Chapter 67 - Affection and Loyalty

Chapter 67: Chapter 61: Affection and LoyaltyMr. Chen said, "The Xiongnu’s massive army will not head south; they will probably plunder in the Luoyang area and then leave."

He continued, "Prince East Sea’s army is not to be trifled with. Once his army returns for defense, the Xiongnu army will naturally retreat, and there’s also the army of Prince Nanyang."

Zhao Hanzhang pondered, "In this case, Your Majesty and the others will soon return to Luoyang."

Mr. Chen sighed, "Yes, once the army returns for defense and the reinforcements from various regions head to the capital, we can return to Luoyang. It could be as short as two or three months or as long as a year."

Next to him, Chen Erniang couldn’t understand, "Father, since Prince East Sea will return in at most a year, why are we going through so much trouble to flee?"

"Don’t speak nonsense, if we don’t flee, in a year we’ll all be skeletons."

Currently, Luoyang’s gates are wide open, and armies from three routes are swarming in. Whether it’s the armies of the Qiang Hu or the Xiongnu, their goal is to plunder wealth. If they can capture or kill the emperor, all the better. If not, looting once in Luoyang City and the Imperial Palace is still worthwhile.

Even the Jingzhao County’s government forces are likely entertaining thoughts of the same.

Staying in Luoyang offers a slim chance of preserving their lives; at best, they’ll only be robbed of their possessions, and at worst, they could face massacre of their clan or the entire city. So if you can run, you run.

Zhao Hanzhang has limited sources of information. As the head of the family, Mr. Chen had access to more information, and she warmly kept him around with plans to invite him for dinner.

Their dinner was a piece of bread as hard as stone; however, after toasting, it was quite fragrant, although a bit taxing on the teeth.

Zhao Hanzhang, being young, had strong teeth, so she tried hard to bite a piece into her mouth but soon took it out without changing her expression. Fu Tinghan, seeing this, couldn’t help but lower his head to laugh for a moment, then casually handed her a bowl and poured her a bit of water from a water pouch.

Zhao Hanzhang collected herself and immediately asked Ting He to fetch two more bowls for the Chen father and daughter.

Zhao Hanzhang threw the bread into the water to soak and asked, "Uncle, do you know where Prince East Sea is taking Your Majesty?"

"They should head to Hongnong, where there’s a secondary palace for rest."

Zhao Hanzhang mused, "But I wonder if Hongnong’s grain reserves are sufficient. So many troops and refugees entering, and military provisions are also an issue."

She sighed, "Uncle can see I’ve brought so many followers. From here to Ru Nan requires considerable provisions. I heard someone in your family holds a position in the imperial guard?"

Understanding her intent, Mr. Chen immediately said, "I have a cousin handling provisions in the imperial guard. If I can meet him, I might be able to connect you, so obtaining some provisions shouldn’t be a big problem."

Zhao Hanzhang instantly poured him some water and broke the hard bread into pieces to soak, saying, "The food is simple; I apologize for the inconvenience, Uncle."

Mr. Chen, left with only clothes and scattered accessories, assured her he was not inconvenienced at all.

The two enjoyed their conversation, gradually leaning towards becoming friends across generations.

Chen Erniang, on the side, watched in astonishment.

Fu Tinghan wasn’t surprised, being familiar with Zhao Hanzhang, who could quickly become the focal point in any situation.

After dinner, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t let them leave. At night, the wilderness full of refugees was very dangerous; nobody knew when or why someone might slit their throat.

So Zhao Hanzhang instructed Uncle Cheng to arrange for them within their group, surrounded by her followers, ensuring safety.

Mr. Chen, bearing anxiety and reluctant to leave, finally breathed a sigh of relief and led his daughter to rest.

Watching him depart, Fu Tinghan looked at Zhao Hanzhang, "Are you still planning to pursue Zhao Ji?"

His gaze swept over Zhao Dian and the others, whispering, "With Zhao Zhongyu in the army, can you still keep these followers?"

"So, I plan to send a centurion for negotiation while we detour to Ru Nan." Zhao Hanzhang furrowed her brow, "I’m just unfamiliar with the route, and with Yingchuan in between, plus a natural disaster, this path seems difficult."

After a moment of reflection, Fu Tinghan said, "I saw the Great Jin’s map at Fu Zhi’s, although not particularly detailed, it has the main roads, mountains, and major towns marked. I could draw it out, avoiding the afflicted areas to reach Ru Nan."

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow slightly, "Did Professor Fu remember everything?"

Fu Tinghan responded, "About seventy to eighty percent. Didn’t you talk about leaving Luoyang to go to Chang’an or Ru Nan? During that time, I was contemplating how to make the journey faster and less laborious. Upon seeing the map there, especially a military map, I couldn’t help but study it a bit."

Could he really recall seventy to eighty percent just by looking a bit longer?

Zhao Hanzhang gained a deeper understanding of his memory, having heard classmates talk about that genius from the twenty-second middle school, reputed for a prodigious memory, said to have photographic recall. Allegedly, he could master languages after one reading, excelled in math, and in the first year of Mathematical Olympiad, he took first place in the province, only slightly outpacing her.

Zhao Hanzhang immediately called Ting He, asking, "Do we have pen, ink, paper, and inkstones in our luggage?"

Nearby, Zhao Erlang, with medicine freshly applied in the fire pit, stiffened and immediately lowered his head.

Ting He rummaged through and said, "We still have ink sticks and paper and pens, but no inkstone."

She glanced at Zhao Erlang, whispering, "Erlang used it to smash people, and it’s broken."

"No problem, bring a bowl."

Zhao Hanzhang ground the ink for Professor Fu, dragging the only intact box over for him to use as a base for drawing.

As night fully descended and the clamor gradually faded, quiet crept over the open field, with only a few voices and sobs audible. There had been continuous shocks today; some lost their spouses, others their parents or children. But tomorrow, the flight must continue, forcing them to rest despite themselves.

Still, with a tumult of emotion, various worries and fears lingered; though the body craved sleep, the mind remained uncontrollable.

Chen Erniang couldn’t settle down, still young, leaning against her father, she saw him sitting motionless, then whispered, "Father, will Zhao Family’s third sister really take us to pursue the army?"

"She will," Mr. Chen opened his eyes, lowered his head to comfort her, "She is virtuous, having promised us, she will follow through."

For the sake of provisions, she will surely take him too.

Consider these followers, well over a hundred, each strong and robust. Without sufficient provisions and benefits, how could she retain them?

Zhao Ji indeed discarded the pearl for the wooden box, yet Zhao Hanzhang remains so filial; though their household was left behind, Zhao Ji’s family remains her worry.

Chen Erniang, curious, said, "Father never mentioned Zhao Family before, are we close with the Zhao Family?"

Mr. Chen: "...I would like to be close to their family, but we can’t climb such heights. That’s the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat; I’ve only met them before."

Chen Erniang widened her eyes, "Yet she treats us so kindly, even saying we are neighbors..."

Mr. Chen gently patted his daughter’s head, "Neighbors three streets away are still neighbors, silly girl. When you grow a bit older, you’ll understand; it’s all human interaction."

Anyway, interacting with Zhao Hanzhang for half a day felt very pleasant. Zhao Hanzhang has virtue, so he too cannot be without feelings; once he catches up with his family, even if he can’t purchase provisions from the imperial guard, he has ways to scheme up a batch for her.