MLMD -Chapter 187 Distributing Porridge

November 9, 1634 (7th Year of Chongzhen)

The bone-chilling wind blew relentlessly. Every street and alley of Hunyuan Prefecture was crowded with refugees fleeing to the city. They wore whatever garments they could find, even scraps of cloth. Their clothes were tattered, their expressions numb, and in their eyes was only despair at Heaven’s cruelty. They wandered the streets and alleys, knowing the chances were slim, yet still hoping to find even the tiniest morsel to stave off hunger—for themselves or for their families.

The north wind howled, and snowflakes fell like goose feathers, decorating the land with an enchanting beauty. Of course, that was how the literati, well-fed and healthy, might perceive it.

For the starving refugees, however, the scene was terrifying. The snow pressed down on anything edible on the ground, and the cold pierced their bones. Without proper clothing or food, many were forced to sleep on the streets. Each morning, some never woke again. For them, such weather was nothing short of a monstrous threat.

The authorities, whom the people had pinned their hopes on, had yet to open porridge kitchens or release grain from the storehouses. Gradually, the refugees fell into despair. They realized that if things continued as they were, it would only be a few days before they—or their families—starved to death. As the shadow of death loomed, a feeling called hatred began to flicker in their eyes. Waves of inexplicable emotion spread among tens of thousands of refugees.

In a small, unnamed alley in the northern part of the city, there was a dilapidated little temple. Some time ago, it had been taken over by a group of unknown refugees. They were all young and strong, and unlike ordinary refugees, their tattered clothing was noticeably thicker. Their faces did not show the pale, malnourished hue typical of the starving. Their movements and gait were not like ordinary refugees either. Ever since arriving in Hunyuan, they had been elusive, staying hidden during the day and active at night.

As evening approached, dozens of these refugees gathered in the broken temple, their forms dimly illuminated by the faint light.

A low voice spoke first: “Old Ma, have you scouted the city thoroughly? How are the defenses, how many soldiers are there, and do they patrol at night?”

A man with a long face grinned and replied with disdain: “Chief Wang, don’t worry. In this snowstorm, those dog soldiers definitely won’t patrol. I’ve been scouting with my brothers for several days. The soldiers are either training in the barracks or stationed on the walls; there’s no one left to patrol the streets. I also heard that a few days ago, hundreds of soldiers even rioted over their pay, and the new commander completely wiped them out. Such a pity—we came too late and missed that dog-eats-dog spectacle.”

“Old Ma, is that true?”

“It’s true,” Ma replied firmly. “We got the information straight from the city residents—they saw it all with their own eyes. How could it be false?” He smacked his lips and added: “But I have to say, the new commander, that guy called Yue Yang, is ruthless. He kills his own men without mercy. I heard the training ground that day was stacked with corpses, blood flowing everywhere.”

As soon as Ma finished speaking, another voice interrupted: “Wait… you said the new commander is called… what?”

Ma paused, then answered: “Yue Yang. What’s wrong, Chief Wang?”

“Yue Yang…” Wang’s voice became urgent. “Do you know where this Yue Yang was transferred from?”

“Let me think… I think from Yingzhou Prefecture. I heard he was transferred because he earned some merits, so the court sent him to Hunyuan.”

“What… it’s him!” Wang’s face darkened.

“What’s wrong, Chief Wang? Does this Yue have some secret power?” Ma asked curiously as he noticed Wang’s sudden change in expression.

A bitter expression appeared on Wang’s face. He lowered his head and said slowly: “If the Yue Yang you mentioned really came from Yingzhou, our plan this time will be very difficult.”

Everyone around looked surprised. Ma asked: “Why… everything here is ready. How could we back out? Does this Yue guy have three heads and six arms or something?”

Wang took a deep breath. “Not three heads and six arms. But this Yue is indeed formidable. Do you remember a couple of years ago when I followed the Eight Kings to attack Yingzhou Prefecture?”

Another man nodded: “Yes, we’ve heard. You and the Eight Kings, under the order of Prince Li, attacked Yingzhou. You were close to victory but then surrounded by a large force of soldiers. After heavy fighting and heavy casualties, you had to retreat.”

Wang looked around and asked: “You all believe that?”

“Isn’t that so?” Ma and the others asked, confused.

Wang’s expression darkened: “You don’t know the whole story. At that time, we were indeed close to taking Yingzhou. A force came from the rear—but it wasn’t as large as claimed. There were only about five hundred soldiers. We fought them for less than two hours and were completely routed. Out of over ten thousand brothers, fewer than a thousand survived. The Eight Kings and the rest covered it up, claiming it was a large enemy force. And the leader of that unit was the new commander here—Yue Yang.”

After Wang spoke, silence fell. Everyone looked at him in disbelief.

“You don’t believe me?” Wang frowned. “Well, that’s the truth. Believe it or not, I don’t care!” He stood up, ready to leave.

“No… wait!” Ma grabbed Wang’s sleeve urgently. “Chief Wang, you had over ten thousand men! How could five hundred defeat you? Even if it were ten thousand pigs, those five hundred would have died, right?”

Wang snorted coldly: “We thought the same—but the result was almost total annihilation.”

Seeing Wang’s serious expression, everyone became solemn. They knew he wasn’t joking.

After a long pause, Ma slapped his thigh and said: “No fear! There’s an old saying: ‘Times change.’ This time, we’re in the shadows and they’re in the light. Yue isn’t a god; he won’t know we’ll strike in his lair. And you know the mood in the city—after so many days, the government hasn’t given out a single grain. If the refugees are pushed too far, they could do anything. There are over thirty thousand refugees in the city. If we give the signal, they could create chaos and overturn the city. The city’s soldiers couldn’t stop a ripple. In less than a day, the city would be ours. If we’re lucky and capture Yue, handing him to the Eight Kings, our merit would be huge!”

“Right, no fear! The soldiers barely number over three thousand. We already have over three hundred men in the city, and with tens of thousands of refugees, we can wipe out all the city soldiers!”

Ma’s words stirred the men. They pounded their chests and shouted with confidence, as if with a gentle push, the city would collapse.

“Then… let’s try!” Seeing the confident faces around him, Ma hesitated briefly, then agreed. After further discussion, they decided to launch the uprising the next evening and seize Hunyuan Prefecture.

As dawn approached, the men who had stayed up all night were still lost in dreams. The fire they had kept burning had died down, with only faint wisps of smoke rising.

Ma, sleeping on a mound of earth, was suddenly awakened by a commotion outside. Footsteps pounded urgently at the door.

“Quick, run!”

“If you go late, it’ll be gone!”

“Father… hurry! Third Uncle’s family already went!”

“Move, move! Don’t block me, quick!”

The noise grew louder, finally waking everyone in the temple.

Half-awake, Ma opened his eyes. Initially thinking something had gone wrong, he immediately grabbed his long knife under him and whispered: “Anyone still breathing outside—what’s going on?”

A man, gasping for breath, ran to him: “Brother Ma, something’s happened! I just heard that this morning, porridge kitchens were set up throughout the city and porridge is being distributed!”

“What? The government is giving out porridge?”

Ma was stunned. How could this be? Hadn’t the storehouses run out of grain?

He wasn’t the only one—every man in the small temple froze. Finally, their eyes turned to Chief Wang…