Chapter 155: Trapped

Xu looks up and, upon seeing the person entering from outside, his eyes widen in shock. He stands up abruptly and exclaims, "Lingzhen!"

He strides forward eagerly: "How did you get here?"

He then notices his wife Lingzhen followed by their eldest son Wenqing and second son Wenhong.

The people he was just thinking about have suddenly appeared before him. Xu is both startled and overjoyed. The joy is self-explanatory, but the surprise stems from the current unrest outside; though refugees from the north haven't arrived yet, many locals have become refugees.

"How did you all get here?"

Wei Lingzhen, knowing his concerns, reassures him with a gentle smile: "We asked for several bodyguards from Wang's escort agency. We didn't bring anything conspicuous, and the journey was relatively peaceful."

The tavern owner, Xu, lets out a sigh of relief.

Wei Lingzhen then turns to thank the bookkeeper with a slight bow for guiding them.

The bookkeeper, having worked with Xu for years and familiar with Wei Lingzhen, smiles and waves off the thanks. Mentioning he has other tasks to attend to, he exits, leaving the room for Xu's family and gently closing the door behind him.

The room, usually Xu's resting place during his time at the tavern, suddenly feels different as Xu notices the forced smile on his wife's face has turned into a light frown.

Puzzled, he takes the bundle from his wife's hand, helps her sit down, and asks, "You seem troubled. Has something happened that brought you here so suddenly?"

Wei Lingzhen sighs and nods, "Indeed, something has happened. I couldn't make up my mind, so I brought Wenqing and Wenhong here to discuss it with you."

Xu's expression shifts slightly, "What happened?"

Wei Lingzhen's face pales slightly, she hesitates before revealing, "My sister-in-law's family... apart from two young nephews and nieces who were rescued by Wang's escort agency, the rest are gone."

Xu is so shocked his heart almost stops. After a moment of stunned silence, he manages to ask, "What did you say?"

"My sister-in-law's family was a prominent family in Yuxian... Gone? What happened?"

Wei Lingzhen explains, "A few bodyguards who escaped from Yuxian said the town was besieged by a band of two to three thousand bandits and fell within five days. Her father and brothers died during the siege, and most of the family were killed. Her mother, sisters-in-law, younger siblings, and several nieces refused to be dishonored..."

Having once been a maid in the big house and later a servant by Wei Lingzhen's side before being freed, the memory of her former masters' family facing such a tragic fate brings tears to her eyes. After a brief pause, she adds, "They all hung themselves at home."

Xu, the tavern owner, trembled and struggled to find his voice, finally realizing why there had been such frequent activity at the county government lately. Hundreds of local yamen runners and even military officers had been mobilized.

Thinking of Yuxian, only separated from Shexian by a few smaller counties, he broke out in a cold sweat, “Why would you venture out at such a time? Isn’t the state capital safer than this small county? The Dong family is there too.”

Wenqing and Wenhong, the brothers, exchanged glances, remaining silent in the background.

Wei Lingzhen sighed, “We could no longer stay with the Wang family, or else I wouldn’t dare travel here now.”

Xu was surprised, “What do you mean?”

Wei Lingzhen offered a bitter smile, “The senior lady of the Wang family fell ill upon hearing the news about her natal family. She’s bedridden, and now the third lady is in charge.”

With the second lady of the Wang family being chronically ill, the responsibility fell to the third lady when the senior lady became incapacitated.

Understanding dawned on Xu.

In such chaotic times, outsiders like them, especially those without significant status, were vulnerable to manipulation by the new head lady. Given the third lady’s disdain for Wei’s family, protection was unlikely, let alone realizing if harm came their way.

“My parents think it’s best if my brothers and I stay here. As for my uncle, since we sought refuge under his protection, leaving now might cause difficulties for you.”

Xu shook his head, “The Dong family knows our situation. If the head lady changes to the third lady, they’ll guess why you’ve come here. I’ll write a tactful letter explaining.”

He paused, adding, “But this is just a small county. I can’t guarantee it’s safer.”

With a sigh, he continued, “If only you and the kids had joined my mother when they fled to the mountains. Even if I wanted to send you to join Shen Lie, I have no idea where they are now.”

Wei Lingzhen had received letters from her youngest son, and her husband's letters also mentioned a lot about Shen Lian's situation. Aware that her husband didn't know where the others were hiding, she reassured him, "Even if we can't enter the mountains, being together is enough. No matter the situation, I feel secure with you. But the food we brought might be plundered by refugees. The grain we stored in Shexian, I've already hidden with my parents."

"That's not an issue. I've prepared some grain on my side. But what about your parents staying there?"

Wei Lingzhen, sensing his concern, reassured him: "My mother is with the old lady, serving her. She should be fine. And my parents have lived in the Wang family for half their lives; they don't wish to leave."

"What difference does leaving make? Where is truly safe?"

Xu, the shopkeeper, nodded and paced a few steps. "I'll escort you back to where I'm staying first. Uncle Xu is out delivering a message and won't return until tomorrow at the earliest. Had you arrived earlier, I would have brazenly asked in a letter to Shen Lie and Madam Sang for assistance. If fortune favors us and Shen Lie does come out and sees the message, there's a chance he could help you three escape."

With the chaos of bandits drawing near, especially hearing about the tragic fate of Wang's family, Xu felt a chill in his feet.

He knew, however, that hope was slim. Shen Lie and his group were likely well-hidden, and though they had agreed to check messages periodically, their appearances would be infrequent.

"If Yu County has fallen, how far is Shezhou? If Shezhou is in turmoil, our Qiyang County is likely next."

"Even if I send another message in a couple of days, I doubt Shen Lie will come across it in time."

Wei Lingzhen remained philosophical: "Whether we can leave or not, at least we're together. We'll either leave or stay as a family."

She wasn't willing to leave just her and her son; if there was a chance to leave, she wouldn't let her husband stay behind alone. With life at stake, her role as the shopkeeper's wife seemed trivial.

Xu didn't say more, knowing time was of the essence. He needed to make arrangements quickly.

Leading his wife and son, he notified the accountants and returned to his temporary residence with the family.

On the way, they discussed how so many bandits had gathered in Yu County. His eldest son reported that many weren't northern refugees but southern villagers, some driven to rebellion by starvation and government oppression, others joining the bandits out of fear for their lives. Essentially, many were local residents from nearby provinces.

He sighed deeply.

"The imperial court and its officials have been too harsh, driving people to desperation. It's manageable for now, but in a month or so, more will likely starve. I'm still hoping to contact Shen Lie. Staying outside is becoming terrifying even for me."

……

Xu's old servant and Dong's brothers returned to town in ragged clothing by mid-morning the next day. They changed out of these near the town, as they usually had two sets of clothes - ragged for the countryside and decent for entering town, to avoid looking like refugees.

The city gate now has stringent checks, with around forty to fifty visible guards.

The three, holding their passes, hadn't even approached the gate when they heard a surge of footsteps from behind. Startled and uncertain of the newcomers, they hastily tried to enter the city.

But the guards, having seen their passes, were too distracted to scrutinize them further, pushing them aside, hands on their weapons, eyes fixed ahead, gripping their sheaths so tightly that veins stood out.

Xu's old servant and the Dong brothers couldn't enter the city, and with the guards in a stance to draw swords, they didn't dare to force their way through, anxiously fretting for themselves.

The footsteps grew louder and nearer. Turning, they realized it was the military. Xu's servant, familiar with Shezhou, recognized the uniforms - could it be Shezhou's garrison troops?

He breathed a sigh of relief, grateful it was the military and not bandits, which would have meant grave danger.

The approaching group numbered in the hundreds, with several horsemen leading, seemingly officers.

Those waiting to enter the city quickly stepped aside to let the military through. A junior officer on horseback approached the guards for a brief negotiation, after which the guards stepped back, opening the gate wide, allowing the mounted officer and the hundreds of foot soldiers to rush into the city.

Dong's breath, held in tension, was only released then: "That scared me. Why so many troops? I hope it's not a sign of impending chaos here."

Who could say?

The trio, with grim expressions, quickly passed the inspection, paid the city entrance fee, and headed straight to Dongfukui.

……

At Dongfukou Inn, Xu, the innkeeper, was aware of the substantial military presence entering the county. The commotion was too significant to go unnoticed.

Standing in a second-floor room overlooking the street, he anxiously paced, watching the troops march away, his heart in turmoil.

At this moment, the elderly servant and the Dong brothers returned.

Seeing them, Xu was relieved, "Uncle Xu, perfect timing! Given the urgency, did Shen Lie leave any message for me?"

The servant shook his head, "No, it seems Shen Langjun hasn't been out."

Disappointed but not surprised, Xu quickly produced a sealed letter, "I need you to deliver another letter to Shen Lie."

The servant was puzzled, "Another letter?"

Xu explained his family's arrival and briefly mentioned the situation in Yu County, "With the military here, chaos isn't far from us. I'm uneasy. This time, Wen Qing will accompany you."

Considering the impending chaos, he couldn't risk the Dong brothers further; they had families to care for.

The servant agreed, "Is the young master at home? We must act quickly."

They moved fast, unaware that at that moment in Qiyang County Office, the junior officer the servant had seen was handing a decree to the county magistrate.

"Magistrate Wei, here's the order from above. Please review and act swiftly."

Magistrate Wei, shocked upon reading the decree, exclaimed, "Move all villagers to the county? How to accommodate? What about their fields?"

The officer casually replied, "That's not for me to worry about. I'm here to enforce the decree and assist with the county's defense. How to manage, that's for you, Magistrate Wei, to figure out."

Wei knew about the villagers turning to banditry in neighboring counties. The thought of Qiyang's villagers doing the same sent chills down his spine, making him set aside the decree's impracticalities.

"Indeed, we must prevent these villagers from turning to banditry."

He addressed the young officer, "General Chen, when do we commence?"

The officer surnamed Chen replied, "It's best to start as soon as possible."

……

Qiyang County's administration sprang into action.

The newly arrived troops, led by the county officials, quickly split into numerous squads and departed Qiyang County.

This caused significant alarm among the local populace, who were both panicked and clueless about the unfolding events.

As Xu, the innkeeper, his sons, and the family servant hurried to the city gate, intending to leave, they were stopped by the guards: "By the magistrate's order, from today onwards, entry is permitted but no one may leave!"

Villagers who had come to town for shopping or errands, upon seeing the increased military presence and intending to gather information, were stunned upon hearing the guard's announcement.

They rushed forward, showing their identification, "I'm from the nearby Shijiatang. Can I return home?"

The guard glanced at him and said indifferently, "Entry allowed, no exit. Didn't you understand?"

The villager, growing desperate, argued, "But I'm just going back to my own home. Why can't I leave?"

The guard's face remained expressionless, betraying no emotion.

"We're merely following orders."

Others in the same situation, overhearing this, rushed over to argue their case, causing a commotion at the city gate.

The noise drew more townspeople who had initially come to observe the military, and when they learned of the lockdown, allowing entry but forbidding exit – even for nearby villagers – everyone was in an uproar.

Xu, the innkeeper, hearing the chaos, approached a guard he knew, discreetly offering silver to allow his servant and eldest son to sneak out at night, only to find the guard too afraid to accept.

"I can't help you this time," the guard said. "This situation is different; it's not just us city guards on duty here."

As he spoke, the guard cast a glance towards another area. Following his gaze, Xu saw a young officer sitting atop the city tower, smiling down at the scene.

Feeling dejected, Xu nevertheless discreetly slipped the silver into the guard's hand, inquiring about the situation.

The guard, clutching the silver ingot, spoke quietly, "I'm not entirely sure, but it seems there's a plan to gather all the villagers from around into the town for settlement. Innkeeper, if you have the means, you might want to start storing more food."

"Where do the villagers have any surplus grain?" Xu, the innkeeper, thought grimly. "With the crops still in the fields and people being pushed into the county, the looming shortage of food is inevitable."

A chill ran down Xu's spine. He thanked the guard and quickly returned to his family.

Seeing him return, Xu Wenqing anxiously asked, "Father, what happened?"

Xu shook his head, "We can't get out. Let's go, we need to head back immediately."

Most of his food supplies were stashed outside the county in a shelter. There was some grain at home, but not much. He needed to urgently secure more provisions. Eastern Fortune Inn couldn't operate anymore. The remaining food was a matter of life and death – not just for him, but also for the cooks and workers of the inn. Even if it meant facing repercussions from his employer, he had to shoulder this burden.