The house existed, but as a prefabricated structure, it was completely empty inside. There was no furniture at all.
The Village Chief carried in a large bundle of dried straw and spread it across the floor, making a simple bed for Li Da. He even gave him an old quilt. Not long after, Gao Yiye brought over a large bowl of rice topped with chicken and cabbage, ensuring that Li Da ate his first proper, satisfying meal since arriving.
While everyone was busy settling Li Da in, San Shier reported everything that had happened in Chengcheng County to Li Daoxuan.
The rebellion of Wang Er from Baishui did not truly surprise Li Daoxuan. What surprised him was how quickly it had erupted. After hearing the full account, he had little to say. He simply sighed quietly, thinking of the innocent civilians who had died in the chaos.
Night fell completely.
Li Daoxuan took another sheet of iron and temporarily sealed the unfinished gate opening. One by one, the villagers returned to their homes to rest. Soon, the entire Gao Family Village grew quiet.
The diorama box entered non-static mode.
There was nothing more to observe.
Li Daoxuan leaned back and lifted his gaze from the miniature world. Outside his window, Shuangqing City was also shrouded in night, yet unlike the darkened village, the modern city was alive with light. Neon signs glowed. Buildings shimmered. The nightlife was just beginning.
He returned to his computer and clicked on Cai Xinzhi's QQ profile.
"Old Cai, how is the Hakka walled house coming along?"
The reply came quickly.
"Not even close. We're still working on the frame. How could it be finished so fast? Ask me again in a month."
Li Daoxuan fell silent.
That was true. A Hakka walled house was a massive and complicated structure. It could not be rushed.
He opened his usual history and military forum again and posted a new anonymous question.
"If you traveled back to the late Ming Dynasty, and you already had a secure fortress, firearms, and armor, and your safety was no longer an issue, what would be the second thing you should do?"
The replies appeared almost immediately.
Reply 1: Get lots of women. Arrange them however you like.
Reply 2: Moderator, ban the idiot above.
Reply 3: Kill everyone. The Eunuch faction. The Donglin faction. Li Zicheng's rebels. The Manchus. Anyone who disobeys me. Then build my own empire and conquer Europe and America.
Reply 4: If you have no ambition, follow Reply 1. If you're an idiot, follow Reply 3. But if you truly want to save the nation and resist foreign conquest, then recruit talent. Recruit useful people from everywhere. From the Eunuch faction. From the Donglin faction. From the rebels. Even from the Manchus. The more capable people you gather, the greater your future will be.
Reply 5: Nonsense. I would train my own loyal followers.
Reply 6: Train them from childhood? By the time they grow up, the Ming Dynasty will already be gone. The Chongzhen Emperor's seventeenth year is not far away.
Reply 7: Then forget followers. Raise young girls instead. They'll grow up faster.
Li Daoxuan could not hold back his anger.
"You idiot. Why are you here again?"
The moderator quickly locked the thread. Any further discussion would only invite trouble.
Li Daoxuan reread the earlier replies carefully. After thinking it through, he realized Reply 4 was the only sensible answer.
Ambition meant nothing without people.
Right now, his village had barely a few dozen residents. They lacked manpower everywhere. Strong men were needed to cut timber, repair gates, and build defenses. Women were needed to cook, wash clothes, and maintain daily life.
Even ordinary people would be valuable.
Just as he was thinking about this, faint voices drifted from the diorama box.
He leaned forward and looked.
The village was no longer quiet.
Hundreds of figures had appeared outside the Lego wall. They carried torches, pushed carts, and moved slowly along the dirt road toward Gao Family Village.
Their original intention had clearly been to enter the village, but the newly constructed Lego wall blocked their path. In the darkness, with only moonlight and flickering firelight, they could not even find the gate.
They gathered outside, whispering in confusion.
Li Daoxuan quickly spotted the man standing at the front.
Wang Er from Baishui.
After launching his rebellion that morning, Wang Er had killed Magistrate Zhang Yaocai, opened the granary, and seized government grain. The carts behind him were loaded with it. After fleeing the city, he had traveled more than thirty li and arrived here.
Wang Er was visibly anxious.
He knew government troops could arrive at any moment. He had come to repay his debt of gratitude, but the village now stood behind an enormous wall that had not existed before. He could not even find the entrance.
He raised his voice and shouted toward the village.
"People of Gao Family Village, can you hear me? I am Wang Er from Wangjia Village, Wang Er from Baishui. I once stole your water, yet you did not punish me. Instead, you gave me flour. I have come to repay that kindness. I brought two carts of grain. Can you hear me?"
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
This Wang Er was a man who repaid kindness.
After risking everything to seize the grain, he had immediately come here first. It was no wonder he could gather followers willing to risk their lives for him.
He had charisma.
Wang Er shouted again.
Finally, a figure appeared atop the wall.
It was Gao Chuwu.
He leaned over the wall and called out in his simple, direct manner.
"Oh. So you're the one who stole our water."
Wang Er felt embarrassed, though the darkness concealed his expression.
"Yes. That was me. But now is not the time to discuss that. Please open the gate. I brought two carts of grain for you. I must leave immediately afterward."
Gao Chuwu hesitated.
He was a straightforward man who relied entirely on instructions. Without orders, he did not know how to respond.
Li Daoxuan thought quickly.
The grain could not be accepted.
Nor could Wang Er and his people be allowed inside.
The rebellion had only just begun. The imperial court still held firm control. If Gao Family Village became associated with rebels now, it would bring catastrophic consequences.
One wrong move could destroy everything he had built.