March to Han Yue (2)

The army continued its march northward, the landscape shifting from the bustling roads near the capital to the rugged and wild terrain of the Empire's heartland. The dense forests gave way to rolling hills and vast fields, but the beauty of the land was marred by signs of decay. Villages that had once thrived now lay in ruins, their fields overgrown with weeds and their homes abandoned. The air carried a faint scent of smoke and despair, a stark contrast to the grandeur of the capital Luo Wen had left behind.

As they approached a small village nestled in a valley, Luo Wen noticed the absence of life. The houses were crumbling, their roofs caved in, and the fields were barren, save for a few patches of withered crops. A group of peasants, their faces gaunt and their clothes tattered, watched the army from a distance, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and resentment.

Luo Wen raised a hand, signaling the army to halt. He dismounted from his horse and approached the villagers with his hand raised in a gesture of peace. Yuan Guo followed closely, his expression inscrutable but his eyes scanning the surroundings for signs of danger.

"We mean no harm," said Luo Wen, his voice calm but firm. "We are here to ensure the safety of the Empire and its people."

The villagers exchanged wary glances before an elderly man stepped forward, his back hunched with age and hardship. His voice was hoarse, but his words carried the weight of years of suffering.

"Safety?" the old man spat. "What safety? The Empire has forgotten us. The soldiers who came before you took what little we had, and the tax collectors left us with nothing but hunger. We have no food, no shelter, no hope. What safety can you offer us?"

Luo Wen felt a pang of guilt as he listened to the man's words. He had heard stories of the Empire's decline, but seeing the reality was far more jarring. The peasants' suffering was a brutal reminder of the corruption and neglect that had plagued the Empire for years.

"I understand your pain," said Luo Wen, his voice softening. "But we are not like those who came before. We are here to restore the Empire, to bring justice and stability to its people."

The old man scoffed, his eyes narrowing.

"Justice? Stability? Empty words from men who ride horses and wear fine armor. What do you know of our struggles? What do you know of the nights we spend hungry, watching our children cry for food we cannot give them?"

Luo Wen hesitated, his mind racing. He had always believed in the ideals of the Empire, in the promise of unity and prosperity. But now, faced with the harsh reality of the peasants' lives, he began to question whether those ideals had ever been more than words.

Yuan Guo stepped forward, his presence commanding attention.

"We cannot change the past," he said, his voice firm. "But we can fight for a better future. The Empire is broken, but it is not beyond repair. We need your help to rebuild it."

The old man studied Yuan Guo for a moment, his expression inscrutable. Finally, he sighed and shook his head.

"You speak of rebuilding, but what can we do? We are just peasants, powerless against the forces that have brought us to this state."

"You are not powerless," Luo Wen interjected, his voice filled with determination. "Your voices matter. Your suffering is a testament to the failures of those who have ruled this land. If we are to rebuild the Empire, we must start by listening to its people."

The villagers murmured among themselves, their skepticism slowly giving way to cautious hope. The old man nodded slowly, his eyes meeting Luo Wen's.

"If you truly mean what you say, prove it. Show us that you are different from the others who have come before you."

Luo Wen nodded, his resolve hardening.

"We will. But we cannot do it alone. We need your support, your knowledge of the land, and your willingness to help us so that the army can replenish its strength here tonight."

The old man's face darkened at these words. He knew what it meant to host the army: to share what little they had, to risk retaliation if anything went wrong. Though the soldiers before him seemed different from the bandits who had pillaged the village in the past, fear and distrust were hard to dispel.

"We will do it," he said finally, his voice heavy with resignation.

Luo Wen knew they accepted not because they trusted them, but because they had no other choice. He could see the fear in the peasants' eyes, the effort to hide their resentment beneath a facade of submission. As the villagers began to move to prepare accommodations, he felt a deep sadness. This was not what he had imagined when he dreamed of serving the Empire. The idea that the people were helping them more out of fear than hope filled him with doubt.

Yuan Guo, who had been silently observing, placed a hand on Luo Wen's shoulder.

"It's difficult, I know," he said quietly. "But we cannot afford to fail. Their help, though forced, may save lives. And if we succeed in what we have come to do, perhaps one day we can give them something better in return."

Luo Wen nodded, though the words did little to ease the burden in his chest.

That night, as the army camped under the stars, Luo Wen sat by the fire, his thoughts consumed by the events of the day. The suffering of the villagers weighed heavily on his mind, but it also fueled his determination. He now knew that the Empire's problems ran deeper than the corruption of the four families. The rebellions were not just the result of ambitious lords and power-hungry generals; they were the cries of a people who had been pushed to the brink of despair.

"You handled that well," said Yuan Guo, breaking the silence as he took a seat beside Luo Wen. His expression was thoughtful. "But you must be prepared for the challenges ahead. The peasants' suffering is only one piece of the puzzle. The rebellions are fueled by years of neglect and exploitation. If we are to succeed, we must address the root causes of their discontent."

Luo Wen nodded, his gaze fixed on the flames.

"I know. But seeing their suffering... it makes me wonder if we are fighting for the right reasons. The Emperor is supposed to be the heart of the Empire, but what good is a heart if the body is rotten?"

Yuan Guo's expression softened, and he placed a hand on Luo Wen's shoulder.

"The Emperor represents more than just himself. He is a symbol of unity, of the ideals that once held this Empire together. But symbols alone are not enough. We must fight not just for the Emperor, but for the people who make up the Empire. Only then can we truly restore it."

Luo Wen sighed, the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him.

"It's a heavy burden," he admitted. "But I will bear it. For the Empire and its people."

As the flames crackled and the stars shone overhead, Luo Wen felt a renewed sense of purpose. The road ahead would be long and fraught with challenges, but he was determined to see it through. The fate of the Empire depended on it.

And so, with the pitiful lives of the peasants still fresh in his mind, Luo Wen prepared to face whatever lay ahead, knowing that the true battle was not just against the four families, but against the decay and despair that had taken root in the heart of the Empire.