Phi-Fic Chapter 1077 Arrival at the Salt Well
Chapter 1077 Arrival at the Salt Well
Upon hearing this, Li Che almost burst out laughing.
When people are speechless, their first reaction is often to laugh.
I thought that familiar colleagues would be better, at least they would know how to take care of the elderly.
The answer was so unexpected; the acquaintance wouldn't have lived to see that point...
He increasingly realized that the boundary between civilization and barbarism was not a clear black and white distinction, but rather a gray area steeped in blood, tears, and the struggle for survival.
Later generations often stand on moral high ground, examining the cultural conflict between colonists and indigenous peoples with compassionate or critical eyes.
One side is simply seen as aggression, while the other is imagined as a representative of simplicity and nature.
But witnessing this bloody and dark primitive life firsthand, Li Che felt a chill run down his spine.
Is a natural life truly simple and kind?
Which of these two is more barbaric?
Are they outsiders who barged in with guns and systems, intending to exploit and drain our resources?
Or are they the indigenous people on this land, living by a survival rule that seems to devour themselves?
Li Che couldn't figure it out for a moment, but for him now, all he could do was prevent Qing Ren from becoming the latter and instead strive to become the former.
Just like these new and old officials, they both seem to be oppressed, and neither can be better than the other.
But experienced colleagues at least have the ability to distinguish pain.
He waved his hand, signaling the group to continue forward, ignoring the elderly men who were no longer able to communicate.
Unexpectedly, the elderly Liao people seemed to have tasted the sweetness after eating, and even followed closely behind the group.
They didn't speak, but followed silently, their cloudy eyes sometimes glancing at the bulging food bags on the soldiers' backs, and sometimes at Li Che, who was surrounded in the middle.
Luo Yueniang glanced back several times, her brows furrowing more and more tightly.
Finally, after the Liao people had followed for a distance, she gestured to the squad leader beside her, who nodded in understanding.
Several soldiers carrying long spears immediately left the group and turned to walk towards the old men.
Without any shouting or warning, the soldier simply crossed the gun barrel and used the wooden handle of the spear to stab the old man in the chest and shoulder.
"Get out of here!"
The elderly men staggered backward as they were stabbed, their faces showing panic, and they uttered indistinct syllables as if they were pleading.
The soldiers, however, remained unmoved and continued to use their rifle barrels to drive them toward the edge of the woods by the roadside.
An old man tripped over a tree root and collapsed into the mud. The soldier simply watched indifferently as he got up and huddled into the deeper shade of the trees.
Only when those dusty figures were completely swallowed up by the forest did the soldiers put away their spears and jog back to their ranks.
Li Che watched the whole thing without saying a word to stop it.
Fearing that her actions would leave a bad impression on His Majesty, Luo Yueniang rode her horse to Li Che's side:
“Your Majesty, it is not that I am heartless, but our army has already penetrated deep into the territory of the Liao people. Taking these untrained Liao people with us will not only slow us down, but also easily cause trouble.”
"If more officials follow, it may cause trouble and be detrimental to Your Majesty."
Li Che looked in the direction where the old men had disappeared and nodded: "General Luo, there is no need to explain. I am also a commander, and I naturally understand the principle that a kind heart cannot command an army."
He truly understood that compassion was the most useless thing in such a place.
Those old people may be pitiful, but who can guarantee that they won't suddenly attack someone for a bag of grain?
They might even have been spies for the Liao people.
Unnecessary mercy often leads to one's own demise, a principle Li Che learned as soon as he transmigrated.
The group continued onward, during which Li Che remained silent for a long time.
Next, more and more wild creatures began to appear in the dense forest, beside the caves, and along the streams.
Most of them gazed at the brightly armored group from afar, their eyes devoid of human emotion.
Some people who received the dry biscuits thrown by the soldiers immediately curled up under the tree, letting out a low growl as if guarding their food, and then wolfed them down, no longer reacting to anything around them.
Someone even tried to rush to the flank of the column to steal items, but was stabbed in the thigh by a guard soldier and rolled down the hillside with a cry of pain.
Even among the bare rocks, naked men and women openly engaged in sexual intercourse, showing no shame or attempt to avoid the presence of hundreds of people passing by.
Li Che's face was ashen, but his heart felt as cold as a gust of wind.
In his heart, he increasingly admitted that Wei Xiang's previous statement, "contrary to human ethics and behaving like a beast," was not wrong.
Can such behavior truly be called human?
Li Che finally understood why emperors throughout history had always been so disdainful of barbarians, treating them with arrogance and even lacking interest in ruling them.
The foreign tribes he had encountered before were either countries like Goryeo, Khitan, or Japan, which had already established strict state systems.
They were either tribal settlements like the Mohe or Shiwei, which, although barbaric, at least allowed for communication.
But these Liao people in front of him almost crossed the line of his understanding of humanity.
This place can no longer be described by the word "barbarian"; it is more like a habitat for humanoid beasts.
The only difference between them and mountain monkeys is perhaps their bodies, which can barely be considered human, and their basic ability to use tools.
"Your Majesty," Wei Xiang's voice rang out from the side, "these savages are ignorant of royal culture and human ethics; they are simply born this way..."
Li Che shook his head, his tone calm: "I only saw the real Qiang and Man people, and I was slightly moved."
He paused, then slowly said, "Mencius said that human nature is good, while Xunzi believed that human nature is evil. I used to think that human nature is a blank sheet of paper, and that one becomes red with one's company and black with one's company, but now it seems... perhaps Xunzi is closer to the truth."
"Without education, without etiquette, and without the cohesion of the community, people retreat to the mountains and forests, how are they different from beasts?"
"Human nature is probably neither good nor evil, but rather a state of chaos. Good and evil are always at war in the heart, and it remains to be seen which one will prevail."
The crowd fell silent, pondering the meaning behind the emperor's words, each feeling a certain emotion within themselves.
After walking for several days, the path under my feet gradually began to show some differences.
With less mud, the gravel has been gathered to the sides, and in some steep sections, you can even see the slopes built of rough stones.
Li Che looked at Wei Xiang beside him, who understood and immediately stepped forward to explain, "Your Majesty, we have entered the territory of the Liao people's tribe."
Wei Xiang pointed to the road ahead, which was much more orderly: "This road was built by the previous dynasty and was originally the route for the Qiang army. After the war subsided, the Liao people relied on well salt to trade with outside the mountains, and this road was their lifeline, so it has been maintained for many years."
Upon hearing this, Li Che's gaze swept over the stubborn, winding road among the mountains, and his thoughts became clearer.
If the previous dynasty could do it, and his trusted officials could also maintain it, there's no reason why he couldn't.
No matter how difficult the Shu Road is, we must hold it in our hands; this is something that will benefit future generations.
Li Che then glanced at both sides of the road.
But the hillside had been transformed into terraced fields, planted with barren-resistant buckwheat. The crops weren't growing well, but at least they looked like they were being cultivated.
Further away, several simple bamboo and wooden waterwheels stand beside the stream, creaking and turning to draw water for irrigation.
All of this was worlds apart from the barbaric landscape they had seen before.
"Are they acquaintances?" Li Che asked.
“Yes,” Wei Xiang replied. “The Ciyan tribe is the largest and most familiar tribe in this area. They live off the salt wells, have traded with the Shu region for many years, and have gradually learned the language and agriculture. They are also subject to the control of the government.”
"Further south, we enter the territory of the White Wolf Qiang. Those Qiang people are fierce and defend their positions year after year. They often plunder and do not submit to the king's rule, so we must be very careful."
As they were talking, several figures emerged from the ravine ahead.
They were all dressed in short linen clothes, which were rough and worn, but at least they covered their bodies and were not wearing animal skins, tree bark, or even going completely naked.
When they saw the solemn procession with its flags in the distance, they were first taken aback, and then a clear look of fear appeared on their faces.
He then hurriedly retreated to the side of the road, bowed his head, and dared not look directly at her.
That's how it should be; that's how ordinary people should behave in this era.
Li Che carefully observed these familiar officials.
His face still bore the marks of the mountains and the wilderness, his skin was dark and rough, but his eyes now held a human evasiveness and fear, rather than the numbness of a beast.
Moreover, they know how to fear authority and avoid danger, which is the initial mark of civilized education.
The group continued forward, and a strong salty smell began to fill the air.
The smell was unpleasant, but Wei Xiang took a deep breath and then looked excited: "Your Majesty, we're almost there."
Li Che nodded slightly, but he couldn't feel happy at all.
Only after walking the route himself did he realize how difficult the salt road was and how barbaric the Liao people were.
The phrase "the language of the black guys" from my past life is incomprehensible, but in this moment it seems a bit too simplistic.
It's not just a language barrier; their behavior patterns are completely different.
As you walk further, the salty, fishy smell becomes stronger, mixed with the unique aroma of burning firewood.
After rounding a huge bend in the mountain, a bustling valley suddenly appeared before us.
Two mountains enclose a valley, the entrance of which is guarded by a wooden wall, with banners fluttering in the mountain wind atop the wall.
Figures could be vaguely seen inside and outside the wall; soldiers patrolled the wall, and men of letters came and went at the gate.
Li Che's gaze sharpened. Although the flag was faded and damaged, it was not embroidered with the character '庆' (Qing), but with a bold and colorful character '蜀' (Shu).
Wei Xiang, standing to the side, noticed Li Che staring at the flag and his expression changed slightly. He quickly whispered, "Your Majesty, this place is isolated. The Ciyan tribe has had relations with Shu for generations, and old habits are hard to break, therefore..."
Li Che raised his hand to stop him from saying anything more, his face showing no anger, and simply said, "I saw it."
The land of Shu has already been brought under the rule of the king, and changing the flag is only a matter of time. He has plenty of ways to make the celebratory flag fly in this mountain valley as well.
At this moment, he was more concerned about the defenses on the gate.
Several soldiers in iron armor were patrolling together with the dark-skinned Liao people wearing simple rattan armor, a rather strange sight.
Two ethnic groups that fought each other to the death in other places were now standing side by side.
The gate was originally left open, allowing the Liao people carrying salt baskets and miscellaneous items to come and go.
The guards on the wall had obviously also noticed the large group that had suddenly appeared down the mountain, and the alarm gongs immediately rang out.
The door was pushed quickly and began to close with a piercing creak.
At the same time, a small squad of about twenty or thirty soldiers squeezed out from the slightly closed door, swords drawn and bows strung, and cautiously advanced in this direction.