People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 14 You are a very nice person

Humans are selfish creatures. If something is beneficial to themselves, they will often be very enthusiastic, but if this thing is beneficial to others, then this enthusiasm will be greatly reduced.

When the Yellow Turbans shouted for themselves, they were very enthusiastic about the doctrines of the so-called "natural way" and the basic rights of equality for all.

But when they turn around and face the more vulnerable people, they immediately forget the doctrine completely.

When Xu Chen began to restrain the thoughts and behaviors of the Yellow Turbans in the name of doctrine, constraints began to appear in the consciousness of these believers for the first time.

Devout believers can always abide by certain rules and regulations. This is a way for the religion to discipline its believers. Now Xu Chen intends to use this method to discipline the Yellow Turbans.

He believed that the precepts derived from the doctrine of equality for all, regardless of social status, must be more progressive and humane than anything else, such as prohibiting sexual intercourse with women.

"From now on, anyone who believes in my religion must not steal, rob, or force anything. If you violate this rule, you will be rejected by the gods and will never have the chance to attain enlightenment or become an immortal!"

As soon as Xu Chen said this, all the Yellow Turbans present looked guilty. They all thought of all the bad things they had done in the past, which were all things they had done to the poor people.

They can't help feeling a little ashamed when they think about the doctrine of pursuing equal rights.

Seeing that just this one sentence could restrain many people, Xu Chen couldn't help but sigh that the narrative of religion was convenient.

If you talk to these poor peasants about oppression and class, they probably won't understand what you are saying. But as long as you tell them that these things are spoken by God, they will understand immediately and be happy to do as you are told.

Of course, Xu Chen never expected that relying solely on the so-called precepts would make everyone strictly abide by them. Precepts are only a kind of conscious self-restraint. Things like morality that rely entirely on self-consciousness are definitely not enough.

Not to mention how many of these Yellow Turbans truly believe in the "Natural Way" wholeheartedly. It is still unclear. Most of these believers joined in just to find a way out because they could not survive, and most of them were refugees.

It would be too much to expect them to strictly follow the precepts.

Therefore, the Yellow Turbans still need a more effective and direct punishment and restraint, which is naturally military law!
"From now on, any of our soldiers who commit indiscriminate killing of civilians, humiliation of women, or theft and looting will be sentenced to death!"

Compared with the previous rules, Xu Chen's tone was much colder when he talked about military law.

Seeing Xu Chen's cold and murderous eyes, the Yellow Turbans all subconsciously shrank their necks. Perhaps it was the blessing of his status as the leader that made them ignore Xu Chen's still slightly immature face, and instead feel a kind of majesty.

After a long time, Xu Chen pulled the reins to urge the horses to move forward. The Yellow Turbans felt relaxed and followed.

Under the dual constraints of discipline and military law, the Yellow Turbans were all nervous and were wary of the behaviors mentioned by Xu Chen.

Xu Chen, who was walking in front, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Managing so many people actually puts him under a lot of psychological pressure, especially since he has to maintain his transcendent status as a cult leader. He has to think twice about every word he says.

Every time I make a mistake, it will damage my image in the hearts of my followers, so being cautious is necessary, but it is not easy to maintain this state.

Things like enforcing military discipline seem a bit ridiculous, whether considering the current environment or the identity of the Yellow Turban refugees as rebels. After all, even officers and soldiers and heroes may not be able to do it well.

But Xu Chen knew that if he wanted to go far, he had to do this.

Since they formulated the doctrine of equality and the lowly, and since they called for everything to be done by themselves, they were destined not to accept plundering and bullying the people, otherwise this doctrine and slogan would become a joke. Crossing the narrow mountain road, the four thousand yellow turbans soon saw the countryside in the distance.

In the distant valley, there are houses with thatched earth walls scattered at different heights. A rough count shows that there are only about thirty or forty households.

There are some fruit trees planted in the village, and chickens, ducks, cows and pigs are raised in the farmers' yards. There are women washing clothes beside the stream, and children running around and playing. Most men are doing farm work in the fields.

At first glance, this seems to be a peaceful and tranquil place, but the next moment, when the villagers noticed the Yellow Turbans, they all screamed in panic, and the originally peaceful place suddenly became chaotic.

The men hurriedly called their families and ran to the mountains, not caring about the property in the village at all.

The people of that day knew that no matter whether the Yellow Turbans or bandits came, or whether it was government soldiers who came, there would be no good outcome.

If you run fast, at most your property will be robbed; if you run slowly, you may even lose your life, and women will definitely be bullied.

In a few moments, the village was cleaned out and there was no more noise.

At this time, as long as the Yellow Turbans entered the village, they could take the food, poultry and property in the village at will without any hindrance.

Faced with this temptation, some people have begun to get restless. Although they have just been severely warned by Xu Chen, those who have long been accustomed to this kind of unearned gain still have an urge to indulge.

However, before their ideas could be fully formed, Xu Chen had already driven his horse and blocked the path leading to the village.

He was alone and slowly drew out the long sword from his waist. Although he was only fifteen years old, his expression was like that of a cold god, full of majesty and sharpness.

He is watching these believers who are on the brink of depravity. Once anyone crosses the forbidden line set by the gods, he will punish them with gold and iron on behalf of the gods!
Everyone was startled and then silently suppressed the desires in their hearts. They lowered their heads under Xu Chen's gaze, bypassed the village and continued to move forward.

Xu Chen did not have any domineering air. He just relied on his status as a cult leader and his own determination to intimidate the Yellow Turbans.

Xu Chen waited until everyone had passed through the village before leaving. Only at the last moment did he look back at this small village.

If they robbed this place today, what they would get wouldn't even be enough to fill the teeth of the Yellow Turban army, but it would definitely be a disaster for the villagers who lived quietly here.

The village has been spared for now, but in this day and age, I'm afraid such tragedies are happening all the time.

"Poor common people, when will they be able to get out of this mess?"

Xu Chen sighed, shook his head, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and disappeared on the road.

The villagers who had hidden in the mountains looked at each other in bewilderment when they saw this group of strange yellow turbans with bare heads slowly walking away.

We all ran away, why didn't you snatch it? You still blame us for not being used to it...

You guys are pretty nice.

(End of this chapter)