Yun Erman really couldn't figure out why his third brother was here, and where their eldest brother and Fang'er had gone.
Had they run into some danger...
Seeing the soldiers chasing him, Yun Sanman bolted and shouted, "You, what do you want? You dare to rob people in broad daylight, is there no law anymore?"
"I am the law, you get over here and stop! If you dare to run again, I'll beat you to death..." a soldier shouted, wielding a whip.
The remaining young men had already been pinned to the ground, crying their eyes out.
"Ah, ah, sob, sob, I have old parents and young children, you, you can't arrest me! Otherwise, my mother will starve to death, sob..."
"Please, officers, let me go, I'll give you all the silver I have, okay?"
"Sob, sob, my wife and daughter are waiting for me at home, I at least need to tell them, to be arrested like this without knowing why, what will my family do, sob!~"
The soldiers didn't care how many people they had at home or how many children they had. Conscription was like this; if everyone had a hidden difficulty, who would go to war?
"Third brother, run quickly, don't look back, run!~" Yun Erman shouted from the crowd.
If Sanman returned to Dashui Village, he could find a way to save him later. He was afraid that even Sanman would be captured, and then things would be difficult to handle.
As soon as Yun Sanman heard his second brother's voice, he stopped in his tracks, craned his neck, and looked back...
He saw Yun Erman waving frantically at him, his face a mixture of joy and sorrow.
"Second, Second Brother?" Yun Sanman stood frozen, unsure what to say.
How did his second brother get caught by them?
This was too absurd.
"Heh heh, you good boy, let's see where you can run!~"
While Yun Sanman was stunned, two soldiers rushed over, pinned him to the ground, and said, "You stubborn brat, I'll deal with you properly when we get to the barracks..."
Yun Sanman was still a bit dazed. After being pulled up, he looked at the one-eyed man and then at the group of young men being forcibly conscripted. His mood could no longer be described as just bad.
Seeing that it was getting late, the one-eyed man ordered his subordinates, "Keep an eye on them. Anyone who dares to escape will have their legs broken and then thrown into the mountains to feed the wolves! Let's find a village ahead to stay in first!~"
Yun Sanman: "..."
These soldiers were more ferocious than mountain bandits.
After a brief rest, the group continued their journey.
"Second brother, how did they catch you?" Yun Sanman asked in a low voice, walking beside Yun Erman.
Yun Erman briefly recounted the events and then sighed, "I don't know if sister and Shanshan have returned to Dashui Village. There are often mountain bandits on that road. If they encounter danger, how can I explain it to Mom and Dad, sigh..."
Yun Sanman patted Yun Erman's shoulder, "Don't worry, second brother. Sister is blessed and lucky. Even a mountain flood couldn't stop her, let alone mountain bandits!~"
Actually, these words were just for psychological comfort.
Sometimes, people were more dangerous than natural disasters.
Yun Erman grunted and looked at Yun Sanman, "Third brother, didn't you go with eldest brother and Fang'er to collect pelts? Where are they?"
Mentioning this, Yun Sanman felt a surge of indignation...
He recounted his experience in Guo Family Village and how he had beaten up Guo Laosi and his son. At the end, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, "If it weren't for encountering those scoundrels, eldest brother, Fang'er, and I wouldn't have been separated!~"
Yun Erman blinked upon hearing this, "So, they're not dead?"
If they weren't dead, what would happen if they continued to cause trouble?
"Yes, they're not dead. Truly, a wicked person lives for a thousand years. But second brother, don't worry, the authorities have sent constables to investigate Guo Family Village. I believe it won't be long before that father and son are caught..." Yun Sanman said indignantly.
At this moment, a man walking behind them approached and asked in a low voice, "You two are brothers, right? You look so much alike!~"
Yun Sanman nodded and sized up the man's attire, "Were you also forcibly conscripted?"
The man replied, "Yes, the soldiers are arresting people everywhere. I'm afraid it won't be long before the whole country falls into chaos..."
Although it was winter, farm work was not as busy.
However, every household lacked labor. How could wives, children, and the elderly carry the burden?
The soldiers disregarded the lives of the common people, directly sending the men to the battlefield to fight the enemy, with no guarantee of life. Even if they achieved military exploits, there were no rewards. In this case, who among the common people would be convinced...
"Do you know where that one-eyed man intends to take us?" Yun Sanman asked the man.
The man shrugged, "Where else? Of course, to the Northern Frontier. Haven't you heard? The barbarians from the north are invading the border and killing innocent people indiscriminately. The soldiers sent by the imperial court are all incompetent and can't defeat them!~"
"If the soldiers can't defeat them, then sending us there is just waiting to die, isn't it?" Yun Sanman said indignantly.
The man sighed, "Then we can only pray for ourselves. On the battlefield, we should all look out for each other, don't just rush forward with all your might..."
After speaking, the man looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he grabbed Yun Erman and Yun Sanman's arms and said softly, "Hey, do you two want to escape?"
"Escape?" Yun Erman was slightly stunned. "The soldiers are guarding so strictly, how can we escape?"
If they were caught, their legs would be broken. It would be better to follow the main group obediently...
The man chuckled, "Soldiers are also human. They've been traveling all day and are exhausted. If you two trust me, I'll take you out tonight, what do you say?"
Yun Erman naturally wanted to.
If they escaped now and found two horses, they might even be able to catch up with Shanshan and his sister...
However, Yun Sanman, who had been doing business outside for many years, was always good at judging people. He felt that the man wouldn't be so kind as to help them.
If they could really escape, why wouldn't he go by himself, and why would he bring them along?
There must be something fishy about this.
"You two should say something!" the man stomped his foot anxiously. "Do you want to go or not? Give me a clear answer. I'll cover for you two to escape then..."
Just as Yun Erman was about to agree, Yun Sanman secretly kicked him and then smiled at the man, "Okay, it's settled. We'll leave tonight!~"
Hmph, he had just said they should look out for each other on the battlefield, and before they had even fought, he was already playing tricks.
Yun Sanman felt that as long as he was separated from Fang'er, his IQ would regain the upper hand and soar...
After both sides reached an agreement, they continued to walk forward.
The man followed behind them, a slight smile on his lips, a sinister glint in his eyes.