Chapter 158: Malice

As Shen Lian and Sang Luo were discussing his departure to check for messages from Xu Zhanggui, a band of ragged soldiers was desperately fleeing towards Qiyang County.

In a four-section mansion donated by a wealthy family in Qiyang County, the leader of these ragged soldiers was brought into a temporary command post where the city's commanding officer resided.

The atmosphere was extremely tense at night, as the guide and the bedraggled, wounded men behind him dared not even breathe loudly.

……

A loud crash of broken porcelain resounded in the study. The young general surnamed Chen had a livid expression, his gaze dark and fierce as he stared at the kneeling subordinate, “Say it again. Where are the grains and supplies?”

The man, not daring to raise his head and with half of his helmet tassel sheared off, trembled with his voice, “Ambushed, ambushed on the way by bandits.”

"How did you manage to come back alive?"

"Useless!" Accompanied by this scornful remark, another thud sounded as the kneeling person was kicked to the ground, yet he dared not utter a sound.

"Someone bring 500 elite soldiers with me to leave the city!"

The night in Qiyang County was tumultuous; a large number of soldiers with torches hurried out, only to return frustrated and empty-handed after a while.

In the back courtyard of the county government office, Magistrate Wei received a message from the city gate guards, his expression extremely grim.

"Before the soldiers move, provisions lead the way. How could the provisions be hijacked afterwards?"

He then thought of the urgent government directive and couldn't continue, realizing it wasn’t just his county; the massive emergency deployment meant there was simply no time for preparation.

Contemplating the two granaries of the county office and about to summon the county magistrate for discussion, he was interrupted by a swift approach from the doorman, who whispered, "General Chen has arrived."

Magistrate Wei gritted his teeth, understanding that his location was indeed targeted.

Though his face twitched with anger, he had no choice but to put on a forced smile and go out to meet him.

……

What the two key officials of the county discussed in the dead of night, who conceded to whom, remained unknown to all.

The next morning, as dawn barely broke, the wealthy area of Qiyang County became unusually lively. General Chen, clad in armor and leading a guard unit, visited each affluent family one by one to gather grain.

The house where Shopkeeper Xu lived was small, but well-located in this area. Hearing the commotion outside, he went to check and ended up observing for over an hour.

The military was seeking contributions of grain from the wealthy families.

Those who willingly donated a satisfactory amount to the garrison commander were treated amiably, welcomed with smiles as they entered and left. Of course, the accompanying soldiers carried out considerable amounts of grain.

For those who were uncooperative, either through excuses or meager donations, apologies were in order. Not only were their houses thoroughly searched, but even walls and floors were checked, revealing hidden compartments and cellars, resulting in even larger quantities of grain being confiscated.

For those whose primary residences yielded nothing, their other properties were also targeted by soldiers. The usually prosperous families now looked ashen-faced, some wailing despairingly, others collapsing in shock.

The soldiers paid no mind to these reactions.

Xu Zhanggui, upon hearing that walls and floors were scrutinized, remembered the tunnel his eldest son and Xu Shu began digging just last night, breaking into a cold sweat.

Fortunately, their searches focused mainly on the larger households, sparing the less fortunate, modest homes from scrutiny.

Back at home, Xu Zhanggui found his morning meal already prepared by Wei Lingzhen, warming on the stove, which she served upon his return.

A bowl of plain porridge, truly plain. It had been many years since Xu Zhanggui, let alone Wei Lingzhen - who had been well-cared for even as a chief maid - had experienced such humble meals.

Grasping his wife's hand, he said, "Sorry for making you suffer with me."

"What are you talking about? In times like these, it's nobody's fault. Compared to those in the makeshift shelters outside, we're already far better off. You've done very well," she reassured him.

With arrangements for his mother-in-law, children, brother-in-law, and nephews, several trips to transport grain outside the city, ample stockpiling in Shexian, and the hidden stores outside the city, they were already doing far better than most, especially in a time when grain shops were hoarding supplies.

As a steward, he had already invested his life's savings into their survival, leaving little behind in the city, not to mention what was spent on the newly purchased house for the escape tunnel.

It was all for survival.

Finishing his porridge, Xu Zhanggui finally informed Wei Lingzhen of the external happenings.

He detailed the situation: "The military's grain confiscation has reached the affluent families. The county granary is likely under their control now. With over a thousand soldiers needing sustenance, the newly arrived villagers will struggle. Despite Wei Zhixian's passivity, desperate refugees may force him to exploit the wealthy. The military has already pillaged their grain; the commander seems ruthless, indifferent to civilian welfare. With fifteen hundred soldiers, any upheaval will be suppressed. Chaos may ensue faster than I anticipated."

Wei Lingzhen's hands trembled at the thought of the impending chaos. The destitute villagers wouldn't dare confront the armed forces, leaving ordinary households vulnerable to unrest.

She was somewhat panicked: "Can we really get out of here?"

Shopkeeper Xu nodded, "Yes, I'll go over tonight to help out, bringing the grain with me. You and Wen Hong will come with me."

With the current situation in the county, he couldn't be at ease without his wife and child under his watchful eye.

No matter what, he had to get his wife and child out of Qiyang County before the chaos escalated.

……

In Yungu Valley, Sang Luo prepared some dry food for Shen Lian to take along. Besides Shen Lian and Chen Da Shan, Wei Qing He, who had volunteered, was also joining them.

Wei Qing He, reluctant to venture out for hunting, had heard about Shen Lian and Chen Da Shan's plan to visit the cave where they exchanged messages with his brother-in-law and asked to join them.

The reason being his parents, sister, brother-in-law, and two nephews were all still outside, and everyone in the family was worried. As Shen Lian and Chen Da Shan were illiterate, Wei Qing He volunteered to come along: "If my brother-in-law has left a message, you won't need to make the trip back and forth to read it."

This was why Shen Lian and Chen Da Shan were willing to bring Wei Qing He along.

Sang Luo made a book for Shen Lian, which he cherished since receiving it, spending more time reading and practicing writing each day. Sang Luo mostly stayed in the cave, often guiding him, and Shen Lian, not being slow to learn, was making good progress.

But the time was too short. Half a month of literacy was not enough for Shen Lian to understand a letter on his own.

News of their departure spread among all the families, each coming to bid them farewell.

Life in the valley was good, yet everyone harbored concerns about the outside world. Those with relatives worried about their kin, while others yearned for their inaccessible homes.

Lu Erlang and Shi Dala asked if they should accompany them, but Shen Lian declined, saying, “Uncle Lu, Uncle Shi, please stay in the valley. Guard the mid-slope area daily. Until we return, no one should leave the valley. I’ll place some not-too-large stones to cover the entrance. It's mainly to prevent outsiders from entering, but you can push them aside from inside if needed.”

Zhou Cunzheng listened carefully, asking, “Will this trip take long?”

Shen Lian shook his head: “Uncertain. Normally, it's a round trip of about ten days. But with more refugees in the mountains now, we’ll take detours to avoid trouble. It’s not as easy as before. Also, judging from Xu Zhanggui's last letter, the refugees moving south from the north may be near, so we can’t predict the time accurately. If we're late, don’t worry. Chen Dashan and I have been living this way for years and can handle situations that arise.”

He glanced at Sang Luo as he mentioned this.

Sang Luo nodded in understanding.

This time, Old Madam Xu sent another letter with Shen Lian, penned by Xu Wenbo. It was brief, advising that if chaos erupted, they shouldn’t cling to Dong Fu Lou; nothing is more important than human life. They should return to Huizhou early to reunite with their wife and children.

After leaving Yungu Valley and disguising the entrance at the midpoint of the mountain, Shen Lian and his companions set off on their journey.

……

In Qi Yang County, the confiscation from wealthy households continued, while less than ten miles outside, a nearly thousand-strong troop, laden with grain and supplies, advanced towards Qi Yang County.

In every village they passed, they searched thoroughly. One bearded man, after searching, spat and cursed: “Those dog officials from the court have cleared every village! Not only have the people left, but not a single item was left for us! Even the wealthy have fled.”

Another laughed, “Maybe they're afraid the people will join us. No worries, they’re just hiding in the county. Let's storm the county; it saves us from searching every village. Right, Third Leader?”

The one called Third Leader, riding a freshly commandeered horse, replied, “What’s the hurry? The army's food will feed us for a long time. Let them stay in the county. With everyone there, we'll just surround the front and back gates. When the Chief and Second Leader arrive with more men this afternoon, they won't escape. Easier for us to capture.”

Laughing, he added, “After this job, we shouldn’t hurry away. Yesterday’s interrogation revealed 1500 stationed troops here. We'll take their armor and weapons. After killing the officials and plundering the wealthy, we could control the nearby counties. Maybe our Chief could even declare himself king, and we’d be his generals or lords!”

This comment amused the others, including the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Leaders. One of them, rubbing his hands and chuckling, said, “We must act fast in the city. I don’t care about you, but I'm heading straight for the wealthy households. Unlike last time, we were too slow, and all those tender, fair-skinned women hanged themselves. So frustrating.”

Swallowing hard, he continued, “I’ve never had my hands on such quality before.”

Another scoffed, “You were just a grave digger. Marrying a wife was already lucky. How could you expect to touch high-quality women? Those born delicate and pretty, either from good families or rare beauties in poor ones, are taken by wealthy masters by their teens. We never stood a chance.”

The grave digger laughed, “That’s why overturning this dog government feels so good. Who dared dream of such days before?”

Turning to the troops, he yelled, “Brothers, don’t you agree?”

Those nearby, hearing clearly, laughed and agreed, many recently joined.

Those further back, unaware of the joke, asked what was so funny. Learning of the discussion, they chuckled heartily, reminiscing about how pleasurable and thrilling their previous plunder in another county had been.

Observing these people, all bore weathered faces and calloused hands. Just a month or even a few weeks ago, many were desolate farmers, despairingly scavenging for food in their fields.

Who could reconcile their past and present visages? If acquaintances witnessed this transformation, who would dare believe they were the same individuals?

Indulging in atrocities, these rebels, their minds corrupted, eagerly anticipated the final spoils of each conquest.

Urges for evil had to be vented. Despite originating from hardship themselves, once wielding the butcher's knife, they remorselessly inflicted their past fears and torments tenfold on others still mired in suffering.

……

On the afternoon of early May, the most desperate group, left with only a handful of beans and immature vegetables dug from their fields, gathered in droves at the county office, pleading for relief grain.

Among them were many from Shi Li Village, including those genuinely in dire straits and others slightly better off, like the Wang family, who had recently sold their daughter and had a bag of beans.

Who wouldn't want relief grain?

As soon as a few began, no one wanted to be left behind. Thus, most villagers crowded towards the county office, clogging nearby streets with densely packed crowds.

Shen San and Li Shi were among them. The Shen family, too, had run out of grain. Without Shen Jin's hidden beans, vegetables, and dried meat, they were no different from the others.

But what good was this slight advantage? With no wild vegetables to forage and six mouths to feed, their meager savings only meant surviving a few weeks longer than the rest.

Li Shi, treating their remaining food as a lifeline, feared missing out on relief if not present, but also worried about theft if they left their shelter. Thus, Shen Jin guarded their meager supplies with the younger children, while she and Shen San clutched their portions in worn sacks, inseparable from them.

With no influence to push through the throng at the county office, they were squeezed to the periphery, helplessly standing on the sidelines.

Trapped inside the county office, the Magistrate Wei and his officials were bitterly criticizing the commanding officer Chen, imploring their aides repeatedly, "Has General Chen arrived yet? He took all the grain. Isn't he responsible for dispersing these people? What if they storm the county office?"

A distressed aide replied, "There are too many people; it's hard to get in or out. It might take some time."

As they spoke, a sudden drumbeat echoed from a distance, sending a jolt through everyone in the office. They looked towards the sound, their expressions changing drastically as they recognized the rhythm of the drums.

"It's an enemy attack!"

"Yes, it's an enemy attack!"

Simultaneously, the same drumbeat resounded at another city gate.

Magistrate Wei's legs buckled, nearly collapsing in fear.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

From inside to outside the county office, from the city gates to within, people shouted the warning. Those initially surrounding the office to demand the release of grain panicked.

"Where's the drumming coming from? Why are they beating the drums?"

"What enemy attack?"

"The bandits are coming!"

The crowd surged like a tidal wave, pushing, shoving, and chaotically rushing.

Li Shi and Shen San were pressed against a wall, struggling to breathe under the crush of bodies. Shen San shouted desperately, "Stop pushing! Stop pushing me! I'm going to be crushed!"

He fought against the crowd, leveraging the push of people around to avoid being crushed.

His bundle of food fell. He bent to retrieve it, but was swept forward by the crowd: "My food! My food's dropped! Stop pushing!"

His cries were drowned in the noise, yet some opportunists heard.

Everyone had food with them, a perfect chance for the taking.

Chaos emboldens thieves. Suddenly, screams erupted: "Stop! Let go, he's stealing food!"

The cries jolted many. Some clutched their bundles tighter, while others, spurred by desperation, joined the fray of theft.

Li Shi, pinned against the wall, heard of the theft. She clutched her bag, filled with dried meat, tightly between her body and the wall. But it didn't escape a grabbing hand.

Realizing the danger, she screamed, clutching her bag while instinctively trying to turn. A rough hand pinned her head, and in a moment, her bag was ripped from her grip.

Her screams echoed as the oppressive hand lifted. The crowd's push left her unable to turn or see who stole her food. Crushed and shoved, she could only cry out in despair.

Her cries were one among many. In the struggle for self-preservation, whether it was Li Shi's, Liu's, Wang's, Qin's, or Yang's troubles, nobody paid heed.