Standing among the crowd entering the city, Jiang Huai tilted his head up to look at the towering city walls before him, utterly amazed.

The city walls stood high and imposing, constructed from massive stone blocks and green bricks. Though weathered by wind and rain, their slight wear and tear only added to their robust and majestic presence. Soldiers patrolled the walls with sharp eyes that made one’s heart tremble at the sight.

At the city gate, the guards wore stern expressions, meticulously inspecting the identification papers and belongings of the people entering the city. The inspections were incredibly thorough; any discrepancies led to immediate questioning. Jiang Huai noticed that some of the brawnier men in the crowd were visibly frustrated but held their tempers and answered obediently.

Zhang Tou led the group forward, handing over their documents. The gate guards carefully reviewed the papers and even ordered a search of the remaining prisoners before finally allowing them entry.

Although arriving in Anyuan Prefecture technically marked the end of their prisoner-escort mission, there were still final formalities to complete. First, they had to go to the government office to sign off and confirm the handover of the prisoners. Only then could the prisoners be transferred to the military camp designated for exiles, marking the completion of their task.

Zhang Tou, who was somewhat familiar with Anyuan Prefecture, led the group skillfully toward the government office once inside the city. As they walked, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply while observing the pedestrians along the way.

Jiang Huai found it curious—what could Zhang Tou be so worried about now that they’d finally reached Anyuan Prefecture?

A fellow constable, who had visited Anyuan Prefecture before, also noticed how sparse the crowd was compared to earlier times. He couldn’t hide his sorrow. “Those barbarians truly have no humanity. Who knows how many of the nearby people were either abducted or killed.”

Jiang Huai felt Xiao Jingzhao’s hand suddenly tighten around his own. He instinctively glanced at Xiao Jingzhao, who wore an indescribable expression of grief.

Jiang Huai sifted through his memories, and his mood grew heavy as well.

Before the downfall of the Jiang family, the Wei family, responsible for guarding the northwest border, had already met their demise. Duke Wei Zhen had been severely injured and died heroically on the battlefield. His eldest son, Wei Yan, fell into a coma from his wounds, while his second son led troops into battle but disappeared without a trace.

As for Anyuan Prefecture, the first major city in the northwest, it had nearly been overrun by the nomadic tribes of the grasslands. Though the soldiers managed to repel the invaders through collective effort, many of the nearby residents who hadn’t managed to flee into the city were either abducted or killed. Even some of the city’s inhabitants suffered during the chaos.

Recalling this, Jiang Huai carefully observed the city and noticed lingering signs of war—damaged areas and a noticeable lack of cheer on the faces of the pedestrians. The streets were less crowded than expected, further emphasizing the city’s desolation.

“Zhang Tou, why do you think the Wei family would turn to treason and betrayal?” A constable couldn’t hold back his question, his face full of doubt.

Before Zhang Tou could answer, a passerby overheard and cursed loudly.

“You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? General Wei was utterly loyal to Da Zhou! It was all slander by vile people—” The man’s words were cut short when his companion noticed the patrolling guards approaching. He hastily covered the man’s mouth and dragged him away.

“Enough. Watch what you say. Don’t forget where we are.” Zhang Tou glared at the talkative constable. Normally, he could be lax about his speech, but this was Anyuan Prefecture, where the Wei family had lived for generations and held the people’s hearts. Speaking ill of the Wei family here was just asking for trouble.

Zhang Tou resumed leading the group forward. Jiang Huai noticed a group of guards approaching and observed that their attire seemed of higher quality than the soldiers at the city gates. Their uniforms were pristine and looked newer.

However, their discipline…

Jiang Huai’s gaze shifted to a peddler who had frozen in fear when the guards approached. The guards rummaged through the peddler’s wares, leaving with some items in hand. The peddler, face contorted in despair, squatted down to reorganize the goods scattered on the ground.

The other pedestrians seemed used to such scenes. Though some wore expressions of suppressed anger, others carried a sense of resigned helplessness. A few street vendors even seemed relieved, as if grateful they hadn’t been the targets this time.

Jiang Huai felt a tightness in his chest. Were these men soldiers or bandits?

When they’d first entered the city, the people had shown a respectful wariness toward the soldiers. But now, these guards…

At the government office, the official responsible for receiving exiled prisoners reviewed the paperwork and compared it with the provided sketches to confirm there were no discrepancies before stamping the documents.

As he inspected the prisoners brought by Zhang Tou, a look of curiosity crossed his face.

The prisoners delivered earlier that day matched the official’s preconceived notions of exiles—disheveled, hollow-eyed, and frail from the brutal journey. Clearly, they’d been severely mistreated.

But Zhang Tou’s group of prisoners, while not pristine, seemed to have endured the journey with far less hardship. Among them, Jiang Huai stood out the most. Despite his slightly bedraggled appearance, his overall vigor made him look almost like one of the escorting constables rather than a prisoner.

The official’s scrutinizing gaze made Zhang Tou uneasy. He glanced at the prisoners himself but found nothing unusual. Just as he was puzzling over it, another group of constables arrived, escorting their own prisoners.

The new prisoners, standing outside the courtyard, were clad in tattered clothing, their eyes dull, with visible scars marking their exposed skin.

Zhang Tou frowned instinctively. The condition of these prisoners was abysmal.

Realizing the absurdity of his thoughts, Zhang Tou froze. He turned to compare his group of prisoners with those outside and finally understood the official’s strange expression.

Wait, how had things ended up like this?

Zhang Tou racked his brain and came to one conclusion—the culprits were Jiang Huai and Xiao Jingzhao.

Zhang Tou’s realization came with a mixture of awkwardness and clarity. Thanks to Xiao Jingzhao’s consistent care for Jiang Huai during the journey, the atmosphere among the prisoners had subtly shifted. Even the constables had become less harsh in their treatment. With fewer prisoners in the later stages of the journey, Xiao Jingzhao’s actions had become more noticeable, inadvertently setting a tone that others followed.

This dynamic led to a sharp contrast between Zhang Tou’s group and others. By the time they reached the government office, the differences were glaring.

Despite his embarrassment, Zhang Tou couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pride when another constable expressed admiration for his “humanitarian” approach.

As they neared the military camp, Zhang Tou felt the weight of responsibility lifting from his shoulders.

Seeing Jiang Huai and Xiao Jingzhao chatting closely, Zhang Tou’s mouth twitched. He’d seen loyal and dependable men like Sun Yong before, but this level of clinginess was new.

Still, once they parted ways, he trusted Xiao Jingzhao would return to his usual capable self.

At the military camp, prisoners were typically assigned to labor-intensive tasks. Those with money could buy temporary freedom, while those without faced grueling workloads. Thanks to Xiao Jingzhao’s foresight and funds, Jiang Huai’s circumstances were set to be far better than most.

Determined to repay Xiao Jingzhao, Jiang Huai began scheming ways to earn money, his spirits rejuvenated.

Watching Jiang Huai’s swift mood shifts, Xiao Jingzhao couldn’t help but wonder—just what went on in Jiang Huai’s mind?