In these chaotic times, those who stubbornly refused to see reason couldn't be saved.
Ji Yangzong responded with only a wordless grunt of acknowledgment.
After You Lingxia spoke, the village gradually calmed down from the panic of stockpiling food and daily necessities.
The villagers returned to their routines, toiling from dawn to dusk to tend their fields and sow seeds, while the women and gers spent their free time digging for wild vegetables in the mountains.
Everything seemed peaceful, as if nothing were amiss.
However, by late third month, devastating news struck like a bolt from the blue.
A large group of pirates had landed in Hailing Prefecture, invading the borders. They immediately began burning, killing, and looting, forcing refugees to flee into the neighboring Tongzhou Prefecture.
Though there had been early signs—the prefect of Hailing Prefecture had submitted a memorial to the court last year—the court was embroiled in fierce factional struggles and paid no attention to the border crisis.
Now that the pirates had suddenly surged ashore with overwhelming force, Hailing Prefecture stood little chance of resistance.
Only when the sparks landed on their feet did they realize how badly they’d been burned. The court was frantic, but distant water could not quench a nearby fire.
[火星子落在了腳背上方才知道燙腳: lit. Only when sparks land on your feet do you realize they burn; fig. People often fail to recognize danger or consequences until they directly experience the pain or fallout themselves]
[遠水救不了近火): lit. Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire; fig. Slow solutions are useless in urgent crises]
In desperation, the court ordered the Tongzhou garrison to mobilize and resist the invaders while awaiting reinforcements.
Shao Gongde, the prefect of Tongzhou, was dumbfounded. Now, even if he were willing to sacrifice his career performance to beg the garrison for help in suppressing local unrest, there was no one left to turn to.
The rebels, previously deterred by the Tongzhou garrison, had limited their activities to minor disturbances. But with the garrison dispatched to Hailing, how could they pass up this rare opportunity to strike while Tongzhou was weakly defended?
The rebels, who had only been causing minor trouble in Quan Village, suddenly intensified their offensive, clashing with government forces at Lianjia Village.
Once the fighting broke out, the news could no longer be suppressed. Smoke of war rose everywhere in an instant.
The common people had barely recovered from the shock of the war in Hailing Prefecture—let alone found time to worry about whether the garrison could repel the invaders or what would happen if the fighting spread to Tongzhou—when, unexpectedly, war erupted within Tongzhou itself.
Grain prices in the city soared daily, reaching terrifying heights—two to three thousand coppers per shi.
"It’s war, real war!"
The villagers, like headless flies, rushed from their homes to gather in clusters, discussing the situation in panic.
Lianjia Village was less than a hundred li (50 km) away. If the fighting spread here, it would happen in the blink of an eye. Terror gripped everyone; the most quick-witted had already bundled their possessions, muttering about fleeing to safer places.
"How could war break out? Tongzhou has been peaceful for so many years—this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this!"
"Those tenant farmers are out of their minds, absolutely reckless..."
"What happened to You Lingxiao? Didn’t he say the government would resolve things quickly? Not only was it not resolved, but it’s escalated into this!"
"What are we supposed to do now?!"
In the Ji family courtyard, men from each household came rushing in, their faces pale with fear.
The suddenness of it all felt like being jolted awake from peaceful sleep by midnight thieves stealing their grain stores - a heart-stopping disruption to their stable lives.
The crisis had erupted suddenly. Though there had been whispers of trouble, everyone had clung to the illusion of Tongzhou’s peace, unwilling to believe it—or even to entertain the thought.
By avoiding the truth, they had hoped things would resolve smoothly. Yet, in the end, events had spiraled toward the worst possible outcome.
None of them were mentally prepared.
Ji Taoyu had just woken up from his midday nap, still feeling a bit weak, when Huo Shu, crouching by the bed, helped him put on his shoes. Suddenly, they heard shouting outside.
Ji Taoyu jolted awake, his eyes widening as he stared at Huo Shu. "W-war? Did they just say there’s a war?"
He wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly.
Huo Shu nodded, his expression calm. "The fighting has started. The news must have spread. Government troops are marching down the official roads—people along the way must already know."
Ever since stockpiling grain, he had kept a close watch on Tongzhou’s movements. When he learned the garrison had been sent south to Hailing, he guessed war was inevitable and had already made arrangements to relocate at a moment’s notice.
Only three days after the garrison’s departure, the rebels had indeed lost patience and struck.
"But... but..."
Huo Shu grasped Ji Taoyu’s trembling hands. "Stay calm. Don’t panic. I’ve made plans."
Ji Taoyu exhaled slightly, but such a major event still left him anxious.
Once the two stepped outside, the uncles were scurrying around like ants on a hot pan, their faces flushed with urgency.
Huo Shu first guided Ji Taoyu to sit down.
Though no one had spoken yet, their gazes all turned to him.
It was Ji Yangkai who broke the silence first. "Son-in-law, war has broken out!"
"I know."
"You’ve been on the battlefield before—do you have a plan?"
"The rebels only held back because they feared the garrison. Now that the garrison has been withdrawn, they’ve launched their attack. The prefecture’s ragtag soldiers won’t last long."
Huo Shu said coolly, "Before the fighting reaches us—we must leave."
"Leave...?"
Ji Yangming of the second branch said anxiously, "Our Ji ancestors have lived here for generations. Where would we go? We have no property elsewhere—we can’t all flee to a son-in-law’s home!"
Ji Yangkai also said, "That’s right! If we flee, we’ll be refugees. Out there, we’d just be fish on the chopping block!"
Huo Shu replied, "At the start of the year, I selected a plot of land in Yuchang Prefecture as a transit point for the merchant caravan. Construction has already begun. Though it’s not yet complete due to the urgency, it can serve as temporary shelter."
The arguing uncles fell silent at once.
Stunned, they stared at Huo Shu—they hadn’t expected him to actually have a place for them to go.
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