But the woman before them didn't seem to have any reason to lie to them. Her people had killed the Quzhao soldiers without blinking an eye, let alone unarmed and weak captives like them.
"I, I am willing," he said, his voice trembling.
"I, I am willing too," the other Han men chimed in.
At worst, they were just jumping from a wolf's den into a tiger's lair. They had nothing left but their lives anyway.
As for the woman's claim that they would be paid for their work and given enough to eat, they didn't believe a word of it.
Where in this world was there a place where one could eat their fill?
Jiang Jin nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then continue pushing the carts for us."
She then looked toward the dozen or so cart slaves in the distance, who had fled into the wasteland but had nowhere to go, secretly peeking in their direction.
Shuangjiang immediately understood Jiang Jin's intention and shouted loudly, "We've killed the Quzhao men! Where can you run? If you're caught by them, you'll die an even more miserable death. You might as well come with us."
Unsurprisingly, these people eventually returned to follow along and push the carts.
In such chaotic times, having absolutely nothing meant they couldn't survive. It was better to follow these people; no matter how bad it was, it couldn't be worse than being slaves to the Quzhao.
Not long after, the group turned onto a mountain path. As they ventured deeper into the secluded area, twisting and turning, the cart slaves grew dizzy from the winding route.
Seeing the increasingly remote path, they all thought these people were taking them somewhere to bury them alive, but then a wide open space appeared ahead.
Several figures covered entirely in green foliage suddenly leaped up from the grass by the roadside, startling the cart slaves so much that their hands trembled and they almost abandoned the carts to flee for their lives.
"My Lord."
Jiang Jin nodded. "Mm."
At this moment, Yao Ji and Xia Chanyi walked out from the dense forest. "My Lord, did the plan go smoothly?"
"Mm," Jiang Jin replied softly. "Open the door."
As they spoke, a clicking sound of a door opening came from a cluster of vines ahead. Shortly after, the vines were pulled aside, revealing a tunnel inside.
A dozen soldiers walked out. "My Lord."
"Take them back to the city," Jiang Jin pointed at the cart slaves and the carts, then ordered the troops behind her, "The Dragon Shadow Squad stays; the rest of you return."
Soon, the soldiers led the cart slaves, pushing the carts into the tunnel.
The tunnel was over two meters high and about one and a half meters wide, varying in width in certain spots.
It was very dark inside, but fortunately, the soldiers were prepared. They all held torches and scattered around the carts, making it easier to see the way.
The procession walked for about one or two hundred meters before turning into the left tunnel.
The cart slaves looked at all this with a mix of wonder and timidity, closely following behind the soldiers.
What they didn't know was that shortly after they left, the entrance to the fork was closed by a door, and this tunnel system had countless hidden doors and branching paths.
They didn't know how long they walked; it felt like a long time, yet also very fast. The only sounds in the tunnel were footsteps and the wheels pressing against the ground.
A bright spot appeared in the distance, and the cart slaves finally breathed a sigh of relief. Were they there?!
Then their hearts leaped into their throats again. They were about to learn their fate—was it life or death?
"Where is the Lord?" Dong Si stood at the tunnel entrance. Not seeing Jiang Jin's figure, he asked somewhat anxiously.
The underground tunnels of Gefeng City had multiple entrances and exits, and this current one was located inside the military barracks.
A soldier replied, "The Lord still has matters to attend to and stayed behind at the Verdant Forest. Oh, right, the Lord said you should tally up these provisions, and have the county magistrate arrange accommodations for these two hundred or so able-bodied men."
Luo Qingci's abilities had been recognized by everyone, and a month ago, Jiang Jin had appointed him as the county magistrate of Gefeng County.
Dong Si was finally relieved. Looking at the provisions, his eyes curved into a smile.
After a thorough tally, the total provisions this time amounted to 900 shi, and there were 265 cart slaves in total.
An hour later, after going through a round of questioning, the cart slaves finally received their household registration documents and a set of clothes.
Feeling as if in a dream, they were led through the streets. It was the afternoon when everyone was at work, so there were not many people on the streets.
Still, there were quite a few elderly people and children strolling leisurely in groups of two or three, looking relaxed, talking and laughing.
This rich atmosphere of ordinary life made them feel as if they had passed into another lifetime, leaving them looking somewhat dazed and at a loss.
Soon they were brought before a tall, bright building.
The yamen runner looked at them and said, "These are single-room dwellings. We can let you stay on credit first, and the rent and deposit will be deducted from your wages next month."
"The Lord is kind-hearted. The clothes in your hands are a gift from the Lord, but from now on, you'll have to earn things on your own."
"You can choose to share a room with a few others, or live alone." The runner opened one of the rooms to show them the size and layout.
The cart slaves looked at each other, not daring to move.
The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier asked with a trembling voice, "This, this is for us to live in?"
The runner nodded, his attitude gentle. "In our Gefeng, as long as you work hard and abide by the law, the Lord and the Jinyang Army will protect you and ensure everyone has enough to eat."
He completely understood their feelings. He had also suffered through the same hardships until the Lord came to Gefeng and they finally started living a good life.
The cart slaves felt like they were dreaming. It took a long while for them to process this. Their hearts finally settled, but their noses stung slightly—they had a home now.
It took them nearly half a quarter of an hour to pick their rooms, mostly choosing to share with several people per room.
The runner registered their housing information. Over the course of a winter, he had learned to read; the yamen runners were considered the first batch to undergo literacy training.
Then he told them the work hours and things to note for the next day before leaving.
Fang Er looked at the clean and refreshing house, still finding it very unreal. He was the middle-aged man who had spoken up earlier.
The few people sharing the room stood inside, also somewhat afraid to move, feeling entirely out of place here.
"This is really for us to live in from now on? We can earn money by working and no longer be slaves to be beaten and killed at will!"
A man finally couldn't help but cover his face and cry, muddy tears slipping through his thick, gaunt, and heavily scarred fingers.
The others also had red eyes, and many began to choke back sobs.
Fang Er tightened his grip on the clothes he was holding. After a long while, he said, "Then let's work hard. Tomorrow we'll go to the construction site and ask for an advance on our wages to buy some household necessities."
The county magistrate had mentioned earlier that they could get an advance on their pay from the work site. They had nothing right now, but they had to start making a living.
Having acquired both provisions and strong laborers, Jiang Jin was in a delightful mood. "Everyone get ready. The Quzhao soldiers could arrive at any moment. We are going to intercept and kill them all in the Verdant Forest north of the Extreme Cold River."
The tracks of over eighty carts were not easily erased. Since that was the case, they would just casually sweep them, leaving behind ambiguous traces.
Such a secretive approach would arouse more suspicion than blatantly obvious tracks. She believed the Quzhao men would quickly follow the trail and come searching.
The Verdant Forest was exactly the burial ground Jiang Jin had chosen for the Quzhao soldiers.
