Chapter 2211 - Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors
To pacify Sun Dabiao alone? That wouldn't be difficult—even without Feng Haijiao. But the original plan had been to invite Feng here to discuss submitting to the Australians together. Now that Feng was coming, he would surely try to recruit Sun for Ming instead. This couldn't be kept secret; within days, word would reach Australian ears. The Hair-Clippers would lose all trust in both Sun Dabiao and himself...
How to win the Hair-Clippers' trust? Zhang Tianbo mulled it over. Suddenly his heart stirred—murderous intent kindled.
If they could seize Feng Haijiao and deliver him to the Australian magistrate, not only Sun Dabiao but Zhang himself would earn tremendous merit. Both might secure Australian posts.
At this thought, he gave a little cough and said in a low voice, "Brother Sun, Second Brother has been far too disloyal this time. He gave no thought to brotherly bonds..."
Sun Dabiao was already furious. Zhang Tianbo's goading stoked him further. He spat, "TND—this is too much! What kind of bullshit bazong—a paper hat! This fool sticks his neck out, and the Australians will deal with him first!"
"If the Australians deal with him, so be it," Zhang Tianbo said. "But we're his sworn brothers—we'll inevitably suffer as fish in the same pond. We must plan early..."
Sun Dabiao had been in the greenwood for years. He understood perfectly what Zhang Tianbo was hinting at. He had carried out his share of "black-eating-black" schemes and had no qualms about them.
Yet at this moment he couldn't bring himself to act—not out of "brotherly loyalty." Men of the jianghu might shout about honor, but when it came to money, they would sell their own parents. Slaughtering a few "brothers" was nothing.
This time was different. The reason they had "sworn brotherhood" in the first place—apart from reasonably compatible temperaments—was that they had no major conflicts of interest and were roughly equal in strength. "United, both benefit; divided, both lose." Only under such equilibrium could their alliance remain stable.
But ever since the Yonghua Yao sacked his stronghold, Sun Dabiao had been badly wounded. Even if he gave the signal and killed Feng Haijiao on the spot, Feng still had a son and a band of followers who would come seeking revenge. Sun was no match for them. Even if he mobilized all the scattered, part-time bandits, he had fewer than a hundred men—far fewer than Feng Haijiao's. And whether he could even rally those bandits was uncertain—he was nearly penniless. If it came to a fight, his own men might well take his head and present it to the Feng family for a reward.
As for the Australians, he didn't trust them either. Since ancient times, the relationship between officials and bandits had been one of mutual deception. If Feng Haijiao's men and his own clashed, he would stake his head that the Australians would sit back and watch. They might even swoop in after both sides were battered and scoop up the remains.
After much deliberation, he said, "Forget it. Though Old Feng has been disloyal, he's still our sworn brother. He may have wronged us, but we still need to leave him some face. Let's wait and see."
Zhang Tianbo was somewhat disappointed, but the latter part of Sun's words left an opening. He mulled them over and grasped Sun's thinking.
As they pondered, a lackey came to report: Feng Haijiao's party had reached the market gate; he had presented his card.
Sun Dabiao took the card—it was the same old one. That eased him slightly. He asked, "What's he wearing?"
The lackey blinked, confused. "Wearing? The same... the usual..."
"Not in official robes?"
"No, my lord. I looked closely—it's Second Master Feng's everyday clothes..."
Hearing that his "Second Brother" wasn't in official dress and wasn't putting on airs, Sun Dabiao felt a little better. He called out loudly, "Open the main gate! Tell him I'm coming out to welcome him."
Feng Haijiao had originally intended to arrive in full regalia, ceremonial entourage and all, to show off his new "official prestige" to his sworn elder brother. But just over a li from Dalang Market, Bi Xuansheng advised that since the purpose was to recruit Sun Dabiao for the anti-Hair-Clipper cause, it would be unwise to flaunt his rank.
"...Master Sun is your sworn elder brother. If you can win him over, he becomes your asset. You should act with humility—Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang's thatched hut three times..."
"Sun Dabiao is no Zhuge Liang," Feng Haijiao grumbled. But Bi Xuansheng had a point—he badly needed Sun Dabiao's cooperation.
In truth, he was already regretting his choice. Ming had not a single soldier in the Lianyang region. The only potential support came from the Yang family in Huining—and whether Secretary Bi's promises would be honored remained uncertain. All he had gained was a bazong title—no tangible benefit! And "self-levy of grain and pay" still required effort to collect.
But there was no turning back now. His proclamations, stamped with his seal, had been posted all over the county. He had declared open war on the Hair-Clippers. He would have to fight the Hair-Clipper magistrate.
The Hair-Clipper magistrate had only a few hundred men—but still a few hundred. Feng Haijiao didn't have great confidence in his own troops' fighting ability. For years, his line of work had been on the river; having his men form battle lines on land and fight with swords and spears was another matter entirely. He genuinely needed someone like Sun Dabiao—experienced in land operations—to join him.
So Bi Xuansheng didn't have to work hard to persuade him. The urge to show off had passed; he ordered the entourage put away, changed into his everyday clothes, and proceeded quietly toward Dalang Market.
"What? Feng Haijiao accepted Ming's pacification?" Wang Chuyi was startled. He set down the document in his hand.
"Yes, County Magistrate!" Zhang Tianbo said respectfully. "I was at Sun Dabiao's, in the middle of my pitch, when Feng Haijiao arrived. Only after he came in did I learn he had accepted Xiong Wencan's terms—he's now 'Left-Flank Bazong of Yangshan.'"
This was somewhat unexpected. Although greenwood outlaws' greatest dream was "murder and arson followed by pacification," Ming forces were hundreds of li away—utterly beyond reach. What could Feng gain from this pacification besides a fancy title?
"Who would have thought Feng Haijiao so foolish?" Wang Chuyi said. "And what about your sworn brother Sun Dabiao?"
"Feng Haijiao did approach him, saying he had connections to help Sun get a Ming title too. But Brother Sun said he didn't want to court death—he refused." Zhang Tianbo continued, "Feng Haijiao may have accepted Ming's pacification, but he's a fish in a pot all the same. Any clear-eyed person can see that. But I need Your Honor's guidance: do we still proceed with pacifying Feng Haijiao?"
"Let me think about it." Wang Chuyi had never truly intended to pacify them. This new variable left him momentarily uncertain. He asked, "And how does Sun Dabiao respond to our side?"
"Well..." Zhang Tianbo hesitated. "Brother Sun appreciates Your Honor's proposal. But... he says he has many mouths to feed. If he alone submits, but his men get no position and must fend for themselves, they won't accept..."
"Ha! So he wants an official post." Wang Chuyi laughed—this matched Peng Shou'an's prediction almost exactly.
"Your Honor is perceptive!" Zhang Tianbo scraped and bowed. "It's not that I'm speaking out of turn or favoring my brother—but every household has troubles! Brother Sun has over a hundred men to feed, plus their families. If he's willing to become a baojia headman, his men may not be. Please, Your Honor, show grace and arrange a way out for everyone."
"He wants pacification and positions for his men—that means a military post."
"This humble one dares not presume to say." Zhang Tianbo's head sank lower.
"Stop with the 'dares not presume.' Speak plainly: what terms is Sun Dabiao proposing?"
"Yes." In fact, Zhang Tianbo and Sun Dabiao had already agreed on the counteroffer. Sun had wanted to aim higher, but Zhang cautioned against asking too much—Wang Chuyi was only a county magistrate, not an Elder. Overreaching would only breed suspicion that he lacked sincerity.
"Sun Dabiao says: Please give him and his men formal status as official soldiers, with regular pay and provisions supplied by the county."
"Mm." Wang Chuyi was noncommittal. "Anything else?"
"Designate Dalang Market as his garrison zone, under his administration—no... no interference from the county yamen."
"That's asking for the moon."
Zhang Tianbo forced a laugh. "Dalang Market is Brother Sun's stronghold. Naturally he won't let go..."
"I know. Anything else? Out with it all at once."
"Dalang Market was sacked by the Yao a while back—looted clean. They're short on grain and cloth. He asks Your Honor to grant fifty shi of rough rice and two hundred bolts of cloth for relief. That's everything."
"That's not excessive—relief supplies ought to be provided anyway." Wang Chuyi nodded nonchalantly, his true thoughts unreadable. After a moment's thought, he said, "You may go. In a few days, I'll discuss this with you again."
Zhang Tianbo withdrew. Wang Chuyi immediately sent for Peng Shou'an and briefed him on the pacification's progress. Peng thought it over, then said, "Feng Haijiao accepting Ming's pacification may actually be a blessing. Now that Sun Dabiao is willing to submit to us, a rift has surely opened between the two. We might well contrive a 'Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors' situation."
"Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors?"
"Oh, the story goes like this..." Peng Shou'an secretly laughed at Wang Chuyi's ignorance but explained the old tale with an air of superiority. He added, "Sun Dabiao, Feng Haijiao, and Zhang Tianbo were once called the 'Three Tyrants of Yangshan.' Now Zhang Tianbo has become our man; Feng Haijiao has become Ming's bazong; only Sun Dabiao has nothing. If you were Sun Dabiao, how would you feel?"
(End of Chapter)