Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 35 Suspicion in People's Hearts

Faced with Liu Wu's question, Li Sheng glanced at the prisoners who were transferring grain and said nothing.

Seeing Li Sheng's reaction, Liu Wu knew that now was not the time to discuss this matter, so he remained silent.

In these turbulent times, highway robbers are becoming increasingly common.

Li Sheng's grain transport convoy attracted much attention along the way. If it weren't for the many local militiamen in leather armor guarding the convoy, it would be hard to say whether the grain could be safely transported back to Dongping Village.

Finally, as the sun was about to set, Li Sheng and his group entered the territory of Dongpingli.

They had barely walked a short distance from the corner where the main road connected to the side road when they were spotted by scouts on lookout duty in Dongping Village.

"Sheng-ge! Sheng-ge, you're back!"

Liu Lu sprinted towards Li Sheng and the others, followed by a skilled soldier as his partner.

Seeing Liu Lu and his companion running towards them like dogs, Li Sheng helplessly raised his hand to wipe his forehead.

"This guy's vigilance is way too low. What if we've all been taken hostage by the enemy and are trying to use disguise to get closer to the village?"

So when Liu Lu and the others ran over, they were not greeted with the joy of "reunion after a long separation," but rather with a stern lecture from Li Sheng.

"You, Liu Lu, is this how I let you set up sentries? What if we're being held hostage?"

"And you! Didn't Deputy Captain Liu Wu teach you all this? Two sentry posts, one visible and one hidden, working together for security. What are you doing here too!"

As soon as Li Sheng finished speaking, the elite soldier following behind Liu Lu immediately clasped his hands in apology.

"Brother Sheng is right to reprimand me. It was my fault, and I will never do it again."

Liu Lu scratched the back of his head, chuckled, and said something unserious.

"Brother Sheng, I was wrong too. But then again, it was you who came! Do you think these ten or so oddballs could kidnap you?"

As he spoke, he glanced sideways at the prisoners who were obediently driving the carts behind him, his face full of disdain.

"If you stand there, who can get close to you within a ten-foot radius?"

He spoke with conviction, but his eyes were full of trust in Li Sheng.

Li Sheng glanced at him, and finally couldn't help but smirk slightly, raising his hand to pat him on the shoulder.

"You're all talk, kid!"

Liu Lu shrank his neck and laughed even harder.

Li Sheng stopped lecturing him and turned to the elite soldier, his tone softening.

"You hurry back and tell them to send some people from the village to meet us. We have important things in our car."

"promise!"

The elite soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around, and ran off towards the village.

Liu Lu then circled the cart twice, his eyes darting around as he examined the grain sacks, the migrants transporting the grain, and the bandits whose hands and feet were bound. He couldn't help but ask again.

"Brother Sheng, what's that truck carrying? There are so many bags... And what are these people doing?"

Li Sheng glanced at him, a half-smile on his face.

"You haven't forgotten to ask about things for a moment. What's the rush? You'll tell us when we get to the village."

Liu Lu was taken aback, but he wasn't annoyed. He chuckled twice and was about to speak again when he suddenly seemed to remember something. His expression turned slightly serious, and he lowered his voice.

"By the way, Brother Sheng, there's something I need to tell you. In the two days you and Brother Wu were away, some people in the village... started gossiping."

Li Sheng's brows twitched slightly.

"What are you muttering about?"

"What else could they be muttering about?"

Liu Lu sighed, a rare moment of seriousness creeping into his expression.

"The food is being consumed too quickly. As you know, with patrols and fortifications, and recently we even dug a pond and trained local militia, the food is being used up far too fast. The elders may not say anything, but they can't suppress the complaints from the villagers. It's only because of your prestige, Brother Sheng, that we're able to stop this uproar."

After listening, Li Sheng showed no emotion on his face and simply nodded.

"understood."

Seeing his expression, Liu Lu felt reassured.

Brother Sheng never does anything he's not sure of. Since he nodded, it means it's nothing serious.

……

As dusk approached, several bonfires were lit on the wheat field in Dongpingli.

Men, women, and children from the village rushed over upon hearing the news, whispering among themselves, wondering why Li Sheng had made such a fuss.

Mr. Liu, with his white hair and beard, stood in the front row leaning on a cane, with several other elders beside him.

After Li Sheng stepped out from the crowd, Liu Gong spoke first, his voice aged yet steady.

"Sheng-ge'er, it's almost dark. Why have you called everyone to the threshing floor? Is there something important?"

Li Sheng clasped his hands in a fist salute to the elders, straightened up, and scanned the crowd before getting straight to the point.

"Uncle Liu, I heard that the village is running low on food?"

These words caused a moment of silence in the threshing ground, with many people lowering their eyes and looking embarrassed.

After a few moments of silence, Liu Gong spoke.

"Sheng-ge'er, I shouldn't be saying this... After all, everyone knows that what we're doing right now is for the village. But these days, the village is building fortifications, digging ponds, and training the village militia. Every single thing requires physical labor, and with physical labor comes the need to eat. Plus, there are so many people patrolling... The consumption of food is much faster than we originally estimated. We old folks have calculated it all up, and we're afraid the food we've managed to scrape together won't last more than a few days."

He paused, then sighed.

"It's not that everyone doesn't support you, it's just that..."

The atmosphere among the crowd was somewhat tense.

Li Sheng looked around, then clasped his hands and bowed deeply to the village elders.

"I, Li Sheng, have seen and appreciated everyone's support and determination to protect the village. These past few days have been tough for you all..."

Seeing Li Sheng's reaction, everyone felt embarrassed.

"Brother Sheng, that's not what we meant..."

"Yes, Sheng-ge, everyone knows you're doing this for the village. As for food, we can always squeeze in enough, and if all else fails, there are always some wild vegetables..."

At this moment, Li Sheng stood up and stopped everyone from comforting him.

"Don't worry about food, everyone. I've brought back some food for you!"

Everyone was taken aback.

Some people subconsciously turned their heads to look at the few carts covered with straw mats by the threshing ground, then turned back, their eyes full of confusion.

"Brother Sheng...you mean those truckloads of goods...are all grain?"

"That can't be..."

"That's several large truckloads..."

Seeing their incredulous expressions, Li Sheng raised his voice and said loudly.

"That's right! A full three thousand bushels! Enough for everyone to eat for quite a while!"

More than three thousand shi (a unit of dry measure).

These words were like a boulder thrown into calm water.

The threshing floor was initially deathly silent.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths slightly agape, as if they were momentarily speechless.

Immediately afterwards, with a buzzing sound, the pot exploded.

"Really? Brother Sheng, are all these truckloads of grain?"

Liu Lu, standing next to Li Sheng, widened his eyes in astonishment. The villagers in the threshing ground were even more shocked by the news.

"Three...three thousand koku?!"

"My God..."

"How long will this take to eat...?"