Ji Ci must have heard the news that I'm leaving Xiang Town and has come to say goodbye, Liu Zhen thought.

Since the last time he came to tell them the news of Liu Yuan becoming the Governer, Liu Zhen and Ji Ci hadn't seen each other again. In fact, Liu Zhen owed him quite a few favors over the years; she even still had the bamboo slips she had borrowed from Ji Ci. Although it wasn't as if they would never have a chance to meet again in the future, the thought that she was about to leave without even telling him made her feel a little apologetic.

As soon as Liu Zhen jumped down from the carriage, she saw the plainly dressed youth standing under a tree by the roadside.

She looked at her family's procession. Her father had already dismounted from his horse and was talking with Third Uncle and Big Brother under a tree. They were probably preparing to rest, or perhaps they had intentionally given her and Ji Ci some space to talk.

Recalling Third Uncle Xu's expression just now, Liu Zhen's lips couldn't help but twitch. Goodness, she was only nine years old. Was it really okay to start a puppy love romance like this? And what's more, as elders, they were actually indulging rather than preventing a private meeting between a boy and a girl... well, actually, it wasn't private. A large group of people were staring over there, albeit from a distance.

"Ah Ci!"

The robes she wore restricted her steps. With the fresh-colored clothes and her exquisite hairstyle, the Liu Zhen before him no longer bore any resemblance to her previous ragged and dust-covered appearance. Only the expression and smile on her face were as familiar as ever.

Ji Ci took a breath and also revealed a gentle smile. "Ah Zhen, I heard you are all heading to Yangdi."

Liu Zhen nodded. Seeing the bamboo slips he was holding, she smiled and said, "Have you come to bring me books? Thank you, Ah Ci!"

Ji Ci handed the bamboo slips to her. "This is the Treatise on Miscellaneous Foods you said you wanted to read last time. I found it for you. The Governer's Mansion lacks for nothing, so you'll have all the books you could want to read."

Liu Zhen took the bamboo slips. They were quite heavy. She turned and gave them to Gui Xiang, telling her to put them in the carriage.

Who would have thought that just as Gui Xiang turned around, Ji Ci would pull something out from who-knows-where and hand it over.

Huh? Liu Zhen looked down at the jade She* in his palm, a little dumbfounded.

*T/N: A tool used to hook the bowstring

It was the one Ji Ci often wore. She recognized it at a glance. She hadn't looked at it closely before, but now, under the sunlight, she saw that the jade She's color was gentle and smooth, and it was carved with exquisite, flowing patterns. One look and you could tell it was an antique of some age.

Seeing her staring at the jade She, Ji Ci whispered, "This... what if I give it to you?"

For a moment, Liu Zhen's mind short-circuited. Without thinking, she said, "I don't practice archery, so it's useless to me!"

Ji Ci was a little exasperated. The education he had received since childhood made him speak and act in a refined and euphemistic manner. He originally thought Liu Zhen would understand his meaning when she saw the jade She, but now it seemed that might not be the case.

"...'The quiet girl, how lovely. She gave me a scarlet pipe. The scarlet pipe is bright, I delight in the girl's beauty.'" This was the first confession in the young man's life. After saying these words while looking into Liu Zhen's eyes, his entire handsome face flushed red.

Liu Zhen finally realized he was confessing to her, even using a line from the Book of Odes as a hint, except the giver and receiver of the gift were reversed!

Only nine years old in this life, and someone was already confessing to her. Even with Liu Zhen's mature psyche, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of vanity at this realization. But after this fleeting secret delight, her thoughts immediately returned to a rational mode. "This item is too valuable. I cannot accept it."

Ji Ci didn't withdraw his hand. Instead, he said, "My grandfather and father also know about my coming to see you off. There's something else you might not know. A few days ago, my two uncles took their families and went to join the Xiang clan."

This sentence contained too much information. Liu Zhen was stunned for a long while before she could sort out its meaning.

Ji Ci's first sentence meant that his coming here had been reported to his family. In other words, the elders of his family likely knew of Ji Ci's feelings and had tacitly approved.

The meaning of the second sentence was that his family had different political ideals and had already gone their separate ways. Ji Ci's second and third uncles had gone to join Xiang Liang, but Ji Ci's own father had not, which showed his disapproval.

From the sound of it, the Ji Family's elders actually favored her father?

While she was still pondering, she heard Ji Ci speak again. "No matter how valuable the jade She is, it is merely an inanimate object. Only when it finds its rightful place does it have true worth. Ah Zhen, will you wait for me for two years? After two years, I will ask my grandfather and father to propose marriage to your father on my behalf. Is that alright?"

The young man was a little shy, but this only made him seem even more endearing. He didn't show any impatience because of Liu Zhen's hesitation, nor did he push the jade She in his hand forward to urge her. He just quietly waited for her answer.

Even though he was only thirteen, one could already faintly see the shadow of a modest gentleman about him. A gentleman of this era was not like those of later generations who could be called a gentleman just by dressing respectably or having a decent job.

"How accomplished a gentleman, like gold, like tin; like a scepter, like a jade tablet. Magnanimous and at ease, he leans on his double-axled chariot. He is skilled at jesting, but never cruel."

When Liu Zhen used to read the Book of Odes, she always felt its descriptions were too exaggerated. No one is perfect. Where could one find such a broad-minded and gentle ancient gentleman? To say nothing of others, just take her father, Liu Yuan. Being his child might be a good choice, but being his wife... looking at her birth mother, Madam Zhou, and her stepmother, Madam Zhang, Liu Zhen had to sigh. From ancient times to the present, a good man was hard to find in a thousand miles.

But thinking about it now, wasn't there one right beside her?

It was just because he was too familiar that she had never paid him any special attention.

Liu Zhen raised her head and looked at the young man with his clear eyes and sincere expression. They had known each other for a long time, from the age of five until now. If nothing unexpected happened, this friendship would continue. In the words of the ancients, it was "a banquet in our youth, with happy talk and laughter."

Moreover, Liu Zhen was certain that, unlike the tragic fate of the heroine in that "Airs of Wei" poem from the Book of Odes, Ji Ci's character was set for life. He was pure and sincere, upright and honest, and would absolutely never betray her. Their temperaments and hobbies were very compatible. If they were to marry in the future, they would definitely be a considerate and mutually supportive couple.

The afternoon sun sprinkled through the treetops onto her body, warming her heart as well. Liu Zhen blinked and revealed a playful smile. "He who throws me a wooden peach, I shall repay with a fine jade. Since you have thrown me a fine jade, with what should I repay you?"

Ji Ci was stunned for a moment before he realized. He was overjoyed. "Does that mean you've agreed?"

Liu Zhen didn't answer his question. She only glanced over at her father's group. Seeing that no one was looking their way, she took the jade She from his hand and quickly tucked it into her sleeve.

"In two years, I'll only be eleven."

Remarkably, Ji Ci actually understood her meaning. His smile turned into a foolish grin. "The engagement can be settled first. The wedding will of course have to wait until you come of age. I wish to betroth you as my wife, and I will naturally observe the Three Letters and Six Rites. I will definitely give you a grand wedding!"

"Alright then, I will wait for you."

Liu Zhen burst out laughing. Since things had come to this point, there was no need for her to feign modesty. They had grown up together; who didn't know the other? In this era, although the saying "males and females should not touch hands when giving or receiving things, for that is propriety" already existed, Confucius also said, "joyful but not licentious." For a boy and a girl to privately exchange a few words, pass a note, talk of feelings, or even hold hands was no big deal at all. Even country folk had lovers who met in the wilds. What's more, they were still young and expressing their feelings for each other in the presence of their elders. It was nothing to make a fuss about.

After the two finished their dawdling conversation, Ji Ci went to bid farewell to Liu Yuan, Madam Zhang, and the others. Only then did Liu Zhen's group get back on the road. That fellow Liu Nan was a late bloomer; even now he didn't realize that Ji Ci had designs on his little sister. He even wondered why the two of them were talking for so long and almost went over impatiently to hurry them, but Xu Zhongfang stopped him.

Judging from Xu Zhongfang's attitude, the elders were likely happy to see this development. After all, the two families knew each other through and through. Ji Ci had a good family background and an excellent character; even two thousand years later, he would be a flawless catch.

Clutching the jade She in her hand, when Liu Zhen got back into the carriage, a smile still hung unconsciously on her lips.

"Young Mistress, you were standing outside for a long time. Would you like some plum juice?" Gui Xiang offered a water skin.

She had also seen that young master from the Ji family just now. Because Liu Zhen was blocking her view, she didn't see her accept the jade She, but since the two of them had been talking over there for a long time, she could guess what had happened. She would be Liu Zhen's person from now on, so she naturally hoped for Liu Zhen's well-being. Seeing Liu Zhen in a cheerful mood, she also became happy.

Liu Zhen was indeed a little thirsty. She took the water skin and drank a large gulp. "How much farther is it to Yangdi from here?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the procession had already started moving again, and the carriage resumed its swaying rhythm.

Gui Xiang shook her head. "This servant has never been, so I do not know."

Liu Zhen asked, "Then where have you been?"

Gui Xiang said, "This servant was originally from Ying Town. My ancestors were merchants. For some reason, we were made into slaves and were originally to be exiled to Xiang Commandery. Fortunately, I met County Magistrate Zhao and was brought to Changshe County, allowing me to serve Young Mistress."

Liu Zhen frowned slightly. "Is your family still around? If your family is also with the County Magistrate, why don't I ask Father to request them from County Magistrate Zhao as well."

Gui Xiang shook her head. "Thank you for your kindness, Young Mistress. This servant only had an older sister, and she died long ago from an epidemic."

Her expression was calm, but Liu Zhen sighed inwardly. If they hadn't been lucky and her father hadn't managed to become a Governer and return, their fate would probably have been no better than Gui Xiang's.

With this thought, the faint sweetness vanished without a trace, and the long-held sense of crisis resurfaced.

True, her father was far-sighted and was already planning for the years to come, and his idea of establishing a foothold in Yingchuan Commandery was not wrong. But Liu Zhen remembered very clearly that from the time Chen Sheng and Wu Guang started their rebellion to when Liu Bang and Xiang Yu divided the world, only a few short years had passed. Things happened so quickly in those years that anyone who thought a little too slowly would fail to keep up with the situation and be eliminated by the times.

Take the present, for example. Many people had jumped on the bandwagon of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's great tide of rebellion. Why was it that in the end, only Liu Bang and Xiang Yu emerged victorious? Whether you say others lacked sufficient opportunity or that their leadership ability was insufficient, the fruits of victory would only be left for that final person. As for the others, they either died in the struggle for supremacy against Liu Bang, or they were slaughtered for various reasons after submitting to him.

Liu Zhen would bet that even if Liu Yuan had already begun to consciously consider the events of the coming years, he had absolutely never thought of competing for the emperor's throne himself. At most, he positioned himself as a feudal lord of a state, like in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

But in this day and age, after the unification by Qin Shi Huang, the concept of a great unified empire had already begun to take root in people's minds. No matter how short-lived the Qin Dynasty was, people would only see that it had unified the six states, and they would not wish for the world to return to the situation of the Seven Warring States. If someone still harbored the idea of carving out a territory to rule and becoming a regional warlord, that would clearly be an act against the tide and laws of history, and it would ultimately be doomed to fail.

From the great affairs of the world, her thoughts turned to her own personal matters. Although she had never met Ji Ci's father and grandfather, from the information Ji Ci revealed today, the Ji family's grandfather was probably planning to invest in both sides. Ji Ci's second and third uncles had already gone to join Xiang Liang. If Xiang Liang's side succeeded, the Ji Family would certainly reap benefits. But if by some chance Chen Sheng's side conquered the land, due to the marriage alliance with the Liu family, the rise of the Ji Family would also be just around the corner.

Conversely, if something were to happen to the Liu family's side, like the rebellion failing, the Ji Family would surely sever ties with them immediately and would absolutely not let their entire family be buried along with them.

Of course, given Ji Ci's character, Liu Zhen was confident he would not abandon her. But she had no confidence in the Ji Family behind him.

In the end, mutual affection was a matter between a man and a woman, but a marriage alliance was a matter between two families, and even two clans. In this era, unless one was an orphan whose parents were both dead, no one could exclude their family. For example, her stepmother Madam Zhang, no matter how much she disliked Liu Zhen's grandfather and eldest uncle's family, when her father gave the word, she could only obediently go and pay her respects.

How annoying. The feeling of being in love had just begun, and she already had to worry about a whole bunch of things for the future...

Liu Zhen directly buried her head in the thick bedding, rubbing it left and right. She felt she was truly born to a life of toil, to be able to extrapolate so much just from a single sentence from Gui Xiang.

Look, her father was called a Governer now, but he was actually just a self-styled one appointed by a rebel, unrecognized by the officials. It was only because he had soldiers and supplies in his hands that he wasn't in any immediate danger. Once Chen Sheng fell and Xiang Liang and his nephew took over most of the troops, they would absolutely not tolerate a good place like Yingchuan being firmly held by her father. At that time, there would only be two choices: surrender or fight.

Ah, she was only nine this year! Why was it that when other people transmigrated, they had fun fighting with relatives, fighting with parents, fighting with palace concubines, while she had to think about how to help her father rebel? Was there a more miserable child in the world than her!

The "child" who had just accepted someone's love token let out a wail and flopped onto the bedding, motionless.

Swaying all the way, they finally arrived in Yangdi. Liu Zhen was already dizzy and light-headed from the shaking. The moment she got out of the carriage, she stumbled, stepping on her own dress, and nearly took a big fall. Fortunately, Gui Xiang caught her in time.

She was one of the better ones. Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang directly threw up with a "wah." There was nothing to be done about it; the ancient road conditions were simply too terrible, and they had never experienced long-distance travel before. Their first reaction was bound to be severe.

Madam Zhang was slightly better, but her face was also pale and her lips were white. Liu Jin, whom she held in her arms, was sleeping soundly, completely unaffected.

Among the group, even Liu Yuan and the soldiers behind him showed signs of fatigue. Only that fellow Liu Nan was full of vigor. It was clearly his first time riding a horse, yet he adapted better than anyone else. No wonder Xu Zhongfang had said on the road that he was born to be on horseback.

An Zheng had long been waiting outside to welcome them with his men. Liu Zhen took the opportunity to carefully study this second uncle.

The latter's face was more weathered, showing that he had endured many hardships while outside this past year. But he positioned himself perfectly. In front of everyone, he was extremely respectful to Liu Yuan, not showing any neglect because of their private friendship. Compared to Xu Zhongfang's boisterousness, this second uncle of hers was the one with a truly delicate mind.

After a round of pleasantries, Liu Zhen followed Madam Zhang into the rear courtyard of the Governer's Mansion.

The former Governer was a man who knew how to adapt to circumstances. After Liu Yuan led his troops into the city, he had voluntarily vacated his residence. The place where Liu Zhen and the others were arranged to stay was precisely the former living quarters of the previous Governer's family.

Aside from the eight servant girls Madam Zhang and the others had brought from Changshe County, all the original servants of the Governer's Mansion had been kept on. Liu Yuan had not driven them away. Hearing that the mistress of the house had arrived, all the servants were already kneeling in the courtyard to welcome her.

Madam Zhang had been in the carriage the whole way and felt no better than Liu Zhen, not to mention she also had Liu Jin to look after. As a result, the moment she stepped into the rear courtyard, she saw the ground filled with neatly kneeling people.

The servant girl behind her was named Ah Lu—of the eight servant girls sent by the Changshe County Magistrate, besides the one assigned to each of the children, four remained by Madam Zhang's side. One helped care for Liu Jin, and the other three, in addition to serving her, also had to help manage the household. After all, Madam Zhang now had to face not just her husband and several children, but an entire Governer's Mansion—this was also Liu Yuan's intention.

Ah Lu was adept at reading people's expressions. The moment she saw Madam Zhang's face change, her expression turning even uglier than before, she followed her gaze and immediately understood.

Kneeling at the very front of the crowd were two young women. Their heads were bowed, so their faces couldn't be seen clearly, but from their attire, they were clearly distinct from the servants behind them.

Ah Lu even noticed with her sharp eyes that the fabric of the quju robes worn by these two women was fine, its quality no worse than what Madam Zhang was currently wearing.

Although Madam Zhang's horizons were limited, which restricted her in many of her actions, this didn't mean she was stupid. What Ah Lu could discover, she had of course discovered as well. Moreover, out of a woman's intuition, she immediately understood the identities of these two women!

"Who are you?" Her voice turned cold.

The two women also seemed to know Madam Zhang was asking them. They raised their heads. Their gazes were enchanting, and their beauty was indeed outstanding. Most importantly, they possessed an air of pitiable charm that a coarse country housewife like Madam Zhang could never have.

Liu Zhen craned her neck for a look and thought to herself, This is bad.

Sure enough, Madam Zhang's face paled a few shades more, then immediately flushed slightly, and even her breathing became heavy.

"We concubines greet the Main Wife," the two said in unison. Their voices were melodious and clear, quite moving.

Since they called themselves concubines and not servants, their identity was obvious without even needing to ask.

Madam Zhang's expression turned even uglier. She unconsciously tightened her arms, and the soundly sleeping Liu Jin, feeling uncomfortable, began to squirm and make soft noises.

Making a scene here right after arriving was clearly not a wise decision. Liu Zhen, afraid that Madam Zhang would throw a tantrum without a care, quickly said to her, "Mother, after such a long journey, we are all tired. Why don't we rest first? It's not too late to talk about things later."

She tugged on her sleeve again, reminding her, "Lest you displease Father."

Liu Yuan held absolute authority in the family. It was so even before he became the Governer, and even more so now. With these words, Madam Zhang finally managed to barely restrain the anger that was about to erupt. She took a deep breath. "You are all dismissed. I will summon you again tomorrow."

After saying this, she held Liu Jin and, without giving them another glance, walked straight toward the inner room.

Liu Jin seemed to sense her mother's mood. She woke up whimpering softly, and then, annoyed at being woken up, her whimpers turned into loud wails.