Reborn in Liangshan: I built the strongest lineup

"Is this true?"

Lee Ja-mi stared wide-eyed at Lee Geun-seok.

"Of course it's all true."

Lee Geun-seok patted his chest and said, "I've already brought the commander's scouts to stay at the inn in our city. If you don't believe me, you can come with me to see them now!"

"Brother, I genuinely want to serve the family, and I would never lie to you about this!"

"I know you wouldn't dare. Men, prepare the sedan chair."

Li Zimei felt it was necessary to personally investigate the methods these people used.

If what Lee Geun-seok said is true, then he does need to report to his father.

The Lee family has been at the top of the Korean aristocracy for too long; it's time to take it a step further!

“Brother Genshuo, if everything is as you say, then you have accomplished a great feat this time! I will raise your status in the family by two levels. From now on, although your branch will still be a branch, you will enjoy the same treatment as the main branch.”

Before setting off, Lee Ja-mi made grand promises to Lee Geun-suk.

"Thank you, cousin! Please come with me!"

But Lee Geun Suk falls for this. Why is he working so hard? It's all for the sake of having a higher status within the clan in the future!

Now that he had received Lee Ja-mi's promise, Lee Geun-suk was extremely pleased.

The two quickly arrived at the guesthouse of the Liangshan scouts. After Li Zimei went in, she immediately asked the scout captain who they were.

"Please forgive my intrusion, but I do not yet know which prince of the imperial court the commander-in-chief is."

"Prefect Li, the title of the Commander-in-Chief is not something we can discuss in private. You only need to know that the Commander-in-Chief's status is extremely noble."

"If the governor is truly interested in getting to know the commander-in-chief, we will report to him. When he arrives tomorrow, he will naturally come to see you."

The scout captain didn't answer the question, but he left enough room for Li Zimei to fill in the blanks herself.

The most deadly thing is a mixture of truth and deception.

Although Lee Ja-mi was one of Lee Ja-gyeom's favorite sons and had been groomed by him, he had always lived in a small place like Goryeo and had never seen much of the world, so he was easily fooled.

The two sides held a series of negotiations on the handover of Tokyo. Li Zimei said that the Marshal's arrival was too sudden and he needed to go to Kaijing to discuss it with his father.

The scout captain said he couldn't give much time, because speed was of the essence in war. The commander-in-chief was currently leading the heavenly troops to suppress those loyal to Wang Yu, and if the Li family wasn't in cahoots with Wang Yu, they'd better make a choice sooner rather than later.

In the end, Li Zimei compromised, saying that he would immediately go to Kaijing to invite his father back, and hoped to make a decision after meeting with the warlord.

The scout captain said there was no problem, and the two agreed on a time to meet. The scout then went back to find the army, and of course, Lee Geun-seok, who had acted as the matchmaker, also went back with him.

Li Zimei said there was no problem. He instructed Li Genshuo to keep the general calm and buy more time for the Li family. As long as Li Genshuo could do it, he would definitely receive better treatment in the clan in the future.

Meanwhile, Li Zimei personally went to Kaijing overnight to invite his elderly father, Li Ziqian, to return and meet with the prince.

Liangshan naturally agreed, and the scout captain quickly returned to the army, telling Ren Yuan and Xu Guanzhong everything he had gathered.

Ren Yuan and Xu Guanzhong are playing Go.

"Huh? I've become Zhao Ji's brother?"

Ren Yuan was dumbfounded. What did this have to do with anything? We don't look like that either!

At the same time, he quietly removed one of his chess pieces from the board.

“Brother, although it sounds a little uncomfortable, it’s a good thing. If the Koreans all accept that you are a prince of the Song Dynasty, then our words will have more authority and be more convincing!”

Xu Guanzhong pretended not to see Ren Yuan's little tricks. He quickly sorted through the information in his mind and then thought that it was good to be treated as a prince, which would save a lot of trouble.

"But Guanzhong, Li Ziqian is an old fox. Would he believe that I am a prince of the Song Dynasty so easily?"

Ren Yuan wasn't entirely confident he could fool everyone, especially an old guy like Li Ziqian, who sounded like a cunning old fox and was definitely more shrewd than anyone else.

“Brother, Li Ziqian hasn’t met anyone from the Zhao Song dynasty either, right? We can just pretend to be a nobleman he doesn’t know. As for proof, you are now the commander-in-chief of an army, that’s proof enough!”

"In addition, we have the waist badge made by Brother Da Jian, which can completely pass for the real thing. We just need to confirm the king's title."

"The Royal Title? What would I need that for?"

Ren Yuan expressed surprise.

“Brother, have you forgotten that your current identity is not only that of the commander-in-chief of a large army, but also Zhao Ji’s brother? You definitely need a royal title, otherwise how will we deceive that old fox Li Ziqian when he comes?”

Xu Guanzhong said that if you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. Luckily, the army still had the "Liang" character flags used by Liangshan before, otherwise...

“Brother, please bear with me for now. From now on, you are the Prince of Liang of the Great Song Dynasty—Zhao Yuan.”

As Xu Guanzhong made his move, he began to arrange the script for Ren Yuan.

"As for the Prince of Liang, he is a descendant of the Taizu lineage. For generations, he has been responsible for guarding the imperial tombs and maintaining the stability of the imperial bloodline. He is the hidden armed force of the Zhao Song Dynasty. Because the things that the Prince of Liang lineage is responsible for are quite special, they basically do not attend court, and almost no one in the court knows about them."

"However, the Prince of Liang commands an elite force that obeys only the Zhao Song imperial family. Upon hearing that Wang Yu was plotting a rebellion, the Zhao Song emperor was furious and dispatched the Prince of Liang with his valiant troops to quell the rebellion. He also promised the Prince of Liang the right to act swiftly and decisively in Goryeo!"

As Ren Yuan listened to Xu Guanzhong's words, he suddenly felt that if Xu Guanzhong hadn't been a strategist, but had been a novelist or storyteller, he could have made a fortune.

This imagination is incredible!

"Guanzhong, even if I pretend to be this non-existent Prince Liang as you say, how can I make Li Ziqian believe me?"

Ren Yuan continued asking questions as he placed his piece.

“Well… I’ve got it, brother. Since Li Ziqian wants to replace Wang Yu, it means he’s not someone who’s content to stay in the community.”

Xu Guanzhong said while stroking the chess piece:

"When dealing with this kind of person, you have to make him feel that we are better than him! Only then will he follow the rules!"

“I think that at the right time, my brother could reveal his dissatisfaction with Zhao Ji, so that Li Ziqian would feel that he has a handle on us.”

“If someone who is determined to rebel meets someone of the same kind, they will feel a sense of identification. Brother, all you need to do is make Li Ziqian believe that you are also dissatisfied with Zhao Ji and are also preparing to rebel, that’s all.”

"That way, even if that old fox doesn't completely believe our identities, he won't act rashly!"

"Snapped."

Xu Guanzhong made another move, and a large dragon had formed on the board, its momentum unstoppable!

"Li Ziqian can really brag about getting the whole Liangshan Mountain to put on such a show for him!"

"Alright, then this time I'll give the performance of King Liang a good go!"

Ren Yuan silently pushed the chessboard aside. "No way," he thought, "I really can't beat these freaks. Maybe next time I'll play Gomoku..."

"By the way, Guanzhong, how should I act out the scene with the Prince of Liang?"

"Brother, you just need to tone it down a bit..."