Chapter 119: Shadows Under the City
A woman, a teenage boy, two children so dirty that their gender could not be determined, and an old lady lying there unable to move.
"I am old and hungry, so please don't be offended, young master."
Zhao Yushu subconsciously reached into his arms and took something out, then took it out awkwardly. He didn't have the habit of carrying dry food with him.
"Young Master, just, just," the old man turned around twice, trying to find a place for Zhao Yushu to rest, and finally smiled bitterly: "There is really no place, young master, just rest for a while, and you can go in when the city gate opens tomorrow morning."
"Father, where is your son?"
"Alas, young man, I can't sit still, so I went out."
Go out? Go out at this time? Zhao Yushu vaguely sensed something was wrong, and his mother was so hungry that she couldn't get up. In this era where filial piety is the rule of the world, as a son, even if he is not around to serve, he should go out to find food. If he really wants to find food, most people will say it directly.
Seeing his daughter-in-law and grandchildren squeeze together to make room for him, the father-in-law sat down with great effort. Zhao Yushu also sat down directly, but his butt suddenly felt cold as the dirty water under the thatch soaked up.
"Father, there is so much space, why don't you build a bigger house?"
"Alas, there are not enough trees. The soldiers have also marked the area and don't let people cross the line, but there are more and more people. Everyone helps each other. You give way a little, I give way a little, and that's all."
Yes, the refugees came with their families, so it was impossible for them to bring building materials with them. Since they were not allowed to enter Nanyang City, they naturally had to use local materials. When there were too many people, there would not be enough wood.
"Has the city never released any food?"
"It is released. If not, we would not have survived until this time. There is no fixed date. The last time we released food, it took three days. Each person only had one piece of bread. Sigh."
How could a piece of bread last for three days? Zhao Yushu looked at the old lady who was lying motionless and seemed like she might fall asleep and never wake up at any time. It was obvious that the old lady gave her own food rations to her children and grandchildren.
"Father, you guys take a rest, I'm going out for a walk."
"Sir, it's cold outside."
"It's okay. I'm young and energetic."
Zhao Yushu crawled out of the shack, and the crowd outside dispersed a lot. After all, standing outside was very tiring, but there were still many people who hadn't left.
"I read in a book that if one person knows something, it's called a secret, but if two people know it, it's called information. How many people are there in your group?" Zhao Yushu patted his butt, which was a little wet.
The refugees holding torches looked at each other uneasily. Although they could not understand what the young scholar was saying, looking at his expression, there seemed to be a hint of hostility.
Zhao Yushu looked around at the crowd surrounding him and said, "I want to leave now and stay at the foot of the city wall for the night. Do you want to let me go, or do you want me to walk around here a few more times so that I can find out why you guys are so energetic after being hungry for three days? Don't overestimate your abilities. I am a cultivator."
Seeing the people around him unconsciously clenching the simple wooden stick farm tools in their hands, Zhao Yushu snorted coldly, and a faint spiritual light overflowed. The refugees exclaimed and took a few steps back. Several people who didn't have time to retreat were directly squeezed down, and the scene suddenly became a little chaotic.
Zhao Yushu rolled his eyes quickly. If the confusion continued, it would mean that he was wrong. If it didn't continue...
The crowd quickly regained their composure and made way for them. Zhao Yushu walked over with a serious look in his eyes. Someone was directing these people.
Walking out of the refugee camp, Zhao Yushu looked back at the fire in the distance and his face turned cold.
When human survival is threatened, it is easy for all morals and honor to be thrown to the back of the mind. After tens of thousands of starving people had been hungry for who knows how long, there was no large-scale looting and bloodshed. This is almost impossible without the intervention of a powerful person or organization behind the scenes.
There was no rebellion, no internal strife, and even the limited food rations were allocated purposefully. The elderly, the weak, women and children survived with very little food, while the strong and healthy got more rations. What were they planning?
Zhao Yushu seemed to see a shadow lurking silently under the boundless camp, and judging from the treatment received by General Sun's troops today, the two sides were already at loggerheads. No one in the city was willing to take a closer look at the development of the situation, resulting in such an obvious situation being concealed from the nobles behind the city wall.
Zhao Yushu sat at the foot of the wall under the vigilant gaze of dozens of archers on the city wall. He had entered the city from the north in the morning, and in less than a day, he had circled around and arrived at the south gate. Should he go straight south early tomorrow morning instead of entering the city again?
The morning light was dim, and because a large number of trees had been cut down, even the morning mist had become much thinner. Soon the city gates would be opened.
Life in the city had to go on, so the sound of camel bells came from afar and Zhao Yushu slowly opened his eyes.
Caravan.
It shouldn't be called a caravan because there was only one vehicle.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the trade route to the Western Regions was opened up, and countless Hu merchants flocked into this great empire with unlimited business opportunities.
The vast sea of sand could not stop the enthusiasm of merchants. Continuous camel caravans slowly came eastward, and the jingling camel bells gradually became the symbol of merchants.
A slow horse was pulling a carriage leisurely in the front, with a man and a woman in their thirties standing on both sides of the carriage. In the carriage sat a young girl wearing a convenient red hunting suit with a gray-white gown on the outside. There was a trace of fatigue on her young face, as if she had been driving for a long time.
"Good morning, young man." The young girl greeted with a smile, and Zhao Yushu smiled back. They were just casual acquaintances, so a nod was enough.
A drumbeat sounded in the city, passing over the high city walls, breaking the morning mist and arousing the hope in the camp that seemed to be extinguished at any time.
Those who could still move subconsciously stood up and walked out of their shacks, looking towards the city gate, expecting relief that might never come.
Zhao Yushu felt the gaze behind him, his eyes were complicated. How long could this flame of hope last? Two days? One day? Or the moment the city gate opened?
The heavy city gate was slowly opened by the help of the winch, and behind the gate were two teams of cavalry in neat formation.
Half-armored war horses and strong cavalrymen in full armor were real tanks in the era of cold weapons. Zhao Yushu turned around and looked towards the camp. When the cavalry roared out of the city, countless refugees subconsciously looked at the wooden sticks in their hands, and a feeling of powerlessness filled them.
If I were to fight head-on with this kind of iron cavalry, even if I were a monk, more than a hundred knights would be enough to kill me. However, human strength is limited. If I don't enter the inner realm, I will be just a mortal.
The cavalry did not leave the city to kill people, they were just there to intimidate. After passing the refugee camp, they returned to the city the same way. Then their own infantry and light cavalry went out to maintain the official road open.
After Zhao Yushu showed the gate officer the academy's wooden sign, he entered the city first. As soon as he left the city gate, the camel bell rang behind him: "Sir, we have come from afar. Do you know which merchant houses in Nanyang can ship goods?"
Zhao Yushu turned around and looked at the smiling girl in red: "I always feel that you should be more familiar with Nanyang City than I am."