Chapter 297 Deterrence
After hearing what the woman said, Yuan Ziyu thought it was feasible. After all, it was easier to survive near the capital. However, if so many disaster victims flocked to the vicinity of the capital, it would be a potential threat to the capital.
After all, with so many disaster victims, it would be very troublesome if they lost control of their emotions and caused a riot. She remembered that there had been a riot by disaster victims in her previous life. In that man-made disaster, many wealthy families and even officials suffered, and it took more than half a month to suppress the riot.
"Where are you from? What's the local situation like?" Huo Xifei asked from the side.
When the woman saw Huo Xifei asking, she quickly bowed and said, "Sir, I'm from Yukang Prefecture. I'm afraid the situation there is not good right now. When we left, many villages had already been washed away by the floods, and the fields and houses were destroyed. We couldn't survive there, so we had to leave to seek a living."
"Where are the local officials?" Huo Xifei frowned. "Have they not opened the granaries to distribute grain and set up porridge stalls?"
"I haven't heard of it!" The woman shook her head and said, "Maybe your village is located in a remote place, so it's possible that you don't know a lot of news."
Upon hearing this, Huo Xifei and Yuan Ziyu looked at each other and frowned.
At this time, Huo Twelve came back and handed a small bag of dry food to Yuan Ziyu: "Second Young Master!"
Yuan Ziyou took the bag of dry food and handed it to the woman: "Take these for now. At least they will last you a few days. Once we head north, things will be much better!"
"Thank you so much, sir, thank you so much, sir!" The woman didn't expect Yuan Ziyu to give her so much dry food. She was immediately surprised and kowtowed to Yuan Ziyu to express her gratitude.
"Get up quickly!" Yuan Ziyu felt sorry for the woman who had to flee alone with two children who were only a few years old. It must have been very difficult for her to come this far.
After saying that, Yuan Ziyu turned to look at the bearded man who had snatched the rations earlier and said in a cold voice, "You are a grown man with hands and feet, and you have the nerve to snatch the rations of weak women and children. Did a dog eat your conscience?"
The bearded man was so frightened that he kowtowed and said, "Sir, please forgive me. I will never dare to do it again, never again."
"Don't dare?" Yuan Ziyou narrowed his eyes: "I think you dare very much!"
"I dare not, I really don't dare!" Yuan Ziyu's voice frightened the bearded man so much that his face turned pale. He kowtowed repeatedly and said, "I really won't dare to do it again in the future. Please forgive me!"
Yuan Ziyou asked calmly, "I just want to ask you, if we hadn't intervened today and you had taken away their food, what would have happened to them?"
"Yes... yes..." The bearded man was trembling and unable to speak.
What else could it be? He died of hunger.
Yuan Ziyou's voice was filled with anger: "If you don't tell me, I'll tell you. If they lose these life-saving provisions, they will be doomed. Do you know what you are doing now?"
"Sir, please spare me, please spare me!" Perhaps it was the chill in Yuan Ziyu's voice that made the bearded man feel the crisis. He kowtowed desperately, not caring that his forehead was bleeding from the impact. His forehead was covered in blood.
"I spared you?" Yuan Ziyou snorted coldly, "Did you spare them just now? You are deliberately killing people. You are so despicable! Twelve!"
"Young Master!" Huo Twelve hurried forward and responded.
"Kill him to serve as a warning to others!" Yuan Ziyu ordered coldly.
"Yes!" Huo Twelve responded neatly, drew the sword from his waist, and walked towards the bearded man!
The disaster victims who were watching from all around were all shocked by this scene. They had seen countless scenes of the survival of the fittest along the way, and this was the first time that a robber had to be punished.
"No, don't kill me!" The bearded man stood up in fear and ran backwards, trying to save his life from Huo Twelve's hands. Unfortunately, he was not faster than Huo Twelve and was killed by Huo Twelve's sword!
The scene was silent, and everyone was looking at what was happening in front of them in shock. If Yuan Ziyu had distributed dry food just now, they would have been grateful, but now they were both in awe and fear of Yuan Ziyu!
This young man who looked young was actually a murderer. Although he killed a villain, these refugees were just ordinary people before leaving their homes. How could they have ever seen such a scene?
Huo Xifei said loudly, "After that, I will secretly send people to protect you on your way to the capital. If anyone is found doing such a thing, they will be killed without mercy!"
"We dare not, we dare not!" The victims were all frightened by this incident. When they heard Huo Xifei's words, they hurriedly said.
"Brother Xi, let's go!" Yuan Ziyu whispered to Huo Xifei.
Huo Xifei nodded and prepared to leave with Yuan Ziyou. Seeing this, the woman from before hurriedly pulled the two children to her knees and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you both gentlemen for saving my life!"
After returning to the caravan, Huo Xifei sent Huo San to secretly escort this group of disaster victims to the capital.
Yuan Ziyou hurriedly instructed, "Huo San, you must protect the mother and her two children."
"Yes, Second Young Master!" Huo San took the order and left.
Huo Xifei smiled and said to Yuan Ziyou, "Are you concerned about the mother and her two children?"
Yuan Ziyou smiled and said, "I just feel like I have to protect them!"
After that, Yuan Ziyou stopped talking about this topic and only asked Huo Xifei: "Brother Xi, are we going to Yukang Mansion next?"
"Yeah!" Huo Xifei nodded. "According to what that woman said, most of the villages around Yukang Prefecture have been destroyed by the floods, but no one has come to resettle these victims. Logically, even if the government is overwhelmed, they should at least show some support. But I haven't heard a single word from that woman. It's a bit strange!"
"So, you suspect that the officials of Yukang Prefecture have done nothing at all?" Yuan Ziyu asked.
"I do suspect this! I even..." Huo Xifei frowned and thought for a moment: "It's useless to speculate now. Let's go and see for ourselves!"
After saying this, Huo Xifei instructed Pingshan and Huo Twelve, "The Second Young Master and I will go to Yukang Mansion first. You will follow with the convoy. Remember not to show up yet. Set up camp thirty miles away from Yukang Mansion. When the time comes, the Second Young Master and I will naturally come to find you!"
"yes!"
After settling here, Huo Xifei and Yuan Ziyu rode their horses to Yukang Mansion first.
The place they were in before was about three or four hundred miles away from Yukang Prefecture. Huo Xifei and Yuan Ziyu rode at full speed all the way, but it took them two or three days to reach the county seat of Yukang Prefecture - outside Yukang City.
However, the situation outside Yukang City at this time made Huo Xifei and Yuan Ziyu very confused!
There are almost no disaster victims here, and everything seems to be in good order.
Huo Xifei and Yuan Ziyu looked at each other, then led their horses towards Yukang City.
Thanks to Purple Wind Chime, Book Friend 20191127203726542, qq Xuanfeng, Yawu, Meizi, Lily Come On, Book Friend 854***509, Hidden Time, Happy ing Woman, Zhou Liling, Ls, Zishun, Meet Yuan is Such, Winter Bride, hlqa, Purple Wind Chime for their recommendation votesヾ(▽)ノ
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
