Chapter 419: Crown Prince Xiahou, please accept my condolences; I also feel very sorry that such a thing happened

The sky had just darkened, the twilight like spilled ink, quickly dyeing the settlement camp.

Several roughly erected coarse cloth tents stood crookedly, the campfires outside the tents had just been lit, the jumping firelight only barely illuminating the surrounding zhang-sized area, while further away it was hidden in the deep dark night.

In the corner of the camp, four Tuyuhun surrendered soldiers leaned against the cold stones.

One of the men with a thick beard spat crudely, his voice full of suppressed resentment: "It's stifling!"

The thin, tall man beside him immediately echoed, his fingers digging into the mud in the wall cracks, his knuckles turning white: "Lost without knowing why!"

Thinking of their Tuyuhun army roaming the Northwest, when had they ever been so cowardly?

Lost in a muddle, surrendered in a muddle...

"The Zhou army only knows how to play tricks..."

Another short, sturdy man slapped his thigh violently, his voice rising suddenly, attracting the surrounding surrendered soldiers to look over, "If they had come with real swords and guns on the battlefield, who would win and who would lose is still unknown!"

By the campfire, a Tuyuhun surrendered soldier curled up, his hands tucked into his sleeves as if closing his eyes to rest, the firelight casting alternating light and shadow on his dark face.

After the complaints of the few gradually lowered, he slowly opened his eyes, his pupils having no emotion, his voice hoarse as if covered with a layer of ash: "Stop complaining!"

"Lost is already lost, what's the use of saying these things?"

"Just accept it!"

The thick-bearded man turned his head and glared at him: "Why? Could it be that you are reconciled?"

"Reconciled or not, what can it do?" He shook his head lightly, his gaze sweeping over the Zhou army figures patrolling outside the camp, his tone flat to the point of numbness, "Lost is already lost, the swords are confiscated, the people are trapped; what's the use of saying these cool words and tough words?"

After the words fell, he closed his eyes again, but the tightly pursed corners of his mouth and the quietly clenched fists revealed the same stifled anger as the others.

Saying he accepted his fate, but the stifled anger in his heart was like a stone stuck in his throat, making him feel painful.

"What is this smell?"

Just at this moment, the short, sturdy man sniffed, his originally wrinkled brows loosening slightly, then he sniffed hard several times, his eyes brightening a bit, smacking his lips and saying: "So fragrant!"

After being hungry for so long, his sense of smell was abnormally sensitive, and the gluttonous worm was instantly hooked.

As soon as these words came out, the other surrendered soldiers also followed and moved their noses, indeed smelling a rich meat fragrance mixed with the sweet fragrance of grain, drifting over with the night wind.

The night grew darker, and a loud shout suddenly came from outside the settlement camp, piercing through the stuffiness in the camp: "Tuyuhun brothers, it's time to eat!"

As soon as the words fell, the cloth curtain at the entrance of the camp was lifted, and You Xian, wearing tight-fitting clothes embroidered with dark patterns, his cuffs neatly bound, walked in the lead.

He was followed by more than ten embroidered-attire envoys, all wearing short blades at their waists and walking steadily, and further behind were dozens of provincial soldiers, two in a group carrying tableware, their footsteps making neat sounds on the muddy ground.

The most eye-catching were the shoulder poles of the provincial soldiers: one end was neatly stacked bamboo baskets, and after lifting the coarse cloth covering them, snow-white big steamed buns were in sight.

Each one was plump and round, the skin still carrying a faint wheat fragrance, and a light touch of the fingertip seemed to feel the warm softness.

The other end was a wooden bucket half a person high. As soon as the wooden lid was opened, the rich meat fragrance surged out, mixed with the sweetness of millet, filling the camp.

The meat porridge in the bucket was boiled thick, fine meat mince sinking to the bottom of the pot, floating oil dotted on the surface, heat curling up along the edge of the bucket, condensing into faint white mist in the night.

You Xian stood in the open space in the center of the camp, raised his hand to signal the soldiers to distribute the food, and ordered: "Distribute according to the number of people, two buns and one bowl of meat porridge per person, line up well, don't be chaotic."

The embroidered-attire envoys immediately dispersed to maintain order, while the soldiers picked up wooden spoons to scoop porridge and used coarse paper to wrap buns, their movements agile.

As soon as You Xian's words fell, the eyes of the four went straight, staring fixedly at the snow-white buns in the bamboo baskets and the steaming meat porridge in the wooden buckets, the thin, tall man couldn't help but let out a low cry: "It's big steamed buns!"

The short, sturdy man stared at the thick porridge rolling in the wooden bucket, his Adam's apple bobbing: "And thick meat porridge!"

Not far away, two Tuyuhun surrendered soldiers who had just walked out of the tent stopped in their tracks.

One of them rubbed his eyes, full of astonishment, pulling his companion's arm and whispering: "This is too good, isn't it?!"

The other man's brows were knitted tightly, his eyes filled with suspicion, subconsciously taking half a step back: "Is the Zhou army treating captives like this?!"

He had heard people say before that defeated captives would be lucky to have a bowl of cold porridge, so how could they be given such good food?

He always felt something was a bit wrong!

The short, sturdy man really couldn't hold back, took big strides toward the distribution point, just received two warm big buns from the Zhou army soldier, his finger pads hadn't had time to feel the soft touch before a loud shout came from behind: "Don't move!"

"Put it down!"

He was so startled that his whole body shivered, his hand shook, and the snow-white bun "plop" fell to the ground, rolling half a foot and getting covered in a layer of dust.

Looking back, it was the surrendered soldier who had been closing his eyes to rest.

At this moment, he had already stood up, his brows knitted into a knot, his eyes filled with vigilance, and added: "Be careful there's something inside!"

You Xian was standing on the side watching the progress of the distribution. Seeing this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, teasing unhurriedly: "Vigilance is so strong?"

"Still afraid we'll poison you?"

Before the words had faded, he casually picked up a big bun from the bamboo basket beside him, pinched it with his fingertips and turned it, and took a big bite.

The wheat fragrance mixed with the noodle fragrance could be clearly heard while chewing.

After swallowing, he walked to the wooden bucket, took the meat porridge bowl handed over by the soldier, and drank two big mouthfuls in front of all the surrendered soldiers, even smacking his lips.

"Th... they ate and drank too?!"

The man froze in place, his brows knitted even tighter, muttering to himself: "Could it really be that there's no poison?!"

Looking at You Xian's demeanor of chewing the bun and the frank manner of drinking the meat porridge, the vigilance in his eyes didn't completely dissipate, but added a hint of incredulous astonishment.

If the Zhou army really wanted to harm them, they wouldn't let people try the food publicly like this.

Before he could sort out his thoughts, a chaotic sound of footsteps had already sounded in the camp.

The first to move was the thick-bearded man. He glared at his stunned companion, swallowed his saliva: "Damn it! Even if there is poison, I can't be a hungry ghost!" After saying this, he pushed through the crowd and rushed forward, received the buns and porridge bowl handed over by the soldier, and couldn't wait to stuff them into his mouth.

With the first person taking the lead, the remaining surrendered soldiers could no longer hold back.

The crowd that had originally been hesitant and watching instantly swarmed up, lining up in crooked lines around the food baskets and wooden buckets.

Some were so anxious they reached out to grab, and after being softly scolded by the embroidered-attire envoys, they retracted their hands, but their eyes were filled with urgency.

Those who got the food couldn't care about the heat, either squatting by the campfire, holding buns in one hand and eating them in big bites, while holding porridge bowls in the other and pouring them into their mouths, not caring at all about the bun crumbs and porridge water flowing down the corners of their mouths.

Or simply sitting on the ground, wolfing down the food while making "slurp slurp" sounds, as if wanting to fill the hunger of the past few days all at once.

The man thought about You Xian's frank appearance of trying the food just now, the swallowing sounds of his companions without any abnormality, and the real fragrance drifting in the air, turning over and over in his mind.

His brows gradually loosened, the vigilance in his eyes faded by more than half, replaced by a hint of confused self-doubt: "Could it really be that I thought too much?"

After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped toward the distribution point.

Eating really cleanly... You Xian walked slowly in the camp, looking at the empty coarse pottery bowls all over the ground and the bun crumbs eaten without a trace, the campfire reflecting on his face, his pupils filled with satisfaction, nodding lightly.

Then, he cleared his throat and shouted to the crowd: "Gentlemen, have a good rest!"

"In a few days, you will be able to return to your hometowns!"

"Is... is it true?!" A sharp counter-question immediately sounded in the crowd. A young surrendered soldier suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with incredulous light, even his voice trembling.

"Of course!"

You Xian turned around upon hearing this, nodded gently at him, his tone frank and certain: "Your Crown Prince and our Grand General have already reached a peace agreement, and in a few days, we will stop fighting and make peace, and send you back!"

As soon as these words came out, the camp exploded, and the surrendered soldiers whispered to each other.

The previous vigilance and resentment were washed away by the sudden hope, and even their breathing became much lighter.

You Xian didn't say more, gave a look to the embroidered-attire envoys and soldiers, and turned to walk outside the camp.

As soon as he walked out of everyone's sight, the gentle smile on his mouth slowly faded, replaced by a hint of extremely faint playfulness...

An incense stick of time later.

The noise in the settlement camp gradually subsided.

Suddenly, a violent roar came from the corner, startling the people around to look over.

It was the short, sturdy man. At this moment, his eyes were widened until they were scarlet, covered in bloodshot, his chest heaving violently, grabbing the collar of the thin, tall man beside him, roaring hoarsely: "Liu Sanshi, did you grab one of my buns just now?"

"No!"

The thin, tall man was dragged until he staggered, hurriedly reaching out to pry his hand away, his face filled with astonishment and grievance: "When did I grab your bun?"

"Don't you go around slandering people!"

He looked completely confused.

Everyone had two buns, so why would he go and grab them?

"Old man says you did, so you did!" The short, sturdy man's eyes were red, his roar making people's ears ring, not listening to half a word of defense, "Spit it out for me!"

Before the words had faded, he let go of the collar he was grabbing, and his fist, as big as a sandbag, carried the wind and smashed fiercely toward the thin, tall man's face.

The thin, tall man was caught off guard, beaten until he staggered backward, the corner of his mouth instantly broken, seeping blood.

The thin, tall man was beaten until he curled up on the ground, at first only holding his head to resist and defending repeatedly, but the short, sturdy man's fists hit harder and harder.

The sharp pain in his lower abdomen and the burning sensation on his cheeks completely ignited his anger.

He roared suddenly, the originally aggrieved eyes instantly covered in strange scarlet, like a trapped beast that had been provoked.

"You are looking for death!"

"Old man will definitely cut you today!"

He grabbed the fist swung by the short, sturdy man, and although his finger bones were hurting from being squeezed, he refused to let go.

The other hand clenched into a fist and smashed toward the short, sturdy man's ribs with all his strength.

"Old man will kill you!"

"Before when looting, it was you who grabbed my jewelry, right?"

"Ugh... ah!"

The two surrendered soldiers were already twisted together, one of them picked up a coarse pottery bowl from the ground and smashed it fiercely against the other's forehead, the bowl fragments shattered, and blood instantly gushed out.

Immediately after, the chaos spread through the camp like a plague.

The originally calm surrendered soldiers had their eyes dyed with strange scarlet, their faces showing hideous ferocity, the previous fatigue and docility disappearing without a trace. 【419-97

These struggles had long since transcended the scope of ordinary disputes; every punch was aimed at vital points, and every kick carried the vicious intent to kill.

Someone was gripped tightly by the throat, their face turning purple, their legs kicking until they gradually lost their breath.

Someone was pushed over, the back of their head striking the rammed-earth wall heavily, instantly falling silent.

Even worse, some rolled into the campfire while tearing at each other, letting the sparks singe their clothes while they continued to frantically claw at each other's flesh.

Roars, curses, the sound of breaking bones, and dying groans intertwined; fresh blood stained the soil beneath their feet and splattered onto the tilted tents.

The number of casualties among the Tuyuhun captives continued to rise, and in those scarlet eyes, only bloodthirsty madness remained, with not a shred of sanity left.

You Xian hid in the shadows outside the camp, his figure half-leaning behind a withered tree. A sinister smile curled the corners of his mouth. One hand was tucked into his sleeve while the other gently stroked his chin, his gaze like a poison-dipped hook, fixed firmly on the people slaughtering each other in the camp.

Listening to the continuous roars and the sound of breaking bones, a low chuckle escaped his throat as he leaned slightly forward.

His eyes were filled with undisguised excitement and gratification.

"Fight, fight..."

He muttered in a low voice, his tone filled with morbid encouragement, "Fight even more fiercely; it would be best if you all perish together!"

Standing to the side, Yu Jie's mouth curled slightly upward as he said: "Brother You, shouldn't we provide them with some weapons?"

As he spoke, he raised a finger to point at the low thicket behind them.

Piled there were dozens of sharpened wooden stakes and bundles of hardwood clubs as thick as an arm, all prepared neatly.

You Xian smiled knowingly and nodded: "Throw them all in!"

Yu Jie shouted in a low voice toward the shadows behind him: "Hurry up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several dark figures darted out like ghosts, lifting the heavy objects and throwing them forcefully toward the center of the camp.

The wooden stakes pierced the soil with a "thud," and the clubs hit the ground with a dull, heavy sound.

The Tuyuhun captives, already blinded by bloodlust, saw this and scrambled forward frantically to fight for them.

Someone gripped a wooden stake and stabbed it fiercely into another's lower abdomen; someone else swung a club and smashed a companion's skull. Blood splattered onto the jagged wooden ends and snaked down along the grain.

The roars and screams suddenly spiked; the original brawl instantly escalated into a bloodier slaughter. Everyone had become a bloodthirsty demon, frantically strangling each other in the camp.

Half an incense stick later.

Xiahou Shun led the Tuyuhun generals and hurried over.

The moment he saw the scene inside the camp, Xiahou Shun was struck as if by lightning, freezing in place. The anxiety on his face was instantly replaced by extreme horror; his lips trembled, and for a long time, he couldn't utter a sound.

There was little life left in the camp; twisted corpses covered the ground, and blood pooled into streams, flowing everywhere along the low-lying terrain.

Bloody flesh was still impaled on the wooden stakes, and the air was filled with a thick, nauseating stench of blood.

"This... what is going on?!"

"Why did they start fighting?!" He finally found his voice, but it was hoarse and unrecognizable. His eyes stared fixedly at that purgatory, filled with incredulous astonishment, "And with such heavy casualties?!"

"This..."

Nilu Zhou was also dumbfounded, momentarily speechless.

No one had expected that these warriors would not die on the battlefield, nor under the blades of the Zhou army, but here, at the hands of their own people...

"What on earth happened here!"

Chen Yan appeared at the perfect moment. His voice was not loud, and his deliberately lowered tone was full of "displeasure," as if he had just learned the news and rushed over, knowing nothing of the chaos before him.

"Reporting to the Grand General, they were starving, and when food was being distributed, they started fighting over it, leading to a brawl!" You Xian wore an anxious expression, ran up quickly, lowered his head, and said in a low voice.

"If they started fighting, why didn't you stop them!"

Chen Yan furrowed his brows slightly, scrutinized You Xian, glanced at Xiahou Shun from the corner of his eye, and scolded sternly: "What are you all good for!"

"This subordinate did not know it would be so serious..."

"I ask the Grand General to forgive my sins!"

You Xian seemed to have been startled, his voice even trembling.

Chen Yan gritted his teeth, raised a hand to point at You Xian, and said sternly: "Take these few who failed to maintain order and lock them all in confinement!"

He paused, then raised his tone and added: "Lock them up for ten days!"

"Understood!"

Helian Shi led the garrison soldiers out in response, quickly seized You Xian and the others, and took them away.

Chen Yan walked up to Xiahou Shun, deliberately slowed his tone, the previous "gloom" fading slightly, replaced by a look of deep sorrow and regret: "Crown Prince Xiahou, please restrain your grief. I also feel deep regret that such a thing has happened..."

"Our army will collect their bodies for you!"

His eyes held just the right amount of pity.

As if he were truly heartbroken by this "accident"...