Pang Xiao nodded and smiled, “The two gentlemen truly understand me.”

Seeing Pang Xiao’s confident demeanor, Xie Yue and Xu Weizhi finally felt at ease.

Under Pang Xiao’s deliberate indulgence, the various rumors and gossip in the military camp fermented. Overnight, half the camp was discussing this matter. Moreover, some people secretly backed by another faction besides Pang Xiao were spreading word everywhere that they probably wouldn’t receive military pay for the entire coming year.

With hearts in turmoil, the entire camp was filled with restlessness.

Especially when the day came to distribute grain and wages, there was no movement from Pang Xiao’s side.

These worried men finally couldn’t contain themselves any longer.

Early that morning, light snow began falling from the sky.

Pang Xiao had just finished washing when Huzi strode into the tent.

“Your Highness, those bastards outside are making a ruckus!”

Pang Xiao snorted with laughter, tossing his towel into the wooden basin and throwing on his cloak. “Come, let’s go take a look.”

Striding purposefully outside the tent, distant clamoring sounds reached his ears. Pang Xiao and Huzi followed the noise, and the closer they got, the louder the commotion became. When they reached the drill ground, a glance revealed a gathering of two to three thousand people. The noise was so loud it didn’t sound like the Pingnan Army’s drill ground, but rather like they’d arrived at a marketplace.

Pang Xiao crossed his arms and slowly walked forward.

From within the crowd, someone called out, “Stop talking, His Highness is here!”

The crowd fell silent for an instant, but moments later the clamor resumed.

Someone shouted loudly, “Your Highness, our wages have been owed for a month already! Wives and children at home are waiting to eat! When will pay be distributed!”

“That’s right, Your Highness! What do we serve as soldiers for? Isn’t it just for the money we risk our lives for! When exactly will Your Highness give us our wages!”

“We want our pay! We want to eat!”

…

One person in the formation raised his fist and roared, and immediately those around him followed suit with loud roars.

The men’s shouting was thunderous, shaking the earth like an earthquake. Those standing beside the crowd could feel the resentment that seemed almost tangible.

Pang Xiao let these men shout for a while. When the voices died down, he said, “This prince understands the brothers’ feelings. I too have been a soldier for ten years, living and eating alongside the troops in camp—how could I not understand everyone’s feelings? Speaking of silver, things are indeed tight right now. Governor Yang is so busy trying to repay the money Lu Zhang borrowed that he’s nearly worn himself to the bone. However, since you brothers follow me, I cannot let everyone work for nothing!”

Pang Xiao raised his voice, “As long as you listen to me and follow me, I guarantee there will be silver to take!”

“Good! Good!”

Among the crowd, those instigated to cause trouble were ultimately a minority. Most people had genuinely gathered for the grain and wages. Moreover, a large portion of the Pingnan Army consisted of men who had previously fought alongside Pang Xiao and the Huben Army against Great Yan. Their memories of Pang Xiao’s divine military tactics and his personal courage on the battlefield remained fresh.

Therefore, when Pang Xiao made his appeal, this portion of people immediately agreed.

What were they fighting for? Wasn’t it for silver? Since His Highness had a way to lead them to earn silver, they would just follow His Highness—nothing wrong with that!

Those troublemakers in the crowd couldn’t help but exchange glances.

So all their jumping around and bustling about had been ruined by a single sentence from Prince Zhongshun?

Someone in the crowd shouted again, “We don’t believe it! His Highness wouldn’t just be trying to calm us down now and then renege later, would he!”

“Right! Unless His Highness produces silver right now, we won’t believe it!”

Pang Xiao looked at the shouting person with a half-smile, and Huzi followed his gaze, silently memorizing all these people.

Pang Xiao said, “That the brothers don’t believe me now is understandable. After all, words alone without evidence are insufficient to inspire trust. However, what kind of person I, Pang, am, I think the brothers who have fought alongside me all know clearly. When this Pang spits, it’s like driving in a nail! If I say I’ll lead everyone to earn silver, then I will lead everyone to earn silver!”

Pang Xiao stepped forward several paces into the crowd and continued, “Everyone knows there’s fighting in the north, right? The Great Zhou dynasty was established not long ago, and after years of war, the national treasury is completely empty! To put it bluntly, even a mouse going in for a look would come out crying!”

“Haha!” Laughter erupted from the crowd, immediately easing the tense atmosphere considerably.

Pang Xiao continued, “So if we brothers want to rely on silver from the national treasury, with mountains high and roads far, I’m afraid it won’t be easy. Lu Zhang previously borrowed large sums from Sitong Trading Company and now has no ability to repay them. Governor Yang is frantic with worry, and Sitong Trading Company won’t lend us silver for wages either. So I’ve thought it over and came up with a way to make a big score.”

“What brilliant strategy does Your Highness have? Please tell us.”

Pang Xiao smiled, “I wouldn’t call it brilliant—I’m just like everyone else, a rough man with only a pair of hard fists. These past few days I’ve been scouting around and discovered there are quite a few mountain peaks nearby, with many bandits and highway robbers living on them. Who knows how many common people they’ve harmed over the years.”

“Their mountain strongholds have plenty of silver. I plan to lead men out to hit them hard, properly teaching those worthless turtle grandsons a lesson. They have strength but don’t come serve as soldiers to defend the country—instead they shamelessly bully the weak. They’re truly a disgrace to real men!”

As Pang Xiao spoke, he spat indignantly.

Many of the men were stirred to righteous anger by Pang Xiao’s words. They were soldiers by nature, and soldiers naturally fought battles. Having no battles to fight, they still had to drill in the military camp. Since His Highness became Grand Marshal of Pingnan, their training had become even more varied, leaving them just as exhausted at day’s end.

The exhaustion was the same, yet they faced the prospect of no wages. Better to go out with His Highness to suppress bandits and rob them thoroughly.

Thinking of this, everyone cheered, “Good! Let’s hit those bastards hard!”

Of the nearly three thousand people present, more than a thousand agreed with Pang Xiao’s plan.

However, a large portion of people hesitated without speaking.

They felt that soldiers eating military grain was natural and right—why should they have to do extra work? Among them, some were instructed by others and determined to make things difficult for Pang Xiao.

Therefore, these people voiced different opinions, all protesting and firmly refusing to go out and suppress bandits.

Pang Xiao crossed his arms and watched for a long while, then smiled, “So some brothers don’t want to go.”

Someone shouted loudly, “Why should we risk danger for free!”

“Why?” Upon hearing this, Pang Xiao’s eyes widened with rage. “Because you are soldiers! Because you must obey military orders! If foreign enemies invaded right now, would you shrink your necks and refuse to move just to save your lives?”

Pang Xiao’s sudden roar startled everyone into silence.

Pang Xiao continued, “Our Pingnan Army claims to have a hundred thousand brothers stationed here. Can we just watch with our eyes wide open as those self-proclaimed heroes and turtle spawn bully the surrounding common people? Do you brothers serve as soldiers only to eat grain, without any manly spirit?”

At this point, without waiting for the crowd’s reaction, Pang Xiao said, “Today, the ones making the most commotion are you present here. Those who want to follow me, gather here at dawn tomorrow. Those who don’t want to go don’t have to! But let me make this clear first—when we get the silver, we’ll first solve the grain and wages for the brothers who went with me, then solve it for those who stayed quietly without causing trouble, and finally for you troublemakers who jump around looking for problems but shrink away when difficulties arise. Whether there’s anything left depends on your own luck.”

Having said this, Pang Xiao waved his hand. “Everyone disperse. Go back and think it over yourselves.”

Pang Xiao strode toward the camp tent. Huzi immediately followed, asking quietly, “Master, what if none of them are willing to go with you?”

Pang Xiao smiled, “They will. Men die for wealth, birds die for food. At least half of today’s troublemakers will follow,” then joked, “If too many people go, there won’t be enough loot to divide.”

Huzi thought about it and realized this made sense, so he also laughed.

The next day, just as Pang Xiao had predicted, about a thousand people gathered on the drill ground.

Pang Xiao smiled, “Good. I actually made a list yesterday of those who were clamoring and causing trouble—a total of two thousand six hundred thirty-three people. Today over a thousand withdrew. Fine, whoever went and whoever didn’t, I know in my heart. Anyway, our thousand-plus brothers are sufficient.”

He then ordered the departure.

After Pang Xiao led the group away, those Pingnan Army soldiers who had clamored and caused trouble yesterday but didn’t want to go suppress bandits today all became somewhat nervous.

They knew Pang Xiao’s fiery temper. They truly feared Pang Xiao would settle accounts with them later.

Meanwhile, this bandit suppression force of less than a thousand men all felt quite fortunate to be following behind Pang Xiao.

The group left the Pingnan Army camp and traveled west for over twenty li, reaching a dense forest near the official road. Pang Xiao waved his hand and called a halt.

“Everyone ambush here.”

At Pang Xiao’s command, nearly a thousand men arranged themselves in orderly ambush positions on both sides of the road in the forest.

The weather was clear today with no rain or snow, so lying in ambush was no effort at all.

However, they waited for a full hour.

By this time, some people were becoming restless. They called it bandit suppression, but he hadn’t led them to attack any mountain stronghold—what was the meaning of ambushing by the roadside now?

Everyone grumbled inwardly, but no one dared directly question Pang Xiao. They all knew Prince Zhongshun’s formidable reputation—who would dare touch his reverse scale face to face?

Pang Xiao wasn’t anxious at all, chewing on a grass stalk while carefully observing the movements on the official road. Soon, Huzi came running over and whispered a few words in his ear. Pang Xiao spat out the grass stalk and instructed those beside him.

“The bandits are disguised as merchants, transporting treasure back to their mountain stronghold. Tell everyone to pay attention—only rob the goods, don’t harm lives. All bandits must be captured alive.”

“Yes!” Those nearby quietly acknowledged and dispersed to spread the message.

Moments later, everyone knew of Pang Xiao’s strange order.

Bandit suppression, but only rob goods, don’t kill people.

Just then, a convoy from the old capital heading outward appeared on the official road, approaching from the distance. At the head of the convoy flew a prominent banner—the “Sitong Trading Company” logo was particularly conspicuous in the sunlight.

Pang Xiao waved his hand, and everyone took their positions. When the convoy reached their ambush range, Pang Xiao led a group of men charging down like tigers descending a mountain.