"My fellow villagers! I know you are having a hard time right now. You don't have enough to eat, you don't have warm clothes, and you don't even have a place to shelter from the wind and rain!"
"It's not that the court doesn't care about you, but the world is in chaos right now, and there are disasters everywhere. The court can't take care of it all at once."
"But, as a captain, I, Liu Xiao, will never watch you starve to death or freeze to death here!"
Liu Xiao's voice was so loud that it attracted the refugees nearby to come closer. The refugees in the distance also gathered over when they saw the commotion here.
"General, are you going to give us food?"
Some refugees spoke with hope in their eyes. They would be happy even if it was just grass roots or tree bark. They didn't want to eat dirt anymore.
"Yes, General, please have mercy on us."
"We can't hold on any longer!"
Seeing that the refugees were aroused, Liu Xiao was secretly delighted and continued, "This captain knows how you feel, but the granary in Ruifeng County has long been empty, and even the officers and soldiers are hungry, so how can we have extra food for you?"
When the refugees heard this, the hope in their eyes instantly dimmed, and many of them began to cry quietly again.
Seeing this, Liu Xiao changed the subject and raised his voice suddenly: "But! I know there is a place where food is piled up like a mountain, and clothes are piled up like a mountain! The people there are well fed and warmly dressed, but they are unwilling to share a grain of rice or a piece of clothing to help you! What do you think, should such people die?"
The refugees looked at each other in bewilderment. Is this referring to the nobles?
But aren't all the nobles like this? When have they ever cared about our lives?
The person Liu Xiao arranged among the refugees shouted at this moment.
"Damn it! Why do they have the right to monopolize the food and let us starve to death!"
"General, where are you talking about? Let's go find them and seek justice!"
With these people taking the lead, the other refugees also became excited and shouted that they had robbed food from the fleeing nobles in Taoyuan County before, and now the worst that could happen was that they would rob again.
As long as they have something to eat, they will do anything.
Seeing that the time was right, Liu Xiao showed a hint of sneer on his face, raised his hand and pointed at the mountains in the distance, and shouted: "It's right there! Yiyun Village!"
"Those bandits stole the relief food and warm clothes given to you by the imperial court. They enjoyed the food that was given to you, but left you starving here!"
"Your children are starving to death, your elders are freezing to death, and the food and clothes those bandits are eating should be yours. What do you think? Should we kill bandits like these?"
"They deserve to be killed! They deserve to be killed!" The emotions of the refugees were completely ignited. It turned out that it was not the imperial court that ignored us, but that we were robbed by bandits.
Thinking that those bandits eat well and dress well, while they are here eating Guanyin soil, wearing tattered clothes, having no home to return to, and becoming refugees.
The anger in his heart could no longer be tolerated. At this moment, he even felt that those bandits were more hateful than the nobles!
Seeing that the time was right, Liu Xiao shouted, "Okay! Since everyone thinks these bandits deserve to die, then follow me to take back the food and clothes that belong to you. I, Liu Xiao, promise that everything in the village will be yours!"
Thousands of refugees were immediately excited and shouted in unison, "Kill the bandits! Kill the bandits!"
Seeing that the refugees' emotions had been fully aroused, Liu Xiao sneered in his heart: "Cao Rui's strategy is indeed brilliant. These refugees are all fools, but as long as they are used properly, they are the best cannon fodder."
"Wait until they and the bandits are both defeated, then I will lead my troops to charge in and wipe out Yiyun Village in one fell swoop!"
Just then, Xue Wenju ran out.
"Captain Liu, you are just fooling around. Even you can't beat the bandits. Inciting these refugees, aren't you pushing them into the fire pit?"
Xue Wenju's tone was cold. He never expected that Liu Xiao would actually let the refugees attack Yiyun Village.
Liu Xiao smiled and said, "Xue County Magistrate, this captain is here to show these refugees a way out. Do you have the heart to watch them starve and freeze outside?"
"I can't bear it, but there is no other way. You can't push them to their death. This is sending them to their deaths."
"To die?"
Liu Xiao smiled leisurely, "Then ask them if they are willing to go."
Xue Wenju said loudly: "My fellow villagers, the bandits are very powerful. If you go to Yiyun Village, you will die. Don't be impulsive."
Some refugees shouted loudly, "We will die if we stay here. If we go, we may have a chance to survive. We will die anyway, so we might as well give it a try."
"Yes, the bandits stole our relief food, so we have to take it back."
"Let's go, let's go now!"
Many refugees marched towards Yiyun Village in a mighty manner. Xue Wenju was unable to stop them and could only angrily say, "Liu Xiao, since you failed to suppress the bandits, you incited the refugees to gain credit for yourself."
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiao's face darkened and his tone became cold, "Xue County Magistrate, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."
"I, Liu Xiao, act uprightly and honestly. Everything I do is for the court and the people. If you dare to slander me again, don't blame me for being merciless!"
After saying that, he turned and left.
Xue Wenju became even more angry when he saw Liu Xiao being so arrogant, but he also knew that as a civil servant, he could do nothing to Liu Xiao who held military power.
Before, Liu Yiyi had suggested that Xue Qianqian marry Liu Xiao, and Xue Wenju was somewhat tempted, but now he has given up the idea.
Looking at the refugees gradually moving away, Xue Wenju sighed. Even if the bandits were really wiped out, there would probably be many casualties among these refugees.
…
Yiyun Village.
The victory yesterday made all the bandits very excited. It was the first time they won a head-on battle against officers and soldiers. Although they had the advantage of equipment, it also had a lot to do with their usual training.
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