Chapter 550

"Obey!" Yuwen Ze responded loudly, then turned to face the soldiers behind him, learning the manner, and shouted with his arms raised: "Come! Lads, set up pots to boil porridge!"

"Let the people have a good full meal!"

"Obey!" The two thousand soldiers responded in unison, their voices shaking the trees.

The refugees witnessed this scene, each and every one of them pleasantly surprised, their faces full of disbelief, and then overjoyed, kneeling on the ground one after another, kowtowing to Chen Yan repeatedly: "Many thanks, Lord Chen Yan!"

"Many thanks, Lord Chen Yan!"

An old woman put her hands together, her eyes filled with tears, and said: "Lord Chen Yan is truly a living Bodhisattva!"

"At a time when we were at the end of our rope, only you, Lord, were willing to lend a helping hand and save us from fire and water!"

"No! It is the Buddha in the world!" An old man beside him added excitedly, "The Lord not only does not bully us but also boils porridge for us. We would be hard-pressed to repay this great kindness even if our bodies were smashed to pieces!"

The garrison soldiers moved quickly, placing the iron pots they had specially carried with them onto the temporarily built stoves one by one.

Withered branches burned fiercely under the stoves, flames licked the bottom of the pots, making a crackling sound.

Before long, the clear water in the pots bubbled, and the steaming heat permeated the forest.

The garrison soldiers poured the wheat bran they had prepared into the pots all at once, and the wooden spoons stirred constantly in the pots, the white wheat bran gradually merging with the clear water, turning into thick porridge.

Sunlight shone through the gaps in the branches and leaves, reflecting on the steaming heat, refracting mottled light and shadows.

The two thousand soldiers had a clear division of labor, adding firewood, stirring, and watching the fire, busy in an orderly manner, with tall figures shuttling beside the stoves.

"The porridge is ready!" With a shout, the first pot of wheat bran porridge was finally boiled.

The rich fragrance of rice mixed with the breath of wheat bran drifted in the air, causing the refugees to stretch their necks, their eyes full of longing.

Yuwen Ze walked to the stove and shouted loudly: "Fellow villagers, everyone line up to receive porridge!"

"Everyone has a share, and if it's not enough, you can add more. Today, you will have your fill!"

As soon as the words fell, the refugees instantly boiled over, their eyes filled with hot tears, moved beyond words, and said one after another: "Great! Great!"

"We will finally not starve to death!"

"Lord Chen Yan is truly our rebirth parent!"

Amidst the sighs, everyone lined up consciously. Although they were anxious, they were orderly, without any chaos.

Chen Yan walked to the side of the old man with white hair and beard, sat down on a blue stone, and asked gently: "Old man, is this porridge okay?"

The old man was holding a bowl of hot porridge, carefully blowing on it. Hearing this, he hurriedly put down the bowl and nodded repeatedly: "Okay! Very okay!"

"This old man hasn't eaten such a hot thing for a long time. It warms the heart and the stomach!"

Having said that, he picked up a wooden spoon, scooped a spoonful of porridge, and put it into his mouth. The coarse porridge melted on the tip of his tongue, carrying a faint wheat fragrance.

Although it couldn't be called delicious, it was the most palatable food he had eaten in days, and his eye sockets couldn't help but moisten again.

The middle-aged man beside him was gulping down the porridge, and the porridge water slid down the corners of his mouth without him noticing.

Hearing the conversation between Chen Yan and the old man, he looked up, still with porridge stains on his face, and said gratefully: "To be able to meet Lord Chen Yan is truly the blessing of ten lifetimes for us commoners!"

Chen Yan nodded slightly upon hearing this, swept his gaze over the seated refugees, and said loudly: "Eat quickly! Eat more to recover your strength."

Having said that, he raised his hand, pointed to the iron pot not far away that was still steaming, and said in a gentle but firm tone: "If it's not enough, you can continue to add more there. Today, I must let everyone have a good time!"

"Lord Chen Yan is truly kind!" A refugee who had just received a second bowl of porridge held the bowl and sighed at Chen Yan's back, "The military lords of Great Zhou are also so approachable. Not only did they not scold us, but they also personally lit the fire to boil porridge for us..."

"Yes!" Several refugees beside him echoed, their faces full of emotion, "Great Zhou is better after all!"

Praises rose and fell in the forest, mixed with the sound of slurping porridge.

Li Erzhu gulped down a large mouthful of porridge, the boiling porridge went down his stomach, warming his intestines and his heart. He looked up, his eyes shining with longing, and said: "I have long heard that Great Zhou now implements the Equal-Field System, letting everyone have land to plant and everyone have clothes to wear..."

"It's not like in the Qi State, where we are stripped of everything by the government and forced to live by soaring prices!"

"There are rewards for military achievements!"

"And you can even be promoted to official positions!"

His words were full of envy.

Another young refugee put down his bowl and took over the conversation, his tone full of admiration, "And Lord Chen Yan, who punishes evil and promotes good in the Zhou State, making decisions for the people. Those corrupt officials have nowhere to hide in front of him and can no longer harm the people!"

He became more excited as he spoke, but before he could finish, the expression on his face gradually dimmed, and his tone became bitter: "It's just a pity that we are Qi people, and we can only watch the Zhou people live a good life, while we suffer bullying in the Qi State. This situation is truly a world of difference!"

These words were like a basin of cold water poured into everyone's hearts, and the joy that had just ignited was instantly diluted.

The refugees looked at each other, their faces showing lost and helpless expressions.

Yes, no matter how good Great Zhou is, they are ultimately in the Qi territory at this moment, and the future path is still bleak.

Just then, a sigh suddenly came from the crowd: "If only we were people of Great Zhou!"

As soon as the words fell, a refugee wearing a short coat with patches put down his porridge bowl and sighed, his tone full of resentment and disappointment: "Comparing it like this, Great Qi... no! It's the Qi State!"

"It's truly rotten to the core!"

"The government is corrupt, the nobles suck the marrow, prices are soaring, fake money is rampant, and they treat the people like grass. Such a country should perish!"

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, and the surrounding refugees' expressions suddenly tightened.

An old refugee with a cowardly face hurriedly reached out to pull his sleeve, persuading him in a low voice: "Be careful! Be careful!"

"Such rebellious words cannot be said randomly!"

"Be careful of bringing disaster upon yourself!"

"What are you afraid of!" The refugee who expressed the emotion held the porridge bowl, stiffened his neck, and said with his head held high: "Now that Lord Chen Yan is here to sit in command, and with the iron cavalry of Great Zhou here to protect us, I don't believe those plague-stricken Xianbei soldiers can touch a single finger of mine!"

"That's right!" Several refugees on the side echoed.

Chen Yan stood in the crowd, taking all this into his eyes, a smile flashed in his eyes, and he slowly opened his mouth, sweeping his gentle gaze over everyone, and asked: "I wonder where you all plan to go next?"

The old man heard this, shook his head slowly, his face full of confusion and helplessness, and sighed: "To answer Lord Chen, we are all displaced people, and we don't know where to go yet!"

He paused, his voice carrying a trace of bitterness, "We are all commoners who live today without knowing if we can survive tomorrow. Where we can go depends entirely on heaven's will."

Having said that, the old man raised his wrinkled hand, wiped away the moisture from the corner of his eye, and sighed heavily again, a trace of faint expectation flashing in his eyes: "If there is a place where we can eat our fill and not be bullied, that would be a great blessing!"

These words expressed the aspirations of all the refugees, and everyone nodded in agreement, their faces full of melancholy.

Chen Yan's gaze suddenly tightened, he raised his hand to point to the west, and said loudly: "If you all have nowhere to go, why not head west, cross the Yellow River, and go to Great Zhou!"

"My Great Zhou is prosperous and peaceful, and there will definitely be a place for you all to settle down!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the refugee crowd instantly erupted in enthusiastic response, and everyone nodded in agreement: "Lord Chen Yan is absolutely right!"

"The Qi State is already unlivable, we can't survive here, so we might as well go west to Great Zhou and seek a way to live!"

"Yes!" Li Erzhu put down the porridge bowl in his hand, his face showing a firm expression, and sighed: "Instead of being bullied in the Qi State, it's better to defect to Great Zhou, perhaps there is still a place for us there!"

The surrounding refugees also echoed, their eyes shining with longing for the future.

The idea of going west to Great Zhou was like a seed, quickly taking root and sprouting in everyone's hearts.

Chen Yan saw this, nodded with satisfaction, put one hand behind his back, and shouted loudly: "General Feng!"

"The subordinate is here!" Feng Muye stepped forward, cupped his hands and stood solemnly, waiting for orders.

Chen Yan gave a look and said in a deep voice: "Take all the food stored in the army and bring it over!"

Feng Muye understood, cupped his hands again and responded: "Yes!"

Then he turned and led several garrison soldiers to leave quickly.

Before long, the soldiers moved a large amount of bagged wheat bran over and piled it into a small hill on the open space.

Chen Yan walked to the side of the grain pile, his expression solemn and dignified, and said righteously to the refugees: "Everyone, take all this grain away!"

He paused, swept his gaze over every longing face, and continued righteously: "The journey is long, and this grain is enough to support you to reach Great Zhou."

"If you encounter other displaced people on the way, you can also share the grain with them for relief!"

"And tell them that the Great Zhou army has arrived, and the suffering of the Qi people is about to end!"

At that moment, Yuwen Ze, standing on the side, instantly understood the role of the wheat bran...

The refugees looked at the grain pile that had become a small hill before them, each and every one of them was greatly shocked, their eyes full of disbelief, and they swallowed hard one after another.

The old man with white hair and beard trembled with excitement, walked forward carefully, and asked with a crying voice: "These... are all given to us?!"

"All given to us?!"

Chen Yan's gaze was firm, and he replied decisively: "Yes! It's all yours!"

"Take this grain and go west to Great Zhou, and live well!"

"Many thanks, Lord Chen Yan! Many thanks, Lord Chen Yan!" The refugees instantly boiled over, kneeling on the ground in unison, kowtowing repeatedly, "We have no way to repay the Lord's great kindness!"

In the crowd, a young refugee shouted loudly: "If we can reach Great Zhou alive, we will definitely build a living shrine for Lord Chen Yan, burn incense and worship every day, and remember the Lord's life-saving grace!"

"We are also willing to build a living shrine for the Lord!" Other refugees echoed, their voices full of sincerity.

Chen Yan raised his hand to signal everyone to stand up, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, point out the nearby noble mansions to me..."

His gaze swept over the refugees, and he said with righteous anger in his tone: "I will lead the army to level them right now and vent your anger and avenge your hatred!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the flames of revenge ignited in the refugees' eyes.

They stood up one after another, scrambling to point them out.

By the time the refugees had carried the grain and gradually moved away, the setting sun had sunk behind the western mountains, and the afterglow had dyed the sky a brilliant orange-red.

Chen Yan mounted his horse, his dark armor reflecting cold light in the twilight. He swept his gaze over the more than two thousand cavalry under his command and said loudly: "Gentlemen, the time for me to fulfill my promise has come!"

"Head to the noble mansions!"

"Let me open up and loot!"

"Set off!"