The area where the Hu people lived for generations was not suitable for farming, so they relied entirely on animal husbandry for survival.

Last year was a year of severe drought, resulting in a poor harvest of pasture grass. The cattle and sheep on the grasslands could not survive, so they thought of plundering the Central Plains in order to find a chance to survive.

The Central Plains also suffered from drought last year, resulting in a complete crop failure. The Hu people then came up with the idea of ​​using Han women and children as substitutes for grain.

So, whenever they arrived in a city, they would first slaughter all the able-bodied men, leaving the women and children as mobile granaries.

Lin Yinan was horrified when she heard this.

This is so cruel. She had only seen history briefly mentioned in history books, but now it was truly unfolding before her eyes.

With the Lunar New Year just a few days away, Lin Yinan and Lin Yiheng discussed it and decided to take out half a bag of flour and a pig's leg to prepare dumplings for everyone. The flour was from their previous storage, and they attributed the pig's leg to the Yun family, saying it was a gift from them.

Since returning from driving away the wolves, the Yun family's secret guards have been going into the mountains to hunt from time to time.

The day after Lin Yinan and her brother finished telling their lie, Yun Mo brought a deer leg to the Lin family home.

"Grandma, this is the deer I hunted. My family can't eat that much, so my mother told me to bring you some."

Yun Mo's words made Old Mrs. Zhao smile with delight.

Except for the very young children, everyone knows that even if the Yun family can't handle it all, they still have four or five hundred bodyguards under their command, so they can definitely manage.

As for why he gave it to the Lin family separately, everyone knows the answer.

After he left, Old Mrs. Zhao sighed, "I have never seen a man care so much about a woman."

As soon as she spoke, everyone's eyes turned to Lin Yinan.

Lin Yinan, without blushing, said shamelessly, "That's because they want something from us. Once they get what they want, will they still be so polite and generous to the Lin family?"

The three women, including Mrs. Zhao, who had been through similar experiences, fell silent.

Marriage is like a tomb; those inside desperately try to climb out, while those outside yearn for a safe haven.

Unfortunately, even the harbor that sheltered them from the wind and rain was not entirely satisfactory.

Lin Yiheng, the most educated and successful member of the Lin family, coughed twice and said, "The journey to escape is fraught with difficulties and dangers. The Yun family has people in the south. Only by relying on the Yun family's strength can we safely reach the south."

Lin Shuo glanced at Lin Yinan, who was silent with her eyes down, and said, "No matter what, the Yun family is loyal and righteous, and acts with integrity. It's always a good thing to follow them."

On New Year's Day, the Lin family enjoyed a sumptuous meal of wontons filled with wild vegetables and pork, and wild vegetables and venison.

Like Lin Yinan's family, most families in Linjia Village will continue to firmly follow the Yun family in the new year.

After the Spring Festival, the weather gradually warmed up, and there was no more heavy snowfall.

As the ice and snow melted more severely, ice water dripped continuously from trees and rocks, slowly gathering into streams that flowed into low-lying areas.

Leaving is imperative.

Yun Qi and Yun Er, who were in charge of scouting the way, have returned.

They found a narrow mountain road that bypassed the counties of Gudao and Qingdao.

After repeated discussions, they unanimously decided to set off on the second day of the second lunar month, the day the dragon raises its head.

The Dragon Raises Its Head, also known as the Spring Ploughing Festival or the Green Dragon Festival.

Since ancient times, people have regarded the Dragon Head Raising Day as a day to pray for favorable weather, ward off evil and disaster, and bring good fortune and change one's luck.

The dragon raising its head signifies the rise of yang energy, increased rainfall, and a rise in temperature.

Five or six households of Linjia Village chose to stay in the mountain stronghold, believing that the Hu people would not attack for the time being, and even if they did, they could escape to deeper forests to hide.

As the snow melts, the mountain roads become even more difficult to traverse.

The cloth shoes with their multi-layered soles were completely soaked after only a few steps, and the cuffs of the trousers were also covered in mud.

The muddy ground was soggy that the group trudged forward, their pace very slow, covering only twenty or thirty li each day.

Even if it's slow, they have no choice but to move.

The ice and snow are melting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Older people know that such a cold winter will freeze many people to death, and if the temperature rises too quickly after the snow disaster, it may lead to a plague.

They set off at dawn every day and found a place to rest in the evening.

Finally, on the tenth day, they emerged from the rolling mountains.

By this time, the snow had completely melted, and the mountain road was muddy everywhere.

Looking at the village that was faintly visible at the foot of the mountain, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

As everyone got closer, they realized that something was wrong with the village.

It was already noon, but there wasn't a trace of smoke or fire in the village.

Yun Mo immediately sent Yun Qi to check.

Before long, Yun Qi rode back.

"How's the situation up ahead?" Yun Mo asked.

Yun Qi's face was deathly pale; he was clearly terrified.

"Master, there's no one left in the whole village."

"They've all left?" Yun Mo assumed they had fled.

Yun Qi shook his head. "They were killed."

"Can you tell anything?"

"The massacre probably occurred around the time the heavy snow blocked the mountains. Most of the villagers were killed in their own homes in the middle of the night, and all the grain stored in their homes was swept away."

"Robbers?"

"We cannot rule out this possibility."

Yun Mo rubbed his sore eyes. "Pass down the order: do not enter the village, proceed at full speed, and find a place to camp and rest twenty miles away."

The villagers were puzzled as to why they didn't stop to stay overnight when they passed through the village. It wasn't until they passed through the village and smelled the stench of rotting corpses that they fell silent.

Fearing infection with the virus, Lin Yinan covered her face with a handkerchief early on, with a medical mask underneath as usual.

"How long has he been dead? Why hasn't anyone claimed his body?" Old Mrs. Zhao said with a disgusted look, covering her mouth and nose with a cloth.

Lin Yizhang, being outspoken, asked, "Grandma, is it possible that the whole family has died and no one is there to collect the bodies?"

Grandma Zhao was speechless. This brat wasn't wrong.

As you leave the village, the wide roads are littered with even more corpses, their deaths even more gruesome.

Most of the corpses were only wearing thin inner garments; their outer shirts and cotton robes were nowhere to be seen.

Some of the female corpses were found with their lower bodies completely naked, without even a piece of cloth.

As everyone stared at the corpse in the snow, their already uneasy hearts were further terrified by this shock.

Yun Er rode his horse quietly closer to Yun Mo. "Master, have you noticed that the knife wounds on these corpses are all neatly arranged?"

Yun Mo nodded. "It doesn't seem like you, a bandit, were responsible. What did you notice?"

Yun Er remained silent for a long time, then said with a solemn expression, "It's somewhat like a military tactic."

"You mean..."

"The government officials killed innocent people and claimed credit for it!"

"How long is it from here to the next county town?" Yun Mo asked.

Yun Qi had a thorough understanding of the terrain on the map. "It's less than thirty li."

Are there any places to rest nearby?

"Yes, there is a grove of trees ten miles ahead."

"Pass down the order: we will rest in the woods ten miles away," Yun Mo said.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of a troop of horses' hooves came from not far away.

His heart skipped a beat. "Warning! There's something ahead!"