Chapter 55 Part 1

It was difficult for anyone to not doze off to the slow, swaying pace of the ox-cart. Not even a full hour after boarding, Liu Zhen, who hadn't slept well the previous night, couldn't resist the drowsiness and fell asleep directly in the carriage. Not even the fierce storm could wake her. By the time she awoke, night had already fallen. Xu Zhongfang had found a small post-house for them to rest, and everyone had settled in, preparing to continue their journey early the next morning.

It was only then that Liu Zhen learned what major event had occurred during the afternoon she was asleep.

"Tao Ji was separated from us?" Liu Zhen's eyes widened in shock as she drank the steaming hot fish soup.

"She's been found!" Ah Jin patted her chest and said quickly, "They say it's because their cart was moving the slowest. On top of that, there was a sudden downpour. The driver wanted to get his straw raincoat, but he lost his footing and fell off a cliff. General Xu was startled when he found out and immediately sent people to search for them. They were just found! Tao Ji's pregnancy was disturbed, and she's resting now. But there are no doctors nearby, so it's hard to say what will happen!"

Liu Zhen asked, "What about the driver?"

Ah Jin said, "He's not dead, just seriously injured. It seems he hit his head when he fell and still hasn't woken up. It's so pitiful!"

After hearing this, Liu Zhen rubbed the rough edge of her pottery bowl with her fingers, remaining silent for a long while.

With no one else around, Ah Jin whispered, "Young Mistress, I find this matter very strange. I'm afraid it's..."

Liu Zhen's ears perked up, thinking she knew something. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

Ah Jin: "I'm afraid it's a vengeful spirit at work!"

Liu Zhen: "...What does this have to do with a vengeful spirit?"

Ah Jin said with conviction, "How could it not be related? I heard the people of Qin killed many Xi people here back then. A pregnant woman's body is weak, so wasn't she the perfect target to run into one!"

Liu Zhen's mouth twitched. "I'm still a child. How come I didn't run into one?"

Ah Jin said as if it were obvious, "The Young Mistress is a person of high status! Your fate is noble, so naturally, you are blessed by the gods!"

Liu Zhen waved her hand wearily. "Haven't you eaten yet? Go have your meal first. There's no need to wait on me here!"

Ah Jin said, "But Young Mistress, if you're here alone, what if the vengeful spirit..."

Before she could finish, Liu Zhen shot her a look, and she had no choice but to swallow the rest of her words.

"It's fine to say such things in private, but don't go gossiping about it with others," Liu Zhen said coolly. The relationship between Madam Zhang and Madam Tao seemed peaceful on the surface, but in reality, an invisible thread was stretched taut between them. If such words spread, they could be used by others. Though it was hard to avoid, Liu Zhen didn't want such things to come from her own people.

Seeing her give instructions so seriously, Gui Xiang and Ah Jin both suppressed their smiles and agreed.

Only after the two had stepped outside did Ah Jin dare to pat her chest and let out a long sigh. "The Young Mistress is becoming more and more imposing. She gave me a huge scare just now!"

Gui Xiang lightly tapped her on the head. "You clearly know the Young Mistress dislikes us casually discussing those matters, yet you still can't hold your tongue!"

Ah Jin giggled. "I know, I know! The Young Mistress is doing it for our own good!"

While the maids joked outside, Liu Zhen couldn't bring herself to smile in her room. Without Ah Jin's lighthearted banter, she quietly drank her fish soup, mulling over what Ah Jin had just said from beginning to end. The doubt in her heart grew deeper and deeper.

If this was all Madam Zhang's doing, the traces were far too obvious. But if it wasn't Madam Zhang... the cart suddenly getting separated from the group, the driver falling off a cliff and remaining unconscious from his injuries, Madam Tao's pregnancy being disturbed—combined with Madam Zhang's earlier actions of insisting on bringing Madam Tao along but not finding a female healer to accompany them, it was very easy for people to draw connections.

Liu Zhen couldn't help but sigh.

Ever since Madam Yu and Madam Lou came to cause a scene last time, Liu Zhen had clearly felt a change in how Madam Zhang handled things.

After all, even when Madam Zhang had managed the Governor's manor and the King of Yu's Mansion before, she had always followed Steward Jiang's instructions step-by-step. To put it bluntly, she had no style of her own. However, after the commotion of changing residences, Madam Zhang had begun to establish her own authority, and her way of handling matters gradually took on a swift and decisive feel.

This change wasn't a bad thing. As Liu Yuan's status rose, as his official wife, Madam Zhang had to support this huge family; she couldn't remain kind and weak forever.

But this matter...

Liu Zhen sighed again.

Madam Tao didn't die, and neither did the driver. Such a thing could happen once, but not again. Although Xu Zhongfang was carefree, Madam Tao was Liu Yuan's concubine, and he had a responsibility to protect her. He definitely wouldn't allow such a thing to happen again under his watch.

Either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly. If this was truly Madam Zhang's handiwork, then it could only be called a failure.

Not only did she fail to eliminate the thorn in her side, but she had also alerted the enemy. If Madam Tao didn't miscarry, then Madam Zhang had just drawn a whole lot of hatred for nothing.

Oh, right, there was also Song Hong. Song Hong was very precocious for his young age; he might not fail to make the connection.

Liu Zhen thought to herself that from the moment Madam Zhang brought Madam Tao on the road, it was all a mistake. Even if Madam Zhang had nothing to do with this incident, she was fated to take the blame for it.

Although it was none of her business, with her characteristically adult way of thinking, Liu Zhen couldn't help but ponder every matter thoroughly. But the more she pondered this incident, the more she felt something was off, though she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

The conditions at the post-house were crude. She had to share a room with Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang. It's said that going from extravagance to frugality is difficult. The three of them were already used to a comfortable environment, and to suddenly have to spend the night in such a damp and unbearable place was truly hard to adapt to. Moreover, Liu Zhen had already slept for a whole afternoon, so when night came, she had no desire to sleep at all.

After nightfall, it was still chaotic outside, as if people were running and talking all night long. Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang also slept restlessly. When the maids came to wake them the next day, all three had huge dark circles under their eyes and were yawning endlessly.

As Ah Jin brought Liu Zhen her breakfast, she said, "Last night, the Mistress went to find a female healer for Tao Ji!"

Medical care was not advanced in this era. Where would one find a doctor in such a remote place? What they called a female healer often had the air of a shaman-doctor. Besides, even finding a shaman-doctor wasn't easy, which was why they had heard such a commotion last night.

Liu Wan, who was nearby, overheard and her eyes widened. "A mere concubine, why is Mother bothering with her!"

Liu Wan was not a child particularly favored by Liu Yuan, but she knew that the more children there were, the less attention her father would pay to her. Out of this vague sense of crisis, coupled with her desire to protect her mother's position, she had no fondness for her father's concubines either.

Liu Zhuang tugged on her sleeve. "Elder Sister, she is Ah Hong's mother!"

Liu Wan rolled her eyes. "So what? Song Hong isn't a child of the Liu family! It's already a heavenly grace that Father took in him and his mother!"

Liu Zhen ignored them and asked Ah Jin directly, "How is Tao Ji?"

Her stepmother wouldn't have taken the opportunity to make her miscarry, would she?

Ah Jin clicked her tongue. "Tao Ji was in pain for half the night. I heard she was screaming the whole time. Many people thought it was a bad sign this time. It wasn't until just before dawn that we heard she was fine!"

Liu Wan was quick-tongued. "A lowly life is truly resilient!"

Liu Zhen feigned to hit her. "Have you forgotten all of Governess Han's teachings?!"

Liu Wan dodged by turning her head. "Elder Sister, Governess Han never taught us about a dog's belly!"

Liu Zhen was so angry she almost laughed. She straightened up to chase and hit her, which finally scared Liu Wan into hiding outside the door.

Liu Zhen turned and asked Ah Jin, "Is she all right now? Can we still travel today?"

Ah Jin was unsure. "Let this servant go and ask."

Ah Jin scampered off to ask. She only returned when Liu Zhen and the others were nearly finished with their breakfast.

"Young Mistress, the Mistress said that Tao Ji can't travel and needs to rest for a few days!"

Liu Wan wailed, "You can't be serious! I'm so sick of this godforsaken place! Why should our whole family have to wait for a single concubine!"

Liu Zhen shot her a look. "On the grounds that the child in her belly is also Father's child, our younger brother!"

Liu Wan was defiant. "Even if he's born, he'll be the son of a concubine. How can he compare to us!"

Liu Zhen had already asked Gui Xiang to bring over the Chupu board and was preparing to play a game with Liu Zhuang. Hearing this, she said leisurely, "Then go and tell that to Mother."

"Fine, I will!" Liu Wan really did run off to find Madam Zhang.

After Liu Zhen and Liu Zhuang had played three games, Liu Wan was finally seen returning with a dejected face.

"How did it go? When did Mother say we'll set off?" Liu Zhen asked without looking up.

"She said we'll wait for three days, and set off once that Madam Tao is fine!" Liu Wan was listless. She didn't want to stay in this dark, damp environment for a moment longer, but her words carried little weight and she couldn't make the decision. "Elder Sister, why don't you go talk to Mother? She'll definitely listen to you. The smell here is too awful, it made us sleep poorly last night!"

"The house we lived in back in Xiang Town was not much better than this," Liu Zhen said. Although she was also unaccustomed to it, she didn't want to indulge herself. "Mother won't listen to us; she has her own ideas. Besides, it just rained yesterday, so the road isn't good for travel. Let's just listen to Mother. If you have nothing to do, you can go play with Eldest Brother or Ah Jin."

Liu Wan pouted. The age gap between her and her eldest brother, Liu Nan, was too large, and they were of different genders, so there was nothing to talk about. Her younger brother, Liu Jin, played with Song Hong all day long. Even if she went over now, those two would either be playing Chupu or Pitch-pot. As for her eldest sister and youngest sister...

She glanced at the two people engrossed in the game, and could only dejectedly go and fiddle with her clothes and jewelry.

They stayed at this small post-house for three whole days. Just as Liu Wan was on the verge of a breakdown, Madam Zhang finally announced that Madam Tao was fine and they could set off.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Even a refined scholar like Song Xie, with his excellent self-cultivation, couldn't muster any leisurely mood when faced with such crude surroundings and desolate wilderness.

Liu Yuan urgently needed Song Xie and An Zheng to go and advise him. As for Wu Yu and Meng Xing, they were temporarily left to garrison Hengshan Commandery. Thorny issues could be handled by Meng Xing, while the difficult-to-deal-with aristocratic families would be handled by Wu Yu. One was slick and the other was upright; their cooperation would be doubly effective. With them there, Liu Yuan had no worries about the home front for the time being and could focus his energy on matters in Xianyang.

Song Xie and An Zheng both knew that after occupying Xianyang, Liu Yuan would definitely want to take control of the road from Nanyang to Xianyang as well. Otherwise, occupying Xianyang alone would be meaningless. So, along the way, they paid close attention to the surrounding roads. Since Madam Zhang and the others were female family members, the convoy was tacitly split into two halves. Xu Zhongfang led at the very front, Liu Nan was in the middle of the convoy, and behind him were Madam Zhang and the others.

After the incident where Madam Tao's cart was separated from the group, Xu Zhongfang assigned some soldiers to bring up the rear to prevent another accident.

And it was during these three days that some rumors quietly began to surface.

"Pregnant with a demon child? Who said that?"

Liu Zhen stared wide-eyed with a piece of steamed cake still in her mouth, looking particularly comical.

For the sake of convenience while traveling, they mainly ate dry provisions. The steamed cakes at this time were a type of food made by kneading dough and adding various ingredients like dried meat, pork, and so on, before steaming. To make it last longer, the steamed cake Liu Zhen was eating now was filled with cured meat, and its texture was somewhat similar to the meat-stuffed buns of later eras.

"The female healer said so!" Ah Jin had always been a hub for all sorts of gossip. If Liu Zhen wanted to know anything, it was never wrong to just call her over and ask. "It's said that the reason Tao Ji suddenly felt unwell that day was that she was afflicted by the aura of the local vengeful spirits. That resentful energy has entered her womb and will likely affect the fetus. So the female healer said that this child will probably be inauspicious when born!"

Liu Zhen found it a little amusing. She didn't believe in these things, but others were different. Even Liu Xin could dislike his son Liu Yuan just because he happened to fall ill when Liu Yuan was born, let alone such an abstruse tale. Ah Jin's tone and expression as she spoke now clearly carried a sense of reverence and awe.

She asked, "What did Mother say? Was the female healer driven away?"

Ah Jin shook her head. "No, the Mistress ordered that no one was to speak nonsense, but she didn't drive the healer away. She said that Tao Ji still needs her to stabilize the pregnancy. When we reach Xianyang, the Lord will decide what to do."

Conventionally, Madam Zhang's approach was very correct. But how could such rumors really be stopped just by forbidding them? Moreover, the stranger the content, the more people relished discussing it. In just a few days, the news that Madam Tao was carrying a strange child had spread throughout the entire convoy. Never mind Liu Wan and Liu Zhuang, even Song Xie and the others had heard about it.