Jinting Han people

Chapter 143: The Deer of Self-Mutilation (4k)

"Are you planning to be a horse thief for the rest of your life?"

Liu Xian's words really reveal his true intentions.

He had said so much to Sun Xi before, giving gifts and greetings, making it seem so serious, but in fact, it was all to pave the way for this sentence.

There's no doubt that for a person, the life of a bandit can be joyful for a while, but it's not a lifelong one. A person can bully others at their peak, but they'll always get hurt and age. No one can be a bandit forever. An old bandit will either be driven out of the group and find another profession, or they'll inevitably die at the hands of their own kind.

This was a truth that every bandit understood, and Liu Xian's words undoubtedly expressed a sense of intimacy, but also served as a hint that he could offer the bandits another path back to a stable life.

Faced with this hint, the horse thieves present were all tempted, but Sun Xi did not respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Liu Xian, smiled meaningfully, and asked, "In your opinion, what is the life of a horse thief like?"

Liu Xian shook his head and said with a smile, "I've never been a horse thief, so of course I don't know much about it. I'd like to ask Chief Sun for some advice."

"Your Excellency, there's no need to be so polite. I'm a rough man, not very good at speaking. My trade as a horse thief is nothing more than robbing houses and killing people for their property. From time to time, we have a fight with the government, and occasionally, we have a fight or two with our peers."

"Either I kill someone, or someone kills me. Human life hangs on the edge of a knife, and there's no consideration for the future."

"This kind of life is unbearable for ordinary people." Sun Xi said cruelly, but his expression was very free and easy. He said, "But I enjoy it very much."

This turn of events was beyond Liu Xian's expectations. He had not expected this bandit leader, who claimed to be a rough man, to speak like a philosopher and say something so enlightening. So he asked, "Why?"

Sun Xi unsheathed his sword and openly showed it to Liu Xian. He flicked the sword and laughed, "Because in a life like this, people live simply."

"To kill someone, you only need one cut to the neck, but three cuts to the chest or back. It doesn't matter whether the person is rich or poor."

"When a person is injured, they bleed. When a person is beheaded, they die. If we bandits want to live well, we only need to think about how to strike the blow well. If we can't win by cutting, we will run. If we can't run, we will die. There is nothing to regret."

"By comparison, farming requires so much thought. You have to think about what the harvest will be like this year and what to plant. Every day you have to water and weed, and worry about sparrows and locusts. The worst part is that no matter how hard you work, a gust of wind or rain can ruin all your efforts."

"After being imprisoned by the county official that year, I realized a truth: humans are so fragile. If you try to escape death, it will still bite you. If you fight death face to face, it will often let you go."

"That's a kind of happiness, so I like being a horse thief, it's thrilling and exciting."

This answer was undoubtedly a brilliant rebuttal, rejecting Liu Xian's offer while preserving his own dignity. The other bandits present all puffed their heads high, as if they were truly heroes. Liu Xian couldn't help but applaud, exclaiming, "I didn't expect Chief Sun to be such a man who would face death with equanimity."

Sun Xi nodded and said, "Yes, so if you're here to persuade me to surrender, I can only apologize. Since you value me so much, I can also do you a favor. As long as you're here, I'll keep my distance and live in peace. How do you say that?"

Hearing this, Xue Xing, who was listening nearby, felt somewhat disappointed, but also relieved. Liu Xian's late-night visit to Longmen Mountain clearly showed his determination to persuade Sun Xi to surrender. Now that he had been directly rejected by Sun Xi, it certainly wasn't a success. However, reaching a peace agreement with Sun Xi would still be a success, and life would be better for the people of Xiayang.

He also saw the smile on Liu Xian's face, and thought that he could accept this result.

But who would have thought that Liu Xian suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had heard some huge joke, and then said in a mocking tone: "Before I came here, I thought Chief Sun was a big shot, but I didn't expect him to have such small ambitions. I'm really disappointed."

This sentence was really a sudden turn of events. Before this, Liu Xian's attitude towards Sun Xi could be said to be very respectful, but after listening to this long and heartfelt talk, he showed a sneer on his face.

The horse thieves were the most stubborn. When they heard this undisguised contempt, they immediately became furious. Some of them glared at him, some put their hands on their knives, and some simply started cursing. The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Liu Xian, however, remained unmoved, merely raising his wine cup and snorting softly. As Lü Quyang bravely stood up, the other four young men also awoke, towering over him like an iron wall. All five were tall, the shortest nearly eight feet tall. They all held their swords steady as they stood in the middle of the hall, instantly creating a sense of pressure.

The atmosphere on the field became even more tense, but at the same time, the fearless arrogance of the bandits was suppressed. Seeing Liu Xian's composure, Sun Xi couldn't help but admire his courage. He clapped his hands and ordered his men to retreat, but his tone eventually turned cold, lacking the warmth from earlier. He said:

"If the county lord refuses to listen to my advice and insists on fighting me, I can also let you go for the sake of the gift. Then you can pick a time and place, and we can have a real fight."

This is also an acceptable proposal. If Liu Xian can fight with Sun Xi in public, he can be said to have given an explanation to the people of Xiayang.

But Liu Xian looked as if he hadn't heard anything. He put down the wine cup in his hand and said slowly, "It seems that Chief Sun still doesn't understand what I mean. I came here with the intention of making friends."

"But I have a problem where I can't help laughing at stupid remarks, so I just couldn't help but laugh and was offended. I apologize for my rudeness just now."

"But I believe that Chief Sun understands one thing: everyone has their own foolishness. The important thing is not to escape it, but to recognize your own foolishness."

"I believe that Chief Sun is a tolerant man. Even if I have offended him, he should allow me to explain why I laughed."

Liu Xian's words were still filled with sarcasm, which made Sun Xi feel indignant, but also piqued his curiosity. He really wanted to see where his words were flawed and how Liu Xian was trying to convince him. So he nodded slightly and said, "Please speak, County Lord Liu."

Liu Xian said, "There was a hunter who raised a herd of deer. Every year he would cut off the newly grown antlers, also known as velvet antlers, from the deer's heads in exchange for money."

"A deer will bleed when its antlers are clipped, which is of course very painful for the deer. If not cared for properly, it may even bleed to death."

"Some deer can't stand this kind of torture, so they don't wait for the hunters to take action. Instead, they mutilate themselves and knock off the antlers on their heads. Even if it means they die, they are unwilling to leave their antlers to the hunters."

"In your opinion, are these deer that knocked off their antlers themselves smart deer?"

Liu Xian's metaphor is simple and easy to understand. In fact, he compares the Xiayang County government to a hunter, the county people to a herd of deer, and Sun Xi to a deer that voluntarily removes its antlers.

Sun Xi thought this analogy was well-made and didn't think it defamed him in any way, so he nodded and said, "In my opinion, there really is no better choice."

Unexpectedly, Liu Xian asked, "These deer have the awareness and courage to die, but they would rather use this awareness and courage to commit suicide than fight for a better future. Is this really a better choice?" "Isn't the truly good choice to fight the hunter to the death, so that the hunter will never dare to cut off his antlers again?"

"Chief Sun said that when he faced death, he enjoyed the thrill and excitement, just like the deer breaking off its own antlers. It was as if he had seen through fate and the outcome, and used this self-mutilation to gain inner peace. But he had never truly considered what life should be like."

Liu Xian paused briefly at this point. He looked around at all the bandits present and said solemnly, "Everyone lives to live well, not to face death. This is the simplest truth."

"What Chief Sun said just now is quite good, but if I am willing to guarantee that as long as everyone is willing to surrender, I can divide up the land for everyone, exempt taxes, and grant official positions. Is there really no one here who is tempted?"

The bandits' expressions immediately changed as soon as these words were spoken. They stirred briefly, but after Sun Xi glared at them, they calmed down. However, it was clear that the murderous aura that had been threatening to overflow from the room had naturally dissipated in the face of Liu Xian's offer of amnesty. As Liu Xian had said, no matter what, a bandit is still a bandit, and no one would be willing to be a bandit forever.

Sun Xi turned around and looked at Liu Xian again, his expression more cautious. He pondered for a long time, finally figuring something out. He sighed, "County Lord Liu is indeed worthy of being a young man from Luoyang. I often heard friends say that there are many extraordinary people in the capital, but I didn't believe it. But after seeing him today, I am truly impressed."

"But County Lord Liu only has six people now. He is trapped in this humble house, surrounded by dozens of people. He wants to sow discord with his mouth and persuade all of my brothers who have been through life and death together to surrender. This is obviously a bit too foolish."

"Your Excellency is right. If there's a way to live, no one wants to die. We're just a bunch of horse thieves, not heroes or wise men. If there really were a good way to live, we wouldn't refuse it."

"But County Lord, I know too well that this is not a way to survive."

Sun Xi stared at Liu Xian with a look that showed he understood his intentions, and said slowly:
"You are a brave man. Since you don't care about your own life, I understand that you are not someone who would care about the lives of others."

"If you understand this, and then look at the county lord's surrender, many things will become self-evident."

"Your Highness claims to be suppressing bandits, but now you've come to us to recruit us. You probably intend to first persuade us to surrender, and then lead us to fight the other three gangs of horse thieves in Xiayang."

"What's the saying? Take advantage of the situation and use the opponent's strength to defeat him. That's probably what the County Lord is talking about, isn't it? Now that we've been recruited, we're bound to fight Hu Yanchang and his men. Regardless of whether we win or lose, we'll suffer heavy losses, and not many will survive. The rest of the bandits in Xiayang will also be severely weakened. The blood of my brothers, besides buying the County Lord a red robe, will ultimately lead to our own death, right?"

"My Lord, I am an open-minded person. I speak my mind freely. Do you think I am right?"

Sun Xi's words, bypassing Liu Xian's proposed conditions, directly exposed Liu Xian's intention to grant him amnesty. Everyone present was shocked, but then they realized that this was indeed the case. Even Xue Xing and his companions, who had accompanied Liu Xian, were convinced. They couldn't help but sigh inwardly: "What a wicked scheme, County Lord!" It cost almost nothing, yet it could quickly and effectively resolve the bandit problem in Xiayang. Unfortunately, the enemy had now seen through it.

Xue Xing couldn't help but look at Liu Xian's expression again, eager to know what other means this county lady had to deal with the situation.

Liu Xian's expression remained relaxed. Facing Sun Xi's questioning, he didn't seem to feel any pressure and replied naturally, "What Chief Sun said is partly right, and partly wrong."

"I'm just a newly appointed county magistrate. I want to eliminate the banditry in the county. Of course, I won't succeed without external help."

"So I do want to borrow your strength to eliminate the remaining horse thieves in the county."

"But I came here today not to treat you as tools, nor do I care about my own life. I came here fully prepared."

This statement was completely unexpected by Sun Xi. Preparation? What preparation? Could it be that he had secretly arranged something, or was he using him as bait to secretly surround Longmen Mountain?
Thinking of this, Sun Xi's face inevitably became nervous, while Liu Xian continued, "I first inquired about your character before coming to visit you."

"What kind of person is he?" Everyone present looked at each other in confusion. They didn't understand why someone would ask about the kind of person a horse thief is. Could there be any difference in the kind of person a horse thief is?

They then heard Liu Xian say, "Among the four bandits in Xiayang, Hu Yanchang has already set up checkpoints to collect taxes. To be able to do this, it's almost certain that he must be colluding with the county's powerful families. To plunder the people like this, he must be treacherous at heart."

"Wang Lin is a horse thief from Hedong who has fled to Xiayang. He has committed very few crimes in recent years. He must have made an agreement with Hu Yanchang and is simply using Xiayang as his base. He certainly has no intention of interfering in Xiayang's internal affairs."

"Du Gan is a true horse thief. He fled here from the Qiang and Hu lands, plundering year after year and committing the most crimes. He treats human life as worthless and will definitely not accept the amnesty."

Having said this, Liu Xian paused, and when everyone's eyes were all on him, he slowly said:

"In comparison, although Chief Sun has a very bad reputation in the county government, after checking the case files, it's not difficult to find that Chief Sun is a local. He has committed many crimes, but most of them are targeting a few wealthy families in the county. He doesn't hurt the poor people much. He also occasionally clashes with the other three."

"In my opinion, Chief Sun still cherishes the friendship of his fellow townspeople and possesses a chivalrous spirit, not one who kills indiscriminately. Chief Sun's fate is the result of the county government's mishandling of his situation. If he had truly cared for the people and allowed himself to recuperate, he would never have become a bandit. Instead, he would have been a good official."

"So after much thought, I finally understood one thing: I must come here to pay a visit to Chief Sun, and to eliminate the other three gangs of horse thieves, I must also need Chief Sun's help."

"I came to see Chief Sun not because I don't value my own life, nor do I not value the lives of you, but because I value the lives of all the people of Xiayang. I believe that if you and I work together sincerely, we will definitely make Xiayang a brand new place!"

"I wonder if Chief Sun is willing to believe my sincerity when I say this?"

At this point, everyone present was deeply moved. No one would have thought that Liu Xian would actually connect the words "horse thief" and "chivalrous." In Guanzhong, these two words had not been heard for decades. But at this moment, everyone felt that it was perfect, even innate.

When people treat life with indifference, it is not because they like it. In fact, it is because they have lost hope and can't find the direction. Once they can see hope, few people will not follow it.

But Sun Xi was still hesitant. He frankly expressed his concerns to Liu Xian, "The county lord and I have only just met today. If I were to follow her through life and death like this, I'm afraid I would be looking down on her and myself as well."

This is indeed a question that cannot be avoided. The two have only met once so far. How can they trust each other?

"Then let's do this!" Liu Xian stood up, walked into the hall, and said to Sun Xi, "There's an old saying, 'No fight, no friendship.' I have a knight-errant friend who once told me that if there's a disagreement between knights, they should just fight to determine who's better. In the end, the loser will listen to the winner, and that's it."

"Since Chief Sun has doubts, why not challenge me to a duel? If I win, Chief Sun will lead his men down the mountain. If I lose, we can just say goodbye. How do you think?"

No bandit would refuse such a challenge, let alone one whose leader had subjugated his subordinates through force. Sun Xi pondered for a moment, then drew his sword and clasped his fists, saying, "Since that's the case, I will accept your guidance."

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(End of this chapter)