On the other side, Shi Yin pressed forward at a gallop. Chengzhou, trailing right behind her, did not lag behind by even a fraction.
Ever since Chengzhou turned three, Shi Yin had engaged a tutor to teach him horseback riding and archery. By this year, the seven-year-old Chengzhou was already no less skilled than she was.
Yet, being a child of tender age, half a day of relentless jolting left him rather exhausted; yet he gritted his teeth and followed closely behind Shi Yin without shedding a tear or crying out once.
From time to time, Shi Yin turned back to check on her eldest son. How could she not know that his buttocks were likely rubbed raw by now? Even so, she could not stop.
Leaving Wei County and reaching the county town under the jurisdiction of Yuzhou, she realized that Chang’an was already the final patch of tranquility.
The prefectures here had long since fallen into absolute chaos. Beggars were a common sight along the official roads, and not far from the roadside, one could spot dark, clustered heaps emitting waves of foul stench. Without needing to guess, Shi Yin knew what those were—corpses.
The corpses of those who had starved to death.
The horses Shi Yin rode were official government mounts, so naturally no one dared to brazenly make a move against them. However, if she were to slow down, there was no telling if some desperate rogue, driven to evil by dire straits, might strike.
Therefore, until they reached a post station, Shi Yin refused to slacken her pace by even a fraction.
Two-year-old Rong’er grew somewhat fussy from the bumpy ride, leaving Shi Yin with no choice but to gently soothe her with one hand. Before long, exhausted from crying, the little girl drifted off to sleep right there.
The speed of their horses almost matched that of the couriers carrying official tallies, allowing them to occasionally spot one or two along the road and closely follow in their wake to make better time.
When night fell and they arrived at a post station, if fortune favored them and they crossed paths with couriers bound for the same post, Shi Yin would slip the couriers a couple of flatbreads in exchange for protection and looking after.
The couriers’ horses bore official banners, shouting warnings along the route for commoners to clear the way, which lent an extra layer of security to Shi Yin and her party as they trailed behind.
Yet it was hard on Chengzhou and Rong’er. Eating poorly and sleeping worse, after four consecutive days on the road, Chengzhou finally reached his physical limit, nearly tumbling off his horse’s back as evening approached.
Shi Yin finally relented, securing a private room at the ahead post station to allow for a proper and genuine rest.
The bags of grain strapped to the horses were all moved inside the room. After carefully inspecting the doors and windows and barricading them with tables and chairs, Shi Yin finally let down her guard, cradling her children as she fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, a pattering sound startled Shi Yin awake. Unbeknownst when, a torrential downpour had begun outside.
A commotion echoed through the rain. Feeling uneasy, Shi Yin gripped her ring-pommeled saber and gently pushed open a corner of the window.
Outside the post station, a group of people appeared to be brawling amidst the rain.
Under the hazy moonlight, Shi Yin could not clearly make out who they were, and tension gripped her heart.
A moment later, another wave of people rushed in from outside the post station, allowing Shi Yin to deduce with certainty that these must be famished refugees, desperate and thirsty, seeking shelter and refuge from the rain at the post station, only to be turned away by the couriers, thereby sparking a violent clash.
The post station staff were few in number—only four in total—yet each wielded a long spear; holding off ten men per guard was entirely feasible.
However, as the refugees swarmed in greater numbers, the bodies piling up on the ground grew steadily, and the couriers even showed signs of falling back. Shi Yin could no longer sit still.
If the refugees breached the gates, they would undoubtedly meet a gruesome end. In this world, there was no stance of right or wrong; there was only the raw struggle for survival.
“Mother.” Chengzhou was also awakened by the clamor. Shi Yin promptly handed him a crossbow and two bolts.
“Chengzhou, guard this door well. Mother will be right back.”
Moving with practiced agility, Shi Yin swiftly strapped her ring-pommeled saber to her back, grasped the remaining crossbow in her hand, opened the door with a stealthy motion, and slipped quietly out into the shadows.
Chengzhou steadied his nerves. At seven years old, he was remarkably mature for his age.
Picking up the crossbow left by his mother, he swiftly loaded a bolt, climbed up onto a stool, and peered cautiously out the window.
He saw that after stepping outside, his mother did not make a sound. Instead, she crept stealthily around to the corner of the opposite wall before drawing her bow and letting fly.
“Whoosh—”
The bolt struck true, piercing the neck of the man charging at the very front. The spray of fresh blood sent the crowd into a brief flurry of panic and confusion.
Taking advantage of this opening, a courier who had been standing at the lead confronting the refugees exchanged a glance with his comrade and fell back.
Another courier swiftly stepped forward to fill the gap, and combined with Shi Yin’s supporting crossbow fire, they managed to hold off the influx of refugees without further mishap.
Shi Yin did not spare her arrows; aiming swiftly, she brought down one target per shot without a shred of hesitation.
Moments later, Shi Yin exhausted all eight bolts. Nimbly tossing aside the empty crossbow, she swiftly drew the ring-pommeled saber from her back, preparing to step forward for close-quarters combat.
Right at that instant, a window on the second floor of the post station swung open, and a sharp voice rang out: “Get down!”
The next second, the unfamiliar courier nearest to her grabbed her sleeve and yanked her down flat against the ground.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—”
Three consecutive arrow whistles pierced the air, pausing only for a brief beat before coming another round:
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—”
And once more:
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—”
A total of nine bolts plunged straight into the ranks of the refugees. The deterrent force of this volley far surpassed Shi Yin’s single-shot, one-by-one approach.
Down on the ground, the moment the nine bolts cleared, the couriers sprang back to their feet, grabbing their spears to engage the remaining refugees once more. But against seasoned guards, these refugees were no longer a match.
Spears thrust and slashed, and before long, the refugees were fleeing in panic or lying dead. Finally, the heavy gates of the post station slammed shut once more.
At that moment, the courier who had pulled her to safety caught his breath and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead: “Whose wife is this? Fierce as hell!”
Suppressing her trembling hands, Shi Yin forced herself to look as fierce as possible:
“Just protecting oneself, that’s all.”
With that, ignoring the deep revulsion churning in her gut, she walked over to pull the arrows back out of the corpses.
The arrows were barbed, and the first one didn’t come loose smoothly, causing the corpse to jerk slightly as she yanked.
That sight thoroughly disgusted Shi Yin. Unable to hold it down any longer, she bolted to the corner of the wall and retched violently.
“Hahaha! Little lady! Lost your nerve now, eh?” The couriers burst into boisterous laughter.
Even so, they helped her collect the arrows, rinsed them clean in the pouring rain, and handed them back to her.
At this point, the courier who had operated the siege crossbow on the second floor came down and said sharply:
“Quit your teasing. Today we truly owe our thanks to this young lady for stepping in to help, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to spare my hands to man the crossbow.”
The remaining three couriers followed behind him, cupping their fists in a respectful salute. Judging by his demeanor, he appeared to be the leader of the station guards.
Shi Yin waved a hand, and just as she opened her mouth to speak, another wave of nausea surged up, forcing her to squat back down by the wall and dry-heave.
Seeing this, the leader remarked, “Little lady, you’d best head back inside shortly. We’ll boil up some ginger soup and have someone bring it over to you later. We’ll take the first watch of the night, so rest easy.”
Struggling to turn her head back, Shi Yin managed: “Many thanks, Officer… *urech—*”
“Hahaha—how come the little lady lost that fierce look from just a moment ago?”
Exchanging a few more jests, the couriers set about clearing the bodies from the ground.
The refugees were dressed in little more than ragged scraps of cloth, yet the couriers had no intention of letting even those go, stripping away even the straw sandals from their feet.
Hard times made for harsh realities; what room was there for taboos regarding the dead?
Unable to bear watching any longer, Shi Yin gathered her arrows and returned to the room. Chengzhou, who had been watching clearly from the window, hurriedly unlocked the door for her.
“Mother, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Wasn’t your mother fierce? One arrow per shot.” Sensing Chengzhou’s unease, Shi Yin offered a teasing smile to reassure him.
Chengzhou was no longer the pampered young master of the Li estate. These harsh realities were trials he would inevitably have to face sooner or later, and Shi Yin had no intention of keeping him sheltered under her wings forever.
“Mother, my archery is very good too. Next time, I can protect you.”
Chengzhou pressed close against Shi Yin’s damp garments, a lingering wave of fear gripping his heart.
His mother had just gone out there like that, facing that mob of refugees all on her own. What if something had actually happened to her? He needed to grow up faster—once he grew up, he would be able to protect his mother.
Cupping Chengzhou’s little head, Shi Yin pressed a kiss to it: “That’s right, my eldest boy’s archery is even better. Next time Mother is in danger, will you protect Mother?”
“Mhm! I will definitely protect Mother!” Chengzhou nodded heavily.