Chapter 94: 092 Pledge of Allegiance

"Save your lives from what? I'm just a merchant from out of town."

Zhao Han hastily shook his head and refused.

The tenant farmers exchanged glances. Another man knelt, and then with a great rustling sound, a whole swath of them dropped to their knees.

"Master Zhao, save us!"

"Master Zhao, show us mercy, grant us a way to live."

"If Master Zhao leaves Huang Family Town, Master Huang won't force us to do this labor anymore!"

"Master Zhao..."

At this very moment, Master Zhao was nearly dead with rage!

He had schemed for over twenty days and let resentment brew for eight more. Yet these oppressed tenant farmers, in their minds, thought not of resistance, but of begging Zhao Han to pull his investment and leave Huang Family Town.

In their eyes, Master Huang was cruel and tyrannical, while Master Zhao was kind and good-hearted.

Therefore, Master Zhao would be easier to talk to, and losing a thousand taels would mean nothing to him.

And since Master Huang was not easy to talk to, they could only endure.

A twisted form of bullying the soft and fearing the hard.

Zhao Han no longer wanted to destroy Huang Zundao; instead, he wanted to cut down the tenant farmers before him. Furious at their refusal to fight!

"Are your hides itching for a beating?"

Fortunately, the helpful foreman intervened. The fellow lashed out with his whip and bellowed, "Master Zhao is so kindhearted he personally brought you tea, and all you can think of is making him take a loss. You have no conscience at all, you ungrateful wretches. No more tea for any of you — get back to work!"

The overseers all brandished their whips, beating the tenant farmers until they covered their heads and dodged.

Though they took the beating, they remained kneeling, unwilling to leave, still wanting to beg Zhao Han to pull out and go, pinning all their hope of survival on Zhao Han's kindness.

Zhao Han, still playing the provocateur, hastily grabbed the foreman. "Brother, let's talk this over calmly. Don't beat them to a pulp."

The foreman stopped his hand. "Sir Zhao, pay them no mind. These cheap hides are asking for it. Another round of beating and they'll behave."

The overseers immediately struck harder. The tenant farmers dared not resist, yet they refused to obey and go work, simply enduring the blows as they knelt there. Some, even under the lash, gritted through the pain and crawled forward, clinging tightly to Zhao Han's leg, begging Master Zhao to leave Huang Family Town at once.

Watching the tenant farmers roll all over the ground from the beating, yet lacking the courage to resist, Zhao Han felt his state of mind on the verge of shattering.

What the hell is all this?

Zhao Han, as if unable to bear seeing the tenant farmers suffer, sighed mournfully, "Enough, enough. I'll just take the loss of a thousand taels of silver. Someone go fetch Master Huang. I want to settle accounts with him."

"Sir Zhao, you can't leave," the foreman hastily urged, still hoping to keep skimming off the construction meal funds.

Zhao Han roared, "Go, now!"

The foreman could only dispatch an overseer. In just the time it takes one incense stick to burn, Huang Zundao was brought to the riverbank.

"Rebellion! Rebellion! All of you, get back to work, now!"

Huang Zundao barked two sentences at the tenant farmers, then turned to Zhao Han with an apologetic smile. "Senior Zhao, don't listen to these people's nonsense. I guarantee the warehouse will be finished very soon."

Zhao Han said with a deeply worried look, "Having offended so many tenant farmers, even if the warehouse is built, what if one of them gets malicious ideas and sneaks over at night to burn my goods? Forget it, forget it. I'll accept the loss of a thousand taels and go pick a new site in the next town."

"It won't come to that, it won't come to that," Huang Zundao said, terrified Zhao Han would abandon the project halfway. "With me keeping an eye on them, these people won't dare cause trouble. Senior, please rest assured."

Zhao Han pointed at the tenant farmers. "Look at the state they've been beaten into! How can I possibly rest assured?"

"I guarantee no one will dare burn the warehouse," Huang Zundao said quickly.

"How can you guarantee that?" Zhao Han said, seething with anger. "How about we draw up a contract? If one day my goods are burned, you'll compensate me in full."

"That..." Huang Zundao was instantly tongue-tied.

Zhao Han sneered. "You can't even be certain of that yourself, and you still give me guarantees?"

Huang Zundao, unable to give Zhao Han a satisfactory answer, could only vent his anger on the tenant farmers. He demanded, "Who started this ruckus just now?"

"Master, it was Huang Laoshi who led it!" The foreman pointed at the tenant farmer who had been first to kneel and beg for help.

Huang Zundao's face twisted into a vicious grin. "Well, well, Huang Laoshi. You're not honest at all, daring to lead the disruption of my good business! Your family's fields are gone. Let someone else farm them this year."

These words struck like a bolt from the blue. Huang Laoshi collapsed where he sat, staring dumbly at Huang Zundao.

Huang Zundao turned to the other tenant farmers and threatened, "Anyone else who runs his mouth recklessly can forget about farming from now on!"

The tenant farmers were all cowed into submission. One after another, they rose, picked up their tools, and turned to go back to work.

The conflict Zhao Han had deliberately stirred up was suppressed by Huang Zundao in just a few words.

Land!

Land!

Land!

With the land deeds in his grip, Huang Zundao held the tenant farmers' very lifelines in his hands.

He could give or take at will, and they dared not resist.

No wonder, in every dynasty through the ages, the rallying cries of peasant uprisings were always "Equalize the land" and "No more grain taxes." Land and grain are the keys to success.

Equality for all?

Too illusory.

Land for all?

Fuck yeah!

Master Huang had just given Zhao Han a lesson on the spot.

Zhao Han grasped the art of dragon-slaying, but he lacked practical experience. In many matters, he had taken things for granted, grossly overestimating the masses' level of awareness.

Or rather, he understood the situation in Yanshan County fairly well, but Huang Family Town was a hundred times more insular. The common people's bottom line of endurance... had no bottom line at all.

In Yanshan County, faced with such atrocious treatment, with tenant farmers being driven to death on a massive scale, Zhao Han wouldn't even need to keep provoking them — the tenant farmers would rise up on their own.

The gentry of Yanshan County only dared to bully one family at a time; they dared not bully a whole swath.

Zhao Han grasped that saying with deeper understanding: Adapt to the times, adapt to the place!

"Hold on!" Zhao Han suddenly shouted.

We can't let the tenant farmers go back to work, or the anger they've built up will be doused.

Huang Zundao laughed and said, "Elder, you see? Hasn't the matter been settled now?"

Zhao Han said furiously, "Settled, my ass. You're the local magnate. When you bully tenant farmers like this, of course they don't dare resist. They'll put all their resentment on my head!"

"They wouldn't dare." Huang Zundao thought Zhao Han was far too timid.

"We have to get this clear today," Zhao Han demanded loudly. "I gave you a thousand taels of silver. Why aren't you paying these people wages?"

The tenant farmers stopped at once, every one of them turning to look at Huang Zundao.

"My family's tenant farmers get their meals when they work. That's already the height of benevolence. What more wages do they want?" Huang Zundao thought Zhao Han was not only timid but also defective in the head.

Zhao Han was furious. "It was agreed: fifty wen per person per day in wages. When you insisted on cutting it to thirty wen, I didn't raise much objection. How can you now refuse to pay a single wen?"

"Don't talk nonsense. When did we ever discuss wages?" Huang Zundao was finally on alert, but he still had no idea what Zhao Han was up to.

Zhao Han turned to the tenant farmers and said, "Everyone, judge for yourselves: shouldn't you get wages for your labor?"

In their hearts the tenant farmers sided with Zhao Han, but cowed by Huang Zundao's tyrannical power, not one dared utter a word.

Zhao Han then asked the foreman and the overseers, "You men have wages too — the foreman a hundred wen a day, the overseers fifty wen a day. Speak up: should you get your wages or not?"

The foreman and the several overseers looked at each other in blank dismay, only now realizing that their wages had been swallowed too.

"Bullshit!"

Huang Zundao was hopping with rage. He jabbed a finger at Zhao Han and cursed, "You surnamed Zhao, you're stirring up trouble on purpose, damn you. Get out of Huang Family Town this instant!"

Zhao Han burned with fury. "You've swallowed everyone's wages, and now you want to swallow my thousand taels of silver too? Are you not just bullying people?"

A thousand taels of silver! The crowd began to sympathize with Master Zhao. That Master Huang was truly wicked!

Huang Zundao still did not know what Zhao Han was after, but it was surely something serious. In any case, he had picked up a thousand taels of silver for nothing — he wasn't the one taking a loss. Huang Zundao sneered, "I can't be bothered to talk to you anymore, and I never took any silver from you. If you don't leave now, I'll have you beaten out. In this Huang Family Town, what I say goes!"

"You bastard," Zhao Han raged even harder. "I said to start construction after the spring plowing, but you insisted on doing it now, pushing the tenant farmers to the breaking point. Now my business is ruined, and you won't even return my silver!"

Huang Zundao had no way to explain, nor could he be bothered to. He simply let the accusation of sabotaging the spring plowing stand by default and ordered his household slaves, "Beat him! Drive this Zhao out!"

The tenant farmers erupted in an uproar. So it was true after all — rushing the construction during spring plowing really was Master Huang's doing.

Having their wages docked they could endure, but delaying the spring plowing — that they could barely stand.

Everything, all of it, came down to the grain that kept them alive!

Seeing the household slaves about to strike while the tenant farmers still only stood and watched, Zhao Han felt a deep chill in his heart.

Zhao Han roared, "Anyone with balls, step forward! I'll get your wages back for you!"

"Let's see who dares!" Huang Zundao swept his gaze over the crowd.

The tenant farmers had just taken two steps forward. At Huang Zundao's roar, they instantly shrank back again.

Zhao Han then looked at the farmer who had been stripped of his tenancy. "Huang Laoshi, you've lost your land to farm. Your whole family will starve. Can you still swallow this?"

"I… I-I…"

Huang Laoshi's eyes went blood-red. He snatched up a carrying pole and charged forward. "I'll fight you to the death!"

Huang Zundao hastily retreated, shouting, "Beat him to death!"

"Shing!"

Chen Maosheng had a blade at his waist — the very one that had belonged to the Yanshan County constable.

Zhao Han drew the blade and immediately cut down one household slave, then charged ahead to strike at Huang Zundao.

Huang Zundao was utterly dumbfounded. Hadn't it been Huang Laoshi who was provoked? How had Zhao Han started hacking people too?

And over a mere dispute about money and goods, a xiucai was killing people with his own hands. Not just one — he even meant to kill him, Master Huang?

"Aah!"

Huang Zundao had just turned and had not yet managed to flee when a blade slashed across his back. He collapsed with a shriek, crying out through the pain, "Save me, quick, save me!"

The household slaves forgot about Huang Laoshi and rushed at Zhao Han in a body, swinging clubs and staves wildly.

Zhao Han had not brought his spear today, so the weapon felt slightly awkward in his hands. He simply charged forward, slashed the fingers off one slave holding a club, crashed into another and bowled him over, then struck the wrist of a third slave with his blade.

One wound after another, the scene bloody — it terrified the remaining household slaves into full retreat.

Huang Zundao had already scrambled to his feet, only to be struck by Huang Laoshi's carrying pole.

Huang Laoshi flailed the carrying pole in a frenzy, all reason gone. His mouth just kept shouting, "I'll fight you to the death, I'll fight you to the death…"

"Brave sir, spare— Aiyo!"

Huang Zundao struggled to rise but was struck down again. He lay on the ground howling.

"Save the master, quick!"

Seeing how ferocious Zhao Han was, the household slaves dared not close in to fight. They went after Huang Laoshi instead, looking for an easy target.

"Don't run!"

Zhao Han, blade in hand, cut down the household slaves. After felling two more, the slaves fled in terror. They wanted to run back and report to the First Young Master and Second Young Master, then return with more household slaves to help.

As for Master Huang — who would dare go save him?

The slave whose fingers had been sliced off did not even dare bend down to retrieve them. He scrambled away on all fours, putting several zhang between himself and the scene in an instant.

"Mur… Murder!"

The tenant farmers cried out in shock and retreated far back as a group, yet they steeled their nerves and did not leave, wanting to watch Huang Laoshi beat Huang Zundao to death.

Zhao Han pointed at one tenant farmer. "You, come here!"

The tenant farmer approached, trembling with fear.

Zhao Han thrust the blade into the man's hand and pointed at Huang Zundao. "Go stab him."

"Clang!"

The tenant farmer shook so violently he could not hold the blade steady, and it fell to the ground.

Zhao Han gave a cold laugh. "If you don't stab him, I'll kill you. Hurry up!"

The tenant farmer hastily picked up the blade again. Practically dragged over by Zhao Han, he made a token slash at Huang Zundao's body.

"No one leaves! Anyone who tries, I kill!"

Zhao Han pointed at the tenant farmers on the riverbank.

These tenant farmers were all terrified stupid — and indeed, not a single one ran. They all just stood there frozen in place.

Or perhaps, in their hearts, they truly did not want to leave.

"You, come here!" Zhao Han pointed at another tenant farmer.

The man shook his head frantically, too afraid to step forward, yet too afraid to run.

Zhao Han felt utterly frustrated. He had wanted to spread rebellious ideas, to stir the tenant farmers' rebellious spirit — yet in the end he was forced to use bandit methods: a pledge of loyalty sealed in blood!

"I'll do it!"

Suddenly one tenant farmer stepped forward and said to Zhao Han, "Master Zhao, I have only an old mother at home. If you are willing to take me with you, I will kill this Huang the skinflayer right now!"

"Good!"

Zhao Han was overjoyed. "What is your name?"

The man said, "My surname is Jiang, Jiang Dashan. I'm not from one of the big families in town. Staying here, I just get bullied anyway."

"A true man. Go!" Zhao Han handed him the blade.

Jiang Dashan took the sharp blade, shoved aside Huang Laoshi, who was still beating people, and hacked down at Huang Zundao's neck.

Zhao Han gave the order: "Maosheng, get back to the inn at once. Bring the Teacher and Tieniu here — we have work to do!"

Chen Maosheng moved immediately. This time, having seen a killing, he was finally not afraid.

As for Xiaohong and Xiaocui, they were hiding far off to one side. The two inn hands had long since fled.

Xiaocui was quite frightened, but Xiaohong's face showed satisfaction. She wished she could rush forward and give Huang Zundao a slash herself.

Zhao Han spoke to Jiang Dashan again: "Take a few men and row across the river. Bring all the stonemasons from the other side over here!"

"Right!"

Jiang Dashan shouted into the crowd: "Anyone with balls, follow me."

Out of the dead silence, two men suddenly stepped forward.

They ran over to Huang Zundao's body of their own accord, swung iron pry bars and a carrying pole, struck the corpse twice, then went with Jiang Dashan to pole the boat across the river.

Zhao Han said to the remaining tenant farmers, "Listen well. I have already killed Master Huang, and I am going to kill his two sons as well. Anyone who follows me will get land to divide. I am no bandit — I won't just kill and run. My family has connections with the Governor. What is the Governor? The Governor is the highest official in Jiangxi. I am going to seize Huang Family Town and divide all the land among you, and the government will not send troops. Whoever wants a share of land, step forward!"

After a moment's hesitation, three more stepped forward, one after another — all men on the verge of starving.

Xiaohong suddenly rushed over, picked up a rock, smashed it twice onto Huang Zundao's corpse, and then shouted at the crowd: "Big Brother, are you still not stepping forward? I've already rebelled — do you think you can escape?"

Xiaohong's brother, Huang Youtian, recoiled in terror, backing away.

After retreating a few steps, Huang Youtian steeled himself and stepped forward, raising his iron spade and beginning to defile the corpse.

Zhao Han laughed. "These brothers here will all get farmland to divide. Master Huang's land is now my land. Whoever wants a share, be quick about it!"

No one else stepped forward. They still wanted to wait and see.

Because Huang Zundao's two sons were still alive, and many household slaves were still here — unless those men were beaten to death too.

Jiang Dashan brought the stonemasons across the river. Before he even had time to speak, Huang Shuncheng and Huang Shunzhang came charging over with their household slaves.

From the other direction, Zhang Tieniu came sprinting madly, a battle-axe in each hand, bellowing: "Your Tieniu is here!"

(End of Chapter)