Chapter 175 Water can carry a boat, but it can also bring it down

Yuan Xi realized that his biggest miscalculation was underestimating Bai Rao's control over his subordinates.

The fact that he could stop his panicked and fleeing subordinates in the midst of a chaotic rout showed that his influence was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, Yuan Xi clearly saw several people standing next to the burning thatched sheds, allowing the flames to lick their bodies, their faces showing pain, but not daring to move.

Yuan Xi couldn't understand how Bai Rao's words could be such a great deterrent to his subordinates.

Bai Rao saw that the restless soldiers on his side had quieted down, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

In the Black Mountain Army, his branch was the most severe in managing subordinates, but the effect was also the best.

This was because he made extensive use of the remaining Taoist generals from the Yellow Turbans, using the Way of the Celestial Masters to control his subordinate people and soldiers, shaping himself into a subordinate of the deceased Celestial Master Zhang Jiao, who had been granted the inherited magic power, so that his words were followed as law, and if there was disobedience, there would be divine punishment.

Coupled with cruel punishment and suppression, the soldiers and people under him carried out his words without fail and did not dare to resist at all.

He roared out loud, "I, Bai Rao, am a person favored by the heavens, kill all those who come to attack!"

The soldiers hesitated for a moment, then began to surround Yuan Xi.

Yuan Xi felt regret in his heart, knowing that he had to leave at this time, only to return and reunite with his army, and fight back tomorrow.

Before leaving, he was quite unwilling, riding out from the cavalry, standing on the hillside and shouting: "I am Yuan Xi, the governor of Zhuo Commandery!"

"You are misguided, you can quickly retreat, otherwise, when I bring the army back, I will not be merciful!"

Bai Rao laughed when he heard this: "You are Yuan Shao's son? Foolish! I have tens of thousands of troops, what can you do to me!"

"Don't even think about leaving today, come on, kill this Yuan family boy!"

He shook the reins, about to lead the crowd to charge over, but after he rode a few feet, he found something was wrong.

He stopped his horse and looked back, only to find that his generals and soldiers were hesitant and doubtful!

He felt uneasy in his heart and roared: "What's wrong?"

The crowd stirred, and a general spoke out: "General, that person opposite is a real person."

When Bai Rao heard this, he suddenly woke up to the rumors circulating in his territory a few days ago, and said angrily: "Are you stupid? Do you believe this?"

Li Damu also rode forward at this time and whispered: "General Bai, is that Yuan family boy the person of destiny rumored in the prophecies?"

"Recently, rumors about him have also been circulating among my subordinates, and people have been running away one after another to join him."

Bai Rao was startled and horrified when he heard this. Li Damu's territory was even farther away than his own, already in the central Taihang Mountains. Had the rumors about the Yuan family boy spread so far?

He felt a faint sense of unease in his heart. If this continued, the situation might undergo unpredictable changes!

He roared: "I am a subordinate of the Great Virtuous Teacher Zhang Jiao!"

"This Yuan family brat is a liar!"

"Charge together and kill him!"

However, the situation did not develop as he expected. Everyone was still hesitant, and someone shouted: "If that adult is a real person, aren't we disobeying the mandate of the Yellow Heaven?"

"Please, General, investigate carefully!"

Yuan Xi also realized that the situation was not right at this time. The Black Mountain Army was shaken because of his rumors!

It seemed that the rumors he had spread had a much greater impact than he had imagined?

He made a decisive decision, rode forward and shouted: "I am Yuan Xi, Yuan Xianyi!"

"My identity can be kept in your hearts, no need to speak it out!"

"But everyone should understand that if you come to join Xin City in the north, I will treat you like brothers, regardless of men, women, old or young, rich or poor, all will be treated equally, and all will have enough to eat!"

Bai Rao roared when he heard this: "Shut up!"

"Charge together and kill him!"

However, it was too late. A strange atmosphere spread rapidly among the crowd. People whispered, from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and then to thousands.

"I heard that he is the real Yuan."

"Yes, yes, we were caught attacking Xin City in the north, but the real person gave us good food at every meal and released us all."

"I haven't had a full meal in years. The real person let me eat full meals for a month!"

"Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I also have relatives who came back and said the exact same thing."

"Listening to you, this Yuan family boy is indeed a real person. After all, even the Celestial Master didn't necessarily let everyone eat their fill back then."

"You don't understand this. The Taiping Jingyi says that there are nine people who govern the world, and the real person is in charge of the earth, and the Celestial Master is only speaking for him!" The person who said this was actually a Taoist.

The people next to him were even more delighted when they heard this: "So that's how it is, no wonder there are rumors that his name is to fulfill the prophecies, it all adds up!"

Yuan Xi released the prisoners and let them take the rumors back to the Black Mountain Army. After more than half a year of spreading, it finally began to reap miraculous effects!

Before Yuan Xi left, thousands of people in the Taihang Mountains came to join Xin City in the north, saying that most of the Taihang Mountains were spreading rumors about Yuan Xi.

At that time, Yuan Xi didn't pay much attention after hearing this. After all, only those who believed the rumors would run away. Compared with hundreds of thousands of people, thousands of people were still too few.

As a result, he only realized today that the rumors were far more outrageous than he had imagined!

Now that he had encountered a suitable opportunity, it finally began to erupt.

Gradually, everyone was whispering the same name.

The voice became louder and louder, echoing in the mountains.

Listening to the voices coming from the mouths of the crowd, accompanied by the rhythm of the melody, resounding in the night sky, Bai Rao discovered that things were out of control!

He used the Taoist Tianshi teachings to control his subordinates, but they used his methods against him. Moreover, the identity fabricated by the other side was much higher than his own!

"Taiping Jing"Volume 42: To govern and obtain the will of Heaven, harmonize the nine energies, and unite the hearts of nine people, one can achieve supreme peace. The so-called nine people are the shapeless and entrusted divine beings, whose duty is to manage the original energy; the Great Divine Person's duty is to manage Heaven; the True Person's duty is to manage Earth; the Immortal's duty is to manage the four seasons; the Great Taoist's duty is to manage the five elements; the Sage's duty is to manage Yin and Yang; the Worthy Person's duty is to manage documents, all receiving instructions...

The so-called True Person in the Tianshi sect is the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, and in a sense, is the guide of the Tianshi, whose status is much higher than his, a mere subordinate of the Tianshi!

Bai Rao was furious. Yuan Xi's rumor was truly vicious, essentially digging up his roots!

To control his subordinates, he used Taoist practitioners, making the common people firmly believe in the Taiping Jing. But now, he was being used against himself!

Bai Rao's mouth felt bitter. He shouted, "This swindler is spreading rumors to confuse the masses. Attack him with me and kill him!"

He shouted and spurred his horse forward, but found that few of the generals behind him responded. His heart turned ice-cold - the morale was gone!

By denying Yuan Xi in this way, he was essentially denying the former Zhang Jiao. No wonder everyone was hesitating!

Yuan Xi was overjoyed when he saw this. He had not expected the situation to change so drastically. He immediately shouted, "Everyone, as long as you come over and surrender, the crime of besieging the city will be forgiven!"

As soon as these words came out, the Black Mountain Army was immediately tempted.

Bai Rao's face was now contorted: "You dare to believe a demon, betray the Taiping Dao? Your families in the Black Mountain will not want to live, will they?"

"Anyone who dares to betray will be exterminated when I return!"

"Now, listen to my orders! Kill all the enemies of the Taiping Dao, those who want to escape!"

Upon hearing this, the remaining soldiers and civilians stopped in their tracks.

Just as both sides were in a state of panic, a scream came from the crowd. Someone was stabbed to death by the person next to them.

No one could tell which side the murdered person was on, but like cold water poured into a hot oil pan, like a flock of chickens invaded by vicious wolves, like Ximen Qing reborn in the Grand View Garden, the crowd exploded.

Those who escaped fled, those who killed killed. Bai Rao's Black Mountain troops quickly fell into a huge panic.

Especially after Bai Rao said he would kill those who escaped, those who had the idea of escaping turned their knives on the people around them out of fear of death. The desire to kill, like a raging wave, instantly engulfed everyone.

Seeing this madness spread rapidly, with people everywhere fleeing and killing, Yuan Xi asked people to shout for them to stop, but it was impossible to stop them.

Helpless, Yuan Xi had to lead the crowd away, watching this absurd scene unfold.

Reality was so absurd that it did not seem real.

He suddenly realized that using the spread of Taoist teachings to influence people's thoughts could have immediate effects, but carelessness could lead to a strong backlash, just like what was happening before his eyes.

If he spread rumors of his destiny among his soldiers and civilians, would he one day be used by the enemy, like Bai Rao, with a bigger and higher title to counter him?

Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.

Yuan Xi was secretly vigilant. This trick of using people's hearts was, after all, a small path.

To pacify the world, one must win fairly and squarely, let the people live a good life, and naturally gain the support of the people. This is the right path.

The chaos and screams lasted all night. Qu Yi watched the Black Mountain bandits kill each other on the city wall, acting like madmen, and some even knelt down to surrender. He was dumbfounded. Was the siege solved just like that?

With the young master's talent, why even fight a war?

The people in the city listened to the screams outside the city uneasily until a rooster crowed, breaking the darkness and ushering in the dawn.

In the faint light of dawn, Yuan Xi stepped over the corpses and led the crowd to control all the remaining Black Mountain troops.

Qu Yi led his troops out of the city and looked at Yuan Xi face to face. Finally, Qu Yi said, "I have fought so many battles, but this is the first time I have encountered such a thing."

Yuan Xi thought to himself that he was the same. He looked around. Outside Beixin City, within a radius of several miles, there were corpses everywhere. The soldiers of Beixin City turned pale when they saw it.

The soldiers began to count the number of Black Mountain bandits who surrendered and died. Those who killed each other, those who trampled on each other, and those who were innocently killed were countless. Thousands of people lost their lives in one night.

Bai Rao fled back to the Black Mountain with several thousand people. Including those who fled in all directions, about half escaped, most of whom were young and strong men.

The ones who stayed and surrendered were mostly the old, the young, women, and children. Yuan Xi asked a few people and realized that almost all of these people were alone, their families either killed in battle or died of illness.

Therefore, they were regarded as useless and were driven to the front to attack the city.

And those who escaped were those who had families in the Black Mountain. They were afraid that their families would be implicated, so they had to flee back.

These old, young, women, and children knelt on the ground, very uneasy, because they knew that they were not strong laborers. Would Beixin City not take them in?

When Yuan Xi saw this, he said loudly, "Everyone, don't worry. As long as you abide by the law in the future, I will never refuse anyone!"

When everyone heard this, they burst into tears and kowtowed repeatedly.

Yuan Xi felt heavy-hearted.

Everyone has the right to live.

Let's do our best to give them a way out.