Fu Zhi lay in the station’s best room. When Zhao Hanzhang and Fu Tinghan rushed over, Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan had just heard the news and come out. Seeing the two of them, the tears that had finally stopped flowed down again.

She lowered her head to wipe her tears, stepping aside and choking out, “You’ve come. Go in and see your grandfather.”

Fu Zhi’s condition was very poor. When he wrote his letter back to Luoyang, his tone was light, only saying he was critically ill and could no longer competently serve as Yongzhou Provincial Governor, requesting to return home.

This was the standard procedure for resignation, typically going through three rounds over a six-month buffer period. So not only Zhao Hanzhang, but also Fu Xuan and Princess Hongnong felt Fu Zhi’s condition wasn’t too bad.

But they were still worried, which was why they’d decided to go to Chang’an to see him. Zhao Hanzhang had also sent an Imperial Physician along.

Who would have known that when they reached Chang’an, they’d discover Fu Zhi’s illness had entered a critical stage.

Seeing his son and daughter-in-law, Fu Zhi felt some regret. He said to them, “I was overconfident, thinking I could persist a while longer. Who would have thought my illness was so deeply rooted—just a night breeze…”

He sighed. “Heaven’s will is thus. Being able to see you once before dying, I’m content.”

But who was Princess Hongnong?

She could tell at a glance that though he spoke of contentment, his eyes were full of regret. So she asked, “Does Father wish to return to Luoyang?”

Fu Zhi remained silent.

Princess Hongnong asked again, “Does Father wish to see Dalang?”

Fu Zhi’s eyes moved slightly, but he still said nothing.

Princess Hongnong asked one final time, “Does Father wish to see Zhao Hanzhang?”

Fu Zhi sighed deeply, his eyes carrying a sadness he himself didn’t fully realize. “I won’t live that long. Don’t force it.”

He finally wrote Zhao Hanzhang an official letter, and that very night fell into unconsciousness.

But Princess Hongnong refused to accept fate. She was determined to fulfill his wish. She procured the best medicinal materials and asked the Imperial Physician to sustain his life, then arranged for the best carriage with the best driver, placed Fu Zhi in it, and departed.

Throughout the journey, Fu Zhi never woke, but he could swallow his medicine, and miraculously remained alive.

The Imperial Physician stood by Fu Zhi’s bedside and respectfully reported, “The illness has penetrated the bones and can no longer be removed. This humble physician is truly powerless.”

Zhao Hanzhang sat by the bed, looking at the old man with completely white temples and a weathered face. In just over two years of not seeing him, he seemed to have aged ten years, looking much older than the last time they’d met.

“When can he wake?”

The Imperial Physician hesitated before saying, “This humble physician could use acupuncture to rouse him, but such an awakening would likely exhaust all his remaining energy. This…”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “If we let him continue sleeping, could his body improve?”

The Imperial Physician shook his head. “If this continues, I fear he’ll quietly pass away in his sleep.”

For ordinary elderly people, this might be fortunate—after all, they’d go without suffering—but for Fu Zhi it definitely wasn’t. He certainly had much he wanted to say.

So he would definitely wake. The Imperial Physician believed human will could overcome death’s limitations and the body’s constraints. His suggestion was, “Continue administering medicine. When Provincial Governor Fu feels it’s time to wake, he’ll naturally wake.”

However, by then it would likely be his final rally.

Zhao Hanzhang understood, as did the others. Everyone’s mood grew somewhat heavy.

Fu Tinghan looked at Fu Zhi for a while, then turned and said, “It’s late. Everyone should go rest. I’ll watch over him tonight.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him and, seeing his insistence, nodded. “Alright.”

Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan also went to rest.

The Station Master quickly arranged rooms for them. Late at night, the entire station was brightly lit. Fortunately, the guards Zhao Hanzhang brought didn’t need him to prepare food—they only needed hot water, then ate their fill with the dry rations they’d brought.

They didn’t even need him to prepare lodging. They split up to camp around the station, surrounding it completely.

After washing her face, Zhao Hanzhang sat down. The Station Master personally brought over a plate of vegetables and a basket of freshly steamed buns. The station’s supplies weren’t abundant, and given the late hour, he couldn’t produce anything better on short notice. He could only apologize repeatedly and say, “I’ll go kill the chicken we’re raising in the back courtyard right away. Tomorrow morning, Great General can have chicken soup and chicken meat.”

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand in refusal. “No need to waste it. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning. Keep the chicken for laying eggs. How long have you been raising your chickens?”

The Station Master hadn’t expected Zhao Hanzhang to ask such a question. After a long pause, he said, “One year and two months.”

“Then they can still lay eggs for several more years. Raise them well and don’t slaughter them casually.”

The Station Master happily agreed repeatedly.

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Are there still many wandering refugees this year? How are the local people’s lives?”

This station had been established by Zhao Hanzhang after occupying Luoyang to maintain contact with Yongzhou. Besides this station, there were three others along the route. Apart from hosting traveling officials and merchants, their main function was transmitting letters and news.

Because Yongzhou suffered grain shortages with many refugees, she’d selected all veterans from the army with local household registrations for the stations’ safety, and given them some soldiers to assist.

The people here were always better at gathering information than outsiders, but she hadn’t expected: “There’s no one around here at all.”

The Station Master said, “There are fewer refugees now. Both the County Magistrate and Commandery Governor are taking in refugees, distributing land and grain seeds. Everyone’s stopped fleeing. Mainly there’s no grain to flee with. But with many people and much land, none has been distributed to this area yet.”

He continued, “The station is some distance from the city. The land near the city hasn’t all been distributed yet, so naturally there’s no one around here.”

Zhao Hanzhang: “…I saw two villages on the way here.”

“Both are old villages from before, long abandoned. Not a single person there.”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “Aren’t you bored here then?”

“Not at all,” the Station Master said happily. “We’re faithfully following Great General’s orders. We’ve cleared all the good fields and land nearby. The ten of us have planted thirty mu of winter wheat, twenty mu of spring wheat, plus twelve mu of rice. We’ve also planted thirty-two mu of beans. We’re busy every day. We’re also raising chickens and geese. We originally wanted to raise pigs too, but when we asked several times, our superiors said there were no surplus piglets to give us, so we had to give up.”

Oh, one squad of soldiers was stationed at the station—ten people total.

Besides grain, they’d opened three vegetable plots nearby, each about two fen in size. The vegetables they grew were not only enough for them to eat, but visiting officials and merchants could eat them too.

He had only one complaint: “It’s just hard to buy meat.”

This place was too far from the county seat and market. Without meat, it was very awkward when hosting distinguished guests.

Like Princess Hongnong and Zhao Hanzhang—they didn’t pay to stay at the station, yet the station had to host them well. But… they had no meat! They could only slaughter their own chickens.

Tonight they’d killed one. After hosting Princess Hongnong and her party, they’d eaten all the leftovers. Who could have known that after everyone had gone to bed, another distinguished guest like Zhao Hanzhang would arrive?

Zhao Hanzhang said, “In a few more years when there are more people, the area around the station will naturally become lively. As for meat, in seasons like summer and autumn, you can make some smoked meat to keep on hand. In winter, meat keeps even better—you can freeze it.”

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