Chapter 380 The People's Will

The prince watched from a distance. The civilians didn't show any fear. They simply looked at the soldiers with curiosity, which was a rare sight among the civilians.

Yan Xing said, "She has strict military discipline and will never tolerate the oppression of the people, no matter who it is. To be honest, in this regard, my father is not as good as her."

"Has she...been punished?" asked the prince.

Yan Xing nodded. "There was one, a centurion. He went out for a drink during a break, didn't bring enough silver, and took advantage of the Lu family army to just leave. The store owner later reported him to the army. When she found out, she had him tied up and brought before the army, and punished him personally. He had to pay ten times the price for the drink, was dismissed, and was given fifty strokes of the cane. He was banned from promotion for five years."

This is a severe punishment in the military.

The prince raised his eyebrows and said, "She is not afraid of chilling the hearts of the soldiers in the army."

Yan Xing smiled and said, "That's what she said, but she wouldn't do that. The soldier admitted his mistake and didn't hold any grudge against her."

The Crown Prince looked at him puzzled, and Yan Xing continued, "Because his family, young and old, all lived in Lingnan, Lu Xueyin allocated houses and land to his family, and even his children studied in the academy. Because his son was a good student, the academy teacher sent her a list of students with outstanding grades and asked her to write a letter of encouragement. That child was among them, and he was very happy to receive her letter. Later, when his family heard about what he had done, his son personally wrote a letter on behalf of his grandfather to scold him. He told him not to cause trouble for the adults, otherwise his father would teach him a lesson when he returned home."

The prince: “…”

The prince was in mixed emotions.

Lu Xueyin controlled their families and made them stand on Lu Xueyin's side wholeheartedly. How could these people not be loyal and fight bravely against the enemy?

Because they were not fighting for Lu Xueyin, but for their families. Their families could have the stable life they have now because of Lu Xueyin.

The prince was in a depressed and complicated mood, and he also heard people talking in the street.

Man: "I want to make a longevity tablet for you, Uncle San, you have seen me, can you tell me if it looks like you?"

The old man glanced at him and said, "Your grace and elegance are beyond your reach."

The man nodded in agreement. "Third uncle is right, but I can't do anything for you, sir. I can only carve a longevity tablet and pray for your good health and safety as a token of my appreciation."

The old man's expression eased slightly, and he said, "Your Excellency has the appearance of an immortal, with an outstanding temperament. You look like a fairy in front of a Bodhisattva."

The prince: “…”

He couldn't help but say, "She's just okay in appearance, but her brother is better looking."

The prince's words caused the two men to glare at each other angrily.

"You're talking nonsense. My Lord is the most handsome!" The man looked at the prince with anger in his eyes. "Are you a spy? Are you planning to harm my Lord?"

One sentence angered two people, and other people heard it and looked at them unkindly. He almost got beaten.

The Crown Prince, who had nearly achieved this feat, was dragged away by Yan Xing. He had just come out without any guards—with Yan Xing around, why would he need them? But Yan Xing couldn't afford to provoke public outrage; His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was simply too troublesome.

The two men ran to the side and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the other two men did not catch up with them.

He once again felt the people's love for Lu Xueyin. The so-called people's hearts are something invisible and intangible, but they have become real in Lu Xueyin.

How long had Lu Xueyin been in Lin'an Prefecture? A few days? And yet, the people here already loved her so much.

Not to mention Lingnan, Shu, and Quzhou. Oh, and there's also Huai'an City and Yanhui Pass.

Huai'an City was once massacred, and later Lu Xueyin recruited heroes from all over the world to rebuild this place, and even moved the workshop there.

The surviving people in Huai'an City are grateful to Lu Xueyin and regard her as their reborn parents.

Thinking of this, the prince gnashed his teeth. This was all the fault of his good brother. His expression froze. It was his good brother who spared his life.

There is also Yanhui Pass. Was it Lu Xueyin who recaptured Yanhui Pass, or was it Lu Xueyin who signed a peace treaty with the Tatar, ending the war at Yanhui Pass that had lasted for more than three hundred years?

Not to mention, the people of Yanhui Pass only recognized Lu Xueyin. Even the former Yan Family Army was now very grateful to Lu Xueyin.

I guess even if the Duke of Zhenguo personally came forward and asked the Yanhui Army to fight Lu Xueyin, they would not be willing to do so.

The prince raised his head and heard the people passing by say, "It would be great if you could stay with us forever."

"What are you thinking! Your Excellency has so many important things to do, how can you stay here forever? I think it would be better for Your Excellency to visit more places. Wherever Your Excellency goes, the people will have a good life. In this way, all the people in the world will have a good life."

The prince was stunned. This was a truth that even the common people understood.