Chapter Seven, the long road of Ying Mountain.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at Zhao Kuangyi's actions and smiled slightly, saying: "You are right, sir. One should do their utmost and have a clear conscience. The reason why chaotic times are chaotic is that the hearts of the people are in disarray. To restore the hearts of the people and spread benevolence throughout the world is what a true man should do. No matter how strong the weapons are, they cannot win back the hearts of the people"

Zhao Kuangyin raised his whip and pointed at the slowly advancing group of refugees, saying: "This group of refugees is marching in an orderly manner; it seems that someone has gathered them. The people from the south are somewhat weaker; if this group of refugees were in the Central Plains, they would have already risen up, and the strong would have preyed upon the weak."

The few individuals remained indifferent, ignoring Xu Haoyue's words, and simply stared at the women and children without leaving. Xu Haoyue stepped forward, blocking the path of the women and children, and angrily said: "As men, it is already a shame not to protect the elderly, the weak, and women and children; yet you still wish to snatch that little bit of food. Where is your conscience?" He then brought over his horse, allowing the two weakest women and children to ride, and coldly looked at the surrounding refugees, saying: "The essence of being human lies in the ability to help one another in times of crisis. If the strong do not act as they should, how are they different from beasts? I have only one horse, and indeed cannot save everyone, but I will do my utmost. A person should have no regrets or shame in their heart!" After saying this, he took a child from one of the women and carried it on his back, then picked up another, protecting the group of women and children, and coldly gazed at the crowd of refugees as he walked slowly forward.

Zhao Kuangyi sneered from behind, saying: "Isn't the gentleman well-versed in astronomy and geography? How can you not understand such simple principles?"

Zhao Kuangyi shouted in great dissatisfaction: "Hey, hey, didn't you hear what my elder brother said? It's not allowed!"

Zhao Kuangyi silently watched as the crowd of refugees gradually broke into smiles. A few individuals, burdened with selfish thoughts, could only follow behind, their hearts shaken. Their faces flushed for a moment, and they lowered their heads to dismount, emulating Zhao Kuangyin's actions. Initially, Zhao Kuangyi felt somewhat embarrassed, but upon seeing the children who benefited from the water, a smile blossomed on their tender faces, filled with grateful and admiring gazes, which provided a small sense of satisfaction to his vanity. Unable to resist, he picked up a child and joined the ranks of those offering assistance.

A few starving women and children received food and water, and naturally, they were overjoyed, repeatedly bowing in gratitude. However, as Zhao Kuangyin had predicted, several slightly stronger refugees slowly surrounded them, their eyes gleaming with the gaze of primitive beasts fixed on the white steamed buns in the hands of the women and children, swallowing hard. It seemed they intended to snatch the food as soon as Xu Haoyue turned to leave.

The cavalry of the Tang army? What are they doing here? Xu Haoyue felt puzzled in her heart as she saw the cavalry galloping closer. At the forefront, a cavalry commander clad in iron armor and a helmet led his men to slowly encircle the group of refugees. The refugees were all in a state of panic upon seeing the soldiers, filled with fear, as it was likely that the soldiers usually behaved as ruthlessly as bandits. The armored commander rode forward and sternly shouted, "I am ordered to investigate spies in the Central Plains. No one is allowed to act recklessly; those who do will be killed without mercy!"

Xu Haoyue also sensed something amiss and turned to those individuals, sternly shouting: "There is food ahead; if you move faster, you can reach it. Why do you need to rob these weak women and children?"

Upon seeing the porridge shelter, the crowd of refugees cheered in unison, with the elderly and young being assisted to the front to receive the porridge. More than ten strong men dressed in black servant attire from Ying's family shouted for everyone to line up and receive their portions in turn. They also noticed something peculiar: this group of refugees showed no intention of fighting for food; the elderly and weak were allowed to receive their portions first, which saved a lot of trouble.

The team traveled five miles and indeed came upon a hillside where a porridge stall appeared before them, along with a picture book. A large banner prominently displayed the character "英". Zhao Kuangyin exclaimed, "So it turns out that the Ying family is recruiting displaced people; they are quite ambitious."

Zhao Kuangyi nodded and said, "Only the Wuwang Mountain Villa can gather so many refugees here."

Zhao Kuangyin smiled slightly and said: "Perhaps some are recruiting refugees to serve in the military, or perhaps the prominent families are enlisting refugees to cultivate the land. There are many refugees, and simply providing them with some scattered food would cost less than hiring strong farmers. Some wealthy families often recruit refugees during this time to open up mountains and land, and sometimes it is not uncommon to support thousands of dependents."

"Is someone gathering the refugees?" Xu Haoyue asked in confusion, looking at Zhao Kuangyin who was riding alongside him. "There are no less than a thousand refugees; who would gather these people?"

Zhao Kuangyi nodded and said, "What you said is true, elder brother." He then glanced at Xu Haoyue, who was walking ahead, and asked in wonder, "Elder brother, who do you think that young man really is? How could he have so many peculiar ideas?"

Xu Haoyue replied with a sound of acknowledgment: "I have only just come down from the mountain, and the ways of the world here are quite different from those in the mountains, so it is not surprising that I do not understand. However, it is truly remarkable that Brother Zhao Er can remain at ease in the face of such human suffering, as if it does not concern him at all."

Zhao Kuangyi was enraged upon hearing this: "You..." However, he was silenced by a glance from Zhao Kuangyin, and the harsh words he had prepared were suppressed. He glared at Xu Haoyue in frustration, but Xu Haoyue, on the other hand, completely ignored him.

Xu Haoyue found it unbelievable: "Are we really just going to watch them starve to death?"

Zhao Kuangyin stroked his beard, contemplating Xu Haoyue's actions, when suddenly a glimmer of insight appeared in his eyes. He shouted to the four great guards beside him, "Step forward and give water to the elderly, weak, women, and children!" He then dismounted and distributed the water himself. The four great guards immediately complied, stepping forward to offer their own water. Zhao Kuangyi, dumbfounded, muttered, "Have they all gone mad? Do a few lowly commoners deserve such treatment?" He remained seated on his horse, but saw Zhao Kuangyin and the others step forward to distribute the water. Following Xu Haoyue's example, they either carried or supported the weaker individuals, protecting the elderly and frail as they moved forward.

In theory, Xu Haoyue, riding atop a tall horse and surrounded by lush greenery, should have felt quite good. However, upon seeing the groups of refugees scattered along the road, his mood turned exceptionally heavy. Along the way, there were families of refugees walking on the official road, their faces gaunt and their eyes vacant. Prolonged malnutrition made these individuals appear almost lifeless, their clothes tattered and most of them barefoot, with only a few wearing worn-out straw sandals. The children were emaciated, and several infants still in swaddling cried out loudly, yet their mothers exposed their shriveled breasts, devoid of even a drop of milk.

Xu Haoyue then understood that the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was one of the darkest and most violent eras in history. Everyone revered the supremacy of force; as long as one possessed great power, it was common for the weak to be subjugated by the strong. Among the common people, the law of the jungle prevailed, where in times of great disasters and wars, the elderly and the weak were often the first to be consumed, leaving only the strong to survive. This survival of the fittest was taken to its extreme during this era. However, the Southern Tang was traditionally prosperous, and its people were not as fierce as those in the Central Plains, which meant that the likelihood of the law of the jungle manifesting in the Southern Tang was somewhat lower.

As Xu Haoyue looked at the tragic plight of the wandering refugees on the road, feeling deeply sorrowful, a rider galloped in from a distance behind. The knight on horseback raised his whip and shouted, "There is a porridge shelter five miles ahead! There will be excellent porridge to eat, hurry up!" This knight was dressed in black servant attire. As he passed by Xu Haoyue and Zhao Kuangyin's group, he glanced back a few times but did not stop, continuing on his way. It seems that Zhao Kuangyin's words were correct; these refugees are indeed being recruited by someone.

Xu Haoyue rode in the center alongside the two brothers Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Kuangyi, while Tian Chongjin and three others walked around them, vigilantly watching the refugees. Upon witnessing such a dire situation, Xu Haoyue once considered giving his rations and water to them, but was stopped by Zhao Kuangyin, who said, "Sir, your compassion is commendable, but there are no fewer than a thousand refugees on this road. If you give to one or two, can you also give to three or four? There are too many starving people; if you give away even a little food, it will surely be snatched away by the crowd. Those who receive food may be trampled to death, and that would not be saving lives, but rather harming them."

Walking along the official road to Yingshan, this road is merely three large steps wide, a standard rural dirt path. On both sides of the road are lush green woods and shrubs, the air is fresh and the sunlight bright, with a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of the earth. At this moment, it is late spring, and various unknown wildflowers are blooming perfectly in the shrubs, some purple, some yellow, their scents wafting through the air, attracting colorful butterflies and bees dancing among them. It is a scene of natural harmony and vibrant spring, entirely devoid of the desolate sights caused by excessive deforestation and industrial pollution in later times.

Zhao Kuangyin was about to respond when he noticed a cloud of dust rising not far behind him, indicating that a large group of cavalry was approaching. He furrowed his brow slightly and quietly instructed the four great guards to be on alert. Xu Haoyue also sensed it, and upon looking up, she indeed saw over a hundred cavalrymen dressed in leather armor and wielding long knives galloping along the official road. The flags held by several standard-bearers prominently displayed a large character "Tang," which was quite eye-catching. Then, Tian Chongjin quietly remarked, "It is the cavalry of the Tang army."

Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and said, "Who does not value the important? What matters is that he can think of what we cannot."

Xu Haoyue stood at the periphery for a while, smiled with delight, turned back to look at the Zhao brothers, and said, "Elder Brother Zhao, Second Brother Zhao, let us continue on our journey."

However, despite the prosperity of the Southern Tang, the plight of the refugees within its borders is still so tragic. The conditions of the refugees and starving people in the Central Plains and other regions can only be imagined. In times of chaos, not wanting to be consumed as food, and even less wanting to starve to death, the best way out is to follow those military governors and generals to serve as soldiers. Refugees gather and cling to them, while generals exploit the soldiers for their own gain. Thus, under this vicious cycle, dynastic changes become more frequent, laws and morals deteriorate further, and the people, lacking protection, can only rely on themselves, leading to the repeated enactment of human tragedies.

It is indeed strange that many refugees, upon witnessing this, began to emulate the actions, either supporting or assisting those around them to move forward. As more people joined in, the momentum grew increasingly formidable, and amidst the originally lifeless crowd of refugees, sounds of laughter and joy unexpectedly began to emerge. Human nature is peculiar; reflecting on later generations, people tend to be selfish and self-serving, often remaining passive in the face of wrongdoing, as seen in the curious phenomenon where a bus full of passengers watches a thief steal without anyone stepping forward. This indifference seems akin to that of the people during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. However, everyone possesses a sense of compassion; as long as there is someone to lead, there will surely be others who follow.

Upon hearing this, Xu Haoyue felt a sense of relief in his heart. However, seeing several women by the roadside with their children in such a pitiable state, he disregarded Zhao Kuangyin's words of caution, dismounted from his horse, and stepped forward, taking out provisions and a leather water pouch from his bosom.

Xu Haoyue turned back and said in a deep voice: "The reason why chaotic times are chaotic is not only due to the disorder of the world, but fundamentally because of the obliteration of human nature and the decline of morality. If we want everyone to begin to reclaim the lost human nature and morality, there must be pioneers; I am willing to be the first." After saying this, he ignored the astonished Zhao Kuangyi and directly went forward to deliver food and water.