Chapter 137 This is my master

The further they traveled towards Weizhou, the more horrific the surrounding scenery became, with even the wind carrying an inescapable stench of decay and despair.

The roadside weeds had long been dug up, and the bare tree trunks were completely devoid of bark.

On roads and in fields, one can see figures lying on the ground everywhere.

Those were starving victims who had died. They were emaciated, their bellies swollen from edema, and their stiff fingers still held the posture of crawling and begging in life, as if they were struggling to find something to eat before they died.

The unburied corpses rotted slowly under the scorching sun, and the greenish-black pus soaked into the parched earth, attracting swarms of flies that buzzed around them.

Wild dogs dragged their bloodied limbs across the fields.

What's even more unsettling is that these animals have long lost their fear of living people.

His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Li Yuanzhao and Chen Yanqing as they passed by, drool dripping from the corners of his mouth, as if he was waiting for the next "prey" to fall.

Occasionally, one could see a few starving refugees staggering toward the rotting corpses, trying to cut off a piece of flesh to fill their stomachs.

But as soon as he reached out his hand, he was pounced on and chased away by wild dogs that were trying to steal his food.

They were so hungry they couldn't even win a fight against animals...

Along the way, the two encountered many parents who led their children, whose hair was adorned with straw tags, to stand silently by the roadside, waiting for buyers like livestock.

The price might be just a liter of rice or a few cakes.

And most of these children are girls.

They were all emaciated and had numb eyes, so numb that they didn't look like living people. They neither cried nor struggled, as if they already knew their fate.

The more Li Yuanzhao looked, the more gloomy his gaze became.

In the writings of local officials, the phrases "the disaster is under control" and "the people are at peace" are always used, and their words are full of praise for the emperor's "wisdom and martial prowess" and "effective governance."

Even though Hebei Province was already in chaos, they would never report the tragic scene of widespread starvation. Instead, they would use beautiful words to whitewash the situation, all to protect their own official positions.

Therefore, the capital city remained a scene of peace and prosperity.

The osmanthus blossoms in the Imperial Garden are in full bloom, and the sounds of string and wind instruments fill the air at the palace banquet. The ministers discuss factional disputes, poetry, calligraphy, and painting, unaware of the tragedy unfolding on this land thousands of miles away.

My father has been emperor for so long that he has long forgotten the weight of the word "common people".

As long as the world is not in chaos and the throne is secure, and can be smoothly passed on to his chosen successor, it doesn't matter to him whether the people are well-fed or not.

Over the years, natural disasters and man-made calamities have never ceased.

Floods, border troubles, droughts... like termites, they are slowly gnawing away at the foundation of this dynasty.

But having lived in the deep palace for so long, looking down upon all living beings, he never noticed.

Public resentment has never been absent; it has simply been suppressed for the time being.

But the harder you suppress it, the more likely it will eventually become uncontrollable.

When the two arrived at a dilapidated temple, it was already late at night. They were preparing to rest there and continue their journey the next day.

It was already October, and the temperature at night was very low.

Outside, the north wind whistled through the broken temple's doorway, carrying withered leaves.

Chen Yanqing, familiar with the place, found some dry firewood and quickly started a fire.

He turned to look at Li Yuanzhao.

She was sitting on a broken stool with only three legs, her gaze fixed on the flames, her expression inscrutable, as if she were deep in thought.

Chen Yanqing's stomach had been rumbling for most of the day.

Since giving the dry rations to Xiao Cui, the two of them had not eaten anything, and now their stomachs were empty and they were starving.

The two of them would have to wait at least two more days to reach Weizhou City, while General Shen's troops would have to wait four more days.

What will we do if there's no food?

He secretly grumbled, thinking that he had probably never heard of an official who came to provide disaster relief and starved himself to death first.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Li Yuanzhao suddenly came to his senses, but remained seated, only raising his eyes to look towards the door.

Before long, the temple door was pushed open with a loud bang, and a cold wind carrying dust rushed in, startling the fire into a crackling sound.

Six or seven burly men walked in.

In those years of widespread famine, these men, each with broad shoulders, thick waists, and oily faces, stood out conspicuously.

They had knives at their waists and each carried a bulging cloth bag in their hands.

This group of people clearly often rested here. Upon entering and seeing the two people by the fire, they paused in their tracks.

Upon seeing that there was only a thin, scholarly-looking man and a young woman inside, the group exchanged glances and revealed malicious smiles.

The burly man at the head of the group had a thick beard and narrowed triangular eyes, sizing up Li Yuanzhao and Chen Yanqing.

Although the two men were dressed in inconspicuous clothes, their overall demeanor clearly indicated that they were wealthy young men traveling with their families.

Hey, what a fat sheep delivered to our door!

He didn't take Li Yuanzhao seriously, swaggered forward, plopped down next to Chen Yanqing, and directly probed her with his words.

"Hey buddy, where are you headed?"

Chen Yanqing glanced at Li Yuanzhao, and seeing that she remained unmoved, he slowly replied, "My home is in Weizhou. I heard that there was great turmoil in my hometown, and I was really worried about my elderly mother being alone at home, so I rushed back overnight."

"Weizhou?" The big man laughed. "You must be out of the loop! Weizhou is surrounded by refugees, blocking the city gates completely. The government has already sealed off the city! If you go back now, forget about seeing your mother, you might not even be able to get to the city gates. You might even lose your life!"

"Even so, we have to go back and check before we can feel at ease." Chen Yanqing sighed, following his words, then changed the subject, asking seemingly casually, "Seeing you gentlemen in such a hurry, are you... also on your way?"

"Us?" the big man mumbled. "We're just small business owners, traveling all over the country trying to make a living. In this world, we're just trying to survive."

Chen Yanqing nodded, then looked at the cloth bag that had been placed at their feet.

The bag was heavy and didn't look like ordinary goods.

"What's in this bag?"

"It's just some meat and grain," the bearded man replied impatiently, clearly not wanting to discuss it further.

Chen Yanqing was somewhat surprised. At this time of year, when even wild vegetables are hard to find, how could so many wild animals be hunted?

Just then, Li Yuanzhao, who had been keeping his eyes down and warming himself by the fire, suddenly looked up and glanced indifferently at the bearded man at the head of the group.

Caught off guard, the burly man met her gaze and inexplicably shivered, a chill creeping into his heart.

But then he realized he was overthinking it. She was just a young woman; what could she possibly be scary about?

He composed himself, then turned his gaze back to Li Yuanzhao, his tone becoming flippant: "Is this your wife? Bringing her along this desolate road, aren't you afraid something might happen?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yanqing's cheeks flushed instantly, and he hurriedly explained, "No, no, no! This is my master."