"Master, I heard that the imperial court is going to send a large army to attack Guangzong. Please, General, let us leave the city!" an old woman cried.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao frowned even more deeply. Who was spreading rumors? He would never allow the foundation he had painstakingly built to be destroyed.
He said coldly, "Rest assured, everyone, the dog of a court will not attack Guangzong!"
Although Zhang Jiao said this, he also understood that these people certainly wouldn't believe him.
"Rest assured, everyone, as long as I, Zhang Jiao, am here, Guangzong will never fall!" Zhang Jiao continued to assure them.
Upon hearing this, the people all looked worried. After all, the Yellow Turban Army had treated the people of Guangzong very well in the past few months, not only not taking anything from them, but also frequently helping these poor people.
However, many ordinary people firmly believed that the Yellow Turban Army was absolutely no match for the imperial army.
Suddenly, a child ran up to Zhang Jiao, looked up at him with a sincere expression, and said in a childish voice, "Master, my mother told me that you are a good person! So, I believe you!"
Zhang Jiao was taken aback by the child's words, then burst into laughter and said, "Good! Your mother is right!"
Zhang Jiao then picked up the child and asked with a smile, "What's your name?"
"My name is Tiger Cub!" the child grinned.
"Tiger Cub..." Zhang Jiao murmured, a soft light flashing in his eyes.
Upon hearing this, the little boy chuckled and then said, "Master, when I grow up, I want to join the Yellow Turban Army and fight alongside you on the battlefield to defeat the corrupt imperial court!"
Zhang Jiao shook his head and smiled, "When you grow up, don't join the Yellow Turban Army. Study hard, read books, and become a useful person to the world."
After saying this, Zhang Jiao put Huwa down and then addressed the people: "Fellow villagers, the court is tyrannical, indiscriminately killing loyal officials and oppressing the people. Now, everyone in the world is bravely moving forward to resist the court. I hope you can join hands with me to create a great cause together!"
"Rest assured, Celestial Master, we swear to follow you to the death!" many people in the crowd shouted.
In an instant, everyone was united in purpose, and the atmosphere was incredibly enthusiastic.
Looking at the expressions of the people, Zhang Jiao smiled with satisfaction and said, "Good! From today onwards, the villagers will be allocated land according to their households, and the grain harvested by each household will belong to that household. Each villager only needs to pay three dou of millet to the government every year, and the remaining grain will belong to that household. Does everyone think this is acceptable?"
"The Celestial Master is wise!"
"Long live the angels!"
Not only the common people, but even the Yellow Turban rebels were greatly shocked, because they were also common people and knew the importance of farmers. They never expected that Zhang Jiao would give up his own interests to help the people improve their lives. He was too kind.
"We swear to follow the Celestial Master to the death!"
"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise. In the year of Jiazi, great fortune will come to the world!" All the Yellow Turban soldiers shouted in unison.
In an instant, the spirit of unity and concerted effort permeated the entire Guangzong County.
Looking at the scene before him, Zhang Jiao smiled with satisfaction and then returned to his room.
As soon as Zhang Jiao stepped into the room, he felt a chill. He turned his head sharply and saw a figure standing outside the window.
"who!"
Zhang Jiao roared and swiftly drew his sword from his waist, watching his opponent warily.
"Why...why is Zhang Jiao you?"
The familiar voice exploded in Zhang Jiao's heart, striking him as if he had been struck by lightning, and his body trembled slightly.
The owner of that voice was none other than Lu Li.
"Master...Master, is it really you?" Zhang Jiao murmured, his eyes bloodshot.
"Why are you Zhang Jiao? Why is it you?" Lu Li roared.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Why was Laifu Zhang Jiao? And why had he even launched the Yellow Turban Rebellion?
Tears welled up in Zhang Jiao's eyes, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, choking back sobs, "Master..."
How similar this scene was! It was the same on the ninth day of the first lunar month. When Lu Li learned that Zhao Gao was from the ninth day of the first lunar month, he was also greatly shocked.
Lu Li gritted his teeth and said, "Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Zhang Jiao shook his head in anguish and said, "Master, the court is tyrannical and cruel to the people. Our village... our village has been completely slaughtered!"
Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, he clenched his fists and his whole body trembled uncontrollably.
The entire village was massacred? How is that possible?
Why would the imperial court massacre an obscure village?
"Master...the imperial court was requisitioning grain, but the villagers simply couldn't afford that much, leading to a conflict with the officials, and the result was..."
"As a result, the government sent troops to slaughter our entire village!" Zhang Jiao roared excitedly, tears blurring his vision.
The image of that night flashed through his mind, showing how everyone in the village had died at the hands of the soldiers.
Blood stained the village, and bones piled up like mountains; everyone in the village had died a gruesome death.
He remembered that night when the soldiers laughed wildly and slaughtered all the villagers.
Only three people survived in the entire village.
They are the current Heavenly General Zhang Jiao, Earthly General Zhang Bao, and Human General Zhang Liang.
The three men became sworn brothers and changed their names. They started the Way of Peace, and in just three months, the number of believers grew to over ten thousand.
A year later, the famous Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out!
Lu Li felt a sharp pain in his chest, like being pricked by needles, and a feeling of suffocation spread throughout his body.
Those people were all descendants of his junior brother Zhang Liang, and now they have all been slaughtered. How can he accept this fact!
Zhang Jiao was actually his beloved disciple, Lai Fu! And the reasons for his rebellion seemed perfectly logical.
However, after calming down, Lu Li sensed a hint of conspiracy.
All of this must have been orchestrated by someone behind the scenes.
Lu Li frowned in thought; this matter was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.
“Master, since I founded the Way of Peace, I have never oppressed the people. I only robbed the gentry and powerful families. I will lead the people to overthrow this corrupt and tyrannical court!” Zhang Jiao said firmly.
After hearing Zhang Jiao's words, Lu Li fell silent.
"Are you unaware that the Yellow Turban Rebellion in other continents has already begun targeting ordinary people?" Lu Li asked in a deep voice.
Zhang Jiao's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly explained, "Master, I have absolutely never done anything to harm the people, much less to afflict other prefectures and counties. Please believe me, Master!"
Judging from Zhang Jiao's expression, he didn't seem to be faking it; he probably genuinely didn't know.
Thinking of this, Lu Li sighed and said, "I believe in you, but can you still control the Yellow Turban Army in the other continents?"
Zhang Jiao fell silent. He didn't even know what Lu Li was talking about, so how could he control them?
When the Yellow Turban Rebellion was first established, it was under the slogan of speaking out for the people, targeting only powerful and wealthy families, and aiming to overthrow the corrupt and incompetent imperial court.
However, as time went by, this slogan gradually became corrupted.
They are no longer speaking out for the people, but for their own selfish desires and power!
"Master, don't worry! I will definitely find out who did this, regain control of the Yellow Turban Army, and prevent this from happening again!"
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