Liu Zhen heard all this gossip about the eastern front from outside. Coupled with the fact that she went to An Zheng every so often to inquire about news, she could piece things together and get information that was more or less close to the truth.

Until one day, Liu Zhen couldn't help but ask An Zheng, "Second Uncle, have you ever heard of a man named Liu Bang?"

In her view, if Liu Yuan were to advance further in the future, his greatest enemy would definitely not be Xiang Yu, but Liu Bang.

According to the course of history, Liu Bang should have already raised troops to rebel against Qin and have his own forces by now.

"Liu Bang?" An Zheng heard the name and assumed he was a relative of the Liu family. "Is he from Xiang Town?"

Liu Zhen shook her head and asked tentatively, "I heard that whenever he drinks in a tavern, others can always see something like the shadow of a dragon following him."

An Zheng first chuckled in amusement. "Did you hear some old tale from the streets again?"

Just as he finished speaking, he let out a gasp. "I remember now, it seems there was such a person!"

Liu Zhen grew nervous. "Where is he now?"

An Zheng said, "Previously, when your father and I went to seek refuge with the King of Zhangchu, we heard of a strange man in the southeast. Wherever he went, clouds and mist would swirl above his head, and others could always find him by following this vapor. At first, we all found it peculiar, but later we heard that the man was already dead."

Liu Zhen cried out, "Dead?!"

An Zheng: "It's said that someone reported him to the Qin ruler, saying the man had treasonous intentions. The Qin ruler, Huhai, then sent men to kill him. He should be dead without a doubt, because the King of Zhangchu later sent people to his hometown to look for him, and his wife and children were wearing mourning clothes and holding a funeral for him!"

Liu Zhen's jaw dropped.

"Second Uncle, are you sure he's dead?" she asked, unwilling to give up.

"Of course," An Zheng smiled. "Think about it the other way. If this man were not dead, these rumors would be his best weapon for winning people's hearts. Why would he discard them and instead go into hiding and conceal his identity?"

Liu Zhen was completely stunned, unable to react for a long while.

Liu Bang was actually dead?

Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, was actually dead?!

If things developed this way, would the Han Dynasty still appear?

Without Emperor Gaozu uniting the world, would the land of Huaxia return to the situation of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, with separate feudal lords? Or would another person take Liu Bang's place and become the master of the world?

Was it Xiang Yu? Or someone else?

For the first time, Liu Zhen truly realized that history had completely derailed from the track she knew.

Thinking about it carefully, this was only normal. Because Liu Yuan was now the Governor of Yingchuan Commandery, if a person like Liu Yuan truly existed in history, he should have left his mark in the history books long ago. But the fact was, Liu Zhen had never seen the name Liu Yuan in the history books of later generations!

From this, it was clear that history had merely turned a corner, erasing a person named Liu Bang, but the world was no longer the world Liu Zhen was familiar with.

This was like the countless branches growing on a tree. The branches and leaves all shared a single main trunk, but at a certain point, due to chance and circumstance, they each branched off, becoming different parallel worlds.

Perhaps in Liu Zhen's original world, Liu Bang was still Emperor Gaozu of Han, and the Han Dynasty would still become the pride of the nation's people in later generations. But in another world, Liu Bang no longer existed, and the one who would unify the country would be someone else—perhaps Xiang Yu, or perhaps another person.

In short, history had changed.

Then what about Liu Yuan?

Since history had changed, how far could Liu Yuan go?

Would he become a loser, a stepping stone, in the contest for supremacy?

Seeing her looking so lost and dejected, An Zheng was a little worried. "Ah Zhen? Ah Zhen?"

He called out several times before Liu Zhen snapped back to her senses.

She forcibly stopped her wild thoughts and changed the subject. "Second Uncle, has Big Brother gotten into any trouble at the front?"

An Zheng said, "After your father discovered that Ah Nan had secretly run off to the front lines, he flew into a terrible rage. I heard that if your Third Uncle hadn't stopped him, he would have rolled up his own sleeves and beaten him personally!"

Liu Zhen was taken aback. "He really hit him?"

An Zheng sighed. "He was struck twice with a military rod. But your father was truly furious this time. Ah Nan is just too insensible. How could he secretly follow them? What if something had happened?"

At Liu Nan's age, he was young and impetuous, and full of energy. It was actually good for him to go out and gain experience, but he chose the wrong method. If he couldn't keep up with the main army and encountered bandits along the way, it would only end in tragedy. Therefore, Liu Zhen supported her father in teaching Liu Nan a good lesson; otherwise, who knew what kind of trouble he would cause in the future.

Liu Zhen asked again, "Then what about the situation on the front lines? Are Father and the others doing well?"

An Zheng smiled and patted her head. "You don't need to worry too much about this. You're only nine years old this year. It's better for you to play with your friends on ordinary days. These are matters for us to worry about."

He meant well, but Liu Zhen was a little dissatisfied. Liu Yuan and Song Xie never treated her like a child who shouldn't listen to serious matters. However, Liu Zhen usually wouldn't pester endlessly; she would only adopt roundabout tactics, such as going to ask Song Xie.

Seeing her expression, An Zheng knew she hadn't given up and added, "Ah Zhen, at your age, you shouldn't be asking about these things. Don't you see that although Gan Luo became a minister at twelve, he died an early death not long after? From this, you should know that excessive precociousness harms the mind and spirit, and is of no benefit to oneself."

If she could, Liu Zhen would of course also like to be like Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang, living carefree days in fine clothes and with rich food. But the problem was that she was not a real child. She knew that everything their family possessed now was tied to her father, Liu Yuan, alone. Once something happened to Liu Yuan, everything the Liu family had would be overturned, and the very foundation of Yingchuan Commandery would be shaken.

Liu Zhen didn't think she could accomplish anything heaven-defying. She was small and weak. It was just that 'preparedness ensures success, and unpreparedness spells failure.' Knowing in advance, she could at least make some preparations or help by offering ideas.

However, looking around the entire Governor's manor, she couldn't find a single person with whom she could discuss matters. Madam Zhang was prone to panic whenever a major event occurred. In other words, her mental fortitude was not strong enough. Whenever something happened, Liu Zhen didn't dare to easily alarm her, fearing she would overreact and make things worse, as facts had proven Liu Zhen's worries were not unfounded.

It had been over a month since Liu Yuan had led his troops out, and news was scarce and fragmented. Most of what Liu Zhen heard was news about Xiang Liang's side. There was very little information about where Liu Yuan and his men had reached, what they had encountered, or whether they were winning or losing.

No news was not necessarily good news. Thus, a rumor gradually began to spread in the streets these past two days, saying that Liu Yuan's southern campaign was not going well, that his eight thousand troops were bogged down in Hengshan Commandery, had fought unfavorably against the Qin army, and that the Yingchuan army had suffered a great defeat, and so on.

Liu Zhen didn't know if this news was true or false, but from An Zheng's constantly furrowed brows these days, she feared the truth was not too optimistic.

"Second Uncle, just tell me, please! I definitely won't tell another soul!" Liu Zhen first pleaded, then smiled, half-threatening, "If you don't tell me, I'll go ask Mister Song and County Magistrate Wu. One of them is bound to tell me!"

An Zheng was both exasperated and amused. He just felt that his big brother's children were all a handful. The eldest son ran away from home to sneak to the front lines without a word, and now Liu Zhen was not at all like a girl, overly concerned with all matters of governance and war. Fortunately, she wasn't as reckless as Liu Nan, otherwise, he would really have a headache.

"Fine, fine, since you want to know, I'll tell you." An Zheng's expression grew solemn. "Ten days ago, your father already conquered Hengshan Commandery!"

"Really?!" Liu Zhen was first overjoyed, then puzzled. "If that's the case, why keep it a secret?"

An Zheng said, "Hengshan's defenses are weak; it's easy to attack but hard to defend. After your father succeeded, he left four thousand troops to guard Hengshan and led the remaining four thousand to Nan Commandery, wanting to take it in one fell swoop. Unexpectedly, he clashed with the Qin army outside Jiangling City and was defeated due to underestimating the enemy. He was also injured. Your Third Uncle had to take him back to Hengshan Commandery to recuperate. We were also worried the Qin army would press their advantage and pursue them to Hengshan, so these past few days we have done our utmost to suppress the news to avoid unsettling the people of Yingchuan Commandery."

Right now, the main force of the Qin army is on the eastern front. That is to say, most of them are concentrated under Zhang Han's command, led by him to eliminate the group led by Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. The forces distributed in the various commanderies and counties are limited.

But limited does not mean non-existent. It was only normal that Liu Yuan suffered a setback in Nan Commandery, having grown complacent from taking Hengshan Commandery too easily.

What worried Liu Zhen was her father's injury. "How is Father's injury? Is it serious?"

An Zheng forced a smile but refused to say any more. "It's nothing serious, you can rest assured."

Although An Zheng was unwilling to say more, Liu Zhen had already faintly guessed something ominous. Not two days later, the previously vague rumors began to spread more widely. News that Hengshan Commandery had been conquered by Governor Liu reached Yangdi, but soon, news of Liu Yuan's injury also followed. Many people began to discuss it, and the rumors became rampant. Some said Hengshan Commandery had been retaken by the Qin army, while others said Liu Yuan's injuries were extremely severe, that he couldn't get out of bed, and that was why he hadn't returned.

People always tend to imagine the worst, and eventually, even rumors that Liu Yuan had died from his severe injuries emerged.

It was no wonder rumors were flying everywhere.

From a geographical standpoint, the distance between Yingchuan Commandery and Hengshan Commandery was even greater than the distance from Yangdi to Chen Commandery. Transportation was inconvenient in ancient times, and transmitting news often took several days longer. Even for people like An Zheng, who had dedicated messengers traveling back and forth with Liu Yuan's army, it was impossible to receive information in a timely manner. Moreover, it couldn't be ruled out that Liu Yuan was temporarily concealing the true battle situation for various strategic reasons.

To calm the people's hearts, Song Xie came up with a plan. He had An Zheng send people to post a public notice, falsely claiming that the army led by Liu Yuan had won a great victory in Nan Commandery and had already taken it. It was claimed that they were currently on their way to Nanyang Commandery to rendezvous with Song Liu. Therefore, Governor Liu had sent word that all taxes within Yingchuan Commandery would be halved this year to celebrate with the people.

As soon as this news came out, it did manage to pacify many people.

Many who had been restless and eager to make a move now drew back their hands and feet, waiting to see how things would develop.

The seemingly chaotic situation gradually calmed down. However, the water had already been muddied, and a clever person could naturally see through the murky water to the truth that Song Xie was trying to conceal.

At this moment, the entire city of Yangdi was like a tightly drawn bowstring. For every day Liu Yuan did not return, there was a possibility of an unpredictable situation occurring.

Madam Zhang was completely unaware of all this.

She had naturally also heard the rumors in the city. After Song Xie falsely reported the great victory, Madam Zhang even specifically invited him over for questioning. Song Xie had no intention of telling Madam Zhang the truth and merely reassured her that all was well. Madam Zhang trusted Song Xie without a doubt, so upon hearing his words, she naturally set her mind at ease.

But Liu Zhen knew the truth. She couldn't confide in Madam Zhang, as having one more person worrying would be of no help at all. Liu Zhen could only secretly bury her anxiety deep in her heart, silently praying for Liu Yuan's safety.

In the final analysis, it was because the Liu family was not a prestigious clan and had no foundation in Yangdi City. Therefore, Liu Yuan alone was like a pillar supporting the heavens. Once the pillar was gone, the Liu family would become a mere decoration or a joke.

And besides Liu Yuan, the only other person who could command the situation, Xu Zhongfang, had also gone on the expedition. Of those remaining, An Zheng and Song Xie had more than enough scholarly air but lacked a killer instinct. It was difficult for them to become leaders in such chaotic times.

That evening, Liu Zhen had just finished her supper and was taking a solitary stroll in the backyard to aid her digestion when she saw Ah Jin hurry over.

"Young Mistress, Young Master Guo is here! He says it's urgent and asks you to go see him quickly!"

Liu Zhen was a bit surprised. Guo Zhi was playful and boisterous by nature. After Liu Nan left, she had spent quite some time with Guo Zhi and knew that this youth was not one who didn't understand the gravity of things. For him to come over so anxiously late at night, there must be a reason.

Ah Jin hurriedly led her to the side gate, where she saw Guo Zhi pacing back and forth outside.

"Ah Zhi?"

Guo Zhi looked up and said urgently, "Quick! Have your mother and younger siblings follow me immediately!"