Chapter 625: Zhang Yan: Ta Dun is my ally? I

"General Yan, do you see the village not far ahead?"

"Although a single village might not have much grain in storage."

"But many a little makes a mickle."

"As long as we plunder more villages of this type, won't the soldiers have food?"

Ju Shou's words, along with the "matter-of-fact" expression on his face, left Yan Liang suddenly stunned in place.

Yan Liang had not read many books.

His own cultural level was not high.

If it weren't for Yuan Shao and the Yuan family, he might have just faded into the crowd for the rest of his life.

After all.

In this era of the late Han, it wasn't just about having ability to stand out.

When you're out making a living, you ultimately have to pay attention to background and status.

Therefore.

In Yan Liang's heart, he had always held a certain respect for scholars.

But now, Ju Shou was actually saying to his face that they were going to plunder villages and seize the common people's rations.

This...

Completely shattered the image of scholars that Yan Liang had held in the past.

Ju Shou, standing to the side, keenly sensed that something was wrong with Yan Liang and couldn't help but frown:

"General Yan, could it be that you have some dissatisfaction with this proposal?"

"You must not forget that the Lord has already handed the decision-making power for all matters over to me."

Ju Shou was also somewhat dissatisfied with Yan Liang's reaction.

Because the grain and supplies had been completely burned.

If the soldiers wanted to return to Yecheng, they had to find edible grain.

And right now.

Not to mention returning to Yecheng, even reaching the location of the next city would take at least a day.

But the soldiers were already exhausted.

If they didn't find a way to conjure up grain soon.

I'm afraid a "mutiny" would become an unavoidable event.

When facing the threat of hunger and death.

Any PUA tactic would lose its original effect.

Human nature is such that one cannot endure hunger; for the sake of a full meal, soldiers might do anything.

Ju Shou dared not gamble using the Confucian set of etiquette and morality.

And plundering villages, while very damaging to one's reputation,

was indeed the fastest method Ju Shou could think of to conjure up food.

As the saying goes.

Compared to the hard work of tilling fields, isn't it much sweeter to plunder someone else's land?

Ju Shou had already made up his mind to plunder the grain of the common people in Jizhou.

Never mind Yan Liang; even if the Leshan Giant Buddha were here, I'm afraid he couldn't stop Ju Shou!

Seeing that Yan Liang remained unmoved.

Ju Shou couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.

"General Yan, are you trying to defy orders?"

"If there is no grain, how could you possibly stop a mutiny of fifty thousand soldiers?"

"By then, even the Lord would likely die in the mutiny."

"Can you bear that responsibility!?"

Facing Ju Shou's attack.

As a mere martial man, how could Yan Liang possibly parry it?

Helpless, he could only let out a long sigh and turn to walk toward the rear.

He was using his own conscience to resist this matter.

But... that was all he could do.

Just because he didn't accept the order didn't mean others in the Yuan camp wouldn't.

Soon.

Several generals from the Hebei faction.

Acting on Ju Shou's orders.

Took a portion of elite soldiers and headed into the village to plunder wantonly.

Ruthless as Ju Shou was, the policy he adopted was naturally to burn all, loot all, and kill all.

Although the villagers wanted to resist.

Even soldiers in a state of hunger could easily finish off commoners who had little combat capability.

The village was reduced to ashes in the raging fire.

And everything edible in the village, including two donkeys, was slaughtered to serve as grain.

Even worse.

Because there wasn't enough grain to go around, they even secretly took the villagers' corpses to boil.

So-called aristocratic families are actually far more hateful than mountain bandits and marauders.

Mountain bandits and marauders focus on recycling.

Commonly known as harvesting a crop and leaving; they often don't completely exterminate a village.

Many mountain bandits and marauders even have a style of upholding justice and robbing the rich to help the poor.

After all.

Ninety-five percent of those who become mountain bandits and marauders were poor people themselves.

Why should the poor make things difficult for the poor?

Furthermore, there isn't much profit to be squeezed from the poor.

Compared to plundering poor commoners, it's better to rob wealthy merchants and aristocratic families.

But aristocratic families are not like that.

As for why they can become aristocratic families, whose hands aren't stained with clean blood?

Without taking small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles.

Without accumulating small streams, one cannot form rivers and seas.

Every bit of wealth of an aristocratic family signifies exploitation and plunder. ===== CHAPTER 626 =====