Chapter 179
Chapter 179
Deserters turned marauders were former soldiers who, for one reason or another, refused to return to their original armies.
Perhaps they had failed a mission and feared punishment. Perhaps greed had driven them to commit a grave offense. Whatever the cause, they eventually became roving bandits.
Such men were far more dangerous than ordinary commoners forced into banditry.
Ji Yan’an looked at the remaining captives, who shifted uneasily.
“Since you were coerced, I naturally will not pursue the matter further.”
“I can, however, offer you some advice. Since you intend to flee north, you may go to Mobei.”
Without changing expression, Ji Yan’an continued, “Mobei sees frequent warfare, but the Ji Family Army keeps the Barbarians in check, and they cannot cross the border. The land there is vast and sparsely populated, and we have a high-yield crop that is very filling. As long as you are willing to work, surviving will not be a problem.”
Song Jin and the others could not help glancing at him.
Trust Ji Yan’an to recruit people for his own territory and increase its population at every opportunity.
Mobei truly was vast and sparsely populated, with many military households. It needed more farmers. More people meant more grain, and more grain meant more grain taxes for the army.
As for taxes owed to the Imperial Court?
Well… they were already planning a rebellion. A perfunctory report would do.
“Thank you! Thank you, noble sir!”
After repeatedly kowtowing in gratitude, the refugees prepared to leave.
“Wait.”
Terror immediately returned to their faces.
Song Jin was speechless. Did they truly look that frightening?
“Go back and take whatever remains in the stronghold.”
They had already searched the place, and the bandit camp was miserably poor. Aside from several sabers, there was so little money that Song Jin’s men could not be bothered to take it.
The refugees promptly dropped to their knees and thanked them again.
After leaving the area, the party’s carriages continued swaying southward.
“Who would have expected Prince of Nanyang to be the first to raise his banner?”
Inside a carriage, Song Jin and Ji Yan’an resumed their chess game.
Ji Yan’an pushed away Little Mushroom’s head as she leaned eagerly toward him, ready to stuff something into his mouth.
“Are you truly trying to feed me to death?”
Jiang Yunsui stared at his stomach, then reached out to feel it.
Ji Yan’an caught her hand. His dark eyes fixed on her for a long moment.
Little Mushroom timidly drew back her fluffy head.
“Fine, don’t eat it!”
Grumbling, she shoved the cookie into her own mouth.
Only then did Ji Yan’an look away. “The emperor is weakening the feudal princes and has already killed three of them. Prince of Nanyang is not one of those powerless princes. Naturally, he would not sit still and wait for death.”
Song Jin clicked his tongue with malicious delight. “What was the emperor thinking, making such a drastic move the moment he took power? Those royal uncles of his are no easy targets, yet he actually tried to squeeze every one of them.”
Ji Yan’an sneered. “His claim to the throne is shaky. Our emperor was once an insignificant young prince. The throne would never have fallen to him if every one of his brothers had not died before him.”
“He never studied the art of ruling, then suddenly became emperor. He is like a pauper who grew rich overnight: arrogant, yet terrified that the seat beneath him is unstable. He imagines everyone covets it and naturally rushes to eliminate every threat.”
He was even more foolish than Ji Yan’an’s imperial father.
His father had at least known how to keep up appearances. This emperor, however… Hah.
Song Jin smiled. “Isn’t that better for us?”
Ji Yan’an’s gaze darkened. “When those above fight, it is always the common people who suffer.”
Shen Qingzhu sighed. “Who knows how many refugees will die along this road?”
They had already seen many people fleeing with their belongings bundled on their backs. Some had been displaced by human calamity, others by natural disaster.
Whatever the cause, refugees found it difficult to enter any city they reached.
They lacked travel permits.
Household registration was strictly controlled in this era. Ordinary people could not travel wherever they pleased. To leave, they had to request a permit from their county authorities. Only then could they depart their registered home and enter another prefecture.
Other cities were even less willing to admit people fleeing a local prince’s rebellion.
Ji Yan’an placed a black stone on the board.
“Other prefectures may reject them, but Mobei welcomes them.”
The clever men understood without needing him to spell it out. They exchanged glances and smiled in unison.
Suddenly, a little hand reached over and pushed something into each of their mouths.
One milk tablet apiece.
Little Mushroom planted her hands on her hips. She did not play favorites.
The three men fell silent.
Song Jin frowned. “I already told you I don’t eat these.”
“No picky eating,” Jiang Yunsui replied.
Shen Qingzhu smiled helplessly.
Ji Yan’an’s face darkened. “Next time, can you make a sound first?”
“Squeak!” Jiang Yunsui chirped.
“You never said whether I should squeak before or after feeding you.”
Everyone fell silent again.
For the rest of the journey, Ji Yan’an arranged for his men to mingle with refugees, sway their opinions, and encourage them to head for Mobei.
The displaced people were already lost and uncertain of their future. Ji Yan’an’s men merely offered them a clear direction.
Jiang Yunsui also entered Stealth Mode and mingled among the refugees, listening to their conversations. Occasionally, she secretly helped someone she liked who was on the brink of starvation.
If nothing else, Mushroom had an endless supply of mushrooms.
“Village Chief, are we truly going to Mobei? I heard the Barbarians there are exceptionally fierce, and that the region is constantly at war with foreign tribes. I’m afraid…”
“Afraid of what?” the Village Chief rebuked him. “Do we have anywhere else to go?”
“We cannot return home. If we do, every able-bodied young man will be conscripted. Taxes rise year after year, and sometimes they collect them twice in a single year. Even with land, we have no path to survival there. Sooner or later we will starve. Other prefectures dare not accept refugees like us. Now… Mobei is the only place left.”
The Village Chief sighed repeatedly.
“It may be dangerous, but I heard Mobei sends soldiers to teach villagers martial arts, so able-bodied people can defend themselves when danger comes. Most importantly, if we clear wasteland, the fields become ours. As long as we have the strength, how much land we own depends entirely on our own ability.”
“They also have a crop that is high-yield, easy to grow, and filling.”
Encouraged by the Village Chief, all the villagers nodded.
“All right. We’ll follow you to Mobei.”
“I heard the Ji Family Army guards Mobei. With them there, the Barbarians surely won’t dare invade.”
“Exactly. I’ve heard stories of the Ji Family since I was a child.”
Hidden among them, Jiang Yunsui squatted on the ground with her chin propped in her hands. Hearing them praise the Ji Family made her feel strangely proud.
That was right. Ji Yan’an was amazing.
He was so clever.
She rubbed her own little head.
If only she had a brain that clever too.
But she was silly.
Little Mushroom hugged her head and wandered elsewhere.
Then she noticed several people acting furtively.
Curious Little Mushroom immediately crept closer on tiptoe, looking just as suspicious herself.
“Well? Did you trade for grain?”
A fierce-looking woman grabbed the middle-aged man who had just returned.
“I did.”
The man opened a small cloth sack.
Inside were five catties of coarse grain.