Sixty horses preparing to set off together, that scene was quite spectacular. At least the main street of Nangong County town was immediately blocked by these fifty horses (*text says 60 then 50*). Passersby dared not compete for the road with Pang Zi and his men, hiding by the roadside to watch the street full of people. The brothers of the Escort Agency stood beside their horses. To guard against horse accidents delaying things on the way, ten people had two horses each. Everyone carried a gun on their back, brought swords, spears, and sticks, holding the reins and standing beside the horses. Perhaps sensing the master's mood, the horses were also spirited, either pawing the ground with hooves or snorting. Watching the awe-inspiring expressions of the passersby, the brothers of the Escort Agency spoke louder or spat heavily, a look of smug satisfaction.

Pang Zi came out last. Glancing at the heroic appearance of the brothers, Pang Zi was also very happy. He grabbed the saddle, stepped on the stirrup, and mounted the horse, then raised his right hand high. Pulling the reins with his left hand, the horse obediently turned a circle in place. All brothers watched Pang Zi's mighty and dashing movement. They heard Pang Zi roar, "Mount!"

With this order, fifty people mounted their horses one after another.

"Go!" Pang Zi roared again.

Like a rolling wave, Pang Zi advanced first. The riders lined up along the street spurred their horses to join the team when Pang Zi and the team behind him passed by them. The number of the marching cavalry team increased more and more, and finally, all moved. More than two hundred horse hooves struck the ground, making a rumbling sound. At this time, no one dared to block in front of this cavalry team. Pang Zi's horse team whistled out from the gate along the main road of the county town swaggeringly. The billowing dust raised didn't settle for a long time.

The salt field in Pingxiang looked no different from yesterday. Coolies rolled in muddy water covered in mud. Salt police were still supervising coolies working. Except that the flag Pang Zi planted was pulled out, everything was as usual. Seeing a large group of horses whistling over, everyone stopped the work in their hands, staring dumbfounded at Pang Zi and the others rushing over.

The horse team stopped at the place where Pang Zi planted the flag yesterday. Pang Zi glanced at the hole poked by the flagpole on the ground, shouting with a face full of anger: "Let the person in charge come out to see me."

Those salt police who dared to block in front of Pang Zi yesterday didn't dare to answer. Seeing someone running away to report from afar, Pang Zi didn't care so much. He continued to shout: "Let the person in charge come out to see me."

Jing Tingjun came very quickly this time. Seeing Pang Zi making such a big noise, Jing Tingjun walked over with a straight face. Pang Zi looked down at Jing Tingjun from a high position. He saw that although Jing Tingjun pretended to be calm, his limbs were somewhat stiff, and the muscles on his face obviously twitched a bit. This was not because of anger, but because of fear.

Suddenly, Jing Tingjun put on a smiling face, "Nephew Pang, why bother? We are all one family; is there anything we can't talk about? You insist on making it like this. Who are you showing this to?"

Pang Zi sneered: "Yo! Uncle Jing, you remember we are one family now? When will you give that money? I have so many brothers needing to eat and drink. If you feel we are one family, you should have sent us the money long ago, right?"

"But Big Nephew, you didn't say you wanted money for the medicine at that time." Jing Tingjun said loudly, trying to occupy some moral advantage.

"I said I didn't want money?" Pang Zi raised his voice and shouted immediately, "I said if it wasn't cured, I wouldn't take a penny. Jing Tinglie's boy was disappointing himself and caught syphilis. You came to my door to beg for medicine. I said five hundred taels, treat the disease first; if not cured, I won't take a penny. This is loyal enough, right?"

Pang Zi's words immediately received the approval of the Escort Agency brothers; they scolded one after another.

"Exactly! I saw Jing Tinglie's boy a few days ago. Nothing wrong at all. When something happened, you ran faster than rabbits. Now the disease is cured, you disappeared without a trace. Our Big Brother Pang is righteous; it won't do for you to bully onto Big Brother Pang's head."

"You have such a big salt field; how can you lack those few hundred taels of silver?"

"Is a human life worth only a few hundred taels? Are Jing Tinglie's family members so worthless?"

Hearing these sturdy men of the Escort Agency shouting angrily, Jing Tingjun couldn't respond. Fairly speaking, Jing Tingjun didn't think Pang Zi asking for five hundred taels of medicine money was really excessive. The problem was he was just a legal advisor. When he went back to report yesterday, Jing Tinglie asked Jing Tingjun to adopt an attitude of ignoring Pang Zi's request. Since the master had such an idea, what could Jing Tingjun do? Could he pay Pang Zi out of his own pocket?

Thinking of this, Jing Tingjun couldn't help cursing Jing Tinglie in his heart for being unrighteous. This was clearly putting him on the fire to roast. When Jing Tingbin rebelled back then, Pang Zi was a famous capable general, a master who feared neither heaven nor earth. This time Pang Zi was not in the wrong originally. Regardless of what idea Jing Tinglie had, once the trouble started, it wouldn't end well no matter what.

Sure enough, seeing Pang Zi raise his right hand, the brothers of the Escort Agency quieted down instantly.

"Uncle Jing, I only ask you to pass a word. Since Jing Tinglie refuses to pay back money, then don't blame me for being impolite. You might as well stop the business of this salt field first. Open work when these five hundred taels are gathered." After speaking, without waiting for Jing Tingjun to speak again, Pang Zi waved to the people behind, "Brothers, disperse these people!"

The brothers of the Escort Agency had been waiting for these words for a long time. Fifty people divided into two teams. One team galloped straight to the field boiling salt brine. Salt police wanted to resist; two or three muskets were raised among a dozen people, but they saw twenty-odd tough men of the Escort Agency holding firearms in their hands, black muzzles pointing straight at them. These people usually bossed coolies around and were bold enough to encompass the sky, but really encountering people stronger than themselves, their legs went soft immediately with fright.

The crowd of the Escort Agency held guns, forced the salt police into a corner, and began to confiscate the weapons in the salt police's hands. For any salt police who still didn't know what was good for them at this stage, the brothers of the Escort Agency went up and slapped them on the face first, then snatched the weapon, and gave two backhanded slaps. The beaten salt police dared not utter a sound. Other salt police dared not resist anymore and handed over their guys obediently.

Another team dismounted and went straight to the salt field. While shouting "Stop working, all get out for me," they drove all the coolies out. For these coolies, the brothers of the Escort Agency didn't make things difficult for them. They threw a string of twenty *wen* coins to each person as compensation for not being able to work. The coolies never expected Pang Zi and the others to be so righteous; one by one, they were surprised speechless. Then they heard the brothers of the Escort Agency shout: "From now on, everyone stop coming for now. When to let you come, we will tell you. If you dare to come again and let us see, we won't be so polite."

Driving away the coolies with coaxing and threats, Pang Zi drove Jing Tingjun and the salt police together, "Uncle Jing, go back and tell Uncle Jing Tinglie, I will come here every day to wait for him to send money. If he doesn't give money, this salt field doesn't need to open anymore." After speaking, he commanded the brothers of the Escort Agency to pack the boiled saltpeter and salt into sacks, put them on horsebacks, and whistled away.

Jing Tingjun looked at the backs of Pang Zi's horse team, and then looked at the empty salt field and salt boiling pots, sighing continuously. Pang Zi made it clear he would oppose to the end. Jing Tinglie was not a kind person either. Being bullied to the door, future things would absolutely not end well. But having so much saltpeter and salt robbed while he was present, he would inevitably be scolded when going back. For him, this was really an unexpected disaster.

After hearing Jing Tingjun report this matter, Jing Tinglie just snorted. He neither got angry nor annoyed. He just waved his hand, "No matter. That kid Pang Zi is not for these five hundred taels of silver at all. He has taken a fancy to the saltpeter and salt business. He would come whether money is given or not."

"Second Brother, then what do we do?" Jing Tingjun asked. Although as a legal advisor he should give advice, Jing Tinglie saying so now made it clear he had a plan long ago. Since so, he had to ask clearly first.

Jing Tinglie just smiled, "Humph, we don't need to do anything. Just spread this matter out. Now there are so many people who find Pang Zi an eyesore. What do you think they will think after knowing Pang Zi wants to intervene in the saltpeter and salt business? In addition, let's not be idle either; just report to the officials."

"Report to the officials?" Jing Tingjun was somewhat puzzled. What's the use of reporting to the officials? Pang Zi didn't come under the banner of robbing the salt field. At least nominally, Pang Zi came to collect debt; reporting to the officials was of little use.

"Not asking to find the Magistrate, but find the Beiyang Army." Jing Tinglie sneered, "The Beiyang Army and Pang Zi are old acquaintances anyway. Pang Zi is gathering crowds to rebel now; the Beiyang Army has to come out to manage it no matter what."

Jing Tingjun couldn't help gasping. This move was too ruthless. As a legal advisor, hearing the employer's words, Jing Tingjun had already arranged the charge of "robbing the salt field, intending to rebel" for Pang Zi. Beiyang Minister Yuan Shikai was promoting a new police system now, strengthening public security in Hebei. Once this charge was pinned, the Beiyang Army definitely couldn't sit idly by. Not to mention Pang Zi fought with the Beiyang Army before; using Pang Zi's head to deter lawlessness was not a bad thing either.

His employer looked like he was bullied to the door by Pang Zi now, but actually, Pang Zi was in imminent disaster.

The news that Pang Zi robbed the Pingxiang salt field and prepared to intervene in the saltpeter and salt business spread throughout Xingtai like flying. If before, such things would only become material for gossip after tea and meals. But the situation this time was completely different. In the surrounding areas centered on Nangong County, after learning this news, landlords were first stunned, then filled with public indignation.

Since Chen Tianhua started running the breeding farm and Peasant Association relying on Pang Zi's Escort Agency as military backing, landlords suddenly found their livelihood became much worse all of a sudden. Although landlords didn't rely on selling poultry and eggs to get rich, they controlled local businesses and workshops. Landlords ran businesses in all walks of life, and Pang Zi intervened in all walks of life now. Pang Zi's Escort Agency did business itself, supplying transported daily necessities to Peasant Association members at low prices. This was a devastating blow to the businesses controlled by landlords.

With the support of the Peasant Association, fewer and fewer common people relied on working for landlords as short-term laborers to make money, which directly led to landlords lacking manpower. Businesses that could barely hold on were even worse. If Pang Zi was allowed to intervene in the saltpeter and salt business again, the Escort Agency, whose power was already growing, could no longer be shaken.

For landlords, this was a life-and-death juncture. Landlords who didn't interact much usually had to start linking up. First landlords running cloth workshops, then landlords running handmade ceramics; landlords communicated more and more. By September 20, the first batch of complaints was sent into the Nangong County Yamen.

"What? Someone sued me?" Learning the news, Pang Zi was furious immediately.

In this half year, Pang Zi had smoothed the way inside the yamen and knew the news inside the yamen very clearly.

"Exactly!" The head bailiff of the county yamen answered.

"Who are they?" Pang Zi asked immediately.

"This..." The head bailiff played dumb.

Pang Zi immediately took out a few silver dollars and handed them over. The head bailiff weighed them in his hand and put them into his bosom with satisfaction. "Brother Pang, actually those suing are nothing. But I heard that inside the Canal Defense Battalion (*Yun He Fang Ying*), someone seems to want to make a move on you."

Hearing this news, Pang Zi's angry look calmed down immediately. Indeed, suing to the officials was nothing. The magistrate was his teacher, and Pang Zi doing business was not a crime either. Those landlords were really nothing special, but the Canal Defense Battalion was the real big threat. It wasn't that Pang Zi didn't know his business was big and the Defense Battalion had targeted him long ago. It was just that Pang Zi didn't want to send money to these Defense Battalions for nothing. Although there were daily bribes, it was just to be passable on the surface; actually, both sides didn't like each other at all.

Thinking of this, Pang Zi bowed deeply to the head bailiff, "Then I have to trouble Old Brother to help me check clearly who exactly in the Defense Battalion has bad intentions towards me."

"Brother Pang, it's not that I refuse to help you. As far as I know, now the Defense Battalion up and down is dissatisfied with you. If you really want to say who wants to target you, I think everyone wants to target you. So, Brother Pang, you have to be careful yourself." After speaking, the head bailiff stood up to bid farewell.

That afternoon, Pang Zi rarely shut himself in the room. The brothers of the Escort Agency never knew Pang Zi could have such patience. Usually, whenever there was nothing to do, Pang Zi would come out to drink and talk with everyone, or pull people to compete in martial arts. Pang Zi didn't like sleeping during the day. Looking in from the door, Pang Zi stood up and sat down for a while, not sleeping at all. Everyone felt strange; clever ones already vaguely felt a disturbing atmosphere.

By evening, Pang Zi finally came out of the room. He first ordered all brothers to come back first. Temporarily not accepting escort business these days. Then Pang Zi called a few confidants into the room. Closing the doors and windows, Pang Zi's first sentence was, "It won't do not to rebel."

Several brothers were startled. Life was going well; why suddenly mention rebellion?

After Pang Zi told the matter of the Defense Battalion to several confidant brothers, these few people also stopped making sounds. The Defense Battalion was the troops of the old Huai Army on the canal. When creating the Beiyang New Army, soldiers recruited were all good family sons of Hebei. The Canal Defense Battalion, as an old Huai Army unit, had actually rotted long ago. Yuan Shikai had no intention of recruiting from these dregs either.

But no matter how much the Defense Battalion was dregs, they were government troops after all. The Canal Defense Battalion was responsible for arresting canal bandits. If they really wanted to attack, once Pang Zi and the others fought with the Defense Battalion, that would really be rebellion.

Everyone could clamor about rebellion usually, but really facing the choice of whether to rebel, unexpectedly no one could give an answer immediately.

"What plans does everyone have?" Pang Zi asked with a grim expression.

Finally, Pang Tianshuo raised his head and said fiercely: "Grandma's, I finally ate meat for a few days. They want to come and hit me! Big Brother Pang, I'll follow you to rebel!"