Chapter 681: Birds Eat Insects, Insects Eat Grass, Humans Eat Humans

Soon, everyone followed Ding Huirong's steps and slowly arrived in front of a dilapidated little courtyard.

The creaking door was opened, and they walked into Ding Huirong's home.

Only then did everyone notice that the courtyard before them was indeed shabby, yet many items were arranged meticulously, giving an oddly discordant impression.

Empress Changsun raised an eyebrow, realizing that this elderly woman was probably a fastidious person.

"Come, please all have a seat."

Ding Huirong hunched over, took a stack of small wooden stools from the corner for them to use as seats, but then went inside and brought out a small stool, placing it in front of Chen Yan.

"Lord, please do not disdain it; this is already the only stool in the house."

Chen Yan wanted to speak but held back.

He wasn't disdaining the small stool; it was just that Li Shimin and Empress Changsun were sitting on the small wooden stools while he sat on a bench—was that inappropriate?

"Zi An, sit." Li Shimin seemed to see what Chen Yan was thinking and, without a hint of concern, gestured for him to sit.

Chen Yan hesitated for a moment, then sat down.

Ding Huirong glanced at Li Shimin, seemed to understand something, but said nothing, only: "Lord, please wait a moment; the commoner will fetch water for you."

"Elder lady, we'll help you."

Seeing this, Li Lizhi could no longer sit still and hurried forward.

Ding Huirong smiled: "Then I'll trouble the Princess."

"Do you know me?" Li Lizhi asked, a bit surprised.

"Naturally I don't know you." Ding Huirong replied slowly, "I have only heard that the Lord's wife is a Princess; having lived so many years, I consider myself to have a bit of discernment."

Li Lizhi was enlightened.

Indeed, Chen Yan's two grand weddings were known throughout Chang'an, so the news spreading was unsurprising.

Afterward, Li Lizhi followed Ding Huirong into the house.

Chen Yan lowered his voice: "Your… father‑in‑law, this elder lady's former status is probably unusual; she does not seem like an ordinary peasant woman."

Li Shimin nodded slightly; he had also noticed.

Logically, even if he didn't know his identity, Ding Huirong had recognized Chen Yan.

Who is Chen Yan?

Even if he isn't the Minister of Revenue and has been stripped of his title, he is still Lord Bo.

Any ordinary peasant woman who meets someone of Chen Yan's stature would inevitably appear uneasy and cautious, wouldn't she?

Moreover, a woman's feet are a very private part, not even a father may see them, only her husband; yet Ding Huirong, living in hardship without even a pair of shoes, faced Chen Yan and her own poverty with composure.

It looks nothing like an ordinary household.

"Grandma Ding, guess what I brought you?"

At that moment, a joyful shout from a youth came from outside.

Immediately after, a child in his early teens, whose body had not fully matured, ran in, clutching a pair of ordinary cloth shoes.

Seeing so many people inside, the youth was clearly stunned.

Chen Yan and Li Shimin were also stunned.

"Liuzi?" Chen Yan asked in surprise.

"County Magistrate, my lord!" Liuzi recovered, exclaiming with delight, "Why have you returned?"

Li Shimin and Empress Changsun exchanged a glance; wasn't this the little Liuzi who had shown them the way?

Chen Yan was at a loss for words.

It seemed that Liuzi was everywhere in Weinan County.

"Lord…" Liuzi began to say something, then noticed Li Shimin, his face turning pale, his legs going limp as he knelt.

"Commoner… Liuzi, I pay my respects… respect."

For a moment he was truly frightened, not knowing how to address him.

Li Shimin laughed casually, "Young one."

"I still like meeting you for the first time, with that carefree demeanor."

Liuzi dared not look up at Li Shimin nor speak, only nodding repeatedly.

Chen Yan interjected, "Liuzi, why are you here?"

"Did you not go out to earn money today?"

Liuzi whispered, "Returning to the county… my lord, previously Grandma Ding took great care of my siblings and me; now that times have improved, I wanted to bring Grandma Ding to live with us, but she refused, wanting neither money nor food, so I asked Aunt Qian to weave a pair of shoes to give to Grandma Ding."

"I came today to deliver the shoes."

Chen Yan's gaze shifted to the shoes in his hand, and he laughed, "Good, you're a real man!"

Liuzi gave a simple, sincere smile, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"Man" is already a high compliment, especially for a boy who is far from adulthood.

"Lord, here, have some water."

Ding Huirong came out, carrying two bowls of water, giving one to Chen Yan and one to Li Shimin.

"Thank you, elder lady." Li Shimin took the bowl, stared at it for a moment, then drank it down in one gulp.

Then he asked, "Elder lady, may I ask you a few questions?"

Ding Huirong's slightly clouded eyes flickered faintly, and she nodded gently, "Of course, what would you like to know?"

"What do you think this age lacks most?" Li Shimin asked quite directly.

Chen Yan and the others frowned slightly at the words; Li Lizhi and Gao Yang held their breath, especially Liuzi, who was so frightened he could not even exhale.

"These days…" Ding Huirong lifted her head slightly, her pupils a bit unfocused, as if recalling something, and whispered:

"No matter what age it is, in truth nothing is lacking, yet everything is lacking."

A common woman who had experienced the chaotic end of the Sui dynasty said, "At that time, war smoke rose everywhere, warfare never ceased, dead people filled the world; the human realm and hell—what difference was there?"

Back then, the world lacked a wise ruler, lacked conscientious officials, lacked food and clothing, lacked a chance for everyone to survive—there were too many shortages, too many to count.

Li Shimin asked again: "And what about now?"

"Now we also lack many things." Ding Huirong said this, and many people grew nervous.

Because they sensed something amiss from Ding Huirong's words.

"Now we have a wise ruler, and there are also many conscientious officials who wholeheartedly serve the people." Ding Huirong's astonishing words: "But look at this world—it seems completely transformed, from the chaotic end of the Sui dynasty to today's peace under heaven; the change looks huge, yet essentially nothing has changed—it's merely birds eating worms, worms eating grass, people eating people."

"The only thing we lack is something that can stop the phenomenon of people eating people—it could be a new system, or perhaps a certain person..."

Saying this, Ding Huirong couldn't help but glance at Chen Yan.

Li Shimin noticed this scene, interested, and asked: "Do you think Chen Yan is that person?"

Ding Huirong smiled, did not answer directly, but said: "I don't know, and nobody knows, but... I hope Lord Chen is that person."

"......"