Chapter 2, The Three Elements of Rebellion

In this way, at least there is some assistance to others

At the very least, Lu Si knows which places are dangerous and should be avoided

Lu Wenliang glared at his son in annoyance, but when he turned his head, he saw that his cousin showed no signs of happiness; instead, he had a stern expression. Then, surprisingly, he shook his head and said in a low voice, "Elder brother, I will not go to Yangzhou."

The reason is quite simple; the gentry are essentially the local power elite. For a long time, the influence of the "system" on the common people has led to the perception that the gentry are individuals of prestige and capability. Therefore, it is inevitable that the gentry become the best leaders for the common people

As for surviving, there is no problem at all

The barking of the black dog was earth-shattering, startling either the dogs kept by other families in the village or the wild dogs, causing them to join in the cacophony.

Moreover, due to the fact that the house is constructed from mud blocks, the walls appear uneven, with numerous finger-sized holes scattered throughout, which are bee holes

The founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, was such a person. Although the Hongwu Emperor of this dynasty was not a wealthy tycoon and was extremely poor, even worse off than Lu Si is now, he had many childhood friends from his early days.

"Yangzhou, learning carpentry from others, this trade is not unattractive; learning from outside can bring in money quickly"

In summary, it is about people, money, and power

In order to find wives for these two young men, either the family must be able to gather the bride price, or these two young men must learn a trade on their own, so that the prospective brides' families will not place too much importance on the bride price.

The sun is shining on your backside, are you two still sleeping? ... ... You, the old master, spend all day with your nephew and still don't know what to do ... ... What were you two doing last night?

Elder brother, what can I do with Guangyuan? Look at how you speak, can't Guangyuan sleep here with me?

Lu Guangyuan lay down for a while, feeling uneasy, so he sat up and nudged his little uncle, who resembled a dead dog, murmuring, "Master, I am going home now"

Therefore, if the gentry leads a rebellion, the number of supporters will be numerous, and the likelihood of success will also be quite high

Among this group of companions, there happen to be renowned generals Xu Da and Tang He, who are notable figures in Chinese history, which leaves one with no grounds for argument

What do eight people want to do

Apprentice?

Although Guangyuan is one year older than his uncle, the two have grown up together since childhood, which has created a particularly close bond between the uncle and nephew

Not every time traveler possesses the ability to stir the butterfly.

For the poor, having a name is not particularly important; after all, both Lu Si and Lu Xiao Si are just forms of address. As long as one knows who it refers to, it is sufficient, as it is not like one is in school where the teacher calls the roll.

Lu Si has an accomplice, his nephew who is one year older than him, namely Lu Guangyuan, the grandson of his uncle Lu Youcai.

Lu Guangyuan had only been to the county town a hundred li away in his entire life. Upon hearing that he could go to a big place like Yangzhou, he was very excited.

In other words, it is essential to have a group of close friends around you, so that when you decide to rebel, there are others to assist you in your endeavors

Furthermore, as an ordinary farmer's son, how could he have any unscrupulous friends? In terms of prestige, those who engage in smuggling salt or running gambling houses in Shanggang are far more influential than he is

Lu Wenliang opened the door while speaking, and sunlight immediately flooded onto the floor. The dim room suddenly became bright.

Do not mention how discouraging it is

Alright, I won't say much to you... Get up and come to my house for breakfast. By the way, your uncle is looking for someone to take you and Guangyuan out to learn as apprentices...

Initially, everything went smoothly, much as Lu Si had envisioned. They indeed waited for the black dog from the Wu family to come out into the courtyard and successfully followed it to the village entrance

Thus, the uncle and nephew cautiously made their way out of the village and headed straight for the neighboring village. Due to the absence of the moon, they could not see the road, and they did not dare to light a torch, resulting in both of them stumbling along the way

As soon as spring arrives, this house becomes lively

Once everything returned to calm, the uncle and nephew finally dared to emerge from their hiding place, and then, with their heads hung low, they helped each other as they stumbled and made their way back home

Development relies on this, and rebellion also depends on this. To put it bluntly, even beggars know how to band together.

The previous scene was indeed frightening; it was not the fear of the dog, but the fear of people

The harsh reality forces Lu Si to acknowledge that he is currently incapable of doing anything, and for a considerable period, perhaps even for the rest of his life, he may merely exist as a rural commoner, drifting with the wind, passively rolled along by the wheels of history

Lu Si was unable to adapt; the dialect spoken in Yancheng is Huaiyang dialect, where father is referred to as "ye," elder uncle as "da ye," younger uncle as "lao ye," and grandfather as "de de," which is different from other places. Initially, he was not accustomed to it, but over time, it became just the same.

The dog did not manage to bite, and fortunately, it did not bark at me. Otherwise, who knows if that black dog had rabies? If it did, Lu Si would have met his demise before achieving any success, leaving heroes in tears.

Since ancient times, rebels have at least three essential conditions

Thus, Lu Si wandered around the neighboring village three times and finally grasped the activity pattern of the black dog belonging to Old Master Wu

Thirdly, it pertains to the clan.

Unfortunately, just as the uncle and nephew were preparing to strike the dog with a stick, the black dog discovered them in advance and, barking loudly, charged straight at Lu Si first

No matter what, having lived two lives, one has some experience; what is lacking is merely opportunity. With this in mind, I asked my elder brother Wenliang: "Where does the master want us to learn?"

For instance, Mr. Wu, who has just escaped from the north, with his academic credentials and prestige in the countryside, would certainly be able to rally the villagers with a call to action.

First of all, he is nothing but a simpleton, so do not expect that when he raises his arm and calls out, the neighbors will take up their hoes and join him in great matters

In the area of Shanggang, which family, as long as they can gather some money, does not have their son married by the age of sixteen or seventeen

His father, Lu Youwen, is not at home; he has gone to the seaside with his second uncle, Lu Youfu, to help someone with cooking and salt-making. Therefore, he is not worried that the noise in the dead of night will disturb his father.

The small Fengyang, where hidden dragons and crouching tigers reside, is indeed the will of heaven

Lu Wenliang pushed the door open and directly lifted the blankets of the two relatives. However, looking at his cousin who was nearly twenty years younger than him, he was unsure whether he should say a few words to him or remain silent.

Due to the long-standing relationship between the Chang family and their eldest son and grandson, the elder uncle specifically spent money to name his son and grandson. As for Lu Si, he should have been named something like Lu Wen, but his father was unwilling to honor the teacher, so he was simply called Xiao Sizi.

However, this room exudes a sense of poverty from the inside out, a kind of abject destitution. Aside from a wooden bed for sleeping, there is a八仙桌 that has a patina, the origin of which is unknown, perhaps left behind by some ancestor from a bygone era. Additionally, there are two wooden benches, and apart from that, there is truly nothing else.

This is the easiest to understand, equivalent to brothers fighting tigers together, with father and son joining forces.

Speaking of which, it is also impressive that his grandfather, at over fifty years old, was able to have a child in his later years

Lu Guangyuan thought for a moment and responded affirmatively, then snuggled into a blanket with his uncle. This sleep lasted until dawn, when he was awakened by his father, Lu Guangyuan, who is also his cousin Lu Wenliang.

Uncle Lu and his nephew were also feeling quite guilty for their first time committing a theft, and they were so frightened by the situation that they fled in a panic, hiding in the reeds by a small river not far away, fearing that they would be discovered.

Last night, under the dark moon and high winds, it was suitable for thievery and mischief

Lu Si rubbed his drowsy eyes, thinking to himself that being cooped up in this shabby place was not a solution. It would be better to go out and see if there were any opportunities to change his fate

Those who are wealthy and powerful can only be officials and gentry

From the bottom of his heart, Lu Wenliang actually regards this younger brother as a son, as there is such a significant age difference between them

After arriving home, the uncle and nephew collapsed onto the wooden bed without taking off their clothes, and it took a while for their heartbeats to calm down

The name Lu Wenliang was given by a social science scholar, and according to my uncle, they actually have a family genealogy. In their generation, there is a character generation, in the next generation, there is a literary generation, and in the generation after that, there are the characters Guang and Yi, which together form "You Wen Guang Yi." As for what comes after that, my uncle does not know, after all, Lu Si's grandfather did not know much either.

Therefore, clan rebellions are a norm, and one must face them head-on, especially among blood relatives

Um, which one

Large cities have their advantages, and small places have their own merits; however, in times of chaos, the benefits of small places far exceed those of large cities.

Therefore, Lu Wenliang is very supportive of his father allowing the two young boys to go out and learn a trade

Do not even mention attacking the county office; you cannot even resolve issues with the village head or the local elders. More likely, when Tu Shu said he wanted to rebel, his uncle Lu Youcai could simply slap him and knock out half a tooth, then bind the young man and send him to the authorities to prevent him from bringing disaster upon the Lu family.

If one were to be caught in the village, although everyone from the surrounding areas knows them and it wouldn't lead to any fatalities, it would still be a matter of great embarrassment.

After all, regardless of the year, having a skill ensures one will not starve, and those who marry off their daughters also consider the long-term prospects

In the end, the Lu family is not a large clan. Lu Si's grandfather is a single branch, and although he has three sons, the total number of male descendants from the three families, including the elders, amounts to only eight.

Secondly, those who are both brave and bold are often local tyrants, such as the prominent figure in the history of Yancheng—Zhang Shicheng, a private salt trader.

Yangzhou is great, a big place, my friend, I'm going, I'm going! I heard that the Slender West Lake in Yangzhou is beautiful, and there are many people in the city!

In a feudal society, when members of a clan rebel, if your relatives do not join together, in the future, when the court investigates, they will seek to punish the three or five clans, and none will be able to escape

It is not for you to play, but for you to learn a skill

What is there in Lu Si

Having risen from the ashes, Lu Si now believes that the thoughts of nobility and high officials are of no consequence. The true path of life for him now is to figure out how to procure some meat to satisfy his cravings

None of them can rely on him!

Lu Wenliang genuinely hopes that his cousin and his own son can achieve success. The two are 19 and 20 years old, yet neither has found a wife. If this continues for another two or three years, it will become even more difficult for them to find a spouse.

Upon hearing his uncle mention getting a dog, Guangyuan, in a moment of impulsiveness, decided to join in. Of course, the main reason was that Guangyuan also wanted to eat meat

Lu Si had no strength to move, he simply waved his hand at his nephew and said in a muffled voice: "Don't go back, if your father finds out at this late hour, it will be troublesome."