Chapter 1060: First Volume, Chapter 1060: Encounter with the Emperor

First Volume, Chapter 1060: Encounter with the Emperor

What had just happened before their eyes was undoubtedly beyond the refugees' comprehension.

This woman, who appeared so exquisitely noble, was actually... the Nu Huang of Di?!

They dared not believe it, yet the aura of authority radiating from Jing Qianying, along with the elite troops armed to the teeth surrounding them, left them no choice but to accept it.

To these refugees, even the county magistrate was a figure like Old Heaven.

As for meeting His Majesty, they had never dared dream of such a thing.

Yet it had become reality.

After a long while, the refugees finally snapped out of their shock, panic-stricken and helpless, falling prostrate on the ground and pounding their heads repeatedly.

"Long live His Majesty!"

"Long, long live His Majesty!"

They did not know what to say or do before the most powerful woman in the nation—only to keep repeating "long live."

Jing Qianying rose slowly, clasping her hands before her lower abdomen, her expression solemn, eyes slightly lowered.

She embodied both approachability and absolute authority.

"You are all subjects of Di. Rise."

Though granted permission, the refugees dared not stand—they shifted from kneeling to lying flat on the ground, none daring to lift their heads and glance at Jing Qianying.

It was unnecessary to demand anything from these ordinary Common People.

Jing Qianying sat back down and spoke softly: "Go to Sangzhou if you wish. The Heaven is unsettled now—take any chance to survive."

"When you have enough to eat and wear, if the opportunity arises, return to your homeland—it is best to fall back to one's roots."

Hearing Jing Qianying's words, the fear among the refugees finally began to ease.

Just moments ago, they had thought they were doomed.

Facing His Majesty, they had dared to boast—and even praised the people of Liang.

Worse still, they were all "illegal refugees."

In these times, being a refugee was not something one could take lightly; once leaving one's hometown and entering another land, one was deemed a fugitive.

Once labeled a fugitive, one was even lower than the lowest outcast.

Even the Official Residence, if they caught you, would strip you of a layer of skin.

Yet now, facing His Majesty, they were not scolded—instead, they were encouraged to flee to Sangzhou. Everyone felt as if they were dreaming.

The old man, his head buried in the dirt, trembled and whispered: "Your Majesty... you won't kill us?"

Jing Qianying smiled lightly: "Why would I kill you?"

The old man swallowed hard, still trembling with fear: "We're fleeing to Sangzhou—aren't we supposed to be killed?"

"But Sangzhou is Qin Feng's territory..."

Jing Qianying's smile deepened.

"What wrong is there in seeking refuge with my husband?"

The old man still could not believe it—fleeing before His Majesty without being punished... wait—

Overwhelmed by shock, he forgot his fear and suddenly lifted his head, staring blankly at Qin Feng.

"Your Majesty's husband... Sangzhou... Qin Feng..."

The old man felt a whirring sound in his skull and burst out in astonishment: "Young Master—you—you're the legendary Qin Feng?!"

What is "legendary"? Only the dead are called that.

Yet sensing the old man's stunned gaze, Qin Feng returned a gentle smile and nodded kindly.

"Old man, you need not be nervous."

"For us to meet and speak so pleasantly is already fate."

"When you reach Sangzhou, rest easy—there are no fugitives in Sangzhou. Beixi County will send people to organize and assign you."

"Either settle you into villages or register you locally—no need to worry about shelter."

The old man heard not a single word of Qin Feng's reassurance.

He stared fixedly at Qin Feng for a moment, then, almost involuntarily, turned his gaze to Jing Qianying beside him.

Moments later, he burst into loud sobs.

"Your Majesty... First Marquis Under Heaven..."

"Others may spend a lifetime without seeing even one of you—I, this old carcass, have seen two in one day..."

"Has my ancestral tomb started smoking?"

The old man wept not from fear, but from overwhelming emotion.

Through tears and snot, he looked toward Li Xiaolan beside him.

"Who is this noble person?"

Li Xiaolan smiled back: "I am Da Liang Ming Yue Princess."

Hiss...

The old man drew in a sharp breath.

Qin Marquis, the Nu Huang of Di, the Da Liang Ming Yue Princess...

Good heavens!

Not only the old man—the entire crowd of refugees froze in disbelief, unable to accept that this was real.

They had been traveling with the convoy for two days already.

No one could have imagined that the carriage held three towering figures...

Not just towering figures—these were the most illustrious individuals of the Liang and Di Empires.

Yet, the other party's status was already beyond measure, yet they showed such leniency toward the refugees—not driving them away, but protecting and accompanying them all the way.

Now face to face, they spoke as casually as if chatting with family, showing not the slightest disdain for the filthy, disheveled refugees.

As the old man wept, the refugees instantly burst into tears all around—they were overjoyed; even if they could not comprehend what the Great Plan of the state was, or what diligent governance meant, at this moment, simply sitting before these three people was enough to prove that the nation was saved.

"Heaven bless our great Di!"

"I never dared imagine—the Nu Huang herself would walk among us refugees."

"For these past two days, we've been traveling alongside Nu Huang and Lord Qin…"

Qin Feng and the other two sat quietly in place, offering no dissuasion—after all, no amount of pleading could soothe the refugees' overwhelming emotions.

When they had shouted enough and cried enough, they would naturally calm down.

It took fully half a Envoy before the refugees' wailing finally subsided.

Under the gaze of countless burning eyes, Qin Feng gestured and called Wu Tang to his side.

"Give each of them two soybean cakes."

"After all, the journey to Sangzhou is long, and they have nothing to eat—they won't survive otherwise."

Wu Tang did not hesitate; the convoy carried ample Materials and Supplies, and soybean cakes were precisely for aiding the common folk.

As for Qin Feng and the others, they ate fine rice cakes, dried rations, and cured meat.

It wasn't that Qin Feng was stingy or unwilling to give them better food—it was unnecessary.

These refugees were content with just a bite to eat; to them, soybean cakes and cured meat made no essential difference.

Ensuring their minimum needs was the right path; anything beyond that was superfluous.

With the soybean cakes in hand, the refugees finally realized that these three top-tier figures were nothing like the Local Officials—fierce and terrifying.

Perhaps this was what people meant when they said the King of Hell is easy to deal with, but the Little Ghosts are hard to handle?

Emboldened, the crowd gradually gathered around Qin Feng and the others, chatting in scattered, excited tones.