Secular world: My destiny has no taboos

Chapter 191: Spark

"everything will get better!"

The child turned his head away: "What are you talking about?"

Lu Chengjiang rubbed the child's head: "Nothing, what's your name?"

"Don't touch my head. Mom said that boys won't grow taller if they touch their heads!"

The child paused and said, "The leader calls me Ah Chou. He said the uglier the name, the easier it is to survive in this world."

Lu Chengjiang was silent. All dynasties seemed prosperous on the outside, but beneath the surface, there were piles of bones.

The high taxes and labor service made it impossible for the already poor people to store any food. Once a natural disaster occurred, it became difficult for them to even survive.

The wine and meat in Zhumen stinks, and there are people who starve to death on the road.

Perhaps because he couldn't find the leader, Ah Chou couldn't help but feel anxious. He climbed over one mountain after another with his little feet, and sat down by the river to rest, with tears falling down his face.

"Don't they want me anymore? I'm going to starve to death!"

But at this moment, a piece of dry food was handed over.

"Eat."

"???"

"You're wearing even ragsier clothes than me, and yet you have food!"

Ah Chou glanced at Lu Chengjiang's ragged clothes, took the pancake, and took a big bite. His expression was like a starving stray dog on the roadside.

When he left the team, the leader only gave him half a earth cake, which he had eaten when he met Lu Chengjiang. Now, a day had passed and he was already feeling dizzy from hunger.

But Ah Chou ate half of the cake and gave the rest back to Lu Chengjiang. Even though his mouth was drooling madly, his eyes were unusually firm.

"Why? Aren't you very hungry?"

"You haven't eaten anything either, so I'll return this half cake to you. This way you can live for another two days," Ah Chou patted his belly, frowned, and grinned.

Lu Chengjiang was silent for a while and stuffed the cake into Achou's hand.

"From now on you will follow me."

"Did you have enough to eat following you?"

"……able!"

"Okay, then you are my leader now."

……

In the magnificently decorated official residence, the lobby was filled with banquets, and the table was filled with everything, including cattle and sheep from outside Longzhou Pass, and fruits from Jiangzhou...

Amidst the fine wine and delicious food, the elegantly dressed guests clinked glasses and talked happily, and the dancers danced to the melodious sounds of piano and other instruments.

Beauties, fine wine, and delicious food exude an intoxicating aroma that makes people unable to help but indulge in this luxurious feast.

Ah Chou stood behind Lu Chengjiang, his throat rolling and his mouth swallowing saliva.

He looked at his tattered clothes and straw sandals with a few toes showing, and felt nervous and inferior.

Lu Chengjiang, who was sitting in front of him, had a gloomy face and did not touch the bowl or chopsticks on the table in front of him.

The county magistrate, with a fawning face, came to Lu Chengjiang holding a jade wine glass, bent slightly and showed a flattering smile.

The guests at the banquet all looked here, some with disdain in their eyes, some gloating, and some looking thoughtful.

"General Lu, I toast you!" The county magistrate picked up the glass and drank it in one gulp. He leaned close to Lu Chengjiang's ear and said that in order to comfort the lord for his fatigue from the journey, he had already sent some gifts to Lu Chengjiang's residence.

Lu Chengjiang just glanced at him and shook his head slowly. Then a silver knife flashed in the banquet hall, blood splattered, and a head rolled onto the table.

This scene shocked the guests. Most of them were county officials and children of wealthy families. When they saw the county magistrate's head appear on the table and even blood spurting out of the food in the bowls in front of them, they were stunned for a moment.

Lu Chengjiang stood up from his seat, expressionless: "Sorry, I just can't stand it anymore." A woman in plain clothes behind him sighed softly: "There should be a more reliable solution."

"I can afford to wait, but can those who are about to die of starvation afford to wait?"

"I am just a warrior, I don't know any tricks to win the court, if I see injustice, I will bleed five steps away."

That day.

The magistrate of Shili County was beheaded, and countless gold and silver treasures were found in his home, as well as mountains of grain. It was found that he had seized the land of the common people, so he refused to open the granaries to release the grain, and colluded with the aristocratic families to raise the price of grain...

There was a severe drought for three years, and there were starving people everywhere along the way. Even the border warriors who had experienced countless life and death situations could not help but feel frightened.

People can be beaten to death, killed, and die in various ways, but they should not be starved to death.

This was a dynasty at its peak. The South Seas were ignored and the barbarians dared not invade. However, in such a dynasty, countless people died in humiliation.

Not long after, Lu Chengjiang was taken to Shangjing.

A group of ragged people gathered beside the prison van. They followed the van and watched the man who had brought them temporary food and clothing. The hope that had just risen in their eyes began to be extinguished bit by bit.

Ten miles, a hundred miles...

There were fewer and fewer people following the prison van. Some starved to death on the road, some were tired, until finally only Achou was left.

His legs were lame because he was too close to the prison van and was beaten by the people. But he was still not afraid and followed stubbornly, limping as he hung behind the prison van.

When the officers and soldiers were not paying attention, he took the opportunity to go to the prison van and handed the half earth cake hidden in his arms to Lu Chengjiang's mouth.

"Don't follow me anymore, you will die."

"No, you are my leader. I can have enough food by following you." Achou shook his head.

But in the end, Achou fainted from hunger while following the prison van.

The woman in plain clothes helped him up, fed him some water, and gently woke him up.

Ah Chou opened his eyes, looked at the familiar face, and couldn't help sobbing softly: "Is he going to die?"

The woman ruffled his messy hair and said, "He won't die, because there are still very important things he needs to do."

……

The next year, in order to celebrate the grand event of the arrival of all nations, the Emperor planned to build a garden and a gold and jade tower, and invited divine craftsmen to create it. Everything inside was made of precious gold, stone and jade.

And building these requires money, a lot of money.

How to get this money?
That naturally came from the untouchables.

The emperor gave an order to take 10% of your family's income, but after the official in the government office took a look, it became 30%.

The senior official above wants 10%, and he wants 10%.

But what if people can’t survive?
That’s none of his business. Let the people just be patient. Maybe things will get better next year.

Be patient and the hunger will pass.

Humans are very hard-working creatures, and as long as they can survive, most people will not choose to resist.

But what if a person is no longer a human being?

In the same year, a military flag with the word "Lu" on it was raised by someone standing on a slope. Countless people flocked to the flag and stood under it, looking up at the flag fluttering in the moonlight.

Because it was not going to various places to suppress bandits in compliance with the imperial court's order, but had a bigger goal.

A candle is lit, although it is only a tiny flame, it illuminates the way ahead for people.

Then, flickering candles were lit up in the darkness, one, two, three... and gathered into a long dragon behind the candle.

Lu Chengjiang turned around and looked at the people standing in the light, and slowly extended his hand to them.

(End of this chapter)