After Zhou Jinbao's detailed explanation, Zhou Wen learned that after the Independent Brigade was stationed in Wushan Town, considering the need to create a safe surrounding environment for the military camp, and also intending to establish prestige to all local forces, it was determined to send troops to annihilate Wushan. There is the notorious and vicious Yihu Gang.
Zhao Huaili was also considered a man who knew how to use troops. He was always cautious in using troops and did not rush into action just because he had strong soldiers and horses. Instead, Zhou Jinbao was asked to inquire about the misdeeds of the Yihu Gang bandits in Wushan and all aspects of intelligence while dealing with the local administration and purchasing military supplies.
As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you be victorious in every battle. Zhao Huaili must first understand the enemy and then decide on a good strategy.
This inquiry revealed some strange things from various official and private rumors.
The Jiujiang Administrative Office and Hukou County Government reported how the Yihu Gang committed crimes are somewhat far-fetched. Not only were there insufficient witnesses and physical evidence in the cases, but there seemed to be some traces of deliberate frame-up.
And the folk rumors are even more complicated. Some of them follow the official public opinion and describe the Yihu Gang as heinous bandits. However, there is no specific example of what kind of murder and smuggling the Yihu Gang has done. .
Others describe the Yihu Gang as a group of heroes who kill the rich and give to the poor. Not only do they never bully ordinary fishermen, they sometimes give the looted materials to the poor villagers around Wushan.
But no matter whether the reputation of the Yihu Gang is evil or good, you are still a bandit anyway, and it is natural for officers and soldiers to suppress bandits. Zhao Huaili decided to send troops into the mountains to wipe out the banditry.
However, Wushan Mountain is steep and has dense vegetation. Without someone familiar to lead the way, it is not an easy task even if thousands of soldiers and horses go in to search for an armed group of one to two hundred bandits. What's more, the independent brigade's primary task is to protect the security of Jinling. It is impossible to send the entire brigade into the mountains to suppress bandits, and can only send a small number of troops.
In this case, local people’s guidance and cooperation are needed.
Zhao Huaili from Hukou County didn't dare to use it, and he didn't quite believe their lies. And Pingbotang is even more notorious. If the Independence Brigade had not had military orders not to interfere in local government affairs, they would have sent troops to eradicate this local bully long ago.
After much deliberation, Zhao Huaili asked Zhou Jinbao to find Datong Company, which had done business with the Independent Brigade many times. They thought that such a large business with a wide range of business must have its own relationship channels in Hukou County, and it would not be difficult to find a few leading parties.
Little did he know that Zhou Jinbao's words almost frightened Mu Tiande, who came to receive him in person, to the point where three souls came out of his body and seven souls started to smoke.
After much deliberation, Mu Tiande knew that he had no way out. Not to mention that the Yihu Gang, which has been supported and strengthened with great difficulty, is about to face disaster in an instant. Even his son Mu Yutang, who has been promoted to the fourth position in the Yihu Gang, will not be spared.
In his opinion, although the Yihu Gang has now grown to nearly 300 people, it is not at any disadvantage against Pingbotang. But Shangguan Jun's hope of survival was slim.
After having several business dealings and delivering goods to the military camp, he had a general idea of what kind of army the Independence Brigade was. Not to mention those thousands of ferocious officers and soldiers, as long as those cannons fire and fire, it doesn't matter how famous you are in the world, no matter how steep and strong your mountain stronghold is, everything will matter. It's Hui Hui, no one can resist it.
Moreover, the Yihu Gang cannot run away. If they really run away from Wushan, as long as the Independent Brigade is still stationed at Hukou, Zhao Qinghu and the others will never think of coming back. They will really become rogue bandits without any foundation. What else is there to talk about? Revenge, let alone becoming a helping hand that Chase & Co. can rely on.
And if you tip off the Yihu Gang and let the Yihu Gang run away, do you really think that the Independent Brigade is a good man and a woman who dare not attack your Datong Company?
After thinking about it, Mu Tiande didn't know whether his original strategy of cooperating with Zhao Qinghu was a self-inflicted trap, and he had trapped himself in it.
Mu Tiande was forced to do nothing, so he simply broke out and revealed his relationship with the Yihu Gang.
In fact, he was also betting that this independent brigade was not the kind of person who liked to meddle in other people's business, and was not willing to get involved in the intricate and complicated local grievances and grievances.
I have to say that Mu Tiande made the right bet once again.
Think about it, if Zhao Huaili really wanted to get serious with this Datong company, it would be impossible to send troops directly into Jiujiang to arrest him everywhere. The situation can only be reported to Nanjing, and then Nanjing will make a decision. You might even be reprimanded by your boss for meddling in other people's business. It can be said that if you find something to do for yourself when you have nothing to do, you may not necessarily end up well.
And after learning about the feud between the Yihu Gang and Pingbotang, Zhao Huaili didn't want to make a wedding dress for a wealthy bully like Pingbotang in vain. As long as this person has a slight sense of justice, he will tend to sympathize with and support the Yihu Gang, and Zhao Huaili is no exception.
In his opinion, I was only forced by the strict order not to interfere in local government affairs, so I didn't come to trouble you for your stupid Pingbo Hall.
If he insists on destroying the Yihu Gang now, wouldn't he be doing Pingbotang a big favor? Zhao Huaili would not do this kind of thing of aiding the tyrants.
So the independent brigade to suppress the bandits was cancelled, and Zhou Jinbao returned it, but Mu Tiande, who saw the opportunity, gave him a big gift and begged hard, so he had no choice but to agree to meet Zhao Qinghu on a secret occasion.
Originally, Zhou Jinbao just wanted to go through the motions. At the same time, he also thought that if there was a need for war in the future, he could also find some local snakes to help lead the way. But after meeting Zhao Qinghu, I was moved by his sincerity and magnanimity. Moreover, this person also has a temperament that makes people easy to like, and he has a certain magnanimity in both his conversation and behavior.
You know, Zhao Qinghu's temperament has a vague feeling of déjà vu in Zhou Jinbao's memory. When he thought about it carefully, he found that he was somewhat similar to Zhou Wen when he was in Dawangzhuang.
Although he is still not as confident and calm as Zhou Wen, and he is a few years older than the original Zhou Wen, he is still in his twenties after all. At such a young age, he has a bit of Zhou Wen's temperament, which shows that he must be outstanding in his own way.
You know, Zhou Wen has long been a monster in Zhou Jinbao's heart who cannot be saved by ordinary people.
So Zhou Jinbao started to recruit Zhao Qinghu.
He thought that if he could recruit such people under his command, it would be a great help to the Independent Brigade and Zhou Jinbao himself.
After he came back and reported to Zhao Huaili, Zhao Huaili also became interested in this Jiangdong tiger head.
