This time when the court fled, they brought quite a few people—palace consorts, court officials, the Imperial Guards protecting them, and beyond that, the officials’ family members and aristocratic families who had heard the news and fled the city with them.

So the numbers were large and chaotic, making information gathering difficult. Zhao Ji didn’t know that Old Master Chen, who had fallen behind, had been found and had brought the Zhao family’s retainers with him.

Moreover, Zhao Ji didn’t know Ji Ping either. Even if they met face to face, he probably wouldn’t recognize him.

So by the time Zhao Ji organized his people, Ji Ping had already purchased grain and provisions on his end.

Early the next morning, Zhao Ji’s people set out first. Ji Ping and his group, leading grain and provisions and having prepared new carts, quietly departed while escorting this batch of supplies.

They were heading in the same direction, but because the people in front were all on horseback, lightly equipped and traveling fast, while the people behind had a mix of carts and horses plus people who needed to walk on foot, carrying baggage, their speed was much slower.

Not long after departure, the Zhao family guards who had come to search for people encountered the refugees who had fallen behind. Upon inquiry, they learned these were the people Miss Zhao Sanniang had rescued.

“The Zhao family’s young mistress took her household toward Runan, saying she was escorting the coffin back to her ancestral home.”

Hearing this, the guards sent to search immediately quickened their pace to pursue.

But Zhao Hanzhang’s group didn’t linger on the road. Early the next morning, the villagers gathered a pile of grain for them and saw them off at the village entrance.

The elder was still earnestly trying to persuade them to stay. Though uncertain if it was genuine, Zhao Hanzhang treated it as real and gratefully declined.

She presented the copied Analects annotations to the elder, sighing, “We encountered rogue soldiers on the road and lost all our possessions. We only carried with us one volume of the Analects that my grandfather annotated for Erlang. Last night, Fu Dalang and I copied out a set to give to you, Elder, as a keepsake.”

The elder’s eyes brightened, and he accepted the stack of manuscripts with trembling hands, somewhat excited. “This is a treasure! Young mistress, your great kindness—we will certainly preserve well these manuscripts left by our benefactor.”

He called over his grandson who was studying and had him kowtow in thanks to Zhao Hanzhang.

The other party looked even older than Zhao Hanzhang. How could she accept this? Just as he was about to kneel, she supported him and kept bowing to the elder. “Elder, you honor me too much. We were in dire straits. Thanks to your aid, Elder, we should be the ones kowtowing in gratitude…”

Fu Tinghan stood to the side watching them bow to each other repeatedly. It took quite a while before they reluctantly parted.

As he mounted his horse, Professor Fu let out a long breath and couldn’t help turning to look at Zhao Hanzhang riding beside him.

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “What are you looking at?”

Fu Tinghan said, “Teacher Zhao at this time is different from the rumors, and different from the one I know.”

“What are the rumors? A fierce, rude, barbaric mother tiger who beats up colleagues?” Zhao Hanzhang turned her head and asked with a smile.

Fu Tinghan considered for a moment, then said, “I thought Teacher Zhao, like me, hated dealing with these matters, so she’d rather keep a cold face.”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled and said, “You can attribute my behavior to self-interested actions.”

She continued, “In our era, we had money and ability, with no threats to life or survival, so our pursuits could be more advanced. We could choose based on our mood whether to engage in worldly pleasantries. Of course, not all politeness is false courtesy. For instance, just now—was I being hypocritical?”

Fu Tinghan, under her gaze, shook his head. “Not hypocritical.”

Zhao Hanzhang was satisfied. She looked back at the villagers still standing at the village entrance to see them off, her expression resolute. “Whether their feelings were genuine or just to ward off disaster, I’ve remembered today’s kindness.”

Fu Tinghan said, “I asked around. This village is called Linnan Village. They have a smaller side path going toward Runan that saves time and avoids many detours compared to the official road.”

The group soon reached the small road junction.

Compared to the wide, flat official road, this was a narrow path with grass in the middle and exposed earth where cart wheels had passed on either side.

On both sides of the road were field ridges. Not far away was a low hill. The path curved around the hill, so its end couldn’t be seen.

The official road beside it went straight north. Looking at the map Fu Tinghan had drawn, they would need to walk for at least a day before turning northeast, then travel about forty li eastward before the official road converged with this small path.

According to the villagers, this small path was also about forty li.

In other words, taking this small path would save them at least a day.

This path’s only drawbacks were that it was narrow and bumpy, making it difficult for carts. But they only had one ox cart. Everyone else either walked or rode horses, so it wasn’t a big problem.

And walking on grass was friendlier to both horse hooves and human feet. The only one who suffered was Grandfather Zhao.

Zhao Hanzhang dismounted and gave her horse to Wang Shi, escorting the coffin on foot.

Wang Shi watched from horseback, her heart aching as tears fell.

Qinggu led the horse for her. Seeing this, she quickly consoled her, “Madam, please don’t cry. If Sanniang sees, she’ll feel bad again.”

She said, “Once we return to Runan, everything will be fine.”

But Wang Shi felt even more uneasy, tears falling harder. “It might not be fine. The elder and his family have ill intentions, and those people in Runan have vicious tongues too. When we return, we’ll still have to live under others’ noses.”

“Why is it so hard for us mother and three children just to survive?” Wang Shi raised her tear-filled eyes to look at her son riding happily ahead, growing even more sorrowful. “I’m not clever, but I’m not stupid either. His father was smart and quick-witted—how is it that he turned out simple-minded?”

Qinggu quickly signaled her to lower her voice. “Sanniang has repeatedly instructed us not to call Erlang simple-minded, not even in private. Erlang would be upset if he knew.”

She said, “This has nothing to do with you or the master. Heaven is fair. You and the master were born into wealth and privilege, so it had to take something back from elsewhere. That’s why you and the master have suffered, but the blessings will manifest in Sanniang and Erlang.”

“Look, isn’t it true? Sanniang is clever and bright, and unlike the master, she’s not frail and sickly. She can both write and fight. She survived such a great disaster last time and yesterday was also safe. This shows how blessed our Sanniang is.” Qinggu said, “Erlang is the same. He may be simple, but look how blessed he is. Before, he had the master protecting him, and now he has his sister and brother-in-law. Look…”

She gestured toward Fu Tinghan, who was escorting the coffin alongside Zhao Hanzhang.

Wang Shi’s tears gradually ceased.

Qinggu also looked at Fu Tinghan with satisfaction. “Your servant will speak boldly—with his character and appearance, how many such men exist in this world? The second branch took so much from our family. Forget the second master and Dalang—if the elder master had even one-tenth of his filial devotion, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“But the elder master is an outsider after all, and your peer in generation. How much benefit could his filial piety bring you? So Heaven specially arranged the young master for you. He’s family, and with his devotion, you, Sanniang, and Erlang finally have someone to rely on.”

The retainers following behind looked at Fu Tinghan escorting the coffin and were similarly moved. Even Zhao Dian couldn’t help contemplating—if the first branch were led by Fu Tinghan, staying with the first branch wouldn’t be impossible.

—