Chapter 189: Happy Reunion (For Alliance Leader

Madam Lou arrived with the people from Jingxing Court — Fei Rumei, Zhao Zhenfang, Yingchun, Dongfu, and others, as well as Fei Chun's parents and his three-year-old younger brother.

And of course, Fei Yinghuan's infant son, the barely two-year-old Fei Rugao.

Their pretext for the long journey was moving to Fujian, to live with Fei Yinghuan, who was serving as an official there.

"Is that Nanchang? The walls are so high!" Fei Rumei was already fifteen and looked much like her elder sister, though her temperament was more outgoing and lively.

Fei Rumei's wonder was justified — the walls of Nanchang stood 9.3 meters high and 6.7 meters thick. Not counting the rammed-earth and stone-block foundation, the wall extended 3.5 meters deep underground — you couldn't even tunnel your way in.

To strengthen its defenses, the city gates had been reduced to seven, each one reinforced with a barbican, and every barbican fitted with a thousand-jin portcullis.

As for the moat, it was 35 meters wide and 5 meters deep.

Any assault on the city would first require filling in the moat — a massive undertaking in itself.

Without collaborators on the inside, Nanchang was simply impregnable!

Zhao Zhenfang ran out and said, "Second Sister, Mother says you're not to wander off. Get back to the cabin at once."

Fei Rumei said, "I'm not wandering off, I just came out to see the sights."

"Go on inside," Zhao Zhenfang said.

Fei Rumei pursed her lips, turned, and went back into the cabin, casting one last, rather reluctant glance at Nanchang.

Zhao Zhenfang followed her in and said with a smile, "Mother, Second Sister is back."

"No more wandering about here. Once we're past Nanchang you may go out," Madam Lou instructed.

"Why?" Fei Rumei asked, full of curiosity.

Madam Lou was not inclined to explain and only said, "You'll understand in a few days."

Zhao Zhenfang asked, "Mother, I've heard there are rebels in Ji'an Prefecture. Won't we be in danger of being robbed when we pass through?"

"No need to worry," Madam Lou said, her smile peculiar.

By now, Zhao Zhenfang was exceptionally close to Madam Lou and had come to treat her as her own mother.

It was simply because Madam Lou had always treated her well, and once word of Zhao Han's uprising arrived, she had redoubled her kindness. In private, the household slaves of Jingxing Court even addressed Zhao Zhenfang as "Third Young Miss."

Zhao Zhenfang opened the porthole and gazed silently at the scenery along the bank.

Her heart was impatient with longing. She had heard that her brother was in Fujian too, and at last she would be reunited with him.

Ahead they encountered a customs barrier. After queuing to pay the fee, the large boat finally passed through without incident, and Madam Lou breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

From here on, they were in Zhao Han's territory!

The Governor of Jiangxi, Li Maofang, had already been recalled to Beijing, but the private customs posts he had set up remained, and the Left Provincial Administration Commissioner, Ding Kuichu, was happily raking in the money.

The newly appointed Governor of Jiangxi and Governor-General of the Five Southern Provinces, Zhu Xieyuan, was still in Guizhou and had likely not yet received word.

That said, the Jiangxi Regional Commander, Zhu Guoxun, had already taken up his post, sailing straight to Jiujiang to take command of the naval forces from the Jiangzhou Circuit Military Intendant.

Zhu Guoxun had previously fought naval battles in Fujian, steadily accumulating merit by hunting pirates, and had risen to Vice Regional Commander for his part in destroying Liu Xiang. He certainly knew naval warfare, and he rather looked down on inland river navies, believing that defeating Zhao Han's fleet would be effortless.

At this very moment, he was drilling his forces on Lake Poyang while sending word to Zheng Zhilong, hoping to purchase some cannon to mount on his ships.

Both the government troops and the rebels in Jiangxi were upgrading their weapons and equipment!

The boat put in at the Fengcheng docks. Madam Lou sent people ashore to buy provisions and summoned Fei Lin and Madam Ling to her.

"Madam!" Fei Lin and his wife bowed respectfully.

"Sit," Madam Lou said with a smile.

"Thank you, Madam." The couple sat down gingerly.

Madam Lou asked, "Do you two know where this journey is taking us?"

Madam Ling answered, "To Fujian."

Madam Lou shook her head. "To Ji'an."

"But Ji'an is rebel territory!" Fei Lin exclaimed in alarm.

The name of the Luling rebel Zhao had long since spread throughout Jiangxi. What was more, the Prefect of Guangxin had been defeated and killed, and of over four thousand local militia, only a few hundred had fled back. In Yanshan, the mere mention of the rebel Zhao made people turn pale.

Madam Lou smiled. "The Luling rebel Zhao is none other than Brother Han."

"Brother… Brother Han!" Husband and wife were so stunned they could not close their mouths, staring wide-eyed at Madam Lou.

Madam Lou added, "Your son is a high official under Brother Han, managing coin and grain for him."

The couple felt no joy at this news. Instead, they were so shocked their limbs went weak, as if the sky itself were falling.

They were household slaves. Even if they had ambitions, those went no further than skimming a little extra money and one day becoming head stewards of the Ehu Fei estate. Madam Ling, in particular, had been thoroughly tamed and had long since abandoned any pretensions of being a lady; she no longer called herself "Madam Ling."

Rebellion was something far, far beyond their world.

Madam Lou pointed out the porthole at the city. "This county seat also belongs to Brother Han."

Husband and wife looked at each other blankly. Their world consisted solely of the Fei family great house at Ehu.

In his youth, Fei Lin had accompanied Fei Yinghuan to the Yanshan county seat and to the prefectural city of Guangxin, so he at least had a little experience of the wider world.

Madam Ling, on the other hand — a trip to Hekou Town counted as a long journey for her.

That an entire city here belonged to Brother Han was utterly beyond anything they could imagine.

Madam Lou produced their indentures and said, "Under Brother Han's rule, keeping slaves is forbidden. Fei Chun has become a high official; it is impossible for you to remain servants. Take these."

Fei Lin took them mechanically, then suddenly slapped himself across the face.

He was not dreaming!

The couple were so overwhelmed with shock that they even forgot to give thanks. They just sat there, stupefied.

"Go and rest. You may drink some yellow wine to settle your nerves," Madam Lou said.

As if sleepwalking, the couple made their way to the neighboring cabin and sat there in a daze for a long while.

At last, Madam Ling asked, "Chun'er has become a high official for the rebels?"

"It seems… so," Fei Lin said, still in a fog.

Madam Ling suddenly covered her mouth and broke down sobbing. Through her tears she said, "Wuwuwu… what are we to do? If the authorities catch us, they'll cut our heads off!"

Fei Lin was also trembling with fear, consoling himself: "No, no. Luling's Zhao… Brother Han is formidable — I hear even the government troops can't beat him."

"No matter how formidable a rebel is, he's still a rebel. Once the Emperor sends a higher official to strike him down, how could he possibly hold out? When that day comes, it's all over!" The more Ling-shi thought, the more terrified she became, and she wept even more bitterly.

"Cry, cry, cry — what use is your crying?"

Driven frantic by the weeping, Fei Lin snapped: "Our son has already turned bandit — will crying bring him back? The Mistress is a woman of resolve, and she's gone to Ji'an too. From now on, whatever she does, we just follow."

"Right, right, the Mistress also went…" Ling-shi suddenly froze. "Young Master Ruhe — he hasn't turned rebel too, has he?"

Fei Lin jolted to realization and slapped his thigh. "No wonder the Mistress treated Chunfang so well — she knew about this all along. Young Master Ruhe has definitely turned bandit. Chun went out with him."

As if the whole Fei Ruhe family turning bandit could give them a sense of safety, Ling-shi suddenly became far less afraid.

Not only unafraid, Ling-shi grew excited. "If Chun has become a high official, doesn't that mean we'll live in comfort from now on?"

"What are you thinking?" Fei Lin said, speechless.

Ling-shi began to fantasize. "I want to buy ten maids and ten servant boys to wait on me — food brought to my mouth, clothes held out for my arms. Oh, and what was your original surname?"

Fei Lin shook his head. "I don't know."

"Then keep the surname Fei, no need to change it back," Ling-shi suddenly snapped. "You are not allowed to take concubines!"

Fei Lin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What on earth is going through your head?"

Ling-shi gave a cold laugh. "You can never be sure. What man with power and wealth doesn't take concubines?"

She shouldn't have said it — the moment Ling-shi spoke, Fei Lin's heart truly stirred, and he began fantasizing about how many beautiful concubines he might take.

Amid the couple's daydreams, the passenger boat gradually approached Ji'an Prefecture.

Every county seat they passed thrilled them beyond measure — for all of it was Brother Han's territory.

Arriving at the prefectural city of Ji'an, the couple followed Lou-shi ashore.

Ling-shi murmured, "Brother Han's territory is truly vast. They say he holds over ten counties, and we've only passed a few. The way I see it, Brother Han could become Emperor one day, and our Chun will be one of the founding ministers. You just wait and enjoy your retirement."

"Don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense," Fei Lin warned repeatedly, though his own heart was blooming with delight.

The soldier assigned to receive them ran to the Regional Commander's residence to report, and guards immediately came out to welcome them.

The two maids, Yingchun and Dongfu, also gradually sensed something was amiss.

But they could not tell exactly what was wrong, and could only follow Lou-shi inside.

This had formerly been the prefectural yamen. Though half of it still served as offices, the inner residence was vast.

After winding through corridors and crossing courtyards for a while, they finally saw people.

The soldiers who had gone to Yanshan to fetch them immediately gave a military salute. "Regional Commander, the persons have been brought."

"Very good. You've worked hard," Zhao Han said with a smile.

Fei Rulan, holding her child, stepped forward together with Zhao Han.

"Mother-in-law."

"Mother."

Lou-shi beamed, her face blooming with joy. "Good, good!" She took her grandson. "What is the child's name?"

Fei Rulan answered, "He's not yet a hundred days old, so he has no formal name. His milk name is Chong'er."

"Chong'er?" Lou-shi did not catch the meaning.

"The 'chong' of fire-chong," Fei Rulan said helplessly. "Not long after Chong'er was born, a subordinate presented a fire-chong."

While mother and daughter talked, Zhao Han made faces at his sister. Zhao Zhenfang suppressed her delight and only smiled.

Fei Rumei finally came back to her senses. "Elder Sister, you and Brother Han married? Then doesn't that mean I should call him Brother-in-law?"

"Don't you like it?" Zhao Han asked with a grin.

Fei Rumei laughed. "I like it very much. Hello, Brother-in-law!" She turned to Zhao Zhenfang. "My sister has become your sister-in-law."

Zhao Zhenfang hurriedly performed a bow. "I greet my sister-in-law."

"Ah!"

Fei Rulan was overjoyed. She took Zhao Zhenfang's hand and slipped a jade bracelet onto her wrist.

After everyone had caught up for a while, the couple Fei Lin and Ling-shi were escorted to Fei Chun's own residence.

Those of County Magistrate rank and above were all provided with official residences — either quarters attached to the yamen, or properties seized from exterminated local bullies and powerful families. These official residences could not be bought or sold; upon transfer or departure from office, they had to be vacated for one's successor.

Zhao Zhenfang cared nothing about rebels or not — as long as she could follow her brother, she was content.

After strolling around the place, Zhao Zhenfang suddenly sighed in dejection. "Such a beautiful house. If only Eldest Sister were still here."

Zhao Han consoled her. "I've already sent people searching."

He truly had. Zhao Han had commissioned a portrait and asked Xu Ying to help make inquiries.

A portrait would inevitably lose likeness, so they relied mainly on the name and clues.

Yangzhou, Zhenjiang, Nanjing, Jiujiang, and Nanchang all had Zhao Han's secret agents. For now, they were trying their luck mainly in these five cities.

(A reader mentioned the issue of cotton armor — it has been revised, but the iron plates of cotton armor can be mounted on the outside.)

(End of chapter)