The people in Muzhai were evacuating quickly, and the evacuation was difficult because there were hundreds of patients who were unable to walk and had to be carried.
Gao Fengtian mobilized almost all of his own men and also mobilized the power of some friends in the underworld. The large-scale evacuation made the villagers of Muzhai very uneasy.
They had experienced earthquakes and epidemics, and their nerves were very fragile and sensitive. Everyone kept asking about the situation. Su Mu told them that it was because the water source in Muzhai was infected with plague and they had to evacuate.
But it can't be kept secret for long, as no one is stupid.
There was no place for thousands of people to stay, so they went up the mountain instead of going down.
About twenty miles west of Muzhai, there are several relatively hidden hills called Wolf Tail Hills, which can be used to hide from the public. Because there are few people there, Cao Ji would not be able to find them for a while.
Gao Fengtian's people had already prepared food at Wolf Tail Mountain and built some tents in advance. When they evacuated, they carried clothes, quilts, and daily necessities such as pots and pans on their backs. Therefore, when they arrived at Wolf Tail Mountain, they could start cooking.
When the villagers saw that they had come to live in the mountains, they more or less understood what was going on. If the water source in Muzhai was polluted, the imperial court should have arranged accommodation for them. However, no one from the imperial court showed up, and it was Gao Fengtian who arranged everything for them.
No matter how stupid or isolated they were, they could basically guess that the court no longer wanted them. But no one dared to think any deeper.
"Princess, can I have a word with you?"
After settling the villagers, Su Mu stepped forward and said to Zi'an.
Zi'an had just sat down to drink a sip of water. He had walked the twenty or so miles from morning to night, and from night to late at night. Because of the patient, he was bound to be delayed on the road.
"Speak." Zi'an was in a bad mood. Looking at the villagers all over the mountain, he felt indescribable anger.
Su Mu sat on the ground. After recovering from his illness, he looked very thin and pale. "The emperor is going to kill everyone this time. What should we do to save the lives of these people?"
Su Mu's expression was very solemn. This soldier had been working hard for the people of Muzhai since he entered the village after the earthquake. He had saved many people from under rotten bricks and rubble, and from under rocks and wood. He had always thought that he was a righteous army sent by the court to the disaster area, because when the earthquake occurred, his superiors immediately dispatched him.
However, unexpectedly, everyone stopped the rescue except him, who was still foolishly leading everyone to rescue and treat the illness. What he did was of no use to the court. The emperor now wanted to kill the people he rescued.
These things were beyond his acceptance. He didn't say a word during today's migration, fearing that the people would feel upset. Now that they were settled, he couldn't help but come to find Zi'an.
He didn't want to scold the emperor because it was meaningless. He just wanted to save everyone. It had been more than a month since the earthquake and he had already become a part of Muzhai.
Zi'an was silent for a moment, then said, "Su Mu, please take care of everyone. I have to go down the mountain."
"Where are you going?" Su Mu was anxious. "Are you going to see General Qin? Don't go. General Qin is a war advocate. He is looking forward to the war."
"Su Mu, look at these people behind you. Cao Ji will find this place sooner or later. They have nowhere to go. I can only give it a try." Zi'an's eyes were filled with indignation and anger.
She had experienced a lot in her past and present lives, from a special agent military doctor to the daughter of the prime minister, and through all kinds of struggles, she felt that her temperament had really matured a lot.
I haven't been this angry for a long time. It was an anger that made me want to kill someone.
Lingli came up from behind and said, "Princess, I will go with you."
Zi'an said, "No, Lingli, you stay here and appease the villagers. Also, find a way to contact the old prince and ask him to deliver the golden key from Da Zhou or Daliang. You must hurry and seize the time."
"Okay!" Lingli answered straightforwardly. She was used to obeying orders, so she did what Zi'an told her to do.
Zi'an asked Lingli to help watch over her while she went to a nearby mountain stream to take a shower and change her clothes. Although there was no guarantee that she would not bring the virus down the mountain, it was always better to be cleaner.
Su Mu sent a soldier to take her down the mountain. Zi'an didn't know the way to Beimo, so someone had to lead her.
After Zi'an came down the mountain, he went straight to General Qin's mansion.
When they arrived at the gate of the mansion, Zi'an ordered the soldier, "Go back and help first. I don't need anyone here."
"Then Princess, please be careful." said the soldier.
"Okay, I understand." Zi'an turned over and got off the horse.
The concierge came up and looked at Zi'an, "Who are you looking for?"
"Is General Qin here?" Zi'an asked after tying up his horse.
"What's your name? I'll go in and tell him." said the doorman.
"Xia Zian!" Zian bowed.
The concierge was startled. "Xia Zian? The regent princess of the Great Zhou?"
"Yes!" Zi'an said neither humbly nor arrogantly.
The doorman bowed and said, "Princess, please wait a moment. I will go and inform you right away."
After saying that, he turned and went in.
The doorman did not take the Regent Princess too seriously, otherwise he would have invited her in first instead of having her wait at the door.
Zi'an didn't care and stood there calmly.
A moment later, Qin Zhou came out in person. She had originally planned to go to Muzhai, but was delayed because of her grandfather's illness.
"What are you doing here?" Qin Zhou was wearing a wide-sleeved robe with gold decoration. His hair was tied up with a crown and a white Hetian jade hairpin. His eyebrows were clear, his face was indifferent, his thin lips were pursed, and his eyes were cold.
"I want to talk to you." Zi'an looked at her directly.
Qin Zhou sneered, "I can't think of anything to discuss with you."
"The people of Northern Desert, do you really not care about them?" Zi'an walked up the stone steps, his eyes sparkling. He suppressed his anger and tried to be as calm as possible. "When I was in the Great Zhou, I heard of your reputation. You have made great military achievements and held military power. Your power is close to that of the emperor. The people of Northern Desert regard you as a hero. In some places, they only know about you, Qin Zhou, but not the emperor."
Qin Zhou's eyes were filled with anger. "What do you mean by saying these words? Are you trying to sow discord between me and the Emperor?"
"You don't need me to stir up trouble. You and the Emperor of Beimo should have had a grudge against each other. This is because the Emperor of Beimo only cares about territory and ambition, not the people. You, Qin Zhou, are not like that."
"Ridiculous!" Qin Zhou sneered, his brows shrouded in anger. "If you came here to say these absurd and ridiculous words to me, then you came to the wrong place. You spread rumors and lied about the severity of the epidemic, causing victims to pour into the capital and causing chaos. Your goal has been achieved. Do you still want to deceive me? Do you really think that you can manipulate my Beimo into your hands by relying on your cleverness? Ridiculous!"
"Qin Zhou!" Zi'an said in a deep voice, "Until now, do you still think that what I said is false? Are you blind or are you blind? You also saw the victims at the city gate. If I just said it casually, would they rush into the capital? If the emperor treated them well, actively cooperated with post-disaster reconstruction or sent doctors to the epidemic area for treatment, would they leave? They are the ones who can't see hope and can't wait for rescue, so they forced into the capital."
(End of this chapter)