The Lu family has come this far entirely because of their dream of settling down and settling down in Anzhou. No matter what difficulties they encounter, they always think that things will be alright once they get to Anzhou.
But now, this person in front of them is saying that Anzhou can't accommodate too many people, so where else can they go?
Immediately, someone in the crowd burst into tears, their faith shattered, and they had no idea what to do in the future.
Old Man Lu also grew anxious and hurriedly asked, "Young Master Qin, do you know which city accepts refugees? We've come this far; it's been a long and difficult journey..."
Sun's eyes were slightly moist, and she looked at Qin Jian nervously.
Qin Jian could understand their strong emotions, and hurriedly said, "The superior's intention is that all able-bodied men should go to the army. As for women and children, the court has not made any clear provisions. His Highness Prince Chen is kind-hearted, so he has decided to open up Jingzhou to recruit the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled men and women and children who are unable to join the army."
"How can you only recruit women and children? What will we do then?"
"Having suffered so much on the journey, my body is completely depleted. How can I possibly go to the battlefield?"
“In previous years, it took several years for a family to be assigned to military service, and each family only needed to send one male. Now, all able-bodied men are to be sent to the army. How are families supposed to cope?”
...
The crowd panicked even more, feeling that the imperial court was forcing them to their doom. Had the family, who had finally reunited, been to be separated again? What's more, they didn't know where they would go after being separated, or whether they would ever have the chance to reunite again.
Cui'er and the others started crying again. Even Madam Yu and Madam Qin started to panic. There were already few able-bodied men in the family. If they went to the battlefield, would this family still be a family?
"Everyone, please don't rush. As Young Master Qin just said, Jingzhou is not only recruiting women and children, but also the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. I can have you all pretend to be disabled people to sneak in."
Seeing everyone so emotional, He Jiuniang couldn't help but speak up. In her opinion, this was not a big problem. The court had its reasons for doing this, and they could find a way to make a living from it.
Hearing her say that, everyone except Qin Jian's eyes lit up. That's right, how come they didn't think of that!
Qin Jian was shocked, never expecting that a woman could have such a bold idea.
If her actions were discovered, it would be considered a serious crime of deceiving the emperor, and such a large group of them could very well be beaten to death by the soldiers guarding the capital.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law. If this is discovered, the consequences will be severe."
Although he did think it was a good idea, he still advised them against trying it, as they could easily lose their lives.
"What if I could guarantee that the officers and soldiers wouldn't find out?"
He Jiuniang looked at him with a determined gaze.
She didn't want to manage the others, but she definitely had to manage the eldest and second eldest sons of the Lu family. Since she was going to manage them anyway, she might as well bring this group of people along. After all, they had traveled together and hadn't had any conflicts, so He Jiuniang felt that they could get along with these people.
Everyone looked at him with expectation in their eyes. If it could really be like this, then it would be worth it for them to serve the Lu family like slaves!
Qin Jian didn't know what to say. He just felt that this woman was different from the women he had met before. Although she was just a farmer, she had her own opinions and ideas. What was even more admirable was her boldness and meticulousness.
She hadn't seen her husband twice in a row; could it be that something terrible had happened to him?
Thinking about it, he felt a pang of sadness. He realized how difficult it must have been for a woman like her, and considering that she had saved his life, he hesitated for a moment before taking off the waist token he always carried and handing it to her: "Very well, since your family saved my life, I'll accept this waist token for now. If I get into trouble when I enter the city, I can use it to escape danger."
This is the waist tag of Prince Chen's mansion. He was wrong to do this, but he didn't want to watch his benefactor suffer.
He Jiuniang did not refuse, and after accepting the gift, she thanked him and then said, "Since you are so generous, I will not accept your kindness for nothing. Let me tell you some news."
There were many people around, mostly uneducated and rough around the edges. He Jiuniang wasn't worried about the Lu family, but since there were other people present, she asked Qin Jian to speak to her privately.
Qin Jian had no idea what reliable information this woman could give him, and even wondered if she wanted to offer herself to him.
Just as he was lost in his fantasies, He Jiuniang spoke up: "Not long after you left, our family encountered a group of assassins. Judging from their accents, they seemed to be from Nantai. I suspect they might be the ones who chased after you and poisoned you."
Qin Jian's pupils dilated in shock; they had actually encountered assassins from Nantai!
"And your family..."
He Jiuniang raised her hand to stop him from speaking, and continued, "We have already killed them, and the two horses that our family is currently using belong to them. The reason for this is a long story. What I want to tell you is that although the accents of those people sound like those from Nantai, they speak the Beiyan dialect. Our family can understand what they are saying. Also, we found a wolf fang-shaped tattoo on their chests. We don't know which organization they belong to."
Qin Jian's shock was beyond words. The assassins from Nantai had been chasing him all the way. He considered himself to be quite skilled in martial arts, but he was still poisoned and barely survived. If it weren't for He Jiuniang saving him, he would have died long ago.
But this family, who looked like ordinary country folk, actually managed to kill those assassins and even steal their horse!
Ignoring his shock, He Jiuniang continued to express her guess: "I suspect they are very likely from Beiyan, but they are disguised as assassins from Nantai to create a false impression and mislead you and your superiors. Although I can't control which side you are on, I'm telling you this because you told us to go to Jingzhou to make a living and even gave us waist tokens."
As for what they want to do, that's not something He Jiuniang wants to know.
Qin Jian finally recovered from his surprise. He was so shocked by the news that he couldn't speak. Those people were actually from Bei Yan?
So, all those people they've been targeting and suspecting for so long have been wrong?
Seeing that He Jiuniang was about to turn and leave after speaking, Qin Jian clasped his hands and bowed solemnly to her: "Thank you for reminding me, sister-in-law. If this is true, Qin Jian will definitely reward you handsomely!"
He Jiuniang nodded, not taking it seriously. After all, they were mutually beneficial now and she didn't expect any repayment in the future.
The two went together to find the main group, and bowed to Old Man Lu again, saying, "This junior must return to the capital, so I will not stay any longer. Uncle, everyone, until we meet again!"
If they can really settle down in Jingzhou, then there will be a great chance of meeting again in the future. Once the truth of what He Jiuniang said is found out, His Highness Prince Chen will surely reward this family handsomely. They will have plenty of good fortune.
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