Chapter 7

"Idiot... big idiot, you know the bandits have no sense of righteousness and are out to kill, yet you still foolishly rush out... What are you thinking?"

Xiaole Tian's ears were filled with Hu Niu's scolding voice. The little girl looked extremely angry, her eyes misty with tears.

Xiaole Tian was almost at his wits' end with Hu Niu. The little girl's tongue was like a knife, almost driving Xiaole Tian to despair. If it weren't for the fact that he really couldn't figure out how to wear ancient clothes, he wouldn't want to suffer this torment anymore.

"I just said, our only way out now is to negotiate with the bandits. We used too much gunpowder last night, and almost everyone is injured. We really can't fight anymore..."

"But... but you just said the bandits have no sense of righteousness and are out for revenge. Why did you go out and expose yourself? Aren't you just asking for death?"

Hu Niu didn't know why, but she couldn't stand seeing Xiaole Tian take the lead.

Xiaole Tian secretly smiled bitterly. Negotiation was the only way out now. Even though the success rate was less than 30%, it was still better than waiting to die. As for who would negotiate, there was no one else but Xiaole Tian.

Xiaole Tian didn't expect that when he proposed his plan, two-thirds of the people in the mountain temple fell to their knees. The companions all wept, "No, Master Xiao, you are the backbone of the caravan. If something happens to you, no one can save us... Master Xiao, you killed so many bandits last night. They must want to eat your flesh. Going down the mountain is just asking for death. No, no..."

None of the people's pleas stopped Xiaole Tian. He looked at the gradually brightening east and began to give orders, "There must be some bandits who are still alive in the pile of bodies outside the temple gate. Send someone to call out and offer them medical help, to gain their favor... Then call out and say that a foreigner is coming to negotiate. Clearly tell them that I am Han Chinese but grew up overseas and have no grudges with anyone here..."

After everything was arranged, Xiaole Tian looked down at the pilot's leather jacket he was wearing. It was a high-quality imitation that cost over 3,000 yuan on a certain online platform, but it had been torn in several places during the night's struggle, and the cold wind was seeping through. Looking at the Flying Tigers emblem and the small skull rivets, he knew he couldn't wear this out.

Since he was going to negotiate, it was better to blend in with the crowd. This was a psychological tactic to close the distance and achieve the best negotiation results.

In the end, Hu Niu found a black satin robe for Xiaole Tian, which fit him perfectly.

However, when Hu Niu saw Xiaole Tian struggling to fasten the buttons, taking a long time to fasten even one, she blushed and came over, "Idiot... what a pampered life you must have had, you can't even fasten a button..." She then carefully helped him, and the little maid Ah Chou shyly helped remove the grass from Xiaole Tian's clothes.

As Hu Niu helped, she kept scolding Xiaole Tian, and the scene felt like a wife seeing her husband off, with her blushing like a new bride. Xiaole Tian looked down at Hu Niu's two dimples and couldn't help but sneak glances at her ample chest.

After everything was in order, Xiaole Tian walked out of the main hall of the mountain temple. The golden sunlight shone on him, giving the foreigner with a white bandage on his forehead a sacred aura. The people in the courtyard all stood up, and many of the older ones began to cry.

"Xiao, may you have a smooth journey... You are the bravest cowboy..." Lewis shouted, and Xiaole Tian instinctively looked up. At that moment, Simon pressed the shutter, and Xiaole Tian's figure was forever preserved.

"Big fool, big idiot..." Hu Niu in the main hall couldn't hold back her tears, which fell like broken pearls. She was still clutching the high-quality imitation Flying Tigers leather jacket, determined to keep it for herself and never return it to the big bad guy.

The wind was cold, and the water was cold. The brave man went forth, never to return. Xiaole Tian's mood was no different from Jing Ke's when he set out to assassinate the King of Qin, equally tragic and resolute.

In front of Xiaole Tian was a simple wooden barrier blocking the slope leading from the mountain temple to the valley's trade route. More than ten bandits, their faces full of anger, were holding long spears, surrounding the lone Xiaole Tian.

Perhaps the act of helping the injured had an effect, or perhaps Xiaole Tian's claim of being a foreigner had some impact. In any case, the bandits who would kill without hesitation did not kill Xiaole Tian on the spot but reported to their leader. Soon, a deep voice echoed.

"Hmph! There's really someone who isn't afraid of death? Boys, set up a big pot. We'll have boiled meat today..." A tall, muscular man with a tiger-like back and a fierce glare, holding a bright steel sword, walked forward. This violent man, who was talking about eating Xiaole Tian's flesh, was Graybeard.

Two bandits rushed forward and tied Xiaole Tian up. As he struggled, Xiaole Tian suddenly shouted, "Don't you know you're about to die? I'm showing you a way out, but you don't appreciate it? Fine, fine, if you have the guts to kill, you must be a bastard's child..."

What audacity, to call an ancient person a bastard's child, which was extremely malicious. Graybeard immediately drew his sword, his face red with anger, "I'll kill you..."

"Hmm?" At that moment, a low groan came from behind a white stone. This groan was effective, and Graybeard's sword hung in the air, not daring to strike. Xiaole Tian immediately understood that the true leader of the bandits was behind the big stone.

"Great Chief, you might think I'm exaggerating, but let me tell you the truth. You should take the 110,000 silver coins on the trade route and leave. Be careful, or your 200 men will be turned into dumplings..."

Xiaole Tian's legs were still trembling, but his mind was clear. He knew that the lives of nearly 100 people depended on his words.

"Great Chief, if you're doing business here, you must have scouted the area. This place is not far from Xiling. The Inner Court has at least 10,000 troops guarding the tombs, not to mention the Han army garrisoned in the county. The sound of gunfire last night and the continuous shouting must have been heard by the surrounding villages. They will certainly report to the authorities."

"Don't forget, this is the site of the imperial tombs. How can the Manchus not come to suppress the bandits? After all, Emperor Yongzheng is buried here..."

Xiaole Tian took a few deep breaths and continued, "Moreover, this caravan is not just made up of people from our Great Qing, but also includes foreigners, American missionaries. If anything happens, it will cause diplomatic disputes, and local officials will be held responsible. Given these two points, they will certainly do their best to suppress the bandits. If I'm not mistaken, the guards at Xiling and the local troops are already aware..."

"Ha ha ha..." Before Xiaole Tian could finish, a long laugh echoed from behind the stone, and a middle-aged man emerged.

"Ha ha ha... I thought you would say something profound, but it's just old and cliché. What foreigner? Last night I saw you shouting and directing the ten muskets with great skill. I thought you were a genius, but you're just an ordinary person..."

"What? He was the one directing the muskets?" Graybeard had only been in charge at the foot of the mountain last night and hadn't seen Xiaole Tian in action. If he had, he would have chopped him to pieces long ago.

"Flay him, flay this traitor to death..." The situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.

Xiaole Tian was drenched in cold sweat, his mind racing to analyze the situation. The clues from the bandits' behavior quickly converged in his mind.

Hundreds of military bows, small crossbows, saw-toothed arrows, a silent and disciplined group, and even their short, stubby braids—all these pointed to an incredible possibility.

"Are you the Longhairs? Are you the Taiping Army? You're not bandits, are you...?" Xiaole Tian, with newfound strength, broke free from the two soldiers and walked briskly to the middle-aged man, staring into his eyes for three minutes.

"I'm so stupid, I should have realized it. This is the third year of Tongzhi. Zeng Guofan has just captured the capital of the Taiping, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has been completely destroyed. But the Taiping, which once ruled half of the Qing Empire, had over a million soldiers at its peak. Even if Zeng Guofan killed them one by one, he couldn't have killed them all."

"Some must have survived, some must have escaped this disaster. And you are the survivors of the Taiping? So you not only want money but also want to take lives. You want to kill the Manchus, the merchants who support the Manchus, and even the foreigners who chose the Qing. So you're blocking this place to take revenge, to vent your anger, right?"

Xiaole Tian was almost mad, his saliva even spattering the man's face, but the man, with remarkable composure, smiled and showed no anger.

"Since you know our identity, do you think you can live? To keep our secret, you must die... But since you're so smart and talented, I'll let you choose how you die..."

"Can I not die?" Xiaole Tian almost unconsciously responded, and the man just smiled and shook his head, indicating there was no hope.

Heaven! Earth! Why are you so unfair? When others travel through time, you send them beautiful women and loyal followers, and they become the main character with a commanding presence. But when it's my turn, why am I so unlucky, thrown into a situation where I'm bound to die?

Graybeard charged forward again, but Xiaole Tian didn't give up. He asked one last question, "I can die, but you must tell me who you are. With your demeanor, you can't be an ordinary officer. You must be a significant figure... Let me die with knowledge, let me die with knowledge..."

Xiaole Tian struggled, and the soldiers pressed him down. Graybeard had already sprayed liquor on his sword, ready to strike.

Xiaole Tian never thought he would have such a strong will to live. In the face of death, he found incredible strength, and two strong Taiping soldiers couldn't hold him down. His knees were like welded, refusing to bend. His neck and face were covered in veins, like worms crawling on them.

"Let me die with knowledge, are you afraid of a man who is bound to die? You coward..." This was a provocation, and Xiaole Tian knew that ancient people, especially those of high status, were extremely protective of their reputation. Provoking them often yielded the desired information.

Sure enough, the middle-aged man leaned close to Xiaole Tian's ear and whispered, "Remember, I am the Wing King of the Taiping, Shi Dakai..."

These words were like a thunderclap in Xiaole Tian's mind. This famous revolutionary in modern Chinese history was standing right in front of him? He was supposed to have died in the second year of Tongzhi. Could he have faked his death? He wouldn't even deceive a man who was bound to die, would he?

Shi Dakai, the Righteous King in the mouths of the southern people, and one of the few capable administrators in the Taiping, was the first to implement household registration and open the imperial examinations. In later historical books, the Taiping officials were often criticized, but criticism of Shi Dakai was extremely rare. Even the Great Ancestor praised him more than he criticized him.

"I understand, you faked your death! The one who died was your stand-in! You want to continue the Taiping's fight against the Qing, right?" Xiaole Tian was so excited by the historical secret he had uncovered that he almost forgot the threat of death.

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