Chapter 490: Chapter 490

In the darkness, Chen Erlang held the luggage tightly in one arm, dragging the injured Chen Erniang along with the other. Unable to see, he tripped over something unknown and fell to the ground with a thud.

The jolt brought Chen Erniang back to her senses. She struggled to get up and groped around for her second brother, only to accidentally touch a small leg. Frightened, she quickly retracted her hand with a scream.

Chen Erlang fumbled for a tinderbox, nervously striking a light. Only then did the siblings see a child lying on the ground. When they turned the child over, they saw a ghostly pale face, the child long since breathless.

Chen Erniang couldn’t help but cry out, falling into Chen Erlang’s arms, "Second brother, second brother, where are father and our older brother?"

"It’s alright, it’s alright," Chen Erlang said, holding her and taking two steps back to distance themselves from the child, yet remembering that the living could be more terrifying than the dead, he stopped moving. "We’ll look for them at dawn; I saw them running north at that moment."

But in turmoil, once separated, it’s possible to never meet again in a lifetime.

Chen Erniang, having experienced war, naturally knew how terrifying this was, knowing too well the slim hope of reunification.

She leaned tightly against her second brother, tears falling silently, "Second brother, we mustn’t get separated again, or I surely won’t survive."

"Alright, alright, we won’t get separated. Just stay close to me."

They had been running for a long time; this day was a horrifying ordeal for them. First, the oxen spooked and bolted, throwing them and their luggage from the cart. Then, refugees fleeing nearby fought to steal their belongings; their family was quickly overwhelmed by the crowd. Servants dispersed, and their family got separated amidst the escape attempt.

Once they stopped, the siblings couldn’t bring themselves to move any further.

Chen Erlang held his sister, sitting there dazedly. Reason told him he had to get up and keep going, making use of the Xiongnu’s night rest to get as far away as possible, otherwise, at dawn, the enemy on horseback would quickly catch up;

Yet his senses told him he couldn’t move; not even his fingertips, let alone continue fleeing.

"Second brother, today was such chaos; did you hear what they were shouting?"

Chen Erlang thought carefully before saying, "They were singing a ballad, the Xiliang Army’s ballad, seems like General Beigong came to rescue us."

Chen Erlang sighed, shaking his head, "Although General Beigong is powerful, he has too few men and is going to rescue Prince East Sea. I’m afraid he won’t be able to attend to us, so we better keep fleeing."

"Where to flee?" Chen Erniang asked, "Prince East Sea, holding such a large army, couldn’t defeat the Xiongnu. If we follow him to relocate to East Sea County, can he really protect us?"

Chen Erlang said nothing.

"I don’t know where father and our older brother will go either."

Chen Erlang continued in silence. Newest update provıded by NovelHub(.)net

"Second brother, maybe we should go to Yu State. I’ve heard Zhao Third Lady is there, and it’s much safer." Chen Erniang said, "Let’s go to Yu State first. Once we settle down, we can ask someone to find father and our older brother."

"Zhao Third Lady?" Chen Erlang sat up a bit, his eyes lighting up, "Earlier it was too chaotic and noisy, I couldn’t hear clearly, but I seemed to hear someone shouting that reinforcements from the Zhao Family Army in Yu State had arrived."

"The Zhao Family Army in Yu State, isn’t that Zhao Third Lady, Zhao Hanzhang?"

Chen Erniang nodded repeatedly, thinking that her brother couldn’t see in the dark, she affirmed, "Yes, it’s her. I vaguely heard it too, I even thought I was dreaming."

"It must be her. In that case, there’s no need to go to Yu State, we can seek refuge right away." Chen Erlang said excitedly, "Our family has some connections with the Zhao Family. Back then, wasn’t it her troops who brought you and father back? Father even bought a batch of grain and fodder for her."

Chen Erniang responded with a sound of acknowledgment.

"At dawn, we’ll go seek refuge."

The two siblings lay quietly in the wilderness, waiting for the night to pass. They did not dare to sleep deeply; in the darkness, people occasionally passed by, and they could even sense others camping nearby overnight.

Walking through the wilderness at night was also quite dangerous. The fields were uneven, and a fall could leave one unable to get up.

As dawn broke, Chen Erlang opened his eyes. Looking around, he realized they hadn’t fled very far, and the surroundings were full of people lying down, some of whom would never wake again, while most were like him, exhausted and collapsed on the ground.

Without a word, Chen Erlang shook Chen Erniang awake, found their bearings, and pulled her along to walk.

Someone woke up and, seeing them, hesitated for a moment before asking, "Brother, why are you heading back?"

Chen Erlang paused before replying, "We’re going to seek refuge with Zhao Hanzhang in Yu State."

The people lying on the ground gradually got up, numbering over a hundred. Among them, someone exclaimed with bright eyes, "Zhao Hanzhang? I’ve heard Yu State is stable; is it true?"

"It should be true. They say there’s relief grain there, no famine."

Luoyang has been suffering from a severe famine for over a year now.

With these words, everyone wanted to follow them, so no one stayed lying down any longer. They got up at first light and followed behind Chen Erlang.

Chen Erlang and Chen Erniang didn’t manage to meet Zhao Hanzhang but successfully sought refuge with the Zhao Family Army.

Ji Yuan made the decision to take them in after hearing from the subordinates that there were acquaintances of the Zhao Family among them. He personally met with Chen Erlang and Chen Erniang.

Knowing the Chen family lived just a street away, Ji Yuan was also familiar with them, particularly with Mr. Chen, so he directly accepted the two and promoted them.

With so many disorganized soldiers, they needed manpower, and as long as one could read and count, Ji Yuan accepted them without question.

Zhao Hanzhang, together with Fu Tinghan and Beigong Chun, then led troops to aid the still-besieged Prince East Sea.

At this time, they still didn’t know Prince East Sea had died.

Zhao Hanzhang thought that he left two years earlier, and although the siege started two years earlier as well, seemingly unchanged, a person’s physical health may change little, so he believed Prince East Sea shouldn’t have succumbed to illness.

Yet, indeed, he had faltered, holding over two hundred thousand men, yet still fought the war in such a manner. No wonder Gou Xi and the Xiongnu continued to suppress him in rotation over these two years.

However, they quickly found out.

Because Shi Le, with high morale, launched an all-out attack at dawn, Zhao Hanzhang and the others were blocked by the Xiongnu on the way and couldn’t reach the frontline in time. Shi Le broke through the defenses, not only capturing officials like Wang Yan and their families but also pushed into the central tent, dragging out Prince East Sea’s coffin.

Zhao Hanzhang and his forces barely arrived at the front, just in time to confront them.

Upon seeing Zhao Hanzhang, Shi Le immediately said, "Zhao Hanzhang, I once called you a hero. Are you now standing against me for the sake of this treacherous rebel today?"

The remaining Jin Army stood behind Zhao Hanzhang, clutching their weapons, trembling as they glared at Shi Le.

Zhao Hanzhang glanced over them and then met Shi Le’s gaze, "Prince East Sea is dead, respect the deceased. Why do you insult our Great Jin prince?"

Shi Le sneered, immediately overturning the coffin. The body of Prince East Sea tumbled out of it, looking miserable.

The Jin Army soldiers glared angrily at the sight.

Zhao Hanzhang, however, remained seated firmly on horseback, continuing, "I ask General Shi to show mercy."