Chapter 9: Situation

However, his grandson could not possibly cut off his own head as a token of loyalty. Upon seeing the fierce light and murderous intent in Liu Chang's eyes, he could only embark on this irreversible path: "I shall obey your command and go retrieve the token of loyalty to present it before Commander Qu"

... ...

Liu Chang has come over with a cheerful smile, carrying a notebook bag: "Director Sun, long time no see!"

The most adept money-maker, County Magistrate Kang, and the notorious landlord Xu Muqian, who was despised by the entire Leqing, have both vanished without a trace. Meanwhile, the notoriously unscrupulous Deputy General Yao and Clerk Zhao met their demise at the hands of the Red Turban Army. The entire county town is orderly, yet despite the curiosity that the locals feel towards this unfamiliar group of Red Turban soldiers, there is a distinct lack of familiarity or closeness.

At last, he finally mustered the courage to rally everyone together: "Everyone, join me in taking action, let us eliminate this wicked person and break this sorcery"

Qu Zhenhan then took Qu Jie by the hand and introduced him to Liu Chang: "Liu Jian Dian, this is Qu Jie, my nephew. He will be your personal guard captain from now on, and he and his fifty subordinates will be at your disposal."

Qu Zhenhan felt that his strength had increased by more than double. He nodded repeatedly, saying, "Everyone is joining together to overcome this great calamity of war; I, Qu, will not treat anyone unfairly."

General Qu Zhenhan, in the past I have offended you, and I sincerely apologize for that. Today I have come to realize that you are a person of great fortune, destined to rise from the south to the north. I do not seek much; when the time comes for wealth and honor, a mere appointment as a governor would suffice.

Liu Chang had already made arrangements; he held Sun Huzi's hand with particular warmth: "Everyone has their own interests, and I will not hold grudges over these minor grievances. I wonder if Commander Sun is truly sincere in joining our Red Turban Army"

This is a case of seeking help only when in dire straits. In desperation, Sun Huzi could only smile and say: "There was a misunderstanding regarding the inspection earlier. Your Excellency, please do not hold my minor faults against me, and kindly spare me this time."

Marshal Qu, we have been old friends for over ten years. In light of this long-standing friendship, please allow my family, consisting of twenty-eight members, to pass this hurdle.

In just a short while, Qu Zhenhan had already secured over ten thousand taels of military funds for the Red Turban Army. As for military supplies and provisions, they were sufficient for several months of use. Moreover, this was just the beginning; everyone had already patted their chests and assured Qu Zhenhan that upon returning, they would immediately mobilize their fellow villagers and neighbors to contribute another sum, all in the hope of overcoming this hurdle

I only have 200 shi of rice at home, and I am willing to donate all of it to the righteous army, as long as my family remains safe and sound

In his eyes, sending a pig's head is considered a remarkable gift, and Liu Chang did not decline: "Please ask Captain Jie to help me move it over when the time comes"

Not only did Jin Peiquan obtain the title of county magistrate, but all those who contributed to this uprising were awarded titles, whether as clerks or as officials, completely dividing all the positions within the county office.

Although Qu Jie is a mole placed beside him by Qu Zhenhan, Liu Chang is confident that he can manipulate him completely

The group of local gentry present were unaware of what the calamity of war entailed, nor did they believe in the manifestation of the Three Yangs by the Lifeless Old Mother. However, they were firmly convinced of one thing: that Liu Chang and Qu Zhenshu possessed extraordinary skills

What is even more terrifying is that Qu Zhenhan, the small grocery store owner, seems to have employed some sort of sorcery, as he has managed to win the hearts of the entire city. Those local tycoons, merchants, and gentry who usually hold great prestige are now going from house to house, extolling Qu Zhenhan's benevolence and virtue, while simultaneously mobilizing everyone to fully support the Red Turban Army

They do not care whether this spell belongs to divine power or demonic arts; they only wish to escape this great calamity. Therefore, everyone has become a fanatic at the first opportunity.

I am willing to contribute one thousand taels of silver; those who have money can contribute financially, and those who have strength can lend their support, so let us overcome this obstacle together

The residents of the county town have also heard a new name, that is "Liu Jiandian." Everyone is somewhat curious about this true envoy from the Tianjing faction, and they are skeptical about the legends surrounding him, which speak of his ability to cause landslides, summon clouds and rain, and even take lives from a thousand miles away. However, those who have seen Liu Jiandian all assert that there is not a shred of falsehood in these claims

I will also bring over two hundred people; any position can be arranged at Marshal Qu's discretion

However, after entering the temple of the goddess once, Sun made up his mind, regardless of how his old colleagues viewed him; he became a nail driven into the Green Camp by Qu Zhenhan

The military uniforms have arrived, but we are still short on military boots. We, the Yun brand, will take care of it!

At this moment, it is unclear how many punches have landed on Huo Qiu, who is struggling and nearly beaten to death by the enraged crowd. Finally, Jin Peiquan intervenes to stop everyone: "Huo Qiu has been bewitched by demonic magic, which is why he attempted to harm Liu Jian. Let us spare his life for now, lest he cannot survive this great calamity of war"

He is unclear whether Liu Chang's performance is a divine art from the heavens or some kind of sorcery, but like everyone else, he worships at every temple he encounters. He pays respects to Lady Chen Shisi, believes in Guanyin Bodhisattva, kneels before Lord Yang, and offers incense to all local deities and malevolent spirits, all in the hope of achieving peace and safety.

This Huo Qiu kept shouting about "monsters" and "sorcery," yet his entire body trembled like a *picture* book. Although he forced himself to stand up, wanting to expose the conspiracy concocted by Liu Chang and Qu Zhenhan, he still did not dare to take a step forward for a long time.

Furthermore, I will bring over two hundred people to join. Zhenhai, could you give me a position as a squad leader?

Liu Chang did not expose his thoughts, repeatedly praising him: "Indeed, he is as heroic and decisive as Commander Qu, a true man! A true man!"

By the time the sun set, the Red Turban Army had completely taken control of every corner of Yueqing County, even grasping the darkest corners of the human heart. They had also gained several hundred new recruits from the western villages who had come to join them.

Whether it is a demon or an immortal master, being targeted by Liu Chang is not a good thing. Therefore, he has already entertained countless thoughts in his mind, yet there is no way to escape this impending calamity.

"Sun Ba, among your Green Camp soldiers, who has the most notorious record, who is the most ruthless in harming the people, who drinks the blood of soldiers the most fiercely, and who harbors the greatest dissatisfaction towards Commander Qu? Go and kill him, and bring back his head as your token of allegiance!"

Over there, Sun Huzi was still restless. He noticed that Liu Chang's eyes were occasionally fixed on him, clearly with some ulterior motive.

Of course, it is with utmost sincerity! There can be no greater sincerity than this. I am willing to follow Marshal Qu to uphold justice and eliminate the Qing demons! Sun, the general, spoke very fluently: "From now on, I shall be the vanguard at Marshal Qu's side!"

Brother Zhenhai, I am willing to donate five hundred taels of silver, as long as it can help my family survive this great calamity

Although he intended to use Liu Chang, he also took precautions with the mindset of a petty tyrant. Originally, he had promised to provide Liu Chang with one hundred personal guards, but now he had reduced that number by half and appointed a relative as the captain of the personal guards, determined to keep Liu Chang firmly in his grasp

The significant divide that existed between the residents of the Eastern and Western villages has suddenly vanished, and everyone sincerely wishes to contribute their efforts to Qu Zhenhai's anti-Qing cause. They are even willing to form groups to pledge their allegiance to Qu Zhenhai

Our family may not have much, but we are willing to offer a thousand sets of military uniforms for General Qu.

Originally, this was just an ordinary day in the winter month as the year-end approached. However, a group of Dongxiang villagers, led by Qu Zhenhan and Jin Peiquan, stormed into Yueqing City. By the time everyone realized what was happening, the flags on the city walls had already changed.

As soon as he took the first step, he was already knocked to the ground by the crowd, being punched and kicked. Sun Huzi had taken the lead, delivering several heavy blows to Huo Qiu while shouting, "You are the real monster! You are the real monster!"

Some people even swore by their own reputation: "If you can't trust others, how can you trust my grandson Huzi! He is truly extraordinary, one of the thirty-six inspectors of the Heavenly King's Hall. With just a casual display of his divine power, he could take the lives of hundreds. It is said that this time he has calculated that Qu Zhenhai is a true dragon descended to the world, and he specifically came from Tianjing to assist the true dragon."

Qu Zhenhan laughed and said, "Compared to Liu Jian's remarkable achievements today, this is nothing!"

As he was speaking, a series of pig slaughtering sounds came from the courtyard. Qu Zhenhan, this little local tycoon, became excited: "These are ten large pigs sent by Xixiang, originally intended for slaughter during the New Year, but now they are sent to boost the troops' morale!"

In the elders' memory, it is the first time since their birth that the East Township and the West Township have been harmonious; it is important to note that their past impressions were solely of an endless cycle of large-scale conflicts and grievances.

He is no longer seen as a small wealthy shopkeeper in everyone's eyes, but rather as a true great hero and figure, and the compliments from everyone have made him feel light as a feather

The sounds of pigs being slaughtered continued incessantly, and the soldiers of the Red Turban Army did not shed their peasant nature, with laughter and cheerful voices ringing out continuously. Although Qu Zhenhan held the title of Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy, he was essentially still a peasant: "Liu, review this achievement; it deserves a good pig's head. When the time comes, I will have someone send the pig's head over!"

Liu Chang also differed from him in his verbosity: "Very good, very good, but I have read 'Water Margin' and know that anyone who joins must have a letter of allegiance. As you can see, everyone donating money and goods serves as our letter of allegiance. Since Commander Sun intends to join, he too cannot be without a letter of allegiance."

However, by the afternoon, everything had changed. The county office had made new personnel arrangements, and the rural scholar Jin Peiquan was appointed as the new magistrate of Yueqing County. Under Ni Tingmo, there were also various appointments, and many individuals who had previously been unsuccessful were considering whether they could seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure a minor official position in the county office

The county office is already a scene of great joy, as the newly appointed County Magistrate Jin Peiquan receives everyone's compliments, nearly unable to close his mouth in delight

He speaks easily, but Sun's forehead is already sweating.

The residents of Yueqing County will never forget December 18 of the fourth year of the Xianfeng era

If we say that this association in Yueqing has the most notorious record, it is the one that most ruthlessly harms the people, most fiercely drinks the blood of soldiers, and harbors the greatest dissatisfaction towards Qu Zhenhan, apart from the already killed Deputy General Yao, it is his grandson who is the commander.

Sun was so furious that he wished he could stab Liu Chang hundreds of times. He was well aware that his letter of allegiance was not as simple as those of the others present. Liu Chang was certainly pushing him into a pit of fire, yet he lacked the courage to resist Liu Chang: "What Liu said is indeed very true; I wonder what kind of letter of allegiance is required?"