The Thief Prince

The following day, as night fell, Dang County had returned to calm.

Most households remained indoors, with only a few daring individuals peeking out from the street when they saw that the bandits were not harassing the people.

"when--"

At that moment, a bandit named Black Wind struck a gong, and the sound echoed through the streets and corners.

As soon as the gong stopped, Ma San, who was standing nearby, shouted at the top of his lungs:

Mount Dang is high, Mount Dang is long, and at its foot, the black wind blows.

With no rice and no smoke from the stove at home, why not seek refuge near Dangshan?

He knocked again, and Ma San shouted, this time in the tone he used when patrolling the mountain:

The government's granaries are piled high, but the people's bowls are empty of soup.

The wealthy lead their donkeys through the market, while the poor sell their children, tears streaming down their faces.

Young girls are locked up in Buddhist temples, and blank seals are written in front of county government offices.

You say the Emperor's favor is as deep as the sea, but do you know the axe is at your throat?

Ma San's voice is indeed good; towards the end, it even takes on a more desolate quality.

Several shops along the street had their doors and windows slightly ajar, and people inside were peeking out.

Seeing that the bandits were only banging gongs and singing, and had no intention of smashing or destroying anything, they became bolder and began to peek and listen.

They could listen, but no one actually stepped forward.

Ma San wasn't in a hurry; he seemed to be hooked on singing, drawing out his voice in long, drawn-out notes.

The heroes of Dangshan have no gold or silver, only a heart full of passion.

We share meals and drinks, we share both good times and bad, and we share both happiness and misfortune.

Holding swords and spears, they charged forward, killing corrupt officials to bring forth the light of day.

Don't ask about life or death on this journey; dying is better than starving to death!

Ma San became more and more excited as he sang, and his voice rose higher and higher:

Mount Dang is high, Mount Dang is long, I'll follow my brother to all corners of the world.

A bowl of hearty wine in life, even in death the yellow earth will retain its fragrance!

Li Zheng, along with leaders such as Tang Meng, Zhang Yin, and Cao Su, passed by. Upon hearing the song, Cao Su couldn't help but praise it:

"Brother, you are truly a gifted writer. This song has deeply moved me."

Li Zheng blushed slightly when he heard others praising him.

He knew his own limitations. Although he had inherited the original owner's knowledge, when it came to actually getting serious, he could only write such doggerel.

But on second thought, it's enough.

Even if some masterpiece were to be created, the common people wouldn't understand it, and it would be better to use plain language.

Zhang Yin, standing to the side, looked at the street and hesitated before asking, "If we do this, will anyone really join us?"

Following his gaze, everyone saw a stall set up on the side of the street, with the Black Wind Stronghold flag on one side and a cloth flag that read "Recruiting Soldiers" on the other.

Two henchmen sat under the flag, dozing off. The stall was deserted and no one paid any attention to it.

"How can no one come to my brother's idea?" Tang Meng glared at Zhang Yin. "See, aren't they coming?"

As everyone looked, sure enough, two men, one dark-skinned and one thin, walked up to the recruitment stall.

The two henchmen immediately perked up and sat up straight: "Do you want to join us?"

The burly man said in a deep voice, "You really provide food and drink?"

The henchman patted his chest and said, "Of course I'll take care of it."

The two men exchanged a glance, and the dark-skinned man said again, "Then we'll do it."

The henchmen sized them up and down, then, following protocol, said, "You can't just come and go as you please, you Black Wind Bandits. Tell me, what do you do? Have you ever killed anyone?"

"I am Li Si," the dark-skinned man said.

"My name is Liu Wu," the skinny man replied.

"I am twenty-four this year."

"I am twenty-five this year."

"I'm a farmer."

"I stay at home to take care of my elderly mother."

The two men talked back and forth, like a duet, leaving the two henchmen completely bewildered.

Li Zheng put his hand to his forehead, and the leaders around him all lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling.

"Alright, laugh if you want to," Li Zheng said helplessly.

Zhang Yin pinched his thigh, then said worriedly, "Brother, if we recruit only such fools, how can we use them?"

Li Zheng sighed: "Take it. At least it has some strength, and it'll be more obedient if it's honest."

"We've been calling out all day, and we've only managed to get seven or eight people. We can't stay in Dang County for too long."

Cao Su spoke up from the side: "I did select more than eighty men from among the prisoners. They are all brave and daring men with no family ties."

Li Zheng calculated that the more than eighty prisoners, plus the few recruits he had brought in today, totaled only about ninety people, far from the number he wanted.

Tang Meng said, "Why don't I, Old Tang, go and search each household one by one, and recruit all the men into the army?"

Li Zheng glared at him: "What use is this bunch of rabble we've captured?"

"Besides, I don't have much time left. The news of the government army's defeat has probably already reached Danzhou."

Although most of the scattered soldiers fled back to Dang County after the defeat of the government troops, some clever ones ran directly to Danzhou.

Now that Li Zheng has attacked the county town, it's not the same as becoming a bandit king. The imperial court will definitely send a large army to suppress him.

Of course, high risk comes with high reward. Not only did Li Zheng seize a large amount of spoils from the raid on the county government, but his reputation in the underworld also grew increasingly prominent.

Cao Su nodded seriously: "Not only in Danzhou, there are three places where troops are stationed nearby: Danzhou, Guangji Army, and Yingtian Prefecture."

"Once the imperial court issues its order, the three departments will jointly send troops to encircle and annihilate the enemy, making it difficult for them to escape."

Although Tang Meng came from humble beginnings and lacked military knowledge, he was not stupid.

After hearing their explanation, he understood the reasoning behind it and asked, "What will happen to the prisoners if we leave?"

Cao Su's expression changed, and he awkwardly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Zheng: "Brother, I have a favor to ask."

Li Zheng already knew what he wanted to say and laughed, "Are you worried that I'll kill your comrades?"

Cao Su nodded: "After all, they were once comrades-in-arms, and they had no choice in the matter."

Li Zheng said, "Since you've asked, I'll give you face. Just tie them up and leave them in the city to fend for themselves."

The remaining prisoners were mostly cowardly soldiers who would run away at the first sign of trouble, posing no threat to the Black Wind Bandits. Keeping them around would only increase the proportion of cowards in Zhou's army.

It would be better to do Cao Su a favor.

"Thank you, brother." Cao Su was moved to tears.

"Alright, it's settled then." Li Zheng made the decision. "Tonight, let the brothers take turns resting. Tomorrow at noon, we'll set off again, continuing north towards Liangshan Marsh!"