Tiger Guards

Chapter 13 Fundamental Interests
As the fighting plan was being formulated, Zhao Ji ended his night watch and returned to the barracks to rest early.

Without Rui Dan, the barracks suddenly became much more spacious.

Even the straw mat on which Zhao Ji slept had become much thicker and warmer, and he fell asleep without thinking.

But when I closed my eyes, the image of Rui Dan's wide-open eyes at the moment of her death appeared in my mind.

In addition to Rui Dan's expression and gaze, there is also Pei Xiu's casual and natural face that doesn't care.

And there was Wei Xing. Wei Xing's fierce eyes gradually overlapped with Rui Dan's unwilling eyes, and the two of them also overlapped, staring at Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji just adjusted his breathing. Rui Dan couldn't sneak over from underground, and his hands couldn't stretch out from the ground to pinch himself.

It was impossible for Wei Xing to break into the house and assassinate him. Even if Wei Xing wanted to murder him, he would use an outsider to do it and take advantage of the situation.

After adjusting his mood, Zhao Ji gradually fell asleep and thought of poor Alan again.

Do you have feelings for each other?

No.

She just wants to find someone she can rely on, and it’s not certain that he likes her.

As long as her life is secure, she can have enough food and clothing and is not bullied, she can marry anyone.

But she didn't dare marry the eldest brother as a concubine. She was afraid of her eldest sister-in-law and also afraid that Ah Xi would torture her.

Her fate is relatively simple. She seems to have many choices, but in fact there are only two or three that are most suitable.

This is Alan's fate, Rui Dan's fate, and the same is true for myself, Pei Xiu, Wei Xing, Hu Ban, and Wang Zhi.

It’s just that the experiences are more complicated, and although there seem to be many choices, there are actually not many stable and good options.

Rui Dan is a typical example. He was instigated by others and stole his own boots in a fit of rage.

To put it simply, this matter can be resolved by Rui Dan making a solemn apology, correcting his attitude, and calling him Brother Ji.

But then?

I am just a sergeant, but I can't even keep my boots. My subordinates take whatever they want. What will others think of this?
Today Rui Dan can use his own boots at will, but tomorrow someone will dare to use Wei Xing or Pei Xiu's personal belongings as gambling chips.

It’s okay if you win, but what if you lose?
Using one person's life to establish a rule is beneficial to everyone.

Unless these leaders take the initiative to rob or misappropriate other people's things in the future, Rui Dan's death will be meaningful to collective discipline.

There was also Wei Xing. What the two of them were fighting for was something that Pei Xiu, Jia Kui, Wang Zhi, and Guanqiu Xing looked down upon, as they had better official careers.

This time he volunteered to become a Tiger Guard only out of loyalty, morality and public opinion.

Not only them, but soon the three big and powerful families, Wei, Fan, and Mayi, will also join in, as well as the Xiangli, Jing, Yin, Shangguan, Xue and other families from various counties.

These people looked down on the origins of the Tiger Guards, but since the treacherous ministers were causing chaos and bringing disgrace to the emperor, they had to be aware of and take action to sacrifice themselves for the country.

Coming from a humble family, it is difficult to have an official career.

Even if you want to be a bandit, you must gradually build up your reputation and expand your team.

The plug-in is not very powerful, so just mix it up for now.

It is very difficult to go from a bandit to an official; it is much easier to go from an official to a bandit and then whitewash yourself... because your background is different.

With something on his mind, Zhao Ji fell into a light sleep.

In the morning, when he got up, he saw people sleeping in various positions, so he took out his foot bindings, bound his feet, and put on boots.

He took out the dried venison and put it in his mouth, then took the black lacquered wooden bowl with red patterns and walked out of the barracks. He saw that there was no one on duty at the campfire and a clay pot was hanging above it.

He came to sit in front of the campfire, but there was no open flame and no large pieces of charcoal.

Stir the charcoal fire, add fine grass fluff and twigs, and when the morning breeze blows, a bright flame flashes in the curling smoke, and the fire starts to burn.

After adding firewood, Zhao Ji put a handful of dried meat, dried black fungus, chopped vegetable leaves that had been rinsed and dried, and salt powder into his bowl.

When the warm water in the clay pot showed signs of boiling, he poured it into his bowl.

I have to compete with others today, so I need to nourish myself.

As he was drinking venison and vegetable soup from his bowl, Wei Xing staggered out of the barracks, unbuttoning his belt as he walked.

Seeing Zhao Ji, Wei Xing nodded proactively, and Zhao Ji also smiled.

Wei Xing then walked towards the stable and started pouring water on a pile of horse manure.

Finally, he shook himself off, tightened his belt, wiped his thighs with his hands, and walked towards the campfire.

He was obviously still asleep, sitting by the campfire with sleepy eyes, yawning loudly: "Aji, you won't hold a grudge, will you?" "No, Brother Ziang slept late last night?"

"Well, Seventh Brother has also explained to me the changes in the camp. We can't let Jia Kui and Wang Zhi mess around. How can these two kids understand military affairs?"

Wei Xing reached out to take the pieces of dried meat Zhao Ji handed him, then put a piece into his mouth and held it there. "But I'm worried about accidentally injuring Wang Zhi and causing trouble."

If Wang Zhi dares to turn against us, we must control him immediately. During this process, Wang Zhi's close followers will definitely actively resist, and Wang Zhi will also resist.

Who dares to hold back during this process?

Zhao Ji poured more hot water into his bowl, his face expressionless. "You and I are poor scholars, with a cliff behind us. What choice do we have?"

"I can't compare with Aji. You are the grandson of the Pei family, and you can escape to Jishan. If something happens, Seventh Brother will help you."

Wei Xing also restrained his expression and looked at Zhao Ji with his bright eyes: "I can't bring trouble to my father and brother's family. If I cause trouble, I will only pay with my life."

Zhao Ji remained silent. If the situation really got out of control, he would not take the initiative to take on more blame and hatred.

Running away on your own is one thing, but bringing trouble to your family is another.

With Pei Xiu around, Wei Xing could not afford to hesitate or make decisions on some matters.

Also because of Pei Xiu's presence, he could gain Wei Xing's friendship without taking the blame and attracting hatred.

There could be a friendship between him and Wei Xing, but this friendship was destined to be weak.

Perhaps in Wei Xing's view, he was very suitable to take the blame. Pei Xiu would definitely help him anyway, and at the very least he could escape to Jishan.

For the group, I am really suitable to take the blame.

Wei Xing's face was distorted with sorrow as Zhao Ji had not yet made any promise.

Once things turn against each other, no one can control the situation.

This was an unpredictable disaster and Wei Xing did not want to provoke it.

He had gained a reputation for martial arts that was known throughout the county, and he knew very well who he could and could not mess with.

During the silence, Pei Xiu rubbed his face and walked out of the barracks. He stood at the door with his hands on his hips and twisted his hips to stretch his muscles, then sat down by the campfire.

Seeing the piece of meat sticking out of Zhao Ji's leather bag, he smiled and said, "Aji, give me a bowl."

"it is good."

Zhao Ji took the boiling water to rinse the dishes and chopsticks before making venison and vegetable soup for Pei Xiu.

By this time, Wei Xing's expression had returned to normal. Pei Xiu blew on the bowl and observed Zhao Ji and Wei Xing: "Are you afraid?"

Without waiting for an answer, Pei Xiu said, "I'm afraid of accidentally killing Wang Zhi and ruining my uncle and the court. Wang Zhi is also afraid that something will happen to me. If he or I are killed or injured, what's the point of going to Hanoi?"

Zhao Ji said nothing. When this generation of people were children, they heard about the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the Xiliang rebels wreaking havoc in the three prefectures. When they were old enough to remember things and study, they heard about the heroes fighting against Dong Zhuo, the burning of Luoyang, the Baibo Army causing chaos in Hedong, and the chaos in Guanzhong. Last year, the emperor went east, and along the way, waves of royal support troops fought fiercely with the Guanzhong soldiers.

I almost witnessed how the chaotic times arose and grew. Compared with those who were born and raised in chaotic times, this kind of growth experience will give me a strange sense of mission, such as ending the chaotic times.

Whether it was the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty or the rebellion of the Xinmang Dynasty, they were both quelled within a generation.

Therefore, under this cognitive inertia, Pei Xiu was very anxious, afraid that he would miss the last chance.

Everyone in the world, regardless of age, gender, or gender, has beautiful expectations.

The root cause of the chaotic times was attributed to the treacherous ministers who held the emperor hostage and disrupted the government, causing chaos in the country from top to bottom.

And now that the emperor has escaped and is no longer held hostage by Li Jue and Guo Si... Theoretically, as long as the court is slightly stabilized, it can quickly bridge the gap and end this chaos.

Pei Xiu's eyes fell on Wei Xing's face: "If someone must die, who does Ziang want to die?"

"I understand. Don't worry, Seventh Brother. If a war breaks out, Aji and I will charge in with all our might and will never let Wang Zhi escape."

If they fall out and fight, only by capturing Wang Zhi can they have the initiative.

Wei Xing said this, and perhaps he thought so in his heart, but how much effort could he put in when the time came?

Pei Xiu just smiled and didn't ask Zhao Ji's attitude.

He knew Zhao Ji's family situation very well, and Zhao Ji had no psychological barriers to doing things that Wei Xing did not dare to do.

A person who didn't want to apply in the first place, fled to Jishan after getting into trouble, which was exactly what Aji wanted.

As for the revenge of the county magistrate Wang Yi?

Since the county refused to cooperate and the county officials were perfunctory, it was impossible for Wang Yi to come and arrest people personally.

(End of this chapter)