Chapter 46: Three Strategies for the Lanjiang River Ignite Ambition

“Big Brother, are you really content to be a river bandit your whole life?” Lu Jin didn’t shy away, staring straight into the middle-aged man’s eyes.

“What do you mean?” The man was a little taken aback by the question. What does killing you have to do with whether I stay a bandit or not?

“The Emperor of Taihe has just passed, and the new emperor is frail and ill; the Empress Dowager holds the reins of power. Big Brother, you’ve roamed the Lan River for years—surely you know how many river strongholds and mountain fortresses there are here. With your wisdom, you must see this world is about to descend into chaos. When the realm is in turmoil, armies will rise everywhere. Are you truly satisfied to remain a petty chieftain, only to become a stepping stone for the heroes who will emerge?”

Lu Jin could only piece together the scattered information he’d gleaned recently to describe a world teetering on the edge of chaos—mostly because he believed the man before him was not one to settle for the status quo. Otherwise, today’s bold attack would never have happened. As for whether chaos would really come, how could Lu Jin know? He’d only just arrived.

“...” The bandit leader was completely caught off guard by these words, his eyes flashing with disbelief.

This was not an era overflowing with scholars; literacy was rare, let alone someone like Lu Jin—whether or not he made sense, he certainly sounded impressive.

“With Big Brother’s ambition, you cannot be satisfied being a mere hero of this small Lan River. One day, you’ll surely vie for supremacy across the land. True heroes all possess lofty ambitions and respect for the wise and talented. Tell me, Big Brother—have you ever heard of a hero who kidnaps and ransoms people?” Without waiting for a reply, Lu Jin pressed on with his lecture.

What he feared was not that the man had aspirations, but that he had none. As long as he did, Lu Jin would heap the grandest titles upon him, lift him high—how could any man resist the lure of vanity or ambition? Men, after all, can be simple creatures.

The chieftain was clearly thrown off; he stared blankly for a long while before speaking.

“So, you want me to let you go?” At last, the bandit leader caught the drift of Lu Jin’s words, his gaze growing sharper. But would Lu Jin admit it?

“Big Brother, that’s not what I mean. I only wish to remind you that you have a choice: to be a hero remembered by history or to remain a nameless outlaw. My life or death depends on your decision. I have no family, no ties; in these troubled times, I have no hope of surviving with my frail body. So, to me, it matters little. It’s just a pity that your heroic spirit is wasted, cooped up in this river backwater.”

Once he’d begun to conquer his fear, Lu Jin was in his element. By this point, as long as he didn’t make some grave misstep, his life shouldn’t be in danger—he hadn’t wronged them, after all; they couldn’t just kill him out of hand.

As for the bandit chief, he was utterly mystified by Lu Jin’s talk of heroes and ambition, but his inner desires were igniting like a flame. Again, in this era, what man did not dream of being a hero? Of becoming emperor?

“What’s your name?” The middle-aged man finally asked after a long pause. Lu Jin knew then he had a chance.

“So Big Brother honors talent so generously?” Lu Jin raised his arm with a flourish.

The chieftain’s face twitched visibly. With a wave of his hand, a subordinate came forward to untie Lu Jin’s ropes.

Finally free, Lu Jin felt a rare sense of physical liberation after these days of captivity.

“Let me introduce myself, Big Brother: my name is Lu Jin, courtesy name Nanqing, a native of Jiangzhou. I was the top achiever in this year’s county examination, and possess both strategy and wisdom. I had hoped to serve as an official and bring some benefit to the people, but seeing the corruption in the bureaucracy and the looming chaos, I have no desire to take the exams again. Instead, I wish to find an enlightened lord, and when the time comes, use my talents to help him vie for supremacy!”

Lu Jin spoke with conviction—whether it was true or not was hard to tell. The most important thing was to demonstrate his value. He had to mention his exam honors—otherwise, why should anyone believe in him? The more impressive the information he revealed, the more convincing he became. That was his gamble.

“I never imagined you’d be a top scholar! I underestimated you, brother...” The middle-aged man’s excitement was obvious; a stern face broke into a surprisingly warm smile, though the scar only made it look more menacing.

“Come, let’s sit in the cabin and talk.” The big man slapped Lu Jin heartily on the back, steering him inside. Lu Jin took the cue and followed willingly. It seemed his gamble had paid off.

“Might I ask Big Brother’s name?”

“I’m just a rough man—my name doesn’t sound as nice as yours. Call me Lu Wei. I come from humble beginnings, used to make a living as a boatman on the Lan River...”

“So you’re also surnamed Lu?” Lu Jin was startled—could they be from the same family?

“Haha, brother, it’s Lu, not Lu—the sound’s close. You misheard.” Lu Wei laughed.

Lu Wei’s attitude shifted quickly. Lu Jin could guess why: partly because he spoke sincerely, and partly because he was a scholar—an impressive one, at least as Lu Wei saw it. Most importantly, he didn’t look down on river bandits, and even praised his heroic spirit. Perhaps it was flattery, but to win someone over, you had to show respect; even a minimally educated man would understand that, let alone the head of a stronghold.

“Haha, for a moment, I thought we might be real brothers,” Lu Jin replied with a laugh.

“Big Brother, please don’t call yourself lowborn anymore—it pains me to hear it. As the saying goes, a hero does not ask about a man’s origins. With your bearing, how could you be considered baseborn?” Lu Jin said solemnly.

“Yes, yes, brother, I like hearing that. I only wish we’d met sooner!” Lu Wei said, moved.

“No need to say that, Big Brother. The fact that we met today is our fate.”

For a moment, the two of them acted as if they were long-lost brothers, leaving the bystanders dumbfounded.

Once they were seated in the cabin, Lu Jin suddenly remembered something, uncertain if it was risky to bring up.

“Big Brother, what about those three villains’ leaders? If you caught them, please let me take my revenge. Those scoundrels have tormented me terribly these past days.” Lu Jin spoke with vehemence.

“Oh? If I’d known, I would have left their lives for you to take. They were cut down on the spot earlier.”

Lu Jin breathed a sigh of relief—there should be no more danger. As for the lesser thugs, he wasn’t worried.

“What are your plans now, Big Brother?” He had to keep stoking the fire.

“What do you think I should do?”

“I don’t yet know your situation well enough to offer detailed advice, but I can speak to the big picture. Based on what I said earlier, I can suggest three strategies for you, which I call the ‘Three Plans of Lan River.’ Today, I offer them to you. They are: build high walls, amass grain, and delay declaring yourself king. Here’s how...”

Lu Wei listened with utmost seriousness, feeling that today was a turning point in his life. How could a simple man like him have come up with such wisdom?

As for Lu Jin, his advantage was the universality of these principles—they could be applied to any fledgling venture; in truth, it was all lofty talk, or “chicken soup for the soul.” Everyone knew it, but who could really accomplish it?

Moreover, these plans played to men’s dreams: “delay declaring yourself king.” To be king! What man doesn’t dream of that?

With these two threads, Lu Wei’s thoughts were in turmoil. The more he pondered, the more sense it made.

“You are truly a great talent, brother. I was remiss earlier... Rest assured, from now on you’ll be second-in-command here, and when we turn the world upside down, we’ll take turns on the throne!” Lu Wei said excitedly.

See? Anyone can spin grand visions. Lu Jin thought he was talking Lu Wei around, but Lu Wei was trying to win Lu Jin over, too. But Lu Jin was a traveler from another world—how could he be taken in by such platitudes? He didn’t care about the throne at all.

“You overestimate me, Big Brother. At most, I could serve as your prime minister and assist you. My fate was decided at birth—I’m not destined for such fortune, and I couldn’t bear the burden of the throne. But you, with your air of a great leader—who else but you should be emperor?” Lu Jin said earnestly. And thus, they went back and forth, offering the imperial throne to each other, though it was nothing but empty talk.

“Oh, brother, you...” Lu Wei was deeply moved. If it weren’t for this twist of fate, such a talented brother would have been wasted here!

“Big Brother, don’t decline any further—the throne is yours!” Lu Jin said with a straight face. Any more of this and he’d burst out laughing.

“Very well, I’ll take it. And rest assured, the post of prime minister is yours and yours alone!”

“Then I thank Your Majesty in advance...” Lu Jin made a mock bow.

“Oh, beloved subject, please, rise at once...”

Lu Wei was so exhilarated he felt ready to fly; it was as if he’d be crowned by tomorrow. His ambitions soared.

It seemed a farcical scene, but throughout history, how many have fallen into such dreams?