However, these soldiers were not afraid; they were there to perform their duties and carry out official business.
The officers and soldiers planned to wait for these people to pass before continuing their duties.
But when this kind-looking man walked up to them, he stopped and began to look them and the conscripted laborers over.
At this moment, one of the conscripted men cried out, "Sir, please save us! We have elderly mothers and young children who depend on us for survival. If we are taken away, our whole family will starve to death."
"Please save us, sir."
Li Guang ignored the conscripted laborers; his kind face gradually turned serious. He looked at the officer who appeared to be a minor leader beside him and said:
"Come here for a moment."
The squad leader was stunned. Judging from his clothes, the man in front of him, who was about fifty years old, did not look like an official. Under normal circumstances, these people would not provoke soldiers like them.
Just as he was lost in thought, the guard beside him shouted:
"Our master is calling you, did you hear me?"
The guard's voice was extremely penetrating, and the minor leader trembled in fright. He quickly ran over to Li Guang and said:
"What brings you here? We are here on orders to recruit soldiers."
Upon hearing this, Li Guang frowned, looked at the dozen or so strong men tied together with ropes, and asked in confusion:
"Is this how you recruit soldiers? This is clearly conscription."
The imperial court had a conscription system, and the conscription targets were specified. Families with only one male member or those who were over the age limit were not eligible for conscription.
I have never seen recruits tied together like this before; they look like prisoners you have captured.
Another point is that the few able-bodied men you arrested are over thirty years old, clearly not eligible for conscription. Can you explain this to me?
"this……"
The squad leader was stunned. He only knew how to follow his superior's orders and had no idea that there were these regulations for conscription.
"Speak quickly, our master is asking you a question."
"We are following the orders of the prefect, and this has been the way we have been conscripting soldiers all this time."
"Who is your prefect? Where are these newly recruited soldiers going to be sent?"
At this point, the leader seemed to have sobered up a bit. He realized that the person in front of him was probably not an official, and that he and his men were soldiers, so there was no need to be afraid of him. With that thought, he spoke up.
"Who you are is a matter for the government; why should we tell you?"
"How dare you speak to our master like that!"
One of the guards roared, his sword already drawn, gleaming with a blinding cold light, which startled the minor leader.
Li Guang glanced at the guards and said, "Don't be rash. They've done nothing wrong; they're just doing their duty. Don't make things difficult for them."
"Yes, sir." The guard sheathed his sword and took a step back.
The imposing presence of Li Guang and his entourage had already intimidated the soldiers; in their eyes, these men must be someone of considerable importance.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Guang took a few steps forward, looked towards Yanjing, and sighed deeply.
“Our ancestors, my Yelü family has failed Heaven. We thought that this beast could govern the country well and I could live in peace in seclusion. But we never expected that he would govern the foreign country so badly that it is on the verge of collapse.”
Back in the day, when the late emperor ruled the world, the Fan Kingdom was an unshakeable land, prosperous and powerful. But now, with his army pressing in, if we let this beast continue to cause trouble, the Fan Kingdom will cease to exist.
It seems the time has come for me to return to power. As a descendant of Yelü, I must protect the legacy left by my ancestors, ensuring that the people can live in peace and prosperity, free from the suffering of war.
Li Guang, in the capacity of Yelü Khan, delivered a heartfelt speech, which made Zhao Xian and Li Xue secretly delighted. Once the news of Yelü Khan's appearance in the northern town of Wumen spread throughout the foreign kingdoms, it would be a bombshell.
The small leader and soldiers were shocked. They realized something: could this person be the legendary Second Prince Yelü Khan? It seemed that something big was about to happen in the foreign kingdom.
"What should we do with these soldiers, sir?" the guards asked.
Li Guang glanced at the officers and soldiers, sighed, and slowly spoke:
"They're just following orders, so don't make things difficult for them. Just tell them to release these able-bodied men and not to do this kind of thing again."
"Yes, sir."
Next, several guards walked up to the leader and said:
"Release all the captured men immediately, and tell your prefect to stop doing this kind of thing. Now you can go back."
What happened today must not be divulged; you must not reveal to anyone that our master has appeared at Wumen.
The weather was still a bit cold, but the small-time leader was already sweating profusely.
He was convinced that the person in front of him was Yelü Khan, and that the people around him were all top-notch experts, making it easy for him to take their lives.
"Okay, we'll release them immediately," the foreman quickly replied.
The officers and soldiers dared not delay and hurriedly stepped forward to untie the ropes binding the able-bodied men. The released men came to Li Guang and knelt down.
"Thank you, sir, for saving our lives."
Li Guang stepped forward, bowed to these people, and said:
"Get up, all of you. You are all subjects of the foreign lands. It is my Yelü clan that has wronged you. Go home now, and let this kind of thing never happen again."
The able-bodied men kowtowed in gratitude and quickly dispersed.
Seeing that the able-bodied men had all left, the guard asked, "Sir, where are we going now?"
"Continue south to understand the people's conditions."
After Li Guang finished speaking, he strode forward, followed closely by several guards and servants.
Seeing the group leave, the leader wiped the sweat from his brow and said:
"Go back and report. This matter must not be told to anyone."
But it's impossible now. What just happened was known not only to the officers and soldiers, but also to many people in the town. Many others were hiding in the shadows, having witnessed everything that had just occurred.
News of Yelü Khan's appearance in Wumen Town spread quickly.
At this time, Li Guang and his party had changed their appearance, reverted to their merchant attire, and continued their journey northwest.
"Li Guang, your impersonation of Yelü Khan has astonished the world. Yelü Khan is merely a legend in the foreign lands."
You've turned this legend into reality. If Yelü Wu knew this, he'd definitely lose sleep. I wonder how he'll handle this.
Li Guang smiled slightly and said, "The momentum we've made so far isn't enough, and it hasn't reached Yanjing so quickly yet."
By the time we reach Mabushan, news of Yelü Khan's return to power will likely have spread throughout the entire Fan Kingdom.
In the foreign lands, there are still some followers of the old Yelü, who have always opposed Yelü Wu's rule. Once they hear the news of Yelü Khan's return to power, they will definitely react, and then there will be a good show to watch.
If Yelü Khan had his own power base, he would analyze the current situation, and if the situation were in his favor, he would take action to reclaim the throne.
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