"Auntie, this is your medicine for the next few days. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl, and take it twice a day. Come back for more when you've finished it."
It was already late at night, but a long queue still stretched out in a winding line outside the city lord's mansion.
After seeing off a patient, Xu Nian stood up, stretched, and loosened her muscles. She glanced at the long, seemingly endless queue, then looked up at the bright moon overhead.
The soldier behind her caught her gaze and, with great tact, stepped forward. "Dear folks, today's free clinic is now over. It's getting late, so please go home and rest. We'll come again tomorrow!"
The people of Cangque City looked at each other in bewilderment. Since such an important figure had spoken, they would not have dared to utter a word under normal circumstances.
But the people they met today seemed different from those they had seen before. They not only dealt with the arrogant steward, but also fed them and treated their illnesses.
Therefore, she became bolder, but still asked cautiously, "Fairy Goddess, is there really any more tomorrow?"
In their eyes, Xu Nian was beautiful and could see through the steward's sorcery, which they couldn't see through. She also distributed porridge in simple clothes and treated their illnesses; even the gods in the temple had never been so kind.
Although she heard some people call her Princess, she still called her that according to her own wishes.
Xu Nian was stunned for a moment. Being praised as a fairy for the first time didn't make her happy; instead, she felt a strange, inexplicable feeling welled up inside. It was a suffocating feeling.
"Uncle, you don't need to be so polite, just call me Xu Nian." The people declined one after another, and when she couldn't persuade them, she simply gave up, "Just come on time tomorrow at 5 a.m.."
"Then, will there be porridge tomorrow?"
Another voice rang out from the crowd, sounding somewhat young. As soon as the words left her lips, the crowd's hopeful yet cautious gazes fell upon her once more.
A pang of sorrow gripped her heart. Xu Nian called out loudly, "Yes, there is porridge. We will distribute the food to each household in three days. Those who know how to farm, wait for me in the largest open space in the city in five days! Did everyone understand?!"
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
Xu Nian knew she would have to leave sooner or later, so she was glad that the seeds in the space hadn't all been planted yet.
Although Cangque City is located in a mountainous area, she went to see the large open space next to the city lord's mansion today. The soil quality is good, making it perfect for farming.
There are indeed terraced fields here, but most of the crops have been abandoned and the waterwheels are no longer in operation, so further consideration is needed.
Having received an affirmative reply from the residents, Xu Nian began to pack up her stall, forgetting to look towards the city gate. "Go and take a look. What's the situation outside the city? If those Xiongnu haven't been able to break through after a long siege, why hasn't the marshal returned yet?"
"yes."
The soldier took the order and went off. Not long after he left, Xu Nian felt someone tug at the hem of her clothes.
Looking down, she saw a little child with a face covered in soot, who looked to be only three or four years old. The child was looking up at her with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Little one, where's your mom?" The person, whose heart had been instantly melted by the cuteness, knelt down and ruffled the little one's fine, soft hair. "Why are you all alone?"
Whether it was fate or something else, the child didn't say anything, and after a while a woman in tattered clothes rushed out, "Xiao Bao, why are you running around like that? I'm sorry, Your Highness, he's young and doesn't know any better. I'll wash your clothes for you later."
Xu Nian looked down and noticed the black stains on her blue robe, but she wasn't angry. She smiled and shook her head. "No need. Sister-in-law, I'd like to ask, is there a way out from the east gate of Cangyue City? How do you usually communicate with the residents of Cangyue City?"
The woman was a kind-hearted one. When she heard Xu Nian's doubts, she quickly said, "Your Highness, you don't know this. Before these bandits attacked, we mostly went around them from other cities. Although it was more difficult, it was much safer and more convenient."
"But actually there is a secret passage in the mountains. Some people, in order to save trouble, do not want to take a detour and go through the secret passage. However, the path is very narrow. It is difficult for two women to pass at once. Men can only pass one by one. If they are a little fat, they basically cannot pass through that path."
"There's a secret passage?"
Many residents who hadn't left yet overheard their conversation and hurriedly chimed in, "Your Highness, I know. I've walked that road before. It's called a secret passage, but it's really just a narrow mountain path. It's extremely narrow, and you could easily fall in and become fish food. Besides, I've heard that the secret passage is haunted. Unless there's absolutely no other way, it's safer to take a detour."
Wang Er, who was assigned by Gu Zhan to follow Xu Nian, was very puzzled. "If that's the case, then why does the city lord still need to open a door against the mountain wall? Isn't that redundant?"
"No, this is actually a type of feng shui arrangement," Xu Nian explained calmly. "It aims to attract wealth and good fortune, ensuring smooth flow in all directions."
She gave a cursory explanation, showing no interest in the basic feng shui arrangement. However, she was very interested in the vengeful ghosts the residents were talking about.
While she was pondering, Fang Tian, the soldier who had gone to gather information, returned. "Princess, the Marshal asked me to tell you that he is on the city wall tonight. He wants you to get some rest."
Xu Nian: "How's the situation over there?"
Fang Tian's expression was somewhat strange, a mixture of contempt and helplessness. "It's neither good nor bad, but those Xiongnu seem to have no regard for their lives, insisting on climbing up. When they fall down and into the river, another group comes to their place."
Crocodiles can all come ashore, and they set up camp at the foot of the mountain without ever being attacked by crocodiles.
Xu Nian pondered for a moment, "Fellow villagers, does anyone know how to stop those Jagras from attacking people? Why have the Xiongnu lived at the foot of the mountain for so long without any problems?"
An old woman, probably in her fifties, waved her hand and said, “That’s not how it works. Those wrasses used to come ashore and steal chickens and ducks. Sometimes, if children weren’t watched, they would be snatched away. Later, the old city lord came up with a solution. He had Taoist priests set up an array on both sides of the moat so that those creatures couldn’t come up. But if someone accidentally fell in, that’s a different story.”
Xu Nian breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that the crocodile couldn't get ashore. He put down what he was carrying and let Wang Er and the others take it into the mansion. After thanking the residents, he went straight to the city tower without returning to the mansion.
"Why are you here? Didn't I tell you to go home and rest?"
Gu Zhan stood on the city wall and looked down. Some Xiongnu had already successfully climbed the wall and started ramming the gate. Unfortunately, the mountain path was treacherous, and a slight misstep could result in a fatal fall.
Whether the Xiongnu leader was stubborn or had a scheme, the rest of the way to conquering Cangque City was much easier.
But seeing such a perilous situation, why not change positions and take a roundabout approach? It's really hard to understand.
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