Chapter 38: We Were Just About to Fight to the Death, Your Majesty—Why Have You Surrendered First?

Deep into the night, Ma Yi was pale from blood loss, yet he was still hauled up and forced to head straight for that mountain hollow. It must be said, the hollow was indeed not far from Ludi-xia Township.

Before long, the group arrived at the entrance, escorting Yun Ge’er. With a blade pressed against his throat, Ma Yi dared not resist in the slightest; he faced the cold wind and shouted, "Where are you all? Get out here!"

Ma Yi was a charlatan himself, so one could hardly expect his subordinates to be any more capable. He was actually afraid of having talent around—what if they realized he was a fraud and slit his throat? Therefore, he had carefully vetted his men. He wanted no one with high intelligence or exceptional skills.

There was about a platoon of men in the hollow, roughly fifty in total. They were slightly better than the ragtag groups of refugees pulled together in Ludi-xia, as these men were all deserters who had once served in the army. Usually, deserters dared not return to their hometowns, as they would be handed over to the authorities, leading to fines and collective punishment for their families. If they didn't return and couldn't be found, their families could claim they were missing in action and perhaps even collect a pension. These deserters were a step above refugees, but only just.

Just like the two deceased Baima Di tribesmen Ma Yi had hosted for food and song that night, these men, who fancied themselves "arrogant soldiers and fierce generals," had managed to arrange their own feast. By now, they were all dead drunk. Hearing Ma Yi’s shout, the few who were slightly sober stumbled to their feet and shoved the others awake. Muttering and cursing, they lazily shuffled out.

Yun Ge’er was protected in the center by Deng Qiang and Le Dan. Jiang Guang, leading the others, charged forward with his blade the moment he saw them. After cutting down the first two men, he bellowed, "Surrender and you shall live!"

The deserters, their clothes hanging loosely and their bodies numbed by a long day of drinking and eating, were in no state to resist. Even the laborers like Boss Lü were emboldened by this easy victory; a dozen of them followed behind Jiang Guang, swinging farm tools and wooden clubs blindly. The deserters were instantly cowed by this momentum and began howling, "We surrender, we surrender! Don't kill me!"

Except for the three or four killed at the start, all fifty-odd men were taken prisoner in a matter of moments.

Ma Yi, bound and gagged, was livid. These useless trash! Fifty-some men—and Yun Ge’er’s side had only twenty people. They should have been able to put up a fight, yet they hadn't even lasted a quarter of an hour before surrendering.

But while Ma Yi was furious, the captured men felt aggrieved, and the local commander even glared at Ma Yi with rage. *You were the one who brought the enemy here, weren't you? You surrendered first, and now you blame us? We were the perfect example of "we were just about to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty surrender first?" What are you so angry about!*

Seeing that things had gone so smoothly, Yun Ge’er was escorted over by Deng Qiang. Aside from the scent of blood, the air was thick with the smell of heavy alcohol and meat. Ma Yi and his band of fools were currently locked in a staring contest, looking utterly wronged. As for the laborers like Boss Lü, they weren't afraid of the corpses; they had seen many while fleeing for their lives. Their focus was entirely on the food scattered across the ground. With wine and meat in sight, they subconsciously licked their lips. They had forgotten how long it had been since they last tasted meat, and their stomachs had begun to rumble.

Yun Ge’er noticed a lamb still roasting over a fire, barely touched, its aroma wafting through the air. "Eat. Don't let it go to waste, but don't touch the wine." Boss Lü glanced quickly at Yun Ge’er, gave a heavy nod, and rushed toward the lamb.

The laborers fell upon the food with fervor. They had forgotten how long it had been since they tasted such sizzling, fatty meat; they even chewed and swallowed the bones. Jiang Guang and his men, not hungry themselves, protected Yun Ge’er and scouted the surroundings. They found many simple thatched huts built within the hollow, and behind them, piles of supplies covered with withered grass and branches for concealment.

"These are...?" Jiang Guang’s eyes widened in disbelief. He kicked open one of the huts and found it packed to the rafters with bags. He thrust his blade into one, and a cascade of millet poured out. Jiang Guang instinctively looked at Yun Ge’er.

Hearing the rustle of the millet, the two local wardens and even the laborers—who were hyper-sensitive to the sound of grain—looked over. They began to realize the truth: this was all... grain? They hadn't grasped the scale of it before, and Boss Lü’s group hadn't even understood what Ma Yi was talking about, assuming it had nothing to do with them. But now, seeing the huts filling the entire hollow and the mountains of supplies, the reality hit them. This was all grain?

In this era, a soldier on the march required at least two jin of staple food a day, plus supplements, to maintain basic strength. For an army of ten thousand, that meant consuming roughly twelve tons of staples and five or six tons of supplements daily. If this entire hollow was filled with grain, it looked enough to feed an army of a hundred thousand for a month!

Even Jiang Guang, a man who had seen his share of turmoil, felt his palms sweating. He had looked at Yun Ge’er because a thought had flashed through his mind: should they silence the laborers? Greed was human nature, and this was enough grain to tempt anyone into any risk.

Yun Ge’er realized this immediately, and his heart skipped a beat. Perhaps he was projecting, but for a split second, he felt a sense of distrust toward both Jiang Guang’s men and Boss Lü’s group. Conversely, he found himself trusting Deng Qiang more. Yun Ge’er hadn't expected the grain to have such a visceral impact. It didn't affect him as much, as he had never known true hunger, but the laborers had, and Jiang Guang’s men were ambitious—this grain was enough to make them risk everything.

Fortunately, Yun Ge’er regained his composure quickly. When Deng Qiang stepped in front of him with his blade, he gently stepped aside from the protection. Jiang Guang’s men, whether intentionally or not, had distanced themselves from the wardens and laborers, forming a fan-shaped formation that subtly kept Yun Ge’er in the center.

The two wardens were truly stunned. Boss Lü and his men were breathing heavily, their eyes fixed on the grain. Yet, they made no move. Boss Lü, in particular, was wringing his hands, looking at the spilling millet with deep regret. The laborers were so bedazzled by the grain that they didn't notice the faint, lingering murderous intent from Jiang Guang’s men. Instead, one of them couldn't help but say, "My lords, that bag of millet is spilling onto the ground; it's such a waste. Should... should I go and gather it up?"

Boss Lü, staring at the golden millet, also subconsciously added, "Yes, yes. Yun Ge’er, let me gather this grain for you. Even though it hit the ground, it isn't dirty. It’s just such a waste, such a waste."

Yun Ge’er suddenly snapped back to reality. He felt a sudden shame for his earlier thoughts. He had underestimated the loyalty of Jiang Guang’s men and the submissiveness, fear of power, and inherent kindness of the laborers. Jiang Guang and his men were ambitious, and though they served the Li family for a salary, it wasn't just for money. They had their own code of loyalty. As Uncle Li had said, Jiang Guang came from the Qing clan and would never betray his master. That was why Uncle Li and Li Fu had felt safe entrusting Yun Ge’er to him.

At the same time, Yun Ge’er realized he had misjudged the laborers. They were indeed blinded by the grain and secretly hoped that if Yun Ge’er were kind, he might give them a share. But this also meant they never assumed this massive fortune belonged to them; they implicitly accepted that it belonged to Yun Ge’er. If they hadn't found a home outside of Long County, if they had no hope for survival, they might have rushed forward in a frenzy of greed. But they were not in that position now. They had hope, a roof over their heads, and a few copper coins saved.

To these people, there was a deeply ingrained fear and submission toward power. As long as those in charge showed a modicum of kindness, they would exude overwhelming gratitude. As long as they weren't pushed to the brink, they would be more timid and obedient than livestock, accepting this as the natural order and passing that mindset down to the next generation.

Yun Ge’er let out a long sigh. He spoke first to break the stiff atmosphere. "Gather it up. Uncle Jiang, please take care of that bag of grain." He then smiled. "What are you waiting for? There is so much good food here; aren't you hungry? Everyone, eat your fill today. Eat until you can't eat anymore. Once you're full, tomorrow, each of you can carry as much grain as you can manage—everything you can carry away is yours!"

The laborers thought they had misheard, but once the realization hit, they were ecstatic! Everything they could carry was theirs! Boss Lü figured he could carry five bags—no, ten! That was a fortune in grain; this trip with Yun Ge’er was a massive windfall!

Jiang Guang and his men also breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the laborers return to their meal with even more enthusiasm, he called the two wardens aside. The wardens were trembling, but since they had found not only mountains of grain but also gold and silver, Jiang Guang used a mix of threats and bribes, handing over a large sum of money to them. "You are locals, and Magistrate Li still governs here. Take the money and spend it, but don't go talking nonsense." The wardens were clever and agreed immediately.

Meanwhile, Yun Ge’er, accompanied by Deng Qiang, kicked Ma Yi, ending his staring contest with the commander. "You have so much grain here. What exactly is going on?"