Diao Chan’s desperate pleas only served to strengthen Ye Feng’s resolve. He simply wished for the common people to live a better life. Even so, he dismounted and helped Diao Chan up. “My dear, please rise. Rest assured, I will be back safely from this endeavor!”
“Your Majesty, but I’ve heard!” Diao Chan’s delicate brows furrowed, unwilling to let go. “If something were to happen to you, what would become of me!”
Seeing that Diao Chan was about to speak again, Ye Feng wiped away her tears and patiently reassured her, “They are the children of the poor. Since they know I mean them well, how could they possibly raise a hand against me? My dear, do not worry!”
“Your Majesty, I don’t require General Lu Bu’s protection here. Why don’t you take him with you, and also mobilize the Third Legion? If anything were to happen, they could quickly provide rescue. Otherwise, I will absolutely not let you leave.” Diao Chan snorted, speaking hastily. “Your Majesty, you must protect yourself.”
“Very well, I will listen to my dear!” Ye Feng replied with a worried tone.
Ye Feng’s concern was not for the common people, but rather for the great aristocratic families. Although he had been vigilant when Emperor Ling met his end, a significant amount of information had still leaked out.
Even with the system at his disposal, he wasn’t afraid of the aristocratic families uniting. However, their combined presence would undoubtedly cause widespread panic, and the common folk might even be forced to abandon their homes.
“Whoosh!” The wind howled, a chilling gust striking Ye Feng’s body. Only then did Ye Feng slowly come back to his senses. In the space of a few moments, he had already left Liangzhou City. The gathering place of the common people was now within sight.
“Your Majesty, why don’t I go inform General Lu Bu? Have him prepare in advance, so that if anything goes wrong, he can provide immediate rescue!” a soldier hastily said. “Your Majesty, we must not be complacent.”
Although their words were somewhat blunt, they were all for his own good. Coupled with his desire to reassure these soldiers, Ye Feng patiently spoke.
“Do you all believe that this trip of ours is fraught with danger?”
Ye Feng shook his cloak and spoke loudly, a pair of jade beads spinning in his hand. “Or, how many of you believe so!”
The entire field fell silent. Under Ye Feng’s imposing presence and the effect of the system, no one was willing to be the first to speak up.
Ye Feng did not feel awkward and continued slowly, “Today, I tell you all, your thoughts are completely wrong. I could have led the Third Legion there myself. It would have been much faster than bringing you all. Yet, I still chose to bring you. Why?”
“Isn’t it because we are not part of the Third Legion? Even if we die, no one would care.” Someone muttered.
“If you have anything to say, stand up and say it. Today, I will make this pronouncement: no matter who proposes an idea, I will not only not punish them, but I will heavily reward them!” Ye Feng waved his hand slightly, and a guard from the General’s Mansion slowly stepped forward with a platter of gold.
“Whoever is willing to speak, this gold belongs to them!” Ye Feng pushed the small mountain of gold and turned to sit on the ground. “If no one speaks up, then I shall have to take this silver back!”
Instantly, sounds of gasping could be heard. Ye Feng knew that among these men, who were not from the Third Legion, there were bound to be those who were captivated by wealth. He smiled and looked at them. “Please, everyone, speak up quickly. If I change my mind, no one will be able to claim this silver!”
After a long while, no one was still willing to speak. Or rather, they had witnessed Ye Feng’s actions since his arrival in Liangzhou and were unwilling to believe that Ye Feng would actually give this silver to those who were not his subordinates.
“Since no one wants this silver, then so be it!” Ye Feng said mockingly. “You are all inferior to the men of my Third Legion!”
Upon hearing this, a young man flung aside the hand of the person next to him and stood up. He quickly and clearly articulated his thoughts. Of course, in his emotional state, he also blurted out quite a few things he shouldn’t have.
Ye Feng merely smiled and nodded. After the young man finished, he gently asked, “Do you have anything else you wish to say? Perhaps I can fulfill your request!”
The young man immediately felt a chill of fear and hurriedly knelt on the ground, trembling. After a long pause, he managed to stammer out, “I implore Prince Chu to keep his promise. Even if you wish to kill me, please let me bring the silver back to my blind mother first!”
“Why would I want to kill you?” Ye Feng asked calmly, not angered. He gently flicked his finger, and someone immediately brought the silver over. The young man quickly stuffed it into his embrace, his face beaming with joy.
“I will do as I have promised you all. The people outside are the same. They too have wives and children, and parents. If they were not forced by circumstances, who would risk their lives to rebel?” Ye Feng paused, then quickly continued, “Since that is the case, how could they possibly attack us? What I desire is to resolve this without bloodshed, so that they can return to their fields and farm!”
“Your Majesty, what if they attack us first!” someone provocatively asked.
“Yes, what if they attack first!”
Hearing the growing commotion, Ye Feng raised his hand to quiet them, preventing the rest from joining in the clamor. He then said, “If they wish to attack, I have devised an excellent plan for you!”
“What plan?”
“Speak, tell us!”
Ye Feng smiled slightly, tapped his head, and said with a grin, “Just cut off my head. Then you will all be safe. What do you say?”
“What kind of talk is that, Your Majesty!” someone said softly, and then a silence fell over the crowd. Ye Feng turned, about to issue an order, when he saw someone stand up and say, “I implore Prince Chu to promise, if I die on the battlefield, to take good care of my family!”
With the first, came the second and the third. However, their requests were largely similar. Ye Feng agreed to each one. One by one, they stood up, carrying their long spears. The expressions on their faces, however, were considerably better than when they had arrived.
“Your Majesty, we are ready!”
Ye Feng’s ears twitched. He narrowed his eyes and slowly said, “Everyone, listen to my command. Drop your weapons now and sit down.”
Though they didn’t understand Ye Feng’s intention, they obeyed immediately. They sat on the ground, fully prepared. Ye Feng, on the other hand, appeared relaxed. “Don’t worry, what is coming will come.”
They sat for an unknown amount of time. As the sun set, they ate their meal as usual. When they had settled down to sleep, they heard a rustling sound. Just as someone got up to investigate, they heard Ye Feng’s voice, as if half-asleep.
“With me here, why are you afraid? Rest well.”
With those words, everyone slowly closed their eyes. When they heard a disturbance, they quickly opened their eyes, only to find the withered grass filled with common people. Their long spears were now in the hands of these villagers, pointed coldly at them.
Helpless, they looked towards Ye Feng. Ye Feng’s expression was relaxed, as if he were greeting an old friend. “I thought they would have come much earlier, but I didn’t expect to have to wait so long!”
“It’s not that we feared Prince Chu had set an inescapable trap, making our escape impossible!” an elder with white hair slowly emerged. “However, it is quite surprising that Prince Chu himself has taken action this time.”
“What is so surprising about this? A major negotiation naturally requires someone of my status to conduct it!” Ye Feng stood up, his demeanor composed. “I just don’t know if the elder’s word is final. Who is this negotiation with?”
“Insolent!” A villager, seeing Ye Feng’s extreme arrogance, cursed and reached out to push Ye Feng down. Ye Feng suddenly turned and kicked the villager over.
“Who do you think you are, to dare to point fingers at me!” Ye Feng said coldly. “I think you should manage your own people!”
Ye Feng’s veins bulged. With a simultaneous pull of his hands, the hemp rope, as thick as a finger, snapped. With a few gentle shakes, the ropes fell to the ground. The villagers hurriedly raised their spears, pointing them at Ye Feng!
“I have often heard that Prince Chu is gentle and courteous. I did not expect all of that to be a pretense. Now, it seems we are seeing Prince Chu’s true face. Truly, all crows are black,” the old man sneered coldly, with an underlying meaning. “You all should put down your weapons. You will not fare well if you offend Prince Chu!”
The spears fell to the ground, but the previous villager still clutched his tightly, unwilling to let go. Ye Feng chuckled, “Now, shall we talk?”
“Prince Chu might as well speak directly. If we can agree, we will agree!” the old man snorted and said slowly. “Old man Wang Er still holds some influence.”
“Very well, since that is the case, I wish to ask the elder to disband your men. I can also assure you, on behalf of His Majesty, that past transgressions will be forgiven.” Ye Feng took out a document from his embrace, which already bore signatures and seals.
“If the elder is still uneasy, you can take this document to your responsible elders. I will wait here!” Ye Feng stood still, like an immortal descended to earth. The remaining villagers were stunned.
After they had rebelled, their lives had been nothing short of good, except for the lack of food and clothing in winter, which forced them into banditry.
They had thought Ye Feng was a big fish they could swallow, but now it seemed they might break their teeth. Their resolve wavered by seven or eight tenths.
“How can Prince Chu be so certain that we will accept his terms? Isn’t that a bit too confident!” Wang Er stroked his beard and chuckled softly.
“If it were others, I might believe they wouldn’t agree, but the elder, you, are unlikely to refuse,” Ye Feng said with confidence.
“Firstly, although you have had good food and clothing, you must be running out of supplies now. How many of you are waiting to starve to death?”
“Secondly, I can guarantee that you will not be held accountable, and I have sufficient means to ensure you are well-fed and clothed. With all this, why would you refuse my offer?”
“Thirdly, you must have heard about the land His Majesty has granted me. You can entirely live good lives!”
“Die for me!”