Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 49 Revisiting an Old haunt

Liu Lu clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and left the inn to return home.

Li Shi stood silently at the door, like a guardian deity.

Li Sheng glanced at him but did not assign him any tasks.

It's good to keep such quiet but reliable people around.

The duty room fell silent.

Li Sheng sat back down at his desk, his gaze falling on the old map on the wall.

His gaze started from Tingyi and moved north along that thick line until it stopped on the three characters "Xiangyangli".

Wangjiawubao.

Those people who were coerced, those fields and grains that were distributed...

I wonder how they are doing now.

Li Sheng tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.

"Li Shi".

"Bring out that oxcart from the inn, let's go to Xiangyangli."

"promise."

Without asking why, Li Shi went straight to the cowshed behind the inn and harnessed the cattle.

This ox, which was specifically used to pull carts, was very docile and allowed Li Shi, a stranger, to handle it.

Li Zili watched from the side, puzzled.

"Brother Sheng, where are you and Brother Li Shi headed?"

He's only just arrived at Tingyi to take up his post; surely they're not going to leave him here all alone?

"Go north and check out Xiangyangli."

Li Sheng stood up, picked up the powerful bow on the shelf, and gently tested it.

He slowly shook his head and then looked at Li Zili.

"Make a list of the weapons that need repair as soon as possible, so that I can go to the county later to see if I can get a new batch."

"Yes, Brother Sheng."

Li Zili didn't ask any more questions, nodded in agreement, and immediately set off to inspect the weapons stored in the post station.

Li Sheng walked to the door, then suddenly remembered something and turned back to look at Li Zili.

Noticing Li Sheng's gaze, he looked up.

"Is there anything else you need, Brother Sheng?"

Li Sheng's tone softened somewhat.

"After the weapons are inventoried, write down your ideas on how to use post stations to connect the various villages and towns to fight against the Yellow Turban rebels. I'd like to see if you can do it."

Li Zili nodded vigorously.

He understood.

This was no simple task; it was a test. It wasn't a test of his loyalty, but rather of the wisdom and vision within him.

He paused for a moment, then solemnly cupped his hands in reply.

"Don't worry, Brother Sheng, I will do my best. I will submit my ideas within two days."

Li Sheng glanced at him, nodded slightly, and looked at him with a hint of expectation.

"No rush, think it through before you write."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Li Zili stood there, watching the figure disappear into the twilight, motionless for a long time.

A breeze blew in from outside the door, bringing a touch of coolness.

He whispered to himself.

"Brother Sheng is testing me."

Tests are good; he's never afraid of being tested.

This shows that Brother Sheng wasn't simply trying to win him over as a servant, but genuinely valued him.

He then took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the armory where weapons were stored, his steps becoming more steady than before.

……

The oxcart departed from Tingyi just past noon.

The driver was naturally Li Shi.

It's April now, and the fields along the road are already turning green, with many farmers still working in them.

Although news of the war breaking out in Xiapi in the north had spread, the Yellow Turban rebels were not yet in sight, and the wheat in the fields still needed to be tended.

If no one takes care of it, forget about this year's harvest. In the end, you'll either have to sell your land and become a tenant farmer on a wealthy man's estate, or become a vagrant and flee to another place.

Looking around, Li Sheng saw that in addition to the able-bodied young men, the elderly, women, and children were also working in the fields.

In this era of low productivity, no ordinary person had the right to talk about rest. Even young children had to follow adults around, pulling weeds and catching pests...

He let out a long sigh.

Although life in Dongpingli has improved thanks to everyone's joint efforts, countless people in the world are still suffering.

His little bit of pride vanished instantly.

Peace has not yet arrived, and the people are still suffering greatly; it is far from the time for him to stop.

……

The oxcart creaked and groaned as it rolled along the dirt road, kicking up a trail of dust.

More than half an hour later, the outline of Xiangyangli came into view.

The stone walls of Wangjiawu Fort still stand there, but the flags that used to be planted on the walls are gone. The gate is wide open, and there are two young men holding wooden spears standing at the entrance.

Li Shi rarely let out a sound of surprise.

"Didn't you come here without any defense last time?"

Li Sheng remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the two young men.

His face was pale and sickly, his coarse cloth clothes were washed until they were almost white, and the wooden spear in his hand was crooked and uneven, but his posture was still relatively upright and his eyes were still relatively alert.

It seems the people of Xiangyang Village haven't been idle these days.

As the oxcart approached, two young men raised their wooden spears, their voices tense.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Li Shi jumped off the carriage and was about to speak when Li Sheng also jumped off the carriage shaft.

The two young men were stunned when they saw Li Sheng for the first time.

A round-faced man carefully examined Li Sheng, then suddenly his eyes widened.

"You...you are that benefactor! That hero who led the men to kill the bandits!"

The other tall, thin man also realized what was happening, and almost dropped the wooden spear in his hand, quickly stepping aside to avoid it.

"Please forgive me, my benefactor! I was blind and didn't recognize you! Please come in!"

Li Sheng nodded, gesturing for Li Shi to drive the carriage inside.

The moment the oxcart entered Xiangyang Village, the news spread like wildfire.

"Our benefactor has returned!"

"Our benefactor has arrived!"

"Go quickly and tell everyone to come back, stop working in the fields! Go now!"

Xiangyangli suddenly became lively. Men, women, and children poured out from all directions and surrounded the oxcart, talking all at once. Some expressed their gratitude, while others wept and lamented, all remembering Li Sheng's kindness.

Li Sheng stood beside the oxcart, responding to each question with a broad smile on his face.

A short while later, the crowd parted, and a young man strode out.

It was Wang Fu, the first person to lead the way.

His complexion was much better than a few days ago, and he was now wearing a clean short-sleeved shirt.

Upon seeing Li Sheng, his eyes immediately reddened, and he rushed forward, kneeling on the ground with a thud.

"Our benefactor! You've finally arrived! We've been eagerly awaiting your visit every day!"

Li Sheng reached out and helped him up, patting him on the shoulder.

"Stand up and speak. How has the village been these days?"

Wang Fu stood up, wiped his eyes, and pointed around.

"Thanks to Lord En, the grain was distributed, and everyone was finally able to have a few full meals. Everyone started cultivating their own land again. When you left, you asked us to select local militia and take precautions, and we did as you instructed."

He pointed to the two young men with wooden spears at the door, and then to several men practicing with knives in the corner of the courtyard.

"The local militia selected about twenty men, but they had no knives or guns, only wooden spears and pitchforks. Everyone knows that with such limited skills, they still wouldn't be able to stop bandits if they really came..."

His voice trailed off at this point.

Li Sheng keenly sensed that there was something hidden in Wang Fu's words, and he looked up and around.