Feng Jiu’er stopped in her tracks, frowning slightly, and asked, “Why would I arrest your son?”

The peasant woman looked at her, then at the people nearby, and said in a low voice, “The General didn’t come to seize able-bodied men, that’s…” The peasant woman seemed to think of something, and with a grief-stricken face, she kowtowed three times on the ground, each strike loud against the earth.

“I beg the General not to take me away. My youngest son has no one but me. If I leave, he surely won’t survive.”

“General, I beg you! Please, I beg you!”

Xiao Yingtao went over and helped the peasant woman up.

When the peasant woman raised her head, her forehead had already been split open from the kowtowing.

“The Commandery Princess has come to distribute food. What exactly is going on? What do you mean, seizing able-bodied men? Seizing women and children?” Xiao Yingtao asked in a deep voice.

The peasant woman looked at Xiao Yingtao for a good while before saying cautiously, “Com… Commandery Princess?”

Her gaze then landed on Feng Jiu’er, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

“You are the Commandery Princess? Prince Ye’s daughter?”

The peasant woman stood up excitedly, reaching out to take Feng Jiu’er’s hand, but in the end didn’t dare to actually grasp it.

“Commandery Princess, is that you? Are you really the Commandery Princess?”

“I am.” Feng Jiu’er answered softly.

She raised her eyes and glanced around, then asked, “You said Feng Qiongcang forcibly entered the village to seize able-bodied men?”

Upon hearing this, the peasant woman’s face instantly turned pale.

“That’s right.” She lowered her head. “Everyone says Prince Ye is planning to usurp the throne, and that he’ll soon be attacking the city.”

“The army came into the village three times to recruit able-bodied men and gather military provisions…” “My eldest son is only eleven years old and he was taken away too. My husband surely won’t be spared either, and all the grain in our house was handed over as well.”

The peasant woman’s eyes were dull and lifeless, tears welling at the rims.

“Commandery Princess.” She raised her eyes again, looking at Feng Jiu’er.

“Is Prince Ye really planning to usurp the throne? Now that you’ve entered the city, did Prince Ye win the battle?”

Feng Jiu’er’s brow furrowed, and she said coldly, “The one who usurped the throne was Feng Qiongcang. Back then, he killed the late emperor before ascending the throne.”

“The northwestern city has already fallen to us. We came here today to bring the villagers something to eat.”

“How many people are left in the village? Go and pass the word along, and let the villagers who need food come here.”

“The Commandery Princess is a good person. Ever since her people entered the city, they haven’t seized or plundered anything,” said a city resident who had followed along.

“All this food, she bought with silver from the grain shops in town.”

“It’s not just this village either, the Commandery Princess has sent people to every village.”

“The Commandery Princess hopes that the remaining villagers in the dozen or so villages near the town can eat a full meal on this day of reunion.”

“Yes, the Commandery Princess is a good person,” the city resident’s wife agreed.

The peasant woman quickly came to her senses. She nodded vigorously and turned to wave someone over.

“Er, come here.”

A little boy pushed open the door and ran out.

“Mother.”

He seemed a bit shy, a bit fearful, hiding behind the peasant woman.

“Come.” The peasant woman took his small hand. “Come with me to tell everyone that the Commandery Princess has come to distribute grain.”

“Tell everyone to come to our house to collect food, understand?”

“Yes, I understand.” The little boy nodded slightly.

Feng Jiu’er looked at the peasant woman, who cupped her hands together: “Commandery Princess, please wait a moment.”

“All right.” Feng Jiu’er nodded.

The peasant woman left with her son, and Feng Jiu’er also turned to walk outside.

The carriages stopped at a suitable spot, and everyone began opening the wooden crates filled with grain.

Soon, the first group of villagers approached cautiously, filled with confusion.

They stopped in front of the crowd, their eyes fixed firmly on the wooden crates still giving off warm steam.