Chapter 087

Chapter 087

Lingshui Village had specially dispatched several young and strong men to the city and neighboring counties to gather information.

Every time these men rode back on donkeys and horses, they would attract a group of villagers who would gather around the Xiao family's residence.

In the central courtyard of the Xiao family, Xiao Mu, Xiao Shouyi, and Sun Xinghai stood at the gate listening to the scouts' reports. Lady He pulled Xiao Yuchan behind the Moon Gate in the West Court to listen to the news. In the eastern courtyard, Tong Sui and Liu Chu also hurried over immediately, staying out of sight but able to hear the men's conversation clearly.

Since this was not a secret, and the elder did not prohibit the womenfolk from eavesdropping,

"Li Gang from Huai County claims to be King Xing. After occupying the county, he forcibly conscripted the men in the city into his army. Those who refused were killed along with their families on the spot. Those who complied were given food and meat. Thus, those men all followed his orders."

"King Xing, now with an army, first went to various villages in Huai County and killed the wealthy households. Then he used the same method to coerce men into joining his army. Those who joined didn't have to pay taxes for this year's harvest; those who didn't were killed and their grain seized. In this way, they have already gathered more than ten thousand men in Huai County."

"Men from surrounding towns and villages east of Huai County have also voluntarily joined King Xing. The numbers will continue to grow."

"It is said that the magistrate of Cheng County fled last night. The county office gates are closed, and it's uncertain if anyone is inside."

East of Huai County are Cheng County and Ding County, followed by Wei County where Lingshui Village is located.

The magistrate of Cheng County has fled, making it easy for King Xing to capture Cheng County. When that happens, King Xing's troops will only be one county away from Wei County.

Sun Xinghai: "It's been half a month. The imperial court should have some response by now, right?"

Not to mention the 150,000 troops led by General Han seven hundred miles to the east, even the 80,000 garrison troops in Datong to the west could reach Wei County within a day. Datong is more than three hundred miles from Wei County but less than a hundred miles from Huai County, where King Xing started his rebellion. With the imperial command, the 80,000 troops could easily arrive.

Xiao Mu: "The imperial court will definitely issue orders, but whether local commanders follow them is another matter."

As early as June, merchants from the capital brought news that the Emperor was seriously ill and unable to attend court, leaving all state affairs to Duke Dou.

There were rumors among the people that the Emperor had died, and Duke Dou was deliberately claiming the Emperor was ill to maintain power.

Duke Dou controls the 300,000 imperial guards in the capital, but his influence over local commanders is far less. So far away, with the turmoil in the capital, who knows what the local commanders are thinking?

Now, without the Emperor's presence, the local commanders and officials are like scattered sand, each looking after their own interests.

Even the magistrates have abandoned their positions and fled, so it's not surprising that the commanders do not heed the imperial orders.

Sun Xinghai: "Regardless of that, what should we do? If King Xing comes, our few villages won't stand a chance against their numbers!"

If we can't fight, we either submit to King Xing reluctantly or lose our lives and our grain. There are no other choices.

Xiao Mu: "Don't worry. Let's see how our County Magistrate Liu responds."

---

In the city of Wei County, County Magistrate Liu Ying hasn't slept soundly for several nights. Whenever he falls asleep, he has nightmares—either about prisoners breaking out to kill him or about King Xing leading his troops to besiege Wei County to kill him.

"Sir, why haven't the troops from Datong, which are so close to Huai County, taken action to suppress King Xing?"

His young and beautiful concubine, nestled in his arms, asked worriedly. With the current situation, her master was uneasy, and she, as his concubine, was equally anxious, unlike the comfortable life before.

Liu Ying, being in the government, knew more than the village heads. He explained, "General Zhao Liangchen of Datong has a sister who is a concubine of the Emperor. She once gave birth to a prince, but he died soon after. It is rumored that the Dou family was involved. Now that the Emperor is not showing himself, why would Zhao Liangchen help Duke Dou?"

Concubine: "But doesn't Zhao fear that King Xing's forces will grow larger and attack them?"

Liu Ying laughed at his concubine's naivety, stroking her smooth face. "Even if King Xing had 300,000 peasant soldiers, he wouldn't dare provoke the 80,000 border troops. Unless he wants to commit suicide."

Concubine: "Zhao is complacent and secure, but we are in suspense. I suggest you quickly gather more strong men and bring them into the city. Keep the city gates closed and observe for a while."

Liu Ying dared not wait. He was a corrupt official, hated by the people of the county. Even the strong men despised him and might turn on him if King Xing arrived.

At this point, Liu Ying only trusted the dozen or so guards he brought from his hometown.

Making up his mind, Liu Ying squeezed his concubine's shoulder and gritted his teeth. "Stop sleeping. Pack your things quickly. We'll leave the city tonight."

Delaying would lead to trouble, and he only had one head.

The concubine panicked. "Where will we go after leaving the city?"

Liu Ying: "We'll disguise ourselves as merchants and head south."

He went to inform the guards, and the concubine hastily packed the gold and jewels Liu Ying had given her. Just as she felt a bit relieved, she heard cries from other courtyards, which soon quieted down.

Her heart pounded wildly, unsure how long it had been when Liu Ying called her. She clung tightly to him as they walked out, seeing two carriages and a donkey cart parked outside the rear gate of the county office.

Liu Ying led her into the first carriage, the second carriage carried another concubine with her child, and the donkey cart had boxes and bags, dark and indistinct.

Shivering in Liu Ying's arms, she thought of the seven or eight concubines in Liu Ying's harem who might now be cold corpses. She couldn't stop trembling.

Liu Ying patted her shoulder and sighed. "The journey south is fraught with danger. It's not suitable to bring too many people. If I don't bring them, they'll spread rumors. I have to be ruthless. Don't worry, you're my darling. I won't abandon you."

The concubine trembled even more.

The dozen guards rode horses, escorting the three vehicles quietly to the city gate. The guards recognized Liu Ying and, though curious about why the magistrate was leaving at night, respectfully opened the gate.

Liu Ying and his entourage quickly disappeared into the vast darkness of early October.

Liu Ying, fleeing, avoided villages and chose remote paths.

North of Wei County is Longxing Mountain, and to the south are plains, occasionally interrupted by small hills that have been cultivated into farmland. After the autumn harvest, there are hardly any trees left on the hills, making it impossible for bandits to hide, thus posing no danger.

Liu Ying and his concubine leaned against each other, dozing off as the carriage jolted gently.

Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, causing both to fall from their seats.

Liu Ying steadied himself nervously and asked, "What's going on?"

Outside, the guards had already drawn their long knives and were on high alert. The driver, trembling, said, "Sir, someone is robbing us!"

Liu Ying violently pushed open the front door of the carriage.

The night was as dark as ink, and he could only make out the rapidly approaching shadows. Judging by their numbers, his guards would definitely be outnumbered.

Liu Ying was a smart man. Before the two sides clashed, he scrambled down from the carriage on all fours, knelt on the ground, and pleaded to the leading bandit, "Good sir, spare my life! I'll let you take all the valuables in these three carriages; just spare the lives of my family!"

Xiao Ye sneered, pleased. "You're a sensible one. Alright, we're here for the loot, not to hurt anyone. Have your guards drop their weapons and dismount. Our brothers in the mountains lack arms, so we'll take your horses and swords too."

Liu Ying repeatedly agreed, stood up, and instructed the guards to throw down their swords and get off their horses.

One guard whispered, "Sir, without our weapons, what if they go back on their word..."

Liu Ying feared the bandits might hear and quickly interrupted him, "Do as I say, no questions asked!"

They were outnumbered, and even with their weapons, they would still die. By cooperating, there was a good chance they could exchange their wealth for their lives. As long as they survived, he could return to Wei County with reinforcements tomorrow and plunder the wealthy households in the city again, then take a different route.

Thus, the guards threw down their swords, dismounted, and stood behind Liu Ying.

Liu Ying helped the two women and the child down from the carriage and, with a flattering smile, said to the man he suspected was the bandit leader, "It's done. Feel free to take everything!"

Xiao Ye didn't respond, but another masked man rode forward, circled around Liu Ying, and sneered, "Sir, you usually strut around with such arrogance. How can you be such a coward?"

Liu Ying was startled, wondering how this person had identified him, when he suddenly recognized the voice and instinctively looked up.

Sun Dian pulled off his mask, revealing himself clearly.

Liu Ying exclaimed in shock, "You..."

Sun Dian swung his sword, decapitating the corrupt official, and turned to Xiao Ye and the others, saying, "The corrupt official deserves no mercy. Those guards are just lackeys aiding evil. Kill them all, leave none alive!"

Upon hearing this, the guards immediately tried to grab their discarded swords, but they couldn't outrun the mounted bandits. Within moments, they were all dead. The two women screamed; one ran away, while the other held her child and begged for mercy, kneeling on the ground.

"Fourth Master, should we chase them?"

Xiao Ye: "Let them go. In the mountains, we don't rob women."

The group picked up the swords, led the mules, and drove the three carriages north.

Midway, Xiao Ye detoured to Lingshui Village, tethering his horse outside and leaping over the wall into his own backyard.

All the men of the Xiao family gathered in the backyard.

Xiao Ye first bowed to the old patriarch. Although it was a staged death, five months had passed, and he missed him.

Xiao Mu helped him up and asked, "How did tonight go?"

Xiao Ye whispered, "We caught them. They're dead. We recovered two and a half carriages of gold and jewels, plus half a carriage of grain."

Xiao Mu nodded. "Good. Go back. We'll notify you to come down the mountain within five days. Tell everyone not to worry."

Xiao Ye nodded, glanced at each family member, and turned to leave.

Despite the cool autumn night, Xiao Yan felt a burning fire in his chest and asked the patriarch, "Grandfather, the corrupt official is dead. The city is now empty. We could easily take it over. What if someone else claims it? Even a small city is easy to defend and hard to attack. It would cost many lives to retake it with force."

Xiao Mu smiled. "Why rush? If we occupy the city now, we'd be like the rebels in Huai County, and both the government and other factions would see us as threats. Wait."

Xiao Yan was puzzled. "What are we waiting for?"

"For the people's hearts," Xiao Zhen succinctly answered, clarifying his confusion.