bookrandom Chapter 196 Scholars Go to the Countryside to Equalize Land Distribution; Powerful Men Offer Their S
Chapter 196 Scholars Go to the Countryside to Equalize Land Distribution; Powerful Men Offer Their S
At dawn, as the sky just began to break through the clouds, a faint ray of morning light struggled to pierce the thick fog that blanketed Yuncheng County. This ray of dawn seemed like a ray of hope, bringing a glimmer of light to the entire county.
The air was filled with the faint, lingering scent of blood from yesterday's trial, but strangely, this smell didn't evoke any sense of gloom or terror. Instead, it mingled with the fresh aroma of the surrounding earth and morning dew. The two contrasting scents intertwined to create a unique and wondrous atmosphere, conveying both a sense of renewal and the vibrant vitality of nature's revival.
In the open space in front of the county government office, a dozen enormous iron pots stood in a neat row. Inside each pot simmered a thick, viscous rice porridge, so thick that chopsticks could be inserted into it, with a thick layer of rice oil floating on the surface. A rich aroma wafted from the pots, like a powerful force that ruthlessly dispelled the morning chill.
The rice was just confiscated from the granary of Niu Er, the "Hairless Tiger," which was even fuller than the county government's treasury. The firewood was from the back garden of the former magistrate, Shi Wenbin, from those rosewood tables and chairs that had been looted from Jiangnan and were originally intended to be transported to the capital to curry favor with powerful figures.
"Listen up, all of you! The chieftain has given an order!"
Wu Dalang, the leader of the cooks, was standing on an eight-immortal table that had been moved from the main hall of the county government. Although he was short, his voice was amplified several times in the morning light, loud enough to shake the remaining tiles off the eaves.
He carried no weapon, only a shiny jujube wood rolling pin that he usually used for rolling dough. He pointed at the pots of porridge bubbling with white bubbles, his voice booming.
"This porridge is so well-cooked that it's meant for refugees. The heat from it will warm you from the top of your head to the soles of your feet! You can stick a chopstick in it and it won't fall over, and a towel wrapped around it won't let it seep through. If anyone dares to add even a drop of water, making it so thin you can see your reflection in it, don't blame me, Wu Da, for being so tough!"
"And those cold rice balls, each one has to be kneaded to the size of a weight! They have to be enough to fill a man who's been starving for three days, so he won't be hungry for three days!"
"Make sure the salt in the pickled vegetable soup next to us is plentiful! We need to make sure the brothers can replenish their salt levels immediately after they've worked hard and sweated!"
Wu Dalang's words were sincere, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. Behind him, the men who were also cooks responded with resounding applause, full of enthusiasm.
As soon as he finished speaking, the two massive, weathered doors of the city gate, which had been closed all night, slowly opened inward with a heavy creaking sound.
Outside the city gates, a dense, dark mass of people surged in silently and numbly, like a tide driven by an invisible hand.
They were ragged, emaciated, their faces and bodies covered with a thick layer of filth, their eyes as empty as a dry well in a desolate autumn wilderness, devoid of any life.
But when the rich, irresistible aroma of rice porridge, like a living thing, forcefully entered their nostrils, a flame called "life" instantly ignited in their lifeless eyes.
"Porridge...it's porridge..."
"There's food!"
The crowd began to stir, which then turned into a frantic sprint for survival.
"Let's eat!"
At Wu Dalang's command, the people could no longer contain themselves and surged toward the dozen or so large iron pots like madmen.
"Don't push! Don't push! You'll fall and die!"
"One by one! Everyone gets a share! There's plenty of food in the mountain stronghold!"
Hundreds of Liangshan soldiers, having already received their orders, joined hands and used their own flesh and blood to build an unbreakable human wall between the boiling crowd and the scalding pot of porridge.
Their armor clanged as they were squeezed, and their faces were scratched and bloodied by the starving people, yet not one of them retreated, and not one of them cursed.
Just then, a clear and penetrating voice, like the cry of a crane, instantly drowned out all the noise and clamor.
"Iron Whistle" Lehe also stood on a high table, holding no weapon, but a strange horn made of rolled-up sheet metal, with a large mouth and a small tail, and sang loudly at the surging crowd.
He wasn't singing any romantic tunes, but a newly composed "recruiting ballad" full of strength and hope.
"Fellow villagers! Open your eyes and look! This world is dark and treacherous. The government is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and the local tyrants are tigers and leopards! The land we cultivate feeds the bellies of corrupt officials! The daughters we raise warm the beds of evil gentry!"
"You're starving, freezing, and living worse than a dog! Haven't you had enough of this kind of life?!"
"Today, Liangshan acts on behalf of Heaven, and Chief Li hereby establishes the following rules! Food is for everyone to eat, and clothes are for everyone to wear! Anyone who doesn't want to go hungry anymore, anyone who doesn't want to be trampled underfoot like pigs and dogs, anyone who wants to fight for a full meal and a future for their wife and children, come here!"
"Today, Liangshan Marsh is recruiting soldiers! Any man between the ages of sixteen and thirty, as long as he still has a breath of fire in his chest and dares to pick up a sword and spear and fight those sons of bitches, come on over!"
"Once you join the army, you'll have white rice every meal and meat every three days! A resettlement allowance of five taels of silver! If you die in battle, you'll receive a pension of fifty taels. The stronghold will take care of your entire family for the rest of your life, so you can leave in peace without any worries!"
A young migrant worker, who had just squeezed out of the crowd and was wolfing down a rice ball bigger than his face, suddenly stopped when he heard this.
He looked at the heavy, fragrant rice ball in his hand, then looked up at the radiant Lehe on the high table. The green light in his eyes, born of hunger, was gradually replaced by a more intense and frenzied light.
He shoved the remaining half of the rice ball into his mouth, ignoring the choking he was in, threw away the broken ceramic bowl in his hand, and was the first to rush out of the crowd, rushing to Lehe's table and kneeling down with a thud.
"Damn it! My name is Wang Ergou! I'm just a worthless piece of trash, but I'll fight Chief Li to the death! I'll avenge my parents!"
Once there's a first, there's a second, and a third.
"I'm going too!"
"Count me in! I don't want to live such a pathetic life anymore!"
A single spark can start a prairie fire.
Those young people who were just moments ago starving and barely able to stand now had a raging fire burning in their eyes.
They are not afraid of dying, but they are afraid of dying a pathetic death, dying silently, like a stray dog on the roadside.
Now, someone has given them food, dignity, and even more importantly, an opportunity to take up arms and take revenge on this unjust world!
In less than half an hour, nearly three thousand strong men were kneeling in front of Le He's table. They might not understand what "acting on behalf of Heaven" meant, but they knew that following Chief Li meant meat to eat and revenge to be exacted!
Meanwhile, the back hall of the county government office had already been transformed into Liangshan's temporary combat command post.
Zhu Tong, nicknamed "The Bearded Gentleman," and Lei Heng, nicknamed "The Winged Tiger," had long since changed out of their head constable robes, replacing them with the tight-fitting outfits and armor of Liangshan leaders. They were pointing and gesturing excitedly at a map of Yuncheng County drawn on fine silk, which had been confiscated from Shi Wenbin's study.
“Brother, look, I know this rich man’s house very well!” Lei Heng’s thick fingers slammed into a vermilion courtyard mark on the map, spitting as he spoke. “His house has five courtyards and five gates, and he keeps more than a dozen guard dogs! I heard that the gold and silver treasures hidden in his cellar could probably fill the county government’s treasury! That old bastard lends money at exorbitant interest rates, his heart is blacker than charcoal, and he has driven countless good families to their deaths!”
Zhu Tong's expression was solemn. He stroked his signature long beard, a cold glint in his eyes: "This fellow has always been a heartless rich man. Relying on his brother-in-law relationship with Supervisor Sun in the government office, he runs rampant in the countryside, and no one dares to mess with him. Today, it's time for him to pay his debts!"
In the main seat of the hall, Li Hanxiao sat upright. In his hand, he casually toyed with a top-grade blood jade thumb ring, which he had confiscated from the home of "Hairless Tiger" Niu Er. The jade was warm and smooth, yet it seemed to carry an unyielding resentment.
He listened to their conversation with a calm expression, but the chill in his deep eyes grew even stronger.
"Pass on my orders!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like ice hitting boiling oil, instantly silencing the entire hall.
"Zhu Tong and Lei Heng, listen to my command!"
"Your subordinate is here!" The two men clasped their fists in a loud salute and knelt on one knee.
"You two are most familiar with the local situation. Immediately gather three hundred elite soldiers, along with 'Death God' Bao Xu and his fifty henchmen, and arrest all the local tyrants, bullies, and corrupt officials on this list who have committed numerous evils!"
Li Hanxiao threw a pre-prepared list in front of them.
"Anyone who resists, kill them without mercy! No need to report to me!"
"All land deeds, gold, silver and other valuables in his home shall be confiscated! The gold and silver shall be put into the treasury, and the grain and fodder into the granary!"
"Go! I want to see these people's names wiped off the face of the earth before sunset!"
Li Hanxiao's voice was icy cold and devoid of any emotion.
"I will use their ill-gotten gains, obtained by plundering the land, as the capital for my Liangshan's 'equal land distribution'! I will use their money to buy a brand new spring for the people of Yuncheng!"
"As ordered!"
Zhu Tong and Lei Heng accepted the order and left, their eyes gleaming with excitement and bloodlust.
Under the cover of night, Yuncheng County was deathly silent, but the air was thick with a murderous aura. The wealthy landowners and local bullies who were usually arrogant and oppressive were now gripped by unprecedented fear.
These men, accustomed to bullying and lording over others, completely lost their former arrogance when faced with the ferocious Liangshan soldiers. Terrified, they were forcibly dragged from their comfortable and warm beds or the gentle embrace of their concubines, utterly humiliated, only able to cry out for their parents, some even losing control of their bladder and bowels in fear.
However, no matter how much they pleaded and wept, it was all in vain before the enormous sword in the hands of "the God of Death," Bao Xu, which was wider than a door panel. In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, cries of agony rose and fell, and the whole scene was horrific.
Meanwhile, the more than one thousand scholars who had originally been taken prisoner were deeply shaken after experiencing a harrowing "trial by the people." Subsequently, through in-depth and thorough study of the theory of "investigating things to acquire knowledge," they gained a completely new understanding of the world. Ultimately, Li Hanxiao gave them a new role—"Land Reform Political Commissars."
These scholars resolutely removed their scholarly hats and loose-fitting long gowns, replacing them with tight-fitting short-sleeved shirts and trousers indistinguishable from those of ordinary soldiers. Furthermore, each carried an abacus and a small dagger for self-defense. This time, they completely bid farewell to the illusory world created by Confucian classics, bravely stepping into the fertile land that had silently nurtured their growth yet long been neglected and forgotten—the muddy fields and countryside.
"Old man, is this land yours?"
Zhang Yuan, the young man with his hair tied up who was the first to understand the concept of "unity of knowledge and action" in Yazuitan, is now squatting on the cold ridge of the field, patiently and even somewhat clumsily asking a ragged old farmer who is hunched over picking something up in the field.
The old farmer was startled by the sudden appearance of the "official." His cloudy eyes were filled with deep-seated fear and numbness. He trembled as he threw away the few dry wheat stalks in his hand and was about to kneel down.