Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 81 Guangxinli

The room fell silent, with only the sound of Zhou gently wiping Yan Yi's body with a towel.

Zhou's full chest rose and fell, and her breathing seemed a little rapid. The air exhaled gently from her nose, like soft silk brushing against her face, or like a small brush gently sweeping across Yan Yi's neck, causing a faint itch that made his heart flutter.

Yan Yi asked softly, "What's your name, and where are you from?"

Zhou was wiping his chest with a handkerchief, her upper body faintly pressed against his back. She spoke softly, "My name is Zhou Mi, and I'm from Xiacai, Jiujiang. Four years ago, during the great epidemic, both my parents died. My brother, I, and more than a dozen of my clansmen left Xiacai to escape the disaster in Wu. We had intended to go to Yuhang, but on the way, Qian Tong abducted us and took us to Yuncheng, where we've settled ever since."

When she spoke, her lips were right next to Yan Yi's ear, and her voice was as soft as the humming of stringed instruments, subtle and moving, making Yan Yi feel like he was drinking nectar.

He touched one of her soft hands and said gently, "The bucket is very big. You can come into the bucket and bathe with me."

Zhou Mifei's pretty face flushed, and the tender hand held in Yan Yi's hand trembled slightly. She was an experienced person and naturally knew what would happen next.

She gently pulled her hand out of Yan Yi's palm, and under his gaze, she swayed her slender waist gently, like a willow swaying in the wind, and moved lightly to the wooden ladder. While climbing up the ladder, she slowly took off her skirt.

This Zhou was indeed a beauty, her every move was captivating. Gently and silently, she took off her sleeves gradually until she was halfway through her clothes, revealing her shoulders. Suddenly, she glanced at him with a look of both anger and shame, then gently withdrew her clothes and took off the rest of her skirt in a graceful and seductive posture.

When she stepped into the barrel, only a bra was left on her curvy body.

Zhou Mi had just untied her bra and hung it on the edge of the tub when Yan Yi embraced her in his arms.

The next morning, Yan Yi took Cao Qiu and Yin Li and went to Guangxinli, Fenggaoting, Qixian Township, under the protection of more than 50 personal guards and death squads.

Unlike Geqiting in Renfeng Township, Fenggaoting in Qixian Township is under the jurisdiction of Yuncheng. The people here are his true subjects, so Yan Yi attaches great importance to it. Even if he is busy with affairs, he will take time to inspect the township pavilion.

Guangxinli is located on the banks of the Jiuqu River west of Yuncheng, only four or five miles away from Yuncheng.

The cavalry team left the west gate of Yuncheng and rode along the official road for less than a quarter of an hour before they saw the tall earthen walls of Guangxinli.
The wall is about four meters high. A trench is dug outside the wall, surrounding the wall. However, the water in the trench has dried up, revealing dry mud and rocks at the bottom of the trench.

There is an inner gate on each of the four walls, and outside the inner gate there is an earthen bridge connecting the two sides of the trench for people to pass through. The bridge is wide enough for cars to pass.

The architectural layout of walls, trenches and four gates indicates that this was once a large village with a large population. Small villages would not have trenches and would only have two gates.

"Seven days ago, there were only 21 households in Guangxinli. When we checked the day before yesterday, the number had risen to 72. With the continued influx of refugees, I believe the number of households will exceed 100 in a few days."

When approaching the inner gate, Yan Yi slowed down his horse and walked towards the inner gate at a leisurely pace. Cao Qiu took this opportunity to introduce the situation in Guangxinli to Yan Yi.

The gatekeeper was a thin man in his thirties. Even before Yan Yi and the others left the official road, he had already heard the clatter of horse hooves. He realized the massive cavalry was heading toward Guangxinli. He hurriedly grabbed a broom and stood in front of the gate to watch. Standing at the gate with a broom was a courtesy for welcoming guests, indicating that the courtyard had been cleaned. It was both a welcome and a sign of respect.

The guard had sharp eyes and could tell at a glance that this cavalry unit was no slouch.

When he saw Yan Yi's face clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he bowed hurriedly: "Greetings, Young Master."

Yan Yi dismounted and helped him up, then asked with a smile, "Is the village chief here?"

The village guard glanced west and said respectfully, "The village chief has gone with his men to inspect the canal. They plan to clear the blockage and redirect water into the trench. Young Master, please rest in the inner chamber. I'll send for the village chief right away."

The bullet room is where the local clerks work, usually located on both sides of the local gate.

Yan Yi waited in the bullet chamber for a while, and then he saw the inner prison guard hurriedly coming with a dusty middle-aged man.

"I am Mr. Wu, the head of Guangxin Village, and I am honored to meet the young master!" The middle-aged man knelt down and saluted with a loud voice.

Wu Fu was not from Yuncheng, but from Qu'a, Wu County. When Wu Jing attacked Qu'a, Wu Fu fled to Wucheng with his clansmen. He originally wanted to settle down in Wucheng, but after hearing the news that Yan Yi led his army to capture Yuncheng, he brought his clansmen to Yuncheng again and was arranged by Cao Qiu to live in Guangxinli.

Since there were so many empty houses in each village of Yuncheng, almost nine out of ten, Cao Qiu tried his best to arrange people from the same area into the same village when resettling refugees. For example, the 51 refugee households that had newly moved into Guangxin Village were all from Qu'a, and Wu Fu was the new village head elected by the people of Guangxin Village.

When Yan Yi learned that Wu Fu was from Qu'a, he did not immediately ask him about local affairs, but instead asked about the situation in Qu'a.

Mrs. Wu's face showed a hint of hatred, and he spoke in a low voice, "Wu Jing was cruel to the people. The people hated and feared him. When they heard that Wu Jing's army was coming, every household fled. I also left Qu'a with my clan the day before the city fell."

Yan Yi was both surprised and delighted when he heard this. He was surprised that Wu Jing hadn't shown any signs of restraint since he drove the people to attack the city of Danyang. He was pleased that Wu Jing was unpopular and could not sustain his power with just his military might. No wonder Liu Yao had planned to expel him from Qu'a.

After asking about Wu Jing, he asked about the public security in the village.

Mr. Wu smiled contentedly and said respectfully, "The security in this village is excellent. The residents have always welcomed us. The young master exempted us from taxes for a year and has taken care of us in every way. We are all very grateful and feel very safe here. The gates are closed on time every night, and there have been no sightings of thieves or troublemakers."

Yan Yi nodded slightly. He had expected the original residents to welcome these refugees. Only by relying on these refugees to enrich the village population could Guangxinli gradually regain its former prosperity. Whether it was to prevent thieves, restore production, or promote public construction, it would be extremely beneficial to the original residents.

As for those thieves and tyrants, let alone them. He had almost wiped them out in the battle of Yuncheng, and I believed that there would be no more disasters in this area for a long time.

(End of this chapter)