noveltune Chapter 85, Agreement 3
Chapter 85, Agreement 3
Li Sheng felt a chill run down his spine.
He had long known this moment would come. He had witnessed looting and plundering by chaotic troops after a city fell more than once. When the army marched north to "pacify the bandits," the places the government troops passed through were no better off than the bandits themselves. Burning, killing, raping, and looting caused suffering to the people, and in the end, all the blame was placed on the "bandits." Now that it was his turn to lead troops into the city, he knew better than anyone what kind of people he was dealing with.
Knowing is one thing, being able to hold it down is another.
Once chaos begins, the people of the city will surely become disaffected. The four major families have not yet been completely suppressed. If another popular uprising is instigated, and the city is attacked from both inside and outside, Li Sheng will have to return Xiapi, which he seized today, tomorrow.
"Li Shi".
He turned around, his voice not loud, but every word sounded like a nail hitting the ground.
"exist."
"Immediately send someone to do three things. First, send someone to the county government office to tell Li Feng that all documents must be kept under strict guard, and none of the clerks are to be allowed to escape. Anyone who dares to cause trouble in the chaos should be killed on the spot. Second, go to the city gate and tell Liu Lu to guard the city gate for me; there absolutely cannot be any problems with the city gate. Third,"
He stared into Li Shi's eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"This house belongs to one of the most powerful and wealthy families in the county. You personally lead the men to seal it off. Block up all the alleyways, front and back, and set up sentries outside the courtyard walls. No one is allowed to enter or leave, and no one is allowed to pass on any messages. Even if a dog manages to sneak out, you have to kill it on the spot."
Li Shi took a deep breath and clasped his hands in greeting.
"promise!"
He turned and strode away, his steps steady and without the slightest hesitation.
Li Sheng then pointed to a few soldiers behind him and mounted his horse.
"The rest of you, come with me."
The horse's hooves pounded on the bluestone slabs, heading east towards the city.
The city is in chaos.
These people, who were usually trampled underfoot, now that they have gained power and have weapons in their hands, have started to feel a burning desire in their hearts.
Li Sheng rode his horse around the street corner, and what he saw was a scene that made his blood run cold.
The gate of a house was kicked open, and the door fell to the ground. Several Taiping soldiers stood in the courtyard, one of whom was holding down a woman whose clothes were torn and who was struggling and screaming. Two other people were standing next to her, holding down a man who, judging from his expression, was probably the woman's husband.
"stop!"
With a loud shout, Li Sheng jumped off his horse.
The soldier who was holding the woman down didn't even look up, muttering a curse under his breath.
"Screw you! I risked my life to get into the city, can't I even have some fun...?"
The two people next to them looked up, and what they saw made their faces turn deathly pale.
"Alliance...Alliance Leader..."
Li Sheng stopped looking at them and stared at the soldier who was still moving, his voice as cold as ice.
"Bring me the bow."
A brother behind him handed him a crossbow. Li Sheng took it, drew the bow, and aimed.
The soldier finally realized something was wrong, turned around abruptly, and saw Li Sheng pointing his bow at him. He was so frightened that he went limp and scrambled backward.
"Alliance Leader! Alliance Leader, have mercy..."
The strings resonate.
The crossbow bolt pierced the man's left eye socket and exited through the back of his head. Before he could even finish screaming, his body collapsed straight down in the courtyard, blood flowing down the cracks in the blue bricks.
The courtyard was deathly silent.
The woman was splattered with blood, stunned for a moment, then screamed and scrambled to her feet, running back into the house.
Li Sheng didn't look at her, but turned to the remaining two soldiers. The two were already kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Did I mention the rules before the city fell?"
The two dared not answer, but only kowtowed desperately.
"I have said that I will not disturb the people, I will not commit adultery with women, and I will not take property without permission."
Li Sheng's voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to be etched into the ears of everyone present like a knife.
"Do you think I'm talking nonsense?"
"Leader! Spare us, Leader! We'll never dare to do it again—"
The two men knelt on the ground, their crotches already wet. Li Sheng glanced at them and tossed the bow back to his men behind him.
"Tie him up and parade him in the street. Issue the order that all those who rob and rape shall be executed."
"promise!"
Li Sheng mounted his horse and continued his patrol of the city.
From the east to the west of the city, from the south to the north, he rode with a dozen or so personal guards. They encountered anywhere from three or five to twenty or thirty mutinous soldiers, some smashing doors, some looting grain, and some dragging women. At each stop, Li Sheng shouted to stop them, and those who disobeyed were shot on the spot.
Within an hour, nearly ten Taiping soldiers died by his crossbow.
The rescued civilians peeked through cracks in doors and behind windows at the young general patrolling the city on horseback.
Someone recognized him.
"Isn't that...isn't that Chief Li?"
"Which Li Tingzhang?"
"Li Sheng from Siyang Township! He was the one who captured and killed the Yellow Turban rebels and was promoted directly to village head by Commandant Chen!"
"How did he become the leader of the thieves?"
All of this happened too fast; they hadn't even figured out the specifics yet.
Under Li Sheng's leadership, the chaos gradually subsided.
Li Sheng gathered all the Taiping soldiers in an open space in the center of the city.
Hundreds of people stood in the streets and alleys, some with their heads down, some with their eyes darting around, and some still had cloth and valuables stolen from the people's homes hanging on their bodies.
Li Sheng stood on high ground, looking down at them.
"Everyone here comes from different villages or counties, but no matter where you come from, once you join my Taiping Army, you must abide by the rules of my Taiping Army."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.
"I just killed more than a dozen people. Why? Because they couldn't control themselves. What kind of skill is it to bully ordinary people?"
His voice suddenly rose in pitch.
"Let me tell you, it wasn't these commoners who oppressed us in the past, but those powerful and wealthy people! And those powerful and wealthy people's manors and fortresses are overflowing with grain in their granaries and their cellars are full of wealth they can't carry away. Why don't you take action against them? Are you all cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong?!"
Someone in the crowd looked up.
"But there is one condition,"
Li Sheng's voice turned somber again.
"From this day forward, anyone who disturbs the peace or robs in the city will be beheaded without exception."
He turned and gave instructions to Liu Wu.
"Select three hundred men from among the brothers and divide them to guard each street. Set up two sentry posts on each street, with shifts every twelve hours. Also send people along the streets to proclaim our army's policies: The Taiping Army has come, acting on behalf of Heaven, not taking a single needle or thread from the people, nor harming a single life. Those with grievances, come and appeal; those with suffering, come and speak out."
Liu Wu clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"promise!"
……
In ordinary people's homes.
Behind the door, the male homeowner, with his ear pressed against the crack, heard someone outside banging a gong and shouting.
"The Taiping Army leader Li Sheng has ordered that when our Taiping Army enters the city, we will not disturb the people, take their property, or rape women! Every household can live in peace. Those with grievances can petition at the county government office tomorrow! The Taiping Army will stand up for you against the land seized by the powerful and the extorted rents!"
Again and again, the sound of gongs accompanied by shouts echoed from one end of the street to the other.
The people hiding inside the houses looked at each other in bewilderment.
"It really is Chief Li..."
"How did he become the leader of the Taiping Rebellion?"
"Who knows... But he really did kill several of his own men just now. Those evildoers, he killed them right there in the street. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Maybe it's just for show?"