Chapter 21: The Prince Falls (1/10)

For a long while, Old Yuan looked at his youngest son and said faintly, "No, it shouldn't be that bad!"

The Yuan Family had been in Linhe Village for five generations; since the founding of Great Yin, their ancestors settled here. They had deep feelings for Linhe Village.

The most important thing was, once they embarked on the path of escape, where would they flee to?

Yuan Yindi took a deep breath and said, "If the Prince, as an imperial envoy, can turn the tide and suppress the looming chaos in Jiangnan, then Great Yin can still be preserved."

"It's just, I really don't believe that the Prince, coming as an imperial envoy, can accomplish this."

"Xiao Wu, aren't you underestimating people?"

Yuan Pandi glanced at her younger brother, "Our Great Yin has stood for over a hundred years, and we've never faced major disasters or calamities. How could our nation's fate suddenly come to an end?"

"Yeah, Xiao Wu, maybe you're overthinking things?"

Yuan Zhaodi chimed in.

Yuan Yindi shrugged and said, "Better safe than sorry."

"Do we have to wait until chaos breaks out to start fleeing?"

"Xiao Wu, even if you're right, then where should we flee to?"

Old Yuan looked at his youngest son, asking the crucial question.

To flee, they needed a direction!

If they were unlucky and ran straight into the rebel's firearms, wouldn't they be throwing themselves into the Luo Net?

"To the mountains!"

Yuan Yindi smiled slightly, "My idea is, while everything is still relatively calm, let's prepare first. Store food in the mountains, reclaim land, in case of emergencies!"

"Then let's settle it like this!"

After a slight thought, Old Yuan made a decision, "I'll talk to your two uncles about this later, and let the Yuan Family prepare first."

"Besides, while arranging for people to prepare in the mountains, we also need to set up guards on the road leading to our village!"

After all, his fourth brother was a survivor of the Water Thief massacre at the Dragon Head Town pier. If someone wanted to eliminate witnesses or cover up the Water Thief's large case, they might just find their way here.

Many things are better prepared for in advance than to be caught off guard when they happen.

"Alright!"

"As for the specific arrangements, Xiao Wu, you take charge."

Old Yuan straightforwardly entrusted the specific crisis response arrangements to his youngest son because among his five sons, the youngest had the most clever and flexible mind.

"Dad, rest assured, I will definitely ensure our family's safety!"

Although they had lived in Linhe Village for many years, at times like these, they really had to tend to their own troubles first.

After all, no one could guarantee whether the people in the village were of one mind with them. If someone secretly reported them, the lives of dozens of the Yuan Family could be lost here.

With Dragon Head Town burned down by the Water Thieves, the Yuan Family had to go to the county seat to buy grain.

To prevent exposure, the Yuan Family entered the city in batches, buying varying amounts of grain from different grain stores within the city, and then quietly transported it into the mountains.

...

During the time when the Yuan Family was secretly making preparations for escape, new news arrived.

The Seventh Prince, sent by imperial decree to investigate the Water Thieves of the Qingyuan River, was ambushed by Water Thieves one night; the entire Imperial Envoy Guard was killed in battle, and the Seventh Prince's whereabouts were unknown, his life or death uncertain.

Along with this news, the court dispatched the capital's garrison southward, accompanied by the Fourth Prince, Eighth Prince, and Ninth Prince.