“There are no tribes nearby.”
Gu Chi remembered the nearby terrain without having to recall the Northern Frontier Defense Map. This road was specially chosen by them. You have to know that the resettlement of the Shiwu tribe is conditional. There must be sufficient water sources and abundant resources for cattle, sheep and horses to eat, and there must be certain natural barriers to resist wild beasts or warn of enemies. However, this area nearby is not like that and is quite barren and remote.
Not to mention prey, even water is not easy to find.
The possibility of the Shiwu tribe taking root here is small, and at the same time, it can also reduce the possibility of being discovered by their march.
Jiang Sheng guessed: "Could they be refugees?"
Food is a scarce resource, and there are too many people and too little food. Just like the common people on the mainland who lost their houses and land and became refugees, the lower class of the Shiwu people will also be expelled and become refugees after losing the pastures they depend on for survival. The former are likely to become bandits, and the latter are the same.
Gu Chi said: "Most likely."
Shen Tang: "Investigate again and report back."
After the soldiers left, Shen Tang asked the two men, "Can we bypass this valley and take another road?"
Jiang Sheng: "It's not impossible, but if we take a detour, we will inevitably pass through the pastoral territory of a large tribe, and we will be easily discovered. Even if we are lucky and don't make any mistakes, it will take a day and a half longer than the valley road."
No matter from which perspective, it is best to march according to the established plan, unless there is an ambush in the valley. Given the terrain, the enemy may have discovered their tracks long ago.
Gu Chi asked, "My Lord, are you worried about those people in the valley?"
Shen Tang nodded, her young face seemed to be a little reluctant, she said: "If we borrow the road from the valley, we can't keep those people hiding in the valley. Our target is the Shiwu tribe, a group of homeless refugees..."
Although she had wiped out three tribes in succession and had killed more than 10,000 people, Shen Tang did not think that she could deprive anyone of their lives without principles. There was still a difference between refugees and enemies. Gu Chi understood her subtle inner struggle.
He smiled and said, "Maybe they are not refugees but ambushes."
Shen Tang: “…”
Gu Wangchao, can you still have some principles
Gu Chi is innocent. As a subordinate, can it be called unprincipled for him to "follow the wind" according to his lord's thoughts
Shen Tang turned his face away: "... Let's check it out first."
The grown man was acting cute towards her, it was really eye-catching.
Not long after, the scout's reconnaissance falcon flew back, bringing back a sneaky spy, who was tied up and brought to Shen Tang. Before he came close, he said in a rather clumsy common polite language: "Don't tie me up, I'm a good citizen..."
"Be honest, or I'll kill you."
Xu Quan kicked him rudely on the hind leg.
The man bent his knees and fell heavily to the ground.
There was a muffled thud, and it made my knees ache slightly.
Gu Chi heard the man muttering in his heart: This woman is too beautiful, and her actions are too vicious.
There were also comments on Xu Quan's figure during the discussion.
Gu Chi: “…”
Hehehe, it’s a good thing that I didn’t say this out loud, otherwise with Xu Quan’s temper he would have twisted this guy’s head with his bare hands.
Xu Quan sneered, "How can you be considered a good citizen if you sneak around our military camp and poke your head around?"
The man shrank his neck.
He rolled his eyes and looked around.
Shen Tang said: "Wang Chao, thank you for your help."
Gu Chi bowed and said, "Yes."
The captured man was puzzled, watching Gu Chi approach, and then he lost consciousness, but he woke up again the next moment, only to see Gu Chi's back as he turned back to his original position. He had traveled a lot for many years and had seen a lot, so he vaguely guessed something.
This young man with a face full of kidney deficiency and a hollow body, who looks like he has been infected with tuberculosis, must be a scholar of literary talent...
I was just interrogated and my words were cut off.
Thinking of this, he felt that Gu Chi's gaze on him was like two cold arrows, and his back couldn't help but feel cold.
Gu Chi whispered to Shen Tang for a long time.
The guy who was caught was not a big fish at all. He was just a pawn released by a group of refugees in the valley to gather information.
His original job was to be a smuggler and reseller. He heard that although this job was risky, the rewards were also great.
In order to make a living for his family, he took the risk.
When I first started doing this business, I made many mistakes and stumbled a lot. I was lucky enough to survive several times.
After that, he did more business and established friendships with several large and small tribes. In addition, he was well versed in human nature and was willing to spend money to maintain relationships, so his business grew bigger and bigger, and he accumulated a huge fortune, becoming a local tycoon.
But if you walk by the river often, how can you not get your feet wet
More than half a year ago, he took advantage of the chaos in Geng country and bought a large number of goods from illegal salt merchants, preparing to smuggle them to Shiwu. When he came, he brought boxes of salt blocks, and when he left, he also brought boxes of gold and silver ore, but then he was overjoyed and sad.
He was robbed by refugees from Shiwu.
We have been trapped in the valley for more than a month.
Being discriminated against and beaten every day.
The dirtiest and most tiring work was assigned to him.
Today, the sentry tower in the valley found traces of Shen Tang's group. Unsure whether it was another group of refugees or an elite force to wipe them out, they sent out a few unlucky people, including the captured merchant. Originally, his weight was heavier than his height. After suffering for so long, he became much thinner, and his triple chin became a pitiful double chin. He was disheveled and in a miserable state.
Shen Tang asked: "Are you smuggling salt?"
The salt merchant knew very well that he was just an ordinary man. When he was targeted by the literati, not to mention the little secrets like his identity and background, they probably even knew what color pants he liked to wear.
Once you lie, you may end up losing your head.
He could only nod his head honestly: "I'll take the route from Longwu County to Shiwu West Territory... But I'll just sell salt honestly, and I definitely won't buy or sell armor or weapons. I, I wouldn't dare to do that."
Smuggling salt was a felony, but less serious than reselling armor.
"Why is it Shiwuxi Territory?"
The salt merchant said, "The western border is a remote place, the roads are difficult to travel, and there are more dangers. A box of salt blocks will quadruple in value there."
You can earn a lot more by taking a trip.
Shen Tang asked again: "How much do you know about the situation in the valley?"
Even the salt merchants didn't dare to exaggerate.
As speculated at the beginning, the more than 1,000 people in the valley were all refugees from the Ten Crows, and they had mortal feuds with all the major tribes. Coupled with the blockade by the nearby tribes, their lives became increasingly poor, and every now and then, a few of the weak would starve to death.
There are no more than a hundred young and strong people who can form combat effectiveness.
"There are thousands of refugees, but only a hundred or so young and strong?"
Shen Tang questioned this ratio.
The salt seller sighed, "There's only so much we can eat."
There was nothing left to eat, so they could only eat a little like the elderly, the weak, women and children, just to keep from starving to death.
The salt merchants, as the lowest level of captives, were even more miserable.
Every day, I only eat a few mouthfuls of sour, dry, hard food that I can't tell its original color, and a little turbid water. I am still alive today, all thanks to the fat I have accumulated in the past. In another month or two, I will either be skinny or die at the age of 45.
Now arrested...
Maybe only a few sticks of incense are left to live.
Who knows—
"You said that the people in the valley hate the other tribes of Shiwu very much?" The handsome young man sitting at the head pondered for a moment, his eyes were mature but not like those of a man of his age: "How much do they hate? Do they hate them to the extent of wiping out their entire family and willing to be driven and work for them?"
－－－－－－－Off-topic－－－－－－－