Hearing this, Xiao Wangye became even more certain of his thoughts, his calm, placid eyes fixed on the other.
The middle-aged man, under his gaze, felt a prickle of unease, his hard-won courage beginning to leak away.
"You can have the items, but you need to tell us who you are."
Xiao Wangye stood calmly before the man, showing no fear.
The more composed he appeared, the more unsettled the other became, a flicker of panic showing on his face.
The man hesitated upon hearing Xiao Wangye's words.
Glancing at the other's exquisite and lavish attire, and the cold gleam of the swords carried by the guards, he gritted his teeth and revealed the background of his group.
It turned out this group was indeed a band of displaced refugees!
Coincidentally, these people were refugees fleeing from villages near the fief. They had been traveling north when they encountered Xiao Wangye and his party.
Xiao Wangye's fief was named Fengdu, and it was as prosperous as its name suggested.
However, in recent years, whether due to natural or man-made disasters, calamities had struck frequently.
Be it locust plagues, severe droughts, or floods, the farmlands had yielded nothing for several years.
Most recently, a strange illness had broken out in the city, claiming many lives.
The memorials sent to the young emperor were embellished; according to the refugees, the number of deaths in the city had reached a terrifying figure.
Now, fearing exposure and accountability, the city officials had sealed the city gates, prohibiting entry and exit.
Currently, those inside could not get out, and those outside could not get in, completely cut off.
The refugees Xiao Wangye and Ye Qingcheng were facing were originally from small villages outside Fengdu city. Upon hearing of the strange illness, they had fled their entire villages, fearing contagion and death from the city's malady.
Along the way, they had endured hardship, and all the dried provisions they carried were gone.
They wished to beg for food, but there were no villages along the route; it was likely they had relocated much earlier.
They continued their flight, seeking a place to rest, and had not eaten for several days.
Suddenly spotting Xiao Wangye's caravan, with its luxurious appointments suggesting wealth and status, they had harbored the thought of robbing them for food.
Hearing this, Ye Qingcheng sighed repeatedly, feeling a surge of pity.
Who would willingly abandon their homes and suffer such a fate if not driven to desperation?
Xiao Wangye was not entirely heartless. Seeing their famished, emaciated forms, he felt a paternal concern for his people.
As they had brought ample provisions for this trip, he immediately ordered his men to take out a large portion of their dried food and distribute it to the distressed populace.
These refugees, who were merely seeking sustenance, immediately gave up their resistance upon witnessing the generous distribution.
With joy, they repeatedly expressed their gratitude to the entire caravan.
"A single meal cannot resolve their current plight."
Ye Qingcheng sat beside Xiao Wangye, watching the refugees voraciously eat, her heart aching with an indescribable pain.
Neither in her past life nor in this one had she ever imagined such a life, let alone witnessed it firsthand.
Xiao Wangye agreed with Ye Qingcheng's sentiment and had no intention of simply dismissing the refugees with a single meal.
They had passed a small town not far from their current location.
While not particularly affluent, it should be capable of accommodating these refugees.
The caravan led the refugees back, their pace significantly slowed to accommodate the majority.
For the staggering women and children, the elderly, Ye Qingcheng arranged seats in the carriages, while she and Xiao Wangye walked.
Finally, they arrived at the small town just before nightfall.
Xiao Wangye settled the refugees, distributing some silver to each to help them start anew.
Overwhelmed by the couple's kindness, the refugees expressed profound gratitude, some even attempting to kneel.
Ye Qingcheng quickly helped them up, her heart deeply moved as she looked at their disheveled appearances.
As they prepared to part, Xiao Wangye specifically called the middle-aged man over again to inquire about the situation in Fengdu.
"Benefactor, you intend to go to Fengdu? Please heed my warning, do not go!"
The man's face was filled with fear at the mention of Fengdu, still lingering with unease.
"That strange illness spreads rapidly. Nearly half the city is likely infected now. All the doctors in Fengdu are helpless, unable to cure it. The superiors do nothing. When trouble erupts, they dispatch soldiers to guard the city. It is impossible to live there now."
Although these refugees had fled from villages near Fengdu, they were well-informed about the city's conditions.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wangye's eyes betrayed his rising anger, his expression growing colder.
No wonder his men hadn't sent messages in so long. They must have been blocked by the people within the city. The current state of chaos within the city was still unknown!
Therefore, he decided not to rest in the small town for the night and, taking advantage of the darkness, galloped towards Fengdu.
Ye Qingcheng strongly supported his decision. Her heart ached when she heard the refugees speak of the countless deaths in the city.
The caravan sped forward at an extraordinary pace, shortening a journey that should have taken half a day to a mere two hours.
Upon successfully reaching the great city gates of Fengdu, they found them indeed tightly shut, with guards on the city walls holding torches and patrolling.
Even in the dead of night, the caravan was quite conspicuous. The soldiers stationed at the city gate spotted them immediately and quickly shouted a warning, ordering them to depart.
"Who goes there? The city gates are under strict quarantine. No one is permitted to enter or exit. Depart at once!"
The caravan, stopped outside the city gates, halted. Hearing the shouts, Xiao Wangye, accompanied by Ye Qingcheng, emerged from his carriage.
"Open the city gates! My master intends to enter the city!"
At Xiao Wangye's signal, Ming Yang stepped forward, positioning himself prominently and calling out to the soldiers on the city wall with full confidence.
As the captain of the guards, he was imposing in appearance, his face muscular, projecting an intimidating presence.
Seeing his demeanor, the soldiers on the city wall conferred briefly, then sent some men down. They approached through the gap in the gates.
About ten soldiers, holding torches, emerged. Their gazes were unfriendly as they fixed upon Xiao Wangye and his party, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords, ready to act.
"Where do you people come from? Didn't you hear the city gates are under quarantine?"
The leading soldier, a burly man with a full beard, was equally imposing and difficult to confront.
Xiao Wangye stood behind Ming Yang, his cold eyes observing the soldiers. He sensed no indication of any problems within the city from their demeanor.