As the Right Chancellor of the current dynasty, Qin Siyuan handled practical matters and was virtually swamped with work. Ning Yi and the others had already noticed during their previous visits that many people were waiting in the side hall to see Qin Siyuan this afternoon, and many of them were probably officials of some rank. Now, Ning Yi was considered one of Qin Siyuan's inner circle, practically a strategist. Therefore, after discussing Wang Shanyue's matter, Qin Siyuan temporarily handed Ning Yi over to Yao Zunian, Cheng Zhouhai, and others to entertain, while he went to deal with the visiting officials outside.

Those who truly understood the manpower and intelligence that the Secret Intelligence Division devoted to the Liangshan group were actually the strategists around Qin Siyuan, while Qin Siyuan only controlled the overall direction. After he left, Cheng Zhouhai and the others took the files from the study and sat with Ning Yi, Yao Zunian, and Wenren Bu'er under the grape trellis outside the study. Only then did they begin to formally brief Ning Yi.

As for Qin Shaoyu, he couldn't interject in such formal occasions. Qin Siyuan wouldn't entrust the opportunity of the Secret Intelligence Division to that nephew just yet, so he wasn't called to accompany them.

"When Prime Minister Qin hadn't been reinstated a few years ago, the activities of the Secret Intelligence Division were only in the north, so our grasp of Song Jiang and the others wasn't sufficient. Although we are now focusing on Song Jiang, Tian Hu, and Wang Qing, we still have to rely on the army to mobilize forces. Frankly, relying on them to fight is a terrible misfortune. It's not that they can't fight at all, but there are many wrangling issues. When the time comes... Brother Ning, you need to be mentally prepared..."

Among the three, Yao Zunian was of a higher seniority, and Wenren Bu'er had been responsible for the southern affairs before, so it was Cheng Zhouhai, who seemed a bit cold when he spoke, who was in charge of the briefing. At this time, they could give Ning Yi the general intelligence about the vicinity of Liangshan Marsh, the location and number of troops stationed, the previous records of official army campaigns, and also provide several maps.

"Honestly, the most detailed information probably has to wait until Brother Ning goes to Shandong to get it from Wang Shanyue, Junior Brother Wang. What we have now can only give you a temporary concept... Prime Minister Qin should have told Brother Ning about Junior Brother Wang's situation, right?"

"Yes, it seems to be... a bit strange in temperament?"

"Heh, Brother Ning will know when you go there. He has a somewhat extreme personality... after all, his family suffered a great tragedy, but he's not difficult to get along with."

When Wang Shanyue was mentioned, the expressions on their faces were a bit complicated, not a teasing smile. This made Ning Yi temporarily overturn the idea that he was homosexual. They kept saying that he had an extreme personality but wasn't difficult to get along with. Could he be someone who looked like a cross-dresser but had a straightforward personality like Zhang Fei, cursing enemies with foul language all day long? Thinking like this, he couldn't help but find it a bit strange.

During the conversation, servants brought chilled mung bean soup. When the wind swept through the courtyard, it was quite cool under the grape trellis. Yao Zunian and Cheng Zhouhai told some anecdotes from various places, mostly revolving around the several large bandit groups nowadays. Both were knowledgeable people, and coupled with Wenren Bu'er, each topic was quite interesting. Ning Yi drank the mung bean soup and occasionally chimed in. In terms of understanding the overall situation of the world, Ning Yi couldn't compare to them, but he had some understanding when he was with Fang La, and his vision was good, so occasionally saying a few words wouldn't deviate from the point. Cheng Zhouhai and Yao Zunian already knew what he had done, and only assumed that he didn't want to go too deep too soon, which wasn't surprising.

Talking about the affairs of Liangshan, they then talked about Wang Qing and Tian Hu. Ning Yi's heart stirred, and he asked about the situation around the Lüliang Mountains. Yao Zunian shook his head.

"Not many people, but that place is very bitter. I went there in my early years. The situation is better near Yanmen Pass where there are garrisoned troops, but going to both sides is a no-man's land. The mountains are dangerous, the land is bad, the roads are difficult, and the Lüliang bandits are fierce. The people there can't survive if they're not fierce. Sometimes the Liao people come to raid the grass, and they go into the mountains. They don't just do it for food. The Liao people are brutal and fierce. Being able to find a village in the mountains and slaughter it is a sign of a warrior. Sometimes, they burn the mountains and plains during battles, and people and animals can't escape... Sometimes, we also go to raid the grass..."

"We?" Ning Yi repeated.

Yao Zunian frowned, obviously somewhat disapproving: "Yes, it's not just the Liao people who raid the grass. They come over, we go over. It's been like this since the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were lost. We don't fight big battles with each other, but plundering border residents is the norm. I couldn't stand it back then, but there's no way. The army treats this as training and raising soldiers... what kind of soldiers can be trained. But killing people and taking heads is military merit. After killing people, things and food can be robbed. As for women, needless to say... of course, most of these things are aimed at the Liao people and nomads. This can also be considered an incentive to morale, but the people in the Lüliang Mountains are basically classified into this category..."

"Oh, I see." Ning Yi nodded, probably able to imagine.

"Yes. After all, no one can control that place. There are people, but not enough things. Living from dawn to dusk, they can only take up knives and rob. Merchants on both sides take Yanmen Pass, and the border army imposes heavy taxes. Those with connections or familiar routes change to walk Lüliang. As long as they pass safely once, they get huge profits. The border army has cleared Lüliang several times, but ultimately it has no effect. Merchants walk in the mountains, and if they take the profits from the border army, the people in Lüliang will not give anyone face. If they encounter them, they will rob things and kill people. If the merchant's family members want to cry, they will only say that the official army failed to suppress the bandits. In the end, no one likes them. I heard that some big merchants secretly support the border army in conquering Lüliang. After each conquest, the army cannot be stationed for a long time. When there are fewer bandits in the mountains, it is easier for them to pass through the Lüliang area..."

"Hehe." Ning Yi laughed. The others under the grape trellis also shook their heads and smiled wryly. They didn't know if they thought Ning Yi was heartless or a person who did great things. However, the few people present had indeed done great things. Even if they disliked many things very much, they wouldn't show righteous indignation.

"So when there are not enough border herdsmen, the army goes into the mountains to find some heads to make up the numbers. There are a few... big merchants who specialize in getting rich by walking through the Lüliang Mountains. They are killed by the Lüliang bandits a lot, and they will encourage this kind of thing in the army. The heads of the people in the Lüliang Mountains can be taken to them for a share of the money. The army takes the heads and tells the court that the Liao people are invading the border, which is equivalent to... getting two shares of reward money..."

"Does the Secret Intelligence Division have anyone there?"

Yao Zunian shook his head: "We don't have enough manpower to begin with, and it's meaningless to arrange people there. They are fierce in the local area, but they don't affect the south. Instead, the news from the Secret Intelligence Division from Liao and Jin mainly goes through Lüliang instead of Yanmen Pass. The recently transmitted intelligence vaguely mentioned that a village is consolidating its power in the Tonghe Mountains and developing rapidly. They don't kill merchants, but collect materials in proportion and provide convenient access, but they haven't completely opened up the north-south roads..."

Cheng Zhouhai said: "I remember that too. They said that in the future, north-south communication will be much more convenient if we take this road. But... I'm afraid it won't last long. Once they open up the north-south passage, it will be their doom."

Yao Zunian nodded: "No one will sit idly by and let them take such a big piece of meat. In the past, they were scattered in the mountains, and their residences were uncertain. Even if the army conquered them, they always had nowhere to exert their strength. Once they grow bigger and have a foundation, they will not be able to avoid others attacking them. We will break them up. A sweep by the Liao people will also wipe them out cleanly. Although the Liao people are now overwhelmed, Tian Hu seems to have some ideas about this place... The border area is ultimately not a place for people to live in. It's difficult to have a good end in that area..."

On the chair beside the small wooden table, Ning Yi tilted his head and listened to all this with his chin propped up, seeming to have a bit of a smile. He wasn't thinking about the crisis that the two were talking about, but about Lu Hongti's matter before.

*Happy and joyful on the banks of the Fen River, gathering helter-skelter in southeastern Shanxi. Crying and weeping in the Lüliang Mountains, even death is just beyond Yanmen Pass.* This was a poem he had heard before he met Lu Hongti. He could probably understand what cruelty was like, but it was only after Yao Zunian said this that he could more accurately feel these things. In the past, Lu Hongti spoke of the Lüliang Mountains with sayings like "people don't live like people," but to her, it was somewhat understated. Perhaps for her, because she was used to it, the Lüliang Mountains weren't so "unlivable."

But after Yao Zunian talked about the entanglement of interests on their side, Ning Yi could more clearly see what it would be like over there.

At the end of the year in Hangzhou, Lu Hongti came to find him from thousands of miles away. Ning Yi could guess that Lu Hongti might want to take him back to the mountains to help. But at that time, Ning Yi knew that he couldn't leave. In fact, he didn't want to go to the Lüliang Mountains to suffer. First, he hinted lightly, and later, she really didn't mention it. Now that he thought about it, he could feel how urgent her desire was to have someone help in the mountains.

How interesting, she didn't bring it up in the end.

Although that woman survived in the most brutal environment, was her heart a little too kind and欺騙易欺騙 (easily deceived)?

Taking a small booklet and leaving is completely different from grabbing someone and bringing them up the mountain.

Of course, Ning Yi didn't need to worry about what Yao Zunian and the others were saying at this time. Interest is the starting point of all evil. Ning Yi understood this best. In his instructions to Lu Hongti, he had mentioned not to be rash. Lu Hongti's village was called Qingmu Village. When it developed to a certain extent, it would only expand horizontally. The various surrounding mountain villages should be controlled as much as possible but not incorporated into its subordinates. In this way, merchants would still be in danger when passing through the Lüliang Mountains, but within the area controlled by Lu Hongti, it would become a relatively safe transit station. After the contrast, some large merchants would only have goodwill towards this side.

In this stage, many merchants would even support the development of Qingmu Village, hoping that they could truly open up a safe road to and from Lüliang, but this goal would be postponed indefinitely. Qingmu Village collects materials, provides assistance, and develops and builds as much as possible, strengthens its strength, and perhaps takes advantage of the east wind when the Jin and Liao go to war and the Wu Dynasty also jumps around to struggle to find a way out in the cracks. Of course, that would definitely be a difficult process, even many times more difficult than he had thought before.

Ning Yi thought this way, suddenly feeling that if he had time, he should go to the Lüliang Mountains to see how that female warrior with superb martial arts was doing after returning to Lüliang...