Volume Two, Chapter Nine: Shaking the Earth with Unified Cries, Willing to Die in Service

These few individuals were none other than the friends of Xu Shiji who had been "invited" here by Ji Bochang.

Li Shandao gave a hearty laugh and said, "Master Fan and the others are all esteemed gentry of Puyang and elders of the county. In front of all of you, how could I dare claim to have overawed this noble county? The reason we were able to take Puyang is entirely due to Brother Bochang's internal assistance; and the reason we were able to recruit nearly a thousand brave soldiers is likewise thanks to the prestigious reputations of Brother Bochang and you gentlemen in this noble county. As the saying goes, 'achieving success through others'—that refers precisely to someone like me, Shandao!"

The person addressed as "Master Fan" by Li Shandao sneered and said, "'Achieving success through others'? Isn't Leader Li being far too modest? Judging by Leader Li's current momentum in our humble county, you are already acting as its master. I truly wonder where Leader Li gets off using the phrase 'achieving success through others.'"

Li Shandao said with a solemn expression, "Master Fan, I must ask you not to jest. What 'master of the noble county'? I, Shandao, am dull-witted and a nobody, how could I ever presume to assume such a role? I would like you all to know that yesterday, after taking your noble county thanks to Brother Bochang's internal assistance, I already dispatched men post-haste to Lihu to report this news to Elder Brother Xu. Calculating the distance, the elder brother's reply should arrive today. As for what the noble county should do next—whether we should temporarily entrust it to your management or handle it otherwise—we shall wait until the elder brother's orders arrive before I discuss it with you all."

The man surnamed Fan exchanged glances with the other two.

Seeing that the three of them had nothing more to say, Li Shandao instructed Shi Zhongkui, who was accompanying them, "Attend to them well and show no slacking." He then made a respectful bow to the three men, including the one surnamed Fan, and departed.

It would have been strange indeed if they harbored no dissatisfaction toward Li Shandao. Regarding the troop recruitment from the previous night, even a fool could see that Li Shandao had clearly relied on the prestige of these three men in the county to recruit so many brave soldiers. Yet prior to this, Li Shandao had not given them a single warning, and furthermore, he had "forcibly" invited them here. One could only imagine how impossible it was for them not to feel resentful toward Li Shandao!

However, putting that aside, even knowing that they all harbored resentment against him, Li Shandao had no alternative.

To humble oneself and scrape and bow? Li Shandao was also a proud and upright man. Showing friendliness and humility was something he could manage, but flattering acts devoid of integrity like those of Kang Sanzhang and Niu Er were something he could never, ever stoop to—that was the first reason. Secondly, after taking Puyang City, even though Li Shandao had revealed his background as a subordinate under Xu Shiji's command, these men surnamed Fan had still not taken the initiative to seek him out. This was sufficient proof that they likely looked down upon Li Shandao. The more obsequious one was, the more they would likely despise you.

Therefore, bowing and scraping was not a viable option.

Should he simply hand over the nearly a thousand newly recruited brave soldiers to these few men? That, of course, was even more out of the question.

Consequently, all Li Shandao could do was exchange a few words with them, displaying his courtesy and modesty, and nothing more.

Upon hearing Gao Chounu's words, Li Shandao said, "That's right, Chounu, I've also figured out that these scoundrels seem to harbor resentment toward me. So what should we do? Chounu, why don't you take your twin maces, step back there, and beat them to death one by one with a single blow each!"

"Chounu."

Gao Chounu said respectfully, "Please give your orders, my lord."

"Sometimes, you act like a fool; other times, you aren't foolish at all. Your remark about 'considering Elder Brother Xu's face' was well said. These gentlemen are Elder Brother Xu's friends. No matter how dissatisfied they are with me, we can only pretend we didn't notice. What you just said should be kept between us."

Gao Chounu acknowledged the order, though he remained worried, and asked, "My lord, Elder Brother Xu said these scoundrels are all his good friends, and their relationship with Elder Brother Xu is extraordinary. What if these scoundrels meet with Elder Brother Xu and speak ill of you?"

Xu Shiji's character was now roughly understood by Li Shandao. "Valuing righteousness over wealth"—that was merely Xu Shiji's surface appearance. To put it more favorably, Xu Shiji was actually a standard "realist." In his previous life while reading history, Li Shandao had once come across an account of Shan Xiongxin, before his execution, pointing a finger at Xu Shiji for failing to plead on his behalf, saying, "I knew you wouldn't lift a finger." At the time, Li Shandao did not understand why Shan Xiongxin would utter such words. Yet now, he could fully understand. Since Xu Shiji was such a person, even if these men truly spoke ill of him to Xu Shiji, Li Shandao now possessed the monumental achievement of taking Puyang and had recruited nearly a thousand brave soldiers. Whether for the sake of continuing to utilize Li Shandao or to demonstrate his own fairness to his subordinates, there was simply no need to worry about what Xu Shiji might do to him.

Therefore, stroking his short mustache, Li Shandao smiled slightly and said, "Chounu, what kind of man is Elder Brother Xu? How could he be a mediocre fellow who listens to slander! You can set your mind at ease and stop worrying on your lord's behalf."

"Yes, yes."

Now, armor, much like regular clothing, came in sizes—typically three sizes: large, medium, and small.

Standing a little over two meters tall, Gao Chounu could only fit into extra-large armor. Where could one find so many extra-large sets of armor? Consequently, it was only today that a complete set was finally found in the armory of the Puyang County Office.

Gao Chounu gave a loud acknowledgment and followed Li Shandao to the stockpile of weapons.

More than half of the weaponry hauled out from the county office armory had already been distributed. The most eye-catching remnants were dozens of sets of armor—mostly leather armor, along with a few suits of plate armor. Among them, one suit of plate armor was exceptionally large and wide. This was precisely that extra-large suit of armor.

With the help of several lackeys, Gao Chounu quickly put on the armor, and it fit him to perfection.

Among the piles of weapons were also two iron whips. Unlike iron maces, which had ridges, iron whips were not as heavy as maces of the same length. Having discarded his own iron mace, Gao Chounu picked up the two iron whips and tested their weight, finding them much more comfortable to wield. He then began to twirl the twin whips. Though his movements lacked any sophisticated form, the whirling of the whips whipped up gusts of wind and dust, radiating an aura of sheer ferocity.

In the open space nearby, the nearly thousand newly recruited soldiers were being organized into squads and ranks.

A strapping fellow over two meters tall, clad in heavy armor and brandishing heavy whips, making such a tremendous commotion, instantly drew the gaze of the nearly thousand new recruits.

Niu Er was also right there, running back and forth to assist Wang Xuda, Qin Jingsi, and the others. Spotting the right moment just as Gao Chounu's whip-wielding routine came to a pause, he hurriedly clapped his hands and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Splendid! Splendid!"

Prompted by him, the nearly thousand new recruits, thoroughly convinced and won over, likewise roared, "Splendid! Splendid!"

Amidst the thunderous cheers, Gao Chounu recalled Shan Xiongxin's habitual gesture after brandishing his lance. Raising his left iron whip high and pressing his right iron whip downward, he imitated Shan Xiongxin and struck a majestic pose. Turning his profile toward the new recruits, he let out a shout that burst forth like spring thunder: "Halt!"

The nearly thousand new recruits grew even more boisterous, shouting and cheering endlessly.

Seizing the opportunity, Niu Er cried out, "Under the Second Young Master's command, we have fierce-tiger-like warriors of this caliber! If the bandit government troops dare to come and fight, how could they possibly be our match? Villains and townsmen, if we follow Li Erlang, we will kill officials whenever we see them and seize cities whenever we reach them in the days to come! It won't just be about filling our bellies—wealth piled like mountains will be ours for the taking as easily as reaching into our pockets!" He stuck his rear end high up, prostrated himself on the ground facing Li Shandao, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "From this day forth, I, Niu Er, am willing to give my life in service before the Second Young Master's horse!"

True to his former status as a loafer, this skill of seizing every opportunity to ingratiate himself and offer timely flattery was indeed beyond the reach of ordinary men.

Stirred by Niu Er, the atmosphere among the nearly thousand new recruits surged, and they shouted in unison, "We are willing to give our lives in service before the Second Young Master's horse!"

Li Shandao deeply felt that at this moment, he had to do something.

What should he do?

His gaze fell upon the remaining wealth—the coins and cloth hauled out from the county office storehouses had not been entirely distributed to the new recruits; all the gold and half of the coins had been set aside beforehand and piled up into a single heap. This pile was prepared as rewards for Wang Xuda and the others. Busy from yesterday until now, there had simply been no time to distribute this batch of money. But now was precisely the right time to hand it out!

Though a portion of the troops were stationed at the city gates and various locations throughout the county and were not all gathered here, it mattered little.

With a single order given by Li Shandao, assisted by the brothers Wang Zhandhe and Wang Xuande, who were in charge of logistics and other affairs within the unit, gold cakes and strings of coins were presented right before the eyes of the nearly thousand new recruits. Li Shandao personally bestowed these rewards upon Wang Xuda, Chen Jing'er, Dong Falü, and the others.

Seeing this, the new recruits were all struck with envy and longing!

Niu Er prostrated himself on the ground once more and shouted, "The Second Young Master is strict yet fair in rewards and punishments, rewarding merit without fail! From now on, I, Niu Er, am willing to give my life in service before the Second Young Master's horse!"

Not only did the nearly thousand new recruits follow Niu Er's lead by shouting, but quite a few of them also prostrated themselves on the ground, chanting once again in unison, "We are willing to give our lives in service before the Second Young Master's horse!" The roar shook the roof tiles. This time, the volume and apparent sincerity of the shouts among the majority of the new recruits were evidently much greater than the previous cry.

Qin Jingsi, Wang Xuda, and the others were overjoyed both at receiving their reward money and at the sudden pledge of loyalty from the nearly thousand new recruits, grinning from ear to ear.

Judging purely from his outward appearance, Li Shandao looked equally delighted, wearing a gentle smile. Yet what he was pondering in his heart at that moment was entirely unknown to Qin Jingsi and the others.

As his men distributed the reward money to Dong Falü and the others, he gazed at the nearly thousand new recruits who had shouted their pledges repeatedly, thinking to himself: "Damn it, why do I feel that while pulling this stunt is temporarily useful, if it goes on for long, this force of mine will basically turn into a rebel army!"

At noon, the messenger sent by Xu Shiji with the reply arrived in Puyang.