Yun Yiyi and the others rested on the official road for about half an hour before the village chief called everyone back on. The sun wasn't as intense as it was at noon, when it felt like a burning sensation, intensely hot and painful. Now, the sun was as gentle as a spring breeze in March. Still, the temperature was high. Everyone, now seeing hope, was in high spirits, and their pace quickened.
Yun Yiyi noticed that the further they advanced, the more refugees they encountered. The closer they got to the city, the more refugees there were. The city was the only way to get south, so it was reasonable to assume there would be a lot of refugees at the gates.
"Everyone line up, women and children in the middle, the elderly and young people on both sides, and adults remember to watch over the children. Also, keep your weapons in a handy place. Don't fall behind, keep up with the team in front." The village chief shouted loudly.
The other refugees heard the village chief's voice and made way. The villagers of Yunjia Village took advantage of this opportunity to hurry on. Although the official road was crowded with refugees, the villagers of Yunjia Village were moving at a fast pace. Yun Yiyi looked up at the increasingly clear city walls and thought that they would definitely reach the capital before sunset.
Yun Yiyi noticed that most of the refugees around her were pale and thin, and the children were even thinner. At first glance, the children's eyes were surprisingly large. Even the refugees pushing carts didn't have much stuff on them. Most of them were carrying a shriveled bag as they hurried along. They must have left early.
During this dynasty, transportation was not well developed. Long distances were usually traveled by horse-drawn carriage, donkey-drawn cart, or even on foot. These were all very slow, resulting in a lack of information exchange. Perhaps the drought in their area struck earlier and was more severe, leading them to flee the famine early. They had originally intended to escape to a place unaffected by the disaster. However, they discovered that every place they passed through was affected, prompting everyone to flee.
This led to an increasing number of refugees. Later, after the government issued a decree requiring food and supplies to escape the famine, refugees flocked to the city. Those who fled early, lacking both food and water, moved more slowly. Those who left later, like those from Yunjia Village, had some food and water, and their energy levels were high, so they traveled quickly. Now imagine how many groups of refugees the Yunjia Villagers must have overtaken on the official road.
Following the large group of refugees, the villagers of Yunjia Village finally arrived at a spot not far from the city walls. This was a spot chosen by the village chief, on a small hillside, overlooking the city walls. It was estimated to be about 600 meters away. It wasn't that everyone didn't want to go forward, but there were simply too many people. The open space in front of the city walls was filled with refugees.
There were groups of refugees sitting outdoors, others in small huts near the city walls, and others lining up at the city gates with horse-drawn and donkey-drawn carts. There were so many people that there was no room in the open space in front of the city walls for all the Yunjia Villagers. Feeling it was unsafe to separate them, the village chief simply retreated and found a small hillside for everyone to settle down. Then, it was time for each family to send one person to attend the meeting.
"We have arrived at the provincial capital now, but we came late and don't know what the situation is now or whether we can enter the city. Therefore, we have to send three people to the city gate to find out the specific situation. Does anyone have any ideas? Tell us." The village chief asked while sitting on the ground.
"Village chief, count me in. I'm willing to go to the city gate to find out the situation." Yun the butcher was the first to express his opinion.
"Village chief, I count as one too. I want to see if there is any notice posted at the city gate. If there is, we can know a lot of information." Li Xiucai continued.
"Village chief, count me in as well. I'll go with you to find out." Hunter Zhang also wanted to find out the news.
"Okay, does anyone have any different opinions? If not, then we'll decide on these three people." The village chief continued to ask everyone.
"Village chief, I think these three people are suitable to go and gather information. Yun the Butcher and Zhang the Hunter are good at fighting, and Li Xiucai knows a lot of words. They are a good match." said a villager.
"Yes, village chief, let's choose them. There is no one in our village who is better at martial arts than Yun the Butcher and Zhang the Hunter, and no one who is more knowledgeable than Li Xiucai." Another villager also said.
"Yes, village chief, many of us have never been to the provincial capital. If we really went there, we wouldn't be able to speak and wouldn't know how to get information. The key is that most of us are illiterate. Even if there are notices, we can't understand them." said a villager.
Many villagers had never traveled far, and the most they had been to was the town. So, seeing so many people, they were a little intimidated.
"Okay, if everyone has no other objections, let's send these three people to find out the news." The village chief looked at everyone and said.
"No objection, Village Chief," said most of the people who came to the meeting.
"Okay, Yun the Butcher, Zhang the Hunter, and Li the Scholar, go back and tell your families, and then go and find out the news. Remember, you must pay attention to safety." The village chief instructed.
"Okay, village chief. Let's go back and tell them, and then we'll set off." Yun the Butcher, Zhang the Hunter, and Li the Scholar all expressed their opinions.
"I'm going to the city gate with Li Xiucai, Zhang the Hunter, and the others to gather information. You stay home and pack up the children. We'll rest here tonight. Keep an eye on the children and don't let them run around. The three of you should be good role models for your sisters and not run around. Help your mother pack up, okay?"
While Yun the Butcher was explaining things to Zhang, he looked at the three brothers of the Yun family.
"Okay, Dad, I will take good care of my younger brothers and sisters, and help Mom with the work." Brother Yun said.
"Okay, I'm leaving now." Butcher Yun touched Yun Yiyi's head and said.
Yun the Butcher, Zhang the Hunter, and Li Xiucai clung to each other, preparing to push through the thick wall of people. There were so many people, they had to squeeze through, and those with weaker health couldn't really squeeze through. Li Xiucai struggled to get through the wall of people, with Zhang the Hunter pulling him from the front and Yun the Butcher pushing him from the back. Once the three of them had squeezed through the long wall, they glanced at each other. Everyone's clothes and hair were messed up, like madmen, a truly miserable sight. The three of them looked at each other and smiled wryly.
Fortunately, near the city gate, guarded by soldiers, there was about two meters of space between them. Yun the Butcher and his two companions squeezed into the area where refugees, driven by horse and donkey carts, were queuing to enter the city. That area still had some space. Three meters to the soldier's right, there must have been a notice posted on the wall, where refugees were gathered. To the soldier's left, along the wall, were small, simple shacks stacked side by side.
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