Chapter 1171

First Volume_Chapter 1171: This Warlord Is Different

Previously, the old Village Chief had guessed that this group were most likely passing merchants.

After all, there were many of them, and they were leading horses; most importantly, they showed little interest in the three large fat pigs.

But as they drew closer and he saw they wore armor and carried weapons, he thought, Damn it—this was exactly what he feared.

The old Village Chief knew he couldn't run, so he gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

"Military Master, this village is now left with only this humble old man."

"I wonder, what brings you to this village?"

Watching the old Village Chief's cautious demeanor, Qin Feng couldn't help but chuckle softly; he waved his hand, signaling the old man not to be nervous.

"Old sir, we are troops from the Northern Border, here specifically to observe the people's conditions."

Troops from the North?

The old Village Chief immediately realized something, his face turning pale.

"Y-you are soldiers sent by the court to punish Nan Jing?"

"Heavens!"

The old Village Chief dropped to his knees with a thud, weeping: "This humble old man has always been law-abiding and has no connection whatsoever to Gusu City."

"Grand General, please see clearly who is good and who is evil."

Grand General?

Zhao Zhenhai raised an eyebrow: "This man before you is the Prince of the Northern Border of Shedynasty!"

Prince?

The old Village Chief was utterly confused—he had never heard of any Prince of Qin, and though he'd heard whispers of the Northern Border, it lay thousands of miles away.

What changes occurred in the Northern Border had nothing to do with a humble old man like him.

But…

This man was a prince, and he had come from the North.

The old Village Chief grew even more terrified, for he knew this Southern Campaign was no joke—if even a prince had come, the war would surely engulf all of Jiangnan soon.

Qin Feng pressed his hand down, signaling Zhao Zhenhai to step back.

He still smiled warmly at the old Village Chief: "Didn't I say? Don't be afraid."

"We came to this village today solely to observe the people's conditions."

"Are all the villagers hiding in the mountains? Hehe, call them down—they won't be harmed a single hair."

How could the old Village Chief dare agree?

The court's Southern Campaign army must be short on Materials and Supplies; they'd inevitably "temporarily requisition" them on the spot.

He feared that the moment he called the villagers down, they'd be seized as conscripts.

"The villagers have all fled for safety; this old man, with his bad legs, was the only one left behind."

"If Your Highness has any questions, this humble old man will answer fully and without reservation."

Qin Feng saw through his lie but didn't expose it; after all, Common People feared the court's army like tigers—it was understandable.

Moreover, his goal was to learn the relationship between the local people and the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing; as long as he got the answer, that was enough.

Qin Feng directly pointed to the nearby "Tun Lao."

"These three large fat pigs—are they yours?"

The old Village Chief's heart sank; he sighed inwardly—what he feared most had come: these soldiers wouldn't let those three big white pigs go.

But as long as the villagers were safe, even if the three pigs were requisitioned, it was worth it.

"R-returning to Your Highness, these three pigs were indeed raised by the village."

"They're too stubborn to drive away, so we left them behind—we simply couldn't take them."

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and gave a knowing smile: "If you can't carry them alive, why not kill them and divide the meat?"

The old Village Chief's face flushed with embarrassment—his improvised excuse was riddled with holes and utterly indefensible.

But he had no choice; he had to grit his teeth and keep lying.

"Killing pigs is hard labor; all the strong men fled first; the women and children left behind lack the strength to kill them."

Qin Feng let out a soft "Oh," then shifted tone: "These three large pigs can't have grown this big eating only grass."

"You must have fed them plenty of coarse grain."

"Has life in this village become so prosperous that coarse grain is used to feed pigs?"

Even though Jiangnan is a land of rice and fish with relatively high grain yields, it still can't match the richness of the Central Plains' rear area.

Moreover, Jiangnan frequently suffers from epidemics and floods.

Its wealth is merely relative.

The old Village Chief didn't understand the deeper meaning behind Qin Feng's question.

If he admitted it, he'd reveal the village still had stored grain—what excuse would he give when they forcibly requisitioned it?

If he denied it, how could he explain these three fat, plump pigs?

As the old Village Chief racked his brains, Qin Feng's laughter sounded again.

"Old sir, I understand pig-rearing too, hehe—raising pigs this well requires more than coarse grain; occasionally, you need to add meat scraps and kitchen waste."

"Ordinary Common People's pigs are usually thin."

"If I'm not mistaken, these three large pigs weren't raised for your own consumption, were they?"

The old Village Chief turned deathly pale—Qin Feng had hit the nail on the head.

These three large pigs were raised for the landlord, who had fled into Gusu City and strongly supported Gusu City's war efforts.

If this man learned the village had ties to the Gusu City landlord, what if he ordered a massacre?

The old Village Chief was trembling with fear.

Zhao Zhenhai, unable to hold back any longer, couldn't help but tease sarcastically.

"Why are you shaking so much? Didn't the Qin Wang already say that this visit to the village is just to observe the people's conditions? If you can make your lives better, the Qin Wang would be delighted."

"As for raising pigs for the wealthy families, if it increases your income, there's no harm in it."

Saying this, Zhao Zhenhai turned to Qin Feng and grinned: "Qin Wang, I'm not wrong, am I?"

Qin Feng nodded with a smile: "Correct. As long as the Common People can live well, I am content."

The old Village Chief was filled with disbelief.

He stared blankly at Qin Feng, still unable to believe: "You… you really don't blame us for raising pigs for the landowner?"

Qin Feng shrugged: "Why would I blame you?"

The old Village Chief clenched his teeth and decided to speak out: "That landowner… lives in Gusu City, and has also lent strength to the Gusu City Garrison."

After saying this, the old Village Chief felt as if all his strength had been drained, bracing himself for Qin Feng's rage.

But the result was the exact opposite.

Qin Feng didn't take it seriously at all, speaking lightly: "What does the landowner's support for Gusu City have to do with you?"

"You're just Common People. Military matters are none of your concern—just focus on improving your own lives."

"Don't worry—these three fat pigs will soon become your village's property."

"When I break through Gusu City, that landowner will most likely die inside."

The old Village Chief frowned tightly, feeling as if he were dreaming.

Was this young man truly a high-ranking official sent by the court to carry out Bandit Elimination against the Powerful Clans of Nan Jing? Why did he show not a hint of hostility toward Nan Jing?

At that moment, Qin Feng suddenly asked: "How is your relationship with the landowner?"