[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-overthrowing-the-ming":3,"chapter-overthrowing-the-ming-overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-69":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Overthrowing the Ming",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289296,4476,"Chapter 69: Setting Out","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-69",69,"\u003Cp>Li You decided to set out around the Hour of the Tiger, having the Liu woman and the others boil half of the remaining salted wolf meat, roast the other half, and fill some wolf-bladder water skins to bring along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then took Wu Dading and Gao Conglong to borrow bows, arrows, side-swords, and a bronze gong from Yu Dakai and the other archers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several of the archers, seeing the posture, felt their blood run hot; it seemed that if Li You had just called out, they would have all followed him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li You never opened his mouth; besides, Wu Zhuge had long since sent Wu Nai over to keep watch. Borrowing weapons was fine, but giving him men was absolutely out of the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In total, he requested eight bows: four of medium draw weight, three of high draw weight, and one tiger-strength bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Zhou Yin could use a powerful bow of over eight-strength, so Zhou Yin took the tiger-strength great bow, while Li Qinxiang and the others selected ones that suited them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the side-swords, the steel produced from their recent experiments had long since been snatched up like crazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qinxiang and the others had spent the last few days imitating Li You’s Miao saber, and each had equipped themselves with a curved saber; it was just that Guan Hongxin and Wu Dading had made themselves great mountain-cleaving axes. An axe is a thing that is easy to pick up—anyone can use one—but it is very difficult to use well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mountain-cleaving axe is not exactly mainstream in the Ming army; its center of gravity is too far forward, and without thick arms, it is impossible to wield. But anyone who can use this thing well is bound to be a ruthless character like Xu Huang, Suo Chao, Cheng Yaojin, or Jin Wuzhu; after all, its lethality is too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Ying passed the word to the miners and salt slaves: \"We are going to find the government soldiers to take revenge. Are there any men who stand to pee who dare to come along?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, they were all iron-willed men who faced the world head-on; who could stand such a remark?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, over ten men stepped forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fearing they did not understand the danger, Li You specifically repeated it, yet no one retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first was Yan Fengchun, a miner who had accidentally caught a cold a few days prior and had been pulled back from the gates of hell by Li You with a single tablet of penicillin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next were mostly members of the Xiang clan, led by Xiang Hu, totaling five men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Dang family side, besides the two who came with Dang Xiongxin, what surprised Li You was that Dang Suozhi, who did not like him, was among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dang Suozhi had a square face and large ears, with a thick waist and broad shoulders, looking extremely robust and powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li You first arrived, he was one of the people who resented Li You the most, because he was the one who led the incitement for the Dang and Xiang families to flee home together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after Li You arrived, with a bit of smooth-talking, he made Xiang Hu abandon the escape plan, and later, the leader of the Dang side, his clan uncle Dang Xiongxin, gave up and wanted to follow Li You for a while to see how it went.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Dang Suozhi’s resentment toward Li You reach an extreme, and he was always hostile toward Li You.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Dading had told Li You about these things, so Li You was quite surprised by his arrival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides them, there was a salt slave surnamed Jin, who had harbored good feelings for Li You from the start and was now extremely enthusiastic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except for Xiang Hu, none of these people knew how to use a bow, so Li You gave the remaining medium-strength bow to Xiang Hu and distributed a borrowed side-sword to each of the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Counting Li You, there were now twenty-four men in total, which gave Li You no small amount of confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Hour of the Dog, Li You and the others each finished a bowl of white rice and a bowl of salted meat soup, then instructed Li Xiujuan, Wang Xiugu, the Wang woman, and others to use rags to pack up all the remaining pounds of wolf meat, filled the wolf-skin water skins with water, and told everyone to go to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the crowd dispersed, the four women Li Xiujuan, Hong Da'e, Mother Hu, and Huang Yanzi did not leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh?\" Li You was somewhat puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We want to go kill people together!\" Li Xiujuan was the first to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go together?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You frowned, looking at these kitchen maids who had only just recovered their health; besides, they were women—wouldn't they just be adding to the chaos?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head and said: \"This trip is dangerous; it is very likely we won't return!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then we won't return!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Da'e bared her teeth and said: \"That fellow Guan Hongxin can just bare his legs and go, so why can't I? Don't worry, Master, I have killed people before!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just want to kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiujuan’s eyes were fierce and shining, her voice as cold as the wind in the depths of winter, making Li You tremble involuntarily: Yes, they had suffered so much at Beizhai!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That blockhead Wu Xingshan must have eaten the people he kidnapped. If we can't kill those bastards at Beizhai to take revenge, we'll go kill these beasts first to sharpen our courage!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Da'e had a dark, sallow face and yellow teeth; at this moment, saliva sprayed everywhere, her face full of ferocity, looking as terrifying as a demon from hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You’s heart gave a sudden jolt, and he said: \"I can let you go, but remember not to provoke Beizhai for any revenge! Don't cause trouble for me; it is not yet time to tear our faces with Beizhai... otherwise, you will all be dealt with by military law, no mercy!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xiujuan’s eyes suddenly brightened, igniting with a scorching light, and she said: \"Master, in the end, you also want to kill that bunch of beasts at Beizhai, don't you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You’s gaze flickered, and he said: \"Go rest first, we set out at the Hour of the Tiger.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did the four of them leave happily. As they left, Li Xiujuan looked deeply at Li You; her heart was finally settled—as long as they followed Li You, they would surely avenge their grievances against Beizhai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You fussed for a while longer, getting everything in order, before he entered the side room to sleep. Just as he stepped onto the stairs, he saw a pair of \"wolf ears\"—these were crude fur shoes made from wolf skin. Little Orange was standing at the doorway with her eyes bulging, wearing a necklace Li You had made for her from wolf teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, because Li You was willing to provide grain, both the miners and the blacksmith households had lost their edema and regained their color. Especially these children; Li You had specifically stewed wolf bone soup for them every morning before class, so they recovered the fastest. Little Orange’s eye sockets, cheekbones, and chin had become rounder, and although she still wore rags, her spirit was much more lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little glutton, you smelled it, didn't you! Come... come back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You entered the room, and Little Orange followed him silently like a little cat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You placed a large bag of meat on the table, opened it, took a piece of the meatiest wolf tenderloin, and handed it to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Orange swallowed and said: \"No, I'm not greedy. Is Brother Master leaving? Brother, you keep it to eat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, tears actually rolled down her face. This delicate, jade-like appearance, tear-streaked like rain, poked at Li You’s heart until it ached. He hurriedly picked her up and said: \"Who told you I was leaving?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wuwu... Brother Yu and Brother Zhi have been whispering something... I know, Brother Master is leaving... and doesn't want us anymore, ah... wuwu... I can not eat meat, just drinking some soup is enough, Brother, don't go... if you go, they will eat us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not going, I'm not going. Wherever you are, Brother is there, I definitely won't leave! Who dares to eat you?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sister Man said they are all very bad; they will stick their tongues into our butt cracks and leg gaps to lick and eat us!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You’s face turned livid, his cheeks puffed out for a moment, but his eyes held pain. He whispered: \"Cao Er, huh? Sigh, but he is a man of the gentry and wealthy families. Such people control most of the social resources and means of production of this era, and their role in future development is far greater than Wu Zhuge's... I also want to develop on my own in the future; I can't really be a mountain bandit... but as long as I want to produce, I can't do without these gentry and wealthy families!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Orange cried for a while, then fell asleep in Li You’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You felt her sharp little buttocks and her spine, thin as dry firewood, and for a moment he felt a sense of bewilderment, even hesitation, about whether he should go to Mount Wuxing later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The road ahead was always obscure and difficult to understand; the future seemed to hang by a thread at every moment. Although he had sometimes decided everything, every time he was about to set out, he felt an indescribable sense of confusion. Is it right or wrong to seize opportunities and seek wealth in danger?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknowingly, he already carried a burden on his shoulders. This burden would tie him down, but it would also give him infinite strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You leaned against the bed, drowsy. In a daze, someone knocked on the door and said: \"Brother You, the guide for Beizhai is here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Wu Dading’s voice. Li You woke up with a start, placed Little Orange on the bed, covered her with straw, picked up the double-bladed weapon on the table, and tucked the curved saber into his boot before heading out!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moon in the sky was very round, as large as a plate and as silver as its color, shining upon the earth with heavy, bright shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the courtyard, more than twenty figures stood, including the four women led by Li Xiujuan, all standing straight. Li You felt a bit dazed seeing this scene, as if he were in a movie world...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Imagination is the mark that distinguishes humans from animals. He seemed to be able to clearly feel his own strong, jumping heart, the blood erupting and flowing quietly through his muscles and bones. As long as his nerve endings gave the instruction, this blood would be like the flooding Yellow River, and with the violent contraction of his muscles, he could smash the Five Sacred Mountains and Taishan to pieces...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint tension now fed him a strange, indescribable power, giving him a bloodthirsty feeling that made him almost go mad!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You did not speak; he quickly descended the steps and merged into the bleak wind and dark night. Everyone exchanged no words and followed one after another. No one noticed two small figures sneaking along behind them like mice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao the One-Eyed was already waiting at the gate, but there was one more person beside him—it was the skinny monkey who worshipped Li You to death regarding the trip to Mao'erba; he had snuck out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li You walked over and smiled at Zhao the One-Eyed: \"Thank you for your hard work, Headman Zhao. Let's go, lead the way!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1980,"2026-06-20T03:32:06.992Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","fce0d399453f39dd3c8161e575753e661dce989f9ad4eb5f6bfc59d23f227160","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-70","overthrowing-the-ming-chapter-68",71,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foverthrowing-the-ming-cover.jpg"]