Late Han Dynasty: Did the Yellow Emperor truly descend?

Chapter 71 Stepping Aside

Li Sheng's brow twitched slightly.

The county magistrate is a higher-ranking official than the county lieutenant, and the transition from a specialized position to a principal official means taking charge of a region.

These aristocratic disciples get promoted really fast; I just don't know what kind of reward they'll receive.

"Your Excellency's kindness is truly admirable, and I am deeply humbled."

Chen Yuan looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze.

Li Sheng was silent for a moment, then raised his head and looked directly into Chen Yuan's eyes.

At this moment, his acting skills, honed through numerous scenes, began to shine through; his eyes reddened, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"My lord, I come from a humble background. It is thanks to your trust and support that I was able to rally the elders to fight. I am deeply grateful. However, the elders of Siyang Township have entrusted their lives to me... After this life-or-death battle, I wish to return home, marry, have children, and continue my bloodline."

Chen Yuan's expression changed slightly.

"You mean, you don't want to?"

"..."

Li Sheng was speechless.

"alright."

Chen Yuan's tone was indifferent.

"If you're unwilling, I won't force you. Everyone has their own aspirations."

He picked up his glass and took another sip.

"Alright, you can go now."

Li Sheng stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"Your subordinate takes his leave."

He turned and walked out of the back room.

Chen Yuan sat there, watching his departing figure, and shook his head.

"Poverty truly makes people lose their ambition."

He muttered something under his breath and poured himself another glass of wine.

Originally, if Li Sheng were willing to follow him, he would choose a woman from his clan to marry him, thus binding him completely to the Chen family. Now it seems unnecessary.

As for the rewards that were originally intended for Li Sheng, let's withhold them as well.

A person who doesn't know how to appreciate kindness isn't worth all the effort he puts into cultivating.

Chen Yuan had no intention of taking credit for Li Sheng's achievements; in his view, the whole journey was the result of his skillful command.

……

The results of the reward and compensation were announced the following evening.

Li Sheng was wiping his halberd in the camp when one of Chen Yuan's personal guards brought him an official document. He left indifferently after putting it down.

Li Sheng unfolded the paper and saw a few lines written on it: "Li Sheng, brave in battle, has been promoted to platoon leader for his meritorious service."

The garrison leader, whose rank was equivalent to 200 shi (a unit of grain), commanded 100

He previously commanded two hundred men, and although he had no official rank, he was effectively the leader of two garrisons. Now, a single official document has placed him in the position of centurion—ostensibly a promotion, but in reality, it's merely a way to remove him from the list of men he was currently doing, and even reduce his duties by half.

He thought of Liu Bei, who was appointed as the county magistrate of Anxi with a salary of 200 shi (a unit of grain) for his meritorious service in suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Liu Bei's starting point was as a county magistrate. Although he claimed to be a descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan, he was actually just a commoner, whose background was not much higher than Liu Bei's.

Liu Bei rose to the rank of county magistrate in one step, while Li Sheng, who risked his life nine times, only got the position of garrison commander with a salary of less than two hundred bushels of grain. He didn't even have an independent government office and was just a centurion under the command of a troop leader.

This is the difference between a poor, destitute family and a peasant. Even though Li Sheng's military achievements were superior, their different backgrounds led to vastly different outcomes.

Liu Wu leaned over for a look, and his face immediately turned ashen.

"Brother Sheng! We fought our way through so much, and all we get is a village head position worth less than two hundred bushels of grain?"

Li Feng also had a sullen face, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Li Sheng didn't say anything, but simply folded the official document and put it in his pocket.

"Brother Sheng..."

Liu Wu was about to say something more.

"Alright."

Li Sheng interrupted him, stood up, and walked out of the camp without any hesitation.

Liu Wu chased after him, his voice urgent.

"Brother Sheng, are you just going to let this go like that?"

Li Sheng stopped and looked back at him.

"never mind?"

He smiled.

"I won't let it go. Go find Liu Lu."

"Brother Sheng, what's wrong?"

Liu Wu looked into his eyes. Why was Sheng Ge pleased instead of angry?

"Go and fetch Liu Lu quickly."

"promise!"

Liu Lu arrived very quickly.

When he lifted the tent flap, Li Sheng was sitting on a straw mat.

"Brother Sheng, you were looking for me?"

Li Sheng looked up at him, then glanced outside the tent. It was already dark; bonfires were lit throughout the camp, and the soldiers sat around them, whispering amongst themselves.

"Lower the curtains."

Liu Lu did as instructed, and then squatted down opposite Li Sheng.

"How are things going with the militia members in the various villages of Xiapi County these days?"

When Liu Lu heard Li Sheng mention this, he proudly puffed out his chest.

When Liu Lu heard Li Sheng ask about this, he puffed out his chest slightly and a smug look appeared on his face.

"Brother Sheng, you've come to the right person."

He lowered his voice, his tone tinged with excitement.

"I've been checking out all the volunteer militias from our county these past few days. Apart from the hundred or so from our Siyang Township, there are probably over a thousand from the other townships combined."

Upon hearing Liu Lu's report, Li Sheng nodded.

This kid is definitely suited for this line of work.

"How are they doing? Tell me about them."

"Yes, Brother Sheng."

Liu Lu recounted the information he had gathered over the past few days as if it were his own treasure.

Li Sheng listened quietly, nodding in approval from time to time.

"By the way, Brother Sheng, they know I'm from Siyang Township, and they're all asking me if I'm one of your subordinates."

Liu Lu paused, his eyes filled with admiration for Li Sheng.

"When I mention your name, Brother Sheng, they all admire you."

"Have they all heard of me?"

"Of course! The news of you leading our brothers in battle and sweeping across the battlefield has already spread throughout the villages. Those righteous warriors all give you a thumbs up when they talk about you in private. Everyone says that the brothers you trained, Brother Sheng, are the best fighters in Xiapi County. If they could be closer to our Siyang Township's troops, more brothers would survive!"

Liu Lu seemed to feel proud as he spoke of this.

After listening, Li Sheng reached out and patted Liu Lu on the shoulder.

"Liu Lu, you should spend more time visiting the brothers in various villages during this period. This is very important."

"Little Wind"

Li Sheng turned his head and shouted.

"Brother Sheng?"

Li Feng walked over from the side.

"Go and get five hundred coins for Brother Liu Lu."

"Yes."

Without asking any further questions, Li Feng turned around and went to get the money. A short while later, he handed the money to Li Sheng.

Li Sheng then handed it directly to Liu Lu, looking into Liu Lu's eyes and speaking earnestly.

"If you don't have enough money, just ask me. But I have one request: don't be too ostentatious and let those people above notice anything."

Liu Lu seemed to be thinking about something, then nodded vigorously.

"Don't worry, Brother Sheng. I, Liu Lu, never leave any evidence against me. I'm just having a drink and making friends. Nobody can find fault with me."

"it is good."

Li Sheng withdrew his hand.

"Go ahead. If anything happens, come find me anytime."

Liu Lu stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, turned around, lifted the tent flap, and went out.

The tent fell silent again.

Li Sheng sat on the straw mat, gazing at the flickering flames, his eyes gradually becoming deep.

In fact, he had been planning this step for a long time.

After that battle on the north bank of the river, he realized one thing: the uprising could not be delayed for a moment, and it was better to start sooner rather than later.