Chapter 5: Departure from the Valley (Part 1)

  Yang Yingqi listened to Di Yu's words and exclaimed, "Leave the Great Wall? So far! How can we get past it? Not to mention other things, hunger will starve us to death."

  Di Yu said, "Outside is different from this dead valley, there are still some beasts in the woods and wilds. If all else fails, we can only go to a wealthy village to 'borrow' some food - but the villages along the border are heavily fortified, I'm afraid it won't be that easy to borrow."

  Yang Yingqi said, "If we get out of the desert, what can we do? The grassland and desert are vast and open, if the Khitan people discover us, they can send a cavalry team to kill us all!"

  Ouyang Shidao said: "Now both the Southern and Northern Dynasties are in turmoil, bandits are rising everywhere, should we consider becoming outlaws?"

  "Absolutely not! Once you become a bandit, not only will your own reputation be ruined, but also the honor of your ancestors!"

  Ouyang Zhan laughed and said: "In our dynasty's Taizu and Taizong two generations, there were many generals who had been great kings in the mountains!"

  Yang Kaiyuan said: "In short, it's absolutely impermissible to have made up one's mind from the start to be a thief!"

  Ouyang Yi smiled and said: "Alright alright alright, let's wait until we have no choice but to become bandits again, this should be fine for now."

  Yang Kaiyuan stared blankly, unsure of how to respond.

  "Alright, alright, let's not quarrel for now. In any case, we have people and weapons, so there must be a way out. Going north is the last resort, it's better to go south if possible. However, the top priority at the moment is how many of these 500 people are willing to follow us."

  Ouyang Shidao said, "As a runaway slave, being alone on this border is very dangerous. Not to mention being caught by the Khitan people and taken back, even if you encounter an ordinary bandit, they can take your life! Let them escape, they are not afraid, but if they say obediently listen to do slaves, they will leave a life, hey, I'm afraid most people still want to be slaves."

  Yang Yingqi said: "If it were several months ago, the situation might be as you said. But I see that in these days, the morale of the people has risen, and most people would not want to be slaves again!"

  Zhe Yan Chong said: "It's useless to discuss it here, let's hold a memorial service and tell everyone, let them decide where to go."

  Di Yu was shocked and said: "No! How can such a thing be decided by the crowd!"

  Ouyang Yi also said: "It must be a great chaos!"

  Zhe Yan Chong asked Yang Yingqi: "What do you say?"

  Yang Yingqi hesitated and said, "If the mobilization is done well, I think most people will follow us. Even if there are one or two timid ones, in the midst of high morale, they will swallow their words - this is the psychology of following the crowd. I don't believe that our efforts over the past few months have been completely useless!"

  Yang Kaiyuan said: "I also believe that everyone will not be willing to go back to being slaves again, but...but I still have some worries."

  Arumanduo didn't think so much and said: "Isn't this something that everyone should work together on? Why can't people know about it?"

  Di Yu sank into thought for a moment before saying, "A Lu Man is right. This matter concerns everyone's life and death, so it's better to let everyone decide for themselves."

  Ouyang Shi sneered: "I believe there will be many people willing to follow us, but what about those who are unwilling to follow us?"

  "Then let them stay."

  Ouyang Shidao said: "With so many people running away, do you think the Khitan will let these remaining people off easily?"

  Zhe Yan Chong said, "We can dig some fake graves and mix them with the real ones. Then we'll tell those people to tell the Khitans after we leave that everyone in the valley except for them has frozen or died of illness. I bet the Khitans won't bother to dig up each grave to examine the bodies."

  Ouyang Shidao said: "What if these people go and inform on us after we leave?"

  Yang Kai said: "No way......"

  Yang Yingqi sighed and said: "What Ouyang said is very likely to happen. However, if we decide this way, we will have to take some risks. I still believe that human nature is good."

  Ouyang Shi hummed and said: "Since you all say so, then okay."

  After a long discussion between Zhang Yaozong and Yang Yingqi, they finally nailed down what to say in the mobilization speech.

  That night, the wind stopped and the snow stopped. Zhe Yan-chong gathered five hundred people and said: "Brothers and sisters, yesterday we just heard a piece of news. A Khitan is going to dispose of us."

  "Below Zhang Lao Yu asked: 'Zhe Gongzi, what will they do with us?'"

  "They're going to sell us out!"

  Below, at the time of registration, a burst of noise, Zhe Yan Chong and others' voices paused slightly, and then said: "They not only want to sell us, but also want to sell us far, far away, to Mongolia, to Goryeo!"

  The noise below grew louder, and Mrs. Gu angrily said: "What's the reason?! I'm a good citizen, but I was caught up in this plague, my husband and son are dead, and now you want to sell me overseas as a slave? What kind of logic is this?"

  Potter Wang Dahui said, "Reason? The Khitans won't reason with us! I'm not even sick, just passing by, and they forcibly dragged me in. They took all the valuable things on me! This is simply robbery!"

  That skilled heavenly observer, farm slave Zhou Sheng, called out: "I've been a farm slave since I was 14 years old, for 19 years now! Although I used to be a farm slave, I don't want to be one anymore." Suddenly raising his voice, he shouted: "Young Master Zhao, you must take charge of us!"

  He called out, and the people below exclaimed: "Lord Zhe! You must take charge for us!"

  "Now, there are two paths before us. The first is to stay here and wait for the Khitan people to come and take over, then let them deal with us. I don't know how they will deal with us, but even in the best case scenario, we'll probably just become their subjects! I'd rather die than be a slave!" He paused, then said: "Your second path is to follow me!"

  Dozens of people shouted loudly: "Zhe Gongzi, we'll follow you."

  "Wait, don't decide so hastily! Let me tell you, if you choose to follow me, you'll be fugitive slaves. The Khitan people will hunt us down! I plan to lead a group to escape to the south, but it's uncertain whether the Zhao royal family will accept us. If they also reject us, we can only flee into the mountains and forests, or head to the grasslands, living a life of displacement! In the end, how many of us will survive, I dare not say. But even if it means suffering, I'd rather not stay here, for I am a man who stands tall and proud, and I refuse to be a slave!"

  Dozens of people shouted: "We don't want to be slaves either!"

  "Which of these two roads will lead to a better future is hard to say, but once chosen, there's no turning back! Brothers and sisters, think carefully about it. Those who want to leave, pack your things tonight! Those who don't want to go, I've already thought of an excuse for you to tell the Khitans! That's all I have to say. Tomorrow at dawn, we'll start preparing to set off! Those who are leaving, follow me; those who aren't, stay in the grass shed and don't come out! Alright, go back to sleep!"

  These five hundred people were no longer the loose and disorganized crowd they had been at first, and when they dispersed, they did so in a relatively orderly fashion. After the crowd had scattered, Zhang Lao Yu, Gu Da Sao, Zhou Sheng, and over a dozen others came forward to say: "Zhe Gongzi, we have decided to follow you no matter what; there's no need to wait until tomorrow to make up our minds."