Zhimin and Xiujie were packing their things in the house when they saw Guo Wenhao come in. Their expressions weren't sad; instead, they seemed relaxed.
Xiu Jie couldn't help but ask, "Wenhao, do you really want to leave home?"
Guo Wenhao shook his head and replied, "No, I don't want to leave. But I'm happy that someone is taking care of me."
Xiu Jie still didn't understand, but Zhi Min understood. She tugged at her younger brother and urged, "Hurry up and pack. We can't take too much stuff; it'll be inconvenient on the road."
Soon, everyone was ready.
Li Laosan patted each of the boys on the shoulder, gave them several careful instructions, then handed them over to Zheng He and went directly to find Zheng Feng.
He then went to the canteen and joined the villagers to return to Suijintan.
The town of Luoan was built around Luoan Academy, and most of the residents were the students' families and servants.
Just now, the death knell tolled in Xinduli, and news spread from the college that the holiday would be started early, so everyone was anxious.
Some were busy picking up their students, while others were preparing to hitch up their carts and head home at dawn.
In this way, the Li family's carriages and horses didn't attract much attention once they left the town...
Meanwhile, Jiayin followed Mu Xu and climbed over a slightly dilapidated corner of the wall in the north of the city. It took them only half an hour to get to Suijin Beach.
At the checkpoint at the Second Village Bridge, two veterans on duty were startled to see the princess return in the dead of night.
Jiayin didn't say much, only instructing them to have the heads of each family come to the old house to talk.
The veterans dared not delay and quickly went out to notify the others.
When Jiayin arrived at the village entrance, Uncle Zhao was chatting with the patrolling villagers under a big tree.
It was hot, and everyone ate something, but each person held a gourd and drank water sip by sip.
The village chief, unable to sleep at home, came over with his hands behind his back to join in the fun.
As a result, Jiayin and Muxu returned shortly after he sat down.
"This...this is..." The village chief was momentarily stunned and didn't know what to say.
Jiayin instructed Mu Xu to knock on the doors, and also instructed the patrolling villagers to invite the heads of each household to come and speak.
Uncle Zhao and the others' expressions changed, and they suddenly remembered the relocation many years ago...
Soon, torches were lit in the front yard of the Li family, illuminating the area as bright as day.
Villagers arrived one after another, and soon the courtyard was packed.
Perhaps sensing that something big was about to happen, everyone looked anxious, but no one dared to make a sound.
Jiayin kept thinking on the way, trying to find a way to avoid causing panic among the people while also ensuring that the idea of migrating south was taken seriously.
But no matter how difficult it is, you have to say it!
Now that everyone had arrived, she said, "Fellow villagers, the Northern Expedition is about to end, and now is a critical moment, as I'm sure you all know."
"But some wicked people are jealous of the achievements of the Marquis and my father, and have been plotting in secret to steal credit. Now they have set their sights on our village."
“Our village moved here from the north and has always been diligent and honest, and our lives have been peaceful and prosperous. However, we are still lowly in terms of power and influence, and over the years, our population has been growing. If we are not careful, we could easily be used against us by evil people who threaten and persecute us.”
"So, our family discussed it and decided that, taking advantage of the fleet's return, we would send our fellow villagers south for a while to see the different scenery in the south. It would take at least two or three months, and at most half a year. Once the northern expedition is successful and the situation in Xindu improves, the fleet will send everyone back."
"Of course, everyone just heard the death knell; the Queen has passed away. Going out at this time is likely to be seen as disrespectful, so everyone should be careful when coming and going."
"So we packed our bags overnight, only taking gold, silver and valuables, and tried to get on the ship and set sail before dawn."
The courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Everyone could hear clearly, but their minds just couldn't process what was happening.
They were living a perfectly good life, prosperous and carefree, so why did they suddenly decide to head south?
Even if someone wanted to plot against the Marquis and the Fourth Master to steal their military merits and find something to use against them, it wouldn't threaten the entire village, would it?
This involves hundreds of people, young and old!
How can you just abandon the home you've lived in for over a decade?
The village chief, Uncle Zhao, Liu the镖头 (bodyguard), and others knew more inside information and naturally guessed more.
The situation must be very critical, otherwise the princess wouldn't have rushed back overnight to urge everyone to evacuate!
The village chief tentatively asked, "Princess, is it really necessary to leave? Is the whole village leaving? Won't such a sudden disappearance of the village arouse more suspicion?"
Uncle Zhao chimed in, "Yes, Princess. We still need to fetch water to irrigate the fields, and there are workshops in the second village. We can't just abandon everything."
Their words seemed to have triggered a commotion, and the villagers began to shout.
"Princess, my son is getting married in half a month, so... I can't just leave like that!"
"And my family, my daughter is getting married in a month, and the dowry is all prepared. We can't change the date."
"What will happen to the children's schooling? Will classes be suspended for several months?"
"If you leave the fruit on the mountain for a few days, the weeds will grow as tall as your waist."
"What are we going to do about the business at the workshop?"
Jiayin, trying her best to suppress her irritation, said, "Orchards, fields, and businesses are all external things. Maintaining safety is the most important thing right now. We can build everything else up in Suijintan, and we can do it in Quanzhou too!"
"Weddings and other such matters should be postponed if possible, and annuled if they cannot be postponed. What could be more important than life!"
"Enough with the small talk, all the children must go south! As for the rest, I'll discuss with Grandpa Village Chief before deciding who stays in the village to look after the houses."
It was rare to see Jiayin so stern, so everyone shut their mouths and dared not say another word.
But they all looked at the village chief, hoping he would come up with a solution.
After thinking for a moment, the village chief invited Jiayin into the house.
Jiayin couldn't keep it from the village chief, so she explained the situation in Jiangbei.
The village chief was so angry he gritted his teeth, almost breaking his pipe in his hand.
But at this point, there's no time to vent your anger with curses.
He thought for a moment and said, “Princess, I know you want to protect the villagers and it would be best if they all went south to ensure their safety. But the details of this matter cannot be known to everyone right now, so it is even more difficult to make arrangements.”
But everyone has lived in Suijintan for so long, it's practically their hometown, how could they bear to leave so easily?
"Young people may be okay, but people my age and Lao Zhao's age are probably not willing to go through all that trouble anymore."
"We can't really abandon the villages on both sides; they'll be empty and desolate. We need to keep it a secret from outsiders."
"Why don't I go and tell them that if anyone wants to stay, you shouldn't stop them? Of course, the child must leave."
Jiayin knew this was the best outcome, so she could only nod.
So the village chief went out first and spoke loudly to the crowd.
"This is indeed very dangerous. If we stay, our lives may be in danger. So everyone who can move should quickly follow the instructions and take their children south."
"The master has lived in Quanzhou for many years, and he has bought estates and land and done business. He certainly won't let everyone be left without a place to live when he gets there."
"But if there are any who are not afraid of death and really don't want to move, then they can stay with this old man and watch the house. Of course, if there is any danger later, don't complain, it's your decision."
"Hurry back and discuss it with your family, and also pack the children's luggage. Meet at the village entrance in half an hour!"
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