Think back to that vulnerable version of myself, just an ordinary person with a terrible family background. Trying to help others would probably have been met with ridicule.
Look at her, trying to help others when she's already in dire straits herself.
The situation is very different now. With so many superpowers and spatial abilities, she could easily become the pinnacle of this world.
If she didn't do something, it would be a huge waste, and she would also feel uneasy.
Shen Xingmian seemed to have made a decision.
Although she hadn't figured out the specifics of the decision yet, only a vague outline, she already felt much more relaxed.
The person inside was woken up in bed, and his morning grumpiness made him very difficult to talk to.
The two men were already feeling guilty for not finding any trace of Shen Zhiheng, but they thought that bringing back unfamiliar grain would offset their mistake.
Unexpectedly, they couldn't get away with it and were quite nervous.
They were already kneeling, and now they were so frightened that they kowtowed heavily, again and again, but they didn't dare to beg for mercy, for fear of disturbing the eldest prince and having him take their lives.
Hearing the heavy kowtowing sounds inside, Shen Xingmian felt a mix of emotions. They had all been working people, and at that moment, she even felt a little sorry for them.
Judging from the fact that they only drugged and knocked out their own people instead of killing them, these two are at least not perverted, bloodthirsty bastards who take pleasure in human lives.
Even considering coming back the next day, Shen Xingmian felt that, for the time being, their crime did not warrant death.
If I really do take these people in, I'll need at least two people to manage them.
She thought the two men were quite good; they diligently followed orders, were somewhat clever, and knew when to retreat if they realized something was impossible. They were indeed very good subordinates.
The two people, who had no idea what kind of offer they had received, were trembling with fear.
In the Northern Di, the eldest prince's reputation for madness was known to all. One moment he might be calling someone his brother, and the next he might reach out and snap their neck.
Such capricious people are truly feared from the bottom of their hearts.
When I went out to receive the order, I thought I had done a good job, but now I realize that I haven't satisfied my master at all.
And that was indeed the case; they only brought back a small amount of food, which was hardly a significant blow to the border troops stationed in Linyue.
But their trip was originally for drug testing and reconnaissance. They said that after confirming the effectiveness, the entire army would move out the next day.
If we were certain that Shen Zhiheng wasn't there, the success rate would be higher. But the medicine is so effective that even if Shen Zhiheng were there, there's not much we can do against them.
Should this also be punished?
Sigh, this is so difficult.
The two men had both kowtowed until their heads were bleeding before the person above said impatiently, "Alright, get out of here. Don't get in my way. If you come here in the middle of the night to report this useless stuff again, I'll skin you alive! Get out!"
The two hurriedly got up, their legs trembling with fear. They didn't forget to wipe up the bloodstains on the ground before helping each other out.
Shen Xingmian followed them the whole way, and only dared to complain quietly after they had walked quite a distance.
"Sigh, when will this ever end? We were doing just fine here, so why did this devil come here? Life here is so hard, why hasn't he gone back to the royal court yet?"
"Who says otherwise? They brought the medicine on a whim, so we had to risk our lives to go out and try it. There was no danger while we were trying it, but when we came back and reported back, we were almost scared to death. Sigh, where can we go to complain?"
"Yeah, when I was staking out today, I heard the laughter of those Lin Yue people... I don't know why, but I felt a little envious."
"...What you said was really outrageous, you can't say it again. However, I also think those people are quite lucky to be able to follow Shen Zhiheng."
The two had already reached the entrance of the camp, so they shut up and said no more.
Shen Xingmian followed along, and after listening, she felt very conflicted.
Many things are predetermined when a person is born, and most of the efforts people make later in life are actually in vain.
She herself has experienced this firsthand.
Whether you want to transcend social class or defy fate, it's harder than climbing to heaven. Because your initial circumstances impose too many limitations on you.
This is even more true here.
Several countries are not very far apart, and if you are born in a slightly higher position, you may not know what your birth type is.
During times of war, there are so many national and personal grievances that it's impossible to remember them all. The hope of living a peaceful life is simply nonexistent.
It's really heartbreaking to think about them.
If those in power have a conscience, life is a little easier for those below. But if the general is like that prince from earlier, their heads are practically tied to their waists.
I don't know when it got lost.
That's terrible.
Shen Xingmian decided to let the two go for now.
Following her memory, she found the granary, which was well-stocked with supplies, much better than the northern military camp she had visited before.
Besides large quantities of brown rice and coarse grain flour, there were also small bags of refined grains, presumably reserved for the eldest prince.
She first gathered up her corn, then collected all the fine grains, and then picked out the good ones and collected most of the other coarse grains before leaving satisfied.
She didn't take all the grain, but left enough for them to eat for a few days.
Regardless of which side they were on, many people were probably hoping for a ceasefire, hoping to take their pay and go home to live a less impoverished life with their families.
To put it bluntly, the fighting between the two sides wasn't about food, but about orders from above.
The former did it out of necessity for survival, while the latter were used as cannon fodder to satisfy the power-hungry desires of those above them.
In the first scenario, once the food problem is solved, the situation can be largely resolved.
The latter is much easier to solve. Just kill the person who gives orders and make yourself the one in that position, right?
Thinking of this, Shen Xingmian immediately perked up. If she could gain control of the surrounding countries, why would she be afraid of war reigniting?
I'm not afraid at all!
She used to only think about living in a remote corner of the world, and she didn't even have any aversion to poor and desolate places like the North, since she could live anywhere anyway.
But if given the opportunity to visit a more scenic place, would she necessarily refuse?
That's not necessarily true.
Seeing more scenery and meeting more people is exactly what she wanted, so why not make plans for it sooner?
Shen Xingmian suddenly understood; things she had never thought about before suddenly became clear.
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