the job for us, what do we do!”
Manager Da Hu stopped and suddenly turned to glare at Liu Ban, “Would you rather lose both the silver and your life?”
Liu Ban was momentarily speechless, staring at Manager Da Hu with red eyes.
He knew Manager Da Hu was right.
But their brothers had worked so hard to scrape together this silver, and before it could even make a splash, it was all gone! The silver they had was already spent on food and expenses. To raise silver again to hire people—first, they had no way to make money, and second, they couldn’t find anyone more suitable than Black Wind Stronghold!
Everyone was furious but helpless.
They descended the mountain in silence and returned to Huichuan City in the rain, only to see a notice posted prominently at the city gate. Despite the heavy rain, scattered common people still gathered around to look. Those who could read shared the notice’s content and said with great joy, “The imperial army has eliminated the mountain bandits! Our area is finally peaceful!”
“Wonderful! Now we can sleep soundly at night!”
The common people were practically celebrating with raised hands.
But this good news fell on Manager Da Hu and the others’ ears like a thunderbolt from clear skies.
Liu Ban nearly shed tears on the spot, “Big Brother, what do we do? What can we do?”
“Get a hold of yourself!” Manager Da Hu gripped Liu Ban’s arm and scolded quietly, then pulled him away from the crowd.
The others followed Manager Da Hu’s steps in a daze.
Arriving at the house they rented in the city, several men sat around the table, each wearing worried expressions.
Liu Ban gritted his teeth and cursed quietly, “Those useless things were only cut out to be mountain bandits for life! They couldn’t handle big affairs—how did they get captured!”
“Being captured doesn’t matter; even if they all died, it has nothing to do with us. It’s just…” Manager Da Hu said hesitantly, “I’m worried they might confess what we planned to do. If those government troops learn that someone is targeting the stones for imperial mausoleum construction, they’ll probably tighten security, and we’ll have even less chance to act.”
Hearing this, everyone became even more anxious.
“What can we do? Big Brother, think of something!”
“Yes, Big Brother, if they really confessed about us, will the government troops come looking? Should we move somewhere else?”
Manager Da Hu had a terrible headache and scolded quietly, “Enough, don’t panic. I’ll think of another way.”
Compared to Manager Da Hu and the others’ worries, Qin Yining’s side was quite comfortable.
“I never expected the Prince’s side to move so quickly. This saves us a lot of trouble.” Bingtang smiled as she organized the cosmetics box.
Ji Yun was also nimbly packing clothes and bundles.
Qin Yining looked down as she tied her waist sash, “That man always has methods. Now that we’ve found a house, I suppose the Prince should come soon.”
“That’s right.” Ji Yun smiled, “The Prince should come quickly. If the Prince doesn’t come, won’t the Princess Consort develop lovesickness?”
Hearing this, Qin Yining burst out laughing, “When did you learn to be so glib?”
Seeing that Qin Yining didn’t blush bright red with embarrassment, Ji Yun said somewhat dejectedly, “It’s all the Princess Consort’s fault. Every time you learn from that little hussy Bingtang, speaking nothing but improper words and specializing in bullying people.”
Bingtang laughed heartily, “With Guard Tang constantly swaying before your eyes, of course you won’t develop lovesickness.”
“Hey, Huzi is coming soon—aren’t you especially delighted?” Ji Yun retorted.
Bingtang’s face reddened, and she snorted, “That’s right, I am especially delighted.”
Watching the two maids bicker, Qin Yining shook her head with amusement. This had become her latest source of entertainment. Ever since Ji Yun and Tang Xiu’s affair showed signs of progress, these two in her room often teased each other, then both blushed with embarrassment.
“Sigh, truly girls grown up can’t be kept at home,” Qin Yining deliberately sighed and walked out of the room with her hands behind her back to put on wooden clogs.
Ji Yun and Bingtang were momentarily speechless.
When it came to teasing skills, the Princess Consort was still superior.
“Master, the carriage is ready,” Tang Xiu replied from the courtyard.