Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In the early hours of the morning, Ye Chen was gently shaken awake by Fu Gui.
“Ye Chen, wake up. Pack your things, and we’ll be off.”
“Mm…” Ye Chen, still half-asleep, propped himself up with heavy eyelids and groggily got out of bed. He followed Fu Gui to load the supplies needed for starting a fire onto the cart.
This cart was just an ordinary freight wagon, unlike the luxurious ones seen in films where the main characters ride in style with canopies and curtains. It was simply a cart used for market trips, with the oxen replaced by horses.
Thus, a grand procession of over three hundred people set off.
Lou Yu, always one to seek attention, rode at the front with his bow and arrows, exuding an air of confidence. Behind him, two rows of soldiers marched in unison, pulling several carts in a neat line. The entire group appeared quite organized, though there were some noticeable differences. Those like Ye Chen, who had a weaker constitution, could only sit at the back of the cart. Compared to the front line, he stood out distinctly.
Ye Chen had little concept of walking; he felt that riding in the cart was painfully slow. Although the official road was a compacted dirt path, it was nothing compared to a paved road. After just two or three hours in the cart, he could no longer endure the jostling.
“Brother Fu Gui, I want to get down and walk. Sitting here is torture; I’m getting dizzy from all this bumping.”
Fu Gui walked beside him; their cart was the last one, filled with cooking supplies. While these items weren’t too heavy, compared to the nearly empty carts ahead, they were placed at the back to avoid slowing down the march.
“Well then, if you want to get down and walk, just be careful not to fall behind.”
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and stretched his neck to glance at the slowly moving group ahead. “At this speed, how could I possibly fall behind?”
With that, he kicked his legs and jumped down from the cart to join those walking.
Wearing several kilograms of armor, he initially felt curious rather than fatigued. However, as time passed, he began to notice something was off; his steps grew increasingly heavy. Originally walking alongside four others, after half an hour only Ye Chen remained at the back.
The men chosen by Lou Yu to escort supplies were all robust individuals. In contrast, Ye Chen was a slender lad who barely reached their chests and thus stood out even more.
Just as Ye Chen seemed about to lag behind completely, one of the older men at the back reached out and grabbed him by the collar as if lifting a chick and hoisted him back onto the cart.
"Alright, little brother, just sit still up there. If you fall behind, we'll have to send someone to find you."
Ye Chen wore a helpless expression, feeling as if he wanted to retreat back into the womb. It had been a long time since he had experienced being dragged along like this.
For every step others took, he had to take two, and with the heavy armor weighing over ten pounds on him, it was truly a struggle. He decided to give up resisting; a sore backside was better than breaking both legs from running.
By noon, the group had traveled over thirty miles away from the Military Camp. At this marching speed, covering fifty or sixty miles in a day was no problem. Given the distance between Cangzhou and Lan Prefecture, this supply escort would likely be completed in less than seven days.
As they approached the border of Cangzhou, more and more beggars began to appear along the official roads. Whenever they saw someone passing by, they would kneel on the ground with broken bowls in hand, begging for alms.
Even when armored soldiers approached, these people showed no fear; instead, they rushed forward to cling to the soldiers' thighs.
"Official, please give us something to eat! We haven't had a meal in ages," cried a gaunt woman clutching her child tightly. Her tattered clothes barely covered her body, yet she still tried to hide her child within them.
Some soldiers who initially intended to kick them away found themselves unable to bear it and pulled out some rations from their packs to hand over to the mother and child.
This scene caused some Refugees hiding in the woods to turn red with envy. They surged out, Submissive ting loudly at the convoy: "Official, please give us something to eat!"
What they thought would be only a few dozen people quickly swelled into over a hundred from seemingly nowhere. Just as the mother and child were about to eat their hard-earned bread, several men rushed out from behind them and snatched it away with large hands.
Seemingly prepared for this moment, the woman clutched some crumbs tightly in her hand. Protecting it like a rare treasure, she squeezed through the crowd and hid in a corner, opening her palm to feed her son.
"What’s going on?" Lou Yu heard the commotion and quickly turned his horse around. He tightened his legs against its sides and drew an arrow from his quiver before shooting it into the midst of the crowd.
The arrow flew past each person’s body without injuring anyone.
Lou Yu first glanced at Ye Chen sitting on the cart, looking somewhat lost, then slowly scanned the group of Refugees. He cracked his whip in hand and coldly met each person's gaze.
Seeing Lou Yu's weapon, some Refugees trembled and fell to the ground, hastily pleading for mercy: "Official, we were wrong! We won’t dare again."
Some people were kneeling fervently, and soon blood appeared on their foreheads, mingling with the mud on their faces, making it hard to bear the sight.
"Where are you refugees from, and why have you come to Lan Prefecture?" Lou Yu rode through the crowd, his voice clear and resonant in everyone's ears.
An elderly man, seemingly the leader of the group, approached with a cane and knelt before Lou Yu. His face was deeply lined, as if ravaged by time, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Sir, we are good citizens from Cangzhou Yunlan County. A flood has struck our area. County Magistrate Feng fled with his family, and we had just delivered grain to the soldiers of Lan Prefecture. With no food or means of survival left at home, we thought to come to Lan Prefecture in search of a way out."
"The county magistrate ran away? A flood occurred? And you came to Lan Prefecture?" Each question from Lou Yu grew heavier. "Cangzhou Yunlan County borders Lan Prefecture. If there was a flood, why have we received no news here? Moreover, why did you choose to come to this border area of Lan Prefecture instead of going to the more prosperous Yunzhou or Yan Prefecture?"
Ye Chen watched Lou Yu, feeling somewhat dazed. It was the first time he had seen Lou Yu so serious about his duties; it turned out that when he was earnest, he bore a resemblance to General Xiao Lou.
"Ah, sir, you may not know! County Magistrate Feng Zhengyang must have accepted bribes. He claimed there was a gold mine along the Moon-Grasping River in Cangzhou Yunlan County and sent people to blow it up. As a result, too much gunpowder was used, creating a massive crater that destroyed our villages situated lower than the water level. And he? After the explosion, he fled with his family."
As the old man spoke, tears fell from his eyes, and the nearby citizens began to look at Lou Yu with tear-filled eyes as well, hoping he would deliver justice.
"We barely survived and wanted to seek refuge in Yunzhou, but we were stopped and driven away by the guards at City Gate. We had no choice but to hope for General He's mercy and come to Lan Prefecture."
"Why didn’t you seek help from the neighboring county? Such a major incident should have been reported to the court long ago. Feng Zhengyang wanted to privately seize the gold mine but caused a disaster instead, leading to the destruction of villages and fields and leaving thousands of citizens homeless and uncertain of their fate." As he spoke, anger ignited in Lou Yu's eyes. He clenched his jaw tightly and declared fiercely, "If I catch him, I will make him pay dearly!"
As a military officer, it was his duty to protect his homeland; as a civil servant, it was his responsibility to ensure the well-being of the people. These were obligations that came with enjoying a salary as a subject. Yet these corrupt officials had no part in shedding blood on the front lines but were adept at oppressing the common folk.
Lou Yu gripped the reins tightly until his fingernails dug into his palm, blood trickling down his wrist before he regained some composure.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the youthful naivety had vanished from his face. He raised an arm and called out to all the soldiers: "On our march, if there is any surplus food, distribute it to them."
Ye Chen sitting beside the food supplies was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted. He opened a cloth bag on the cart and began distributing food to the refugees.
Upon hearing Lou Yu's words, the refugees knelt before him one after another, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.
Watching the common people kneeling before him, Lou Yu felt a sudden jolt within, as if some valve had quietly opened.
He had trained in martial arts for over a decade, but what was the use of slaying countless Wolf Tribe enemies on the front lines if he could not protect his own country's citizens? He had thought that as long as he faced the dangers ahead, the situation behind him would be stable and the people would live in peace. Little did he know that the deepest wounds inflicted on the common folk came from his own compatriots.
To consume the flesh and fat of the people while committing acts of slaughter against them—how could this not chill one's heart?
After distributing food to each of the Refugees, only half of the army's rations remained. Lou Yu furrowed his brows, his expression serious. After a moment of contemplation, he decisively ordered, "All soldiers, starting today, your rations will be halved. We will accelerate our march; we need not take seven days but only five to return."
Once the Refugees had finished their meal, Lou Yu took out a document from his bosom and handed it over, speaking in a slightly softer tone, "This is a letter for Princess Huaiyang. When you reach Lan Prefecture, if you have nowhere to go, head to Huaiyang County and personally deliver this letter to Princess Huaiyang. She will make proper arrangements for your accommodation and stay."
"Thank you, my lord!" The elder trembled with excitement, his eyes glistening with tears. He slowly extended his hands as if receiving the most precious treasure in the world when he accepted the letter from Lou Yu.
Finally, a tear could no longer be contained and fell with a soft "plop" onto the envelope.
Seeing the tear on the envelope, the elder appeared as if he had made a grave mistake and hurriedly wiped it away with trembling fingers before carefully tucking the letter into his bosom.
However, when he looked up again, Lou Yu had already mounted his horse. With a gentle squeeze of his legs against the horse's belly and a flick of the reins, he set off.
The horse neighed as Lou Yu rode away with his soldiers. The young man held his head high and stood tall; the last rays of the setting sun draped over him like a golden cloak, casting an aura of sanctity around this horseback youth. He resembled a statue of a guardian warrior emanating a reassuring light to all.
Comment 0 Comment Count