Chapter 370: Don't Disturb the People
As soon as news of the rebels' defeat arrived, the entire county town erupted in thunderous cheers.
People rushed out of their homes, celebrating and leaping with joy in the streets.
Many gathered around the yamen runner who brought the news.
The yamen runner, still mounted, began to narrate loudly: “What a decisive victory we had today! The rebels couldn’t even find their footing on shore before being driven back into the water, ha ha ha! And the Gao Family Village Militia...”
He chattered on, spinning a vivid and lively tale of the battle that had unfolded at Qichuan Ferry.
Gao Yiye, Qiu Ju, and Dong Xue, the two young women, weren't particularly interested in battles. They remained seated in the shop, enjoying their fresh seafood noodles, unwilling to join the commotion. However, Li Daoxuan shifted his 'focus' to the scene, listening to the yamen runner embellish the story for quite a while.
This way, he finally got a clear, detailed account of the battle at Qichuan Ferry.
Good. It seemed his little people had only suffered a few arrow wounds at most, with no major casualties. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The Heavenly Lord, always protective of his own, dreaded nothing more than seeing his little people perish.
“Yiye, it seems Heyang County is safe for now,” Li Daoxuan instructed, a touch of cheer in his voice. “All those livelihood projects I asked you and San Shier to arrange earlier can now be implemented immediately.”
Gao Yiye dropped her bowl with a clang. “Understood!”
Li Daoxuan looked closer, startled to see that her fresh seafood noodles were completely gone, even the soup had been finished.
“Gasp! Didn’t you just say you were full and wanted Qiu Ju and Dong Xue to help you finish some?”
Gao Yiye replied, “But these fresh seafood noodles are so delicious, I just found I could eat more!”
Li Daoxuan was speechless.
What kind of person was this?
Wait, he mused, modern girls were said to have two stomachs – one for main courses, and one for desserts. So, ancient girls must also have two stomachs: one for ordinary food, and another for exotic delicacies.
Girls truly were amazing creatures!
After a period of boisterous celebration in the county town, the first to return were the Gao Family Village Cavalry Battalion, led by Zao Ying, and the Gao Family Village Militia, led by Cheng Xu. They were headed back to Gao Family Village. However, the journey home wasn't as rushed as their deployment for reinforcement, so they didn't send the cavalry ahead, allowing the infantry to catch up and march back together.
They didn't bypass the city; instead, they marched directly into the county town, planning to rest there before continuing their journey back to Gao Family Village.
A militia of fifteen hundred men was quite a considerable force. Upon entering the county town, Cheng Xu called out loudly, “Padi Tu, Zheng Gouzi, you two lead those hundred guards of the Saintess and follow me. We’ll go meet with the Saintess.”
Padi Tu and Zheng Gouzi promptly acknowledged the order.
Cheng Xu turned to Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and the rest of the militia soldiers, saying, “Disperse on the spot and rest. In an hour, reassemble outside the city gate to continue our journey. Remember, do not disturb the people. The Heavenly Lord cherishes the common folk. If any of you oppress good common people like government soldiers do, prepare yourselves for labor reform.”
Gao Chuwu grinned, his mouth wide. “How could we ever do that? We study the Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention every day! We’d never bully the common folk.”
Zheng Daniu also grinned. “Bullying people is so tiring, and you have to swing your fists. Better to find a place for some good food.”
Everyone laughed.
With a collective cheer, the militia dispersed.
Seeing the militia disperse, Zao Ying figured her Gao Family Village Cavalry Battalion also deserved a break. She waved her hand. “The Cavalry Battalion will rest for an hour too. Don’t disturb the people!”
The cavalrymen acknowledged her, then scattered. Each with a horse, they weren't as free to stroll as the infantry; they had to lead their mounts with one hand, which made wandering the streets less convenient.
Yet, each additional horse seemed to be a symbol of status. In those times, ordinary people rarely owned horses. As these men led their horses through the streets, passersby gave them a wide berth.
Zao Ying frowned, a flicker of worry that her men might disturb the populace. She felt confident about the hundred and eighty greenhorns they had just recruited, knowing they wouldn't cause trouble. But her own hundred and twenty veteran horse bandits... she wasn't so sure about them. After a moment’s thought, she lowered her voice and said to Cheng Xu, “Please give my regards to the Saintess. I need to go patrol the city and keep an eye on my old subordinates. They came from horse bandit ranks; they might stir up trouble if I’m not watching. Nothing will go wrong if I’m there.”
Cheng Xu chuckled. “Alright, Instructor Zao, you’d better keep a close watch on them. The Heavenly Lord is usually benevolent and gentle, but if he encounters anyone oppressing good common people, his rage flares up. I’ve personally witnessed him strike down 'returning rebels' who were preying on the innocent, showing no mercy whatsoever.”
Zao Ying nodded. “Having lived in Gao Family Village for a while, I’ve generally come to understand the Heavenly Lord’s temper. And we’re no longer bandits; we’re a legitimate army now. We can’t act like we used to.”
“Even my favorite trick, fabricating military achievements, is out...”
Zao Ying questioned, “Fabricating military achievements?”
Cheng Xu nodded, letting out a soft chuckle. “I used to have so many bad habits, but they all changed after I came to Gao Family Village, only...” Cheng Xu realized he had spoken out of turn, quickly shut his mouth, and gave two awkward laughs.
Zao Ying, having always seen him masked, had long suspected his identity was unusual. She didn’t press the matter, merely smiled, cupped her fist in a salute, and dismounted. Leading her horse with one hand, she began to wander through the county town...
Cheng Xu smiled, then led Padi Tu, Zheng Gouzi, and the others into the yamen. Gao Yiye and San Shier were already waiting inside. Padi Tu, beaming with pride, declared, “Saintess, your guard detail has returned! From now on, your safety can be entrusted to the invincible Rabbit!”
Gao Yiye smiled. “The messengers reported that you won a decisive victory, and that you even threw gunpowder charges meant for cannons as if they were hand grenades, breaking the rebels’ formation and achieving a great merit.”
Padi Tu threw his head back and laughed heartily, his nostrils flaring towards the sky. “When this Rabbit charges, no army can stand against him!”
His laughter went ignored. San Shier walked up to Cheng Xu, chuckling. “After this defeat, Wang Jiayin must be utterly terrified. He won’t be coming back anytime soon, will he?”
Cheng Xu nodded. “I don’t think he’ll return. The Yellow River banks aren’t limited to just our location for attack. If Wang Jiayin still has his wits about him, he’ll surely choose another spot to make landfall.”
San Shier said, “That’s good then. Your men will be returning to Gao Family Village in an hour, right? Take me with you. The Heavenly Lord has given many instructions regarding economic matters, and I need to get back and prepare as quickly as possible. From now on, our focus should be Heyang County.”
Cheng Xu nodded. “Heyang County possesses Qichuan Ferry, making transportation far more convenient than in Gao Family Village. Indeed, Heyang County will be our primary focus from now on.”
He lowered his voice, leaning closer to San Shier’s ear. “This Magistrate Feng Jun of Heyang County... he’s not quite one of us yet. He’ll probably require a bit more...” He chuckled softly.
San Shier nodded. “Understood. We’ll approach him slowly and strategically.”
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