Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 42 The Villagers' Hearts Return

"Alright, lead the way."

You Xi nodded slightly at the fearful look on the country bumpkin's face, a hint of barely perceptible disdain in his expression.

"Please wait a moment..."

Instead of leading the way immediately, Liu Lu ran to the hiding place of the sentry and told him to go back to the village to tell Li Sheng the news, while also instructing the sentries behind to maintain normal vigilance.

You Xi noticed another person in the shadows and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Good heavens, there are even sentries lurking in the shadows! This Li Sheng is truly extraordinary!"

He put aside his contempt for Dongpingli.

It seems that Li Sheng's ability to gain the county magistrate's favor was not just luck.

"May I ask your surname, Your Excellency? I'll send my brothers back to the village to inform you and make proper preparations to receive you."

Hearing Liu Lu's words, You Xi narrowed his eyes slightly.

This person knows how to treat people.

"My surname is Zhou, and my given name is An. Please take me to the village to see your team leader, Li Sheng."

"Yes, Zhou Youyi, please come with me..."

Liu Lu led Zhou An toward the village.

Just as the two reached the village entrance, Li Sheng was walking from the other end of the village road, accompanied by Li Feng.

He spotted the middle-aged man in the black and red official robes from afar. He had a sharp face, a sword at his waist, and was plump and strong. He was someone who often traveled in the countryside.

He quickly stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute.

"You must be You Xi. I am Li Sheng. It is truly kind of you to have come from afar."

You Xi's gaze fell on Li Sheng, scanning him from head to toe, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had met many heroes in the countryside, but this young man in front of him was not only strong and imposing, but also had a calm demeanor that was unlike that of a villager. The elegance he exuded was more like that of a scholar who was studying the classics.

"You're Li Sheng?"

You Jiao nodded, his tone more polite than before.

"Indeed, you have a fine appearance. My surname is Zhou, and my given name is An. I am a patrolman from this village. I have come today on behalf of the county government to arrange affairs for you at the pavilion."

Li Sheng turned slightly to the side and gestured for them to proceed.

"You've come all this way, it must be tiring. Please come into the village to talk."

Seeing that Li Sheng showed no arrogance, Zhou An's opinion of him improved even further.

No wonder he was valued by the county magistrate.

Sensing the goodwill emanating from Li Sheng, he did not refuse, and the group entered the village together.

After a feast, Zhou An sat there with great satisfaction.

He glanced around the village before speaking slowly.

"The county's official document has been issued. From today onwards, the position of the head of the pavilion in Siyang Township will be yours, Brother Li Sheng. The pavilion is located five li north of your Dongping Village, where there is a row of houses. You should go there to report for duty tomorrow. There are existing clerks and soldiers in the pavilion. Of course, Brother Li Sheng, you can also recruit your own and report to the township."

As he spoke, he took out several items from his sleeve and handed them over.

"Here are your wooden disc, bamboo talisman, and seal, Brother Li Sheng. Keep them safe."

Li Sheng accepted it with both hands and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"Thank you for making this trip."

Zhou An looked at him and said with satisfaction.

"Brother Li Sheng, I am a few years older than you, so I'd like to give you a word of advice."

"Please speak, sir."

"It is certainly a good thing that you have obtained this position at such a young age, but Siyangting governs ten villages, and the wealthy households and landlords in each village may have some connections with the county. You must be careful in your future actions, lest you offend people without realizing it."

When he said this, his tone carried a hint of the kindness of someone who had been through it all.

Li Sheng's heart stirred, but his face showed gratitude.

"Thank you for your guidance, Captain. I am new here and hope you will give me more guidance if I have any questions in the future."

Zhou An nodded in satisfaction, glanced at him again, and suddenly laughed.

"You're a good person, more sensible than I thought. Alright, remember to report to the pavilion tomorrow, don't be late."

After he finished speaking, he boarded the oxcart to prepare for the return journey.

Li Sheng said goodbye to the other party.

The sound of hooves rang out, the dust settled, and Zhou An's figure disappeared at the end of the village road.

Li Sheng stood there, watching him leave, the respectful expression on his face gradually fading away.

Li Feng leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"Brother Sheng, what's the background of this patrolman?"

"They're trying to win me over, and incidentally, to do me a favor."

Li Sheng tucked everything into his sleeve, his tone indifferent.

"Selling favors?"

"His last words were both a reminder and a test. He wanted to see if I would take it seriously."

Li Sheng turned around and walked towards the village.

"But it doesn't matter, as long as I get the position of village head, that's fine."

Li Feng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

When the two returned to the village, the villagers had already gathered around.

Liu Lu was the first to start shouting.

He ran back after finishing his shift, and as soon as he entered the threshing ground, he started shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Brother Sheng is the village head! Brother Sheng is the village head!"

Zhao Hu grinned and shouted along.

"Sheng-ge has become the village head! Our village has produced a high-ranking official!"

The villagers were also very happy.

"Brother Sheng really became the village head?"

"That's right! He was personally recommended by the county!"

"Wow, this is really something... Dongping Village has produced a remarkable person!"

Apart from the brothers who were present at the time, these villagers did not know that Li Sheng would become the village head.

This was because after they returned, Li Sheng instructed them to keep it a secret.

Li Sheng meant that things should be done in secrecy, so as not to disappoint the villagers before everything was settled.

Now that the documents have been issued, it's only natural to share this good news with the villagers, as a way of giving back to them for their continued support.

Li Sheng was surrounded by a crowd of congratulatory voices, which he responded to with a smile, showing no impatience whatsoever.

At this moment, the crowd parted, and Liu Gong, the village head, walked out leaning on his cane.

"Sheng-ge'er".

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but as soon as he spoke, the surroundings fell silent.

Li Sheng stepped forward, still showing him respect, and bowed in greeting.

"Lord Liu".

Liu Gong looked him up and down, his eyes full of satisfaction.

"Good, good. We were right to support you in forming the village militia to protect the village. Now that you've become the village head, our hundred or so households in Dongping Village can stand taller from now on."

As he spoke, he reached out and patted Li Sheng's arm, his voice trembling slightly.

"Do a good job."

Li Sheng felt a warmth in his heart and nodded solemnly.

"Rest assured, Lord Liu, Sheng will never forget his roots."

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from behind the crowd, and several men carried a wooden box over.

The leader was Liu Wu, who directed his men to put down the boxes and then clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Sheng.

"Brother Sheng, this is the reward you had the brothers collect from the county government office. As you instructed, it has been distributed."

Li Sheng glanced at the box, then at the villagers surrounding him, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Fellow villagers, these rewards were earned by the eleven brothers who went out to fight for them. Logically, the brothers should receive more. But we wouldn't be where we are today without the help and support of you all."

My idea is that each of us brothers should take our share first, and the rest should be handed over to Liu Gong for safekeeping, as communal funds for our village. If anyone is struggling financially or encounters difficulties, they can use this money to help them out.

After these words were spoken, the room fell silent for a moment.

All the brothers held their heads high with pride, offering no objections to Li Sheng's arrangements. Clearly, Li Sheng had already persuaded them.

Liu Gong's hand trembled slightly as he stared intently at Li Sheng, his eyes reddening.

"Sheng-ge'er, what's wrong with you...?"

Li Sheng smiled slightly.

"Lord Liu, as I said, since everyone supports me, I, Li Sheng, will definitely lead all one hundred-plus households in Dongping Village to a good life!"

The crowd erupted in uproar.

"Brother Sheng is so kind and righteous!"

"If my second son could work for Sheng-ge, that would be a blessing he earned in his past life!"

The women wiped their eyes, the men nodded emphatically, and even the few who usually disliked Li Sheng gave him a thumbs up.

The people of Dongpingli have completely turned their hearts to Li Sheng.