Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Master, things have come to this point, there's no point in saying more. Let's make preparations quickly to prevent an attack from Liangshan."

"As for Third Brother, let him atone for his crimes by performing meritorious service. After we defeat Liangshan, Master will punish him."

Seeing his master's attitude towards his third brother, Zeng Sheng knew that pleading was useless, but at this moment, his intelligence came into play.

Liangshan is a powerful force, and Third Brother is a fierce general. Master, you should think this through carefully!

“Yes, Master, given the current situation, peace talks are probably unlikely, but we can prepare for two possibilities. If Liangshan comes, we can shift the blame to other surrounding strongholds to buy time. At the same time, all our strongholds should remain on alert starting today to prevent Liangshan from attacking us without any martial ethics.”

Zeng Tu also quickly came up with a solution.

"If you were all like the eldest brother and Xiao Wu, I would have a much easier time."

Shi Wengong looked at his youngest apprentice. This apprentice was quite reliable. Although he was the youngest, he had the best talent.

Zengtou City, under the tutelage of Shi Wengong and Su Ding, was indeed a formidable local overlord.

All five children of the Zeng family, under the tutelage of these two individuals, possessed the skill level of first-rate martial arts generals! They were known to the outside world as the "Five Tigers of the Zeng Family!"

Who are these five tigers?

The eldest brother, Zeng Tu, was seven feet tall with a slightly ruddy complexion. He was highly skilled, quick-witted, and had grown up in the northern border region with Zeng Nong since childhood. Therefore, he was particularly hardworking and was Zeng Nong's most valued child.

When Shi Wengong taught him martial arts, he practiced diligently in the coldest and hottest winters and summers. He was the most hardworking student and also received the true teachings of Shi Wengong's spear technique. Therefore, he is currently the most capable fighter in the Zeng family, with first-class and top-level martial arts skills.

The second brother, Zeng Mi, was eight feet tall, with a dark face and long beard. He was impulsive and unlike his elder brother, he couldn't endure hardship and often slacked off in his training. However, this fellow was born with immense strength and wielded a goose-feather saber weighing over fifty pounds. He possessed the skill of a first-rate martial general.

The third brother, Zeng Suo, was the one who caused this trouble. He was arrogant, self-righteous, and a notorious troublemaker. He immediately wielded a three-pronged fork, and his martial arts skills were at a first-rate beginner level.

The fourth brother, Zeng Kui, had a slightly yellowish complexion and was eight feet tall. He loved martial arts and reciting poetry, and was the only person in Zengtou City who was proficient in both. Zeng Kui had the best relationship with his eldest brother, Zeng Tu, and respected him the most. Therefore, he also wielded a steel spear and possessed a first-class mid-level skill.

Finally, there's the fifth brother, Zeng Sheng, with a fair complexion, no beard, and a height of nine feet. He's exceptionally intelligent and skilled in both horseback and foot throwing knives! He's currently at a mid-level first-class skill level.

Shi Wengong had the highest expectations for Zeng Sheng. He said more than once that if Zeng Sheng were given enough time, he would definitely not be worse than his elder brother Zeng Tu, and might even surpass Zeng Tu.

The Zeng family had five first-rate military generals, which is no exaggeration to call them the Five Tigers. Moreover, they had two masters, Shi Wengong and Su Ding, as their teachers, as well as ample money, food and troops. It is not surprising that they were able to establish their own independent regime.

"Brother, why should we be afraid of Liangshan? We're all one family, why should we lose to them?"

Zeng Suo was severely criticized today, but he was still somewhat unconvinced.

"If they come, I'll be the vanguard! Let me wipe out their advance!"

"You went and wiped them out? You're just going to your death!"

Shi Wengong's expression, which had just calmed down a bit, became agitated again.

He kicked Zeng Suo to the ground:

Do you know how many leaders Liangshan has? Do you know how many capable soldiers they have?

"Do you think Ren Yuan was just lucky to have transformed from a small village into the number one bandit stronghold in the Song Dynasty in less than three years?!"

"Master, you are a top-notch expert! How can you be so afraid of Liangshan? Where is your face? How can you be so cowardly?"

Zeng Suo stubbornly retorted.

"Alright, alright, you're amazing. If Liangshan comes this time, you'll lead the charge!"

"I'll go! I guarantee I'll capture a few of the Liangshan leaders!"

Zeng Suo got up from the ground, patted his chest with great gusto, and then turned and ran away! He didn't even notice that Shi Wengong's face had become even more unsightly.

"Master, I'm going to check on Third Brother."

Zeng Mi, the second brother, thought to himself, "Fine, I'd better go along. This third brother is reckless and doesn't think things through. If I let him do it on his own, who knows what kind of trouble he might cause."

"Boss, how many people are available in Zengtou City right now?"

The troublemaker had run away. Shi Wengong picked up a teacup again, poured himself a cup of tea, drank it, and took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"Currently, there are five villages, each with more than 3,000 people, totaling more than 15,000, including 4,000 cavalry."

Zeng Tu truly lived up to his reputation as Zeng Nong's most valued son; he had the entire situation of Zengtou City in his mind.

"Alright, send out more scouts to find out the situation at Liangshan. Also, have all the soldiers prepare themselves. This time, things won't be so easy to understand."

Shi Wengong silently calculated in his mind how many troops Liangshan would send, and then calculated the current strength of Zengtou City. He concluded that it was alright, they should be able to hold the line.

"Fourth brother, go and prepare letters for the surrounding prefectures and counties, saying that the Liangshan bandits will attack soon and requesting assistance from the surrounding prefectures and counties, especially Dengzhou, Qingzhou, and Lingzhou. Tell them that the Liangshan headquarters may be short of troops and that they can send troops to suppress the bandits at any time."

"Understood, I'll go right away!"

Zeng Kui nodded. He understood his master's meaning: to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao. If the imperial army was willing to come out together, then Zengtou City might be able to make Liangshan suffer a great loss this time!

"Liangshan... what a hassle!"

Shi Wengong was very uncomfortable because he had been working in Zengtou City for so many years, hoping to one day make a name for himself!

Zeng Nong had told him that the Jurchens were preparing to establish a state, supposedly called the Great Jin. He said that when that happened, Zengtou City would be able to return to the Jin state as a whole and be granted official positions based on their many years of merit!

Shi Wengong had calculated that if the 10,000 to 20,000 troops from Zengtou City returned to the Jin Dynasty, they would definitely need a general!

But if he were to clash head-on with Liangshan and lose all his resources, it wouldn't be good for his future career plans!

That's why he was so angry about Zeng Suo's behavior this time.

If Zengtou City is destroyed, all his hard work over the years will be for naught. Even if he returns to the Jin Kingdom, he will only be a nobody.

This is not what Shi Wengong wanted. Deep down, he was also someone who wanted to make a name for himself. Moreover, he was ambitious and capable, otherwise he wouldn't have been doing those things since he was a child.

"Since things have come to this, let's just leave it at that!"

Shi Wengong's eyes hardened.

No one can stop his path to wealth and power—not Master Zhou, not Master Chen, and certainly not Liangshan!