When Wang Er finished speaking, the tent fell into silence.
An uncomfortable one.
But this was exactly what Wang Er had expected. He knew the moment those words left his mouth, this would happen. Wang Jiayin needed time to think—and not a short amount of it.
Wang Er cupped his fists.
"I've said what I came to say. I'll take my leave and rest. Brothers, take your time considering it."
With that, he stepped out of the tent, returned to his own camp, found a corner, wrapped himself in his coat, and lay down.
—
Only after a long while did Wang Jiayin finally speak.
"Brothers. Let's hear it. What do you all think?"
Chuang Wang and Zijin Liang exchanged a look. Neither spoke.
Wang Jiayin's brother-in-law, Zhang Liwei, broke the silence.
"Wang Er's heart has already left us."
His clansman Wang Guozhong followed immediately.
"We sent him south to open the Qiachuan route into Huanglong Mountain. He wandered around and came back with nothing—no road cleared, no foothold secured—only some so-called Gu Yuan rebels."
He sneered.
"What he really means is that we aren't as capable as them, and should go listen to someone else. Isn't that right?"
Wang Jiayin's expression darkened.
Zhang Liwei pressed on.
"In my view, he should be killed. If not, he'll keep spreading this nonsense and shaking morale. Worse—if he defects, many who joined us because of him will follow."
Wang Guozhong nodded.
"I agree."
Wang Jiayin's face was grim as he turned to Chuang Wang and Zijin Liang.
"And you two?"
They had planned to stay neutral. Forced to respond, Chuang Wang spoke carefully.
"To do great things, one must have tolerance. If Wang Er believes the Gu Yuan rebels are better, let him go. Killing him would damage our reputation. Word would spread that we lack brotherhood."
Zijin Liang followed smoothly.
"I agree. We may act together, but we are not a single block of iron. Each leader commands his own camp. No one truly answers to anyone else."
"If Wang Er is killed just for wanting to leave, what will the others think? Mantian Xing, Shangtian Long, Wang Laohu, Lone Wolf, Hao Lin'an, Liu Liu—once they hear Wang Er was killed, they'll all lose trust."
Wang Jiayin's expression grew heavier.
Zijin Liang was right.
Though everyone called Wang Jiayin 'big brother,' each rebel leader had brought his own villagers, his own people. Everyone had a core following.
Kill Wang Er today, and tomorrow others would think:
If I ever want to leave, will I be killed too?
That way lay collapse.
Better to be generous. Let Wang Er go. The world was wide. Today's parting might still leave room for brotherhood tomorrow.
Wang Jiayin finally said,
"Very well. It's settled. If Wang Er wishes to join the Gu Yuan rebels, we won't stop him. We preserve brotherhood and avoid being mocked for narrow-mindedness."
Zhang Liwei panicked.
"Brother-in-law, this is softness!"
Wang Guozhong added,
"Kill him and eliminate future trouble. Make an example."
Wang Jiayin waved them off.
"Enough. My decision stands. Everyone out."
Zhang Liwei and Wang Guozhong left unwillingly.
Outside the tent, Zhang Liwei lowered his voice.
"You agree Wang Er should die, right? Letting him go means land disputes later."
Wang Guozhong nodded slowly.
"Then let's do it behind big brother's back. Kill Wang Er outright. Once he's dead, what can big brother say? He won't turn against the living for the sake of a corpse."
"You're his brother-in-law. I'm his clansman. He won't touch us."
Zhang Liwei chuckled.
"I'll bring a few trusted men. All fierce fighters."
"I'll do the same," Wang Guozhong said. "We move together."
To avoid attention, each brought only three to five men—less than ten in total. Pretending to patrol, they slipped toward Wang Er's camp.
They saw Wang Er wrapped in his coat, lying on his side in the corner of a collapsed wall.
A glance. A signal.
The men lunged.
Several blades chopped down at once—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel struck stone.
They froze.
What lay on the ground was not Wang Er, but his clothes wrapped around several rocks.
Wang Er himself was long gone.
Zhang Liwei cursed,
"Damn it!"
Wang Guozhong hissed,
"He was prepared."
From behind a distant tree, half a face emerged—the Western Camp Eight Great King. He had followed them the entire way, quietly enjoying the show.
Seeing them fooled, he let out a low laugh.
"Idiots. Useless fools. With men like this under him, Wang Jiayin will be ruined sooner or later."
He had planned to remain with Wang Jiayin for a while longer. But after this, he lost interest.
Better to carve his own path.
The Western Camp Eight Great King slipped away quietly, leading his men north.
—
Meanwhile.
Zhang Yuanwai led the Heyang County militia to Qiachuan Dock.
There, he saw Bai Yuan standing with a group of ragged people.
They were, of course, Bai Mao and the Wangjia Village villagers.
They had waited an entire day. Wang Er had not returned.
They knew something had gone wrong.
But Wang Er had taken all the boats and forbade them from following. Waiting was all they could do.
Anxious. Fidgeting. On edge.
Zhang Yuanwai eyed the group—ragged, strange-looking—and felt uneasy. He leaned closer.
"Brother Bai… these people are?"
Bai Yuan turned.
"Ah, Zhang brother. Nothing to worry about. They're villagers from Wangjia Village in Chengcheng County. They've been displaced for over two years and only just returned."
Zhang Yuanwai's mind went blank.
Displaced for two years?
Displaced how, exactly…?
Bai Yuan waved it off.
"No need to worry. They're good people. Since your militia is here, hurry and build a temporary stockade at the dock."
"Wood first. Once laborers arrive, we'll rebuild with cement and turn Qiachuan Dock into a fortress."
That needed to be done immediately.
Zhang Yuanwai ordered trees felled and timber hauled. A wooden palisade rose along the dock—nothing fancy, but walls were walls.
Seeing this, Bai Mao rallied the Wangjia villagers.
"Everyone, help out. Let's build."
—
Historical records of Zhang Xianzhong's early years are sparse and contradictory. His exact uprising date is unclear.
Most accounts believe he answered Wang Jiayin's call to rebellion—but he rarely acted together with Wang Jiayin afterward, instead operating independently.
Likely because he could read, write, and even compose poetry.
Which made him fundamentally incompatible with illiterate bandit leaders.
That, and his extreme brutality.
Even other rebel leaders found the killing intent around him unsettling—and tended to keep their distance.
At first, Zhang Xianzhong commanded barely three hundred men.
Later, more followed. His power grew.
Until he became a force capable of standing opposite Li Zicheng himself.
Trivia
Why Wang Er Escaped Easily: Veteran rebel leaders slept light, planned exits, and never trusted verbal promises. Survival wasn't paranoia—it was experience.
Rebel Coalition Reality: These armies weren't unified chains of command but loose alliances. Killing a leader risked immediate fragmentation.
Zhang Xianzhong's Personality Split: Literate, strategic, and brutally decisive—qualities that isolated him early, but later allowed rapid expansion.
Three-Basin Knife-Cut Noodles: A northern staple associated with Shaanxi. Cheap, filling, and cut straight into boiling water—much like rebel strategy: fast, rough, and unforgiving.