lovenovelstory Chapter 57 Gathering Response
Chapter 57 Gathering Response
When Li Sheng returned to Dongpingli, it was already dark.
The threshing ground had long since dispersed, and he went straight to his own yard. Before he even entered the gate, he heard people talking inside.
I pushed open the door and went inside; the room was full of people.
Li Feng, Li Shi, Liu Wu, Zhao Hu, and the newly joined Li Zili and Wang Fu, along with the six able-bodied young men from Xiangyang Village. A dozen or so people crammed the already small room to the brim.
Upon seeing Li Sheng enter, everyone stood up.
"team leader."
Li Feng was the first to speak, his voice steady.
Li Sheng waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit down.
He walked to the head seat and sat down directly.
The room fell silent, and everyone's eyes were on him.
"The county magistrate summoned me into the city to discuss the campaign against the Yellow Turbans in the north. Previously, the emperor issued an edict ordering all prefectures and counties to recruit soldiers to suppress the rebels. Governor Ba Gong has finally taken action, and Xiapi is going to respond to the governor and head north to suppress the Yellow Turbans. All counties are required to send troops and supplies, and our county is no exception."
The county magistrate decided to conscript local militia to join the army in battle.
Li Sheng looked at everyone.
"I will be in charge of Siyang Township. We will assemble in the county town in three days. Bring your own weapons and rations."
Liu Wu was the first to speak.
"Captain, how many men are we taking?"
As the deputy captain of the Dongpingli Township militia, he immediately focused on the crux of the problem.
Li Sheng replied.
"I'll be taking most of the local militia from Dongping Village with me this time. You're the vice-captain, so you'll be coming with me too."
Liu Wu nodded.
"What about behind..."
"Of course, we need to send some brothers to stay behind and guard the rear."
Li Sheng picked up the conversation.
"Although we've settled down in Dongping Village for a while, there's no guarantee that no one will cause trouble while we're away. Besides, considering the people we took over after the battle of Wangjiawubao, we need to arrange for trustworthy brothers to stay behind."
Liu Wu pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice.
"Understood, Captain. I recommend Brother Li Shi to stay. He's steady and can keep things under control."
Li Shi paused for a moment, then turned to look at Li Sheng.
"I have no objection to Li Shi staying."
Li Sheng glanced at Li Shi.
"I'm leaving the village affairs to you. I trust you to handle things."
Li Shi finally clasped his hands in a fist and said firmly.
"Yes, Captain. Please rest assured."
Li Zili sat in the corner, remaining silent.
Seeing Li Sheng's commanding presence, he became even more determined to follow him.
Wang Fu was watching from the side, his hands trembling slightly.
He wasn't afraid; instead, he was incredibly excited.
He recalled the scene he had witnessed at the wheat field in Dongpingli that day: a hundred or so people, like a spear formation of one man, with disciplined obedience to orders, shouting in unison, "We are willing to follow the captain!"
He suddenly felt that if he followed Li Shengen, he would definitely be able to accomplish something great.
After assigning specific tasks, Li Sheng glanced at everyone and his voice suddenly turned cold.
"This campaign is in response to the government's call, but it is also our opportunity."
He paused.
"I know everyone might be scared. Heading north to attack the Yellow Turbans is a dangerous mission, and no one can say for sure whether we'll come back alive."
Everyone stared intently at Li Sheng.
"But I'll tell you something."
Li Sheng stood up.
"What have we been training for over a month? Not just for show, not for appearances. We've been training our troops to actually fight and kill the enemy. This battle will be the test."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of emotion and impassioned.
"Moreover, we are going to establish a peaceful and prosperous world in the future. Peace is not something that can be waited for. Each of us must go to the battlefield to experience, see blood, and kill the enemy before we can be considered true soldiers."
Li Feng took a deep breath and was the first to stand up.
"I'm willing to follow the captain."
Immediately afterwards, Li Shi stood up. Liu Wu stood up. Zhao Hu stood up.
One by one.
A dozen or so people stood up in unison, their eyes burning with intensity.
"I'm willing to follow the captain!"
Li Zili stood there, his heart leaping into his throat.
He had seen many retainers kept by powerful families, and he had also seen the troops of prefectures and kingdoms training. But those people did not have this kind of light in their eyes.
Wang Fu's eyes reddened.
He joined the crowd in shouting.
Li Sheng didn't say anything more.
He raised his hand and pressed it down.
"Let me make this clear from the start: there are always deaths in war."
The people's expressions were serious, and they naturally understood what Li Sheng meant by those words.
"However, if our brothers die on the road to establishing a peaceful and prosperous world, I, Li Sheng, will personally offer sacrifices for them, ensuring their incense offerings will never cease, that they will enjoy blessings in the afterlife, and that I, Li Sheng, will take good care of their parents and families!"
The crowd fell silent, their eyes burning with intense passion and piercing light.
"I swear to follow Brother Sheng to the death!"
"I swear to follow Brother Sheng to the death!"
Seeing the crowd's high spirits, Li Sheng guided them.
"Let us establish a peaceful and prosperous world!"
The others immediately chimed in.
"Let us establish a peaceful and prosperous world!"
The sounds rose and fell, as if they were about to lift the roof off.
Li Sheng made the final arrangements.
"Brothers, we'll assemble in three days. Time is tight. Li Feng, when you get back, double-check the list of local militia in Dongping and select the best fighters. Those with elderly or young children at home should be placed further down the list."
"Yes."
"Liu Wu, you're in charge of weapons. Sharpen the swords and spears, replace the bowstrings as needed. There can be no mistakes in the equipment."
"yes!"
"The rest of you, form small groups and go to various villages to spread the news of the expedition. Those who are willing to come with us, gather at the barracks outside the county town in three days."
"yes!"
The crowd responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Sheng barely slept for the past three days.
He led Liu Wu, Li Zili, Wang Fu, and twenty soldiers selected from Dongping Village, running from village to village.
Siyang Township comprises ten villages, with Dongping Village being just one of them. He has not yet had the opportunity to inspect the other nine villages since taking office.
This time, he's going to visit them all.
……
Wherever he went, he would first check on how the people were living.
In most villages, the situation is similar to that in Xiangyang Village.
With natural disasters and man-made calamities, ordinary people could find fewer than two out of ten households with surplus grain. Meanwhile, the landlords and wealthy families in the villages became increasingly active in the past two years, aggressively acquiring land.
The poor get poorer, and the rich get richer.
This is the countryside of the Han people.
But what Li Sheng didn't expect was the result of the recruitment.
He originally thought that he would be lucky to recruit 30 to 50 people.
In fact, after traveling ten miles, more than a hundred people were willing to follow him on the expedition.
Adding the original eighty core militia members of Dongping Village, the total number is close to two hundred.
The reason is not hard to figure out.
In the ten villages of Siyang Township, who doesn't know that Li Sheng, a hero, came from Dongping Village?
Li Sheng possessed extraordinary strength, that was for sure. Some villagers had tried to challenge him, but he subdued them in one move, and from then on, no one dared to try again.
But what truly makes him admirable is not his strength, but his character.
Generous, friendly, and fair in rewards and punishments.
Have you not noticed that most of the guards at the post station in Siyang Township have been replaced by people from Dongping Village? Those who followed Li Sheng, who doesn't say they're good?
More importantly, Li Sheng traveled around the ten villages this time, and in each place he went, he took out grain to help the poorest families.
There wasn't much grain, but during this lean season, a peck of rice could save a life.
"Since we brothers have answered the call to go to war to protect our hometown, we should not let our rear become a source of worry."
Li Sheng said this in public.
"Those who need relief should be given relief; we cannot let the soldiers fighting at the front worry about living in poverty at home."
After this news spread, those who were still hesitant stopped hesitating.
In an instant, followers flocked to him.