Chapter 214 – Eliminate the Bandits, Either Kill or Capture (4)
Xu Ke helplessly said, “Young Master is right, but that doesn’t erase the fact that you put yourself in danger. Just because you weren’t injured doesn’t mean what you did was safe. I just hope Young Master will think twice before acting in the future and not be reckless.”
He knew a bit about Jiang Pengji, but he also understood that his young master’s temper was very headstrong—just advising her wouldn’t work at all.
But right now, should he press the issue, or wait until everything has settled down to think about it?
Heh, he didn’t even need to think to know what the outcome would be.
“I know! I know! From now on, I’ll definitely consider things carefully before doing anything, is that good enough?”
Jiang Pengji pointed her two fingers up to the sky, readily agreeing, just as long as Xu Ke didn’t keep nagging her—she’d deal with future matters later.
Her temperament was a typical case of proactively admitting wrong but stubbornly refusing to change.
“Now, let’s discuss the deployment…”
Jiang Pengji cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject, fearing that Xu Ke would latch onto her missteps; she had no defense against this motherly type of person.
Xu Ke secretly sighed, feeling ultimately powerless against Jiang Pengji.
When it was time to discuss serious matters, Xu Ke put on a serious expression. He scrutinized the layout of the bandit stronghold and came to a conclusion.
“The layout of the bandit stronghold is chaotic and disorderly; it’s clear that this is just a haphazard gathering of rabble…”
In fact, most of the bandit strongholds in the deep mountains near Hejian County were like this—disorganized and undisciplined. They relied on brute force and sheer numbers to burn, kill, and plunder, while the common people were defenseless and, unlike them, didn’t have their heads tied to their belts, making it hard for them to fight back.
Although Jiang Pengji’s small unit had only been training for a month, there were veteran soldiers brought by Meng Hunyun, and everyone had undergone initial system training, making their organizational discipline far superior to that of these bandits. Even if they hadn’t seen blood yet, their cooperation and efficiency were much higher than that of the bandits.
Jiang Pengji said, “It’s exactly because of that that we’ll target this stronghold first, let these wolf cubs see some blood, so they won’t shake when they have to chop off heads later. Xiaoyu, don’t underestimate this seemingly small Hejian County; it’s a place filled with hidden talents.”
Xu Ke focused all his thoughts on the deployment. Hearing Jiang Pengji’s words, it was clear there was another layer of meaning.
“What do you mean, Young Master…”
“Pick the softest persimmons to squeeze; the same goes for eliminating bandits, starting from the small fry. We need to use these people to gain experience, so our unit can grow quickly.” Jiang Pengji explained, relating it to leveling up in a game, “I’ve searched the nearby bandit strongholds and found more than a hundred nests, with a combined population of nearly ten thousand. With such a large threat, do you think the Hejian County Guard doesn’t want to eliminate them? It’s not that they don’t want to; they simply can’t.”
Meng Hunyun listened attentively, incredulously saying, “More than a hundred bandit strongholds? Nearly ten thousand bandits…”
Such a significant threat, and the Hejian County Guard simply allowed them to grow?
It was simply unbelievable.
Jiang Pengji pointed to the first rough cloth map and said, “Look at these peaks; they are steep and forbidding, high mountains and dense forests—this is the biggest shield for the bandits. For ordinary people, not to mention thoroughly investigating the terrain and figuring out the exact locations of the bandit strongholds, just not getting lost would be a victory. The Hejian County struggles against these bandits because of the terrain, and another issue is that the bandit strongholds maintain close communication with each other.”
In the past, Hejian had sent troops to eliminate the bandits, but by the time the soldiers arrived, the bandits had long since vacated the premises.
Not only that, but these bandits also leveraged their knowledge of the terrain to ambush the soldiers, causing heavy losses during those suppression attempts.
“They’re that arrogant?” Xu Ke examined the simple drawings on the rough cloth carefully and said, “If that’s the case, we absolutely cannot let a single bandit escape on this mission. They must either all be killed or captured. If even one escapes, it’ll be troublesome later.”
Jiang Pengji’s goal was obviously not just to eliminate one bandit stronghold; she planned to clear all the bandit strongholds.
If she accidentally let a small fry go, it could alarm the other strongholds and make it difficult to act again.
“That’s right; even a minor bandit stronghold cannot be taken lightly.” Jiang Pengji said sternly, “If we can recruit them, we can selectively absorb a portion, but we must be cautious. If they refuse to repent or have serious criminal records, then scum like that should be killed on the spot. Recruiting them wouldn’t help; keeping them would just ruin the morale.”
When Jiang Pengji uttered the words “should be killed on the spot”, both Meng Hunyun and Xu Ke felt an invisible aura of killing intent.
Xu Ke had long been aware of Jiang Pengji’s methods for expanding her unit; while he frowned slightly at her actions, he did not oppose them.
Meanwhile, Meng Hunyun felt a surge of righteous enthusiasm.
Meng Hunyun clasped his fists and praised, “Young Master’s magnanimity is admirable.”
According to contemporary thinking, these bandits were better left unapprehended, and if caught, they should be executed; why leave potential harm?
However, Jiang Pengji was willing to give them a chance to turn over a new leaf, and despite it being selective recruitment, Meng Hunyun saw it as an act of mercy.
The audience in the live stream felt their values and those of the streamer and her two subordinates were completely on different wavelengths.
【The flowers bloom slowly on the road】: I think Chief Meng Hunyun and Steward Xu Ke have completely misunderstood the streamer. This is definitely not mercy! It’s clear she’s broke but still wants manpower, so she’s just looking for trouble with these bandits! These bandits are pitiful too; they just want to live in peace, and now they’re about to face life-threatening danger and probably end up serving the streamer for the rest of their lives.
【Old Driver Alliance】: Dying for a cause isn’t scary; what’s scary is being grateful to the streamer while dying!
【Turns out I’m so cute】: Hahaha, the two of you are solid!
【Gentle Breeze】: Heh, what’s that? By the time they destroy the bandit stronghold, I bet anything found will belong to the streamer. Honestly, it’s tough being a bandit; they work hard to plunder and hoard, only to have their treasures snatched away by someone else like birds!
Jiang Pengji glanced at the barrage in the live stream and then continued to discuss deployment in a calm and flat manner.
Though they called it a discussion, it was mostly Xu Ke speaking with Meng Hunyun adding details while Jiang Pengji listened in.
This bandit elimination operation was not only a sharpening stone for the unit but also a training opportunity for Xu Ke and Meng Hunyun.
The latter had been a previously experienced officer in the Meng Clan, having led troops in battle and dealt with bandits, so he was an experienced veteran.
In contrast, Xu Ke had never gone through anything, so even though he had potential, without experience, it was just theoretical.
“…According to the map Young Master provided, the vulnerable escape points of this bandit stronghold are these three. I think we can assign three subordinates to guard the vicinity. If anyone tries to escape, they should be shot on sight with crossbows, here, here, and here. There are six bandits on lookout at the entrance; if we make a surprise attack, we must eliminate them as quickly as possible without alerting the other bandits…”
