A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Seeing tall horses all around and people in black clothes and cloaks riding on them, Duan Yanxi's mind raced as he tried to come up with a clever escape plan.

Ruolan, her face deathly pale, clung tightly to the prince, silently praying that they would show mercy.

The people of Dongqi were once infamous throughout the land for their arson, murder, looting, and all manner of atrocities, without any moral compass. Especially when they were victorious, they took pleasure in torturing the local people, not even sparing pregnant women, raping them, disemboweling them, and then swaggering around in triumph.

Under Wutong's guidance, this group of people learned what it meant to "pacify the people," and from then on, they rarely did such naughty things.

Wutong, wutong... why is she everywhere?

Ruolan was furious and shouted at those people, "Kill me if you want, just give me a quick death."

One of them jumped off his horse and asked in surprise, "Your Majesty, what are you saying? We are here to help you and the Emperor."

Hearing him address them that way, Ruolan and Duan Yanxi were both somewhat surprised. They exchanged a glance, and Duan Yanxi asked, "Who are you?"

All of them jumped off their horses, five or six in total, knelt before them, removed their cloaks, and rose to say:

"Your Majesty, I am late in protecting Your Majesty, please forgive me."

That high-pitched voice, that sparsely bearded chin, those aged and cloudy eyes…

Duan Yanxi suddenly remembered that they were the old eunuchs he had left behind.

He disliked eunuchs, always feeling that they were neither male nor female, and were monsters... After ascending the throne, he abolished the eunuch system, leaving only a few old eunuchs who had taken care of him since childhood in the palace, because they were very good at taking care of people and were familiar with his living habits.

When Pingzhou fell, he led these people to flee to Chuanzhou. However, a few months later, Chuanzhou was also captured. When he fled again, he did not care about the eunuchs, but only sent them some travel expenses and then left them alone.

I never expected they would find their way here...

Duan Yanxi said coldly, "I have nothing left now, and there is no benefit for you to follow me. There is no need for you to pretend to be obsequious."

The eunuch said, “Is this currying favor? Your Majesty, we have done nothing but serve you in our entire lives, and we know nothing to do. The day you sent us away, we had a few comfortable days, but after that, each day became more and more unbearable. We even dream of returning to your side to serve you. Please let us come back…”

Ruolan listened to their words with considerable disdain.

This world is truly bizarre; there are even people who have become addicted to being slaves. They must be born with a servile nature.

The eunuchs spoke sincerely and earnestly. Duan Yanxi was injured and needed someone to take care of him. Seeing their sincere attitude and finding no clue as to their intentions, he agreed to let them stay.

The eunuchs were filled with gratitude and kowtowed in thanks.

Duan Yanxi noticed a person standing to the side who was still wearing a bamboo hat and hadn't taken it off like the others, so he asked warily, "Why don't you show your face?"

The man didn't speak, he just shook his head.

A eunuch explained to him, "This man was burned by a fire on the way, and his throat was also ruined by the smoke, so he can't speak. He doesn't take off his cloak because he's afraid his face will frighten you two."

Duan Yanxi asked suspiciously, "Is it really a burn? I'm not afraid, take it off and let me see."

He walked step by step toward the man, intending to pick the fruit for him if the man refused.

Just then, a eunuch suddenly shouted, "Oh no! Someone's coming!"

Duan Yanxi then realized that they were right next to the main road and could be discovered at any time, so he ignored the man and ordered them, "Quickly get into the woods."

After saying that, he leaned on his tree branch cane and strode swiftly into the woods.

The crowd followed closely behind, swarming in and holding their positions behind a secluded patch of grass. The horses couldn't be hidden, so they were left standing, ready to leap onto their backs and run away should any danger arise.

The group of four men came from the county town. With their trousers rolled up and carrying hoes, they hummed folk songs as they walked from the edge of the woods, then went barefoot into the fields – they were there to do farm work.

The eunuchs breathed a sigh of relief and said to Duan Yanxi, "Your Majesty, it seems there is no danger. Let's go quickly."

Duan Yanxi stared at a spot in the field, pointed, and asked, "What's that?"

The eunuch, who had lived outside the palace before, squinted at it for a long time before tentatively saying, "It looks like... an oxcart used for hauling things?"

Duan Yanxi said, "My leg is injured, so it's inconvenient for me to walk long distances. Since you happen to have horses, why don't you get a cart to take us?"

The eunuch hesitated and said, "But the oxcart is the most valuable thing in a farmer's home, they might not be willing to lend it."

"If you don't lend it to me, why don't you think of a way?" Duan Yanxi asked, then added, "Things are different now. Danger is everywhere. A slight mistake could cost you your head... You need to be more careful in your actions, or you might as well leave as soon as possible."

The eunuch overheard this and realized that if they couldn't get the oxcart back, they would be driven away, so they had no choice but to gather together to discuss a solution.

There were only four farmers, so they had the advantage in numbers. However, the eunuchs were not strong enough and would be at a disadvantage in a one-on-one fight.

They felt they had to go together, so each picked up a stone and held it in their hand. At the leader's command, the eunuchs rushed out together, their black clothes giving them the appearance of tigers descending a mountain.

A farmer who was closest to the woods was caught off guard and pounced on, then stoned to death.

The other three, who were in other fields, saw this scene and thought that bandits had come down the mountain. After a moment of hesitation, they picked up their hoes and ran over.

The eunuchs then targeted another one, swarmed him, and, taking advantage of their numbers, beat him to death.

It took them half an hour to kill all four farmers. Ignoring the blood that had stained the fields red from their corpses, they untied the oxcart from the oxen, dragged it back into the woods, and said breathlessly, "Your Majesty... your servants... have not failed in their mission."

Duan Yanxi was in high spirits and even forgot about the person he had suspected earlier. He said to them, "Well done! From now on, you will be in charge of protecting my safety. Quickly fasten the carriage, let's set off."

The eunuchs tied the oxcart to the backs of the strongest horses, which looked incongruous, but it worked.

Duan Yanxi and Ruolan both sat on the oxcart, no longer having to walk themselves.

The eunuchs, wearing cloaks, rode horses to protect them. At noon, they even took out the dry rations they carried with them and gave them a hearty meal.

The hardest days seem to be over. With so many people around, Duan Yanxi no longer has to worry about starving to death on the road.

Ruolan disliked the eunuchs, believing their presence disrupted her plans. The eunuchs even slept in shifts, constantly guarding Duan Yanxi and never leaving her side.

If she were to take that branch and try to fight Duan Yanxi, and they found out... Remembering the gruesome sight of the farmer's mangled body after his death in the field, she shuddered and silently abandoned the idea.

1 = Lao Qu said