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The refugees formed an even tighter circle upon seeing the two approach.
Noticing this, Chu Yan turned to Dian Wei and suggested, "Brother Dian Wei, why don't you wait here? I'll go and ask them what's going on."
Dian Wei responded with a puzzled expression, "Is something wrong? Do you need to guard the cart? Don't worry; it won't be easy for them to take our horses."
As he spoke, he displayed the short dagger he carried with him. "I’m not boasting, but within twenty paces, I can guarantee every throw will hit its target."
However, after a moment of thought, Chu Yan revealed the truth: "Brother, your appearance is just too intimidating. Just look at their reactions; they are definitely wary of you. I'm afraid that if you go over there, they won't even give you a chance to explain before they prepare to resist."
Dian Wei was taken aback by this and felt confused. How could his looks be a problem? Yet, recalling past experiences, he realized that such situations were not uncommon.
During his travels, whenever he entered a large city, as soon as he reached the city gate, the previously relaxed guards would immediately become alert and serious as if preparing for battle. After a thorough inspection, they would finally allow him to enter the city.
Over time, he had grown accustomed to the first impressions others had of him.
"Alright then, I'll wait for you outside. You go ahead and ask," he said.
Chu Yan nodded in agreement and quickly walked to the edge of the crowd. Before getting too close, he stopped and raised his hand to shout loudly, "Everyone please don’t worry; we mean no harm."
His voice echoed as it fell upon the ears of the gathered crowd.
The hunger of the people across the way seemed to ease for a moment, but the formation of the group remained tight and vigilant. As the old saying goes: it is easy to let down one’s guard against harmless people, but one must never lose their sense of caution. They would not easily lower their vigilance just because of a few words from Chu Yan.
At that moment, an elderly man, trembling and supported by a darkening cane, stepped forward and asked, "What brings you here, esteemed guest?"
Chu Yan slightly bowed and replied, "We set out from Changshan County in Ji Province, intending to travel to Yan Province and Chen Liu Kingdom. We have lost our way and hope you can tell us where we are."
As he spoke, he took out a piece of dried food from his pocket. Instantly, the eyes of the crowd fixated on that piece of food, and they couldn't help but swallow their already parched throats, filled with longing.
Chu Yan continued, "We do not seek information for free; we can exchange this piece of food."
The food was small, roughly the size of two hands stacked together, made from a mixture of millet and flour baked dry. For this group of about twenty famine-stricken individuals, even a single piece might not satisfy any one person's hunger. Yet they had gone a long time without eating.
Even so, just a small piece of dry ration could ignite their intense desire.
However, these people were well-mannered; no one spoke until the old man did. He licked his cracked lips and said, "Shao Xia, this place is located to the west of Guangjun, near the boundary of Bingzhou. Following this main road will lead you to Capital City. If you wish to reach Chen Liu Kingdom, you will need to continue for about thirty more miles and take the fork heading southeast."
"Wait? How did we end up near Bingzhou?" Chu Yan was momentarily taken aback. He had indeed planned to head southeast all along but had somehow veered off course to the west without realizing it.
After all, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which lacked modern navigation systems, travel relied entirely on one's sense of direction. Of course, before setting out, Chu Yan had obtained a map from his father. However, the quality of this map was relatively crude, only allowing for basic path recognition. Furthermore, if one’s sense of direction was weak or if there were no significant landmarks nearby, it was easy to stray from the correct route even with a map.
Fortunately, this time the deviation was not far and could still be corrected. Chu Yan took a few steps forward and handed some food to the elderly man, thanking him for his guidance. "It's nothing; rather, I should be the one thanking you, Shao Xia," the old man replied as he accepted the food and immediately began to enjoy it. He cut it into uneven pieces, giving the larger portions to the children and the women who walked unsteadily, while keeping the smaller pieces for the other famine-stricken individuals. As for himself, he did not take any.
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