“Chuzhong didn’t even come back at New Year’s.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent and couldn’t help feeling worried.

Chuzhong was Wang Dun’s courtesy name. The Prince of Langya held most of his military power in his hands, and he was Wang Dao’s brother. If the Prince of Langya had bad relations with these two brothers, how could Jiangnan and Jiangdong have peaceful days?

After being silent for quite a while, someone said in a low voice: “I heard that Zhao Hanzhang treats aristocratic families returning north very well. If they have talent and virtue, she personally invites them to court. Even if they don’t want to enter court as officials, she also recommends them to the Imperial Academy and other official schools to be carefree and dignified teachers. For scholars unwilling to do even that, she also treats them well, giving fields and residences as rewards is secondary—most importantly, she’ll pay to print their poetry collections and literary works, regardless of faction.”

“What does ‘regardless of faction’ mean?”

“It means regardless of which Confucian school you belong to. As long as what you write has no distorted meaning, she’ll print it. And besides Confucianism, the Legalist school, Military school, Agricultural school, Mohist school, and such—she’ll print their books for free too.”

Printing books cost money. Currently most people who published books needed to pay the printing house a large sum before their books could be printed. And even after books were printed, they might not be placed in bookshops.

Before they left the northern regions, bookshops were extremely rare. In one province, there might be just a few scattered counties with bookshops, yet they mainly sold the four treasures of the study and rarely sold books.

Many books didn’t circulate through bookshops. Most were collected by aristocratic families themselves.

They liked collecting books left by ancient sages and were stingy about sharing them with others, yet they also liked writing a book themselves that could be widely circulated—best if it was in everyone’s hands and everyone could hear their names.

So free book printing, spreading their thoughts and talents, was truly heart-stirring.

Several people’s gazes overlapped, but none spoke the words “then let’s return.”

They had fled from north to south, suffering tremendous losses along the way. To establish firm footing in Jiangnan, they had also paid much. It wasn’t something they could just leave when they wanted.

Even the Wang clan, protected by the Prince of Langya and Wang Dun’s great army, had many casualties on the road. The number of clan members scattered outside still couldn’t be counted clearly, let alone their clans.

They couldn’t withstand another major migration.

But that didn’t mean they would do nothing.

After returning from the wine shop, they found several capable descendants who rarely appeared in public and had them bring people back to the Central Plains. “If you can establish firm footing in the Central Plains, the clan can slowly migrate back.”

“Then whose connections should we use to enter court?”

One family head said: “Our family has a marriage relationship with the Zhao clan. I’ll write a letter for you to take to pay respects to Zhao Hanzhang. You needn’t ask her to let you enter office. As long as you show your face before her, if you have talent, she’ll naturally use you.”

One family head said: “Our family has a marriage relationship with the Zhao clan, but alas, the relationship is already distant and we’ve long lost contact. Using the Zhao clan’s connections isn’t as good as taking the imperial recruitment examination. Go to Luoyang to participate in the recruitment examination.”

One family head said: “Take more money with you. Once you return to the northern regions, the clan can’t help you. Everything depends on yourself. However, I heard that Zhao clan’s Seventh Great Uncle loves entertainment—you might try that approach.”

These three families were the Hongnong Yang clan, the Fanyang Lu clan, and the Chenjun Yuan clan. The three family descendants decided to travel together.

Of course, they couldn’t say they were returning to the northern regions. Otherwise, they feared they’d be arrested before even leaving the city, and their families would also be targeted by the Prince of Langya.

So they thought of a good excuse. Summer was brilliant, and it was harvest time—the perfect time to go out and have fun! So they were traveling together.

But some things could be hidden from those in power, yet were very difficult to hide from observant people on the same level or the level below. Moreover, in Jiangnan there was still Yuan Li, this troublemaker.

Almost as soon as he investigated and discovered the news, he selectively transmitted this information outward.

Xie Kun, currently serving as Jiangzhou Chief Clerk, heard some vague news. But he was an observant and intelligent person. With slight thought, he understood—those great aristocratic families wanted to seek another path, or rather, they were leaving themselves a backup route.

After contemplating all night, Xie Kun traveled overnight to find his younger brother Xie Shang.

Xie Shang was very surprised. “Elder Brother, coming here late at night—has some great matter occurred?”

“I heard that in a few days, several descendants of the Yang, Lu, and Yuan clans are going on an excursion with many attendants. Why don’t you go along?”

Xie Shang laughed. “I’m much older than them. We don’t usually associate. What would I go for?”

Saying this, he reacted and slightly frowned. “Could it be they’re not going on an excursion?”

Xie Kun nodded. “They’re returning north.”

Xie Shang was surprised, then fell silent.

Xie Kun said: “Given the current situation, unless Zhao Hanzhang becomes arrogant and self-satisfied like the previous princes and great generals, destroying her own foundation, otherwise, unifying from north to south is only a matter of time.”

“Second Brother, we must plan ahead.”

Xie Shang turned and sat on a mat, turning his head to the side and saying: “Elder Brother needn’t say more. I won’t leave. I am the Prince’s aide. The Prince has shown me the grace of recognition.”

“The grace of recognition can be repaid by other means. You are a son of the Xie clan, with responsibility to revitalize the family. You’ve read the books of sages—you should have the duty of supporting the realm. You cannot disregard other responsibilities just to repay the grace of recognition.”

Xie Shang opened his mouth but couldn’t speak for a long while.

Xie Kun stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “Youru, I know you have deep feelings for the Prince, so you can see the current situation even more clearly. The Prince can maintain firm footing in Jianye entirely relying on Wang Dao’s mediation.”

“Without Wang Dao, how would the aristocratic families of Jiangdong and Jiangnan recognize him? Without Wang Dao, how would Wang Dun lead the armies of Qingzhou and Xuzhou south to protect him? Yet in just one year, the Prince has developed many suspicions toward Wang Dao…”

“That’s also because the Wang clan is too domineering. The Prince wants to appoint an official yet must look at Wang Dao’s expression, squeezed by the Wang clan until he has almost no foothold.”

“But the people Wang Dao recommends are all capable. Their abilities surpass those the Prince personally selects,” Xie Kun said. “Since he cannot appoint people based on merit, and lacks the prestige to appoint people based on favoritism, while the Jiangdong aristocratic families haven’t yet completely pledged allegiance and court power lies elsewhere, quarreling with Wang Dao and Wang Dun at this time—how far do you think he can go?”

Xie Shang opened his mouth to argue but didn’t know how to argue.

Xie Kun said: “Knowing he will definitely fall into a deep pit, and you can’t dissuade him, just to repay the grace of recognition, you’ll jump down with him?”

“Why not seek another future path and strengthen yourself?” Xie Kun said: “In the future, when he’s fallen into the pit, you can reach out to pull him up. Even if you can’t preserve his life, you should at least preserve his bloodline.”

Xie Shang fell silent. After a long while, he asked: “Would Zhao Hanzhang agree?”

“If you don’t try, how will you know?” Xie Kun said: “From her actions these years, once she employs someone, she’s very trusting and doesn’t stint on power and position. If she can truly unify north and south, leaving one more Jin imperial bloodline—what’s impossible about that?”