The two Old Eight Team bandits and the Gao Family Village special operations soldier exchanged blows instantly.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
In the blink of an eye they had already traded three moves.
The bandit immediately sensed something was wrong the moment their fists met.
He shouted at once, "Take the gentleman away!"
He deliberately avoided saying "strategist."
If he shouted that word, it would practically be admitting they were rebels.
Calling him "gentleman" still left room for explanation.
The other bandit quickly moved to escort Li Yan away.
Right now their greatest fear was that Liu Maopao might shout for the authorities.
If yamen runners arrived, escape would become impossible.
But then something strange happened.
Liu Maopao did not shout.
He did not call for the authorities.
He did not even raise his voice.
He simply stood there smiling calmly while watching Li Yan.
A strange feeling rose in Li Yan's heart.
At that moment the bandit threw another punch toward the special operations soldier.
The soldier twisted his body aside and avoided it.
The bandit seized the opening and swept a kick toward the soldier's waist.
Bang!
The kick landed.
But the feeling was wrong.
It felt like he had kicked something long and hard.
With a small clatter, something fell out from inside the soldier's inner clothing.
A short firearm dropped onto the ground.
The moment it landed, both Old Eight Team bandits froze.
At the same time they cried out in shock.
"That strange firearm!"
Li Yan blinked in surprise.
"Oh?"
One of the bandits exclaimed, "It's them!"
The other immediately understood.
"No wonder they didn't call the authorities. They're rebels too."
Liu Maopao laughed.
"Hey now, watch your words. How did we become rebels?"
"We are pioneers creating a new world. Reformers."
"Bullshit," the bandit cursed. "You people just like to dress things up with pretty words."
One bandit protected Li Yan while running away at full speed.
The other threw two more punches to force the special operations soldier back, then quickly turned and fled as well.
The soldier wanted to chase them.
But Liu Maopao raised a hand.
"Don't chase them."
"Put the firearm away quickly. This is Shandong, not our liberated territory. Keep a low profile."
The special operations soldier stepped back.
He whispered, "Manager Liu, those men must be important figures among Chuang's rebels. Capturing them could bring us great merit."
Liu Maopao smiled and shook his head.
"Back in Mingyue Gorge, we nearly wiped out Chuang's forces. Only a small group escaped."
"Yet they quickly raised another huge army in Shandong."
"This shows that capturing his subordinates is useless."
"To suppress the rebel bands, you must eliminate Chuang Wang himself."
"Letting those few escape does not matter."
After saying that, he looked in the direction Li Yan had fled and sighed softly.
"That man seems to genuinely want to reform the country's corrupt policies."
"If he remains among Chuang's army, perhaps the rebels will harm the common people a little less."
"I only wonder whether someone like him can survive among a group of brutal bandits."
---
East of Jinan City, Panlong Mountain.
The army of Chuang Wang, one hundred thousand strong, was currently stationed on the mountain.
No government troops dared provoke them.
In fact, many government soldiers surrendered the moment they heard the rebels approaching.
After all, most government troops were poor military households.
They also farmed land to survive.
The promise of "no taxes" held enormous appeal for them as well.
For now, loyalty toward Chuang Wang remained strong.
Morale throughout the army was high.
This made Chuang Wang very pleased.
However, that good fortune had reached its limit when the army arrived at Jinan.
The city stubbornly refused to open its gates.
The cheerful children's rhyme that had worked everywhere else,
"Open the gates and welcome Chuang Wang,"
had completely failed here.
Strategist Li Yan had infiltrated the city multiple times to investigate the situation.
But despite all his efforts, he had not discovered the reason.
Chuang Wang was growing dissatisfied.
Just then a subordinate hurried over.
"The strategist has returned."
Chuang Wang smiled.
"Bring him in quickly."
Soon Li Yan entered the tent accompanied by two Old Eight Team bandits.
He cupped his fists.
"My lord, I gained some information during this trip into the city."
Chuang Wang brightened.
"Have you found a way to break Jinan?"
Li Yan shook his head.
"I have not yet discovered a method to capture the city."
"But I have learned why Jinan refuses to surrender."
Chuang Wang frowned.
"Oh?"
Li Yan said slowly, "People from that strange firearm army have already entered Jinan."
"Their main force has not arrived yet."
"They only sent a few individuals into the city in disguise, just as I did."
Those words startled Chuang Wang.
"The firearm soldiers are here?"
For him, that was terrible news.
Li Yan continued.
"I have some matters I wish to discuss privately with you."
He then glanced at the two other strategists beside Chuang Wang.
One was Niu Jinxing, also a scholar, who had originally been introduced to the rebel army by Li Yan himself.
The other was Song Xiance, who had been brought in by Niu Jinxing.
Both were educated men.
Li Yan believed they could participate in serious discussion.
"Brother Niu, Brother Song, please join us."
Chuang Wang noticed Li Yan's serious expression and nodded.
"Very well. Let us hear what Mister Li has to say."
The four men entered a small tent and sat down.
Only then did Li Yan speak.
"Members of that strange firearm army are already in Jinan."
Chuang Wang nodded with a dark expression.
But he quickly realized something.
Li Yan had said people from the firearm army, not the firearm army itself.
That subtle difference meant the main force had not arrived yet.
Chuang Wang said grimly, "Explain."
Li Yan sighed.
"The rhyme we spread, 'When Chuang Wang arrives, no taxes will be collected,' has completely lost its effect in Jinan."
"A group of scholars even more knowledgeable than myself have appeared inside the city."
"They completely dismantled the slogan of 'no taxes.'"
Li Yan then began telling the story.
He described how he had repeatedly sneaked into the city and listened to Liu Maopao's speeches criticizing current policies.
He explained how Liu Maopao questioned the feasibility of eliminating taxes entirely.
How he argued that abolishing taxes might actually make life worse for common people.
Li Yan recounted every discussion.
Even the scuffle in the teahouse.
When he finished, his expression turned gloomy.
"After hearing his arguments, I finally realized that eliminating taxes entirely is impossible."
"The realization was a heavy blow to me."
"My earlier ideas were far too naive."
Chuang Wang blinked in confusion.
"Wasn't that rhyme just a temporary strategy?"
"I assumed you created it simply to deceive the people."
"You mean you actually intended to implement it?"
Li Yan looked stunned.
"What?"
"I never said it was just a temporary trick."
"I have never served as an official or managed real administrative affairs."
"So my thinking was rather naive."
"But at the time, I genuinely hoped that all common people could live without paying taxes."
Chuang Wang fell silent.
"…"
Across the table, Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance exchanged glances.
A strange look passed between them.
Back then, Li Yan had advised Chuang Wang to "practice benevolence and righteousness."
But Chuang Wang had interpreted it as "pretend to practice benevolence and righteousness."
Only one extra word.
Yet the meaning became completely different.
Inside the tent, the atmosphere suddenly turned rather awkward.