On the hillside behind Wang Family Village.
Wang Er of Baishui stared at the villagers before him, his face dark with anger.
The previous night, he had gathered a group of villagers and gone to Gao Family Village to steal water. Instead, each of them had carried home two buckets of flour. They had been over the moon.
Everyone had been in splendid spirits, walking as though the wind were at their heels.
They had never expected their good mood to be struck by lightning the moment they returned.
While he was away, government runners had actually raided Wang Family Village in the dead of night, injured several villagers, burned down a ramshackle thatched hut, and stolen the villagers' seed grain.
Several injured villagers lay before Wang Er, whimpering. Cloth was wrapped around their heads, with fresh blood still seeping through it. "Brother Wang... you have to get justice for us."
"They took every last bit of my seed grain. Even if the drought ends and Heaven grants us rain, my family won't have anything to sow. We'll all starve to death."
"My seed grain's gone too. We're dead either way."
Wang Er flew into a rage and clenched his fists. "Brothers, I brought flour back. Make dough dumplings with it, and let everyone eat their fill first. Then... we'll fucking rebel."
Everyone jumped at that. "Rebel? That's a crime that'll cost us our heads!"
Wang Er roared, "Afraid of losing your heads? You haven't even got seed grain left at home. What else is there to fear? Either way, death is waiting. Better to chop off County Magistrate Zhang Yaocai's dog head before we die than starve to death!"
Everyone thought it over carefully. That was true enough.
Wang Er scooped up a handful of black earth and smeared it over his face. Then he raised his hand and shouted, "Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?"
The villagers all blackened their faces and answered together, "I do!"
"Good! Light the fires, cook the food, and eat your dumplings. Once we've eaten our fill, we'll storm the county seat and chop off Zhang Yaocai's dog head."
He looked around him. There were fewer than a hundred villagers, which seemed a little thin for a rebellion. He beckoned two young men over and instructed them, "You two, go to Zhong Family Village and Zheng Family Village, one each, and get in touch with my two brothers, Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu. Tell them that I, Wang Er of Baishui, am going to rebel, and ask whether they dare join me."
The two young men hurried off toward Zhong Family Village and Zheng Family Village.
Gao Chuwu entered the Chengcheng County seat with three young men.
This was their second visit, and they were much bolder than before.
On their first visit, they had been timid and hesitant. This time, they were relaxed and at ease.
That was probably the difference between having seen something of the world and having seen nothing of it.
The four remained sweet-tongued, asking everyone they met on the street where "the former Secretary San Shier" lived. Someone soon pointed them in the right direction, and they made their way through streets and alleys to the gate of the San household.
Gao Chuwu raised his hand, about to knock.
Unexpectedly, the door was pulled open from inside first. His palm struck empty air, leaving him a little embarrassed, and he gave a sheepish grin.
The person who had opened the door was none other than San Shier. As he opened it, he was still calling to the people behind him, "Hurry up, all of you. Hurry... huh?"
He stopped speaking and stared at Gao Chuwu for a second before recognition dawned. "You're... that young fellow from Gao Family Village. What was your name again? Gao something?"
"Gao Chuwu!"
"Ah, yes, yes." San Shier's eyes darted around twice, and he immediately understood. "What instructions does the Heavenly Deity have? I have washed my ears and am ready to listen."
Gao Chuwu froze. I haven't even said anything, and you already know? Educated people really are different from a simpleton like me. When Grandpa Village Chief wants to explain something clearly to me, he has to grab me by the ear and shout for ages.
Gao Chuwu scratched his head awkwardly. "The Heavenly Deity is having our villagers make iron armor. He said lots of bandits would soon come out and start hacking people down, so we should make iron armor to protect ourselves. But our village's only blacksmith, Uncle Gao Yiyi, isn't very skilled. The Heavenly Deity wanted you to think of a way to get us some capable blacksmiths."
The moment San Shier heard the words "iron armor," he was stunned. Making iron armor without permission? You're doing something that could cost you your heads! No, I've seized on the wrong point. The real point is in the first half: "Lots of bandits would soon come out and start hacking people down."
San Shier understood instantly!
The Heavenly Deity meant that Wang Er of Baishui was going to rebel.
A moment earlier, he had merely guessed that Wang Er of Baishui would rebel because of the stolen seed grain. Now, with those words from the Heavenly Deity, he could be almost one hundred percent certain that Wang Er of Baishui was going to rise up.
Good heavens, Mother! This is terrifying!
San Shier turned and roared at his family, "What are you still dawdling for? Leave anything you haven't packed! Go, now! This is what they call throwing away your helmet and abandoning your armor!"
His wife ran out of the house with their daughter in her arms. The maid and manservant each carried a large bundle packed with gold, silver, and valuables. As they hurried out, they asked in a panic, "Where are we going?"
San Shier gritted his teeth and grabbed Gao Chuwu's hand. "Brother Gao... Chuwu, right?"
Startled by his agitated movements, Gao Chuwu asked, "What's wrong?"
San Shier said urgently, "Sorry for the trouble, but please take the other three young fellows and escort my wife and daughter to Gao Family Village. Ask the Heavenly Deity to look after them. Once my wife and daughter are safe, I'll have nothing left to worry about. I'll risk my life to serve the Heavenly Deity. This is what they call giving back a plum for a peach."
Gao Chuwu said, "Huh? Huh? Huh?"
He looked utterly clueless, with no idea what was happening.
San Shier said urgently, "Go, hurry! Stop hanging around here! Wang Er of Baishui could come charging in at any moment. When that happens, you won't be able to leave even if you want to. This is what they call... oh, Mother, stop listening to my nonsense! Hurry up and go!"
Gao Chuwu still had no idea what was happening, but a simple fellow like him had one advantage: he did as he was told. When the village chief was in charge, he followed the village chief's instructions. When the Heavenly Deity was in charge, he followed the Heavenly Deity's instructions. Now San Shier was in charge, so he would follow San Shier's instructions.
He grinned. "All right! We're off, then."
The four young men escorted San Shier's wife, daughter, maid, and manservant. The party of eight hurried out of the county seat and headed back toward Gao Family Village.
The eight had only just left town and had not gone even two li when several hundred people with blackened faces appeared on the hillside northwest of the county seat.
Their leader was none other than Wang Er of Baishui. His two sworn brothers, Zhong Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu, stood beside him.
Wang Er of Baishui shouted, "That vile county magistrate has squeezed us mercilessly for taxes and stolen our seed grain! Under the rule of a bastard like that, we can't survive another day! Today, follow me into the county seat and chop off the magistrate's dog head! We'll slaughter every rich, heartless piece of shit in town, open the granaries, and let the poor eat their fill! Have you got the guts to follow me?"
Everyone answered, "We have!"
"Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?"
"I do!"
"Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?"
"I do!"
"Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?"
"We all do!"
Wang Er of Baishui laughed. "Then what are we waiting for? Charge!"
Several hundred villagers shouted as one, brandishing hoes, wooden clubs, pot lids, shovels, chopping knives, pitchforks, and other weapons as they charged toward the Chengcheng County seat.
The mighty peasant uprising at the end of the Ming had officially begun.
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