Sweep Yuan

Chapter 16 Many People, Many Thoughts
With the Yellow River flooding continuously for more than two hundred years, the agricultural foundation of the Huai River region has long since collapsed, and wastelands are everywhere. Many landlords raise sheep and horses here for the use of the government and for purchase and taxation. The number of horses owned by the people far exceeds that of previous dynasties.

Even so, Chengezhuang donated fifteen horses, four mules, one hundred and twenty men, and a considerable amount of money, grain, salt, iron, cloth, and leather goods at once, which was a significant investment.

The first batch of eighty men enlisted that day, and the remaining forty men would be handed over at the agreed location after flags, tents, weapons and other supplies were prepared.

After all the matters were settled, the villagers had already slaughtered pigs and sheep and prepared a meal. After everyone had a hearty meal, they formed a group and headed to the next village.

With Chen Cheng acting as a persuader, the surrounding villages of Tanyan, Tiancun, and Dengzhuang cooperated very well.

By the next morning, not counting the additional troops from various villages who were still preparing supplies, the force had grown to more than 230 people, along with more than 40 horses and mules. In the countryside around Xuzhou Road, this was a force to be reckoned with.

Strength is the best form of publicity. When they go to various villages to recruit soldiers and collect grain, they no longer need to waste time "reasoning" with Shishan.

Moreover, the large-scale formation of the group attracted two waves of people who wanted to join.

The first wave consisted of bandits, totaling only fourteen people, but each was equipped with a bow and horse, and they appeared quite fierce and brave.

The bandit leader was named Chang Tietou, thirty-five years old this year. He was from Tangzhou, Nanyang Prefecture. He used to be a bodyguard for merchants. He was nicknamed "Chang Tietou" because he was bald and daring to fight and kill. Over time, no one knew his real name.

Two years ago, his employer was exploited and went bankrupt by the government. Chang Tietou was left destitute and, in a fit of rage, gathered a few brothers and became an outlaw.

Although being a bandit is carefree, one is constantly on the move and suffers from the hardships of living in the open. If there are too many bandits, they will be surrounded and killed by government troops; if there are too few, they will be beaten by local tyrants. The risks are extremely high.

After Sesame Li started his uprising, he invited heroes from all walks of life to join him in this great cause. Chang Tietou was willing to join him, but he was troubled by the lack of a pledge of loyalty. He was nearing Xuzhou City but lingered in the countryside.

Today, my men discovered that the Red Turban Army vanguard is recruiting soldiers and collecting grain in the countryside. Strangely, no conflict has broken out, and there are no signs of killing, burning houses, or forcibly conscripting men.

Chang Tietou then hid his men in the forest and went alone to investigate the situation.

Seeing that Shi Shan was eloquent and methodical in his actions, and that his team had just been formed, Chang Tietou immediately had the idea of ​​"making a name for himself before meeting the marshal" and revealed his background.

These ruthless bandits are difficult to control, which Shi Shan actually dislikes, but having too many landlord militias under his command is also a major hidden danger, and he urgently needs to introduce forces that can counterbalance them.

The two got what they wanted and quickly reached an agreement to temporarily "merge their mountain strongholds".

Shishan gave Chang Tietou the position of centurion, but did not fill his troops with soldiers.

Because the soldiers currently conscripted are essentially still owned by the local strongmen, regardless of their numbers, they are all led by people designated by the village head. Shishan, as the leader, cannot directly manage them, let alone break them up and hand them over to the bandits whom the landlords dislike.

The second wave of volunteers consisted of only one person, a barefoot boy.

The boy wore only a pair of tattered underpants, his dry, yellow hair was infested with nits, and his dark, shriveled chest was marked by prominent ribs. Only his eyes still held a sliver of clarity.

"I, Tong Si'er, offer this sheep to join the army. Please, please, sir, take me in!"

Hahaha--

Tong Si'er was short, only about half a head taller than the goat behind him. When this little guy uttered the words "offering a goat to join the army," it immediately made Sun Xun, Chang Tietou and others burst into laughter.

Shi Shan nodded secretly. Joining the army alone showed that the young man was not weak. He was clearly nervous but was still able to express his purpose clearly. He was also good at thinking and speaking. He was a good prospect.

"How old are you? Which village are you from? Who are your family members?" "Reporting to the general, I am twelve years old this year. My parents are dead, and I am all alone."

Only two of the three questions were answered, indicating that Tong Si'er was clearly hiding something.

That's normal. In this godforsaken world, even young and strong people have a hard time surviving, let alone simple-minded orphans!
Shi Shan roughly guessed why the boy wouldn't say which village he was from, but didn't want to delve into it. He nodded and was about to continue asking questions when he heard Chen Cheng reprimand him:

"Hmph! To eat the master's food and steal the master's sheep is not the way of a decent person."

Upon hearing this, Li Wu and Chang Tietou looked at the boy with more appreciation, Wen Sijiu frowned and looked at Chen Cheng, Sun Xun focused on the changes in Shi Shan's expression, and Tian Changcai, Deng Li and other sons of powerful families from various villages nodded in agreement with Chen Cheng's words.

Tong Si'er was, after all, just a teenager. Seeing that his chances of joining the army were slim, he was suddenly scolded in public by this gentleman dressed in a scholar's robe. He immediately became anxious and argued back, his face flushed:

“I didn’t steal it. My dad said that the lamb was paid by Master Hu as compensation for his wages. Once it’s grown up, it will belong to our family.”

Within a ten-mile radius, all the landlords surnamed Hu live in Huxi Village, which is not far ahead. If nothing unexpected happens, this young man is from Huxi Village. As for who is right and who is wrong between Chen and Tong, we can find out by asking a few people in the village.

Ishiyama didn't dwell on the matter; his attention was entirely focused on the performance of his subordinates.

Bringing people with different stances together is bound to cause internal friction, but there's no way around it. You have to bear the harm if you want to gain something. Who told him that he doesn't have his own core team right now and is just relying on borrowing the power of all sides to make a big show of things?

On the other hand, if these locals from Xuzhou were truly of one mind, he, as the temporary leader, would actually be in danger.

This matter shouldn't be taken too seriously. Shishan skipped over the suspicion of "stealing sheep" and continued to inquire:
"We're supposed to be fighting the Tartars, what can a little kid like you do if you join the army?"

"My sheep and horses are the fattest in the village. I can also twist straw ropes, make straw sandals, and weave willow baskets. I can also do things like start a fire, fetch water, wash clothes, and make beds. As for fighting the Tartars, I... I'm sure I can when I grow up. I can already gather information for the adults. I'm not just eating for free; I... I just want to live—"

With tears welling in his eyes, the boy spoke earnestly, expressing the sentiments of the common people at the bottom of society—to survive. This immediately resonated with Wen Sijiu, Li Wu, and some of the poor farmhands, who looked at the boy with even more affection.

"Okay, you'll be with me from now on."

Tong Si'er immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to express her gratitude.

"Thank you, thank you for taking me in, sir!"

Shishan is currently in dire need of trustworthy people, and since they have decided to take in Tong Si'er, they will not waste this promising talent.

"As long as you work hard, I will not let you go hungry or cold. But you still need to learn to read from Master Chen. If you can't learn two hundred characters within three months, I will have to kick you out."

The common people of the Yuan Dynasty were born without the opportunity to study, and Tong Si'er never dreamed that she would be able to read in her life. Although she disliked Chen Cheng, who had just made things difficult for her, she still turned around and kowtowed.

"Please teach me, Master."

"You don't—"

Chen Cheng opened his mouth to refuse, but when he caught sight of Shi Shan smiling at him, his throat tightened. Remembering the other party's various methods, he had no choice but to swallow his words of refusal.

(End of this chapter)