Chapter 1376
Not someone my Li family can touch.
Chapter 1376 Not someone my Li family can touch.
Although the people of Baofu County were terrified of being slaughtered when the city fell and of dying from the rat plague, they were also taken care of because the King of Ye and the Qin family came from their county. They lived better than other Wei people who fled the war. So they unanimously decided: "Staying in the city, we will stay in the city, even if we die on our own territory!"
Magistrate Kang was very satisfied: "Hmm, in that case, you should live your lives peacefully in the city. If you encounter any difficulties, come to me first. Do not act impulsively and harm yourselves."
"Hey, hey, hey, don't worry, Magistrate. We're all law-abiding citizens, we've never done anything barbaric!"
Magistrate Kang, Clerk Lu, Clerk Han, Head Clerk Zhou, and other senior officials of the county government: "..."
Ha, do you think we'd trust you?!
"Magistrate Kang, Magistrate Kang, have you gotten the results yet?" Shen, the county constable of Linshan County, came over in person to ask.
The magistrate of Lin County, as well as many villagers from Linshan County, said that they did not know how to choose, so they followed Baofu County.
They're practically becoming Baofu County's little brother now.
But this big brother in Baofu County really protected them, so they wanted to rely on him to enjoy their good fortune.
Magistrate Kang nodded: "Yes, our fellow villagers from Baofu County have unanimously decided to stay in the city."
The villagers nodded and said, "Yes, we'll stay in the city and not bother with any more trouble. It's so far away, and we might even run into enemy troops or plagues on the way. We don't want to go through all that trouble. Even if we die, we want to die peacefully. It's not worth it to go out of the city and suffer before we die!"
County Magistrate Shen: "..."
Are you just lazy, or are you just easygoing?
"Alright, I'll go and tell our magistrate right away... Our Linshan County is probably also a city that has been retained!" County Lieutenant Shen's tone became cheerful.
I'm so tired, really too tired. I'd better go with Baofu County; it'll be easier that way.
"Magistrate Kang, Magistrate Kang, have you released the results yet?" Officials from other counties, and even staff from the Jumen Prefecture, came to ask.
Magistrate Kang, though still a county magistrate, really had the air of someone in charge of the provincial administration office; even his posture was much more upright and elegant.
The people of Baofu County and Linshan County, including the mountain dwellers, quickly decided to stay in the city so that the meeting could be adjourned quickly and they could return to their temporary residences to eat and sleep.
Other Wei people were in a dilemma, with many of their clansmen, villagers, and people from the same county or town causing a great deal of trouble.
Some people made a fuss all night without getting anywhere, while others did get something in return.
More than a dozen prominent clans in the Jumen Mansion, including the Weng clan, which traded new dyes with the Qin family, decided to leave the city to seek a way to make a living.
Despite the elders' earnest attempts to persuade him, they could not change their decision to allow a group of clansmen to leave the city in order to preserve the bloodline of the Weng clan.
The Chen family, Tan family, Chang family, Sun family, and even the Li family of Li Dong also made the decision to send some of their clansmen out of the city to find a way to make a living.
Li Dongjia was furious. He led his men to block the city gate, preventing the clan elders from leaving with some of the clan members.
"Second Elder, Fourth Elder, Fifth Elder, you all know perfectly well that staying in the city is safer, so why did you take half of the clan with you? Among these clansmen are young women. If something happens to them on the road, how will you old men compensate them?!" The old men were stubborn, their drooping old eyes glancing at Li Dongjia: "Women at home obey their fathers, and their lives are decided by their parents and the clan. The clan took them with them to escape because they value them. If something happens to them on the road, they will naturally be able to protect the clan's reputation to the death. Do you think you can continue to live a life of filth?!"
The Five Elders mocked Li Zhen: "Is the capital city safe? The enemy hasn't even attacked yet, and how many bloody incidents have already occurred in the capital city? The Gu family and a group of Wei soldiers died, the aristocratic families died, the students of the rural martial arts academy that you helped to open by flattering them also died, even private property like the Tong family's escort agency was bombed down, and the people in the west of the city were surrounded. Nobody knows what's going on inside!"
"Furthermore, the Wei army said that the enemy might attack in ten days. Shouldn't my Li family take this opportunity to escape the city and be slaughtered by the enemy?!"
The fourth elder, who was quite adept at putting on an act, sighed and said, "Brother Zhen, you should know the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket... Given this situation, our Li clan must split in two to preserve our bloodline."
“I understand, but…” Li Zhen still pointed to his cousins and nieces: “Leaving the city is too dangerous for them. Can’t the elders consider their situation?!”
The second elder frowned: "The clan has already considered their needs very much. They don't mind that they are a burden and are helping them find a way to make a living. This is the clan's great act of kindness towards them."
Li Zhen: "Great Compassion? Ha, bringing them along, are you truly showing great compassion, or are you planning to bring a shipment of goods that could save your lives in case of danger?!"
The group of young women from the clan, brought along by several clan elders, were all exceptionally beautiful.
"Li Zhen, how dare you spread rumors and slander the clan elders? This is unfilial and disrespectful. According to the clan rules, you should be punished!" The second, fourth, and fifth clan elders were furious, but also somewhat guilty, because Li Zhen had guessed correctly.
Li Zhen ignored the clan elders and instead asked the parents of the girls in the clan: "You are their parents, you are experienced people who understand the many hardships in the world. Do you really have the heart to take them out of the city to gamble on this? If you lose, can you really bear the tragic scene?!"
This?
The parents of the girls were terrified upon hearing this. One of the women even burst into tears, pleading with her husband, "Husband, why don't we stay in the city? It's dangerous outside the city. Staying in the city will be safer, at least we won't have to worry about being robbed on the road all the time."
Some of the Li men listened and began to hesitate; others didn't listen and raised their hands to hit people.
Snap, snap, snap! Bang, bang, bang!
"What do you know, you ignorant woman? This is the decision of the clan elders. They are spending money and supplies to help us find a way to survive. Don't ruin your family's livelihood! Remember, you have more than just a daughter. You also have a son. Do you want Wei Ge'er and the others to be slaughtered by the enemy?"
Damn it, Li Zhen felt like grabbing a knife and chopping them down.
Si Pei, always eager for excitement, had already picked up his pen to write: "The elders of the Li clan in the capital city led half of their clansmen away from the city to seek a living. A quarrel broke out at the city gate, and the clansmen revealed that the elders were trying to emulate the Yong Dynasty when it fell, offering their daughters in exchange for their safety on the road."
"Shut up, you brat! Stop writing now! What you're writing is ruining the reputation of all the women of the Li clan!" The Fifth Elder was furious and rushed over to snatch Si Pei's record book.
Si Pei threw the notebook at him, raised his hands, and said, "Here you go. See for yourself. I didn't write anything. I was just trying to scare you old men!"
He added, “When the Yong Dynasty fell, there was indeed a heinous crime of sacrificing women to save the men in their families. Learn from history, folks. Learn the good things and don’t follow those rotten ones. Even if you survived back then, you’ll be cursed and disgraced for centuries. It’s not worth it.”
"You brat, if you dare to slander my Li clan and tarnish its reputation again, according to the rules, my clansmen can beat you to death without any guilt!" the Fifth Elder threatened sternly.
Si Feng sneered, took a stance, pointed at Si Pei, and said, "This is the eldest son of the Si family, a prominent clan. Both his father's and mother's families are illustrious. If your Li family dares to touch a single hair on his head, the Si family can request an imperial decree to exterminate your entire Li family!"
This?
Several elders of the Li family, as well as many clansmen, were frightened and advised the Fifth Clan Chief: "Fifth Clan Chief, please calm down. This young master Si Pei seems to come from an extremely prominent family. Even Wen Tao, Master Zheng, and Lord Yan would give him some face."
They are not people my Li family can control.