Chapter 134: County Defender - Shen Kuo

At the border between Yangan and Yingchuan counties, there stands Ox-Head Mountain. Originally a barren hill, a band of outlaws suddenly gathered here recently. Their exact number is unknown, but judging from the preliminary intelligence gathered by government scouts, there are at least five hundred of them.

Unlike other scattered groups of bandits, the most distinct characteristic of this gang is their neat and uniform equipment. The infantry are uniformly equipped with broadswords, wooden round shields, and standard-issue spears, while a few dozen archers are armed with short bows and featherless arrows.

The levels of these bandits are slightly lower than those of the government soldiers, generally ranging between Level 25 and Level 30 (while government soldiers range from Level 28 to Level 32, which can be upgraded and are not static). Their equipment is comparable to that of the government troops. Theoretically, if the government forces of Yangan and Yingchuan counties joined forces, they would have around six hundred men. A frontal assault on the stronghold might not be easy to win, but it shouldn't result in such a disastrous defeat. The problem lies in the bandit leader, who is adept at wielding a golden staff of brow-height length and frequently unleashes inexplicable military command skills. This significantly boosts the capabilities of his subordinate bandits, routing the government troops completely.

Having suffered a bitter lesson from the formidable bandit leader, the government forces no longer dared to act rashly. The troops from Yangan and Yingchuan counties established a pincer formation within their respective jurisdictions, setting up camp thirty miles away from the foot of Ox-Head Mountain and standing in mutual confrontation.

Listening to E Teng's account, Li Zhan nodded and inquired about other aspects of the situation. After the banquet, E Teng arranged lodgings for Li Zhan's group of players and NPCs at an inn, while Zhao Ming, Zhang Feng, and the other soldiers were stationed at the military camp, with the crossbow carts and crossbow bolts properly secured. Early the next morning, led by E Teng and accompanied by Dancing Fish, Ocean Girl, and four other players, Li Zhan rode civilian horses to the temporary camp of the Yangan county government soldiers, located more than sixty miles away from E Village.

The camp was temporarily enclosed with wooden fences, and the Yangan County Commandant personally led two hundred soldiers stationed there. This force included fifty spearmen equipped with standard spears; eighty swordsmen equipped with standard iron swords and wooden shields; twenty foot archers equipped with short bows and feathered arrows; thirty light cavalrymen equipped with warhorses, high-grade iron swords, and wooden shields; eighteen mounted archers equipped with warhorses, hardwood bows, and feathered arrows; and two scouts equipped with warhorses and standard iron swords.

The government soldiers' weapons and equipment were standardized and relatively neat. The arms and armor of the cavalry and mounted archers already surpassed those of the swordsmen and foot archers in Yanhuang Village and Town. However, in terms of protective armor, they lacked even simple cotton clothing, wearing only hemp cloth garments just like the bandits. Their defense rating was a full 9 points lower than that of the soldiers from Yanhuang Village and Town (calculated as 2 points for cotton clothing plus 7 points for standard leather armor).

Since E Teng belonged to an NPC-administered village under the government's jurisdiction and maintained close ties with official authorities, the gate guards readily let the party pass. Through the announcement of the guards in front of the central command tent, the County Commandant learned that a village and town from Danyang County had sent volunteer troops to assist. Overjoyed, he immediately ordered the guards to invite everyone inside for a conversation.

Inside the central command tent, the County Commandant sat squarely in the main seat, flanked by four imposing swordsmen squad leaders. Below the main seat, on both sides, were two rows of seats occupied by over a dozen clan elders and town mayors, comprising both NPCs and players, all belonging to the jurisdiction of Yangan County.

Seeing Li Zhan and his party enter the tent, the County Commandant rose with a smile and said, "Welcome, righteous warriors, for coming from afar to assist us."

The dozen or so clan elders and town mayors also stood up, echoing his welcome. Privately, however, they were all wondering why this particular town mayor had traveled such a long distance without sparing any effort.

Li Zhan cupped his hands in greeting to everyone and, at a gesture from the County Commandant, took a seat on the latter's right-hand side, with the rest of his group taking their places in sequence.

Once seated, Li Zhan took the opportunity to observe the County Commandant before him. The impression the Commandant gave Li Zhan was one of scholarly refinement; he looked far more like a civil official, a far cry from the martial nature of a military commandant.

Taking advantage of the moment the County Commandant was greeting Dancing Fish and the others, Li Zhan whispered to E Teng beside him, asking for the Commandant's name and background.

E Teng's reply left Li Zhan greatly startled. Because of his high reputation, this County Commandant had just recently assumed office, replacing the former old county commandant (who had fallen into a deep depression and resigned due to illness after being severely reprimanded by the prefect). His name was Shen Kuo.

Shen Kuo:
A famous scientist and statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty, who also achieved prominence in medicine.

Shen Kuo (1031–1095 AD), styled Cunzhong, was a native of Qiantang, Hangzhou (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang), and a scientist and statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty. At the age of eleven, he moved south to the Wuyi Mountain and Jianyang areas in Fujian, and later lived in seclusion in the Youxi area of Fujian. He became a metropolitan scholar (Jinshi) in the eighth year of the Jiayou reign of Emperor Renzong (1063 AD). During the reign of Emperor Shenzong, he participated in Wang Anshi's reform movement. In the fifth year of the Xining reign (1072 AD), he was appointed as the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy, and the following year, he traveled to the two Zhe regions to inspect water conservancy and corvée labor. In the eighth year of Xining (1075 AD), he served as an envoy to the Liao Dynasty, refuting the Liao's territorial demands...

Shen Kuo's scientific achievements were multifaceted. He studied astronomy intensively, and the new calendar he advocated was similar to today's solar calendar. In physics, he recorded the principle of the compass and various manufacturing methods; he discovered the existence of magnetic declination more than four hundred years earlier than Europe; he explained the principle of image formation by concave mirrors; and he studied laws such as resonance. In mathematics, he created the method of marginal accumulation (the summation method for second-order arithmetic progressions) and the circle-arc method (a method for finding the chord and arc length of a circular segment given the diameter and the height of the segment). In geology, he conducted studies on the formation of alluvial plains and aqueous erosion, and was the first to coin the term for petroleum ("petroleum" / crude oil). In medicine, he recorded many effective medical prescriptions and authored several medical works. In addition, he made detailed records of the scientific developments and production technologies of his time, such as Bi Sheng's invention of movable type printing and metal smelting methods...

(Although simplified as much as possible, it still seems quite numerous...)

Amid his astonishment, Li Zhan recalled that ever since he stepped into the central command tent, the dozen or so clan elders and town mayors present had been eyeing him with suspicion. Especially the seven or eight lord players, whose gazes carried a hint of xenophobic exclusion. It seemed that besides guessing the motive behind his trip, they probably also assumed that he had come specifically to court Shen Kuo, this hero NPC, hoping to establish a connection and recruit him on the spot.

Li Zhan inwardly shook his head. Given Shen Kuo's historical fame alone, his reputation would naturally be very high, which was also the reason he was able to step into office and replace the former old commandant. The higher the disparity in reputation between a player and a hero, the harder it is to establish a connection, let alone recruit them. These lord players were truly misjudging him and wasting their suspicions.

Shen Kuo wore a genial expression. He listened as E Teng introduced Li Zhan and his party one by one. Once the introductions were complete, Shen Kuo asked Li Zhan, "Mayor Li has spared no effort traveling hundreds of miles from Danyang to Yangan. Aside from assisting this official in wiping out the bandits, is there perhaps some other hidden reason?"

Facing Shen Kuo's direct question, Li Zhan felt there was no need for deliberate concealment. He replied truthfully:
"The truth is, I wish to establish long-term commercial cooperation with E Village in your esteemed county. Hearing that Yangan County was plagued by bandit raids, I brought troops to come and see what was happening."

Shen Kuo nodded. Since Li Zhan did not specify the exact details of the commercial cooperation, Shen Kuo did not press further. Instead, he changed the subject and asked:
"In Mayor Li's view, how should this battle be fought?"

Li Zhan smiled and said, "I must apologize. As my grasp of the intelligence is still insufficient, I truly do not have any brilliant strategies. However, judging from the military equipment of both sides, launching a frontal assault on the stronghold is definitely out of the question. We should strive harder to gain the support of tribes and villages, or request reinforcements from other county cities. We must improve our reconnaissance work to keep abreast of the enemy's movements at all times. Only when we achieve an absolute superiority in troop strength should we shift from defense to offense. I imagine everyone present has already thought of this idea. However, I still have a question in my mind."

Shen Kuo said, "Please go ahead."

Li Zhan stated, "This bandit suppression campaign should be considered a quest. Since it is a quest, there ought to be some rewards, right?"

Li Zhan asked this question deliberately, aiming to shift the perspective of the lord players present. He wanted them to attribute his arrival not to any scheme to cozy up to their hero, but primarily to assisting E Village and, more importantly, pursuing these quest rewards. After all, since they would have to cooperate in wiping out bandits together in the future, getting off on the wrong foot from the very beginning was not a good omen.

Upon hearing Li Zhan's words, the expressions of the lord players relaxed slightly. Shen Kuo chuckled and said, "Rewards are naturally available, and quite generous ones at that. For the villages and tribes within our county, upon the completion of the bandit suppression, each town mayor or clan elder will gain 2 points of reputation, and taxes will be halved for three months; alternatively, the 2 points of reputation can be converted into quotas for two soldiers or complete tax exemption for half a year. As for Mayor Li, since you do not belong to a village under this county's jurisdiction, if you are willing to join this bandit suppression operation, your reward will be slightly different: 3 points of reputation."

Hearing this, Li Zhan nodded with a satisfied expression.

Subsequently, Shen Kuo discussed counter-strategies for suppressing the bandits with Li Zhan and the various clan elders and town mayors. In the end, everyone's consensus returned to Li Zhan's earlier proposition: while striving for reinforcements, they should closely monitor the bandits' movements.

Having discussed the matter without obtaining any better suggestions, Shen Kuo shook his head and announced the dismissal of the meeting, telling everyone to return to their respective territories and await orders at any time.

As soon as they stepped out of the camp gates, the lord players immediately swarmed around Li Zhan's group, chattering away:
"Mayor Li, you've really had a hard time coming all the way to our Yangan County to participate in bandit suppression."

"Listening to Old Village Chief E's introduction just now, Mayor Li turns out to be the mayor of Yanhuang Village and Town. I heard your village has battle wolves; I've always wondered if that's true?"

"I also heard that Yanhuang Village and Town produces clothing. Can Mayor Li reveal to us whether this is actually the case?"

Several other players spoke with a tone of mockery:
"Let's make it clear in advance: Shen Kuo is the hero of our Yangan County. We lord players have already reached a tacit understanding; while competing among ourselves, we will absolute never leak this secret to outsiders. Please, Mayor Li, don't reach your hands too far and meddle with the hero of our Yangan County."

"Exactly. We absolutely cannot tolerate anyone trying to poach talent right under our noses."

Li Zhan chuckled quietly, as if listening to a joke told by these lord players. A hero is like an awl in a trouser pocket; no matter how tightly you try to cover it up, outsiders will eventually see it. Nearby, Dancing Fish and the others looked furious, drawing their iron swords as if to charge forward, but Li Zhan checked them with a glance. Seeing that the atmosphere was growing tense, E Teng hurried forward and said:
"Everyone, please do not misunderstand. Mayor Li's trip is truly to assist us in Yangan County's bandit suppression. Before this, Mayor Li didn't even know that our County Commandant was Shen Kuo—(E Teng had never figured out who this Shen Kuo was, nor what a 'hero' meant)—he only found out just now after asking me. Please don't misconstrue Mayor Li's good intentions and chill a kind heart."

The NPC village chiefs also stepped forward to rebuke those few lord players. Realizing they might have genuinely misinterpreted Li Zhan's good intentions, the lord players hurriedly offered apologies to Li Zhan, and the incident was temporarily smoothed over.

After Li Zhan's party rode away, the lord players retreated back into the military camp, racking their brains for ways to approach Shen Kuo, hoping that even just speaking a few extra words might help them establish a connection. Li Zhan smiled inwardly; although heroes tend to be more amicable toward lord players, truly forging a bond requires specific triggers. Just like Sun Yang staying in his village because of Red Hare; without Red Hare, no matter how hard he tried to persuade him, Sun Yang would never have been moved.

Having ridden a distance away, leaving the government camp far behind, Li Zhan reined in his horse, turned around, and looked back in the direction of Ox-Head Mountain.

Regarding the bandit suppression, he was currently more anxious than Shen Kuo and the lords of Yangan. The reason lay in his "Rescue the Seven Sisters" quest, which came with a fifteen-day time limit. If the outlaws weren't crushed within fifteen days, the system would count the quest as failed, deducting 3 points of reputation. Since entering the game, he had only accumulated a total of 8 points of reputation; he couldn't afford such extravagant losses.

Looking back once more, Li Zhan instructed E Teng to return to the village first, while he himself took Dancing Fish and the six other players and headed toward Ox-Head Mountain.

He intended to seize this opportunity to scout out the situation around Ox-Head Mountain firsthand.