Chapter 89
The line was long and the journey slow. By the time they reached the meeting point outside the city, it was already zishi (11 pm-1 am).
Over a dozen people were waiting anxiously there. Four archery instructors from the horseback archery range had stayed behind, along with one fellow northerner, and the hunter Xiao Yong who had come to follow Huo Shu.
Huang Yinsheng brought his medicine apprentice Huang Qi, Wu Lianhe, and Zhao Pan.
As well as Jiang Yuhou's entire family, young and old.
Jiang Yuhou had originally planned to take his family to seek refuge with his brother in the capital, but the uprising in Tongzhou was somewhat sudden. He hadn't had time to send a letter to his brother yet.
Although his brother held an official post in the capital, his rank was low and he lived in his father-in-law's house. He usually didn't have much say and couldn't make decisions on everything.
Their large family showing up unannounced to seek refuge would undoubtedly cause trouble for him. After some thought, he finally decided to follow Huo Shu to Yuchang Prefecture first. Once they were settled there, he would send a letter to his brother to see if it would be convenient for them to come.
Huo Shu had given instructions in advance, so everyone gathered together to wait for the main group.
With the addition of several large carts loaded with belongings, their procession appeared even more substantial.
Tongzhou did not enforce a curfew. While the nights were indeed lively, the activity was concentrated only on those few streets featuring night markets and entertainment districts—the entire city was not as boisterous as it was during daylight hours.
The vicinity near the city walls was typically very quiet at night. However, unusually, even at this late hour, there was a steady stream of carriages, horses, and pedestrians departing the city.
Among them were numerous carts heavily laden with goods, and travelers hastening to secure their bundles.
News in the town traveled faster than in the rural areas outside. Right now, it wasn't just them leaving, many people in the town were already relocating.
There were quite a few people coming and going, but hardly anyone spoke.
Huo Shu's group fleeing together as refugees didn't seem particularly strange in this situation, but their large procession still drew sidelong glances.
Passersby glanced at them a couple of times but didn't say a word, instead quickening their pace.
In the night, this majestic and prosperous city was silently tinged with an aura of death.
Huo Shu and Huang Yinsheng's groups met without much talk, only nodding slightly in greeting.
The atmosphere was heavy—no one was in the mood for idle chatter.
Huo Shu did a headcount and checked the goods, then led the group to bypass the town directly.
"Is Xiao Taozi alright?"
Huang Yinsheng drove his cart alongside the carriage carrying Ji Taoyu and the others. He glanced at the people inside and saw Ji Taoyu's face looked a bit pale in the faint firelight.
Just as Ji Taoyu was about to shake his head, a wave of nausea suddenly churned in his stomach. He immediately covered his mouth and retched.
He wanted to vomit but couldn't bring anything up, instead his eyes turned red and teary.
Huang Manjing and Yuan Huiru almost simultaneously reached out to pat Ji Taoyu's back.
"He has been feeling waves of nausea intermittently throughout the journey."
Ji Taoyu took a small sip of water from his water gourd and added, "I am unsure whether it is due to the stuffiness of the carriage or the baby becoming restless."
Huang Yinsheng said, "It's about the right month for morning sickness. It might also be because we're traveling at night and being cooped up in the carriage."
He was most worried about Ji Taoyu on the road.
As they were speaking in hushed tones, the sound of approaching hoofbeats grew nearer, and soon Huo Shu's tall figure appeared at the carriage window.
Ji Taoyu widened his eyes slightly. He was about to tell Huo Shu that he was alright, but before he could speak, he saw Huo Shu's hand extend into the carriage.
Resting in his broad palm was a greenish-yellow orange.
Ji Taoyu's eyes brightened, and he eagerly accepted it.
He followed the line of the arm upward and saw Huo Shu's stern face.
"Where did you find this?"
"I picked it from the roadside."
Huo Shu glanced down at Ji Taoyu. "We'll be able to rest easier once we're outside Tongzhou Prefecture's borders. I need to go check ahead first."
Ji Taoyu hummed in acknowledgment.
Without another word, Huo Shu tugged on the reins and disappeared from the side of the carriage.
The older family members watched as Ji Taoyu brought the not-yet-ripe sour orange to his nose, inhaling its scent, his eyes curving into happy crescents. They couldn't help but chuckle softly at the sight.
"It's a good thing he remembers your morning sickness even while leading the group, going to pick an orange for you in the dark."
Ji Taoyu felt a bit embarrassed by their teasing, the tips of his ears turning red.
The journey had lasted nearly two shichen (four hours), and it was now deep into the night. The farmers hurrying on their way were growing weary.
Not every family possessed livestock to transport their belongings or provide a ride; the majority shouldered their bundles and proceeded on foot.
The men carried the family's meager dry rations and money, while the women and gers pulled the children along and carried lighter items.
The older children were better off, sensible and walking without fuss. The younger ones, having been on the road all night, inevitably grew tired and couldn't walk, so the adults had to carry them.
Fortunately, they were all fellow villagers traveling together, helping each other out. Families with carts or livestock had the men walk, letting the women, children, and elderly take turns resting on the carts.
Just as everyone felt that, although the journey was hard, it was at least safe and steady, they reached the Tongzhou Prefecture border checkpoint.
From afar, they could see the checkpoint brightly lit. To pass through on the smooth official road, everyone had to go through this checkpoint.
The surrounding small paths were impassable for carts. This checkpoint was built precisely to manage the prefecture and control entry and exit.
For example, merchant caravans passing through had to present documents and pay customs duties here.
Seeing the lights still so bright so late at night, Huo Shu felt something was amiss, so he rode ahead on horseback to check.
"Why are you leaving the prefecture?"
"Do you have a merchant pass?"
"No one can cross the prefecture border tonight.Come back tomorrow..."
A long line had formed at the prefecture border gate. Five soldiers were conducting inspections. Four guarded the gate itself, with two more standing on the gate wall.
There were over ten personnel in total, all armored soldiers.
Huo Shu took a quick glance and estimated the numbers. There were this many visible—the soldiers at the border checkpoint worked in shifts, so another group was probably resting.
Under normal circumstances, the checkpoint would never be this heavily manned. However, with ongoing conflict in the city, heightened security at all exits was expected. Yet, the present force seemed insufficient—capable of deterring only peaceful civilians. Should rebel troops approach this passage, these few guards would undoubtedly be unable to withstand them.
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