RWNEFE -Chapter 58 You Reap What You Sow!

Shen Lanxi received two messages from Wei Dongzhu in quick succession and immediately instructed Chunxue and Qiushuang to relay her orders to Liu Laohu and Wei Dongzhu respectively.

“Clear the way!” This message was for Liu Laohu.

“You take your men to the front and lead the charge!” This one was for Wei Dongzhu.

Positions were quickly swapped. Wei Dongzhu led his men into Liu Zhao Village to scout ahead, while the others waited outside the village.

The prisoners all followed Liu Laohu’s orders. Naturally, Liu Laohu wouldn’t take directions from a newcomer in the group, so he didn’t bother consulting Shen Lanxi directly.

“Master, should we listen to him?”

He had been the one to suggest swapping positions before, so Liu Laohu assumed he had a plan.

Shen Lanxi replied, “Yes—let’s see what he’s capable of.”

Liu Laohu understood immediately and stopped the prisoners from entering the village.

Liu Yanhui noticed the distance growing and felt his position threatened. He glanced at the prisoners and hurried to report to Shen Lanxi.

“Master, a young lady from the Shen family is staying very close to a wealthy prisoner,” he emphasized “wealthy.”

Then he asked, “Should we intervene?” Not intervening would surely lead to trouble.

Shen Lanxi replied coldly, “You reap what you sow.”

Liu Yanhui was taken aback. He kept a calm expression, but inside, he was very curious: What was she planning?

If she were displeased with certain members of the Shen family, she could kill them as easily as crushing an ant, without even lifting a hand. The mountains themselves could carry out her silent vengeance. Yet she saved everyone—meaning she didn’t want certain people dead.

She was like a puzzle—impossible to read.

Daylight had come. Shen Lanxi took out a map and pointed to a specific location.

“There’s a lake here, three days’ journey from Liu Zhao Village.”

Liu Yanhui studied the map, feeling his heart stir. This map was more detailed than the previous one and covered a wider area.

The map had been brought back by Xiaoxue and was drawn three years ago. In the two years prior, there had been no drought in Great Zhou, so even in a dry year, this lake shouldn’t have disappeared.

Liu Yanhui leaned closer and read: Moonlight Lake. Its crescent shape gave it the name, and it was one of Great Zhou’s more famous lakes.

“I didn’t realize we were so close to Moonlight Lake,” he thought. Previously, he had only seen references to it in historical texts.

Shen Lanxi said, “Our water won’t last three days.”

Liu Yanhui, who had been excited upon seeing the map, felt as if cold water had been poured over him.

“Let’s hope we can find water in this village!” Even saying it out loud, he felt it was a stretch.

Even if there was water, there wouldn’t be much, and the villagers wouldn’t willingly share it.

“Master, I’ll tell Liu Laohu to conserve water! Don’t let the officials sell it recklessly.”

Shen Lanxi nodded, casually picking up a book to read.

Liu Yanhui noticed that the wagon corner was stacked with books. Who in exile or fleeing disaster would carry so many books?

Orders came down, and Liu Laohu’s strategy made water prices sky-high.

Even if most prisoners had money, it was only a few coins. Pooling them together might buy a sip, but who would they give it to? Who would spend their money to help others?

At that moment, a prisoner connected to the prime minister flaunted his wealth, buying a full waterskin with a silver note and keeping it close.

Other prisoners glared at him, eyes practically sparking with envy.

The Wei family troops sent into the village soon returned with shocking news.

“Everyone in Liu Zhao Village is a refugee. They’ve occupied the village and treat the villagers like livestock!”

Those who heard the news turned pale. Some were so horrified they ran to vomit.

“How many people inside?” Liu Laohu asked.

“At least three hundred!” reported the Wei troops.

The number made everyone draw a sharp breath.

The group combined had fewer than a hundred people, including the elderly, women, and children. How could they fight?

“Stay hidden. Don’t let them spot us.”

“No need,” one soldier replied. “They’re all eating right now.” At this, he gagged at the thought of the scene he’d seen. Even having fought in over fifty battles, seeing the refugees’ brutality made his stomach turn. He wished he could rush in and eliminate them all.

Those who understood the situation turned even paler.

“Quickly ask the Master what to do!” Liu Laohu urged, anxious.

The soldier hurriedly relayed, “Our Master has a plan. We’ll scatter, hide in empty houses in the village, then lure them out and take them down one by one!”

It was the same strategy they had used against refugees posing as courier stations, and also at the Black Wind Fortress.

Both tactics relied on using fewer men to defeat many—and both had succeeded.

Liu Laohu’s eyes lit up, steadying himself. “The wagons are too noisy. Don’t enter yet. Find a place to hide!”

Liu Yanhui added, “Prisoners form teams like at Black Wind Fortress. Whoever grabs something keeps it.”

The prisoners, previously uneasy, calmed down.

No risk, no reward. Brave ones survive, timid ones starve.

The most important factor—they had spent all their money buying water.

Liu Yanhui added, “So many people must mean water here!”

The prisoners’ eyes lit up at the word “water.”

With both silver and water in sight, they could hardly contain themselves. They no longer needed Liu Laohu to distribute—it would happen naturally.

Of course, some exceptions existed.

“Your family is too big; split into at least three teams!” Liu Laohu ordered. He didn’t fully understand, but Liu Yanhui did—some Shen family members had no intention of joining.

The Shen family froze at his words.

“Sir, our family are all scholars—can’t lift, can’t carry. Going would only get in the way,” Old Mrs. Shen protested, leaning on her age.

Liu Laohu cursed immediately: “What nonsense! Scholars? You eat more than anyone else, hide when work is needed, and run when trouble comes. That’s not scholar behavior—that’s being worthless parasites!”

“Listen, unless you plan to go hungry and thirsty, you must go!”

Shen Yuanjing had wanted to join. If it weren’t for his grandmother threatening him, he would have already stepped forward.

Now that Liu Laohu made it clear, the grandmother wouldn’t block him.

“I’ll join!”

All legitimate children of the first branch stepped forward, followed by several of the illegitimate ones.

“We’ll form a team!”