Moma Liangshan

Chapter 167 Wang Hao goes with the flow, Fang Tianding makes a bold guess

A three-hundred-pound iron plow is too heavy for even the strongest ox to pull, but it can be remelted and forged into over a hundred swords and spears. Fang Tianding immediately offered two hundred iron plows; if all were melted down and forged into swords and spears, at least twenty thousand weapons could be obtained. Wang Hao weighed his options for a long time before finally deciding to add fuel to the fire of Fang La's uprising, saying, "May I ask where Mr. Fang lives?" Fang Tianding's eyes flickered slightly, and he replied, "Qingxi County, Muzhou!" Wang Hao thought to himself, "Fang Tianding actually answered truthfully!" But then he thought, "There seems to be no point in hiding it, after all, Fang Tianding has no idea that Wang Hao knows that Fang La is about to launch an uprising!" He said, "I've heard that bandits have been rampant in Zhejiang and Jiangsu in recent years. I happen to have a batch of broadswords; may Mr. Fang be interested?" Although Fang Tianding was extremely tempted, he feigned fear and said, "Broadswords are not under the control of the imperial court, but..." "If there are too many, it might bring trouble!" Wang Hao thought to himself, "Fang Tianding is really patient; he's still putting on an act even at this point!" He said, "I am an official, not a commoner!" Fang Tianding was incredulous and said, "Young Master Wang is willing to smooth over the various checkpoints?" Wang Hao said, "I am only responsible for transporting the goods to Huxian. Then we will exchange money for goods. If anything happens to you, I will not interfere!" Traveling south by sea from Jiaozhou, one can reach Huxian directly. There are no checkpoints along the way. Huxian is adjacent to Zhejiang and Jiangsu. With Fang La's current strength, it should not be difficult for him to transport these weapons away unnoticed.

Wang Hao's offer was already very generous, and Fang Tianding feigned panic, cautiously saying, "Success comes from careful planning, and wealth is found in danger. I'm willing to take the plunge!" Wang Hao laughed loudly and said, "Great!" At that moment, Fang Tianding seemed to have become a kind-hearted person, while Wang Hao was a corrupt official and tyrant. Fang Tianding tentatively asked, "How much will it cost?" Wang Hao said, "Two pounds and eight ounces per knife, three strings of cash per knife!" At that moment, Fang Tianding wished he could throw 100,000 strings of cash in front of Wang Hao and take away more than 30,000 knives, but he could only imagine it in his mind. He said, "The price is reasonable. How does Young Master Wang intend to trade?" Wang Hao said, "Two thousand knives per month. I wonder if Mr. Fang can afford that?" For Fang La, the more weapons the better. Not to mention two thousand broadswords a month, even ten thousand a month, Fang Tianding could handle it. However, Fang Tianding still feigned panic and said, "I am willing to give it a try!" Wang Hao said, "A month later, I will send someone to transport the first batch of weapons to Huxian. At that time, Mr. Fang only needs to send someone to pick them up!" Fang Tianding replied, "I will definitely bring enough money to pick up the goods!"

Wang Hao pondered for a moment, then said, "Smuggling weapons is ultimately something that can't be done in the open. Our business dealings should be kept discreet!" Fang Tianding, not wanting to disobey Wang Hao, cautiously asked, "Please advise me, Young Master Wang?" Wang Hao said, "I want silk, the finest and strongest silk!" Fang Tianding, surprised, asked, "How much, Young Master?" Wang Hao said, "Two hundred bolts per month, the price deducted from the payment for the weapons!" Fang Tianding said, "Young Master Wang requires mid-to-high quality silk, about twenty strings of cash per bolt. Having received the benefits from the Eight Immortals Wine, I naturally cannot..." "Greedy beyond measure, two hundred bolts of silk would be three thousand strings of cash, would that be acceptable?" Wang Hao nodded and said, "Then it's a deal!" Fang Tianding valued the transaction with Wang Hao immensely and said, "Young Master Wang is very busy; it might be inconvenient for you to personally oversee the transport of weapons?" Wang Hao nodded and said, "I will send trusted men to escort them; Mr. Fang need not worry!" Fang Tianding said, "For this first transaction, just in case, could Young Master Wang leave a token to verify your identity?" Wang Hao thought this made sense, pondered for a moment, and said, "We'll cut this ceramic dish in two to use as a 'tiger tally'!"

Fang Tianding immediately exclaimed, "Excellent!" Breaking a ceramic dish is easy, but splitting it in two is quite difficult. Seeing Wang Hao struggling with the dish, Fang Jie said, "Leave this rough work of breaking a ceramic dish to me!" Wang Hao handed the thick ceramic dish to Fang Jie, who then pinched the sides of the dish with his thumbs and forefingers, applied a little force, and with a snap, the dish split in two. Wang Hao couldn't help but give a thumbs up, saying, "A true hero, possessing divine strength!" Fang Jie didn't take it to heart, saying, "A mere trifle, not worth mentioning!" Holding the two halves of the ceramic dish, looking at the clean break, Wang Hao said, "Let's use this as a token; the transaction will take place in Shanghai in a month!" He then handed one half to Fang Tianding. Fang Tianding gripped the pottery plate tightly, afraid of losing it, and said, "Thank you for your help, Young Master Wang!" Wang Hao said, "It's getting late, I should take my leave!" After Fang Tianding and the others saw Wang Hao off at the restaurant gate, Lü Shinang said, "Wang Hao seems a bit strange!" Fang Tianding nodded and said, "A three-hundred-pound iron plow is already enough to arouse suspicion, but Wang Hao not only didn't investigate further, but also offered to have me help him sell weapons, which is even more puzzling!" Lü Shinang was also full of confusion and said, "Two thousand broadswords a month, and after a year, that can equip a full twenty thousand men. Wouldn't Wang Hao have thought of that?" Fang Tianding was a little scared and said, "Could it be that Wang Hao already knows that the Holy Duke is about to start a rebellion?" Lü Shinang shook his head and said, "Wang Hao is far away in Jiaozhou, and he is just a county magistrate. Even if he has great abilities, he can't possibly extend his reach directly to Liangzhe!"

Fang Tianding suddenly had a bold guess, saying, "Wang Hao is capable and ambitious, but he is constantly being sidelined by Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, and others. The people of Jiangnan have long suffered from the Flower and Stone Tribute, which is a harsh policy created by Cai Jing. With Wang Hao's insight, it shouldn't be difficult for him to see the discontent of the people of Jiangnan. Could it be that Wang Hao deliberately allowed weapons to flow into Liangzhe, his purpose being to incite a rebellion among the people of Liangzhe, thereby forcing the emperor to punish Cai Jing, at which point Wang Hao could seize the opportunity to reap huge political benefits!" Lü Shinang pondered for a long time and said, "If that's the case, Wang Hao is far too terrifying!" Fang Jie, however, scoffed and said, "Young Master's ability to see through his conspiracy is even more impressive, isn't it?" Fang Tianding suddenly became somewhat smug and said, "Regardless of Wang Hao's motives, we dare not be negligent in our cooperation with him now!" Lü Shinang replied, "Understood!" After returning to the post station, Wang Hao wrapped half of the ceramic dish in cloth and placed it in his personal bag. After completing all matters in Quanzhou, Wang Hao boarded a boat and headed north two days later.