Chapter 10, Cao Yue offers a strategy

"Do not go out, just buy it back." Li Shitou chimed in from the side

Cao Yue feigned hesitation and finally said: "My lord, I have a method, but I am unsure whether I should speak of it."

Kang Sanshi nodded. Just as Cao Yue and a few others were heading out to buy wine and meat, Zhao Sheng came over to report that Cao Yue was preparing to spend money to treat everyone to a feast of wine and meat

Gao Ying is a despicable person, yet he happens to be my superior. He takes all the credit for any achievements while shifting any responsibilities onto his subordinates. If this madman, Mattaisui, is not dealt with, I fear my own head will be the one to pay the price

Upon considering this, Kang Sanshi became intrigued by Cao Yue. It was indeed a pity that this tall man was not serving in the military. He wanted to assess whether this individual was worth cultivating, so he said: "You may rise and respond. Ma Zifang has already been personally escorted to Xi'an by Gao Shoubei, and it is likely he will not return. Moreover, you have joined my ranks; if I were to hand you over, would that not be a slap in my own face? You may rest assured in the military camp, but the matter of the bloodbath in Anle Township is truly troubling. Now that the garrison commander is absent, as the acting commander entrusted by him, I must ensure the safety of the people of Tongguan. However, the disappearance of the group led by Ma Taisui from Taiping Mountain is indeed a headache, so we can only relocate the residents of Anle Township to the county town. Yet, moving everyone to the town is not realistic; the area of Tongguan County is limited, where would they all reside? For how long? What will they eat, drink, and wear? You are from Anle Township; how do you propose to ensure its safety?"

The military pay for the Qing soldiers was not high. Since the Song Dynasty, there has been a belief in this land of China that soldiers need to receive low military pay to cultivate a sense of hunger, presumably because it is thought that if soldiers were paid well, they would become overly cautious about their lives. The pay for Qing soldiers, especially those in the Green Standard Army, was even lower. Kang Sanshi's personal guards were considered among the few with relatively "high salaries," yet according to Hao Baozi, his monthly pay was only four cash of silver, while ordinary Green Standard soldiers received even less, merely two cash of silver, and their payments were often delayed. To earn a living and support their families, Green Standard soldiers could only rely on extorting from the local populace, which is also the reason why the common people despise soldiers so intensely. As the saying goes, good men do not become soldiers; this does not imply that the profession of a soldier is undesirable, but rather that once one becomes a soldier, their own children are seen as becoming bad people.

Ran Dong gave a thumbs up and smiled, saying: "Not bad, you are composed."

Thus, the feast of wine and meat that Cao Yue invited was a source of great joy for the brothers, even Zhao Sheng, who usually remained aloof, rarely showed a smile.

Kang Sanshi let out a long sigh; killing Matiasui was not only for avenging his brother but also for self-preservation

Ran Dong explained: "Generally, when rural people see such a residence, they are often so astonished that they do not know how to react, but you are different"

Cao Yue smiled faintly upon seeing the deep courtyard. Another cleanly dressed and handsome bodyguard, Ran Dong, asked, "Brother Zhang, what do you think of this place?"

"What does it mean?" Cao Yue asked

Cao Yuejin entered and immediately performed a bow, executing a single-knee salute typical of the Qing soldiers, and said: "I apologize for disturbing your rest, my lord"

"Come in." The voice of Kang Sanshi came from within.

Then Feng Heizi immediately grinned and said, "I won't be polite anymore." He pointed at the others and teased, "Look at you all, as if you've never eaten meat in eight lifetimes. Damn it, leave some for me!"

"Brothers, I, Cao, will be back shortly." Cao Yue said with a smile while cupping his hands. The others quickly urged him to go and return soon, saying that the feast of food and wine would be dull without him

Kang Sanshi smiled wryly: "Kill Mathews? Do you think I haven't wanted to? I've wanted to kill him for over ten years, but he escapes faster than a rabbit. Moreover, his stronghold and the 'Tushushan' are located in the Phoenix Mountain and Daba Mountain area, leaving me with the will but no power."

Zhao Sheng glanced at the crowd, knowing that refusing at this moment would surely provoke their anger. He said, "Jiao Lu, Shi Tou, you two take him along. The sooner you go, the sooner you return. Recently, Tongguan has not been safe."

Everyone was enjoying their food and drink when a brother named Feng Heizi returned to announce: "Brother Cao, Lord Kang has summoned you to the study for an important matter."

Cao Yuechong nudged the donkey and said, "Captain, Brother Cao would like to treat everyone to a drink. Could you kindly grant him a favor and give him a day off?"

Cao Yue then continued, "Matriarch Ma is afraid that the adults will not dare to show themselves, but Matriarch Ma is not afraid of subordinates. After capturing Ma Zifang, I have become Matriarch Ma's greatest enemy, and he must hate me to the bone. Moreover, I have just pledged allegiance to you today and have been given an important role, so even if Matriarch Ma's subordinates have spies in the city, I believe he does not know that I have joined the military. Therefore, I have an idea: I will return to Anle Township, find a large estate, and pretend to be a bodyguard, raising a big flag with insulting words about Matriarch Ma, such as 'Stepping on Matriarch Ma, punching the bandits of southern Shaanxi,' etc. I have heard that Matriarch Ma is a person who seeks revenge for the smallest grievance and is as fiery as fire. Although he does not dare to provoke you, he will definitely seek revenge on me, a mere Cao Erlang. My lord, you can lead the army to set an ambush, and when Matriarch Ma comes looking for revenge, we can work together to capture him! Of course, what I am suggesting is merely a small trick, and you must have already thought of other methods, so I need not embarrass myself further."

"Get lost!" Feng Heizi cursed, "You are the one who needs a whip to supplement yourself. That little flirt from Cuiyue Tower said you couldn't even last a stick of incense. Is that true?"

"Go ahead, I know the way, I can manage on my own. You should eat something first, don't let those kids take everything. " Cao Yue put down the wine and meat, smiling as he handed him a piece of lamb.

With Gao Ying not present, he serves as the acting commander in charge. If a bandit attack were to occur, resulting in a massacre in Anle Township, it is likely that even General Wei would find it difficult to absolve himself of responsibility. Gao Ying would certainly seize the opportunity to impeach me and add insult to injury, leading to the removal of my position as captain. Furthermore, if he were to be ruthless and report to the court, claiming that I failed in my duties, the court might execute me to quell public outrage.

It is not a big deal for newcomers to spend their own money on wine and meat to socialize with colleagues, especially when it comes to treating others at the level of a private soldier. Kang Sanshi advised Zhao Sheng to keep an eye on him and to teach Cao Yue the rules of the military camp. Zhao Sheng then reported on the afternoon's bare-handed fight between Hao Baozi and Cao Yue, stating: "Cao Yue's martial arts are eclectic, making it hard to discern his school of thought, yet every move he makes is lethal. His master must be an old swordsman, at least someone who has been on the battlefield. My subordinates speculate that he is likely an old soldier left behind in the Northwest by Lord Zuo Zongtang."

After passing through the shadow wall of the Kang residence, the Kang family courtyard finally revealed itself to everyone. Layer upon layer of peaks, large houses connected to small houses, large courtyards surrounding small courtyards, it was a structure rarely seen in the north, resembling a Jiangnan villa. Lü Jiaolu said: "Are you stunned? This courtyard belonged to the former county magistrate. The previous magistrate served for ten years and built this courtyard. He was originally from Suzhou and brought craftsmen from Suzhou to construct it. Unexpectedly, just as the courtyard was completed, he died in office. It is said that he offended someone by lingering in Tongguan and refused to leave, hehehe..."

Kang Sanshi looked at him curiously and asked with a smile, "What ideas do you have, young man? Feel free to share them."

After expressing their gratitude, Cao Yue took the three of them for a stroll around the city, where they purchased fifty pounds of beef and lamb, along with ten jars of fine wine. Li Shitou, being quite eloquent, proved to be a valuable asset in business negotiations, helping Cao Yue save a considerable amount of money. The three also shared with Cao Yue some rules and relationships within the military camp, which he found to be immensely beneficial.

Cao Yue listened carefully and thought to himself that this was exactly what he wanted. Just a moment ago, he was worried about how to persuade Kang Sanshi to kill Mat Tai Sui, but unexpectedly, he took the initiative to ask for a solution. He cautiously replied, "In response to your Excellency, if Mat Tai Sui is killed, then all problems will no longer be problems."

Kang Sanshi stroked his beard and pondered for a while before saying, "You are thinking too simplistically. That Matiasui has been rampant in southern Shaanxi for over ten years; how could he be deceived by your trivial skills? You may leave now."

"It's quite good, the house is quite large," Cao Yue said淡淡地.

"Leopard, why are you everywhere?" Lu shouted like a donkey

"That's enough, just your words are sufficient." Lu said with a laugh.

"Pour it for him! Pour it for him!" Cao Yue shouted, and the others seized the opportunity to join in the commotion. Feng Heizi and Li Shitou engaged in a banter while drinking.

Cao Yue laughed and said: "Let's go together, let's go together, buy some more to bring back, I am still worried that there won't be enough hands."

Cao Yuedao: "Designing the capture of Matiasui"

Cao Yue secretly laughed to himself, recalling that in his previous life as a mercenary, he had visited the palaces of Arab kings, let alone this small family courtyard. After everything was arranged, Zhao Sheng led everyone back to the room. In the evening, the personal guards had little work to do and could not move about freely, so they could only gamble and play in their own quarters.

The subordinate only just learned that when he went out earlier, he encountered a fellow villager from Anle Township and discovered that Mataisu actually intended to bloodily cleanse Anle Township, which is truly despicable. Cao Yue maintained a calm expression, concealing his thoughts, as if he were completely unaware of the situation. However, he felt somewhat anxious in his heart; if Kang Sanshi agreed to the conditions proposed by Mataisu, he would undoubtedly be tied up and delivered to Mataisu. Now, his fate was entirely in Kang Sanshi's hands, and this feeling genuinely unsettled Cao Yue. He yearned to escape this sense of being controlled by others.

Once Cao Yueyi left, Kang Sanshi sat in the armchair and began to contemplate. It is not easy to be in his position; the term "eternal second" refers to someone like him, who is neither here nor there. If he mishandles a situation, all future responsibilities will ultimately fall on him.

Kang Sanshi chuckled and stroked his beard, saying: "That is true; even the God of Wealth would have to avoid me."

"If there is you, then why can't there be me? Are you looking for a fight?" Hao Baozi said, glaring.

Cao Yuexian flattered, saying: "The Matriarch of the Horse naturally does not dare to provoke your authority; upon sensing the dominance emanating from you, it fled in fear. It is not cunningness on its part, but rather cowardice."

Li Shitou angrily exclaimed: "You turtle grandson! Spreading rumors about me!"

"Heizi, I have left you a whip made of sheep's wool, specifically to help treat your illness," shouted Li Shitou

Kang Sanshi said: "Matthias is exceptionally cunning. For the past ten years, I have exhausted various methods without ever catching him off guard. How would you design a plan to capture him?"

Others immediately looked up, and Zhao Sheng glanced at Cao Yue, then at the expectant eyes of his brothers, and said calmly: "We cannot go out for drinks right now"

"Hmm, get up." Kang Sanshi observed his composed demeanor, particularly the inexplicable aura surrounding him, which piqued his interest. After a moment, Kang Sanshi said, "Cao Erlang, today the magistrate of Tongguan County received a report stating that Mataisu has come to kill, demanding the surrender of Ma Zifang and you. Are you aware of this matter?"

Cao Yue neatly arranged his braid around his neck, and Li Shitou also grinned, saying, "I am very well aware of what is good and inexpensive in Tongguan."

Cao Yue was guided along the corridor by a servant carrying a lantern, and upon arriving at the door of the study in the courtyard, he respectfully said from outside the door: "I, Cao Yue, request an audience with the esteemed commander."

Over there, Hao Huzai, who was hanging with his arms, also ran over and said: "I will go too, I will go too, I am strong and can be of help"