Chapter 0002: A Gallant Rescue
The thoughts in the elder brother's mind were well understood by Liu Xiu, who cheerfully said to him: "Elder brother, I understand, you may go back now"
Liu Xiu instinctively swallowed his saliva, and his reaction was quite in line with the psychology of an ordinary citizen encountering a large group of soldiers.
Where can you help me hide? If the reckless soldiers see you and me together, they will surely consider us accomplices in their quest for glory...
After a short while, the two of them dug a shallow pit that was more than one person's length. Liu Xiu instructed Long Yuan to lie down in it, and then, using both hands and feet, filled the pit with soil.
Liu Xiu instinctively set down the hoe in his hand, straightened his posture, and looked up in the direction of the sound.
Returning to the village, Liu Yan shook his head and said, "A Xiu, let's go to elder brother's house for a visit"
There are no ifs; a country bumpkin like Liu Xiu would not normally attract a second glance, let alone be thought capable of having the audacity to harbor a wanted criminal sought by the court
Watching his elder brother walk away, Liu Xiu went to his own fields, weeding and tilling the soil.
Liu Xiu lowered his head to look at the hoe in his hand and stammered, "Plowing... plowing the land..."
He had long desired to emulate the Green Forest and the Red Eyebrows, to raise the banner of restoring the Han dynasty, and to overthrow the tyranny of the Xin and Wang, but he was troubled by a lack of financial support
Upon hearing his voice, the cavalrymen all turned to look in the direction he pointed.
Liu Xiu ... ... '' Longyuan has no particular impression of this name
Opportunity! He is in urgent need of an opportunity, one that can change himself and alter the fate of his family
Liu Xiu gazed at the back of the horse as it galloped away, turned his head, and said with a serious expression: "Given your current condition, I fear you won't be able to run very far. I will help you hide!"
Long Yuan's heart trembled, and he dared not delay any further. Gritting his teeth, he stood up, inserted the dagger into his lower back, and stepped towards the horse beside him
Upon seeing this, Longyuan's expression changed dramatically, and he sternly questioned: "How did you scare my horse away?"
The field had already been plowed by Liu Xiu, the soil was loose, making it quick to dig pits, and since it was only meant for hiding people, there was no need to dig too deep
Hearing his words, Liu Yan could not help but let out a soft sigh, feeling both helpless and sorrowful in his heart. His younger brother is a talented student, yet now he can only farm at home, with all his knowledge and abilities going to waste.
Long Yuan was walking towards the horse when Liu Xiu swiftly approached from behind. Taking advantage of Long Yuan's momentary surprise, he snatched the dagger that was tucked at Long Yuan's lower back. Long Yuan was taken aback and instinctively exclaimed: "You..."
Is there any better way? Liu Xiu asked in response while quickly digging the ground and turning his head.
The cavalry that came running was unlike any soldiers Liu Xiu had seen before; each one wore a black helmet and black armor, with black tassels atop their heads, holding long spears, and carrying swords at their sides. The horses beneath them were also black, and as they galloped, they truly resembled a moving cloud of darkness
His strike was not aimed at Longyuan, but rather it was a slash across the horse's hindquarters
The man who had fallen from the horse was already in a semi-conscious state. Upon hearing Liu Xiu utter the words "Longyuan," he suddenly jolted, his eyes instantly wide open, two beams of lightning shooting directly at Liu Xiu's face
He only uttered the word "you," and Liu Xiu decisively swung out the dagger
As soon as he finished speaking, the distant sound of rapid and dense hoofbeats could be faintly heard approaching.
Ah, so he is a descendant of the Liu family, a member of the Han dynasty's royal clan. No wonder he would say that Wang Mang is a usurper of the Han dynasty!
Liu Xiu waved his hand and said: "Brave man, do not misunderstand. You assassinated the usurper of the Han dynasty; how could I possibly turn you in to the authorities?"
He tugged at Liu Yan's sleeve and quickly walked towards the city gates. Once outside the city gate, seeing that no one was around, he finally released Liu Yan's sleeve and reminded him: "Elder brother, be careful, as trouble often arises from careless words"
He furrowed his brows and asked, "Who are you?"
Liu Xiu further added: "My late father, Liu Qin, was the magistrate of Jiyang County, and my ancestor was Liu Fa, the Duke of Changsha."
In response to Liu Xiu's reminder, Liu Yan dismissed it with disdain and said indignantly: "The reckless bandits are lawless, acting in defiance of justice, causing great chaos in the world, and the people are unable to survive. At this moment, the Green Forest and Red Eyebrow rebels have risen up, ready to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the reckless bandits, and it is only a matter of days!"
Liu Xiu had just buried Longyuan, and the officials pursuing him were only a few dozen meters away. Liu Xiu leaned on his hoe, feigning surprise, and stared blankly at the cavalry charging towards him like the wind.
A white horse was seen galloping towards his own fields. From a distance, he did not notice anyone on the horse, but as it approached closer, he finally saw that there was a person lying on the horse's back
The direction of the bloodstains is consistent with the direction Liu Xiu is pointing, indicating that Longyuan indeed ran in that direction
As the horse drew closer, its speed gradually slowed down. When Liu Xiu approached, the person lying on the horse's back seemed unable to hold on any longer and directly fell off the horse.
He is busy, and in the distance, the sound of urgent hoofbeats can be faintly heard
Indeed, on the ground not far away, there are several bright red droplets of blood, and it is evident that this is fresh blood that has just dripped onto the ground
The passing of his father left Liu Yan, as the eldest son in the family, unable to take proper care of his younger brother and sisters, which weighed heavily on his mind
Before Liu Xiu could react, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck, only to see that the man had somehow produced a dagger radiating cold light, which was now pressed firmly against his throat
This man, who is none other than Long Yuan, wanted by the court for the assassination of Wang Mang, gazed at Liu Xiu and coldly asked: "Are you going to hand me over to the authorities?"
The horse, in pain, let out a cry and galloped away along the country path with its hooves flying.
Liu Yan nodded to Liu Xiu and advised, "A Xiu, it's enough to cultivate the land to a certain extent; don't overexert yourself. Your hands... are meant for holding a pen, not for wielding a hoe."
Hearing his elder brother describe the situation as 'natural disasters and man-made calamities', Liu Xiu instinctively glanced around, relieved to find that the people nearby were all focused on the announcement, and no one was paying attention to the two of them
What is meant by natural disasters and man-made calamities? This statement is equivalent to criticizing the current government and the present emperor, which is a serious crime punishable by death
"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" The tone of that person was so icy that it seemed capable of freezing an elephant to death
The black-armored cavalryman, who urged his horse towards Liu Xiu, sat atop his steed with a look of disdain, casting a condescending glance at Liu Xiu. With a snort of laughter, he turned his horse's head and rode out from the fields
If they were to walk a little slower, they would notice that the soil beside Liu Xiu is slightly trembling, and if they were to pay a little more attention, they would surely discover the corner of a garment peeking out from the cracks in the soil
He focused his gaze and, the more he looked, the more he felt that this person's appearance was very familiar. When Liu Xiu saw the diagonal scar on this person's forehead, he was suddenly struck with a realization and involuntarily exclaimed: "You are Longyuan?"
Liu Xiu stammered, "No! Ah, yes, I saw it!"
The black-armored cavalrymen were unaware that Liu Xiu had stumbled over the buried Longyuan, and instead believed that he had been frightened by his companions, prompting them to laugh in unison.
However, Liu Xiu was naturally cautious and would never utter such rebellious words, while Liu Yan had a completely opposite character, being unruly and bold, as well as generous and chivalrous
One must understand that Wang Mang is the current emperor; to dare to call him a usurper of the Han dynasty is a grave act of disrespect, a crime punishable by the extermination of one's entire family. Such words are certainly not something an ordinary citizen can utter
Liu Xiu's eyes darted around, and in a very short time, he had already made a decision in his heart
Liu Xiu's father passed away when he was nine years old, and he was raised in the home of his uncle Liu Liang. He had two older brothers, two older sisters, and one younger sister.
There is, there is, it is... it has run over there!" As he spoke, Liu Xiu pointed towards a small path in the fields.
Liu Xiu appeared very composed, and he said with a serious expression: "The notice to capture you has already been posted in the county town; I just returned from there!"
Liu Xiu said: "Elder brother, there is still a lot of farm work to be done in the fields, I must go down to work!"
In his current state, without a horse to ride, he would be unable to shake off the pursuers behind him, no matter what.
After sizing him up, the black-armored cavalryman coldly asked, "What are you doing here?"
He stumbled over to Liu Xiu's side, knelt on the ground, and used a dagger to help Liu Xiu dig a pit.
He did not say the latter half of the sentence.
The black-armored cavalry looked in the direction he pointed and was about to continue asking when another black-armored cavalryman urgently said: "There are bloodstains on the ground"
Liu Xiu and Liu Yan are both descendants of Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, and can be considered legitimate members of the Han royal family. Their aspiration to overthrow the Xin and Wang regimes and restore the Han dynasty is undoubtedly a shared desire in their hearts
The two brothers left Caiyang County and headed back to their home in Chongling Village
I am Liu Xiu
Such a foolish and tyrannical bandit, how can a court like this endure for long
Just now, did you see a person riding a white horse pass by here
This cavalry unit ran up to Liu Xiu and subsequently came to a halt one after another
Long Yuan furrowed his brows and glared at Liu Xiu, as the sound of hooves from behind grew increasingly clear. In the distance, dust was flying, as if a hurricane were approaching. He could not afford to think any further and could only treat a dead horse as if it were alive.
Liu Xiu was taken aback and hurriedly ran forward to assist the person to their feet
Long Yuan was taken aback for a moment before responding in surprise, "Are you going to bury me in the ground?"
Having understood Liu Xiu's identity, Long Yuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His hand holding the dagger fell weakly, and he gasped, saying: "There are reckless soldiers chasing me from behind. I kindly ask you, young brother, to give me some water to drink. I will leave immediately."
Longyuan looked at Liu Xiu as if he were a monster. This place is flat and open, where else could I hide?
Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Liu Xiu had already returned the dagger to Long Yuan, shaking his head and saying, "Come over and help!" As he spoke, he did not even glance at Long Yuan, picked up the hoe, and quickly walked to a vacant piece of land, vigorously starting to dig.
The appearance of this person is almost identical to the portraits posted within the county town.
Eldest brother Liu Yan and second brother Liu Zhong have both established their own families. Eldest sister Liu Huang lives at her grandfather's house, second sister Liu Yuan has married into the Deng family in Xinye, and younger sister Liu Boji, like Liu Xiu, also resides at the home of their uncle Liu Liang
To prevent Longyuan from suffocating, Liu Xiu deliberately left a small hole at his nostrils
Is it really there or not? The tone of the Black Armored Cavalry was even colder.
Upon hearing these words, Longyuan's eyes clearly flickered for a moment, and he instinctively began to reassess Liu Xiu.
A black-armored cavalryman urged his horse forward, first approaching Liu Xiu, then surveying the surroundings, and finally fixing his gaze upon Liu Xiu.
This cavalry unit thundered past Liu Xiu
One of the black-armored cavalrymen summoned, "He's just a country bumpkin, why scare him? Let's go, we don't have so much idle time to waste here!"
The black-armored cavalryman in front of Liu Xiu suddenly pulled the reins, causing the warhorse to take two steps forward, bringing it very close to Liu Xiu, who narrowly avoided being struck by the horse's head. He involuntarily retreated several steps, and his heel accidentally stepped on Longyuan's body. His legs weakened, and he lost his balance, sitting down abruptly on the ground