The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

Chapter 163 Hearing of the Crown Prince's Affairs, Heroes Rise Up (Part 1) (Third Update)

Besides serving as a geographical dividing line between Sichuan and Chongqing, the Longquan Mountains also became a refuge for countless people during this turbulent period.

Countless people from Sichuan and Bazhong fled to the mountains, bringing their families with them.

Han Zheng, Sun Qiang, and Meng Ta from Qi County were three of the people from Dongguanghan Commandery.

All three were powerful figures in the county, and their clans were very influential.

Deng Ai's attack on Jiangyou Pass via the Yinping Ancient Road, and his subsequent capture of Fucheng and Mianzhu, all occurred in Sichuan and had no connection to Bazhong at the moment.

But fearing the chaos of war, the three still went up the mountain.

noon.

On a relatively gentle hilltop.

The Han, Sun, and Meng clans, along with many other clans, built a fortified camp to defend themselves.

There are around a thousand adult men and women, plus two to three thousand children.

Despite the large number of people, the camp was well-organized. There were residential areas, granaries, blacksmith shops, and over a hundred strong men in leather armor, carrying hunting bows, patrolling or standing guard.

There are also visible and hidden checkpoints on the road down the mountain.

Although they claimed to be seeking refuge, they were essentially mountain tribes, ruling their own mountain strongholds and refusing to be governed by the government.

Dazhai, inside a room without any furniture.

Han Zheng, Sun Qiang, and Meng Ta sat in a triangular formation. All three were robust and in their early thirties, in the prime of their lives, and their presence was not weak.

On the floor in front of the three men were nine documents that Liu Chen had sent to various counties.

It is also a proclamation.

They were all ordinary powerful families, with some of their relatives serving as minor officials in the prefecture or county, but none of them had ever held high-ranking positions.

He didn't have deep feelings for Liu Han.

But they saw Liu Chen's determination in these nine things.

Han Zheng, with his horse-like face, said, "I originally thought that Liu Han was about to fall, but unexpectedly, the King of Beidi has emerged. As long as he stabilizes the situation in Shu Commandery and Jiang Wei is away, Liu Han will not fall. In times of peace, we heroes can only sigh in despair. Only in times of turmoil can we have an opportunity. Now that General Zhao Guang is guarding Luocheng, we can lead our strong men to join him, and perhaps in the future we can also become generals."

After speaking, Han Zheng looked up at his two companions, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

Sun Qiang nodded slightly, his blood rushing to his head, his face gradually turning red. Chaotic times are a stepping stone for great men to advance.

Meng suddenly said, "I have a better idea."

"Hmm?" Han Zheng and Sun Qiang both raised their eyebrows and looked at Meng Ta. Han Zheng asked, "Please speak."

"Deng Ai is currently leading Cao Wei's elite troops from Yong and Liang provinces outside Luocheng. If our small force goes there, we might just be wiped out by Deng Ai. According to the Crown Prince's proclamation, he is calling on officials and heroes to defend the city and protect their respective territories. I've also heard that He Sui's clan is in the nearby mountains, with plenty of grain and wealth. We should go and kill the entire He family, annex their followers, and then return to Qi County. While preparing our troops, we can also transport supplies and able-bodied men to Shu County by water. This would be a great achievement. We might even be ennobled for our merits," Meng Ta said, his left hand gripping the hilt of his sword at his waist, his eyes narrowed.

Han Zheng and Sun Qiang's eyes lit up. A good idea! The governor of Dongguanghan Commandery has fled, and the commandery is in chaos. They can seize this opportunity to revitalize Dongguanghan Commandery, and by supplying it with provisions and able-bodied men, they can achieve great merit.

As for the He family... the imperial court has already issued a clear order to confiscate their property. Currently, all the He families are defending their estates in the Longquan Mountains; they cannot possibly hand over their assets themselves.

Then we'll seize Zhu He's family property and present it to the court, and incidentally, we'll wipe out the entire He family.

That's a great achievement.

Han Zheng's eyes grew brighter, and he made up his mind. He said in a deep voice, "Zhu He has accumulated considerable strength over the years. We are no match for them. We need to contact more people. I'll go make the contact."

"Okay." Sun Qiang nodded.

The three looked at each other, nodded in unison, and got up together to leave the room.

Along a section of the Longquan Mountains, manors are nestled among the peaks, making them easy to defend and difficult to attack.

There were numerous sentries, both visible and hidden, and the number of soldiers was several hundred.

It was Zhuhe's manor.

Inside the main hall of He Lun's manor.

He Lun knelt in the main seat, his face ashen. Zhu He either stood pacing back and forth or sat in his seat.

They either started hurling insults or discussed countermeasures.

"That scoundrel Liu Chen had been plotting to kill Sui all along. He even wants to wipe us out completely. He's truly despicable."

"We will contact General Deng immediately and send the food and supplies there."

"That's not advisable. There are countless people hiding in Longquan Mountain to escape the chaos of war, and how many of them are heroes? We can barely protect our manor, but if we transport supplies and provisions, we'll become easy prey for the wolves. What's more, Liu Chen has ordered the confiscation of our property and land. We are criminals, and if they kill us, they can still claim credit from Liu Chen."

"Liu Chen, you son without an anus, I wish I could eat your flesh and blood."

"What's the use of cursing him? We've been cursing him for years, but he hasn't declined at all. Instead, he's become the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister. He even led troops to fight against Deng Ai. Who is Deng Ai? He's a great general of Wei who has been in charge of Yong and Liang for many years and whose prestige shakes the world."

"What should we do?"

Some started arguing, some tried to mediate, and some offered advice. The argument was as loud as a marketplace, and they eventually parted on bad terms.

They originally thought that they had come to the mountains to take refuge, and that they would return to Wei as citizens after Deng Ai destroyed the Shu Kingdom. They even considered using He Sui's achievements to curry favor with Deng Ai.

The plan was perfect, but then Liu Chen suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Moreover, Liu Chen really did stabilize the situation.

Steam his mother!!!

Zhu He could leave, but He Lun, as the master, could not. He stared blankly at the empty hall, then suddenly shuddered, his face turned pale, and he screamed, "I'm going to die, I'm really going to die!"

If there were a way to undo regrets, he would have gone to the authorities before He Sui died to register and change his surname, so that this matter would no longer concern him.

But there's no going back in this world.

He Lun sat in the main hall and wailed for a long time. After calming down, he ordered the soldiers and officers to strengthen their defenses and ordered the blacksmith to work at full speed to make armor in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

Zhu He spent three days in this state of fear and anxiety.

dark night.

The bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the stars twinkle. Between the mountains, the howls of wolves and tigers echo endlessly.

Inside the Ho Lun Manor, located halfway up the mountain.

Soldiers patrol and stand guard.

Inside He Lun's bedroom. He Lun sat cross-legged on the bed, wrapped in blankets, shivering.

In the past three days, he has only slept for about four hours. Moreover, his sleep was very light, and he was frequently startled awake.

His eyes were dark-circled, his eyes were red, his heart rate was soaring, and he was extremely weak and exhausted.

Even so, he couldn't sleep.

It was as if a fierce tiger was lurking outside his house, ready to pounce and kill him at any moment.

"By order of the Crown Prince, we killed Zhu He, seized the grain, supplies, and wealth, and presented them to the court."

Suddenly, a loud shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, shook the heavens and the earth.

He Lun's expression changed drastically at first, then a weight was lifted from his heart, and he said with a wry smile, "It's finally here."

Waiting is the most agonizing time; when it actually happened, he felt a sense of relief.