My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 90 Part 3

"After all, Boss Huo is well-informed through his trading and left Tongzhou early, while we almost didn't make it out. It took several rounds of arrangements and great effort to escape through small paths beyond the border—it was truly miserable."

Huo Shu noticed that Chen Pu and the others did not carry much luggage, all rode fast horses, and had far fewer people. Their journey should have been much faster—traveling from Tongzhou to here by fast horse day and night would be sufficient.

"What is the current situation in Tongzhou?"

At this question, Chen Pu's face turned pale, and he shook his head painfully: "The world is descending into great chaos!"

"On the second day after you left, the prefectural government was already showing signs of being unable to withstand the rebel army's momentum. Who would have thought that at this critical moment, the prefect tried to flee with his valuables and family? Unfortunately, the news leaked, and he was caught by the rebel army halfway. Shao Gongde was immediately beheaded by the rebels, and his family also met a tragic end."

The rebels hung Shao Gongde's head as a trophy, boosting their morale while the prefectural soldiers' morale plummeted. Deserters fled in all directions, and the rebel army quickly captured the Tongzhou prefectural city.

The people surrounding Chen Pu turned pale upon hearing the news from Tongzhou, their mouths agape in fear for a long time.

No one had expected Tongzhou's defenses to hold for less than three days. However, the prefect's desertion and the collapse of military morale seemed to make sense under the circumstances.

"Then, since the rebel army has occupied the prefectural city, hasn’t the fighting stopped? Has Tongzhou regained stability?"

A villager asked with a glimmer of hope.

Chen Pu waved his hands repeatedly: "Although the fighting temporarily ceased after the rebel occupation, these rebels have grand ambitions. They stationed heavy troops at all border passes, and many refugees were taken back—men conscripted into the army, women, children, and the elderly returned to farm the land. They issued decrees to extensively requisition provisions and conscript strong labor to prepare for battle against the imperial court at any time. They intend to make Tongzhou their stronghold."

"Realizing the situation was dire, we immediately arranged to lighten our load and bribed our way through the border passes while security was not yet strict. If we tried to leave now, I'm afraid only supernatural powers could get us out of Tongzhou."

Everyone stood frozen, both relieved they had escaped earlier and feeling a deep, chilling dread: "So, does that mean we... we can never return?"

"For poor common folks, returning would only mean becoming pawns in their rebellion against the imperial court—strong men thrust into the front lines, women and children farming to produce provisions. Rather than living in such darkness, it’s better to flee elsewhere to make a living."

Although both groups were heading north, unfortunately, they were not taking the same path.

Huo Shu and Chen Pu exchanged contact addresses for unforeseen future needs.

Speaking of which, their acquaintance wasn’t particularly deep, but against the backdrop of this chaotic era, being fellow townspeople who had once done business together made their bond seem especially strong. Perhaps there might be opportunities to support each other again in the future. Having more friends always means more options.

Hearing about the upheaval in Tongzhou, the people traveling with them became even more respectful of Huo Shu, one could say even more dependent.

Even the most oblivious person understood that, for now, sticking closely with Huo Shu was the only way forward. Their roots were in Tongzhou, but the fallen leaves couldn't return there for a period of time.

The next day, everyone got up early to prepare for the journey, but unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.

As dawn approached, a few spring thunderclaps sounded, and by the time the sky lightened, a light rain had begun to fall. Under the gray, overcast sky, everything was damp.

When the wind blew, there was still a chill of late spring cold.

Everyone quickly bundled up in thick clothing. Already burdened with many belongings, they now had to hold umbrellas while traveling—it was truly miserable.

After two days like this, some children developed fevers and coughs, and those with weaker constitutions in the group began to feel listless and unwell.

Ji Taoyu was no exception.

Fortunately, Huang Yinsheng was there. When they made camp, he prepared medicinal soups for those who were sick.

Although quite effective, the crucial need for proper rest during illness couldn’t be met, so the conditions fluctuated. Fortunately, no one became seriously ill.

Everyone endured bitterly for ten days until they finally reached the territory of Yuchang Prefecture.

However, it would still take two more days to reach Huo Shu’s transit point. The distance wasn’t actually far, but the terrain in Yuchang Prefecture was rugged, and traveling west off the main road made it even more challenging.

Yuchang was lush with trees, with high mountains and dangerous waters, sparsely populated. The wild paths had grass half a person tall, making the journey much more exhausting than on the main road.

"Aiya! Such a big snake!"

Ji Wanglan had endured the continuous spring rain and was now under the nearing noon sun, feeling utterly disoriented.

She stepped on something soft and pliable, thinking it was a rope, but then it twisted under her foot.

She thought she was hallucinating from exhaustion, but when she looked down, she realized she had stepped on a snake. She screamed and jumped away, and the snake swiftly darted into the grass.

Ji Wanglan was so frightened her legs went weak. If someone hadn’t been nearby to support her, she would have collapsed to the ground.

"Looked like a rat snake, non-venomous. If you’d called me earlier, I could’ve grabbed it with one hand and cooked everyone some soup to nourish themselves!"

Ji Wanglan glanced at the joking man: "Get out of here! If you’d missed and gotten bitten, we’d have to trouble Physician Huang again."

"Insects and snakes are gradually awakening in spring. Yuchang is a remote area, not like Tongzhou. Everyone, be careful. Use knives to clear the grass."

Fortunately, most were farming families, accustomed to roughing it along the way without being fussy. Even though the road was difficult, no one complained.

Knowing they were not far from their destination, everyone’s spirits lifted, and they began to chat and laugh.

"There seems to be the sound of hooves ahead!"

Someone at the front suddenly called out: "I’ve heard Yuchang has many bandits! We couldn’t have actually run into them, could we?"

Before everyone could panic, they saw six or seven people approaching on horseback, cheering as they rode over: "A-Shu!"

It was A-Yu and Shi Yi, fellow townspeople from Tongzhou whom Huo Shu had previously stationed here, bringing people to welcome the group.