Top-notch Little Horseman

The northern border of the Qin Dynasty was plagued by corruption, with layers of deductions and a situation where merit was not rewarded with effort.

The meager achievement of a mere bandit ambush would only result in a few words of praise and a meager amount of grain when reported to the imperial court—a drop in the ocean.

But Ye Chen's concession today earned him the favor of Zhao Chen, the military commander of Manguan and the centurion of Zhenbeibao.

In the turbulent North, military strength is the foundation for establishing a foothold and gaining a foothold.

Over the next few months, the Wasteland Pass quietly transformed.

With this batch of military equipment, Ye Chen organized the defenses, enforced strict military discipline, and expanded his forces. The number of people in Huangchen Pass has now exceeded one hundred.

With thirty bows and arrows, we would be able to put up a fight even against five hundred men charging through the pass.

He promoted the planting of high-yield crops such as potatoes and sweet potatoes, resulting in bumper harvests in the barren border wastelands and completely solving the dire situation of food shortage.

The desolate pass was no longer a bitter and desolate place that everyone avoided. It became the only safe haven for refugees in the north. People from all directions, down-on-their-luck soldiers, and artisans seeking refuge flocked there, causing the population inside the pass to surge and the pass to grow stronger day by day.

During this period, Cao Bucun from headquarters repeatedly provided secret assistance.

They delivered secret reports on border defense deployments, provided salt and iron supplies, and significantly contributed to the survival of Huangchen Pass.

……

Liangtang County.

On this day, a lean man named Wang Bu'er raised a banner.

"Qin's strength led to the unification of the six states, but in the end, it was not the six states that caused chaos in the world!" Wang Bu'er shouted, raising his banner high.

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

The nearly one thousand people he helped up cheered.

Wang Bu'er pressed his hand down and continued speaking.

"Are those people sitting in the government offices superior to us?"

"Were those landlords and gentry, those who could eat and drink without working, born superior to others?"

Nearly a thousand people raised their fists and shouted excitedly.

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?"

……

"They are human beings too, and they too will be born, grow old, get sick, and die!" Wang Bu'er continued.

"Now that it's full of fat and bloated stuff, it's time to clean it up!"

The killing began on that day.

The wealthy families in Liangtang County never expected Wang Bu'er to rebel. Before they could react, they had already rushed in.

The county clerk was dragged out and thrown in front of Wang Bu'er.

"Second Master, Second Master, we were wrong, we were wrong..." The county clerk looked at Wang Bu'er with a panicked expression.

"Second Master, listen to me! I'll return your land to you immediately. Not only will I give you the land, but I'll also give you money..."

Wang Bu'er coldly retorted, "Give it to me now? I don't want it!"

"Each li (unit of land area) receives one dou (unit of dry measure) of rice, and must repay two dou the following month. If there is no rice to repay, the land will be used to make up the difference. If the land is insufficient, the head of the household's members will be used as slaves!"

"What a brilliant plan! What a brilliant plan!"

"We suffer while you profit! Die, just die!"

As Wang Bu'er spoke, he swung his spear and pierced right through the county clerk.

"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" Wang Bu'er shouted, raising his spear.

"Brothers, follow me and kill! Slaughter these filthy rich dogs! Take back what's rightfully ours!"

"Kill! Charge in!"

A group of people rushed in and quickly reached the front of the government office.

The county magistrate, accompanied by ten constables, played chess against Wang Bu'er's men.

"Wang Bu'er! How dare you! Do you want to rebel?" the county magistrate roared.

"Hahaha!..." Wang Bu'er laughed loudly and turned to the people behind him.

"Who among you dares to kill the county magistrate?"

The crowd shouted in unison, "We dare to kill! We dare to kill!"

Everyone went together, shoulder to shoulder!

"Kill him! Kill this corrupt official!" Wang Bu'er roared.

The constables fled in panic, but Wang Bu'er did not pursue them. Instead, he beheaded the county magistrate on the spot.

"Open the granary and release the grain!" With Wang Bu'er's order, everyone rushed inside and opened the granary.

As the sun sets, its golden rays spread across the wheat fields.

Countless people stormed into the government office and into the homes of wealthy families.

No one knew that the mournful sound of the horn was like a funeral dirge.

No one knew that the funeral for the Qin Dynasty was about to begin.

Wang Bu'er and his group robbed a county, stumbled along the way, and finally met up with Liu Dong's group before winter arrived.

The once remote mountains are now teeming with people and bustling with activity.

As the leader, Liu Dong naturally sat in the main seat.

"Gentlemen, listen to me. If the imperial troops press us too hard, we can split our forces into two groups," Liu Dong said, waving his hand.

"We will advance on Yuanshui County from the east and attack Shilou County from the west. If we take these two counties first, they can serve as our base."

"These two counties are not easy to attack. Is this reliable?" Wang Bu'er asked.

"If these two counties don't work, we'll come back immediately and take down a few nearby forts first," Liu Dong said, pointing to a simple battle map ahead.

"Look here, there's a guy named Zhang Biao. He only has a little over a hundred men. It's the easiest fort to attack. Let's take it first."

This fort wasn't a military fort, so it was indeed easy to take.

Wang Bu'er looked up and nodded slightly, saying, "I know this person. He's a coward. He tried to raise servants, but he didn't do it well."

Liu Dong stood up, glanced around, and said, "I have something to say. Would you all like to hear it?"

Wang Bu'er looked over and said softly, "Tell me about it."

"We are in such a chaotic state right now that we are unlikely to achieve anything significant."

One of the leaders, Wu Zhiduo, raised his eyes and said, "What you said makes sense; we're in too much chaos right now, and the people are too mixed up."

"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. We need to establish rules. We can set up official positions and clarify responsibilities."

"The imperial court's champions are not that scary. The imperial court is strong on the outside but weak on the inside. They can't beat us at all."

"I, Wu Zhiduo, am willing to serve King Liu with the utmost loyalty!"

Wang Bu'er nodded and said, "That's right. Now we need a slogan, a slogan that will make us even stronger!"

A burly, dark-skinned man clenched his fist and said, "It's better to die stealing than to sit and starve!"

"Even in death, I'll die with a full stomach!"

……

A carriage sped through the heavy rain, the driver carefully choosing the flattest spots so the master inside could be more comfortable.

Just then, a group of thieves rushed out and hijacked the carriage.

The world is in complete chaos!

As winter approached, the northern border was swept by biting winds, and heavy snow fell for three days, freezing mountains and rivers.

The Northern Mang tribes, who had been in a standoff with the Qin Dynasty for many years, finally could no longer hold back.

The Northern Barbarians lived by following the water and grass, and in winter their food supplies dried up. In order to survive the cold winter, three hundred elite cavalrymen braved the frost and snow, bypassed the main camp of the Qin army, and went straight to the weakest point, but the Huangchen Pass, which was full of food supplies.

The three hundred cavalrymen were all seasoned warriors who had fought countless battles on the grasslands. They were skilled in archery and horsemanship, fearless and valiant. Their hooves shattered the icy river, their banners fluttered, and they stood in a dark, imposing formation beneath the desolate pass, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

Beacon fires suddenly ignited on the border, and smoke billowed straight into the sky.