Chapter 1032: Not the Time for Reasoning

"There is indeed something wrong with this matter. It's bad for Master Jin's reputation. We should talk it over properly and return the fields that were originally theirs. With Master Jin's kind and righteous heart, he would surely be willing..." Ji Sikao suddenly heard someone beside him say these words. He spun around sharply. The speaker was actually a steward from the estate, Luo You, a native of Xuzhou who had been a certified student. This Luo You was in his thirties and had never passed the imperial exams to become a licentiate. His family could not even afford to eat, so he went to work as an accountant at the Cloud Mountain Temple estate and was later absorbed into the Zhao Battalion. People who could read and do accounts were rare, and since he was a son of Xuzhou, he had always been regarded as trustworthy. However, this Luo You usually liked to expound on the great principles of the classics and would argue about everything, so the others did not much like him.

Ji Sikao's eyes were completely bloodshot. He glared at Luo You with furious rage and roared curses: "Have you been kicked by a donkey? Whose side are you on?"

"I am speaking for Master Jin. Master Jin took in so many people out of benevolence and compassion. Now that these people say the land is theirs, it should be returned. Master Jin has a vast estate and won't care about this. He certainly cares more about his reputation. You..." Luo You shook his head and rattled on endlessly. Before he could finish, Ji Sikao slapped him heavily across the face, knocking him straight to the ground. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and half his face was already red and swollen.

Luo You clutched his face, both shocked and furious. Pointing at Ji Sikao, he said angrily: "You Shandong bumpkin, you actually dare to hit me? I'm from Xuzhou, do you know that? Today you've ruined Master Jin's reputation. Master Jin will surely deal with you..."

Again, he only got halfway through before Ji Sikao kicked him square in the pit of the stomach, bending him over like a shrimp. Clutching his belly, he rolled all over the ground, unable to utter a single word. Ji Sikao had just turned around when he hurriedly dodged, avoiding a clod of dirt flying at his face. The clod struck someone behind him, who cried out in pain. The several thousand estate workers opposite, seeing the infighting on this side, pressed closer again. Some even picked up clods of dirt from the ground and threw them.

"What kind of damn law-abiding commoners are you? Farming in peace? How do you have the face to say that? I grew up in Shandong. Without scholarly rank, without being a landlord, how could you possibly farm in peace? How much of the grain you produced could you actually eat yourselves? Before our Zhao Battalion came, every single one of you couldn't even get your fill of bran and vegetables. You bore children you couldn't raise. Now that you're fed every day, you've started having delusions. Dream on! This land belongs to Master Jin. Go back obediently, and today I won't hold it against you!" Ji Sikao seemed almost deranged, pointing at the people in front and roaring. He was no longer speaking in the official tongue but in the thick Shandong dialect. His words once again subdued the estate workers into some silence.

The common people of the Shandong region had always suffered bitterly. In good years of peace, they barely scraped by. At the slightest sign of trouble, they had to flee famine. By the time the Liao supplies tax was imposed, from poor to rich, wave after wave collapsed into exile. What farming in peace? What dutiful, law-abiding commoners? There was simply no way to eat their fill. Dragged into life-and-death struggles by the Smelling Incense Sect, they only found stable lives after being captured by the Zhao Battalion. Though the food was coarse sorghum and mixed grains, at least they could eat their fill.

Once this truth was exposed, their momentum immediately weakened. This estate head Ji Sikao usually spoke the official tongue; no one expected he was a Shandong native who knew the inside story. But as soon as their momentum weakened, someone immediately roared: "Don't listen to his nonsense! This land was given to us by the court and the officials. We can eat our fill because the officials gave relief, and it was all intercepted by these Xuzhou bumpkins! Everyone is just taking back what's theirs. If we farm the land ourselves, all the grain we grow is our own. Why work like oxen and horses, with nothing left at the end of the year?"

The crowd, stirred by these words, grew frenzied again. Ji Sikao's eyes widened as he tried to find the person shouting in the crowd. But with so many people, all yelling chaotically, how could he spot him? Just then, he heard someone shout: "Fellow villagers! Let's drive these Xuzhou bumpkins who ride on our heads and drink our blood back! They wouldn't dare kill or wound anyone under the officials' watch. Drive them away, and the land will be ours!"

Incited by these words, the crowd pressed forward step by step. More and more clods of dirt and stones came flying over. The militia all wore narrow-brimmed bamboo hats that could block quite a bit when they lowered their heads. But the stewards and accountants behind Ji Sikao cried out in pain repeatedly, dodging frantically. Luo You scrambled up on all fours, his mouth still ceaselessly saying: "Water can carry a boat, but can also overturn it. The people's will cannot be defied. Master Jin originally wanted to relieve the common people; he would not wish to see this step."

"Zhang Lianzheng, take your men and push them back!" Ji Sikao ignored Luo You's words entirely and simply roared at a man beside him. The man looked at the estate workers, now just over thirty paces away, a trace of tension on his face. He spoke: "Pushing them back isn't hard, but people might die. Don't forget, we have orders from above not to kill or wound recklessly."

"If there's loss of life, I'll bear it. Whatever the crime, I'll bear it. Old Zhang, has Ji Sikao ever gone back on his word?" Ji Sikao roared. Zhang Lianzheng chuckled and said: "With those words from you, I have nothing more to say. I only ask one thing: if those dozen or so riders charge over, you must give a warning so I can turn the squad around."

Ji Sikao turned his head to look at the dozen or so riders still motionless over there and said in a muffled voice: "I'll stand behind you all. If they charge, they'll trample me to death first!"

"No need for that. It's only a dozen riders. As long as we brothers form ranks and stand firm, we don't fear them. This mess in front of us is nothing, just wait!" Zhang Lianzheng, stirred by Ji Sikao's words, was also filled with heroic spirit, and the tension on his face gradually disappeared.

"Brothers! Twenty-five, four, line formation, fall in!" Zhang Lianzheng roared. The militia swiftly spread out into formation, forming a broad line. Seeing the militia's formation shift, the advancing estate workers opposite immediately slowed their steps.

Ji Sikao turned around. His throat was somewhat hoarse from roaring, but he still shouted loudly: "Brothers! Master Jin sent us to Shandong to guard this estate for his venerable self. Now this estate is about to fall into chaos. We have failed Master Jin. Our very lives were saved by Master Jin. Are you willing to repay Master Jin here?"

Among the stewards and accountants behind him, the older ones showed hesitation. Luo You pointed at Ji Sikao and burst out cursing: "Today's chaos was caused by a brute like you! I'm going back to Xuzhou right now to file a complaint against you!"

With that, Luo You fled without looking back. Unfortunately, the long robe he wore to show off his status was inconvenient; twice he stepped on the hem and fell flat on his face, utterly wretched. Everyone looked at him with expressions full of contempt. Others had wavering expressions, still undecided. A young man suddenly shouted: "This life was given by Master Jin, I'll repay it now!"

"My little sister married into a good family. I have no more worries!" Another person stepped forward.

"I just can't stand these ungrateful bastards. Have they forgotten Master Jin's life-saving grace? I'm in too!" A slightly older man spat on the ground and strode over to Ji Sikao's side.

"What's there to be afraid of? Even if we end up dead here, Master Jin will avenge us!" Another person said in a trembling voice, stepping toward Ji Sikao. Perhaps from fright or something else, he tripped on something and fell straight to his knees, then awkwardly got up and shuffled over.

More and more people came to stand at Ji Sikao's side. Ji Sikao's breathing steadied. He looked at the youngest steward and said: "Why are you crying so many tears? You've already come over!"

"I'm scared. I miss my dad!"

"Then just go back!"

"I won't go back. I can't let Master Jin down. My dad said our whole family's lives were given by Master Jin."

"Brothers, if that cavalry charges, we'll block them and give the militia brothers time to turn around. Understood? I'll stand at the very front!" Ji Sikao said in a muffled voice, then strode forward and drew his saber. The others, when they came out, held at most a club in their hands. They stood in a line behind Ji Sikao, looking at the dozen or so riders not far away. Every face showed fear, but no one moved recklessly.

"Estate Head Ji, don't speak so gloomily. Just watch Old Zhang here. Brothers, level spears!" Zhang Lianzheng roared. With a unified shout, the militia leveled their long spears forward in unison. This synchronized movement frightened the surging, furious estate workers opposite into halting their steps. Those in front stopped, but those behind were still pushing forward, shoving each other and beginning to fall into chaos.

"Fellow villagers, they're just putting on a show to scare us! Haven't you seen that whenever something happens, they only dare use whips and clubs? They're also afraid of killing people, afraid of the officials investigating! Go up and seize their long spears, kill them, and the officials will say we acted bravely for justice! Crush these Xuzhou bumpkins, and the land will all be ours!" Agitating shouts rose one after another. For these estate workers, having "their own land" was an enormous temptation, and the crowd began surging forward again.

"Scare you? Brothers, forward! Shout in unison: kneel and you will not be killed. Those who do not kneel, kill without mercy!" Zhang Lianzheng gave a savage grin and roared another order. The militia strode forward in great steps.

From within the estate workers' ranks came constant shouts of "Don't be afraid, they don't dare," yet the workers' ranks grew more and more agitated. The cold, gleaming spear points before them pressed ever closer; it did not look like they didn't dare at all. Just then, someone suddenly shouted as if gone mad: "This isn't right! When the Smelling Incense Sect captured us, they also said just charge forward and it'd be fine. This isn't right..." The shout was cut off halfway and went silent. All that could be seen was the crowd growing more chaotic, some turning to flee in all directions, others desperately turning back.

"Kneel and you will not be killed!" The militia shouted in unison, striding forward and pressing on.

Amidst the chaotic shoving, running, and clamor of voices, how many could react in time to kneel? Moreover, when people saw those sharp blades closing in, their first reaction was only to dodge; no one thought of kneeling.

Others don't even ask and get monthly tickets like rain, while I roll around throwing tantrums running events and still get sarcastic mockery. Truly, heh heh heh. To those few who messaged me privately, does my daily two updates of six thousand characters mean nothing? Looks like I should close this temporary chat, it's too aggravating.

Thanks to old friends "Yuan Heng Li Zhen, User Cold Night, xizai" for their tips, thanks everyone for your subscriptions and monthly tickets, thank you all.