Chapter 264 - 233: Will There Be Children?
A heavier snowfall brings the year’s end closer. From afar, the fields look clean and undisturbed, with furrows rising and falling like gentle waves. Every household has stored enough grain, and in their courtyards, cured meats are hung, awaiting the celebration of a good year.
Two official horses walked side by side, slowly treading the muddy path winding through the farmlands. Pebbles fragmented under their hooves, and wild grass lined the road. In the distance, one could see a village, thin wisps of smoke curling up into the sky. Children wielding branches chased each other from the village entrance to the very last homestead, shouting as they reenacted duels, vying to be the "greatest hero" in the village.
"Quite tranquil." Min Ning remarked softly as she took in the scene.
Chen Yi snapped out of his thoughts and asked, "What’s the matter?"
"This place feels peaceful. Even though the Prince of Annan’s military camp is just over there, life in this village goes on as if nothing has changed."
Min Ning pointed ahead as she spoke. Following her gaze, Chen Yi saw the encampment sprawled across a distant hillside. Rows of tents were arranged neatly and systematically, with flags fluttering in the wind, layered amidst the shade of the dense forest.
"I had thought I’d see devastation along the way—broken walls, ruined villages... Yet to my surprise, they haven’t committed a single transgression."
Throughout history, soldiers often pillaged and plundered where they camped. Burned-down homes, corpses left unburied, dismembered limbs floating downstream, naked women’s bodies discarded in corners, and the ashes of villages consumed by fire—these were not uncommon sights. It’s often said that the might of armies charges forth like tigers, devouring territory by the mile, but rarely does one reflect on how they also ravage greedily and mercilessly, akin to beasts.
What lay before Min Ning now, however, was a serene village where dogs barked, chickens clucked, elders rested, and children played—a tranquil scene that left her slightly astonished.
In the alleys and streets of the Capital City, people spread tales painting the Prince of Annan as a villainous tyrant, leading an army of hellish fiends that left no land untouched by ruin.
Thus, the current sight deeply surprised Min Ning.
Chen Yi, however, didn’t find it as unexpected. "No matter how much of a scourge the Prince of Annan might be, he isn’t like the northern barbarians who raid and pillage indiscriminately when crossing the border. Qin Qingluo headed north to assist Lin Yan’s attempt to seize control of the capital. Looting and killing would tarnish her reputation and prestige. With the Empress Dowager An Yi now back in Jingren Palace and the Capital gradually recovering, there’s the possibility of a sudden counterattack from the city. Meanwhile, the Prince of Annan is already retreating his forces. This is a time when strict military discipline is of utmost importance—it’s absolutely not the moment for soldiers to plunder villages."