Chapter 279

turn out to be.

The world was in chaos, and these people were displaced.

The bandit leader killed the government soldiers, but not wanting to implicate his friends in the rebellion, he fled overnight.

Later, friends from the village, along with some other villagers who had no other options, came to this place to become bandits.

"Why would I lie to you?" The bandit leader pointed down the mountain: "You should have seen that small town already."

"Even if we rob everything, it won't be enough to feed us old folks."

"To ensure we have enough to eat and wear, we often hunt in the neighborhood."

"..."

Fan Xiaoxiao recalled all the hunting traps she had seen on the road.

There was a sudden feeling of bittersweet humor.

It is certainly a crime to oppress the villagers, but killing the evil officials and soldiers or driving away the barbarian invaders is not a big mistake.

Rather than being bandits, they often did things more like hunters...

"Fine." Fan Xiaoxiao frowned, deciding not to kill anyone to establish her authority.

"Do you want to spend your whole lives being bandits and oppressing the villagers?"

The bandit leader and several other leaders had bloodshot eyes: "If there were any other way to survive, who would be willing to do such a heartless and rotten thing?"

Fan Xiaoxiao glanced at the group and said, "I can give you a way out."

"What do you mean?" Although the bandits wanted a new life, they were not naive people who could be dismissed with a few words.

"My lady, you wouldn't be trying to say that you are a noble person from the imperial court, would you?"

The bandit leader looked her up and down for a long time, but he also felt that she didn't look like it.

Too young, and too lenient with them.

“Of course not.” Fan Xiaoxiao stood up from her chair with her hands behind her back and said calmly, “But if you are willing to repent and make amends by protecting the villagers here, I can give you a new identity.”

"What's your identity?!"

The bandits were very excited, and even Xiao Hei and the others who had come with them were surprised.

Fan Xiaoxiao said, "Of course it's a legitimate identity."

"Since you all fled here because you could not bear the tyranny of the court and killed the government soldiers, you naturally cannot be offered amnesty by the court. Even if they issue a proclamation, would you dare to accept it?"

The bandits fell silent.

Although Fan Xiaoxiao didn't say it directly, her meaning was clear: she was a rebel.

Once he joins this group, he will have this identity.

When the imperial army invades the country in the future, they will not even have the chance to become obedient subjects.

The bandit leader hesitated.

Fan Xiaoxiao didn't urge her, but instead said slowly, "Boss, you should think it over carefully."

"This place is already one of the most peripheral territories of the Great Zhou Kingdom."

"Further north, there lies the vast grassland, the true northern barbarians."

There is no way to retreat.

"If we cannot be accepted by the Great Zhou, what else is there to worry about?"

Moreover, Fan Xiaoxiao herself had other considerations.

Tianshan Village cannot be abandoned.

There are still people there who shared hardships with you.

Along the way, if you want to reach Qingzhou, you can't avoid this war-torn land sandwiched in the middle.

If we could establish a base here, it would not only ensure that we have a place to rest on the way from Tianshan to Qingzhou, but we could also find a way to establish a raw material base for doing business in this no-man's-land.

Like the villages far away in the Tianshan Mountains, this place is bordered by the real northern barbarians.

These people are far more dangerous than the barbarians from the Tianshan Mountains.

The peace and tranquility here is entirely due to the harsh and desolate landscape, which prevents the northern barbarians from raiding the border from plundering anything.

"Brother! Don't hesitate! Let's do it!" The bandit leader who was with that man stepped forward: "What are we afraid of! If the imperial court is chasing us, why are we running away! There are grasslands behind us and deep mountains on our sides!"

"..." The bandit leader gritted his teeth after hearing this: "Fine!"

He said to Fan Xiaoxiao, "But we can't follow you for nothing!"

"We need the tokens of a regular army, and we also need to ensure that they are well-fed and warmly clothed!"

"Of course." Fan Xiaoxiao nodded, feeling quite moved as she did so.

In fact, people in this era are easily satisfied.

If people are well-fed and clothed, who would want to rise up in rebellion?

After everyone discussed and agreed on the terms, the former bandits, now partners, were all very happy.

They are very familiar with these mountains.

Finding herbs is a piece of cake for them.

It's fortunate that this happened, otherwise Fan Xiaoxiao and the others would have wasted even more time.

The men in town said it was a small white flower growing on the side of a blue mushroom.

But mushrooms only grow after rain. If Fan Xiaoxiao and Xiao Hei go there rashly, even if they encounter real medicinal herbs, they won't recognize them!

The most wonderful thing is that they have lived in the mountains for a long time.

The dilapidated bandit den contained a lot of good medicine.

Fan Xiaoxiao and the others can use it directly.

I originally intended to take the medicine back with me.

But it was dark and difficult to travel, and some bandits were frightened and scattered, their whereabouts unknown.

To improve travel efficiency and avoid accidental injury, Fan Xiaoxiao and the others rested on the mountain for one night.

...

...

A few days later, the insect poisoning subsided.

The townspeople not only received the supplies donated by Fan Xiaoxiao and her group, but also recruited the bandits.

So some reformed bandits and some craftsmen from Fan Xiaoxiao's group moved into the town.

Finally, we no longer have to eat in the wind and sleep in the dew.

Fan Xiaoxiao led Xiao Hei and some others to move into the village.

Giving the bandit leaders a promise wasn't the end of it; they also had to help them get official positions in Qingzhou.

The rebel forces led by General Yu, Gu Chongtai, strategist Ji Yushu, and Xiahou were different from those of ordinary small-time fighters.

They haven't declared themselves kings yet, but it's only a matter of time.

Therefore, the official appointment letter from Qingzhou is something that can be recognized.

In other words, it was the token of the regular army that the bandit leaders wanted.

If we look at it from a longer-term perspective...

If Qingzhou wants to expand its territory, it will definitely need to connect the whole prefecture. The development of this mountain stronghold can serve as a hub and also as the cornerstone for the development of Fan Xiaoxiao's own business empire.

A cunning rabbit has three burrows.

Tianshan Village is not enough.

There won't be enough business in Qingzhou in the future.

She wanted more.

...

...

Twenty days passed in the blink of an eye, and the messenger finally returned.

Only Gu Zhongtai came with them.

Fan Xiaoxiao ran out of the house, then thought that being too hasty might make her seem less dignified.

She tugged at her clothes and walked out of the village as if nothing out of the ordinary.

I saw him standing at the door talking to Xiao Hei.

Fan Xiaoxiao arrived.

Without her saying a word, he seemed to sense her presence and turned to look at her.

Sometimes, a single glance that feels like an eternity can truly happen in an instant.

I've been away for so long.

I don't really miss them that much.

She is busy almost every day trying to support the livelihoods of dozens or even hundreds of people, and she is constantly struggling with how to survive and how to live better.

But all of that vanished from my mind the moment I saw him.

A blank page.

Having weathered countless storms, I return still a youth at heart.

My heart is beating fast, and it aches a little.

"Xiaoxiao, I'm here." He walked up to her and smiled at her in front of everyone.

He was unaware of how handsome he was.

When she smiles, she's stunningly beautiful.

Fan Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and felt her eyes getting a little wet.

(End of this chapter)