Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

With Chao Gai not coming, Ren Yuan's last worry disappeared.

Although he wouldn't mind fighting this Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, it would be ideal if they could avoid it.

However, after the incident in Xixi Village, Ren Yuan realized that there were several more important things he needed to do.

First, once we got up the mountain, we had to quickly establish some new rules, such as giving one-third of the grain borrowed down the mountain to the local people. Since we were supposed to be acting on behalf of Heaven, many of the bandit practices couldn't be continued, and these things had to be strictly regulated.

Secondly, a grievance meeting should be held at Liangshan. This would bring the old and new members of Liangshan closer together. Since everyone is a poor person with grievances, they would naturally be more united.

Third, we must quickly plan out the salary system for Liangshan, especially how much money each henchman will receive after leaving the mountain, how much those who don't leave will receive, how much compensation will be given to the wounded, and how much compensation will be given to those who die in battle. We must specify detailed standards for all of these.

This time we were lucky; only a few of the men who went down the mountain suffered minor injuries, sprains, and abrasions. No one was killed. But as Liangshan grows bigger and bigger, these injuries will be unavoidable. We must plan ahead.

Finally, and most importantly, we need to prepare the Liangshan navy!

A navy could not only protect the stronghold but also assist with tasks like transportation. Liangshan stronghold was located in the middle of a large lake; without a proper navy, transportation would be extremely slow, just like it is today!

Moreover, the warships varied in size... to be honest, it was quite uncomfortable to sit on them.

Fortunately, if Ren Yuan remembered correctly, the founders of the Liangshan navy, the three Ruan brothers, were from Shijie Village at the foot of Liangshan! Later, they were called by Wu Yong to help Chao Gai.

If we can get them to come up the mountain first, then Liangshan will have a powerful navy!

"Yuan Lang, after we return to the mountain, accompany me to a place this afternoon."

"Brother, do you have some new ideas again?"

Yuan Lang now felt that this chieftain brother either didn't do anything, or when he did, it would definitely be a big move.

"There are three exceptionally skilled heroes who need to be invited back."

Ren Yuan didn't keep them in suspense and spoke directly.

"If my brother has taken a liking to me, then I must have something special about me. I'm willing to go with him."

Yuan Lang didn't get enough fighting this time he went down the mountain, so he still wants to go down the mountain more often.

On the other hand, he was also itching to have a match with someone.

"Haha, Yuan Lang, if these three heroes were on land, they would definitely be no match for you, but if they were in the water, they would be in their element."

"Is my brother going to build an online army?"

Yuan Lang immediately understood that his brother was preparing to establish an online army.

Come to think of it, the current strength of Liangshan's navy is indeed not very reassuring this time they descended the mountain.

Or rather, at present, these people in Liangshan are not considered naval forces, but just ordinary fishermen.

"That's right. Our Liangshan stronghold is located in the marshland, so the importance of our navy is self-evident. These three heroes are all skilled in the water. If we can invite them to join us, then the Liangshan navy will no longer be a problem."

“Then I’ll go with my brother.”

Yuan Lang said he would definitely go to such a lively event.

"Brother, isn't it a bit unfair of you to only take Brother Yuan Lang?"

Song Wan was joking.

"After you return to the mountain, you'll have to supervise the storage of all this grain and fodder. Where will you find the time?"

Ren Yuan smiled.

"Furthermore, after returning to the mountain, each leader will receive 500 taels of silver as a resettlement allowance from Du Qian. This amount will be the same for all leaders returning to the mountain in the future." (Many people didn't understand this; the resettlement allowance is a one-time payment, received only once.)

"500 taels? Isn't that too much?"

Song Wan was startled. "My brother, you really don't know the value of firewood and rice when you're not in charge of the household!"

A leader earns 500 taels of silver. Liangshan currently has 6 leaders, so that's 3000 taels of silver.

Within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, which mountain offers such generous compensation?

"You have to give to receive; money isn't something you can save up. Besides, we're all brothers coming up the mountain together, so if I give a little more, it's all for everyone."

Ren Yuan waved his hand dismissively! It's settled then!

"Since it is my brother's wish, we should not refuse."

"However, since the stronghold has just been established, we don't need any money. Let's just leave it at the stronghold for now. I'm sure you wouldn't embezzle my settlement allowance, would you?"

Yuan Lang winked at Song Wan, then thanked Ren Yuan.

"Haha, you, you, alright, but remember to bring 1500 taels of silver this afternoon. We're going to pay our respects to those three heroes, we can't go empty-handed."

Ren Yuan could see Yuan Lang's intentions, which was to avoid putting him in a difficult position. He didn't say much, but since the rules had been set, they had to be followed. If any leader came to Liangshan in the future, they would each receive 500 taels of silver, not a penny less!

"Of course. Bring along a few bottles of Divine Intoxication, and prepare a sheep and ten chickens. Let the heroes see the hospitality of our mountain stronghold."

Song Wan also joined in the fun, though he really couldn't go in the afternoon. After all, he was very busy as the person in charge of the grain and fodder after returning to the mountain.

"By the way, Song Wan, talk to Du Qian later and ask him to give me a set of salary and compensation regulations for the brothers in the stronghold. Everyone came up the mountain to live a good life, and we can't let them work for us on an empty stomach. Also, have Zhu Gui and Zhu Fu start preparing the hotel as soon as possible, especially the business with Master Chai. We need to get it on the agenda as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, brother. I'll talk to them about it later, and they'll definitely handle this perfectly!"

……

Shijie Village.

This place is very close to Liangshan Mountain, and the villagers rely on the water for their livelihood, mainly making a living by fishing.

Normally, no outsiders come here; it's practically deserted.

Of course, it would be difficult for outsiders to find this place, because it is overgrown with reeds, and without a local to guide them, they would probably get lost.

Although it was cold at the time, the afternoon sun was just enough to dispel the chill on the water. Ren Yuan, along with Yuan Lang, prepared 1500 taels of silver, a whole sheep, ten bottles of "Immortal's Wine" liquor, and ten roast chickens, all wrapped in food boxes and red paper, which looked festive.

They boarded one of the larger boats in the village, with several local sailors leading the way, and headed straight for Shijie Village.

"What a beautiful reed marsh!"

Yuan Lang and Ren were originally playing chess, but after seeing this vast expanse of reeds, they both put down their pieces and kept praising the scenery.

“Brother, without guidance, three to five hundred people probably wouldn’t be able to find anyone in this place. The problem is that we are afraid of fire attacks.”

Before Yuan Lang ventured into the martial world, his family had some assets, and he had also studied military strategy for a few years.

“But if we use fire to attack here, the attackers probably won’t be able to escape either. If we wait until the fire goes out before attacking, the villagers will have already disappeared.”

Ren Yuan also offered his opinion, stating that the reed marshes were indeed a natural hiding place, and if the Liangshan navy were to develop in the future, it would be a natural training ground.

“Brothers, we’re almost at Shijie Lake. That’s Shijie Village’s territory, and I expect there will be some bandits there.”

The rower spoke to the two captains.

"Hahaha, have you forgotten who you are? Strictly speaking, we're also powerful figures!"

Yuan Lang laughed. Some of these sailors had indeed only recently arrived on the mountain and hadn't yet changed their mindset.

"Chief! Someone's here!"

Just then, a sharp-eyed sailor suddenly spotted a small boat drifting out from the reeds not far ahead. On board was a man dressed in a thin shirt, his strange eyes wide, who shouted at Ren Yuan and his companions:

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Upon seeing this, Ren Yuan did not hesitate, stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said loudly:

"My name is Ren Yuan. I have long heard of the delicious fish in Shijie Village, so I have come here today to buy some!"