On the threshing ground, the old man kept chatting away with Ning Qingtian, and Ning Qingtian simply accompanied him with talk and laughter, especially since the counting and sorting of the grain and valuables were not yet done.

After talking for a while, once the old man was certain that the mountain stronghold chief before him was truly trustworthy, he finally spoke in a mysterious tone.

“Chief, the wealth accumulated by this village head’s family for generations is far more than what you’ve found on the surface.”

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, hm?”

Ning Qingtian instinctively agreed, but suddenly snapped back to attention, staring straight at the old man.

“You mean to say…”

“Chief, just send people to dig under the back wall of the village head’s backyard.”

The old man chuckled as he explained, not hiding anything.

Hearing this, Ning Qingtian’s thoughts stirred. He had also suspected that such a wealthy landlord would certainly hide valuables, yet so many men had searched and come up empty-handed, forcing him to give up.

Now, hearing the old man’s words, he didn’t hesitate. He quickly apologized to the old man, rose to his feet, and issued an order to a personal attendant. A man immediately ran off to carry out the instructions.

Standing nearby, Wu Qianlan noticed that instead of ordering the men to hurry and finish packing the grain so they could return to the mountain stronghold, this man was actually ordering people to dig holes again.

Seeing that he intended to return to chatting with the elderly villager, she stopped him and asked directly, “What are you talking about with this old man? If you delay any longer and the officials from Anqing Prefecture arrive, we won’t make it back to the stronghold.”

She was not the original Yan Bailu—she possessed no martial cultivation at all. If a battle broke out and she died in the chaos, it would be the most unjust thing in the world.

She could not allow the Great Song’s rivers and mountains to be thrown away like this. Even if she did not wish to be the empress, she could not forget her father’s dying entrustment. She had no choice but to shoulder the burden of protecting the dynasty.

And if this man’s delays caused them to be caught by Anqing Prefecture’s soldiers, there was no way they would believe she was their empress. If she were seized and executed publicly in the marketplace, she would become the most wronged ruler in the entire history of the Song.

Thinking of this, her gaze hardened as she once again stared sharply at her “bandit husband.”

Under her stare, Ning Qingtian felt his heart tighten. He had no idea why his wife suddenly became so stern.

Of course, he didn’t know that the soul in his wife’s body had changed. She was no longer the Yan Bailu who could kill her way through thousands of troops.

Remembering that she had told him her memory had issues, he assumed this was part of that influence.

Once this thought settled, he no longer felt troubled. He smiled and said to her, “Those prefectural soldiers are still sleeping soundly. Why would they suddenly leave the city in the middle of the night? Besides, aren’t you here with me?”

Wu Qianlan froze. So that was why he looked unafraid—because he believed she could protect them.

But how could he know that she was now nothing more than a decorative flower pillow—pretty but useless?

Of course, she couldn’t tell that to her “bandit husband,” so she merely fell silent.

Ning Qingtian didn’t mind and simply sat down again beside the old man to chat.

After a while, the old man pulled forward the young man who had been standing behind him all along. With tears in his eyes, he said, “Chief, I don’t know if your mountain still accepts new people. This boy is the eldest grandson of the family. With the current times being so hard, our household can barely fill our stomachs. I heard from that lad Zhang Kai that in your stronghold there’s meat every few days, wine to drink, and a life far better than we have. But this eldest grandson of mine hasn’t even smelled meat since he was born. I’m already old. If I die, I die. But this boy’s life has only just begun. Instead of starving at home, better he follow you up the mountain and make a living.”

Ning Qingtian froze for a moment, looking at the youth standing beside the old man.

Even in the freezing cold, the youth wore only shorts and a thin, tattered shirt—though washed clean. His body was hardened by years of farm labor, his muscles firm. When Ning Qingtian looked toward him, the youth quickly cupped his fists and bowed with proper etiquette, far more disciplined than the seasoned rogues in the stronghold.

Ning Qingtian lowered his head and fell into thought.

If he wanted to help his wife reclaim her throne, he needed to strengthen his forces.

And he also understood a truth: a rebellion without the people’s support was a revolt, but a rebellion with the people was an uprising.

Historically, no regime ever survived once the people joined the revolt.

One reason he distributed grain was to save starving villagers, but another was indeed to win them over.

Yet when the old man actually asked him to take his grandson up the mountain, Ning Qingtian couldn’t help feeling heavy inside. Unless a family had no other choice, no one would send their child to risk their head on the chopping block.

But when he looked up, he saw that not only the old man’s grandson but hundreds of young villagers who had received grain had gathered around.

When they saw Ning Qingtian raising his head, they all began shouting.

“Chief, we want to go up the mountain!”

“Chief, take us with you!”

Seeing all of them—youths strong and eager—Ning Qingtian felt the weight on his chest grow heavier.

He looked seriously at them and said solemnly.

“Going up the mountain is not just about the wine and meat that Zhang Kai mentioned. We live by risking our heads. Once you join us, your fate will be ‘life and death determined by Heaven.’ Think carefully.”

“Chief, we’re not afraid of losing our heads!”

“Chief, we want to follow you up the mountain so we won’t be bullied anymore!”

Instead of being frightened, the young men’s eyes turned even redder. An opportunity to change fate stood before them—if they missed it, they might never see another.

Seeing Ning Qingtian still hesitate, the old man walked up beside him, looked at the hundreds of young men, then turned to Ning Qingtian with tear-filled eyes.

“Chief, please take them. I’m over eighty—I know the weight of things. It’s just… in these times, we farmers can’t survive. Today you killed this village head, but by tomorrow there’ll be another one, and then another. More than ten young men in this village have already been beaten to death by that village head alone. Chief, just take them. Please treat them well. If their luck runs out and they die, then so be it. It’s still better than starving to death here…”

Hearing this, Ning Qingtian felt a deep heaviness in his chest.

But he nodded.

Then he raised his voice and declared, “In that case—all who wish to follow me… come up the mountain!”