When Xiao Zhi emerged from the back hall, he was completely soaked in sweat, with more beading on his forehead, his face pale and frightened.

Zhao Hanzhang followed behind him, her expression as relaxed as before, but everyone could see she was in a good mood now, clearly having obtained what she wanted.

The Chen senior lady felt somewhat gratified seeing this.

She felt the Xiao family had dragged her down, so naturally she was pleased to see them suffer.

Zhao Hanzhang had only come to ask about reasons. The judgment was left to Zhao Kuan, but seeing the crowd outside still hadn’t dispersed, she said to the Chen and Xiao families, “Luoyang’s position is special. It’s the gateway to the north for our Great Jin, so it absolutely cannot be breached. Therefore, every citizen in this city is crucial.”

Zhao Hanzhang continued, “When Luoyang prospers, the Central Plains can be stable. Right now it’s in a period of reconstruction, when your help is most needed. I can certainly force you all to stay, but I’d rather you willingly remain and help me revitalize Luoyang, protecting the people south of Luoyang together.”

Zhao Hanzhang bowed deeply, “I beg you.”

The Chen senior lady’s face flushed red. She quickly curtsied in return, feeling deeply ashamed, “Your Excellency honors us too much. I, we won’t flee anymore. We’ll follow your commands in everything.”

Xiao Zhi also clasped his hands in agreement.

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and looked at the young man standing behind the Chen senior lady, beckoning him forward and asking, “Are you still studying?”

The youth was called Chen Pei, the only surviving male of the Chen family’s two branches. He calmly bowed and replied, “Yes, I’m still studying.”

“What are you reading?”

Chen Pei said, “I’m reading ‘Mencius.'”

Zhao Hanzhang asked, “You’re a Confucian scholar?”

Chen Pei paused before answering, “Yes, my grandfather and father both revered Confucianism, so I’m a Confucian scholar.”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded and asked him, “You’re already twelve years old and can be head of the family. What do you think about this southern migration? Do you have any questions for me?”

Chen Pei pressed his lips together. He was still young, with youthful spirit. Although his mother was signaling him with her eyes, he still looked up at Zhao Hanzhang and asked, “This student does have one question. Your Excellency has confined so many people in Luoyang under the pretext of revitalizing Luoyang, but how do you know we can actually revitalize Luoyang?”

He asked, “What if the people in Luoyang not only fail to revitalize it but create chaos instead? Or if the barbarians invade south again and Your Excellency cannot protect Luoyang—when tens of thousands of people in the city perish here, bearing so much blood debt and karma, aren’t you afraid?”

“Pei’er!” The Chen senior lady looked at him anxiously.

But Chen Pei persisted in looking at Zhao Hanzhang.

Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him warmly and said, “Since you’ve read ‘Mencius,’ you should have read the chapter ‘Gongsun Chou I,’ right?”

Chen Pei nodded.

Zhao Hanzhang said, “When you examine yourself and find you’re not upright, even facing a commoner in rough cloth, you won’t be intimidated. When you examine yourself and find you’re upright, you can face thousands or millions and still forge ahead.”

Tears filled Chen Pei’s eyes. He pressed his lips together, stepped back, and bowed deeply, “Your Excellency, this student wishes to borrow some of your courage and, like my father and brothers, live and die with Luoyang.”

The Chen senior lady cried out and grabbed his sleeve, “Pei’er!”

The Chen matriarch’s body went limp. She collapsed into the second lady’s arms, looking at this sole surviving grandson, unable to speak.

Zhao Hanzhang quickly stepped forward to help him up, loudly praising, “Excellent!”

She looked at him approvingly, “Tomorrow you go to the Imperial Academy. Since you’re still of studying age, study well. In a couple of years, Luoyang will be handed over to people like you. Luoyang must be protected by brave and intelligent people like you.”

The second lady, supporting the Chen matriarch, said excitedly, “Mother, did you hear? Pei’er can go study at the Imperial Academy.”

But the Chen matriarch didn’t feel particularly happy. Although going to the Imperial Academy meant good prospects, her grandson was clearly preparing to risk his life for Zhao Hanzhang.

She had two sons and six grandsons, and now only this one remained.

Tears streamed down the Chen matriarch’s face. She wanted to sit on the ground and slap her thighs while wailing. Zhao Hanzhang probably feared this too and quickly supported her, saying, “Old madam, please rest assured. I’ve asked Magistrate Zhao to reduce the sentence. You and the second lady should return home. Before long, the senior lady and the others can return home.”

Having said this, she helped them to the yamen entrance. Finding an excuse about busy governmental affairs, she quickly escaped.

Her figure had barely disappeared when the Chen matriarch’s earth-shaking cries erupted behind her, “My grandsons! You pursue your righteousness, but you leave this old woman to see her children die before her! I’ve buried your father and five of your brothers, and now only you remain—”

Chen Pei frantically tried to comfort his grandmother, “Grandmother, I’m just going to the Imperial Academy to study, not going to battle. Please rest assured, I’ll be safe.”

“Don’t think I can’t see through you—you just want to learn skills at the Imperial Academy and then go to war. If the barbarians attack again, you won’t not defend Luoyang, will you? That Zhao Hanzhang is just fattening you up before sending you out. I know, I know everything!”

“Grandmother, Governor Zhao isn’t much older than me. Even if I don’t have her courage to face thousands or millions and forge ahead, I can still inherit father and brothers’ legacy. That I can do.” Chen Pei knelt on the ground and said, “Grandmother, please let us stay and let your grandson attend the Imperial Academy. If one day I can die fighting for Luoyang, I’ll have no regrets in this life.”

The Chen matriarch looked at the determination on his face and finally hugged his head and wailed loudly.

Zhao Hanzhang had walked far away. Hearing the crying, she looked back, exhaled, and said to Ting He with a forced smile, “Good thing we ran fast.”

Ting He said, “My lady, if you’re unhappy, don’t force yourself to smile.”

Zhao Hanzhang stopped smiling and raised her eyes slightly toward the sky, preventing anyone from seeing the tears in her eyes. “If only one day I could make people in this world not have to struggle between loyalty and filial piety.”

Zhao Hanzhang sighed and said to Ting He, “Go back again and tell Zhao Kuan to give the Chen family a light sentence—no need to imprison them anymore.”

Ting He acknowledged and turned to leave.

The watching crowd silently observed the crying Chen matriarch. Though their hearts ached along with her, they didn’t leave. Instead, they stared intently at Zhao Kuan, wanting to see how he would judge. If the judgment didn’t suit them, they might very well join the Chen family in protest.

As for the Xiao family—better to forget about them.

Even the gossipy young man who had been shocked by Zhao Hanzhang’s identity suppressed his amazement and, like a tiger, stared at Zhao Kuan.

Zhao Kuan: …

Ting He walked back and whispered in Zhao Kuan’s ear. Zhao Kuan nodded, then cleared his throat and tapped the gavel, “The hour is late. The sooner this case is judged, the better.”

The Chen family now mostly consisted of the old, weak, women and children. Imprisonment would just torment them, and labor service wasn’t appropriate either. Originally, for not obeying Zhao Hanzhang’s established laws, to make an example of them, harsh judgment was warranted. But now…

Zhao Kuan still showed leniency, only fining them some silver. Once the fine was paid, they could leave.

The Xiao family wasn’t so lucky. Though the judgment was also lenient, besides the fine, household head Xiao Zhi and his two sons still had to perform one hundred days of labor service.

The father and three sons couldn’t even buy their way out of it.

As Zhao Kuan put it, “The Governor said that only by participating in building this city can you deeply love it. Master Xiao wanted to leave Luoyang, clearly not loving it deeply enough. So use these hundred days to cultivate feelings with it.”

Xiao Zhi: …