Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 13 Rising Righteous Army

The next day, the weather cleared up again, and during the midday break, most of the villagers were mobilized to the wheat field.

The group sat on the ground.

"Master Liu is here! Old Man Li is here!"

The crowd parted to make way for several elderly people with white hair, who walked out leaning on canes.

Leading the group was Liu Gong, the oldest and most senior member of the village, who was over fifty years old but still stood ramrod straight.

The Han Dynasty governed the country with filial piety, and in the countryside, the respect of elders was extremely important. An old man like Liu Gong had more weight in his words than the village head.

Li Sheng stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Uncle Liu, Elder Li, and other elders, we have invited our fellow villagers here today to discuss a matter."

Liu Gong stroked his beard, his cloudy old eyes looking at Li Sheng: "Brother Sheng, what do you say?"

Li Sheng straightened up, his voice bold and resounding, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

Many people stopped chatting and looked at Li Sheng with puzzled expressions.

"These days, several villages to the north have been attacked by bandits. We can't rely on the government; their troops are all holed up in the county town. Our village is only twenty li from the county town. If any bandits really come here, who will protect our parents, wives, and children?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Therefore, I dare to suggest that our village should also form a local militia team to protect the village and its people on ordinary days, and to provide assistance in case of trouble."

As soon as he finished speaking, a buzz of discussion arose from the crowd.

"Local militia? Will the government allow that?"

"Some villages in the north did indeed do it themselves; I heard there are more than thirty people involved."

Liu Gong slammed his cane on the ground twice: "Quiet down!"

The old man was highly respected, and the crowd quickly quieted down.

Liu Gong looked at Li Sheng and slowly nodded: "Sheng-ge'er, what you said is not entirely unfeasible. The world is not peaceful right now, and the government has issued a proclamation allowing local militias to be organized to protect the people and maintain order. I've lived for over fifty years, and this is the first time I've seen this before. It's clear that things are truly chaotic outside."

He then changed the subject: "However, organizing a local militia requires rules and regulations, and more importantly, a leader. Sheng-ge, do you have someone in mind?"

Li Sheng smiled slightly: "The leader should be elected by the villagers through public discussion, and the selection should be based on merit. It cannot be decided by any one person alone. However, I would like to do my part for the villagers."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd shouted back.

"I recommend Sheng-ge!"

It was Zhao Hu; this guy made no attempt to hide it.

At this moment, Li Feng spoke up, "Fellow villagers, let me speak the truth. These past few days, Brother Sheng has been leading us in helping you plow the fields; I'm sure you've all seen that. Brother Sheng is so kind and righteous; if he's not the leader, who is?"

"Exactly!" Liu Lu chimed in. "Brother Sheng is righteous and capable!"

"I also recommend Li Sheng!"

"I admire Brother Li Sheng for being the leader!"

The thirty-odd young men who had already been impressed by Li Sheng started to speak up, one after another, gradually forming an undeniable wave of voices.

Those villagers who were initially hesitant began to waver.

"This young man from the Li family is indeed kind and righteous."

"And he's handsome too; I'm even planning to arrange a marriage for him!"

This was when the village woman, who was known for her matchmaking skills, spoke up.

Liu Gong squinted, said nothing, and simply watched the scene quietly.

He's old and shrewd. He's lived so many years; what kind of people hasn't he seen?

Li Sheng was clearly prepared. Although the young men in the crowd shouted naturally, a closer listen revealed that they were already Li Sheng's men.

but……

Liu Gong's eyes flickered as he quickly calculated in his mind.

Li Sheng's parents died early, and he had no elders to restrain him, nor did he have any connections in the village.

Such a person, as the leader of the local militia, can both win the respect of the people and be easy to control.

On the contrary, if those prominent families in the village were to have their people in charge, they would probably become even more arrogant in the future.

He exchanged a glance with the others without making a sound.

The two elderly people nodded slightly, clearly having considered this as well.

Liu Gong cleared his throat, about to speak, when a calm and unhurried voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.

"Fellow villagers, please allow me to say a few words."

The sound was quite loud, causing the entire scene to fall silent.

Li Sheng looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man in his thirties walk out from the crowd.

This man is tall and strong, with broad shoulders and a wide back; just standing there, he exudes a lot of pressure.

He was dressed in an indigo short brown suit with a wide leather belt around his waist. What was most striking about him were his hands, with large knuckles and a thick layer of calluses on the base of his thumb, marks left from years of drawing a bow and wielding a knife.

Liu Wu is the only professional hunter in the village.

Li Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly.

He knew the man's background: Liu Wu's family lived at the east end of the village. His ancestors had been hunters for three generations. His father, Liu Meng, had been conscripted into the army when he was young and participated in the war against the Qiang people. He made meritorious contributions and brought back a lot of rewards. After that, he bought a lot of land in the village.

His family was considered well-off in the village. Although they couldn't compare to the powerful families in the county town, they were already considered a prominent household in this small village.

Li Sheng noticed that when Liu Wu stepped forward, at least seven or eight people in the crowd followed him.

Li Sheng remained expressionless and cupped his hands, saying, "Brother Liu Wu, please speak freely."

Liu Wu clasped his hands in a respectful greeting to the elderly men, then turned to the crowd and spoke in a loud voice.

"Fellow villagers, I, Liu Wu, have seen what Brother Li Sheng has done these days. To be honest, Brother Li Sheng is indeed kind and righteous, and he is quite strong."

He first complimented Li Sheng, then abruptly changed the subject.

"Organizing a local militia to protect the village and its people isn't something anyone can do just because they have some strength and know how to farm. A local militia is meant to protect everyone with real weapons and fight bandits! If bandits really come one day, what will we rely on to defend ourselves? A hoe or a sickle?"

These words sparked a murmur among the crowd.

"Liu Wu is right..."

"Yes, farming and fighting are two different things."

"If bandits really come, strength alone won't be enough..."

Seeing that his words had an effect, Liu Wu stood there with his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

Li Sheng's expression remained unchanged; instead, he nodded slightly, his tone sincere.

"Brother Liu Wu is right. Not just anyone can be the head of the village militia. This is a matter of life and death for the entire village, and we can't be careless."

He turned to Liu Wu, his gaze calm.

"So, in Brother Liu Wu's opinion, what should we do?"

Liu Wu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Li Sheng to agree with him so readily.

However, he quickly regained his composure and said in a deep voice, "My meaning is very simple. Since we're choosing someone who can protect everyone, we have to have a real competition. Whoever wins will be the captain. Fair and just, no deception."