After crossing, I surrounded the capital from the countryside

These people collected heavy taxes, making the taxes and levies as heavy as mountains. The people's fields were confiscated, and their families had no food or clothing, causing the people to live in dire straits.

They work hard but can only earn a living that is barely adequate. They are oppressed and exploited, unable to enjoy their due rights and dignity. Their voices are ruthlessly ignored by those in power, and their suffering is turned a blind eye.

The dilapidated houses and devastated fields on the streets silently reveal everything.

However, these instigators lived a luxurious life, enjoying the hard-earned money from the people."

"I have seen too many along the way. They have lost their homes and even their loved ones, but these court officials treat them as burdens to be discarded at will, forcing them to eat their own children or even starve to death!"

At the end, Xu Qingqing's voice was even a little choked up.

She looked at the heads of the clans, her eyes pleading, "They shouldn't be harmed by the inaction of those in power... We can only resist if we become strong!"

"Believe me, living a new life is not a luxury, this is my promise to you. Xiaoyao Sect has enough resources and capabilities to allow you to live a stable life. You will no longer worry about food, clothing, housing and transportation, and you will have the opportunity to pursue higher goals."

Xu Qingqing knew that her words now contained a certain amount of moral blackmail. She also knew that in this cannibalistic world, if they only had a few people, they would be like a drop of water in the ocean.

But since she had traveled through time and had advanced knowledge and theories that did not belong to this era, she wanted to give it a try, to see if she could change the world, even if it was only slightly...

Perhaps moved by Xu Qingqing's words, the eldest boss's expression visibly eased, the second boss was immersed in his own thoughts, and the third boss...

Third Master: Aba Aba, that’s really well said! (^.^)…

No one wants to be a bad person if they can be a good person. Now there is an opportunity to become a good person, and the boss is a little tempted.

Seeing that the two brothers beside him were frequently winking at him, the boss held his forehead with some helplessness.

He sighed and looked at Xiao Yuheng: "You guys..."

Xiao Yuheng raised his eyes and tilted his head slightly: "She is the one who makes the decision for us. You can talk to her, not me."

"My name is Xu Qingqing, you can call me Qingqing, Boss." Xu Qingqing smiled at the boss.

The head of the family looked at Xu Qingqing, feeling somewhat surprised. Although it was this little girl who had just spoken so eloquently, he never expected that she was actually the one in charge, and for a moment he began to hesitate.

But seeing that Xiao Yuheng and Wang Dahu were not ordinary people, he did not show any hesitation.

The boss nodded in agreement, his eyes showing a bit of pressure, "Okay, we are willing to trust you this time. I hope you can fulfill your promise."

"I will." Xu Qingqing looked back without showing any fear.

The big boss immediately said, “Hahaha, great!”

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Hanwen, and I am the head of Yijie Mountain."

"This guy is Zhang Qiang, and he's the second in command."

"This is the third in command, Zhou Daniu."

Liu Hanwen pointed at the two people beside him and introduced them.

Xu Qingqing introduced a few people to them and saw that Liu Hanwen looked a little embarrassed.

"Brother Liu, what's wrong?" Wang Dahu looked at Liu Hanwen and asked.

Liu Hanwen was a little hesitant, but he thought that since Xiao Yuheng and the others were so sincere, he should not hide anything.

So, Xu Qingqing and others learned the origin of Yijie Mountain from Liu Hanwen.

"To be honest, I'm just a weak scholar with a little ink, but there are indeed real soldiers on the mountain."

"Soldiers?!" Xu Qingqing was surprised that her guess was confirmed.

Seeing Xu Qingqing's surprise, Liu Hanwen hurriedly explained: "Qingqing, don't worry, they are not deserters."

"They are also miserable people. Except for the Weiyuan Army, the military camps nowadays are full of gangs and factions for personal gain."

"The soldiers in the village were all forced out because they couldn't make it in the barracks."

"They are still relatively lucky. Some soldiers don't even live to be discharged..."

At this point, Zhang Qiang, who had been silent, took over the conversation: "When they left the military camp, they wanted to go home and live a good life by farming."

"Unexpectedly, they encountered the robbers who came down the mountain to burn, kill and rob the villagers. After a brief discussion, they strangled the robbers to death. However, they did not expect that the robbers were in collusion with the government and turned the tables on them."

"Later, some people could never go back home..."

"Finally, they buried their dead brothers in the mountains, and the group didn't know where to go."

"He happened to meet us on the mountain, so he stayed there and formed the Yijie Mountain with us. He robbed the rich and helped the poor. When he had time, he brought his family over."

"Although we didn't do anything unforgivable, the label of bandit is still ingrained in everyone's mind."

"Later, when times got tough, more and more people came to Yijie Mountain for refuge. We couldn't bear to let them starve to death, so we took them in."

"And the chief came to Yijie Mountain at that time. He was well-educated, intelligent and resourceful. In addition, the chief did not need to leave the mountain often, so he was made the chief."

"Since he became the head, our lives have indeed been much better. He has come up with many ways to be self-sufficient, so that even with our growing population we will not starve to death, and everyone will not do anything that will put their lives at risk. Gradually, everyone has come to trust him to be our head."

"But in the past two years, there have been more and more refugees, and the surrounding villagers have also fled or gone up the mountain. Several villages are now deserted. At this point, we in Yijieshan are also unable to make ends meet, and we have no choice but to resort to robbery again."

Zhou Daniu was listening at the side and couldn't help but emphasize, "But, I, we, really, really didn't kill anyone!"

"It's good to be a soldier! Soldiers are all good people!" Xu Qingqing said excitedly. Because of her previous life, she naturally had a good impression of soldiers, except for those who were greedy and despicable.

Seeing that Xu Qingqing had spoken, Xiao Yuheng did not object. "Xiaoyao Sect is in need of people right now. With good helpers like you ready-made, how can we bear to turn you away?"

After everyone reached a cooperation agreement, Wang Dahu nodded secretly. However, looking at their frail bodies, he still felt a little disgusted. How could they be so hungry? They should have a good meal when they have a chance.

The cooperation was finalized, and Liu Hanwen and his friends took Xiao Yuheng and his friends to have a simple dinner. Although it was simple, it was the only food they could afford.

Many brothers outside can only eat wild vegetables to fill their stomachs. At the beginning, they could still hunt, but now there are more refugees and the animals in the mountains have been eaten up. Even the wild vegetables can only barely fill their stomachs.

That's why the robbers from Yijie Mountain that Xu Qingqing and her friends met today were so thin.