Between Liaodong and Jiaodong, there is a chain of islands in the Shaohai Sea. Tens of thousands of years ago, this narrow strip of land was submerged by the Shaohai Sea and became fragmented. Today, only dozens of barren islands remain.
, experienced the waves beating day and night.
The largest island among them, called "Salmon Island", is located dozens of miles northwest of the Jiaodong coast. It has fresh water and wild animals, can even grow some crops, and has several natural harbors suitable for anchorage.
In the past, the Qi State carried goods from Jiubari, and when traveling from Jiaodong to Liaodong, Korean ships would anchor here to take shelter from the wind. Over time, a small fishing port was formed, and some people who were avoiding taxes lived here. The number was less than a hundred.
But when Qi fell, two to three thousand people fled to the island...
They were all soldiers of the Qi State who were unwilling to submit to Qin. King Jian of Qi surrendered to the Qin State and did not want to be slaves to the subjugation of the country. So he followed Sima Yongmen who would rather die than surrender, ran to the seaside, seized the boat of the navy master, and sailed north to Shamen.
The island was temporarily evacuated in order to counterattack the mainland in the future.
But at that time, no one expected that they would stay on this island for six or seven years. And more and more people came to seek refuge after hearing the news. Now, the number of people on the five main islands has reached almost 4,000!
There were hundreds of ships. This group of people was called "bandits" by the court. They were not thieves who killed without blinking an eye, they were just losers.
In the early morning of that day, after Qin Shihuang's oral order came, a fierce quarrel broke out in the extremely simple "Sima Mansion" made of stones on the island!
Tian Heng was dressed in a smart suit, with an unsheathed sword hanging on his waist. His eyebrows were slanted at the temples, and his beard was also exaggeratedly upturned. He was elegant and a little proud. He took a step forward, cupped his fists and said:
"Sima, this is an excellent opportunity right now. Why don't you follow the plan discussed with my brother and immediately send troops to march south? With four thousand of us, once we land, the people all over the land will eat pots of milk to welcome it. It's a big event.
It can be done!”
Sima Yongmen is no longer what he was before. The hawkish general who proposed to King Jian of Qi to resist to the end seems to have aged. Under the illumination of the anointing lamp, dots of white hair have sprouted from his head, although he is as strong as ever.
, has a chest as broad as a bull and a flat belly like a young man, but his face is a little more hesitant.
He sighed and said: "I heard that before Qin Shi Huang died, he still issued oral orders to the world to intimidate heroes. How could he act rashly?"
Tian Heng raised his eyebrows and said: "The so-called oral edict of Qin Shihuang is false. He has been assassinated and died. In order to stabilize people's hearts, the Qin people did not announce the funeral secretly."
“The authenticity is unknown, so it’s better to wait.”
Yongmen Sima is indeed no longer as spirited as he used to be. At that time, he fulfilled his responsibilities as a minister, but now, the lives of four to five thousand people are in his hands. This is the last hope for restoration.
Taking action at the right time caused the Qin Dynasty to suppress it wildly, and the restoration of Qi was completely in vain.
Therefore, he declined Tian Heng and Tian Du's invitation to fight, and decided to let the pirates who were waiting outside for orders to go to sea to Qidi be disbanded later. Ertian was so angry that he complained after coming out:
"Sima is old, and he is not in Zhutian, so he doesn't know our danger!"
There was no room for them to be in a hurry. Tian Du had a blood feud with the Qin officials and was always eager to go back for revenge. Tian Hengze saw that after the fields in Jiaodong were wiped out, it might soon be the turn of the fields in Linzi.
At that time, not only was the country destroyed, but the family was also ruined, and there was no response from the fields. No matter how much talk of restoration, there was no objection, it was just a dream.
"If the skin is gone, how will the hair be attached?"
Tian Hengyi gritted his teeth and said: "The Di County side is well prepared. The arrow is on the string and has to be fired. Since the old Yongmen Sima is timid, we will help him make the decision!"
…
The sea breeze blows away the mist, the morning sun illuminates the clouds, the sky turns into a fish-belly red blush, and the dark sea turns into the gray-green of moss.
Hermit crabs poked their heads out of the sand and crawled toward the sea, seagulls screeched across the islands, and all the bandits on Salmon Island woke up, lifted up the straw blankets that were no longer dry, walked out of the shack, and beat their sore bodies.
They were either dressed in rags or wearing fish and deer skin clothing. They were armed with bamboo spears, harpoons, and short bows on their backs. This group of people was called "thieves" by the court. In the past, they were also respectable nobles, light knights, and scholars.
, but now he is in such a state of desolation, like a savage.
There is no other way. Although Salmon Island can be lived in, the conditions are really difficult and the terrain is rugged. Most of the shore areas are covered with sharp rocks and cliffs, clinging to dark moss and covered with bird droppings. Every summer and autumn, there are fierce winds and wolves.
After winter, it's not only windy, but also wet and cold. In the past, only fishermen and fugitives who really couldn't survive would come here to seek a living.
The island that originally could only support a few hundred people is now crowded with thousands, making it even more difficult.
At this time, everyone set fire to the withered trees and reeds to make simple pilgrimage meals. Those who had no food could only swallow their saliva and watch. From time to time, riots caused by snatching food occurred.
Everyone is struggling with hunger, but no one leaves. They gathered here today just to wait for the leaders to decide one thing.
But Yongmen Sima didn't show up for a long time. Just when everyone was surprised, Tian Heng, the second most important man on the island, and Tian Du, a new member of the bandits, walked in the morning light and walked in front of everyone.
Tian Heng stood up first. He was a chivalrous man and was very popular among the thieves. At this moment, he bowed to everyone and said straight to the point:
"To be honest, everyone on the island is very unhappy!"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.
Yes, there is neither a comfortable life nor a future on this island. Here, whether you are a fisherman fighting the sea or a farmer trying to dig out some crops from the barren land, you will gain little.
Moreover, when winter comes every year, the shacks cannot withstand the sea breeze and are exposed to cold every night, but there is no mulberry tree on the island.
If you want to have food, clothing, and silk, you have to rely on the support of the local fields of Qi, and occasionally go to sea to plunder the saltworks and pavilions of the Qin government. Fortunately, in those years, Yeyi Tian, Di County Tian, and Jimo Tian all secretly sent people
Food and clothing were sent to me, so life was okay.
But since last year, it has become more and more difficult to obtain supplies in Qi. The largest financial backer of the bandits, the Yeyi Tian family, was destroyed. The head of the family, Tian Gu, was deceived by Hei Fu and was arrested and executed. His son Tian Du brought hundreds of
People fled to the island.
In autumn and winter, Qin Shihuang entered Jiaodong for inspection and gathered a large army. He also mobilized a fleet from Kuaiji to station in Jiaodong, so the bandits did not dare to take risks.
Although Qin Shihuang is gone now, and there are still rumors on the mainland that he has been assassinated, Jiaodong's coastal defense is a bit stricter than before. Since the spring, a group of thieves have also tried to go to the Jiaodong salt fields to cause trouble, but they were beaten head-on by Cao Shen.
, and was attacked by Ren Xiaolou's ship, which caused heavy losses and had to leave hundreds of corpses and retreat.
Over and over again, the food surplus on the archipelago was gradually reduced. Although Sima Yongmen promised that Lord Canghai would send ships to bring some food, the water from far away could not quench the thirst of the people nearby, and the four thousand mouths could not be filled at all.
His hungry stomach told the bandits that what Tian Heng said was true.
Tian Heng said all these things at once, and finally said: "I know that you, like Tian Heng, are here just to restore Qi and to preserve the last integrity of the Qi people! But in the past six or seven years, we have been here
Starving and freezing! It’s even worse in the past six months! Dozens of people have died of starvation one after another.”
There were also many people who really couldn't bear it but didn't dare to go back to Qidi, so they went to North Korea and Canghai City in the east, where they could find ways to fill their stomachs.
Restoration seems like a distant dream, maybe it's time to wake up.
But Tian Heng was unwilling.
He revealed his situation to everyone: "I am in charge of the island's treasury, so I know that the food in the warehouse is empty! Although we can catch some fish, crabs, shrimps and clams from the sea every day, even if all the boats and people are at their most plentiful,
Even if we are sent to fish, there won’t be enough food for five thousand mouths. If we rely solely on Salmon Island to be self-sufficient, at least several hundred people will starve to death this winter! Hundreds more will freeze to death!”
All this is due to Hei Fu. Ever since he took office in Jiaodong, Hei Fu has been carefully weaving a net to catch these big fish, making everyone feel like they are choking in their throats.
Governor Heifu saw that the pirates in the archipelago were unable to support themselves and kept attacking their small forces ashore. Tian Heng knew very well that if this continued, when enough ships were built in the newly established Qingdao Port in Jiaodong, he would be able to attack with a large army.
Come, let's get rid of the thieves in one pot.
"If we wait any longer, we will become fishes in a net and be slaughtered by knives!"
What Tian Heng said was true and not alarmist. The gang of thieves were stunned, and then someone howled sadly:
"Tian Jun, didn't you say that the First Emperor of Qin is dead, and we want to trace Sima back to Qi?"
"That's right."
Everyone clamored that they were all bloody men, and that is why they followed Sima Yongmen across the sea when their home country was destroyed. Rather than living on the island, they would rather fight! They believed that as long as Qi was restored, they would be decent and comfortable in the past.
You can take back all your life!
Tian Heng's voice lowered: "But Yongmen Sima believes that we have to wait a little longer..."
"Wait, how long do we have to wait until we are old and can no longer hold a spear?"
A former Qi Ren martial artist screamed.
"Yes, we can't wait any longer!"
Tian Du also stood up to answer the question at the right time. He was the great-grandson of Tian Dan, Lord of Anping, and had a high reputation in the Qi State. Ever since his family was wiped out and his father was deceived and killed by a black man, he had been taciturn, but now he seemed to have opened a box.
, shouted quickly:
"When the Qin army entered Qi and the King of Qi was about to surrender, Sima Yongmen and the officials of Jimo went around calling King Qin from various fields to remonstrate. My father said to wait a little longer, because my family might be able to survive."
"When the Jiaodong County Sheriff took office, the assassination failed. I proposed to try again to eliminate the evil. My father also said to wait, just because he was lucky, thinking that the black man did not realize that it was my family."
"When Jiaodong suppressed private schools, my family still had nothing to do with it, because we felt that they were just scholars and had nothing to do with the restoration of Qi."
His voice gradually became indignant, and he said angrily:
"When the black man deceived my father and slashed his butcher knife at the Yeyi Tian family, the Motian family and the fields in all counties also chose to wait, because they were not the ones who were annihilated. They all thought, 'Maybe I can survive.
'."
"But what happened next? Not long ago, the Motian family and all the fields in Jiaodong were relocated and left their hometowns. The Lian family was also changed, and the ancestors no longer have blood to eat. At this moment, no one in Jiaodong can stand up for them!
"
"If we wait any longer, it will soon be the turn of all the fields in the land to perish. How can the eggs be destroyed when the nest is overthrown? We, who are guarding the island in vain, will be killed sooner or later. By then, what is the meaning of restoring the country?
All revenge has become a joke!"
"Of course!"
Tian Heng also said loudly: "Rather than sit back and wait for death, it is better to rise up and give it a try. Now that Qin Shi Huang is assassinated or dead, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Never sit still and wait for death!"
The crowd was indignant, and everyone was boiling. Horns and conch horns sounded from time to time, and more people banged their swords and wooden shields. More and more people joined in, and the sound of banging resounded throughout the island. Finally, the banging was uniform and breathtaking.
The hearts were like hundreds of big trees fighting each other, until Tian Heng pressed down hard with his hands to silence them.
He took off his clothes, exposed his strong right shoulder, raised his arms and shouted:
"Those who are willing to follow me to request orders from Sima Yongmen to return to Qi and regain their homeland, please be honest!"
That day, there were four thousand people on Salmon Island, all showing their support!