The earliest rumors came from various cities, saying that the new army not only killed court officials, but also villagers, and even ripped out hearts and livers, drank human blood and ate human flesh.
Jiang Zhi suspected that those rumors were a way for the imperial army to intimidate the people.
It cannot be ruled out that the killing and massacre of villages were deliberate sabotage tactics employed by both armies within the other's camp, a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black, intended to disrupt morale.
In modern terms, this would be considered a psychological war.
In any case, when gods fight, mortals suffer; a single word from someone in power can cost an ordinary person their life.
The rumors of murder spread more and more wildly, frightening the villagers so much that no one dared to stay, and they all fled their homes to escape the famine.
This chaos caused complete disruption to social order.
The refugees became bandits, and the bandits harmed the refugees. The bandits, the refugees, and the defeated and chaotic soldiers, along with the bandits, caused the land to be like a thousand-mile-long breached dike, with waves rolling and sand swirling, leaving no safe place to live.
Everyone believed whatever they heard and spread rumors. They were all farmers who rarely left their homes, so they had no idea where it was safe. Even when they fled, they did so blindly.
They either went south or north, or went their separate ways. They ran around aimlessly, and when they had nothing to eat or drink, they stole and robbed indiscriminately. The more they robbed, the more panicked they became, and the more panicked they became, the more chaotic they became. There was never a day of peace!
Grandma Xiaoman spent her whole life in the countryside, doing housework every day. The furthest she ever went was to the town market a few times. She knew nothing about politics.
Hearing Chunfeng mention the deaths of refugees on the road, he sighed repeatedly, heartbroken: "These are human lives! What kind of army is this... They're all family, can't they sit down and talk things out, and let everyone live peacefully?"
In the hearts of the people in the rural farmhouse, since the King of Zhou and the Emperor were relatives, they were family. They should find a mediator and sit down to talk things out, just like when brothers in the village quarrel.
Xiaomanye naturally knew more, but he didn't criticize his wife's ignorance; he also looked bewildered.
However, he still held onto hope.
If a new emperor were to be appointed, would it be possible for my family to pay less tax, and would the tax officials also need to be replaced?
Although the imperial court explicitly stipulated that taxes should be collected at 35%, in the hands of the tax officials who went to the countryside, even the cleanest grain from each household would have 10% deducted for impurities and moisture.
They might even arbitrarily write "superior quality" as "medium or inferior quality," which would require adding extra weight.
After being subjected to short-weighting and other irregularities, the annual tax burden has actually increased by more than 50%.
If they paid in silver instead of grain, the grain merchants would buy it at a low price when they sold it, making them even more ruthless than the tax officials.
No matter what, the common people will have half of their harvest taken away.
In addition to these, there were countless exorbitant taxes and levies, making it truly impossible for people to survive.
Jiang Zhi was peeling corn cobs in her hands, silently thinking about the plight of the refugees.
I haven't heard from the male lead for a long time.
If the two armies really clash in Yuzhou Prefecture, the people of Xujia Village will be walking right into the line of fire, and that would be disastrous.
It seems the male lead's bad luck really does follow him wherever he goes. The fact that she was able to spend half a year safely on the mountain and leave the male lead early on was the right move.
Moreover, according to Chunfeng, most of the refugees went to various prefectures and counties because those places at least had government officials and soldiers maintaining order.
This corresponds to the information I already know.
As a hub of waterway transportation, Yuzhou Prefecture was the most prosperous place, with a large number of troops stationed there by the imperial court, and it was also the primary location that the new army needed to control.
As a strategically vital location fought over by both armies, the increasing number of wounded suggests that the area near Yuzhou Prefecture has likely become the main battlefield.
The refugees gathered there are going to suffer. If I follow them to escape the famine, I will either die at the hands of the male protagonist or outside the city of Yuzhou.
Beside him, Xu Errui remained silent, his mind still preoccupied with the village chief and Xiao Tian. He couldn't help but whisper to Jiang Zhi, "Mother, with the fighting in Yuzhou Prefecture... will they kill the refugees?"
Looking at Xu Errui's worried face, she knew it was the male lead halo effect; there were always people who inexplicably admired the male lead.
Jiang Zhi thought this was normal. Aside from the male lead's halo, Xu Errui and Xiaoman stayed behind instead of fleeing the famine because they had grown up with Nie Fantian since childhood.
Life in the mountains is monotonous and dull, and one can't help but miss familiar people and things.
In response to Xu Errui's doubts, Jiang Zhi said, "There are many people in Xu Family Village, so no one would dare to kill them."
After saying that, she said no more.
It's hard to say whether they would kill refugees, but it's possible they would forcibly conscript men into the army. Nie Fantian probably joined the new army in this way.
With the male lead around, there's plenty of bad luck, but also some good luck; there are always a few people who rise to prominence by following him.
Jiang Zhi was reluctant to recall the male protagonist's glorious future, even with the protagonist's halo, there were still countless hardships and dangers.
"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand." For every person who rises to prominence, countless others are left to perish.
She has separated from the main character, but she is also the main character in her own world.
Now I just want my life to get better day by day, and for the porridge in my bowl to get thicker and thicker each day.
For example, what's giving her a headache right now is that the corn cob in her hand is too short and missing kernels.
It already had very few kernels, and there were hardly any more corn kernels than Grandpa Xiaoman's teeth.
If it's tender corn, one person can eat the equivalent of two acres of land. No wonder Xu Errui looked terrified when Jiang Zhi wanted to try the tender corn a while ago, as if a wild boar had reappeared.
This was truly infuriating for Jiang Zhi, who was used to seeing large ears of corn!
Judging from everyone's satisfied expressions, this is a bumper year without paying taxes!
At this time, everyone chatted while working, talking about the new army down the mountain and cursing the wicked refugees.
Grandpa Xiaoman reminded Xu Errui and Xiaoman to check the traps they set every day, so they wouldn't be unaware of any wild animals that might come.
After eating the porridge, the little wild boar ran around wildly for a while, then lay down carefree in the pile of corn bran, sleeping soundly and snoring away, completely embracing the feeling of peaceful tranquility!
Under the same sky, war raged below the mountain, causing countless deaths and injuries, while the people on the mountain were rebuilding their homes.
After harvesting the corn, and taking advantage of the spare time, Xiaomanye planned to add a roof to the house before the continuous autumn rains arrived.
After Chunfeng returned, the charcoal shed at the foot of the cliff, though three large rooms, was not completely separated, making it somewhat inconvenient for Xiaoman, her half-grown-up brother-in-law, to live there.
At first, Xiaoman lived in a shack outside to guard the wheat. Later, threatened by a large snake, she dared not sleep alone, so she ran up the cliff and squeezed into a kang (heated brick bed) with Xu Errui.
At that time, Qiaoyun was still in her postpartum period and was living in the same room with her mother-in-law Jiang Zhi, along with her daughter Caixia.
Since she already shared a room with Xu Errui, and there was an empty spot there, it didn't matter if Xiaoman moved in.
Qiaoyun has now completed her confinement period, but Jiang Zhi is still keeping her and Xu Errui separate for a while, so the couple is not living together. Xiaoman staying at someone else's place is not a long-term solution.
So when the farming work was finished and the two families had some free time, Xiaoman planned to build a partition wall in the charcoal shed and build another room to move Xu Dazhu and his wife out.
In addition, the mountain wall inside the charcoal shed also needs to be separated by wood.
In summer, water flows down the mountainside, keeping the house cool. But in winter, it gets damp and cold, and no amount of fire can warm the whole mountain.
To build a house, you need stone slabs, wooden beams, and wooden pillars.
Jiang Zhi used all the dry timber and bark from the mountain to build the house. Xiao Man's grandfather has been preparing for the past few months, but they need to find stones and soil again.
So, the people who had just found some free time began searching the mountains for suitable yellow clay again.
Jiang Zhi and others were looking for yellow mud while repairing the house.
The village's medical sheds were also busy; they were repairing people and finding medicinal herbs.
As the number of wounded increased, the small medical tent's stock of medicines became insufficient, including anti-inflammatory drugs and fever reducers...
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