As the group neared the northern territories, the Lu family grew more and more anxious each day, fearing that their ancestor might abandon them.
Among them, Lu Xingyao was the most frantic. Every day, he would hover around his grandfather, Lu Qing, trying to find out whether the ancestor had returned.
Lu Qing, already weary from the journey due to his old age, was mentally and physically exhausted. At night, he only wanted some peace and quiet to rest, but his grandson’s constant muttering was driving him mad. Eventually, even Lu Qing started to worry about the situation.
Although the ancestor had mentioned that she would be busy for a while, no one had expected her to be absent for half a month. This prolonged absence had left Lu Qing feeling uneasy. He began to wonder if their frequent reliance on the ancestor had caused some trouble.
However, he dared not voice these concerns aloud, for fear of offending the ancestor.
During this half month, not only had the ancestor been infrequent in her visits, but a more pressing issue arose: Prince Su, who commanded 50,000 border troops, had rebelled. Claiming to overthrow the corrupt emperor, Prince Su had rapidly taken over several cities, which offered little resistance. Some cities, like the wealthy Liao County, had even surrendered voluntarily.
The war had broken out, and citizens were being displaced. To make matters worse, natural disasters plagued various regions, and opportunistic merchants were profiting from the chaos by hiking up food prices. Many citizens couldn’t even afford a full meal.
In the exile group, everyone was on edge, especially the guards. With the group nearing the northern territories, no one knew if they would ever return to the capital.
The army under Prince Su was well-trained and disciplined. Whether they chose to side with Prince Su or remain loyal to the Emperor, either choice seemed like a death sentence. Some guards even considered staying in the north until the conflict settled, as survival was their main concern.
Because of this, the group no longer rushed on their journey. With the capital in turmoil, no one seemed to care about exiled prisoners anymore.
What troubled Lu Qing the most was the fear that Prince Su might take the southern army with him, leaving the southern borders undefended. If foreign enemies took advantage of the situation and invaded, the Jin Dynasty might not have the strength to fend them off, and the south could fall.
Despite his growing anxieties, Lu Qing found no solution to the problems weighing on him.
Noticing his grandfather’s somber mood, Lu Xingyao stopped pestering him.
With the group now taking their time, they often rested as soon as the sun began to set. The exiles, once consumed with thoughts of their former glory in the capital, had now come to realize that the northern territories might be the safest place in the current chaos.
Madam Xu and Madam Song, however, were still deeply worried about their families in the capital. They feared that when Prince Su’s army inevitably breached the capital gates, their loved ones would be in grave danger.
Their anxiety had taken its toll—they had both lost weight over the past few days.
Liu Xiangbai shared their concerns. He was also worried about his wife and daughter back in the capital. At one point, he even considered sneaking back to the capital, but seeing how committed Lu Qing and Princess Shunyu were to their plan, he held back.
Oddly enough, the exiles and the guards had become more amicable during this time. They would even try to catch fish from nearby streams to roast together when they had the chance.
In private, Du Hangwu had asked the other guards about their plans. When he learned that they were all planning to stay in the north, he felt relieved.
Lu Qing knew that his two daughters-in-law, as well as many in the clan, were preoccupied with worries about their families in the capital. After two days of deliberation, he decided it was time to make some arrangements. He summoned his sons and told them to gather the family.
Before night had fully fallen and while fish still roasted over the campfire, the Lu clan gathered around the old man.
Lu Qing looked at his family, speaking in a low, steady voice. “You’ve likely heard the news along the way about what’s been happening.”
The clan remained silent, attentively watching the old man.
“I know many of you are worried about your loved ones in the capital. Now that the war has begun, it’s highly likely that the capital will fall. When that happens, your families might not be safe…”
At his words, the clan members tensed up, hearts heavy with fear.
“The northern territories are harsh, but the northern army hasn’t been redeployed. If you stay far from the conflict, you can survive. If any of you wish, you may write letters to your families and have someone deliver them by fast horse. Invite your loved ones to leave the capital and take the roads to the north. That way, your family can be reunited.”
The clan exchanged uncertain glances. “But what about Prince Su’s troops along the way…?”
If they encountered his forces, what would happen?
Even Lu Qing’s sons looked to him with concern. Lu Zhou and Lu Yang were worried, while Lu Xingyan recalled the conversation his father had had with Prince Su back in Ji County.
It seemed that even then, Lu Qing had anticipated this turn of events.
On the surface, it appeared as though Lu Qing was trying to protect his family from the emperor’s wrath by having them flee the capital. But in reality, he was ensuring that Prince Su couldn’t use them as leverage against the Lu family if he succeeded in his rebellion.
Lu Qing spoke in a firm voice, “You needn’t worry about Prince Su’s troops. They will escort your families along the way.”
Everyone, including Liu Xiangbai, was stunned. Had Lu Qing aligned himself with Prince Su?
Meanwhile, Gu Xingzhao had been reviewing her profits from the past two weeks, feeling quite pleased with herself. She politely declined Xu Shisan’s invitation to celebrate over a big meal and instead treated herself to a feast of boxed meals and a carton of apples at home.
It had been half a month since she’d last checked on the Lu family, and she wondered how Lu Qing and the others were faring.
With things at the supermarket now running smoothly, Gu Xingzhao finally had some free time. She packed up her meals and fruit and returned to the ancient world.
Just as she arrived, she caught the tail end of Lu Qing’s speech and was bewildered. What had she missed in these past two weeks? Why was Prince Su’s army offering protection?
Lu Qing had given the family some time to think, but the decision needed to be made within the next day or two.
Setting her boxed meals aside for now, Gu Xingzhao asked, “Lu Qing, what’s going on? What happened?”
The familiar voice of the ancestor after such a long absence almost brought tears to Lu Qing’s eyes. “Ancestor, you’ve come!”
It was like a helpless child finding a dependable elder. The anxiety in his heart instantly eased.
It wasn’t just the clan members who feared being abandoned by the ancestor.
The family looked to Lu Qing as their pillar of strength. As long as he was there, the Lu family wouldn’t fall apart. No matter what happened, he couldn’t show fear as the head of the household.
But no one knew that Lu Qing was also afraid.
The ancestor had saved his life in times of peril and had repeatedly helped him. Unknowingly, he had come to see the ancestor as his anchor.
Although he knew he couldn’t rely on her forever, the current circumstances were dire. Only with her help had he dared to make future plans. Without her…
He couldn’t imagine what life would be like.
Unaware that she had become Lu Qing’s lifeline, Gu Xingzhao noticed how emotional he looked and assumed something significant had happened.
Looking around, she noticed that everything seemed fine. They were even roasting fish.
Lu Qing began explaining everything that had occurred over the past two weeks.
But as he spoke, Gu Xingzhao’s attention was drawn to the delicious smell of roasting fish. She licked her lips, wondering if she could snag a piece later…
Then it hit her—she still had a stash of barbecue spices back in her kitchen!
Nothing was more important than food. Without another word, she rushed back to the modern world, stuffing her bags with every barbecue seasoning she could find. She also grabbed a variety of meatballs and other grill-friendly items from her fridge, along with some bottles of cocktails and drinks.
Meanwhile, Lu Qing continued, sharing the hardships the people were facing. He sighed heavily, “These matters shouldn’t trouble you…”
When he received no response, he paused, confused. “Ancestor? Are you still listening?”
“Ancestor?”
“…???”
Had she left?
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