Liu Yuan was both annoyed and amused. He felt that this daughter of his was clever enough, but unfortunately, she was always... how to put it, her actions and thoughts were always unexpected, and sometimes they would lead to trouble.

To be honest, when he saw Liu Zhen infuriate his own father and brother with a single sentence, he felt quite satisfied. But after the satisfaction wore off, he felt he still needed to have a word with Liu Zhen, lest she fancy herself clever and speak without restraint in the future, causing some incident. After all, she was a woman, and her reputation was even more important.

"What do you mean, ah? Your grandfather already dislikes me, not to mention they must think that if I hadn't stubbornly insisted on becoming a Prison Warden back then, I wouldn't have been framed by Xiao Qi and forced to flee, implicating the Liu family. So in the end, this whole affair was caused by me. When Xiao Qi tried to frame me through the County Magistrate, they didn't run to the County Magistrate to report me and claim the merit of being the first to inform, nor did they run to the County Magistrate to report your whereabouts after you went up the mountain. For that alone, I owe them a favor!"

Liu Zhen listened blankly. That was a thing?

It was clearly her grandfather and uncle who disregarded kinship and didn't care if they lived or died. How did it turn around in an instant to become them owing a favor?

Was there something wrong with her worldview, or with her father's?

Xu Zhongfang asked from the side, "Big Brother, how did you know that your eldest brother didn't go to the County Magistrate to report us back then?"

Liu Yuan said, "The County Magistrate of Changshe County is not that kind of aloof and ignorant person. If my eldest brother had gone to the County Magistrate to report me before, Zhao Ziceng would absolutely not have dared to let them appear before me just now. Even if they had the thought, as long as they didn't act on it, I can only pretend not to know."

Liu Zhen hung her head dejectedly, honestly reflecting, "Father, I was wrong."

She had indeed not considered this layer, and just a moment ago she had been gloating about tricking Liu Xin and Liu Chi. Thinking back on it now, it was still a bit too naive.

Seeing his daughter so crestfallen, Liu Yuan felt a little sorry for her. "I heard from your uncle that you stopped your mother and the others from changing into lavish clothes to meet me. You did the right thing. Your mother is not as thoughtful as you are."

Even though she received a consolation prize from her father, Liu Zhen still couldn't quite cheer up. After returning from Liu Yuan's place, she stayed in her room sleeping until Gui Xiang came to wake her, saying it was time to prepare to depart for Yangdi. But before leaving, they still had to go and bid farewell to the Liu family elders.

"How long did I sleep?" Liu Zhen rubbed her eyes. At first, she was just rolling around in her quilt, her mind racing, but then she became too tired and fell asleep without realizing it.

Gui Xiang said, "About the time it takes for a meal. The Master ordered this servant not to wake the Young Mistress. This servant has prepared some food. Would the Young Mistress like to have some?"

Liu Zhen nodded, then shook her head. "What kind of food is it? Can it be packed in a food box to go?"

Gui Xiang: "Of course."

Liu Zhen: "Then let's save it for the carriage. I'm not very hungry right now."

Gui Xiang agreed. While Liu Zhen was sleeping, she had already packed most of the things. In truth, there wasn't much. The things Liu Zhen and the others had brought out from the mountains were completely unusable, and the only things they could take were the few sets of clothes and jewelry sent by the County Magistrate.

The clothes Liu Zhen was wearing were wrinkled from sleep, so she changed into a fresh set, re-combed her hair, and then stepped into her silk slippers to find her father.

Although it was a bit embarrassing for an adult to be scolded by her father for acting childishly due to a lack of foresight, Liu Zhen had a good ability to self-regulate. She quickly engaged in self-reflection, and after a nap, she had put the matter to the back of her mind.

When she saw Liu Yuan and Madam Zhang, the latter was complaining to her father.

The complaints were mainly about two things:

One, all their property in the house back in Xiang Town had been completely plundered when Xiao Qi led his men to raid their home. Although Xiao Qi had now been personally captured by the Changshe County Magistrate and handed over to Liu Yuan, they should certainly get their lost property back. After all, Madam Zhang's dowry was among it.

Two, her husband's father and brother's family had not extended a helping hand when they were in trouble. Now that her husband had suddenly become wealthy and prominent, he was instead taking the initiative to visit them. Just the thought of it made Madam Zhang feel suffocated, so she hoped to skip this step and go directly to Yangdi.

And Madam Zhang's reasoning was very sound: back then, her own parents had risked danger to send them grain, while the Liu family, who was clearly a hundred times better off than her maiden family, wouldn't even send scraps. Now that Liu Yuan had returned safely and the family had finally overcome their hardships, why should they present themselves at their door for the Liu family to take advantage of?

For the first problem, the answer was simple. The Governor's manor would have everything, and things far better than what they used to own. Why waste time trying to get back a pile of inferior goods?

The second problem was even easier to answer. Liu Yuan would patiently explain things to his daughter because she was smart and would get it at once, but with his wife, he simply used the two words "filial piety" to cover it.

No matter what, Liu Xin was Liu Yuan's father, their elder. Liu Chi was also Liu Yuan's brother. You can't write two different "Liu"s with one stroke. Liu Yuan was now going to Yangdi, and who knew when he would return to Xiang Town. Seeing his father before leaving was very normal and praiseworthy.

After a nap, Liu Zhen's mind was much clearer. She recalled the explanation Liu Yuan had given her earlier and, for the first time, perceived a deeper meaning.

Liu Zhen believed that if her father didn't have amnesia, he would absolutely never forget how his grandfather and uncle's family had treated him in the past. What's more, she had heard that her own paternal grandmother had also died a very aggrieved death. Back then, her father had run off to join the army, his heart set on coming back to redeem his mother's status. In the end, his time in the army was for naught, his suffering was for naught, and by the time he returned, the grass on his mother's grave was almost taller than a person.

In the past, when their family had no power, every time they went to pay their respects to her grandfather, they would be subjected to all sorts of ridicule. Her father had a strong psychological tolerance and could remain unfazed even when cursed to his face, but Liu Zhen felt that he was definitely not a saint and that he absolutely did mind it. It was just that their family's situation at the time left them with no say in anything, and they could only swallow any grievances they suffered.

But things were long different from before. Why wasn't her father condescendingly slapping that family in the face, but instead talking about filial piety?

One had to know that although filial piety was also emphasized now, and the punishment for unfilial conduct in Qin Law was heavier than for other common crimes, it was far from the later eras' state of "ruling the world through filial piety." Moreover, these were chaotic times. Qin Law was no longer effective, at least not in the territory of Yingchuan Commandery. Liu Yuan's word was law. It was just a small matter of not going to pay his respects to his parents; no one would be so reckless as to make an issue of it.

Combining this with the news she had just heard from her stepmother—that the County Magistrate had brought Xiao Qi over, and Liu Yuan, instead of slaughtering the man on the spot, had said a few words and then released Xiao Qi in front of many people.

So Liu Zhen figured that her father very likely had a much more far-reaching plan, such as establishing a reputation for himself as magnanimous and forgiving of past grievances.

Thinking of it this way, many things became clear, but Liu Zhen was utterly shocked. One had to know, her father's level of education was not high! He had barely read a few books. How could he have come up with such an idea? This was clearly not just laying a foundation for governing Yingchuan Commandery, but paving the way for the future!

She had originally wanted to find an opportunity to persuade her father not to get mixed up with the likes of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. But now, it was all for naught. Her bellyful of words was useless. Her father didn't need her guidance at all. The man had long been preparing for a rainy day, thinking years ahead!

And so, Liu Zhen remained in this state of shock as she was carried into the carriage to pay respects to her grandfather's family, and then carried back into the carriage, heading all the way towards Yangdi.

"Why is the Young Mistress unhappy?" Gui Xiang's voice finally pulled her back from her reverie. "The Young Mistress has not had her morning meal yet. This servant brought the food box. Would you like some?"

"Oh, bring it over," Liu Zhen said.

"Why is the Young Mistress unhappy?" Gui Xiang glanced at her and asked again. Perhaps she felt this new master was easy to talk to. Had it been her former master, she would never have dared to speak without being asked.

"It's nothing." She just suddenly felt that she wasn't that clever after all. At best, she had only gained the favor of her father and Ji Ci by relying on a mature soul. In reality, either one of them was far more intelligent than she was.

Actually, you get used to being struck down after a while. Liu Zhen wasn't too dejected. She was also feeling a bit hungry, so she had Gui Xiang open the food box, ready to eat something to fill her stomach.

Inside the food box was steamed dried rice made from high-quality foxtail millet, topped with cooked mutton. Although it had cooled down a bit from sitting, Liu Zhen still ate with great relish. The mutton had been simmered over a low fire, cooked long enough to be tender and falling apart. The sauce that accompanied it was better than even the Hae made by the Lin family to the east.

The ancients had a standard for food pairings: "Beef with rice, mutton with millet, pork with foxtail millet." This meant that beef was most delicious with rice, mutton with millet, and pork with foxtail millet. Right now, Liu Zhen was eating foxtail millet rice and mutton.

Although it wasn't the official pairing, she was already very satisfied. Compared to before, sitting in a house drafty on all four sides, eating coarse bean rice with no guarantee of the next meal, sitting now on a thick, soft mattress and eating fragrant mutton and foxtail millet rice—it was enough to move a person to tears!

After finishing her meal, Gui Xiang even took out a waterskin filled with what was called 'yi,' a natural plum drink. The honey-sweetened plum juice was sweet and sour, perfect for aiding digestion after a meal. Moreover, it had been taken from an ice cellar. As the faint coolness seeped down her throat, Liu Zhen couldn't help but drink more than half of it.

Saltpeter ice-making hadn't appeared yet, so ice was a luxury item. It had to be collected from the mountains by people dispatched by the court. Since the Zhou Dynasty, there had been officials specifically in charge of ice. The ice blocks were collected and sent to the central government to be distributed by the emperor. Officials, from top to bottom, received more or less according to their rank. So, this bag of iced plum juice contributed by the County Magistrate to Liu Zhen was truly hard to come by.

Thus, Liu Zhen truly had the feeling that "I've become part of the exploiting class and have even experienced corrupt VIP service."

Full and satisfied, Liu Zhen rolled around on the mattress. The carriage swayed on the rugged road, not too frequently, but it had a soporific effect. Liu Zhen, who had already slept her fill, began to feel her eyelids grow heavy from the rocking.

Just then, the already slow carriage gradually came to a halt. The curtain was lifted, revealing Xu Zhongfang's teasing face. "Ah Zhen, Young Master Ji is waiting for you outside. Go and see him!"

Ah? Liu Zhen was instantly wide awake.