Chapter 37

Tang Bi rode his horse, his brows furrowed. Half a month ago, Zhang Ke was still struggling for twenty taels of silver, but after a trip to Guangning, the young man suddenly became the top figure in Dashing Fort, even the defense commander had to rely on him. At the time, he himself wanted to hire the other as a servant, which now seemed rather ridiculous.

"Zhang Ke, do you have any confidence?"

Zhang Ke, riding his horse, did not turn back but said, "Sir Tang, we must do our best and leave the rest to fate!"

"How can I not find that a bit risky?"

"Ha ha ha, if it were a sure thing, it probably wouldn't be my turn."

Zhang Ke hurriedly arrived at the city gate and ran up the passage. At this moment, the shouts outside the city were deafening, and the soldiers on the city wall were shooting arrows down. This frightened Zhang Ke, as conflict was feared to lead to bloodshed. What seemed like a minor issue could become irreparable once lives were lost!

These soldiers on the city wall were truly more harmful than helpful. Zhang Ke fiercely whipped the archers with his horsewhip.

"Blind beasts, can't you see? Those below are our fellow countrymen, all citizens of our Great Ming! You have no skill against the Tartars, but you are skilled at mutual slaughter!"

As the whip came down, many archers hastily put away their bows. However, one young man not only did not stop but also nocked an arrow and shot it out of the city.

Zhang Ke was not lenient, and a whip struck the young man's left cheek, leaving a bloody mark.

"You dare to hit me!" The young man's eyes widened: "Which rat hole did you crawl out of, little beast? Do you know who I am? Wan Baiquan is my uncle, and my grandfather is the best archer in Dashing Fort. If you dare to hit me, watch out for your dog head!"

Zhang Ke looked at the young man, who indeed resembled the Wan family, with golden triangular eyes that glowed with ferocity after being hit, as if ready to devour someone.

Zhang Ke sneered, "Not only you, but even if your uncle were here, I would still hit you. The people outside the city are ordered by the court to be properly settled. You disobey the court's orders and engage in mutual slaughter; you deserve to die!"

Wan Antai suddenly laughed wildly, pointing at Zhang Ke and said, "Boy, what right do you have to lecture me? Those outside the city are half-Tartars. They dare to attack Dashing Fort, which is rebellion! Let them taste the power of my bow. If you dare to stop me from shooting them, you will die!"

Wan Antai completely ignored Zhang Ke's orders, drew his bow, and provocatively looked at Zhang Ke.

"Boy, even if I shoot, what can you do about it!"

Just as Wan Antai was about to release the bowstring, he felt a flash before his eyes. Then his bow was cut in half by a knife, the upper half hitting his forehead and forming a large bump, and the lower half hitting between his legs. Wan Antai's face turned green, and he fell to the ground, howling in pain.

The one who had just wielded the knife was Zhang Ke. He walked indifferently to Wan Antai's side, stepped on his back with a large foot, and pointed a cold blade at his neck. Wan Antai was subdued in one move, and the others were so frightened that they trembled, no longer daring to underestimate this fair-skinned young man.

Zhang Ke sneered, "Listen up, who started the conflict? No lies, or you will be severely punished."

"Sir, we will tell, we will tell!"

A few older soldiers nervously recounted the events. It turned out that when the people outside the city arrived at Dashing Fort, they wanted to enter and rest, but the citizens of the city opposed it, leading to a tense situation. Wan Baiquan hurriedly reported to Sun Youguang and left his nephew to supervise the scene.

Wan Antai, for some reason, became even more daring than his uncle. He told the immigrants that if they paid ten taels of silver, they could get their own house. Many immigrants, believing this, bit their teeth and handed over their last silver and jewelry to Wan Antai.

This young man filled his pockets and led a few immigrants into the city to look at the houses. However, the citizens of the city had not agreed to give up their houses, and even temporarily allowing the immigrants to rest in the city was not agreed upon, let alone selling the houses.

Everyone gathered with various weapons and argued loudly with Wan Antai, refusing to let the immigrants into the houses.

The immigrants were also unhappy. Not only did they not get the promised houses, but they also lost a lot of silver. In anger, they demanded their money back from Wan Antai.

Wan Antai, not willing to give up the silver, seeing that the immigrants were few, actually cut down two of them. The remaining few fled out of the city, and this caused a commotion. The people outside the city, hearing this, rushed over and killed a guard. Wan Antai then realized the situation was dire and could only command his subordinates to close the city gates.

The old soldier briefly told Zhang Ke the process, and Zhang Ke's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth, "So it was all your fault. You have caused this, and you must pay for it!"

Zhang Ke reached out and grabbed Wan Antai by the collar, lifting him to the parapet. At this moment, the city below was full of people, shouting and clamoring. Fortunately, they had no siege equipment, or the city gates would have been breached long ago. Zhang Ke looked down and felt a headache.

A good deed of welcoming and settling the immigrants had been turned into a mess by a few fools, truly deserving of death!

Zhang Ke pressed Wan Antai against the parapet, his head hanging out. This young man, having been hit in a vital spot, had no strength to resist and could only shout at the top of his lungs.

"I am the chief banner, release me quickly, or my uncle will not let you off!"

Zhang Ke sneered, suddenly lowering his voice, "Don't worry, your uncle will join you sooner or later!"

"Ah!" Wan Antai's face turned pale with shock. Just as he was about to speak, Zhang Ke's short sword swung, cleanly severing Wan Antai's neck, and his head fell outside the city.

The immigrants outside the city were arguing when a head was suddenly thrown down from the city wall, scaring them. They all took a few steps back.

Zhang Ke took advantage of this moment, quickly leaning on the parapet and shouting, "Brothers outside the city, we are all fellow countrymen, bound by blood. The court sincerely welcomes you back. There was a misunderstanding just now, and I have already punished the culprit. Please take a look."

Yue Zixuan was skeptical and gave a signal. His subordinate, Ma Rufeng, quickly ran to the city wall and picked up the head.

"Brother Yue, it's this young man, he was just collecting silver!"

Many people nodded in agreement, and Yue Zixuan's brows furrowed, "He really did it! Brothers, what do you think?"

Ma Rufeng said, "Brother, I think we should still be cautious and not easily trust these officials."

The voices outside the city gradually quieted, but no one spoke, an eerie silence fell.

Zhang Ke inwardly groaned. These Han people had come a long way, their hearts burning like a fire. If they were properly welcomed and settled, they might become a model, attracting more people to return.

But Wan Baiquan had turned it into a half-cooked mess, and the immigrants, who had been doused with cold water, trusted the court even less. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Even killing Wan Antai would not help.

Zhang Ke took a deep breath and shouted again, "Fellow countrymen, I am tasked with handling your affairs. We can't just drag this on. Send a few representatives, and let's talk!"

Yue Zixuan, holding his sword, stepped forward and coldly said to the city wall, "We can talk, but it must be outside the city. Don't try to trick us into the city!"

"Right, we've been tricked. The court said there would be food, clothes, and houses, but it's all lies. There's nothing. You have no sincerity. If you don't take care of us, we'll become bandits and rob the Tartars and you, these deceitful officials!" Ma Rufeng shouted loudly.

Tang Bi stood behind Zhang Ke, his face ashen.

"These people are indeed wild and hard to tame. I think we shouldn't be polite anymore. We must defend the city and prevent them from breaking in. If we wait a few days, they will freeze to death."

Tang Bi might have suggested the safest course, but Zhang Ke would never agree. He had stepped out to bring these immigrants into the fold. If they all froze to death, where would he find such good soldiers?

Most of these people outside the city had a diet similar to the Tartars and had worked hard, making each young man as strong as a bull. They could also ride horses, and with a little training, they would become a formidable force.

Zhang Ke thought about this, gritted his teeth, and smiled at the people below, "Having demands is good, I'll go out of the city!"

He turned around and ordered the soldiers to bring a basket and rope.

"Brother Ke, don't go!" Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui ran to the city wall and urgently stopped Zhang Ke. "Brother Ke, it's dangerous!"

Zhang Ke smiled, "I've dealt with real Tartars before. The people below are our fellow countrymen, what is there to fear? Wait here, I'll be back soon."

Qiao Gui and Qiao Fu looked at each other, and the two brothers suddenly nodded and quickly went to the parapet. Qiao Fu said with a smile, "Brother Ke, if there's nothing to fear, let us go and see the world too!"

Zhang Ke, knowing they were worried about him, said happily, "Alright, let them see our brothers' abilities."

The three brothers went out of the city and walked towards the crowd. Zhang Ke's face was calm and dignified, and Qiao Gui and Qiao Fu closely followed, alert to their surroundings.

Yue Zixuan finally showed a hint of approval, "I didn't expect the officials of the Great Ming to be such heroes!"

"Ha ha ha!" Zhang Ke laughed loudly, "I don't dare to call myself a hero, just a bit bold! But compared to you, who have brought your fellow countrymen back from a foreign land, braving all kinds of dangers, wind and snow, and fighting the Tartars, I am far behind. You are the true heroes, the real men. Please accept my respect!"

Zhang Ke bowed deeply, and Yue Zixuan, seeing this, his eyes reddened, and a bitter feeling welled up inside him.

"Sir, I've never heard anyone speak of us like this. On the way, we were suspected and pointed at, and some even called us Tartar collaborators and scoundrels! Finally, we reached the city of Dashing Fort, only to be hit with a blow. The fire in our hearts was extinguished, and the blood in our bodies turned cold. The court cannot accept us, and I don't respect this useless court! Just now, Brother Ma said we should become bandits, and I agree. Sir, please go back, our minds are made up, don't waste your words!"

Zhang Ke looked up and down at Yue Zixuan, who was about 1.7 meters tall but very muscular, his body like a mountain of muscles. His voice was filled with barely concealed anger, and his knuckles cracked.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Zhang Ke suddenly laughed wildly, pointing at Yue Zixuan, "Well said, I ask you, do you still consider yourself a citizen of the Great Ming? Is the blood in your body still Han blood?"

"How can it not be? I will always be a Han, even in ten thousand years!"

"Then, I ask you, will a little委屈 (grievance) and a little挫折 (setback) make you retreat? Do you deserve to be a Han with iron bones and a strong spirit?"

"You!" Yue Zixuan gritted his teeth, like an injured beast, and roared, "It is the court that has wronged us, that cannot accept us. We are abandoned people, deceived by the officials. What else can we do but become bandits?"

People who had endured great hardships were moved to tears, and the sound of crying filled the air.

Zhang Ke looked around, his eyes also red.

"Go home!"

Two words touched the most vulnerable nerves.

Someone, with tears in their eyes, raised their head and asked, "Is there still a home?"

"Of course, even if there isn't, we can build a new one! Welcome... home!"

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