Chapter 46

Once a conflict erupts, it becomes much easier to handle.

Since Liu Yuan was not present, An Zheng could not take it upon himself to deal with Dong Yi, and could only place him under house arrest for the time being. As for the several hundred soldiers who had participated in the rebellion with him, they had first surrendered to Liu Yuan with Dong Yi, then followed him in opposing Liu Yuan. Now that Dong Yi's plot had failed, they naturally suffered the consequences. However, An Zheng felt that these several hundred men had merely been incited by Dong Yi and their crime did not warrant death. He couldn't bring himself to kill several hundred unresisting men in one go, so he could only write a letter and send it to Liu Yuan to ask for his opinion.

Half a month later, Guo Shu returned first with Liu Yuan's letter. The handling of the matter described in the letter was simple: Dong Yi, the chief culprit, was to be killed; the rest, who were coerced followers, were to be released.

Brought back along with Guo Shu was news of a great victory from the front lines.

From Guo Shu's account, An Zheng and the others learned that after Liu Yuan and his men had suffered a setback in Nan Commandery, they had immediately retreated to Hengshan Commandery. To create a false impression for the enemy, Liu Yuan exaggerated the arrow wound on his arm into a serious injury, concealing the truth even from those around him. Besides Xu Zhongfang, even Liu Nan believed his father was truly gravely injured and near death.

This ruse indeed deceived the Qin army. The enemy believed Liu Yuan's side was now leaderless and that it was the perfect opportunity to strike. They launched a major offensive on Zhu County, only to fall into an ambush halfway, suffering heavy losses. Liu Yuan seized the opportunity to pursue them, routing the Qin army in one fell swoop and taking Nan Commandery in the process.

Song Xie and the others had originally lied about a victory to calm the people's hearts. They never expected to hit the mark by chance, and to actually have Guo Shu return with a real report of victory. They were overjoyed, announcing it throughout the city. Every household hung up lanterns and decorations, preparing to welcome the army's return.

The third day of the second month was an auspicious day. On this day, the eagerly waiting people of Yangdi finally saw the return of their triumphant Governor Liu.

Before Liu Yuan had set out on his expedition, like with the battle for Yangdi, although most people hoped for his victory, they were not optimistic about his chances. They believed that this Governor Liu, who had no foundation and only eight thousand men, would have a hard time expanding. The best-case scenario would be to hold onto his current territory. Who could have predicted that Liu Yuan's performance would far exceed everyone's expectations? Not only did he achieve victory, but it was an irrefutably great one.

Hengshan and Nan Commandery were now under the jurisdiction of Yingchuan. The expansion of territory was one thing; more importantly, Liu Yuan no longer had to be cornered in Yingchuan Commandery, gaining much broader and more flexible strategic space for advance and retreat.

For the Liu family, this joy was magnified considerably.

Due to Liu Zhen's prior arrangements, the rest of the Liu family had not personally witnessed Dong Yi's menacing aggression, so their lingering fear was not as severe. It did not even compare to the terror of the night of the battle to defend Yangdi. Everyone's attention was focused on Liu Yuan's return.

To welcome Liu Yuan, Madam Zhang specially ordered a crimson robe to be made, and her hair was meticulously styled. Her appearance, originally plain, had been nourished by her days in Yangdi, giving her delicate skin and making her face appear younger. With three parts complexion and seven parts grooming, she looked much more beautiful than usual and had cultivated the dignified air of a matriarch.

After the news of Liu Yuan's great victory spread, the female relatives who visited the Governor's manor lavished Madam Zhang with flattery, hinting that Liu Yuan would soon proclaim himself emperor, and that she would become his empress. Naturally, Madam Zhang was delighted to hear this.

On the third day of the second month, Madam Zhang brought the children to wait at the city gates early in the morning.

Unlike Madam Zhang's eager expression, Liu Zhen, although somewhat excited, was far less engrossed in the activity at the city gate. She glanced around, observing the crowd's reaction while whispering to Guo Zhi.

"Look, almost half the city has come out to welcome Governor Liu!" Guo Zhi exclaimed, clicking his tongue.

"People love a spectacle. Even if a heinous criminal were being escorted into the city now, it would probably attract a huge crowd!" After saying this, Liu Zhen couldn't help but stick out her tongue, feeling that her words were a bit disrespectful to her father. She quickly changed the subject, pointing to a sign fluttering in the wind in the distance and asked, "Is that a new eatery? Why haven't I seen it before?"

Ever since Liu Yuan took control of Yangdi City, he had lowered commercial taxes and allowed the populace to rest. Merchants from all over flocked to the city, and commerce soon became several times more prosperous than before. All sorts of businesses filled the streets, and the number of eateries also increased.

At first, Liu Zhen had harbored the grand ambition to "eat at every eatery in all of Yangdi City," but she quickly gave up on this dream. One reason was that the skill of the cooks in the Governor's manor was already quite high. The second was that ever since she had single-handedly held off Dong Yi, Old Master Song, having recovered from his shock, would often summon her for lessons on scholarly matters. Furthermore, Liu Zhen herself had to attend classes with her younger brother Liu Jin under Meng Xing. With such a busy schedule, her time for leisure and fun was naturally greatly reduced.

Guo Zhi was chuckling at her analogy. Following her finger, he looked over and said with understanding, "That's Anleju. It just opened last month. The xiebing and suibing there are to die for. Their suibing is different from other places; it's specially made slightly thinner than an unrolled bamboo slip, fried to a perfect crisp. I buy some every time I pass by!"

In the words of a later era, Guo Zhi was a connoisseur of pleasure. When it came to matters of eating, drinking, and merrymaking, there was nothing he wasn't an expert on; he could practically be a local guide.

Liu Zhen hadn't eaten much for breakfast that morning, and her mouth immediately began to water upon hearing this.

Various types of pastries made from flour already existed at this time, though their preparation was quite different from the common pastries of later eras. Xiebing was generally made by mixing milk, either cow's or goat's, with flour and then pan-frying it to a golden brown. More particular households would even remove the gamy taste of the goat's milk before mixing the dough, resulting in a richer, more fragrant xiebing.

Suibing, on the other hand, was made with animal marrow, mixed with lard and honey into the flour. Liu Zhen wasn't very fond of suibing because, to ensure a longer shelf life, they were usually made quite thick and hard, with a gamy taste when bitten into. However, since this eatery had received such a strong recommendation from the gourmand Guo Zhi, its taste was bound to be excellent.

Seeing her expression, Guo Zhi laughed heartily and said, "Wait for me here!"

With that, he plunged into the crowd and vanished in an instant.

At this moment, a clamor and commotion arose from the crowd. Liu Zhen looked up and saw that the army had begun to enter the city.

The eight thousand soldiers Liu Yuan had taken to attack Hengshan Commandery were mostly brought back from Chen Commandery, with a small portion recruited locally. Thus, most of these soldiers were not from the area. After taking office, Liu Yuan, intending to win over their hearts, sent people to the addresses they provided to bring their families over to settle. In these chaotic times of wandering, life and death were uncertain, and many couldn't even state their home addresses clearly. In the end, fewer than one or two out of ten were able to be reunited with their families. But this act had already won the soldiers' devotion. Some simply married and had children in Yangdi. Song Xie had even drafted a set of temporary related laws for their relief. Over time, this army's loyalty and cohesion became quite strong.

Without these prior actions, upon returning victorious today, these soldiers, seeing the cheering city, might have felt vanity and a sense of accomplishment, but never a sense of belonging. But now, seeing their own relatives among the crowd, the feelings of satisfaction and excitement that arose were genuine and completely unfeigned.

Liu Yuan was not riding a horse; he was seated in a war chariot, surrounded by soldiers. As his figure appeared, roars of cheers erupted from the crowd. Such a fervent scene was perhaps only seen at the beginning of each year.

The army's chariots and horses rumbled past, followed at the very end by wagons loaded with the spoils of war. This included various supplies, as well as slaves being led by ropes.

Guo Zhi was extremely fast. In a short while, he pushed his way back through the crowd, carrying two large pieces of suibing. The suibing was wrapped in large leaves to keep it clean. When Liu Zhen took it, the suibing was still radiating heat, intensely fragrant. Even the people around them couldn't help but cast their gazes upon it. There was even a small child tugging at his mother's sleeve, staring at the pastry in Liu Zhen's hand and drooling.

Liu Zhen chuckled, broke off a large piece, and handed it to the child. She then took a big bite herself. It was just as Guo Zhi had said: the improved suibing was incredibly thin and crispy, sprinkled with white sesame seeds and green onions. Being freshly made, it had none of that tooth-jarring hardness. The crisp and flaky texture flowed between her teeth and cheeks, filling her mouth with the fragrance of flour.

Before she could give Guo Zhi a look of appreciation, she heard Madam Zhang exclaim, "Who is that!"

Liu Zhen followed her gaze and saw, mixed among the spoils of war and slaves—of course, to the people of that time, slaves were also a type of spoils, but Liu Zhen subconsciously did not classify them as such—were two more horse-drawn carriages, carrying not goods, but people.

On one carriage sat three or four young maidens; on the other was a young woman, her arm around a three- or four-year-old boy. The people in both carriages looked terrified and uneasy.

Their attire was not glamorous, but it was clearly not as drab and wretched as that of the other slaves. From their clothing, everyone vaguely guessed their identity, but until a definitive answer was given, no one would be foolish enough to provoke Madam Zhang.

Until Liu Yuan led them into the Governor's manor.

"Concubines?!"

Ignoring the soup that splashed onto her hand, Madam Zhang's raised voice betrayed her inner turmoil.

Liu Yuan nodded, not treating it as a big deal. "Just find a place to settle them as you see fit."

After a moment, as if remembering something, he added, "The son with Madam Tao is named Song Hong. From now on, he will attend classes with Ah Jin. You must treat him well."

Wait, that sentence contained a lot of information!

This time, it wasn't just Madam Zhang; even Liu Zhen and Liu Wan, who had been engrossed in their food, couldn't help but look up.

Being stared at so intently by several pairs of eyes, even Liu Yuan couldn't help but explain a little more: "Song Liu was the Governor of Nanyang Commandery and an ally in my rebel army. I had intended to contact Song Liu, but he had already taken the initiative to attack Wu Pass and was later killed in battle. His family fled from Nanyang Commandery. Madam Tao is one of his concubines, and Song Hong is Song Liu's son."

Liu Zhen's mouth twitched. So her father had not only taken in the man's concubine but his son as well. Such capacity... tsk tsk!

It took Madam Zhang a long while to react as well.

Alright, in this era, it was very common for women to remarry, and as a concubine rather than a principal wife, one had even more freedom. It was not unheard of for them to bring children along. Hearing the origin of this Madam Tao, Madam Zhang felt that Liu Yuan was acting more out of consideration for a comrade's son. Her hostility towards Madam Tao dropped to a minimum, and she then focused her attention on the other young concubines.

After lunch, when the children had dispersed, Madam Zhang couldn't wait to ask, "So the other few are also Song Liu's concubines?"

Liu Yuan coughed lightly. "...Some were gifts from others."

Madam Zhang said resentfully, in a fit of pique, "The Governor's manor backyard is already housing two of my husband's concubines. How am I supposed to arrange for so many new people at once!"

Liu Yuan said nonchalantly, "Just arrange them as you see fit."

Campaigning was, after all, not as comfortable as being at home. Liu Yuan ate to his heart's content, then stretched his back, and contentedly shifted his sitting position. However, he still didn't forget to placate his wife.

"You've worked hard during my absence. It is thanks to you that everything in the mansion is in good order." He then added meaningfully, "If I am ever blessed with wealth and status, I will not forget my wife."

Madam Zhang failed to catch his underlying meaning. Her good mood had been completely ruined by those few concubines. Hearing Liu Yuan mention her hard work, and then thinking of herself waiting in the mansion while he was at the front, surrounded by women, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

"If my husband hadn't said so, I would have thought he was going to divorce me!" Madam Zhang sneered.

Liu Yuan was a coarse man and knew nothing of the concept that "when a woman acts petulant with you, it's when she needs you to coax her." Towards his wife, who was no different to him than his own hands, he couldn't stir up any tender, protective feelings.

In truth, Madam Zhang was just complaining. If Liu Yuan had been a little more patient and coaxed her with a few more words, the storm would likely have passed. But Liu Yuan was also quite displeased. Why should I, after coming back from fighting for my life, have to listen to your cold and sarcastic words? Am I not fighting for this family? Have you not enjoyed the benefits of glory and wealth? And now you're throwing a fit over one or two concubines?

So his face darkened as well, and he said coldly, "I have already heard from my second brother. When Dong Yi came to force his way into the mansion, it was Ah Zhen who subdued him single-handedly. At that time, as the matriarch of the house, where were you? Are you truly less capable than a ten-year-old child?"

Madam Zhang said, aggrieved, "I had to look after Ah Jin and the others then, how could I have the spare energy to deal with the scoundrel Dong! Besides, I am but a woman. What could I have done if I went? Wouldn't I just have been taken hostage by Dong Yi for no reason!"

"Then how did Ah Zhen have such courage?" Liu Yuan huffed. "You should reflect on yourself properly!"

With this disturbance, his mood was ruined. He stood up and walked out without a second glance.

Madam Zhang watched with wide eyes as her husband strode away, a mixture of astonishment and shock leaving her unable to react. She couldn't understand why a perfectly fine conversation between husband and wife would end up in such an unhappy quarrel.

Thinking again of the concubines brought into the mansion that day, among whom were some young beauties whose looks made even her feel inadequate, Madam Zhang began to worry about her position.

Madam Zhang was well aware that she was of humble birth, not the daughter of some prestigious family, and she had no powerful clan to support her. As Liu Yuan's status rose, there would surely be more and more concubines around him, while she would only get older, her looks fading. Would there come a day when she would truly be cast aside and divorced?

The more she thought, the more she feared.

"Elder Sister, you are truly worrying too much," said her third younger sister, who was married to the Yangdi County Magistrate, Wu Yu.

The other members of the Zhang family were not in Yangdi, so now only this third sister could visit regularly. The day after her argument with Liu Yuan, Madam Zhang had hastily summoned Madam Wu for comfort.

Madam Zhang sighed, "You don't know. Last night, after your brother-in-law argued with me, he went to Madam Tao's quarters. I heard from the servants who were brought back that this Madam Tao, though plain in appearance, has used some unknown means to win over your brother-in-law. In Nan Commandery, your brother-in-law already doted on her exclusively, even deciding to raise her son. I pitied her situation before, but now it seems that Madam Tao is not so simple!"

Madam Wu said calmly, "Elder Sister, you are overthinking things. You manage the household for the Liu family and have borne his children; your contributions are immense. Putting everything else aside, just look at the five Liu children—three of them are from you. Back when your brother-in-law was down on his luck, it was you who used your dowry and assets to help the family through hard times. All these contributions, let alone others, even your brother-in-law will not forget. A concubine is ultimately just a concubine. Besides, be it Madam Tao or some nobody, they are also of humble birth. With your brother-in-law's current status, if he were to divorce you to make one of them his principal wife, wouldn't that make him even more of a laughingstock?"

Madam Zhang hesitated, "What if your brother-in-law meets someone of better birth...?"

Madam Wu was a bit speechless at her sister's insecure and fretful state of mind. If you're that concerned, then pull yourself together and drive all those concubines out of the mansion. Wouldn't that be much better than being so timid and fearful?

However, it turned out that Madam Zhang's worries were not unfounded this time.

Ever since Madam Tao arrived at the Governor's manor, anyone with eyes could see the high regard Liu Yuan held for her.

It was truly a miraculous thing.

Whether in the eyes of Madam Zhang, Liu Zhen, or anyone else, Madam Tao possessed no bewitching wiles. She was not stunningly beautiful, at best described as gentle and pretty, but she was completely incomparable to the other concubines in the mansion. At most, she was a slight improvement on Madam Zhang, not to mention she came with a son from another man.

Yet it was a person like this who managed to gain Liu Yuan's affection and esteem. This could only be described as a miracle.

After that first fleeting glimpse, the second time Liu Zhen saw Madam Tao was at a family banquet. Liu Yuan allowed her to make an appearance and solemnly introduced her to the Liu family.

Madam Tao, leading Song Hong, bowed to Madam Zhang. She showed no hint of the arrogance or allure of a favored woman. Of course, with her looks, she couldn't be alluring even if she tried.

Prior to this, Song Hong had already been attending classes with Liu Zhen and Liu Jin for several days. Liu Zhen's impression of him could be summed up in three words: smart, extremely smart.