Although he was now the Governor of Yingchuan Commandery, Liu Yuan still put on no airs in private. He just grinned and asked in return, "Third Brother, what do you think is improper?"

"Of course it's improper!" Xu Zhongfang was frank and outspoken, thinking only of his eldest brother's interests, and didn't notice any problem with his tone. "Eldest Brother, whether it's this County Magistrate of Changshe County or the other county magistrates within Yingchuan Commandery, they are all Qin officials. How can they wholeheartedly serve your interests? They are only latching onto you now because they see your sudden rise to wealth and power!"

Liu Yuan smiled. "You have a point, but I've just arrived in Yingchuan and am unfamiliar with many things. I can only rely on these people to keep Yingchuan from falling into chaos. Look at the King of Zhangchu. He removed all the Qin officials in Chen Commandery and replaced them with his own men. And what's the situation now? Never mind the power struggle between Wu Guang and Tian Zang, even Chen Sheng's own subordinates are hardly at peace. I think they'll fall into disarray on their own long before the Qin army is destroyed!"

Previously, Liu Yuan had also thought that once he reached Yingchuan, he would be the boss and could do whatever he pleased. The best thing would be to replace all the officials in Yingchuan, big and small, with his own people. Not only would they be trustworthy, but he could also use these official posts as rewards for those loyal to him.

This was basically the thinking of all newly rich.

But the situation in Chen Commandery taught Liu Yuan a profound lesson. It gave him a thorough look at the ugly faces of a group of uncultured boors after they leaped from the bottom rungs of society to become the ruling class. The power struggles were one thing, but they also lacked foresight. The rebel army had only just occupied Chen Commandery and its surrounding territories, not even having taken Hangu Pass, yet everyone was already discussing how to divide the spoils after conquering the world.

Liu Yuan himself was not well-read, and his level of education was not much higher than that of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's group. But his advantage was that he had a relatively clear head. He knew that if things continued this way, the entire rebel force would surely fall apart. At that point, forget about fighting their way to Xianyang; they would probably have trouble just holding onto the territory they already had.

That's why he had come up with the idea of attacking Yingchuan Commandery.

In any case, Yingchuan was situated at a transportation hub, with the Ying, Ru, and Yu rivers running through it, making it a relatively prosperous place. Moreover, it was Liu Yuan's hometown, giving him the advantages of favorable timing, geographical convenience, and popular support.

Wu Guang and the others probably never expected Yingchuan Commandery to be so easy to take; otherwise, they wouldn't have let Liu Yuan have it so cheaply. Now that this prize was in his hands, it would be impossible for anyone to snatch it away from him. Liu Yuan himself planned to defend this territory and manage it well. As for places like Xingyang, Hangu Pass, and Xianyang, those who wanted to fight for them could go ahead. As long as he could firmly hold Yingchuan Commandery, even if the King of Zhangchu conquered the world in the future, he would be guaranteed a position as a feudal lord. And if the rebellion ultimately failed, he would have the means to secure his life and livelihood.

Xu Zhongfang was likely not aware of these circumstances, nor could he have thought so deeply about them all at once. So, Liu Yuan didn't tell him too much, only briefly mentioning his reasons to put his Third Brother at ease.

Seeing that his brother already had a plan, Xu Zhongfang no longer insisted and changed the subject. "Eldest Brother, in the year you were away, Sister-in-law and the children lived a very hard life in the mountains. My family is not well-off, so I couldn't help them often. Fortunately, Sister-in-law's family would occasionally send some grain over; otherwise, things might have been even more difficult."

Liu Yuan asked in surprise, "The Zhang family?"

Xu Zhongfang replied, "Exactly. Although the Zhang family was intimidated by the situation and didn't dare to take in Sister-in-law and the others, they did send grain, fulfilling their duty as relatives. In comparison, the Liu family... sigh. Eldest Brother, don't blame me for being blunt, but I think the Liu family's grandfather and elder brother went too far!"

If not for the fact that Liu Xin and Liu Chi were still Liu Yuan's blood relatives, Xu Zhongfang wouldn't even have been willing to call them that.

Hearing this, Liu Zhen, who was standing outside the door, could no longer hold back. She poked her head in and chimed, "Uncle is absolutely right!"

The two men in the room looked outside in unison. Liu Yuan chided with a laugh, "You little girl, how rude, eavesdropping outside. Get in here!"

Xu Zhongfang, on the other hand, said, "Oh my, Ah Zhen looks so lovely all dressed up. She's more than a match for the Ji Family. That young master of the Ji Family certainly has good taste!"

"What about the young master of the Ji Family?" Liu Yuan asked curiously.

This Third Uncle really has no filter! Liu Zhen wanted to roll her eyes,

"Third Uncle!"

"Alright, alright, I won't say it, I won't say it!" Xu Zhongfang pleaded for mercy, but his actions only made things more suspicious.

With his powerful imagination, Liu Yuan immediately guessed seventy or eighty percent of the situation. He said with a grin, "Could it be that the young master of the Ji Family admires our Ah Zhen and wants to ask for her hand in marriage?"

"Father, don't joke about this!" Liu Zhen was definitely not shy; the problem was she was only nine years old!

What did being nine years old mean in a later era? Not even finished with primary school! Although Liu Zhen had vaguely sensed Ji Ci's affection for her and had even thought that if she had to get married in a few years, it was better to marry someone she knew than a stranger—especially since Ji Ci had a good character and sound values, making him a decent choice—she didn't think now was the time to discuss such things.

"Alright, alright, no more joking, no more joking!" Liu Yuan also thought she was just being shy and waved her over with a smile. "Come and sit. How much did you hear just now?"

Seeing that her father didn't mind her eavesdropping, Liu Zhen grinned and said, "I heard pretty much everything. Father, you really should strengthen your guards. Otherwise, if I had malicious intentions, I'd probably be reporting everything I heard to that King of Zhangchu right now!"

Seeing his daughter turn the tables and lecture him, Liu Yuan tapped her forehead firmly. "I have my personal guards stationed inside and out. If they hadn't already identified you, how could they have allowed you to eavesdrop like that! What, did you understand everything your uncle and I were just talking about?"

She was nine years old now, and had endured the hardships of the outdoors for a full year. It was time she acted more maturely; there was no need to keep playing cute and dumb. So, Liu Zhen nodded. "Yes, I think everything Father said just now was correct. The Qin army is strong; it's impossible to defeat them completely in a short time."

Liu Yuan was no longer surprised by his daughter's precociousness. Hearing her words, he teased, "Then what do you think Father should do?"

Liu Zhen said, word by word, "Defend Yingchuan, manage it well, wait for the right moment, and perhaps form an alliance."

Liu Yuan looked at his daughter, thoroughly startled.

It was normal for Xu Zhongfang not to see it, as he hadn't experienced the turmoil of the past year. His perspective was still limited to the scattered news he had heard, unlike Liu Yuan and An Zheng.

But Liu Zhen, a mere child, had seen it.

She had completely voiced Liu Yuan's intentions.

Liu Yuan: "This alliance you speak of, what do you mean?"

Liu Zhen: "Based on what Father said, the men under the King of Zhangchu all have their own agendas. Father is surely not the only one who thinks this way. Father might as well wait for an opportunity to form an alliance with others like him. Then, if the King of Zhangchu is defeated, the Qin army will certainly try to pick off the rebel forces one by one, and we won't be left isolated and helpless."

For a little girl who had never been out in the world to be able to say so much was already quite remarkable. Liu Yuan patted her hair in praise. "You don't need to trouble yourself with these matters. Now that Father is the Governor of Yingchuan Commandery, it's time for all of you to live a few good, carefree days. The clothes you couldn't wear and the food you couldn't eat before, you can make up for it all now!"

Dad, I have a strong sense of crisis, you know. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang are about to fail. When that happens, the rebel army will splinter, and Xiang Yu and Liu Bang will rise to prominence. If you're not careful now, you'll end up as cannon fodder in the future!

Liu Zhen complained internally, but she also knew this matter wasn't urgent. This was still someone else's territory, so she couldn't say anything too deep. She would have to wait until they reached Yangdi, then find a time to have a proper private talk with her father and get a clear grasp of his thoughts.

So Liu Zhen nodded obediently and gave Liu Yuan a sweet smile like a real nine-year-old child. "Father, this dress is beautiful, I like it very much. When we get to Yangdi, let me take charge of Father's meals. I'm sure the Governor's food will be much more delicious than what we had in the mountains!"

Hearing her mention the mountains, Liu Yuan was filled with both guilt and affection. "It was all Father's fault for wronging you all. From now on, you won't have to hide or worry about your next meal. There's no shortage of food at the Governor's residence. When the time comes, if there's anything you want to eat, just have a maid get it. You won't have to do it yourself anymore."

Witnessing this warm scene between father and daughter, Xu Zhongfang remarked with some emotion, "A year ago, who would have thought that Eldest Brother would not only return, but also hold such a high position? Those people who looked down on Eldest Brother before are probably filled with regret now!"

Hearing this, Liu Yuan remembered what had been interrupted by Liu Zhen earlier. He turned his head to her and said, "Ah Zhen, do you know? You did one thing wrong this time."

Although her father's expression was a bit serious, Liu Zhen couldn't bring herself to be scared. "Please speak, Father."

Liu Yuan said, "Alright, let me ask you. Just now, in front of everyone, when you said your older cousin had new clothes to wear and you didn't, was that intentional?"

Liu Zhen was blunt: "Yes."

Xu Zhongfang had spent the past year with Liu Zhen day in and day out and had grown quite fond of her. Hearing this, he interjected, "Eldest Brother, Ah Zhen did nothing wrong!"

Liu Yuan said, "Third Brother, I'm speaking with my child. Please don't interfere."

Xu Zhongfang sheepishly closed his mouth.

Liu Yuan: "You must have had your reasons for doing so?"

Liu Zhen nodded. "I wanted to help Father vent some frustration, to prevent those people from seeing us in fine clothes and thinking we were living well. This way, Father, you wouldn't be pressured by kinship into doing things you don't want to do."

This child really thought things through, but she had gone slightly astray. Liu Yuan said helplessly, "Do you think that by doing this, I no longer have to treat them as family?"

Liu Zhen said, "At least if Grandfather asks you to find a real position for Uncle, Father, you can refuse him with justification!"

Liu Yuan: "Then you are mistaken. This time, not only can I not blame your Grandfather and Uncle, but I actually owe them a favor!"

Liu Zhen: "Huh?"