Chapter 088

Chapter 088

On the second day of the tenth month, at the fifth hour of the Yin period, while the townspeople of Wei County were still fast asleep, the city guards opened the gates as usual.

It was still dark, with the night sky filled with stars. Two guards, exhaling steam and rubbing their hands, pushed open the heavy city gates from either side. Another guard, holding the keys, had just unlocked the gate and stood nearby with a lantern to illuminate their work. As the gates swung wide, the dim light revealed what seemed to be a dark object on the ground.

"What's that?"

The soldier with the lantern approached and realized it was a bloody human head. He immediately felt his knees weaken and stumbled back several steps.

By dawn, the news that "County Magistrate Liu had been beheaded" had spread throughout the streets of the county.

---

The people of Wei County knew that Liu Ying was a corrupt official. Apart from a few households who colluded with him, most of the townspeople wished this corrupt official would die sooner rather than later.

When Liu Ying actually died, the townspeople felt relieved but also anxious. In the west, Huai County had a rebel king who was forcing young men into his army and terrorizing the region. With the county magistrate in place, there might have been a chance to organize a defense. Now that he was dead, Wei County was leaderless, and if the rebel king attacked, they would be defenseless.

Cowardly men feared being conscripted and labeled as rebels, beautiful women feared being taken by the rebel king, and wealthy merchants...

The wealthiest merchants were the most fearful because the rebel king had only one policy: kill first, then loot!

Regardless of how well-behaved the wealthy merchants were, if they had money and food, they would be accused of exploiting the common folk. With this accusation, the rebel king could claim to be acting justly, ridding the land of evil and taking their wealth for himself.

Since the news of the rebel king in Huai County spread, the wealthy families in Wei County had been worried. Moving away was not an option; the north was equally chaotic, and even hiring guards wouldn't guarantee safety against bandits. Staying put meant facing the rebel king's wrath.

Amidst this turmoil, everyone hoped for the government to send troops quickly to suppress the rebellion. When they heard that County Magistrate Liu had been killed during his escape, panic spread among the wealthy families both inside and outside the city. They quickly gathered to discuss a plan.

Ordinary people, without the means to flee, locked their doors and tried to stay safe at home, but some lawless individuals took advantage of the chaos, committing crimes and bullying the innocent.

In this dire situation, the townspeople desperately sought hope. Almost immediately after the news of County Magistrate Liu's death spread, another message reached the people of Wei County: the northern villages near Longxing Mountain were still peaceful, unaffected by the chaos.

Why was this so?

Upon further inquiry, they learned that Xiao Qianhu from Lingshui Village had already organized nearby villagers to train, preparing to defend against the rebel king!

Who was Xiao Qianhu? He was the hero who led Lingshui Village to defeat eighty percent of the bandits on Imprisoned Dragon Ridge. He had a noble heart to protect the villagers and the skills to lead and train soldiers!

At this critical moment, the only person capable of leading and defending the entire county was Xiao Qianhu!

Time was running out, and the prominent families from the city, village heads and wealthy landlords from the southern villages rushed to Lingshui Village. Upon arrival, they asked where the Xiao family lived and headed straight there.

The Xiao family welcomed them with tea.

An elder from a prominent family in the city said, "Xiao Qianhu, the city is in chaos. Before, only spoiled young men would snatch girls, but now any strong man dares to break into homes, rob, steal, and commit atrocities. We try to catch them, but they flee when they hear we're coming. With the rebel king as an option, more and more people dare to do evil. If no one steps up, the city will be destroyed before the rebel king even arrives!"

The village heads from the south added, "Xiao Qianhu, we are all native residents of Wei County. With you here in the north, we can live peacefully, but in the southern villages, no one can sleep soundly. The chaos in the city has spread to our villages. Please come and restore order, or we won't survive!"

Xiao Mu listened solemnly, feeling both pity for the suffering people and helplessness at the limited resources of Lingshui Village. "I understand your concerns. If possible, I would like to help the people of the county, but our village has limited manpower. We can only train the nearby villagers. We don't have enough skilled fighters to send elsewhere."

Some wise people suggested, "The rebel king's forces are over ten thousand. If our villages continue to fight separately, we'll be defeated. You should move to the city with a few brave men, gather all the able-bodied men from the county, and train them together. Only with a proper army can we deter the rebel king."

"Yes, move to the city and gather the troops!"

Xiao Mu replied, "That makes sense. This should be handled by the county magistrate, but unfortunately, Magistrate Liu..."

"Don't mention that corrupt official. Even if he were alive, he wouldn't care about us. Now that he's dead, even if the government sends a new official, it will take too long. You are the only one who can step up. Please make a decision soon, or we'll all be at the mercy of the rebel king!"

"Yes, there's no time to waste. Please don't hesitate!"

Amid the chaos, Xiao She, receiving a nod from his older brother, suddenly stood in front of the elders and glared at the unfamiliar faces. "You talk nicely! You want us to train your men, fine, but how will we feed and clothe them? Where will we get the money for weapons? Without these, who will listen to us?"

Eighteen-year-old Xiao Wu, tall and muscular, spoke loudly, stunning everyone.

The wealthy families then offered donations of silver, grain, weapons, and horses.

"As long as we can save our lives, losing most of our wealth is nothing. We still have our land. Once peace returns, we can grow crops and earn money again."

Xiao She was silenced by their generosity. Then, Xiao Yan stepped forward and pointed to the sky. "Even if we have the money and weapons, if the government accuses us of occupying the city and plotting rebellion..."

Everyone reassured him, "We will write a petition signed by all the people, stating that the Xiao family was chosen by the entire county to protect the people. With the support of the entire county, the government won't wrongfully accuse you."

Xiao Yan insisted, "Words alone won't do. Bring us the petition, and we'll act accordingly."

The village heads immediately sent their followers to collect signatures.

Hearing that Xiao Qianhu was willing to train soldiers to protect the county, the people eagerly pressed their fingerprints on the petition. Meanwhile, those who had committed crimes or planned to do so either gave up or fled, fearing capture by the Xiao family.

With the petitions in hand, Xiao Mu spoke:

"Second son, immediately gather a thousand able-bodied men from nearby villages. Post notices around the city stating that the Xiao family, entrusted by the people of the county, will temporarily assume the duties of the county magistrate. We will maintain order, arrest criminals, and recruit soldiers to defend the county. Those who wish to join will receive a monthly salary of one tael of silver. Those who don't wish to join must remain law-abiding."

Xiao Zhen bowed and accepted the task. "Yes!"

He left, and Xiao Mu turned to his other son. "Shouyi, take a team and accompany the generous donors to collect money, grain, weapons, and horses. This is crucial for our self-defense. Please keep your promises so that we can pay the soldiers and avoid ridicule."

The prominent families assured him, "Don't worry, we'll arrange everything immediately!"

Xiao Mu thanked them on behalf of the county and continued instructing Sun Xinghai, Sun Wei, Xiao Yan, and Xiao She. "Prepare your village for recruitment. Once the funds are collected, go to the surrounding villages and recruit soldiers. Pay them for the first month upfront, and distribute salaries monthly thereafter. Explain clearly and let them choose freely, without coercion."

Sun Xinghai agreed, "Alright, I'll write a recruitment notice for everyone to memorize tonight."

Hearing this, the prominent families hurriedly bid farewell to prepare.

Those with tasks left, leaving the Xiao family courtyard crowded with curious villagers asking:

"Xiao Qianhu, are you going to become a king too?"

"No, thanks to the trust of the local gentry and people, I am only temporarily assuming the role of the county magistrate. Once the government sends an official, I will relinquish power and return to farming."

"Will you be moving the whole family to the county town for military training?"

"For my Xiao family’s men to protect the people with peace of mind, we need to ensure our families' safety. So wherever we go, they must follow temporarily."

"Oh, if all of you leave, won’t Lingshui Village be left unprotected?"

"Rest assured, we aim to protect all the people in the county. No matter which village is attacked, we will send troops to assist. Lingshui Village is our home, and we will return. We will not let outsiders trample on our hometown. While we are away, we ask our fellow villagers to help us look after our homes, especially my collection of books in the study."

"You value those books more than the hundred acres of land at home. Why not bring them to the city with you?"

Xiao Mu smiled and said, "There are too many; moving them would be time-consuming and laborious. Perhaps we’ll return soon, so there’s no need for such extra effort."

Upon hearing this, the villagers looked at each other and felt relieved. The old man not moving his books meant he truly intended to come back. Therefore, the Xiao family would also protect Lingshui Village for their own sake.

---

After the villagers dispersed, Xiao Mu called over all the women and children in the family.

In the West Court were Lady He, Xiao Yuchan and her son, Lin Ningfang, and Ah Zhen. In the eastern courtyard were Tong Sui, Liu Chu, A Fu, and Mianmian.

Although the women did not appear earlier, they had heard everything.

Xiao Yuchan excitedly asked, "Grandfather, does this mean we will be in charge of everything in the city from now on?"

She was going from being the granddaughter of the wealthiest family in Lingshui Village to the granddaughter of the magistrate of Wei County?

Xiao Yuchan felt like a pie had fallen from the sky, as if she were dreaming, unable to believe how suddenly her family had become so powerful.

Xiao Mu looked at his dreamy granddaughter and then at everyone else, his expression serious. "If we can defend Wei County, our Xiao family will have done a great deed for the people of this county, not betraying our martial skills. If we fail, the rebels will come, and the first to die will be our family of ten. Therefore, continue living as you always have. Don’t think too highly of this situation or act superior. Don’t indulge in arrogance and tyranny."

His last words were stern, and his intimidating gaze fell on Lady He and Xiao Yuchan.

The mother and daughter, who were just starting to feel elated, shivered. Lady He turned pale and quickly said, "Father, rest assured. We won’t make mistakes. Whatever you tell us to do, we will do."

Xiao Mu: "Alright, start packing your belongings. Take valuables and enough clothes for autumn and winter. No need to take everything."

Lady He worried, "What if thieves come while we’re away?"

Xiao Mu: "As long as we defend Wei County well, no thief will dare to steal from us. If we fail, it won’t matter how much we have."

This sentence made Lady He and her daughter fully realize the danger of their mission. Their dreams of sudden wealth and power shattered.

Qi Yao glanced at the adults and quietly asked, "Where will we live when we move to the city?"

Xiao Mu patted the boy’s head and softened his tone. "Your second uncle has already gone ahead and will find us a place to stay."

In Wei County, Xiao Zhen brought out account books and documents from County Magistrate Liu’s study and subsequently raided the four wealthiest families in the city, including the Du family, who had once tried to forcibly take Tong Sui’s cousin Zhou Gui as a concubine.

These four families engaged in bribery and oppression, making them notorious in Wei County. Last year, the corrupt officials sold unclaimed lands to them cheaply, and the number of innocent victims imprisoned by these officials reached over a hundred. These evildoers were still trying to profit from the chaos without participating in any good deeds, such as petitioning the Xiao family.

Xiao Zhen arrested them and held a trial. The citizens who came to witness saw Xiao Er restore justice to the victims, and they cheered.

Xiao Zhen sentenced the four wealthy families and addressed the crowd, "Our Xiao family, thanks to your trust, is temporarily taking over the administration of the county. However, we have no official mandate. The evidence against these victims is clear, and they should be released. The final verdict for these four families will be determined by the court. For now, they will be detained without any private punishment. What do you think?"

The crowd responded unanimously, "Good!"

Xiao Zhen then addressed the heads of the four wealthy families, "For the safety of the entire county, we need to recruit thousands of soldiers. Since we cannot use public property, since you four are now in prison, could you lend us your homes for our righteous troops to stay temporarily? This way, it can be considered some compensation for your years of wrongdoing towards the people of the county."

The heads of the four families, bound tightly by ropes, could say nothing.

Listen, the crowd outside had already answered for them!