Moma Liangshan

Chapter 191 Summoning Gongsun Sheng, Voluntarily Letting Liangshan...

In the Wang family compound, Wang Lun was overjoyed to see his son return safely. While instructing his servants to prepare a banquet, he asked, "My son, did your trip to Fujian go smoothly?" Wang Hao replied, "Very smoothly. The Lin family head lent us twenty ships almost without hesitation!" Although Wang Lun had been a member of the Liangshan outlaws for many years, his official-mindedness remained strong. He said, "He's sensible; he knows my son's future is limitless!" Wang Hao was somewhat speechless, so he changed the subject, saying, "Today Zhu Gui reported that there have been changes at Liangshan!" Wang Lun was surprised and said, "Could it be that uninvited guests have arrived at the stronghold?" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Not exactly uninvited guests. It's just that Chao Gai, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, robbed Liang Zhongshu's birthday gifts. Now that the government is searching tightly, they want to seek refuge in the stronghold!"

Wang Hao spoke casually, and Wang Lun showed little concern, saying, "Chao Gai does have some insight, recognizing that Liangshan Marsh, with its vast expanse, is a strategically vital location!" Then, suddenly remembering something, he added, "Chao Gai has some reputation, but how could he possibly rob Liang Zhongshu's birthday tribute alone?" Last year, Wang Hao and Wang Lun mobilized all of Liangshan's manpower to rob Liang Zhongshu's birthday tribute, with the assistance of fierce generals like Lu Da, Yang Zhi, and the three Ruan brothers—things Chao Gai couldn't possibly match now. Wang Hao said, "I didn't ask about the specific methods Chao Gai used, but there were seven people involved in the robbery; Chao Gai was merely the leader!"

Wang Lun suddenly realized and asked, "Do you know who the other six are?" Wang Hao replied, "The three Ruan brothers, Wu Yong (also known as Jia Liang), Gongsun Sheng (also known as Ru Yunlong), and Liu Tang (also known as Chifa Gui)!" Wang Lun pondered for a moment and said, "That's understandable. The three Ruan brothers once served under us, so their abilities are beyond doubt. Wu Yong (also known as Jia Liang) is a scholar from outside Yuncheng County and has some wisdom. I've never heard of Gongsun Sheng (Ru Yunlong) or Liu Tang (Chifa Gui) before!"

Wang Hao smiled casually and said, "I've heard of these two. In terms of strategy, Gongsun Sheng is no less than Wu Yong, and in terms of one-on-one combat, Liu Tang is no less than any of the three Ruan brothers!" Wang Lun was somewhat surprised and said, "In that case, these seven people are stronger than I was back then!" Wang Hao was surprised that his father would admit to being inferior to others, but then he understood. Wang Lun was only saying that Chao Gai was stronger than he was back then, but how could the Wang family today be compared to Chao Gai and the other six? He asked, "What is your opinion on Chao Gai and the others joining Liangshan?" Wang Lun laughed loudly and said, "Although Liangshan is the family business I established, my son has surpassed me. I am not a conservative person and no longer care about such things!"

After careful consideration, Wang Hao said, "Chao Gai's joining Liangshan is a done deal. Since that's the case, why don't we be generous and give Liangshan to him?" Wang Lun thought for a long time and said, "Du Qian and Song Wan are purely from the outlaw world. Let them decide for themselves whether to stay or leave!" Wang Hao replied, "Alright!" Wang Lun was narrow-minded and unable to lead outsiders, but he was extremely caring and cooperative towards his son, Wang Hao!

Zhu Gui and Gongsun Sheng were summoned by Wang Hao at the same time, again at the Wang family compound. However, Wang Lun, in order to establish Wang Hao's authority, did not attend. The old Liangshan followers all held Wang Lun in some awe, a result of his accumulated prestige over many years. Wang Hao's rapid rise had further exacerbated this situation, so Zhu Gui was uneasy about this summons. However, upon entering, Zhu Gui was surprised to find only Wang Hao there, and was overjoyed. He quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, young master!" Wang Hao nodded and looked at Gongsun Sheng, who was also looking at Wang Hao. Wang Hao remained silent, waiting quietly. Gongsun Sheng was a member of the Daoist sect, and physiognomy and divination were essential skills for him. However, facing Wang Hao, a man from a later era, he saw an almost entirely different demeanor. Seeing Gongsun Sheng's hesitation, Wang Hao deliberately asked, "What brings you to Jiaozhou, sir?" Gongsun Sheng looked at Zhu Gui with surprise. Zhu Gui gave him a wink and remained silent. Gongsun Sheng immediately looked at Wang Hao and said, "I have come to apologize to you, young master!" This time it was Wang Hao's turn to be taken aback. He asked, "What crime have you committed, sir?" Gongsun Sheng was quite frank and said, "Without your permission, young master, my brothers and I rashly went to Liangshan!" Seeing Gongsun Sheng's sincere attitude, Wang Hao said directly, "Chao Baozheng and the Ruan brothers are my friends. Friends staying at Liangshan are guests, and it is I who have failed to take good care of them!"

At this moment, Zhu Gui and Gongsun Sheng's anxious hearts finally calmed down, and they said, "We dare not deceive you, young master. This time, it was because the seven of us brothers robbed Liang Zhongshu's birthday tribute. After the incident, we were forced to come to Liangshan to avoid being arrested by the government!" Wang Hao was surprisingly calm and said, "Liang Zhongshu preys on the people. It's good to teach him a lesson!" At this point, Gongsun Sheng didn't know how to answer, and could only say, "Thank you for taking us in, young master!" Wang Hao shook his head and said, "No need to thank me. I already discussed it with my father yesterday. Liangshan will be given to Chao Baozheng. As for the two leaders, Du Qian and Song Wan, their departure or stay is up to them!"

Gongsun Sheng unconsciously looked at Wang Hao again, hoping to glean some clues from his appearance. However, Wang Hao's calm demeanor and his still-unripe age made it difficult for Gongsun Sheng to arrive at a satisfactory answer. He said, "Liangshan is your property, young master. We seven brothers are only temporarily seeking refuge and dare not claim it for ourselves!" Wang Hao said, "My father and I have long since moved to Jiaozhou. Liangshan has gradually fallen into disrepair. Giving it to Chao Baozheng is a fitting tribute to a hero!" Gongsun Sheng realized that Wang Hao was not merely testing him but sincerely offering the gift, and quickly said, "Young master, your kindness is immense. We brothers have no way to repay you. If you ever need us, we will brave mountains of knives and seas of fire, even unto death!" Wang Hao said, "Sir, you are too kind. It is a small matter, not worth mentioning!"

This was a completely asymmetrical meeting; Wang Hao, with ease and humor, resolved Chao Gai and his men's immediate crisis. The friendship between Chao Gai and Wang Hao had a profound impact on the future structure of Liangshan, even splitting the fearless Liangshan heroes into two camps after Song Jiang joined with two thousand men. Having achieved his goal, Gongsun Sheng returned to Liangshan without hesitation. Meanwhile, Chao Gai, in Shijie Village, forced by increasingly frequent searches by government troops, finally went up the mountain before Gongsun Sheng could return. Du Qian and Song Wan were far inferior to Wang Lun, let alone capable of directly confronting Chao Gai.

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