Wangjia Village, back hill slope.

Bai Shui Wang Er looked at the villagers in front of him with a black face.

Last night, he had organized a group of villagers to go to Gaojia Village for water theft.

As a result, each person brought back two buckets of flour, which was truly wild with excitement.

The group was in great spirits, walking as if with the wind.

Unexpectedly, upon returning to the village, their joyful mood was struck like by thunder.

The officials had taken advantage of his absence to launch a night raid on Wangjia Village.

They injured several villagers, burned down a dilapidated thatched hut, and stole the seed grain from the villagers’ homes.

Several injured villagers, with cloths wrapped around their heads still seeping blood, lay before Wang Er and cried pitifully: “Brother Wang… you have to stand up for us.”

“My seed grain was completely stolen. Even if the drought ends and the heavens grant rain, my family has no grain to plant, and everyone can only starve to death.”

“My seed grain is gone too. Either way, it’s certain death.”

Wang Er became furious and clenched his fists: “Brothers, I brought back flour. Use it to make dough balls. First, eat until full, then… rebelled against those damn ones.”

The crowd heard this and got a fright: “Rebel? That’s a crime punishable by beheading.”

Wang Er roared: “Afraid of beheading? Your families don’t even have seed grain left, so what’s there to fear? Either way, it’s the word ‘death.’ Rather than starving, better to chop off County Magistrate Zhang Yaocai’s dog head and then die.”

The crowd thought it over: that was indeed true.

Wang Er grabbed a handful of black soil from the ground and smeared his face black.

He then raised his hand and shouted loudly: “Who dares to kill Zhang Yaocai?”

The villagers all smeared their faces black and responded together: “I dare!”

“Good, light the fire, cook the food, eat dough balls. After getting full, kill our way to the county town and chop off Zhang Yaocai’s dog head.”

He glanced around and saw the villagers numbered less than a hundred; that seemed too few for a rebellion.

He beckoned two young men and instructed: “You two, go separately to Zhuangjia Village and Zhengjia Village to contact my two brothers, Zhuang Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu.

“Tell the two of them that Bai Shui Wang Er now wants to rebel, and ask if they dare to join in.”

The two young men hurried off towards Zhuangjia Village and Zhengjia Village.

…

Gao Chuwu led three young men into Chengcheng County.

It was their second time visiting the county town, and their courage was much stronger than the previous visit.

The first time, they had been timid and hesitant; the second time, they were natural and composed.

This was probably the difference between having seen the world and not having seen the world.

The four were still very polite; they asked everyone on the street about “former clerk Thirty-Two’s residence.”

Soon, someone pointed out the direction.

The four wound through streets and alleys, arriving at a large gate.

Gao Chuwu raised his hand, about to knock.

Unexpectedly, the door was pulled open first from the inside.

Gao Chuwu swiped at empty air, feeling a bit awkward, and chuckled foolishly.

The one opening the door was Thirty-Two.

As he opened it, he was calling behind him: “Everyone, move faster, faster… huh?”

His voice stopped as he stared at Gao Chuwu for a second, suddenly understanding: “You’re… that young fellow from Gaojia Village, called Gao something?”

“Gao Chuwu!”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Thirty-Two’s eyes rolled twice, and he immediately understood: “What orders does the great deity have? I listen respectfully.”

Gao Chuwu froze: He didn’t even say anything yet, and Thirty-Two knew?

Indeed, an educated person was different from a fool like him.

If Village Chief Grandpa wanted to explain something clearly to him, he had to hold his ear and shout for a long while.

Gao Chuwu scratched his head awkwardly. “The Great Deity is having people in our village make iron armor. He says many bandits will soon come out randomly hacking people. He told us to make armor to protect ourselves. But Uncle Gao Yiyi, the only blacksmith in the village, isn’t very skilled. So the Great Deity hopes you can think of a way to send some capable blacksmiths over.”

Thirty-Two felt his mind go blank the moment he heard “iron armor.” Crafting armor privately? That’s an offense punishable by death! Wait no, he was focusing on the wrong part. The crucial bit was actually the first half of that sentence: “many bandits will soon come out randomly hacking people.”

Thirty-Two instantly understood!

The Great Deity was implying that Bai Shui Wang Er had rebelled.

Earlier, he’d only guessed Bai Shui Wang Er might rebel based on the “seed grain robbery” incident. But now, with this statement from the Great Deity, he was almost one hundred percent sure Bai Shui Wang Er was starting an uprising.

Bloody hell! How terrifying!

Thirty-Two whirled around and roared at his family, “What are you still dawdling for? Leave anything not packed behind! Go! Get moving now. This is called discarding shields and armor.”

His wife ran out of the house carrying their daughter, followed by a maid and a manservant, each shouldering a large bundle packed with gold and silver. Flustered, she asked, “Where do we go?”

Thirty-Two gritted his teeth and seized Gao Chuwu’s hand. “Gao… Brother Chuwu, right?”

Gao Chuwu was startled by his fervent gesture. “What’s wrong?”

Thirty-Two urged desperately, “I beg you and the other three young men to escort my wife and daughter to Gaojia Village. Ask the Great Deity for their protection. Once my family is safe, I will have no worries holding me back. I’ll devote everything to serve the Great Deity with my life. This is called returning kindness for favor.”

Gao Chuwu blinked. “Eh? Eh? Eh?”

His face was a picture of simple-minded confusion, utterly unaware of the situation.

Thirty-Two pressed urgently, “Go! Quickly! Stop dithering here! Bai Shui Wang Er could attack any moment! We won’t be able to escape if we wait any longer! This is called… Oh heavens! Don’t listen to my rambling anymore. Go now! Immediately!”

Gao Chuwu, still perplexed by what was happening, remained clueless. But his simple nature had its advantage: he obeyed instructions well. When the Village Chief gave orders, he listened. When the Great Deity gave orders, he obeyed. Now that Thirty-Two was giving orders, he simply followed Thirty-Two.

He broke into a grin. “Alright then! We’re off.”

The four young men escorted Thirty-Two’s wife, daughter, maid, and manservant. The group of eight quickly left the county town, hurrying back towards Gaojia Village.

They had only just exited the town and traveled less than two li when hundreds of men, their faces smeared black, appeared on the hill northwest of the county capital.

At their forefront stood Bai Shui Wang Er himself, flanked by his two sworn brothers, Zhuang Guangdao and Zheng Yanfu.

Bai Shui Wang Er bellowed, “The heartless county magistrate imposes cruel levies! He has seized our seed grain! How can we live another day under such a tyrant? Today, brothers, follow me into the county capital! Let us chop off the magistrate’s dog head! Slaughter every wicked, rich bastard inside the walls! We’ll break open the granary so the poor can eat their fill! Do you have the courage to follow me?”

The crowd roared, “We do!”

“Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?”

“I dare!”

“Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?”

“I dare!”

“Who dares kill Zhang Yaocai?”

“We all dare!”

Bai Shui Wang Er laughed fiercely. “Then what are we waiting for? Charge!”

Hundreds of villagers let out a thunderous cry. Brandishing hoes, wooden clubs, pot lids, shovels, axes, pitchforks, and other weapons, they surged towards Chengcheng County.

The grand and momentous peasant uprising of the late Ming Dynasty had officially begun.