"Sister-in-law, that bundle looks heavy. Would you like me to carry it for you?"
"This little one is still so young, and the water's quite deep for him. Come, let me carry him on my back."
"The boat is waiting just over there. Let me take you to it."
The honest, simple family stood speechless.
Were these truly soldiers?
Their sudden warmth and helpfulness felt almost... unnatural.
They had been told soldiers were brash and indifferent, yet now these very men were smiling, respectful, even enthusiastic. It was disorienting.
After all, one cannot strike a smiling face—especially not when that face had just been wrongly accused and harshly scolded. Anyone with the slightest conscience would feel remorse.
Let alone this kindly, down-to-earth family.
Embarrassed and apologetic, they fumbled through their bundle, eventually pulling out two flatbreads and shyly offering them to the soldiers who had volunteered to row them to safety.
"We don't know if you've eaten yet. If you're hungry, perhaps you can take these to stave off the worst of it."
"No, no, that won't be necessary!"
The two soldiers grinned and waved their hands adamantly.
"His Majesty and Her Highness have both given strict orders. We are forbidden from accepting anything from the people—not even these flatbreads!"
"But—"
"No buts!"
The soldier carrying the child lifted his chin proudly, his expression animated.
"Her Highness declared that protecting the people is the sacred duty and greatest honor of the soldiers of Tian Sheng!"
…
With Princess Sheng An as a guarantor, and the first family setting a hopeful precedent, the hesitant commoners finally began to emerge from their homes, carrying their meager possessions. Guided by the soldiers, they boarded the small boats that would take them to safety.
There were three such districts in the city, and this one was considered the most perilous of them all. It took two full days before the entire area was evacuated.
Without pause, Yun Shu gathered her people and hurried toward the second location.
But unlike when they had first entered the city—when every step seemed to send shops scrambling to shutter their doors—this time, many curious eyes peered out from half-open windows.
"What's going on with those people behind them? Someone's daughter get taken? Are they trying to bribe the soldiers to get her back?"
"Are your eyes failing you completely? What kind of ransom is just a few flatbreads and steamed buns? And who redeems their kin with a smile?"
"I don't get it. These folks must be mad."
"You fools know nothing! They're giving thanks. These people had their lives saved!"
Though rain poured across the capital and several districts were flooded, the areas that remained dry still bustled with open shops.
Those who had been rescued over the past two days returned to the streets, buying supplies and relaying what they had witnessed.
Some shopkeepers, catching wind of the stories, spread them further.
Soon, the entire street buzzed with astonishment.
"Is that true? Are we still talking about the same soldiers I used to know?"
"Feels like a dream to me."
"Only His Majesty and Princess Sheng An could have made this happen. If not for the Emperor's decree and the Princess's personal oversight, would these soldiers ever behave so properly?"
"No matter what, they really are saving our lives."
"My uncle's family was relocated safely, all thanks to them."
"And it's no easy task, either. Raining like this, running all over to rescue people... Say, should we make some ginger tea and send it over?"
"But they won't accept anything, remember? I saw them earlier—people trying to give them flatbreads and buns, and they couldn't even stuff it into their hands."
"Don't be dense! Just leave the food there and run. What, they're going to chase you down and return it? It's just ginger tea—what's that, two sips of water? Can't count that as taking something from us, can it?"
"You're right!"
…
After all, this was the heart of the empire.
The common folk of the capital had never suffered under the so-called "bandit-soldiers" of rumor. But the genuine goodwill of these men was something they could see with their own eyes.
In only a few short days, the image of the Tian Sheng army—at least the troops stationed in the capital—was entirely transformed in the hearts of the people.
During the following days as Yun Shu continued her duties overseeing the military operations, she often witnessed townsfolk sneaking up with barrels of ginger tea, leaving them behind and vanishing into the rain.
Scenes of the soldiers politely refusing food and offerings played out again and again.
At first, they had been stunned, unsure of how to react. But soon enough, they learned to decline with practiced ease, even as pride flickered quietly in their eyes.
Yun Shu saw all of it.
The growing bond between the soldiers and the people reminded her of another time—another memory. The familiarity brought a warmth to her chest.
On the final day, when the last of the rescues was nearly complete, Yun Shu approached the same man who, on the first day, had dismissed her words with skepticism—Zhuo Fengxin.
"Deputy Commander Zhuo, what do you make of things now?"
"It was this subordinate's narrow view that failed him."
Zhuo Fengxin understood what she meant and bowed his head slightly, speaking with genuine admiration.
"Such scenes—what we have witnessed these past days—were beyond my dreams. Never did I imagine that harmony between the army and the common folk was possible on such a scale.
In these few days alone, I've seen more villagers quietly bringing food than I've ever seen bandits in my entire life. This… this is all thanks to His Majesty and Your Highness."
"Hm?"
Just as he was expressing his heartfelt reflections, his voice turned sharp.
Yun Shu immediately sensed the change in tone and straightened.
"What is it?"
"There is a man watching Your Highness. Over there—by the corner. He doesn't seem like an ordinary citizen."
Zhuo Fengxin narrowed his eyes, gaze fixed on a shadowy figure lurking near a wall.
"Shall I apprehend him for Your Highness?"
"Where?"
Yun Shu followed his gaze, but saw no one.
She thought for a moment, then casually raised her hand and gestured.
Moments later, someone in blue silk robes was thrown at her feet.
Zhuo Fengxin was stunned.
What just flashed past?
Could that be the one Her Highness mentioned before—the person His Majesty assigned to protect her?
He was a battle-tested deputy commander, and yet he hadn't even caught a glimpse of the man.
That level of skill was downright terrifying.
As Zhuo Fengxin reeled at the sheer prowess of the Dragon Shadow Guard, Yun Shu—already accustomed to Ah Ku's ghost-like movements—easily recognized the person who had just been dropped before her.
"Ji Yongtian? Why is it you?"
She arched an eyebrow.
"Lurking in a corner again, spying on someone?"
"I wasn't… I…"
Ji Yongtian stammered, completely flustered. Snatched from the shadows like a chick by an eagle and dropped before her in an instant, he looked utterly disoriented and more than a little panicked.