An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

The boat wasn't very big, but nearly thirty people were rushed onto it at once. They could only sit close to each other with no space between them, like dumplings being packed in a pile. This made Jing Chunxi a little terrified.

As soon as everyone got on board, they could feel the boat sinking considerably. The boat was already small, and now it was packed with so many people, the boat seemed to tremble slightly under the heavy pressure, as if it would collapse at any moment.

The three of them went on board relatively early and sat close to the hull at the back. Looking to the right or forward, they could see the hull swaying on the water, and they couldn't help feeling a little nervous.

Fortunately, after everyone got on the boat, their feet were tied up again. Everyone felt the danger and would not move easily. Jin Chunxi felt that if everyone struggled a few times, the boat might really capsize.

She imagined that if someone suddenly panicked and moved around, the consequences would be disastrous. The boat might lose balance in an instant, and more than 30 people would be buried at the bottom of the river.

After the boat started, it was not very stable. It swayed a bit when the wind was strong. The roof of the boat was not very strong and made a creaking sound. It felt like it would be shaken apart at any time. She was even ready to take Xiaoman and Tianbao into the space at any time.

By this time, Xiao Tianbao had lost her composure and realized the danger. She clung to Jing Chunxi's side, not daring to move. Her palm-sized face was pressed tightly against Jing Chunxi's arm, her body trembling slightly, and a hint of fear would appear on her face at the slightest sway.

At this point, she didn't even dare to look down on Xiaoman who was leaning against her on the other side, and there was really no extra space for them to separate.

At this moment, safety is more important than anything else, so he leaned silently against Jing Chunxi. The three of them huddled together, snuggled up to each other, trying to get a sense of security from each other.

I thought we would be taken to the seaside and the journey would take at least a day or two. But when it was almost dawn, the boat was still moving in this small river and had not entered the Minjiang River.

The others also originally thought that they would travel along the river, eventually reach the seashore, and then be put on a larger ship and sent far away.

The middle-aged man occasionally narrowed his eyes, observing the surroundings. Suddenly, he whispered, "This isn't a river that leads to the sea." His voice was low, but on the silent boat, it was remarkably clear. This time, no one moved, no one said a word, and no one cried. They all knew that any further struggle would be futile.

Looking to either side, the trees on both sides became very dense, as if we were walking into a dense forest. There were many large trees that could not be hugged by one person, some of which had green leaves and branches that were lush and green. The fallen leaves on the ground were very thick, and it seemed like a forest without human traces.

Before noon, the boat docked. We thought it was just a stop for them to use the toilet or get something to eat. But as the boat slowly came to a stop, we discovered a simple pier with only a few stone steps. Looking up from the steps, we saw a rolling hillside, steep and seemingly endless.

As soon as the ship docked, five or six soldiers quickly jumped onto the deck and walked down the hill. Several people who had not yet reached the dock also ran down quickly. All of them were wearing soldier uniforms.

The soldiers moved swiftly and quickly boarded the deck, their eyes revealing a fierce and indifferent look. They all held weapons in their hands and glanced warily at the people on the boat.

Everyone's heart tightened, knowing that something was wrong. The appearance of these soldiers meant that they were in greater danger.

The middle-aged man muttered again: "It's over, I'm being drafted." This sentence also reminded Jing Chunxi that the government must be completely controlled by the prince's gang now, or it can be said that the officials here have already sided with the prince.

She recalled some rumors she had heard before: the Crown Prince's influence in the local area was gradually growing, and the officials were acting more and more recklessly. Now it seemed that these rumors were not groundless.

Along the coast of Jian'an County, the imperial court had no troops stationed except for tens of thousands of sailors. Now, the government, under the orders of the Crown Prince, was arbitrarily conscripting able-bodied men from the civilian population under the pretext of Japanese rebellion, in order to increase their manpower for their own private armies. This was preparation for rebellion!

Jing Chunxi was filled with anger and helplessness. She knew that the actions of the prince's forces were like rubbing salt into the wounds of the people.

The imperial court was already short of troops, and the several cities lost in the northern border had not yet been recovered, but they were still wantonly conscripting able-bodied men, which was undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

I'm afraid all the money the imperial court used to quell the rebellion and suppress the Japanese pirates was spent here. Even that wasn't enough, they also took all the local rice and tea for themselves under various pretexts, making huge profits out of nothing and using it to support their private army.

Jing Chunxi felt a surge of grief and indignation at the thought. These officials, for their own selfish gain, disregarded the lives of the people and appropriated their rations for themselves. This behavior was truly outrageous.

This rampant kidnapping left civilians homeless and their families shattered, a situation far worse than the one in Jiujiang County. Jing Chunxi recalled what had happened in Jiujiang County, where the people had suffered similar hardships. However, the situation in Jian'an County was now even more severe. The Crown Prince's reckless behavior had plunged the people into even deeper suffering.

Before disembarking, the soldiers quickly untied the ropes from everyone's feet and removed the cloth from their mouths. Although they felt some relief, they knew it was only temporary. They were still in danger and could face greater disaster at any time.

Everyone was tied to a rope, strung together like grasshoppers and herded up the mountain like cattle. The rope was tightly cinched around everyone's wrists, and even a step slower would cause painful traction, their skin cut by the rough hemp rope and bleed. Jing Chunxi tried to slow down his pace, minimizing the strain on the two people behind him, and then followed the crowd forward step by step.

"Hurry up and follow me, be quiet." A soldier shouted from behind, his voice full of threat and impatience. He raised the whip in his hand high, and although he didn't drop it, the threat in his voice was chilling.

"If you're not afraid of death, just dawdle. You'll suffer if you go forward," another soldier joined in the commotion, his tone filled with malice. They seemed to enjoy bullying the weak, treating everyone as tools at their mercy.

"Don't have any evil intentions. Once you are on this mountain, even birds can't fly away. Don't waste your time." Another soldier sneered at the side, as if reminding everyone that they were in a desperate situation and any resistance would be futile.

The entire climb was a dirt path, with steps dug into the steeper parts for easier walking. There wasn't a single blade of grass on the path; it was simply trampled through. The dirt path, just over three feet wide, was worn smooth, indicating a significant number of people ascending and descending the mountain daily.

Along the way, the soldiers cursed but did not actually hit anyone. They just threatened everyone with words so that they would not dare to resist.