Chapter 138 The thieves came to the door
As a beneficiary of Zhang family of Changshan, Sun Pei did not have much ambition. Just surviving was enough for him and he did not ask for anything else.

When he was pushed awake in the early morning, the desire to live instantly dominated his body.

"Mr. Li, why are you here? Please take the money we have with you."

The blade was pointedly pointed at his neck. There were five armored men and five unarmored swordsmen around him. The private soldier on duty in the team had been knocked down. If he didn't surrender now, he might even lose his life.

Li Hao chuckled, "Brother Sun, we are not bandits, who would care about your little money? I have an important task to do, and I am short of manpower. Why don't I borrow these hundred people from you?"

People who often hang out in Changshan County know that the Changshan Zhang family is definitely the largest family that makes the most money in the Hu slave trade, and the family has built countless forts.

"Okay, okay, Uncle Li, take it. I also need your kindness to take the money I have with me."

After learning that it was just a robbery and not a robbery of money or sex, Sun Pei instantly felt relieved. He thought that this group of Li family members robbed the Hu slaves to sell them.

Zhang is not afraid of this, as she will have plenty of time to settle the score in the future.

Sun Pei immediately spoke up and ordered his private soldiers and hired men to pay some five-zhu coins to buy their lives.

"Who said we'd let you go? Just listen carefully. If you follow us and work with us, you can keep your life. If you dare to have second thoughts, I'll use this as an example!"

Ugly Li Lian pretended to be vicious, then kicked back and broke the wooden pole of a halberd that was seized from Zhang's private soldiers.

This was a good move to establish his authority, but Li Hao felt very sorry for the halberd.

At the beginning of the uprising, they were in great need of a handy weapon like the Bu Zi Ji used in a formal infantry formation, and Li Lian broke one with just one kick. It really shows that one does not know the value of firewood and rice until he has managed the household.

Li Hao felt that he should take some time to talk to Chou Li Lian and tell him not to use weapons to show off his authority in the future.

Sun Pei and others were shocked. What were these Li family members going to take them to do?
Even though Zhang's private soldiers were worried, they had no choice but to set off after their weapons were confiscated, and continued to walk back to Leping County which they passed yesterday.

The Hu slaves didn't care. Most of them didn't understand why the Han people were fighting among themselves. They just knew that they had to go back.

But it doesn't matter where you go, as long as you have food to eat.

For the hungry and under-clothed Hu slaves, being sold to the Han people was a good way out. In order to make them work, the Han people would give them some food, which was better than starving to death in Bingzhou.

Near noon, this strange team of over 200 people finally arrived near Leping County.

"Is this a small county town? Can it accommodate the governor of Leping County?"

Looking at the city wall that was mostly made of rammed earth, Li Hao immediately felt the backwardness of productivity during the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

Although Leping County only governed two small counties, it was indeed a county in name, and the prefect was also a high-ranking official with an annual salary of 2,000 stones. However, the city where the county seat was located was only covered with bricks and stones near the city gate, and there was not even a city wall. There was only a moat drawn from the Songxi River and a suspension bridge.

But from what Li Hao had seen and heard, the tax revenue from the two counties in Leping County might not be enough to support a prefect and two county magistrates. He also didn't know what Sima Yan's purpose was in setting up so many prefectures and counties.
Li Ju, who had already entered the city, sent people to keep an eye on the situation outside the city. After discovering the Li family, the two sides quickly contacted each other.

"There is only the county magistrate in the city. The county governor surnamed Zhang is not there. There are about 100 to 200 soldiers guarding the city, mostly old men in their 50s and 60s. Most of the weapons they hold are hand halberds and ring-handled swords. There are not many halberds with the word 'Bu' in their name."

The Li clan member who was responsible for reporting the situation reported the news he had obtained.

Even if there had not been the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, the military household system of the Western Jin Dynasty could not be implemented. Military households had a low status and women from other households were unwilling to marry into the military households, which led to a sharp decline in the number of military households' descendants.

In addition, the land of military settlements was occupied by the big families, and the refugees would rather become tenants of the big families in various places than join the military households and be slaves for generations.

The Bu-shaped halberd is relatively long, while the hand halberd is about the same length as the ring-handled sword. There are more short weapons, which shows that this group of old soldiers do not practice battle formations on a daily basis.

However, at their age, it doesn't matter whether they practice or not. They will be defeated by the armored men. It is better for them to practice their legs so that they can run away or surrender quickly.

"God is helping us. Big brother and I can rush in and occupy the city gate and we'll be successful."

Chou Li Lian was the first to suggest.

This prefect surnamed Zhang was most likely from the Zhang family of Changshan next door. Therefore, the old soldiers in the city were not surprised by the Hu slave merchant caravan resting not far from the north gate, and they didn't even bother to send anyone to inquire about it.

"You take your men and follow us in. Otherwise, if a few of us armored soldiers approach the city gate, the old men guarding the city will get suspicious."

Li Hao asked Chou Li Lian to stay here safely, and he took Sun Pei to the city gate. The latter held a few hundred dollars and pretended to give a gift to a high official in the city.

The position of prefect during the Western Jin Dynasty depreciated greatly compared with the Han Dynasty. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it would cost an estimated million coins, or thousands of five-zhu coins, to buy a county magistrate.

Nowadays, one could buy the title of governor of a small county like Leping County with 300,000 or 400,000 Wuzhu coins.

This was slightly different from what Li Hao had imagined. The old soldiers guarding the city didn't even ask what the two men were doing there. It seemed that strong men with swords and armor could enter and leave Leping City at will.

The ease of entering the city made him feel that the Sima family's loss of the northern territory was not unfair. With this kind of defense, even if the city gates were closed and the drawbridge was raised, a few thousand Hu people could easily break through Leping City. There were not many people in the streets and alleys of the city. The people were dressed more simply than each other. Nowadays, people with some money basically lived in their own fortresses, not in the cities under the government's jurisdiction.

Li Ju had been waiting near the north city gate. When he saw his newly recognized elder brother walking into the city with a haughty manner, followed by only a dejected hanger-on, he suddenly became impatient.

He then appeared at the edge of an alley and motioned for his eldest brother to go to a secluded place to talk.

Li Hao naturally obeyed and led Sun Pei into the alley.

"Brother, why don't you bring more people into the city?"

Li Ju thought the plan had changed.

"The only soldiers guarding the city are those old men. It doesn't matter how many people you bring. Have you settled your wife and children? Send someone to take me to the county government office, and you continue to lead the people to guard near the north gate."

The number of regular and military households in Leping County was less than 10,000, so the chief official of a county was called the county magistrate. There were few households and few officials in the county government.

To catch a thief, one must first catch the leader. Since the prefect was not there, Li Hao planned to capture the county magistrate first and then occupy the city gates.

"Well... why don't we go to the county government office with my eldest brother? We can get together and have someone to look after us."

Li Ju suggested.

Dividing troops has always been a taboo. The more troops there are, the greater the possibility of success.

"That's right!"

Li Hao didn't care. He had armor and a sword, and the soldiers he was facing were all old men. He could handle them alone, but bringing more people with him would always enhance the momentum and make those old men with weak legs and feet lay down their weapons and surrender sooner.

He didn't want to make things difficult for a group of old men who were exploited by the Sima family.

The group then quickly headed towards the county government office.

Along the way, Jun Liju deliberately lagged behind his elder brother by a few steps, staring at his elder brother's figure intently.

For some reason, he always felt that his elder brother had a domineering temperament that ordinary people did not have, and he always kept his word.

Even if it was something his eldest brother said casually, he wanted to do it immediately.

Li Ju couldn't figure it out and could only attribute it to his elder brother's personal charm.

Although the county government looked new, it was not very large, and the county magistrate and his assistants probably numbered only about 20 to 30 people.

The six guards standing guard at the door were all able-bodied men, holding halberds and wearing iron armor.

When they saw a dozen men with knives running over, led by one wearing armor, the county guards ran straight to the gate, apparently preparing to close it to resist.

Li Hao spread his legs and finally managed to climb onto the door when there was only a crack left in the yamen. He exerted force with both feet and began to push against the door.

The other Li brothers followed suit and rammed the door. The guards behind the door had no time to bolt it, so they could only abandon the door and flee.

"County magistrate, the thieves are at our door!"

The guards shouted warnings as they ran.

Li Hao chased after the group of guards like a shadow. They must be running towards the county magistrate, so it would be a good idea to chase after them.

The county magistrate was discussing with his assistants how to encourage farming in the spring when he heard the guards shouting a warning. Just as he was about to call his servants to escape, he was blocked in the hall.

"Brave man, Bin is from the Sun clan of Langya, and we can afford any amount of money to redeem your life."

Seeing that the thieves had hacked down the three guards who were trying to resist the thieves in two or three strokes, and the remaining guards and assistants surrendered faster than each other, Sun Bin reported his home on the spot.

"Ransom money? That's not necessary. We don't want your life, we just want you to cooperate."

Li Haoti carried the trembling county magistrate Sun Bin and led his men out of the county government office.

Taking over the city gate was smoother than capturing the county government office. The old soldiers were already too tired to work and they would not risk their lives for the Sima family.

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(End of this chapter)