Outside the carriage window, a large group of refugees walked, carrying their belongings and heading towards the capital in clusters.
Some children, still swaddled, were forced to leave their homes with their families and live a life of displacement.
Seeing this, Han Chie'er was momentarily stunned, "What... what are all these people doing?"
"What do you think?" Si Yakedun released Han Chie'er and punched him hard. "This is all your doing. These people were living perfectly fine, but you insisted on attacking Liang Kingdom. Who suffers in the end? It's these innocent, pitiable people!"
Han Chie'er felt a pang in his heart. He quickly lowered the curtain, withdrew his gaze, and fell silent.
Seeing this, Si Yakedun slowly softened her tone, "Invading other countries is wrong. For one's own tribe to be rich, strong, and prosperous, it must be through the efforts of the tribesmen themselves. Things snatched are like sand; the tighter you grasp, the faster they slip away!~"
Such simple logic, and she, a woman, saw it so clearly. Why couldn't Han Chie'er understand?
"Si Ya, stop talking. The urgent matter is finding our daughter. We'll discuss other things later!" Han Chie'er sighed slightly.
Si Yakedun snorted, "If it weren't for your insatiable greed, Jiaojiao wouldn't have been captured by the Han people, and Yan'er would have disappeared without a trace. You're getting more muddled as you get older."
Han Chie'er: "..."
He did it for the sake of the entire tribe. Who could have imagined that both his daughters would go missing?
Ren Dula sat on the carriage shaft, humming a little tune and drinking mare's milk wine.
Faintly, he saw several carriages appearing ahead, with many guards walking alongside them, as if some Han official were visiting the grasslands.
Ren Dula narrowed his eyes and turned back, "Khan, Khadun, look, those people ahead seem unusual!~"
Upon hearing this, Han Chie'er lifted the curtain and peered ahead. "Who is traveling with such grandeur? Ren Dula, stop them later and inquire about their identity..."
Si Yakedun's eyes immediately flared with anger. She smacked Ren Dula on the forehead, "Why are you stopping them for no reason? If people don't know, they'll think you're a bandit!"
"But, but what if these Han people come to our grasslands and do something bad?" Han Chie'er looked worried.
Si Yakedun became even more annoyed. She grabbed Han Chie'er by the collar, "It's your own mind that's impure. You always think the worst of others. Besides those close to you, you see everyone else as a villain..."
After speaking, Si Yakedun ordered Ren Dula, "Drive your carriage. Don't harass them. And cover your face so as not to reveal your identity!~"
Ren Dula nodded weakly, "Y-yes, Khadun!"
It was only because Si Yakedun had a strong hand and a fiery temper that she could keep Khan Han Chie'er in check.
Otherwise, the tribes would have already occupied the Central Plains, and even conquered Yan Kingdom.
If Si Yakedun were to disappear one day, the grasslands would fall into chaos.
At this moment, Gu Mingyan and Han Chie'yan, sitting inside the carriage, also saw the carriage opposite them.
"This is our tribe's carriage!~" Han Chie'yan narrowed her eyes. "Why is it here?"
"Princess!" Huger Shuang'er said with some surprise, "Could it be that the Khan and Khadun are looking for us?"
After all, the princess had been missing for so long, and the Khadun doted on her daughter. It was normal for them to come looking.
Han Chie'yan smiled and said, "The tribal affairs are complicated right now. Abu wouldn't come to the Central Plains, and Mother certainly wouldn't!~"
Even if they came to the Central Plains, they would bring thousands of guards, not travel alone.
Gu Mingyan heard this and instructed Qinglan, who was driving, "Have your men strengthen their guard. If the other party makes any move, kill them without mercy..."
"Understood, Marquis!~" Qinglan responded.
The more refugees Gu Mingyan saw, the more indignant he felt.
How many families had been torn apart and broken by a single war? Those innocent people died in the flames of war, their souls unable to rest.
Now, although the barbarians had retreated, he feared they were like a pack of insatiable wolves, ready to return at any moment.
As the carriages passed each other, Qinglan took a careful look at Ren Dula, his heart filled with doubt.
Why was this man's face so tightly covered, leaving only his eyes exposed...
Through a gap in the carriage window, Han Chie'yan glanced outside. Just then, a gust of wind swept by, lifting the carriage curtain.
She saw a woman with her back to the window, grabbing a man by the collar and striking him repeatedly. The practiced movements sent a jolt through Han Chie'yan, "Why does she look so familiar?"
At home, Mother used to beat Father like this...
Gu Mingyan smiled slightly upon hearing this, "We have a saying in the Central Plains: 'One feels timid when nearing home.' Perhaps Yan'er misses home too much!~"
He secretly resolved that if he couldn't reach a peace agreement with Han Chie'er this time, he would stay in Suicheng and not return.
The old marquis lay in the second carriage, fast asleep, completely unaware of what was happening outside.
Five days later, in Dashui Village, at the old Yun family's home.
Xiao Jinfeng, dressed in simple robes, was moving things into the courtyard with Er Longzi and Jin Huaihua.
"Why buy so much stuff? The weather is getting warmer now, and if we can't eat it all, it'll spoil..." Jin Huaihua grumbled as she worked.
Xiao Jinfeng had returned to Dashui Village at noon that day. Upon seeing Huaihua, all his unhappiness vanished.
"If we can't eat it all, we'll store it in the cellar. These things are treasures in the capital!~" Xiao Jinfeng said with a smile.
Huaihua sighed helplessly but said nothing.
Old Man Sun, after feeding the dairy cows, walked over leaning on his cane, "Wow, you bought two cartloads of things again. That's probably enough to eat for a year. A few days ago, the General's Mansion in the capital also sent five or six cartloads of things. The storerooms are already full..."
"Is that so?" Xiao Jinfeng's smile was radiant. "General Gu is loyal and righteous, and he has a very good relationship with my sister. It's fine for him to send some things!~"
Old Man Sun grunted and looked thoughtfully at Xiao Jinfeng, "Seeing how grandly you're doing things, Young Master Xiao, are you planning to stay in Dashui Village and not leave?"
What a fine young man, yet he chose to live in the countryside.
Xiao Jinfeng took Jin Huaihua's hand, his face full of tenderness. "Yes, I'm not leaving. In a few days, I'll hire craftsmen to build another large house next to the Yun family's, then reclaim land for farming, raise flowers and birds, fish and catch crickets. In my leisure time, I'll take Huaihua into the mountains to hunt. From now on, we'll live as comfortably as we please..."
Who would have thought that the former Prince Ming, the current Second Prince, would completely retreat to the countryside?
This was perhaps fate.
Just then, Fu Xiaoqiang and Du Jinqiang, two young men, ran over from the village entrance, shouting, "They're back, they're back..."