Chapter 525 – Three-Route Battle (Nine)
The soldier animatedly portrayed a chatty and enthusiastic young man, simultaneously caring for the family while unloading his complaints about his hard life before coming to Xiangyang and how good things had become after arriving.
Well, if life was that bad, how could he afford to wear woolen clothes worth several hundred coins?
After rambling on for a bit, the soldier casually mentioned, “By the way, big brother, let me share some wisdom as someone who’s been through it. If you’re planning to go to Xiangyang, I suggest you consider heading to Cheng’an County first… it’s a little closer.”
Cheng’an County?
The middle-aged man had completely let down his guard, eager to learn more about the outside world.
Furrowing his brows, he responded suspiciously, “I heard Cheng’an County is as empty as a ghost town, and those Green Garment beasts there are worse than here. If my family goes to that place, what’s the difference from looking for the King of Hell to be reborn?”
The soldier paused, then slapped his forehead with a chuckle, his expression turning awkward.
“Look at my memory; I forgot to mention that the beasts in Cheng’an County have already been dealt with.” The soldier lowered his voice, excitement creeping into his words, “Those beasts were taken care of by that guy from Xiangyang! Impressive, he took it in half a day!”
The men’s eyes lit up, and they excitedly gripped the soldier’s hand.
“Really?”
The soldier nodded emphatically, “Absolutely! There’s no way it’s false. The household registration in Xiangyang is tricky; those newly built houses are hard to come by. You brothers should head to Cheng’an County and wait… Just imagine what Xiangyang used to be like, occupied by the Green Garment beasts, and now it looks like a paradise. So beautiful…”
Following the soldier’s lead, the middle-aged man asked, “You mean Cheng’an will be just as good as Xiangyang in the future?”
The soldier nodded confidently, “Naturally! I’ve heard that the Xiangyang Governor is short on people; I plan to settle my old lady down and look for a good job there. Last year, I missed the good timing, and by the time I got there, everything was almost built. I heard those hardworking families could earn enough money to buy a house, living worry-free…”
Praising Xiangyang, the soldier could go on for hours, but this wasn’t the time for boasting.
His words painted Xiangyang as a true paradise.
For those oppressed and poverty-stricken common people, it was far more than just a paradise.
After babbling on, the soldier regretfully muttered, “It’s a pity I don’t know when the Xiangyang Governor will come here… If he comes here, maybe I won’t even have to go fetch my old lady… sigh… Look at me, I can’t stop talking, big brothers, please don’t laugh at me. It’s getting late; I need to dash and bring my mother…”
The soldier’s “casual words” struck a chord with the several middle-aged men.
If they weren’t truly desperate, no one would want to leave their homeland, especially considering it would cost their entire family’s savings.
Now a golden opportunity lay before them, and if they could seize it, their future days could be prosperous.
Visions of the past rumors about Xiangyang floated in their minds, and their hearts raced.
The brothers exchanged glances, each seeing determination reflected in the others’ eyes.
“Big brother, what do you think? Should we take a gamble?”
“I want to do it… My parents are old, my wife just gave birth, and the baby is small… How can we withstand turmoil? Why not go all in, catch those beasts, and then invite a few of the powerful ones from Cheng’an over… otherwise, how are we going to live?”
A third man also agreed, though one woman holding a sleeping child looked worried.
“But… what if those Green Garment beasts come back?”
The soldier’s heart skipped a beat; he thought, oh no, this woman might ruin things.
He feigned a sudden realization, awkwardly smiling, “Sister-in-law is right; you guys really shouldn’t take risks. Just escape if you can; we aren’t saints, we just need to look after ourselves. I see your parents aren’t young anymore; you brothers should find some helpers and take down those beasts at the city gate, then flee quickly. This place is deep water; it’s hard to traverse.”
The men revealed conflicted expressions, and the soldier secretly smirked, adding fuel to the fire.
“You brothers reminded me…”
The middle-aged man asked, “Reminded you of what?”
The soldier naturally replied, “The city surrender. If I can persuade the villagers, and this works out, won’t that be a big accomplishment?”
The moment he said this, the three men’s faces suddenly changed, their greed gaining the upper hand.
Right! If they surrendered Jiaoping County, they would earn great merit!
How could they not have thought of that sooner?
Almost got delayed by their own women, nearly letting such a good opportunity slip away.
With that thought, he shot a fierce glare at the woman who had spoken, making her shrink back fearfully.
Fearing the soldier would steal their glory, the three men feigned difficulty and claimed they had something left at home for the soldier to help look after, of course, to ensure safety, the two older brothers left, leaving the youngest behind to keep the soldier occupied.
The soldier let out a quiet sigh of relief.
In these times, tricking someone isn’t so easy.
Their respected Qi Guan was told that if nothing stirred in the city by dawn, the elite forces outside would launch a strong attack on Jiaoping County.
Now, with the night upon them, if they moved quickly, they should be able to catch up.
Watching the family retreat, the soldier frowned slightly, inwardly grateful for his good luck.
Observing the eldest brother who was stalling him, the soldier silently smirked, playing the naive, overly friendly fool.
Outside the city, Jiang Pengji yawned wearily.
Qi Guanrang looked up at the moonlight, feeling somewhat uncertain.
Can one soldier really incite a rebellion among the oppressed people in the city?
“If Jiaoping County had ample military strength, these oppressed folks accustomed to threats probably wouldn’t have the guts to ‘rebel.’ But then, the Green Garment army in the city only numbers in the thousands, and they’re all sleepyheads! It’s a dark, windy night, perfect for killing and arson.”
While he spoke, a “conspiracy” was brewing within Jiaoping County!
Groups of oppressed common people, brandishing their kitchen knives, firewood axes, carrying whatever they could find, charged like madmen towards the territory of the Green Garment army they knew.
Most of the guarding Green Garment soldiers were already dozing off, some even having slipped into dreams.
When the common people burst in, they hardly made a sound before being met with a swarming attack of blows and slashes.
