Xing Honglang let out a low chuckle. "If someone carves 'Chuwu' onto a piece of wood and thinks that's enough to infiltrate our camp, you'll... hehe, you know what to do, right?"
Only then did the guards fully understand the purpose: it was a measure for anti-counterfeiting! Indeed, Chief Xing was a seasoned veteran of the jianghu, skilled in navigating its shadowy corners.
Soon after, Zhan Seng returned, and the merchants arrived.
There were quite a few of them—about a dozen or so—seasoned traders who regularly operated at the docks.
Xing Honglang addressed them directly. "Gentlemen, our fortress is built, and our foothold is secure. Next, I plan to expand our reach. I've summoned you here regarding the grain supply."
The dozen merchants had already guessed their purpose. They cupped their fists in greeting and inquired, "Chief Xing, you want us to sell grain, don't you?"
"Yes, that's right!" Xing Honglang confirmed.
"I'm not a legitimate merchant," she continued, "so I can't openly transport grain into Puzhou City. But you can. I'll provide you with this batch at a price of 200 wen per dou. Sell as much as you deem appropriate. Take this grain to Puzhou City, or Hedong Circuit—however you manage it..."
"In short, get it into the hands of the common people."
The merchants murmured, "Not into the grain shops, right?"
"Exactly! Don't let this grain enter the grain shops," Xing Honglang chuckled. "Once it enters a grain shop, who knows how many times the price will be inflated before it reaches the common folk."
The merchants nodded in agreement, understanding the principle well. They cupped their fists and said, "Chief Xing, rest assured, we'll handle this."
"However..." one merchant murmured, "If we transport such large quantities of grain to Puzhou City and Hedong Circuit, won't the grain reserves at the dock dwindle? You still provide full meals for everyone here daily and pay them three catties of flour as wages. The consumption is immense; thousands of catties of grain are used every day. If we keep shipping grain out, the dock workers will notice the reserves shrinking and feel uneasy."
Xing Honglang chuckled in response. "You needn't worry about this; I have my own solution."
The merchants then stopped asking further questions. Each, using their business acumen, purchased a batch of grain from Xing Honglang. They employed various methods—carrying it on their shoulders, with poles, or by cart, even hiring laborers—to set off for Puzhou City. Zao Ying led the cavalry out of the fortress to guard these merchants until they were safely delivered to Puzhou City, before returning.
The single transport moved a significant amount of grain, causing a noticeable reduction in the dock's reserves.
As the laborers gathered at the dock, their concern began to rise...
"Did you see it? This morning, many merchants entered the granaries and hauled away huge amounts of grain."
"Not only did I see it, I helped load it! The merchant paid me twenty wen for my labor."
"We consume thousands of catties of grain every day, and now so much has been shipped out. Heavens, how many days will the remaining grain last us?"
"There's still a good amount of grain stored in the fortress, piled up like a small mountain, but at thousands of catties a day, it won't last a month, will it?"
"What should we do? At this rate, even Chief Xing won't be able to sustain it, will she?"
The common folk chattered amongst themselves, their hearts filled with dread. Then, someone shouted, "Look, the ships are back! Chief Xing's ships are back!"
It turned out that the warship and two cargo ships, after unloading their goods, had left Gudu Ferry two days prior and returned to Qichuan Ferry. Now, unexpectedly, they were back.
This time, an additional cargo ship had joined them, making it a formation of one warship and three cargo ships.
"The ships actually increased in number?"
Such huge cargo ships—having two was already incredible, but Chief Xing had three now?
"Wow, all three ships are covered with black tarpaulins. Could they all be filled with grain inside?"
"It must be grain! Otherwise, how would Chief Xing dare let the merchants take away all the previous grain? Where did they even get this grain from?"
"Did they go to the flourishing lands of Jiangnan?"
"Who cares where they got the grain from? Even if it came from the depths of hell, as long as it fills my belly, I'll call it my mother!"
The three large cargo ships slowly docked. With them came another massive pile of grain.
The laborers cheered with excitement. The panic they had felt just moments ago, as the grain supplies dwindled, had completely vanished.
A short while later, someone was dispatched from the main camp: "We need a team of porters now to unload the grain from the three cargo ships. The old rules apply: three catties of flour for a day's work."
"Me, me, me!"
The common folk surged forward with a roar, happily ready to work.
Xing Honglang, however, found the warship's captain and quietly explained the need for dock construction and the lack of a planner.
The captain nodded and said, "I'll take this matter back as soon as possible. Gao Family Village will arrange someone to handle it.
By the way, He Jiu and Bai Yuan asked me to tell you that Gao Family Village has already set its sights on Baishui County, Han City, and Dali County. The base in Huanglong Mountain is also expanding. Things are moving quickly now, and there's a shortage of manpower, so we can't send you any more troops. You might need to recruit more soldiers here in Shanxi, depending on the situation."
Lao Nanfeng, standing behind Xing Honglang, was inwardly startled. "Baishui County and Dali County are one thing, but Han City will be tricky to handle..."
Han City belonged to the Tongguan Circuit of Xi'an Prefecture.
And the "Circuit" (Dao) administrative unit was different from counties, departments, and prefectures. While the latter three were common administrative divisions, a "Circuit" (Dao) in the Ming Dynasty actually implied a military district!
Any place designated as a "Circuit" (Dao) held significant strategic importance.
For example, Hedong Circuit governed Xie Lake, the largest salt-producing region in the Central Plains, and the imperial court stationed heavy troops there.
And for example, the Tongguan Circuit, to which Han City belonged, was a main artery traversing the Central Plains' heartland, connecting Xi'an and Luoyang. It was considered the most vital strategic location. The imperial court would never allow it to be seized by anyone. As long as rebels dared to contemplate Han City, powerful commanders would be dispatched to defend it.
Wang Zuogua had attacked Han City twice, both times repelled by a formidable general. That formidable general was Hong Chengchou.
The captain smiled at Lao Nanfeng and said, "General, rest assured. You've been in the Labor Reform camp these past few years, so you might not be fully aware of Gao Family Village's methods. Our approach to Han City isn't a direct assault; we'll use various means… Oh, heck, even if it were a direct assault, with Dao Xuan Tianzun intervening, it wouldn't be a problem."
Lao Nanfeng cupped his fists and remained silent.
The captain continued, "Compared to Han City, Hedong Circuit and Xie Lake, which you plan to target, will be even more challenging. Shanxi is too far away, and Dao Xuan Tianzun doesn't have time to personally come to Shanxi to help out right now. You must be extremely cautious in your actions without Dao Xuan Tianzun's divine protection. These are Dao Xuan Tianzun's exact words."