Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 162 Departure
The clouds in the sky and the sunlight reflected off the clouds, creating patches of light.

Zhen Ding, Peach Blossom Spring

A cry of an eagle rang out.

Along the stream, the unfrozen water rushes down, driving the waterwheel. The hard elm wood blades are struck by the water flow, producing a deep, resonant rumbling sound as they turn ceaselessly.

The long linkage arm, like the sinews of a giant, transmits these forces.

This led to the construction of numerous mills, grinders, and forges lining the riverbanks, stretching out like a long dragon.

Inside the mill, the stone mill, driven by the linkage, rolls day and night, crushing and threshing the golden millet, sorghum, and wheat grains.

Inside the mill, the stone mill whirred, and snow-white flour flowed down from the gaps in the millstone like a fine waterfall, which was carefully swept into a cloth bag by the waiting woman.

Xiahou Lan usually patrolled Peach Blossom Spring with a dozen or so people, when the sound of eagles crying in the sky caught his attention.

Looking up, there it was, the familiar figure of a falcon.

He blew the short whistle under his neck, and the whistle sounded the same as Zhang Xian's short whistle.

The eagle in the sky immediately found its target, swooped down, and landed on Xiahou Lan's shoulder.

"It really is you, you've gotten even stronger in the six months since you went to Brother Xian's place."

He teased the falcon with a familiar air.

Unfortunately, the eagle that was obedient and compliant in his own brother Xian's hands was fierce and unruly in front of him.

When a finger reached for its chin, the falcon nearly snapped at it with its sharp beak.

Fortunately, Xiahou Lan reacted quickly, turning her fingers downwards to her claws midway.

"An ungrateful creature." He clicked his tongue at the falcon a few times in annoyance, and took out the letter tied to the falcon's talons.

The paper was wrapped in bamboo tubes and remained dry even after passing through wind and snow.

Xiahou Lan opened it and a smile instantly spread across her face!
"It's finally starting!"

He carefully put the letter away, tossed the falcon into the air, and turned to give instructions to the dozen or so men behind him.

"Summon all guards, suspend all work on the estate, and notify everyone to assemble at the drill ground!"

"promise!"

The dozen or so guards bowed in agreement and then quickly got to work.

One by one, the waterwheels along the embankment stopped, and men and women came out of the mills and forges, shutting down the rumbling noise.

Peach Blossom Spring.

Snow was piled up on both sides of the neat and flat road.

Rows of thatched huts stood in neat rows, wisps of smoke rising from them.

However, compared to the number of houses when Zhang Xian and his group left, Taoyuan now has nearly a thousand houses.

Xiahou Lan was not idle during that year either, and continued to carry out his brother Xian's will to recruit and protect those seemingly endless wanderers.

Thanks to Zhang Xian's reputation, his ruthless methods, and the Guo family's frequent assistance, Taoyuan remained quite peaceful throughout the year.

The farmland numbered five or six thousand mu, and the population was close to eight thousand. Even the number of farm protectors had increased from three hundred when Zhang Xian left to eight hundred.

The large canteen and thatched cottage in Peach Blossom Spring remain unchanged.

The heavy wooden door of the thatched cottage was open, and one could vaguely see figures moving inside. Many oil lamps were lit, making it much brighter and warmer than outside.

More than a hundred children, dressed in clean, thick cloth clothes and wearing the same style of small hats, were being taught by a middle-aged man wearing a faded scholar's robe, reciting a mantra.

"...Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless..." The child's clear and innocent voice reading aloud sounded particularly distinct in the biting cold wind, carrying a vitality that pierced through the frost.

The middle-aged scholar was also a wanderer. His surname was Zhou, and he had fled from the State of Zhongshan. His wife and daughters had died on the way.

When he first arrived in Taoyuan, he was emaciated and spent his days sitting in despair, weeping.

It was Xiahou Lan who personally brought him to the thatched cottage and asked him to teach the children there to read and write, which helped him regain some of his spirits.

"At the beginning of life, people are inherently good..." The child's voice still rang out.

A series of hurried footsteps approached, and a bodyguard, several times more robust than the average person, entered and whispered in Zhou Shusheng's ear.

"Steward Xiahou has ordered that classes be dismissed today."

Zhou Shusheng paused for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."

After Zhuang Hu left, the students of Caotang finished reading a text, and he got up from beside the lectern.

"Alright, that concludes today's lessons. After class, all of you should return home and not wander off."

"get out of class is over!"

"You've had a long journey, sir."

More than a hundred children stood up at the small square tables and bowed to the heads of the children.

Among the children, Huang Xu and Li Zhen walked out of the thatched cottage together.

After a year apart, both children have grown much taller, with rosy complexions and healthy figures.

"Sister Zhen'er, why did get out of class end so early today?"

Huang Xu held the book in his hands, speaking softly.

Li Zhen glanced at him, then grinned and said, "Something big must have happened. Look around the village, the fireworks have stopped in many places."

"why?"

Huang Xu was still somewhat unclear.

Li Zhen rolled her eyes at him: "You idiot, can't you see how obvious this is? We're leaving!"

"Go? Where to go?"

Huang Xu was a little confused. Wasn't he doing just fine in Taoyuan?

"Hmph! The teacher says you learn quickly, but why are your reactions so slow? Where else can you go?!"

Li Zhen took a deep breath, his joy almost leaping out of his eyes: "Then of course we'll go to the patriarch's place!"

"Uncle and Father!"

Huang Xu suddenly realized: "Sister Zhen'er, you mean we're going to Uncle's place!"

Li Zhen giggled and nodded her head like a chicken pecking at rice: "Mmm-hmm-hmm."

The expectation in his eyes was particularly evident.

About an hour later.

Taoyuan Training Ground.

The men in charge of each household and the widows gathered here.

Click on the table.

Xiahou Lan read out the letter sent by Zhang Xian through a tin megaphone.

The people of Taoyuan are all going to move to Bingzhou.

Each household must collect, tally, and store their supplies in the next few days for transport, and then distribute them all at once upon arrival in Bingzhou.

The news caused an uproar.

There were excited people, encouraged people, and some skeptical people.

The first two are mostly long-time farmers who came while the owner of the estate was still alive, so naturally they have no problems whatsoever.

Those who had doubts were mostly later migrants. However, Xiahou Lan had anticipated this, and with the old farmers' positive attitude, it wouldn't be too difficult to take them away.

After experiencing both displacement and idyllic life, anyone with a modicum of common sense could tell which path to choose.

The migration of several thousand people was certainly no small matter, but fortunately, since Zhang Xiangui was now the General of the Xiongnu, no one dared to stop him from moving his own households.

After the gathering at the training ground ended, Xiahou Lan looked at the Guo family mentioned in the letter and, after much deliberation, decided to make a trip there himself.

True.

Guo Mansion.

There were only two people in the study.

Xiahou Lan, Guo Huai.

Guo Huai looked worried as he read Zhang Xian's letter.

He asked Xiahou Lan.

"Is Zixu really going to give up Peach Blossom Spring?"

Xiahou Lan nodded and then shook her head: "Patriarch Guo, you yourself know better than anyone why Brother Xian did this, don't you?"

Guo Huai sighed, his eyes flickering.

He tentatively asked, "Will there be a big problem?"

Xiahou Lan: "I don't know, but Brother Xian can't be wrong."

Guo Huai took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

"I understand."

"Brother Xiahou, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to take more people with you."

Xiahou Lan stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "You are Xian Ge's elder brother, so naturally you are also my elder brother. Please don't use the word 'trouble' again."

After visiting the Guo residence, Xiahou Lan then visited a small mountain village.

Many people in the small mountain village have now moved to Taoyuan, but there are still a few families who haven't left.

They were all from the same village, and he persuaded them to take them away.

Taoyuan Training Ground became a temporary distribution center for supplies.

The mountains of sacks, wicker baskets, and wooden crates nearly blocked the road.

The villagers who had completed literacy training became a group of scribes. Their fingers were red from the cold, but they wrote with lightning speed, marking and registering on rolls of paper: "Wang Su's family's millet, seventeen shi, load onto the cart! Millet, eight shi, load onto the cart! ...clothing...new and old cloth clothes...mattresses...load onto the cart!"

The abacus beads clicked and clattered, mingling with the chants of porters and the creaking of the axles.

Tong Yuan, wrapped in a thick fur coat, personally oversaw the situation with the support of Huang Xu and Li Zhen.

Five days later, early morning.

The commotion that had lasted for several days finally subsided.

In this vast paradise, only the empty houses still stand forlornly.

At the entrance to the village, the wooden gate was already open.

Nearly a thousand vehicles of various kinds outside the gate formed a long, winding line of steel and wood stretching for miles.

At the very front were three hundred sturdy oxcarts carrying supplies, their tall wooden wheels wrapped with anti-slip iron hoops.

The truck was piled high with large wooden crates containing disassembled and packed core components such as forging hammers, as well as the most important stacks of grain and fodder bags, bound together with thick ropes and tarpaulins like a fortress.

Following them were five hundred smaller oxcarts, laden with belongings, clothing, tools, and pumpkins and dried vegetables from the cellar.

Finally, two hundred "warm-up wagons," specially prepared for the elderly, women, and children, were pulled by horses and equipped with simple canopies and thick felt.

Eight thousand villagers, organized into pre-arranged teams, groups, and hamlets, stood orderly beside the convoy.

Most of the men wore thick winter clothes, with simple leather armor or thick felt vests over them. They carried spears, machetes, or even sharpened wooden sticks, and their expressions were tense and resolute. They were the outer barrier of the migrating team.

The women and children, bundled up tightly, huddled near the heated car, their faces bearing the sorrow of leaving their hometown and the uncertainty of what lay ahead, but more so a quiet acceptance of their fate.

Eight hundred fully armed guards, like black reefs, were scattered at the head, tail, and key points on both sides of the convoy. Their cold armor and unsheathed blades gleamed in the weak winter sunlight. They were the backbone and sharpest weapon of this massive force.

Xiahou Lan, clad in black armor and a black cloak, rode a magnificent black warhorse at the very front of the procession.

Behind him were dozens of village chiefs and craft leaders, all with solemn expressions.

The cold wind whipped up the snowflakes on the ground, pattering against the icy armor and cart shafts, making a rustling sound.

The entire procession was shrouded in silence, save for the occasional restless snorting of the livestock and the soft clatter of horseshoes against the frozen ground.

"Manager! The Guo family has arrived!" Guard Zhuang Hu whispered, pointing to the official road to the south.

A sizable convoy was seen speeding towards Zhen Ding City.

Dozens of fully loaded carts, escorted by elite guards from the Guo family, arrived in person, with Guo Huai wrapped in a thick fox fur coat in the lead cart.

Guo Huai jumped off the carriage and strode to Xiahou Lan's horse. Looking at the endless, silent migrating caravan before him, he could not hide the shock in his eyes.

He took a deep breath of the cold air, solemnly took out a heavy brocade pouch from his bosom, and presented it with both hands: "Brother Xiahou, in a hurry, I only managed to raise 800 shi of millet, 20 carts of salt, 100 dan of dried meat, 10 boxes of medicine, and some cloth... It's just a drop in the ocean, but it's enough to express my heartfelt gratitude!"

The journey to Bingzhou is long and arduous, and the Taihang Mountains are frozen solid... I urge you to take good care of yourself! Please make sure to deliver this item to Zixu! He then handed over a letter sealed with wax.

He glanced at the carriage where someone occasionally peeked at him through the curtain.

His wives, concubines, and children were sitting inside.

He had already anticipated what would happen in Changshan, but the Guo family's foundation was in Zhengding, so he couldn't leave and could only send his family first.

Fortunately, he had always treated Zhang Xian with sincerity, so he felt at ease entrusting his family to him.

Xiahou Lan bowed and clasped his hands on horseback, his voice resounding: "Patriarch Guo, your righteousness is truly admirable! On behalf of my lord and the eight thousand elders of Taoyuan, I thank you!"

As he spoke, he glanced at the carriage that Guo Huai kept glancing at, and roughly understood what he meant: "Don't worry, Patriarch Guo, Lan will ensure they get there safely."

Guo Huai let out a long sigh of relief and cupped his hands in thanks: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Brother Xiahou."

Xiahou Lan nodded and carefully put the brocade pouch and letter away from his body.

The two people's eyes met, and nothing was said.

Guo Huai patted Xiahou Lan's saddle forcefully, his unspoken words condensing into a heavy sigh: "Take care!"

Xiahou Lan said no more, and suddenly pulled on the reins. He drew his ring-pommel sword from his waist, and the gleaming blade drew a blinding cold light against the gray sky, pointing straight to the northwest!

"Let's go!"

The roar was like a thunderclap!
The heavy oxcart's axle creaked under the strain as it slowly turned.

The oxen and horses spewed thick white smoke as they struggled forward.

The long line of cars, like a sleeping giant awakening, began to slowly writhe.

Eight thousand pairs of footsteps trod the official road covered with solid ice and thick snow, emitting a dull and grand roar, crushing the frozen earth, and crushing away sorrow and the past.

Xiahou Lan led the way, his cloak fluttering behind him. He glanced back one last time at the manor in the snowstorm, the result of his hard work and the legacy that Xian Ge had entrusted to him.

Now it's all in the past.

His gaze swept over the massive procession, winding like a dragon across the snow-covered plains, and over the resolute yet fearful faces that all turned resolutely toward the northwest.

He swung his sword sharply, severing all thoughts of looking back.

Ahead lies the majestic Taihang Mountains, and also the banners of Xiange.

Eight thousand people trudged through the snow and crossed the icy river, heading westward toward the unknown flames of war and their hopes!
(End of this chapter)