I was living in the Five Dynasties period, just after crossing the Zhongdu Bridge.

Before leaving, Zhao Kuangyin looked back every few steps, not only because he missed the camaraderie they had shared over the past few months, but also because he wanted to invite Shen Lie to his residence for a chat.

But Shen Lie shook his head and refused.

Because rules are rules.

His current identity as Shen Lie is a border general who has been ordered to go to the capital to report on his duties.

Once you've set foot in Bianliang, the first thing you should do is thank the Emperor for his grace, not go to the homes of powerful figures to drink and socialize.

If this order is disordered, it is, at the very least, arrogance, and at worst, a lack of loyalty to one's sovereign and father.

So the two parted ways at the city gate.

"Brother Shen!"

No sooner had Zhao Kuangyin left than Li Congxi arrived.

"Commander Li!"

Shen Lie was also moved and became extremely respectful.

"Hey, we're brothers, why be so polite?"

Li Congxi caught Shen Lie and said with a smile, "You did a great job on this mission! Commander Shi praised you a lot in front of the Emperor, which is why he specially sent me to pick you up."

According to regulations, when foreign troops enter Beijing, their troops must return to their original units or be placed under the command of their superiors.

Shen Lie naturally knew Li Congxi's purpose, so he took out the military tally from his pocket and handed it over.

"The brothers are tired from the long journey, and we will have to trouble Commander Li to make arrangements for them."

"Of course, of course!"

Li Congxi took the military tally and pointed to a carriage behind him.

"You should go to my residence to change your clothes first. It would be somewhat inappropriate to go to see the Emperor covered in dust from your journey. Hot water and new clothes have already been prepared at my residence. You can wash up before you go to see him."

Shen Lie readily agreed and led Yang Ting into the carriage.

This city of Daliang truly deserves to be called the most virtuous place in the world.

Even though it had just experienced the upheaval of a dynastic change, the streets were still filled with singing and dancing, creating a false impression of a prosperous and peaceful era.

As they were walking, a commotion suddenly arose from the crowd ahead.

"Where did this bastard come from! Daring to steal my flesh!"

Shen Lie followed the sound and looked over, only to see a stall selling mutton soup surrounded by onlookers.

In the center of the crowd, a child of about five or six years old was desperately protecting a piece of meat in his mouth.

The meat was clearly just scooped out of the boiling pot, scalding his mouth with blisters, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, stuffing it whole into his mouth, tears streaming down his face, yet he didn't spit it out.

The stall owner was a burly man with a fierce face, who was now hitting the child hard on the back with a soup spoon.

"Eat! I'll let you eat!"

"You fatherless bastard! Don't you even know whose stall this is?! Didn't your whore mother teach you not to steal?!"

These words were extremely vulgar and vicious.

The child was knocked to the ground, but he didn't utter a sound. He just swallowed the scalding hot mutton.

Beside her, a ragged woman rushed forward, shielding the child with her body, letting the spoonfuls rain down on her back. She could only cry and beg for mercy, unable to utter a single coherent sentence.

Shen Lie frowned slightly, told the driver to stop the carriage, and walked forward.

He is not a saint, but this kind of bullying of orphans and widows is really an eyesore.

However, before he could take any action, someone else did it first.

"How much?"

A voice rang out.

A man dressed in a blue robe stepped out from the crowd.

The stall owner was cursing loudly when he was suddenly stopped. He was about to retaliate, but when he looked up and saw the man's attire, he swallowed back the profanities that were on the tip of his tongue.

To make a living in this city of Daliang, the most important skill is not good cooking skills, but good eyesight.

"Oh, dear sir..." The vendor immediately put on a smiling face, "It's worthless, worthless, consider this meat a small token of my respect..."

"I won't eat your flesh; I'll pay off your debts for you."

The man frowned in disgust, casually tossing a piece of silver onto the chopping board. "Is that enough?"

"Enough! Enough! That's enough!" The vendor nodded repeatedly, grabbed the money, and said nothing more.

The man ignored the stall owner and turned to look at Shen Lie.

Seemingly sensing Shen Lie's intention to intervene, the man cupped his hands towards Shen Lie, his eyes filled with apology.

"This brave man."

The man glanced at Shen Lie's crimson robe and armor. "I have urgent business to attend to; I need to deliver documents to the Privy Council and cannot leave. You seem kind and helpful, brother. Could you perhaps lend me a hand?"

He pointed to the mother and child on the ground, and then took out some silver from his pocket.

"With this little money, I would appreciate it if you could help me buy some rice and grain to send this orphan and widow home. In this world... it's not easy for anyone to survive."

This is a strange request.

We met by chance, yet I entrusted him with a good deed.

But Shen Lie looked at the man, neither refusing nor taking the money the man offered.

"It was nothing," Shen Lie said casually. "There's no need for the money."

The man gave Shen Lie a deep look, seemingly memorizing his face, then said nothing more and hurriedly disappeared into the crowd.

When the woman saw her benefactor leave, and then saw Shen Lie, such a majestic military commander, standing in front of her, she was so frightened that all she could do was kowtow.

Get up.

Shen Lie was somewhat disheartened.

He asked Yang Ting to buy some rice, noodles, and cured meat from the nearby grain shop, while he led the mother and son into the filthy, chaotic alley.

The further you go in, the more the splendor of Bianliang is stripped away.

Sewage was flowing everywhere, and the stench was overwhelming.

The woman walked ahead carrying the child, her body trembling.

Once inside the drafty room, the woman settled the child in and then suddenly turned around and knelt before Shen Lie.

"benefactor......"

The woman raised her head. "I... have no money to repay this kindness."

"If my benefactor doesn't mind... my body..."

As she spoke, her hands trembled as she reached to unbutton her already thin clothes.

Shen Lie grabbed her wrist.

"Was what that vendor said to you true?"

The woman froze, and tears instantly streamed down her face.

"It's true..."

She collapsed to the ground, burying her face in her hands and weeping bitterly. "My husband has been gone for two years. We've been starving, and my child is going to starve... I have no choice... I really have no choice..."

The woman cried as she explained, as if to prove that she was not born lowly.

This is the origin of the word "bitch" used by street vendors.

For a steamed bun, for a bowl of porridge, they sell their self-respect and their bodies.

This is nothing new in this alley.

Shen Lie remained silent.

In this chaotic world, dignity is a luxury, and chastity is a joke.

He released his grip, took out a silver ingot from his pocket, and placed it on the table.

"Put your clothes on properly."

Shen Lie turned away, refusing to look at the woman. "Men are incompetent, so they make women risk their lives. In this world, it's us soldiers who should be ashamed, not you."

The woman was stunned, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind those words.

Just then, a coughing sound suddenly came from the inner room.

An old man walked out, leaning against the wall.

His eyes were almost blind, cloudy and murky, but his hearing seemed to be still sharp enough to hear the scraping sound of Shen Lie's armor.

"Has a soldier arrived?"

The old man groped his way forward two steps, his hands flailing wildly in the air.

Shen Lie subconsciously stepped forward, allowing the old man to grab his arm guard.

The moment the old man touched the arm guard, a slight red glow appeared on his face.

"Sir...did you win the battle at Zhongdu Bridge?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Lie was visibly shaken.

"An army of two hundred thousand..."

The old man was oblivious to Shen Lie's stiffness; he was lost in his own world. "So many people...did they drive the Khitans back? Huh?"

"My son is in the army... he went with Grand Commandant Du..."

"When he left, he told me, 'Dad, after this war is over, I'll come back to harvest the rice...'"

The old man's voice grew softer and softer until it finally turned into a sob.

"We won."

Shen Lie suddenly spoke up and told a lie.

"Then why hasn't he come back yet?"

"I've always been stubborn... Even if I win a battle, I should at least let my family know..."