Marrying a concubine and swallowing her dowry? The mistress turns around and marries a high-ranking

Chapter 264

Shen Lingjun could tell from his appearance that he came from a poor farming family and that at his age, he was probably forcibly conscripted into the army by the Western Qi.

She said gently, "Have you thought about what you're going to do in the future?"

Zhou Ershan shook his head blankly.

A little over an hour ago, when he woke up, he had just felt his mind clear up, but too much information was piling up at once, and he still hadn't sorted it out, let alone thought about things that far ahead.

Shen Lingjun said, "We sent two highly skilled bodyguards to protect you, but the day before yesterday, the assassins sent by the Chu family almost killed you. The Chu family is willing to go to any lengths to silence you; they won't stop until you're dead. If you leave this mansion even half a step now, your life may be over immediately."

Zhou Ershan's face immediately turned pale.

He has a memory of the danger of the night before last, and he still feels lingering fear when he thinks about it.

"Then...then I can't go home either?"

"You can't escape to the ends of the earth; going home will only bring trouble to your family."

When Shen Lingjun heard him say the word "home," he knew what the man missed most and asked, "Do you still want to go back to the Western Qi army?"

Sure enough, Zhou Ershan shook his head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.

The Western Qi had been at war for many years. Every male in the countryside who was sixteen years old or older had been conscripted into the army. Of those who went, less than three out of ten returned alive.

In cities, towns, and the countryside, few men can be seen, only rows upon rows of graves. The fields are overgrown with weeds due to insufficient manpower, yet taxes grow heavier year after year.

The people of Western Qi did not enjoy war; they had suffered enough from the ravages of war.

Zhou Ershan's younger brother is already fifteen years old and will be of conscription age next year. When he left home, his family was so poor that they didn't have a single grain of rice. He didn't even know if his parents and two younger sisters had survived or were still alive.

As he thought about it, his eyes welled up with tears.

Shen Lingjun said, "You should be well aware of the life-threatening situation you are facing. If you don't want to be hunted down in the future, the only way is to come forward and testify. Even if you can't bring down the Chu family, you've already told them everything, so they won't have the need to go to great lengths to silence you. With their own lives in danger, they won't have the mind to retaliate against you."

She added, "If you can accept not returning to Xiqi, I will bring your parents, siblings and all your relatives from Xiqi over and find you a place to settle down in the southwest of Beiyi. You can live in anonymity and I will also give you a piece of land and enough money to ensure your family's comfort and a peaceful life from now on."

She can still do it.

Generally speaking, it is quite difficult to make people leave their homes and hometowns and move their entire families to another hostile country.

But given the current situation of these ordinary soldiers and civilians of Western Qi, they might be willing.

Zhou Ershan lowered his head and remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slightly.

"Okay, I agree to testify for you."

He didn't completely trust Shen Lingjun, but the key was that there weren't any other better options.

He had little loyalty to the Western Qi and its army, for the hardships he endured were so profound that he was incapable of holding onto lofty ideals or harboring any fervent patriotism. It's a miracle that his blood hasn't yet dried up.

For these ordinary people, their only hope is that their families can live and have a decent life; being able to eat their fill and stay warm is already their greatest wish.