This news was like a bolt from the blue, stunning everyone in the Liu family.

Madam Zhang's vision went black, and her body went limp as she fell to the side. Fortunately, Liu Zhen and Liu Nan were quick-eyed and deft-handed, and they hurriedly helped her sit down.

The situation was critical. Liu Yuan couldn't spare a thought for her, his brows furrowed as he tried to come up with a plan.

Liu Zhen's head was buzzing, her heart pounding in her chest. For a moment, she too found it hard to come up with a good plan.

“Father, flee quickly!” she said.

Liu Yuan looked down at her.

“Father, while there’s still time, you must go now!” Liu Zhen composed herself and repeated, “Mother and the rest of us can hide in the mountains for a while. We’ll come back when things have blown over!”

An Zheng came to his senses and also said, “Eldest Brother, Ah Zhen is right, you must leave quickly!”

Liu Nan also chimed in, “That's right, Father, you should go! I'll take care of Mother and my younger sisters, you don't have to worry!”

Seeing Liu Yuan still hesitating, Liu Zhen added a strong dose of reality: “Father, only if you are safe and sound can we be safe and sound. If something happens to you, the Liu family will be nothing but a widow and orphans, destined to be bullied at every turn!”

An Zheng stamped his foot, urging, “Eldest Brother, what are you still hesitating for!”

Liu Yuan finally made up his mind. He nodded, “Second Brother, go find Third Brother and have him help settle your sister-in-law and the others. I’ll leave right now!”

An Zheng said, “There are rebels in the southeast, and the Qin army is on its way to suppress them. It's far too dangerous. To the west is Guanzhong, where the court's defenses are even tighter, making it a difficult path as well. Eldest Brother, if you must flee, why not head northwest!”

Liu Yuan nodded, “Don’t worry, I have a plan. Before I leave, I must go release all the prisoners from the county jail!”

An Zheng was taken aback. “Why would you do that?”

Liu Yuan: “The more people who flee, the more it will divert the attention of our pursuers!”

An Zheng understood at once. Overjoyed, he said, “An excellent plan! I will go with you, Eldest Brother!”

Liu Yuan: “You mustn't! You have a bright future, how can you let me drag you down…”

“Eldest Brother!” An Zheng interrupted him. “We three brothers have long sworn to share weal and woe. By coming to warn you, I have already committed a grave offense. It's better to go all the way. If I go with you, we can look out for each other on the road! Eldest Brother, don’t be indecisive like a woman. There's no time to lose, let's go quickly!”

Liu Yuan frowned. “Your family…”

An Zheng: “Madam He took the children to visit her parents a few days ago, so she happens to be away. They won't be in any trouble for a while. I’ll just have Third Brother go inform them later!”

Liu Yuan and An Zheng left in a hurry. To avoid alerting the neighbors, they didn't even dare light a lantern. The two figures quickly disappeared into the night.

Madam Zhang held her forehead, still not having recovered from the shock.

“Mother, we need to pack our things quickly!”

Liu Zhen told Liu Nan to wake their younger siblings, while saying to Madam Zhang.

“…Your father is going to be thrown in jail. What are we to do?” Madam Zhang murmured, her expression lost.

Liu Zhen laughed in exasperation. “Mother, are you planning to waste time here and wait for the bailiffs to come and arrest us before we run?”

Her slightly raised voice jolted Madam Zhang, bringing her to her senses a little.

Just then, Liu Nan came out with their younger siblings. Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang, having been forcibly woken up without knowing what was happening, looked sleep-deprived. Liu Zhuang rubbed her eyes, looking confused and wronged.

In his arms, Liu Nan held Liu Jin, who was still sound asleep.

“With Father's resourcefulness, now that he has escaped, he will certainly find a way to protect himself. Mother, you don't need to worry too much. For now, we just need to leave before the bailiffs arrive.” After her calm analysis, Liu Zhen assigned tasks: “Mother, you hold Liu Jin tightly. Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang also need you to look after them! Elder Brother, you and I will pack our belongings. Don't take too much, just some clothes to change into.”

Madam Zhang had lost her composure in the face of the crisis, but after hearing Liu Zhen's words, she gradually came around. Although she still looked a bit weak, she had at least calmed down.

“You two go pack first. Ah Zhen, remember to bring some cooking utensils, just the simple ones will do. In a quarter of an hour, if your Third Uncle isn't here, we'll leave first. It's better to take refuge at my parents' home for a night and then decide what to do tomorrow.”

Seeing that she was able to think calmly again, Liu Zhen finally felt relieved. “Don't worry, Mother, I understand.”

Liu Zhen was in charge of packing food. She took very simple things: a pot, a small bag of millet, and a small bag of salt. She didn't bring any cured meat or the like. Then, she strenuously dragged over an axe, preparing to give it to Liu Nan to carry.

Liu Nan was also quick to pack the clothes. He barely looked as he swept all the clothes they could take into a bundle. Fortunately, the Liu family was not wealthy, and each person only had two or three changes of clothes. Even so, it filled a large bundle, a sight that nearly made Liu Zhen cough up blood.

“Elder Brother, I wanted you to carry the axe too! Who do you expect to carry such a large bundle!”

“I’ll carry it. Do you think I can't?” Liu Nan snatched the axe and pot from her hands. The thirteen-year-old boy was nearly 1.7 meters tall. Measured by ancient units, he wasn't yet a seven-chi man, but for a boy his age, his development was already quite good. It was well known that boys generally developed later; even Ji Ci was only a little over 1.6 meters tall now.

Just as they had finished packing, Xu Zhongfang arrived.

He was an impetuous and efficient man. Without much idle chatter with Liu Zhen and the others, he took the things from Liu Zhen's hands and led them straight out the door.

The path was difficult to walk at night. Xu Zhongfang carried their things, and knowing he was leading women and children, he had already slowed his pace as much as possible. Even so, only Liu Nan, who was carrying a heavy load, could barely keep up.

The ground underfoot was uneven, making it easy to trip and stumble. Liu Zhen accidentally kicked a rock with her toe, a piercing pain shooting through it, and she couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

“Get on, I'll carry you!” Xu Zhongfang said.

“No need, I can still manage. Uncle, please carry Liu Zhuang!” Liu Zhen turned to look at her youngest sister and frowned.

Madam Zhang was holding a child in her arms and could only lead Liu Wan by the hand, leaving Liu Zhuang to hold her older sister's hand. As the youngest, she had no idea what was happening. Being woken up in the middle of the night and forced to travel, she was already at her limit. Any more and she would likely burst into tears.

In this dead silence, crying could easily attract attention, be it from pursuers or wild beasts in the forest.

Xu Zhongfang had a rough personality, but he was not a fool. He immediately understood Liu Zhen's meaning. He squatted down and said to Liu Zhen, “Put Liu Zhuang on my back!”

Without the smallest burden, the group's pace clearly quickened a little.

“Uncle, did you run into my father?” Liu Zhen asked in a low voice.

“I did. They should be out of Xiang Town by now. That Xiao Qi probably hasn't even reached your house yet, let alone caught up with them!”

“Uncle, where are we going now?” Liu Nan asked.

“There's a hut nearby that hunters used to stay in overnight. It’s deserted now, and few people go there. You can make do there for one night. I'll bring you some bedding tomorrow.”

The mountain path was difficult, and the darkness of night further reduced visibility. Relying only on the faint light of a single lantern, even Madam Zhang found it arduous. Liu Wan could no longer hold back her tears and began to cry out. Liu Zhen quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, coaxing and persuading until her sobs subsided into quiet whimpers, preventing them from turning into loud wails.

Madam Zhang hugged Liu Jin tighter and quickened her pace. She felt as if her heart, like the trees in the dead of winter, had frozen into ice. The high spirits of the past few days felt incredibly ironic in comparison to their current plight.

The mountain bordering Xiang Town was not steep, but it still took the two adults and five children nearly two hours of stumbling along to finally reach the small hut Xu Zhongfang had mentioned.

A deserted hut was, of course, not suitable for living. To say nothing of the pests like snakes and insects, the hemp paper on the windows was tattered and torn. The cold wind howled in from outside, making it feel even colder than standing outdoors.

Liu Zhen was glad she had wrapped herself in thick enough clothes before leaving. Having just walked for so long, she was covered in a layer of sweat and didn't feel the cold for the moment. Seeing Xu Zhongfang and Liu Nan busy cleaning up, she also started to help clear the dust in the hut.

Madam Zhang stood for a moment, and seeing that even Liu Zhen was working, she felt a bit sheepish. She finally pulled herself out of her self-pitying mood, settled Liu Jin on the cleaned bed platform, told Liu Wan to watch her younger siblings, and then hurriedly began to help clean.

Madam Zhang was a diligent worker, well-accustomed to housework. Moreover, she was more meticulous than the men. With her joining in, the pace of the cleaning more than doubled.

Two hours later, the hut was finally barely habitable. The bed platform was originally just wooden planks, hard and wobbly. Xu Zhongfang reinforced it, and Madam Zhang spread straw over it, followed by clothes. It was enough for the female members to make do for a night. As for Liu Nan, he would naturally sleep on the floor.

The holes in the window were temporarily blocked with wooden planks, and a fire was lit in the room, which instantly warmed it up considerably.

Xu Zhongfang wiped the sweat from his brow and said to Madam Zhang, “Sister-in-law, this place is very crude. I'll bring some bedding tomorrow. You'll have to make do for tonight. Also, this is a forest, after all. There might be wild beasts roaming about. After I leave, remember to shut the door and windows tightly. Don't go out at night unless you have to!”

Madam Zhang said gratefully, “We’ve really troubled you, Uncle. If not for you, we wouldn't know what to do!”

Xu Zhongfang: “Sister-in-law, don't say such formal things. Eldest Brother is like a real brother to me. This is what I ought to do! I'll be leaving first to check on the situation. I'll come see you again tomorrow!”

After seeing Xu Zhongfang off, Liu Nan moved a low cabinet from against the wall to block the door firmly. Madam Zhang took out all the clothes, picked out some thick ones, and placed them under the children for them to sleep on.

Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang were already exhausted and had fallen asleep, their little heads nestled together, their sleeping faces showing an innocence unaware of the world's troubles.

Madam Zhang let out a long sigh and asked Liu Nan and Liu Zhen, “Do you think… your father, will he be able to escape?”

In truth, Liu Nan's heart was also filled with anxiety. He subconsciously looked toward Liu Zhen.

Why are you looking at me? How would I know?

Liu Zhen was too tired to retort mentally. Her father's name was Liu Yuan, not Liu Bang. That Liu Bang fellow had practically delivered himself to Xiang Yu to be killed, yet still managed to escape unscathed. Not everyone possessed that kind of heaven-defying plot armor.

But that was just her inner thought. Out loud, she had to say, “Father is resourceful in a crisis. Didn't he release a batch of prisoners before he left? With those people creating a diversion, it won't be easy for the pursuers to catch them. Besides, he has Uncle An with him!”

Madam Zhang nodded absentmindedly and sighed. “I told your father before that it would be better not to take that position of County Commandant, but he wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened. If I had known this would happen, I should have opposed it more firmly back then!”

Liu Zhen was exhausted. She had no energy to think about anything else. Warmed by the fire, she was already drowsy. Madam Zhang's voice grew more and more distant, finally fading into a blur.

The next day, before the sky had fully brightened, Xu Zhongfang arrived. He carried a large bundle of bedding on his back and some cured meat in his hand, and he brought the news the Liu family was desperate to hear.

“Last night, Xiao Qi took his men to your house, but he didn't find anyone. He sent men after Eldest Brother, but they didn't catch him either. Seeing that beast fly into a rage from humiliation was so satisfying, haha! But Sister-in-law, it's best you don't leave this forest for a while. If you need anything, I'll bring it to you. After some time, when things have calmed down, there might be a turn for the better.”

Madam Zhang nodded repeatedly. “Uncle, I'd like to trouble you to go to my parents' home and tell them what has happened. My father is a merchant, and his house has a cellar that is very spacious and well-ventilated. If my father is willing to take us in, hiding there for a while would be much better than enduring the cold wind in this forest.”

Xu Zhongfang said, “Don't worry, Sister-in-law. You can leave this matter to me.”

He exchanged a few more words with Liu Zhen and the others, then Liu Zhen and Liu Nan walked him out.

“Uncle Xu, Uncle An left with Father, but his family is still in Xiang Town. We'll have to trouble you to look after Uncle An's family,” Liu Zhen said.

“Don't you worry. I'll go send a message to Second Sister-in-law when I get back and tell them to stay at her parents' home for a while longer and not to rush back.” Xu Zhongfang ruffled Liu Zhen's and Liu Nan's hair. “You're both good children. With Eldest Brother gone, you'll have to suffer. Just endure it for a while longer. I don't think that beast from the Xiao family will be able to run free for much longer!”

“Uncle, I heard Father say that when you were in the army, you were famous for your archery skills?” Liu Zhen suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.

Xu Zhongfang said, surprised, “I was. So what?”

Liu Zhen smiled, pressing her lips together, and pointed at Liu Nan. “Then I'd like to ask Uncle to teach his archery skills to my elder brother. That way, Uncle won't have to bring us meat anymore!”