One day, Jin Shuwei of the Southern Territory sent a message saying that his soldiers had apprehended a large group of Great Xia civilians who had intruded into Qing Huang’s territory. These civilians claimed to be villagers from Hongshu Village, having traversed the desert for a long distance to reach Qing Huang and seek refuge with the Princess.
Upon hearing this, Bai Sheng was greatly moved. She immediately instructed the messenger soldier to return and inform Jin Shuwei to treat these Great Xia civilians well and keep them at the border temporarily. She would travel to meet them as quickly as possible.
The messenger soldier promptly returned to convey the Princess’s orders.
At the Princess’s mansion, everyone was overjoyed to hear that the people from Hongshu Village had found their way there. Firstly, they would be reunited with old friends. Secondly, Qing Huang had a sparse population and a shortage of people for farming and labor, so the arrival of the Hongshu villagers would significantly increase their citizenry.
The most excited among them was Ga Mei.
She had been extremely worried about her family, and now they had found their way to her.
The border of Great Xia was guarded by soldiers. She wondered if they had encountered those guards and if they had been injured.
Zuo Hua comforted her, saying that the people of Hongshu Village were numerous and many had learned martial arts from her elder brother. Even if they encountered Great Xia guards, they could handle them.
Ga Mei felt slightly reassured.
After comforting Ga Mei, Zuo Hua became melancholic again. If the villagers of Hongshu Village could reach Qing Huang, would Yan Shuo’s family come too?
She had heard that Great Xia was in chaos, and she worried if Yan Shuo’s family was in danger.
Zuo Hua sighed, patted her forehead, and forced herself to stop overthinking.
Five days later, Bai Sheng finally teleported to the Southern Territory.
When she first heard the news, she had been very touched. She never expected the villagers of Hongshu Village to trust her so much that the entire village would come, enduring a long journey across the desert!
She had wanted to teleport to the border immediately to welcome them, but her ability to teleport was known only to her family, and she could not reveal too much. Therefore, she had no choice but to wait for five days.
Even after five days, when Bai Sheng arrived at the border, Jin Shuwei marveled, "Your Highness, you are so fast! I never thought these Great Xia civilians were so important to you that you would rush here day and night."
After speaking, Jin Shuwei breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had treated these Great Xia civilians reasonably well. Although he had not provided them with food, he had allowed them to use the well water.
Bai Sheng looked at Jin Shuwei and smiled, "Jin Shuwei, you did very well this time. Oh, right, when I came, I sent soldiers with some food and warhorses. Since the soldiers delivering the supplies were in a hurry to return, they left the food and warhorses behind that hill. Hurry and bring some soldiers to transport them back."
Upon hearing this, Jin Shuwei, overjoyed, didn't think twice and immediately dispatched soldiers to retrieve the food and horses.
His Highness the Princess was truly his lucky star. Ever since the Princess returned, the soldiers at the border camp had been well-fed and had all become very strong.
Jin Shuwei watched as cartloads of grain were brought back, tears of excitement streaming down his face.
After settling the food and horses, Bai Sheng said, "Take me to see those civilians."
Jin Shuwei responded with a resonant "Yes!" and led Bai Sheng out of the pass. A few hundred meters away from the pass, hundreds of refugees were encamped.
Bai Sheng took a rough scan. Almost all the villagers from Hongshu Village had come, along with the families of the workshop workers, and even some people from the former Fei Village.
After a month of arduous travel in the desert, everyone was dusty and emaciated, a truly heart-wrenching sight.
Upon seeing Bai Sheng appear before them, the villagers of Hongshu Village all stood up excitedly.
"Young Madam!"
"Mistress!"
"Oh my, you really are… should we call you Your Highness now!" Ga Mei’s father shouted to the crowd.
"Let's all kneel down and kowtow to Your Highness!" Xiao Ma’s father beckoned, urging everyone to kneel.
Before Bai Sheng could say it was unnecessary, the villagers of Hongshu Village all knelt facing her, respectfully chanting, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Bai Sheng’s nose pricked with emotion. She immediately stepped forward, "Xiao Ma’s father, Zhu Gan’s father, and all of you, please rise."
Only then did everyone slowly stand up.
Xiao Ma’s father wiped his eyes and said to Bai Sheng, "Your Highness, we saw the wanted poster issued by the new Emperor, and only then did we know you were the Princess of Qing Huang and had returned to Qing Huang.
The wanted poster accused you of being Qing Huang spies who committed many wicked deeds in Great Xia. When our villagers heard this, we were all furious. We thought this new Emperor must be another incompetent ruler, and we were extremely disappointed with Great Xia.
You don’t know, but after your family left Hongshu Village, we all felt as if we had lost our souls, and life became tasteless.
Furthermore, Great Xia is in utter chaos now. We hear of many rebel troops in various regions, and Bei Qiang is close to controlling Great Xia. Therefore, we wish to come to Qing Huang, to seek refuge with the Princess, and become citizens of Qing Huang. We beg Your Highness to take us in!"
"We beg Your Highness to take us in!" Everyone sincerely pleaded with Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng looked at them, deeply moved. "Thank you all for your trust in me. However, are you truly willing to leave Great Xia? That is your homeland, after all."
Xiao Ma’s father raised his voice, "If our monarch were a good monarch, we would certainly not want to leave. But both the former and the current Emperors of Great Xia only cared about their thrones and paid no attention to the lives of us common people.
A few years ago, when Tasha County suffered a drought and we were starving, it was you, Your Highness, and the Prince Consort who fed us, not the Emperor of Great Xia. If we are to speak of feelings, we feel closer to you than to Great Xia."
"Exactly, which common person doesn't love their country? Which common person doesn't love their hometown? But staying in Great Xia, we cannot survive."
"We are all just poor common people, we don't understand so many grand principles. To put it bluntly, whoever feeds us is our mother, and whoever treats us well is who we follow!"
Bai Sheng let out a deep sigh and said, "Good. As long as you sincerely wish to pledge allegiance to Qing Huang, you are now citizens of Qing Huang!
However, because many spies from Great Xia and Bei Qiang have infiltrated Qing Huang, as you enter Qing Huang’s territory, Jin Shuwei may conduct a strict examination of each of your family members, names, ages, and other information. Please bear with us.
After the examination, Jin Shuwei will send people to escort you to Fengcheng, where someone will naturally arrange for you, assigning you new villages and land."
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Everyone was extremely excited.
Bai Sheng had Jin Shuwei escort everyone into the pass, and then the border soldiers conducted an examination of each person, recording their basic personal information.
Due to the large number of people, the examination would take one or two days. Therefore, Bai Sheng returned to Fengcheng first, and Jin Shuwei or Deputy General Li would send people to escort these civilians to Fengcheng.