Chapter 300: Which is more important, human life or rice fields?

The Jinyiwei looked at each other and turned to Liu Bowen for help.

Liu Bowen frowned. He had foreseen the villagers' resistance, but he did not expect that they would gamble their lives and defend the rice fields to the death.

Liu Bowen could only sigh deeply and turned his gaze to the man in purple standing on the hillside.

Zi Yi shrugged and shook his head helplessly, also at a loss as to what to do.

The young master was playing with the children and had not given any orders, so his subordinates did not know what to do.

The most angry among them was the owner of the destroyed rice field.

Although he was thin and short, he burst out with amazing strength. Facing the mighty Jinyiwei, he was not afraid at all. He roared loudly and pushed them away.

The houses can be rebuilt because they are facing the Jinyiwei who represent the imperial court. As civilians, as long as the land is still there, they will endure the humiliation and wait for the officers and soldiers to leave.

However, the soldiers wanted to destroy their rice fields, which they could not tolerate.

Even at the cost of their lives, the villagers are determined to protect this rice field!
After the first villager pushed the Jinyiwei away, the other villagers saw this and their eyes were burning with anger. They followed suit and used their bodies to hit the Jinyiwei and forced them back.

The Jinyiwei are highly skilled in martial arts and if they take action, they can subdue the three people in an instant, but they have not received orders and cannot harm the villagers!

Veins bulged on his arm as he gripped the shovel, but he suffered no damage.

When Chen Ping witnessed all this, his mind suddenly became clear.

Looking at Ying Heng who was still teasing the child, he seemed to have realized something.

However, facing the current situation of Jiangbian Village, he was puzzled.

"Village Chief, please let Brother Liu and Sister Wang calm down first. I will go and have a good talk with them to see what they really want to do."

Chen Ping stopped the village chief and spoke in a restrained manner.

He didn't know why the officers and soldiers did not take any action, but it was obvious that they did not really want to hurt the villagers, especially Ying Heng's act of sacrificing himself to save the little tiger.

If they hadn't demolished the houses and destroyed the fields, Chen Ping would have been moved to tears.

But now, the officers and soldiers were stepping on the villagers' pain points and wielding shovels. Chen Ping could no longer endure it.

He walked towards Zi Yi, saluted in the direction of Ying Heng, and then asked loudly:

"Who are you, Your Excellency?"

"Not only have you destroyed our homes, but now you are trampling our rice fields."

"The Qin Dynasty has enacted laws that order farmers all over the world to grow rice. What you did today is a blatant violation of the Qin Dynasty's laws!"

"Don't you have any explanation for this?"

Chen Ping's words were like a bolt from the blue. These soldiers should have been more familiar with the law than the common people.

When the Thirteenth Prince of Daqin distributed rice seeds, he warned the farmers to take good care of them.

Now these soldiers are blatantly destroying things. Isn't this a violation of the law?
Chen Ping straightened his back and spoke in a powerful voice.

The villagers now stood behind him and provided him with solid support.

Chen Ping dared to stand up and speak for them. If the officers and soldiers attempted to act recklessly, the villagers of Jiangbian Village would rise up in resistance without hesitation.

With their houses destroyed and rice fields gone, what is the meaning of their lives?

Then let them overturn this unfair status quo!

The expressions of Zi Yi and Qing Yi changed slightly when they heard this, and they did not respond to Chen Ping's words.

Ying Heng, who had been staring at the little tiger, couldn't help but turn his head to look at Chen Ping.

Although he looks weak, his dark and rough skin shows that he is a man who often works hard in the fields.

However, his words were clear and coherent, and he was obviously educated. And his status among the villagers seemed to be quite high. The Jinyiwei could not continue the construction due to the obstruction of the villagers. If the construction of the dam was delayed, the consequences would be disastrous.

Since someone was willing to talk, Ying Heng raised his eyes and waved to Chen Ping.

"come here."

At Ying Heng's signal, the men in purple and green made way for Chen Ping.

Chen Ping moved forward steadily.

"What's your name? Have you ever been to school?"

Ying Heng asked calmly, with a hint of respect for scholars. The Qin Dynasty was in urgent need of talents, and scholars were often arrogant and unwilling to work in the fields.

This was the first time he had seen someone like Chen Ping who protected the entire village.

"My name is Chen Ping. I come from Huyou Township, Yangwu. I was fortunate enough to have studied for a few years."

Faced with Ying Heng's majesty, Chen Ping was not at all timid and looked at him calmly.

Yangwu Huyou Township?
Ying Heng silently repeated the place name in his mind, and then the vague memory gradually became clear.

Chen Ping of Yangwu, isn’t this the answer he is looking for?
Chen Ping, the most famous strategist in the early Han Dynasty and a founding hero of the Western Han Dynasty, may not be the most far-sighted among Liu Bang's subordinates, but he is definitely the most resourceful.

He offered six strategies to Liu Bang, each of which was a brilliant idea!

The first strategy was a counter-espionage strategy, which used 40,000 kilograms of gold to bribe the Chu army and spread the rumor that the Chu general Zhongli Mei wanted to defect to Liu Bang.

The second strategy was to sow discord between Xiang Yu and Fan Zeng by pretending to treat Fan Zeng's subordinates well and treating Xiang Yu's envoys harshly.

The third strategy was to use Li Dai Tao Jiang. In the Battle of Xingyang, two thousand women and Ji Xin, who looked like Liu Bang, were sent to confuse the enemy and take the opportunity to help Liu Bang escape.

The fourth strategy was to turn the fake into reality and enthronize Han Xin, who proclaimed himself the King of Dai Qi, as the real King of Qi, thus stabilizing this key force.

The fifth strategy was to make a feint to the east and attack in the west. Liu Bang was suggested to tour Yunmengze to lure Han Xin, who was preparing for rebellion, to come to the court and capture him in one fell swoop.

The sixth strategy was to save the country in a roundabout way. During the siege of Baideng, he bribed the Huns with generous gifts and rescued Liu Bang from the predicament.

Although he never fought alongside the three heroes of the early Han Dynasty, this man always stayed by Liu Bang's side, and his superb skills made Ying Heng deeply admire him.

Ying Heng knew very well that Han Xin's defeat was actually due to the strategy of Chen Ping in front of him.

However, why did this wise man from the early Han Dynasty appear in this remote village?

Ying Heng looked at the poison master carefully, and from his sharp and deep eyes, Ying Heng became more certain of his identity.

The news of Xiang Yu's surrender must have spread throughout the world. At this moment, Chen Ping should have been on his way to Xiang Yu, but he stopped here after learning that Xiang Yu had surrendered to the Qin Dynasty.

Such an outstanding talent, he met him unexpectedly by the river.

Feeling the subtle change in Ying Heng's attitude, after Chen Ping finished speaking, he noticed Ying Heng's scrutinizing gaze, and he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable.

"May I ask your surname?"

Chen Ping asked about Ying Heng's identity, but Ying Heng smiled, put his hands behind his back, stared at the turbulent river, and asked back:
"Do you think it is more important to save the lives of the people in this village or to save this rice field?"

Chen Ping hesitated, but then answered firmly:
"Of course human life is more important."

From the beginning to the end, he put the safety of the villagers first, but the village chief and others' dedication to the rice fields made them prefer life and death to each other.

At the insistence of the villagers, Chen Ping also chose to stay and fight alongside the villagers.

“Can saving these villagers save everyone on both sides of the Yangtze River?”

"Can you save the people living on both sides of the rivers in our Great Qin territory?"

"What if they all leave? Will they starve to death?"

(End of this chapter)