Zhao Hanzhang stood before the coffin and summoned the servants guarding the spirit hall. “Fetch a hammer and nails. We’re sealing the coffin today.”
The servants acknowledged.
Zhao Ji frowned. According to custom, the coffin should only be nailed shut before the funeral procession, but now with the situation outside…
After thinking it over, he didn’t stop her.
Zhao Hanzhang watched as the servants nailed the coffin shut, lit three sticks of incense, gazed quietly at the coffin for a while, then turned to find Wang Shi.
“Mother, pack your things. We may need to escort the coffin back to our hometown immediately.”
Wang Shi paced anxiously. “Why did fighting break out now? Tomorrow is the wedding day. If we leave the capital at this time, what about your marriage to Fu Dalang?”
Zhao Hanzhang said: “Staying alive is what matters most right now.”
Wang Shi was still anxious.
Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and said: “We’ll bring Fu Dalang with us. Don’t worry, Mother, he won’t escape.”
Wang Shi: …
Somehow, her anxiety immediately vanished.
She wasn’t anxious, but Fu Tinghan was.
The Fu residence was located even closer to the Imperial City, right near Prince Donghai’s estate, so the rebel troops didn’t reach there initially.
But with mixed combat and street fighting, scattered rebel troops ran everywhere. Households near Prince Donghai were unlucky.
After all, no poor people lived in this area, so rebel troops either openly attacked or secretly stole. In any case, this entire area fell into chaos.
Some people also climbed into the Fu family courtyard. Some were killed immediately upon landing, while others successfully entered the courtyard but were eventually hunted down by guards and killed with a single blade.
This was Fu Tinghan’s first time directly facing such a bloody battlefield. His face paled, then his entire body went cold. If he was like this, Professor Zhao was probably even more frightened.
Moreover, the Zhao residence was farther out. He immediately went to find Fu Zhi, wanting to ask him to bring the Zhao family mother and children here so everyone could be safer together.
Fu Zhi was about to take people to see Prince Donghai. Hearing this, he said: “The Zhao family has far more retainers and guards than our Fu family. As long as they extinguish their lights and remain quiet, that area is safer than ours. Stay home obediently. Don’t go out before the chaos settles.”
With that, he led people away.
The household was instantly left with only Fu Tinghan as master. Looking at the anxious servants, Fu Tinghan felt helpless and could only garrison the Fu residence, dealing with the rebel troops who accidentally entered.
At dawn, he had the steward arrange for people to escort him to the Zhao residence.
The steward directly refused. “Young master, the master said you cannot go out before the chaos settles.”
“I’m going to fetch someone and will return immediately,” Fu Tinghan thought, then said: “Or I’ll just stay at the Zhao residence. Didn’t Grandfather also say that the Zhao residence is safer than here?”
Steward: … Are you surnamed Fu or Zhao?
At this moment, the steward wondered for the first time whether this marriage had been arranged correctly or incorrectly.
Loving couples are naturally good, but forgetting one’s own family would be bad.
The steward insisted: “Outside is very chaotic. If you encounter rebel troops halfway, it would be disastrous. You cannot go out.”
Fu Tinghan pressed his lips together, somewhat angry.
But in the entire household of servants, aside from Fu’an, no one else would listen to him.
Fu Tinghan suddenly understood why Zhao Hanzhang had been so urgently trying to control the forces at her disposal during this period.
What you held in your own hands was truly real. He had reacted too slowly before and shouldn’t have focused all his attention on understanding this era’s writing, culture, and history.
Just as he was troubled, another enormous collision and collapse sound came from the direction of the east gate. Faintly, he heard battle cries.
Fu Tinghan had no time to think. He pushed past the steward and ran outside.
The steward was shocked. “Young master!”
Fu’an quickly followed. “Young master, where are you going?”
“To the stables. Get horses. We’re going to the Zhao residence!” He absolutely could not be separated from Zhao Hanzhang. Once separated in this unfamiliar era where war was reportedly everywhere, who knew when they’d meet again?
Whether returning or staying here, they both needed to be together to discuss things.
In Fu Tinghan’s heart, everyone around him was a stranger. In this world, the only person who knew him and recognized him was Zhao Hanzhang. The only person he was familiar with was also Zhao Hanzhang.
Fu Tinghan ran quickly. The steward couldn’t catch up from behind and hurriedly called for servants to stop him.
The servants all spread their arms to block him. Fu Tinghan pushed past their hands and shouted: “The east gate has fallen! Another batch of rebel troops has entered the city. Why are you still blocking me?”
The servants froze, becoming alarmed. “Then, then what should we do?”
“Go together to the west side of the city. That area is mostly poor people. Rebel troops won’t go there immediately, and the north and east gates are far from the west side. You might be able to leave the city from there.”
The steward caught up and heard this. He couldn’t help but stomp his foot. “Aiya, young master, what are you saying? If they run away, they’ll be escaped slaves. If caught, they’ll be exiled.”
Fu Tinghan waved his hand grandly. “At this life-or-death moment, why discuss escaped slaves? I’m making the decision to release you all. From now on, you’re all free people. Go pack your things and run.”
With that, while the servants were still stunned, he took off running.
The steward chased from behind while shouting: “Young master, young master, don’t run! How did you suddenly change? You used to be so steady and obedient…”
To actually incite servants to flee—was this something a person would do?
Fu Tinghan and Fu’an seized two horses and ran. While running, he turned back and shouted to the steward who couldn’t catch up: “Don’t worry! They won’t run. Grandfather is the Director of the Palace Secretariat. If following him is dangerous, then most places in this world aren’t safe.”
The servants whose hearts had been stirred and who had considered fleeing: …
Their floating hearts immediately settled. Right, if following the master was dangerous, then falling into the outside world would likely leave them with even less chance of survival.
Fu Tinghan mounted his horse and rode off.
The steward stood at the main gate watching the two ride away, unable to help stamping his feet repeatedly. “Aiya, aiya!” But he couldn’t say another word.
He turned back to look at the servants scattered throughout the courtyard. With shaking fingers, he couldn’t speak. “I told you to stop the young master—is this how you stop him?”
The servants all lowered their heads.
Fu’an followed Fu Tinghan onto the main street. Seeing scattered corpses and bloodstains on the ground, he nervously gripped the reins tighter. “Young master, are we going directly to the Zhao residence?”
Fu Tinghan thought for a moment, then said: “We won’t take the main street. We’ll take that route.”
“That’s a huge detour.”
“If people from the west side come over, they’ll definitely take that route. She’ll certainly send people to meet me, very likely using those people from the west side. Let’s go.”
Fu’an could only follow, though he couldn’t help muttering: “Sanniang might not have thought of these things. Young master, aren’t you overthinking it?”
Fu Tinghan ignored him. After turning a corner, the two came face to face with a队 of soldiers. Leading them was a队 of cavalry. Before they could see faces clearly in that instant encounter, both Fu Tinghan and Fu’an felt a chill throughout their bodies, instinctively thinking they were finished.
The people opposite were also startled. Looking closely and seeing it was Fu Tinghan, they were overjoyed. “Fu Dalang!”
Fu Tinghan looked up. After a moment of bewilderment, he also became pleasantly surprised. “Uncle Qianli!”
—