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墨書 Inktalez
In the early hours of the morning, Ye Chen was gently awakened by Fu Gui's light shaking.
"Ye Chen, wake up. Pack your things, and we’ll set off soon."
"Mm..." Ye Chen, still half-asleep, propped himself up with his heavy eyelids and groggily got up. 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 those luxurious ones seen in movies where the main characters ride in style with roofs 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, the show-off, swaggered at the front with his bow and arrows slung over his back. Behind him, two rows of soldiers marched in perfect unison, pulling along more than ten carts in a neat line. The entire group looked 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 appeared particularly out of place.
Ye Chen had no concept of walking long distances; he felt that sitting in the cart was unbearably slow. Although the official road was packed dirt, it was nothing compared to a concrete road. After just two or three hours of bouncing around in the cart, Ye Chen could hardly stand it any longer.
"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 in line and was filled with cooking supplies. While these items weren't too heavy, compared to the nearly empty carts ahead of them, they had been placed at the back to avoid slowing down the march.
"Then get down and walk if you want, but I’m afraid you won’t keep up with the pace."
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and stretched his neck to look 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, Ye Chen began to notice something was off; his steps grew heavier and heavier. At first, he had four companions walking alongside him, but after half an hour, he found himself alone at the back.
The men selected by Lou Yu to escort supplies—Tian Qian and Zhong Yong—were all robust individuals. In contrast, Ye Chen was a slight figure who barely reached their chests.
As Ye Chen struggled not to fall behind, a big brother walking at the back reached out and grabbed him by the collar like 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 bowing their heads fervently, and soon blood appeared on their foreheads, mingling with the mud on their faces, making it hard to look at.
"Where are you refugees from, and why have you come to Lan Prefecture?" Lou Yu rode through the crowd, his voice clear enough to reach everyone's ears.
An elderly man, who seemed to be the leader of the group, approached with a cane and knelt before Lou Yu. His face was deeply lined, as if time had mercilessly eroded it, leaving only tears.
"My lord, we are good citizens from Cangzhou Yunlan County. A flood has struck our home. The County Magistrate Feng fled with his family, and we had just delivered grain to the soldiers of Lan Prefecture. With no food or way to survive back 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 in Lan Prefecture? Moreover, why did you choose to come here instead of going to the more prosperous Yunzhou or Yan Prefecture?"
Ye Chen watched Lou Yu and couldn't help but feel a bit dazed. It was the first time he had seen Lou Yu so serious about his duties; when he focused, he bore a striking resemblance to General Xiao Lou.
"Ah, my lord, you may not know! The county magistrate Feng Zhengyang must have taken bribes. He claimed that there were gold mines along the banks of the Lan Yue River in Cangzhou Yunlan County and sent people to blow them up. As a result, too much gunpowder was used, creating a huge 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 streamed down his face. The nearby citizens also began to tear up as they looked at Lou Yu, hoping he would bring justice.
"We barely survived and wanted to seek refuge in Yunzhou, but we were stopped and driven away by the soldiers at the city gate. We had no choice but to hope for General He's mercy and came to Lan Prefecture."
"Why didn’t you seek help from the neighboring county? Such a significant matter Submissive ld have been reported to the court long ago. Feng Zhengyang wanted to privately seize the gold mine but caused such a disaster instead, leaving thousands of citizens homeless and uncertain of their fate." As Lou Yu spoke, anger ignited in his eyes. He clenched his teeth and declared fiercely, "If I catch him, I will make him pay with his life!"
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 being a minister receiving an official salary. Yet these corrupt officials had no part in shedding blood on the front lines; they excelled only in oppressing the common folk.
Lou Yu gripped the reins tightly until his fingernails dug into his palms and blood trickled down his wrist before he regained some composure.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the youthful innocence on his face had vanished. He raised an arm and called out to all the soldiers, "If there is any surplus food during our march, distribute it to them."
Ye Chen, sitting next to 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.
As he watched the common people kneel before him, Lou Yu's heart jolted, as if some valve had quietly opened within him.
He had trained in martial arts for over a decade, but what good was it to slay countless Wolf Tribe warriors on the front lines if he could not protect his own country's citizens? He had thought that as long as he held firm against the dangers ahead, the situation behind him would be stable, allowing the people to live in peace. Yet, he never imagined that the ones who would hurt the common folk the most would be 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 can return in just five."
Once the Refugees finished their meal, Lou Yu took out a document from his bosom and handed it over, speaking in a slightly gentler tone, "This is a letter for Princess Huaiyang. When you reach Lan Prefecture, if you have nowhere else to go, head to Huaiyang County and personally deliver this letter to Princess Huaiyang. She will make proper arrangements for your 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 held back and fell with a soft "plop" onto the envelope.
Seeing the tear on the envelope, the elder seemed to feel 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 led his soldiers into motion.
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 a divine glow upon this horseback youth. He resembled a statue of a guardian warrior emanating a reassuring light that brought comfort to all.
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