Chapter 516: Hearing This Makes One

The flames at the Provincial Governor’s residence, like a signal, instantly galvanized the entire city of Mianzhu into action.

As Wu Ban stormed the Provincial Governor’s residence and captured Liu Yan and his son alive, then found the bewildered Liu Mao, the Eastern Province Troops’ camp — which had previously maintained a kind of chaotic neutrality only because their officers had been taken hostage — immediately solidified its stance… Once some of the officers were released, they promptly bared their left arms and joined the so-called “turnaround” ranks; the so-called “Young Master Mao faction” loyal to Lord Gongsun suddenly possessed an armed force of over two thousand fully equipped men.

Inside the city, it was the same. Seeing the Provincial Governor’s residence ablaze, the civil officials and aides of Mianzhu who had still been somewhat hesitant no longer dared to waver. And when mounted armored riders galloped through, shouting and transmitting the “orders of Liu Mao,” who was acting on behalf of Yizhou, these people became even more proactive.

Thus, by midnight, Xu Shu had already accomplished a series of victories: capturing Liu Yan, installing Liu Mao, controlling the Eastern Province Troops’ camp, taking over the city walls, and securing the civil and military officials of Mianzhu.

The matter went so smoothly it felt as if in a dream.

“It was no fluke!”

Zhang Song stood on the steps before the Commandery Governor’s residence, head high and chest out, his face flushed crimson in the torchlight. Taking advantage of the fact that Xu Shu and the others had not yet returned from the Provincial Governor’s residence, he was loudly spouting off to the hastily assembled civil and military officials of Shu. “I tell you all, this was no fluke! You must understand, what Lord Xu has done is truly the act of stabbing a state! And stabbing a state is like stabbing a man… Have any of you ever stabbed a man?!”

Below the steps, in the firelight and shadows, stood countless civil officials and aides of Shu. Some wore faint smiles, some remained silent and motionless, some bent at the waist, some stood solemnly without a word. But in the eyes of Zhang Ziqiao — who had just changed his form of address for Xu Shu yet again — all these people were actually looking at him with gazes mixed with envy, jealousy, resentment, and indignation!

That’s right — envy, jealousy, and hatred!

They were looking at him, a man of short stature and ugly appearance, with exactly those gazes!

Looking at him, a man of prestigious family background, whose talent and wisdom surpassed his elder brother’s tenfold, yet who in the past could only serve as a low-ranking clerk here!

Because it was precisely this man who had seized the last heaven-and-earth-shaking opportunity in Shu and achieved such great merit!

“To stab a man, there are but three key points!” Zhang Song faced these gazes, feeling his chest surge with ever greater intensity. “First, seize the vital point… Lord Xu arrived in Shu only a few days ago, yet he determined that the vital point lay with Liu Yan, not Liu Fan. That is insight! Unlike some of you, born and raised in Shu, who actually believed that all power had already passed into Liu Fan’s hands, fawning around him all day — utterly foolish beyond belief! Military authority remained entirely in Liu Yan’s hands, not a fraction of it had been transferred!”

“Second, do nothing superfluous… Lord Xu sought me out for civil affairs and sought out Wu Ziyuan for military affairs, because he knew we two were among the rare useful talents in Shu. So he paid no further heed to extraneous matters, nor did he seek out more incompetents. That too is insight, and even more, it is prudence!”

“Third, simply deliver the decisive stab… This sounds simple, but it requires great courage and great boldness. I ask you, how similar is Lord Xu’s conduct today to how Ban Dingyuan pacified the Western Regions?! Are you all, either mediocre and idle or opportunistic and cunning, any different from Guo Xun at Ban Dingyuan’s side?”

Zhang Ziqiao had indeed been stifled to the breaking point in ordinary times. Now, venting with full force, he spewed out who knows how many years of pent-up resentment in one breath, feeling more glorious than he ever had in his life.

In truth, as he reflected that with the overall situation in Shu about to be settled and his own merit established here, he would surely transcend that chasm-like divide between official ranks, his feet felt even lighter, his head dizzier, and his tongue blossomed like a lotus, spewing fragrant words without end.

One could only say, it was fortunate that Xu Shu had initially only assigned him to guard and oversee the civil and military officials of Shu, without delegating any extra military tasks. Otherwise, he might well have provoked one or two officers who would otherwise have surrendered into rebellion.

By daybreak, the city had gradually calmed. Nearly four thousand local garrison troops of Eastern Province origin had almost entirely switched sides, and Mianzhu was fully under control. Liu Mao, having regained his senses and under Wu Yi’s earnest persuasion, and with Xu Shu guaranteeing the safety of the captured Liu Yan and his son Liu Dan, formally showed himself to manage the situation… He styled himself General of the Household, assumed acting authority over Yizhou on the grounds of his father’s illness and weakness, and openly raised the banner of welcoming the Yan Army into Shu.

A political program representing the will of a considerable portion of people was now in place; Liu Yan had not come to harm, so the legal principle of father-to-son succession was also intact; moreover, Liu Mao, as the son who had arrived at his father’s side before Liu Fan entered Shu, had always been half an heir, with his own faction and rallying power… More importantly, the powerful Yan Army had already reached Jiange, and the local “Imperial Guard” — the Mianzhu garrison formed from Eastern Province Troops — had collectively switched sides. Thus, Mianzhu naturally restored order in an instant.

In fact, what the civil and military officials in the city were now discussing was already the problem of Liu Fan.

Liu Fan was no more than twenty li from Mianzhu. If he had seen the commotion last night and ridden swiftly over, he might have arrived long ago. Even by conventional cautious practice — sending out night scouts to investigate, then returning to report — he should have made some move by now… Yet no movement had been seen for a long time.

For a time, the city buzzed with debate. Some suggested proactively attacking Liu Fan north of the city; some suggested using Liu Yan’s name to urge his surrender, to avoid brothers fighting each other; still others, feigning profundity, said that since Liu Fan had not come by now, he must intend to flee to Chengdu, Qianwei, or Fushui Pass, and that troops should be dispatched to the strategic point of Luoxian behind them — both to block Liu Fan’s attempt to flee south and to expand Liu Mao’s influence.

Everyone debated, unable to agree. Even Zhang Song, who was presiding over the meeting, could not make up his mind. Ignoring the fact that he had not slept all night, he brought the opinions to the military camp to consult Xu Shu, intending to let the other man decide.

To this, Xu Yuanzhi, who had also not slept all night, had already bathed and was on his couch. Hearing this, he simply turned over on the couch, baring his chest, and replied: “Ziqiao, do not overthink it. Our strength is insufficient, and military morale is unstable. Taking Mianzhu was already a fluke. If we dispatch troops now, no matter where they go, it will likely cause unrest. At that point, the slightest misstep could bring the danger of a reversal. It is best to hold the city tightly.”

“Then what of the future?” Zhang Song, clearly wanting to earn more merit, could not help but ask further.

“The future…” Xu Yuanzhi could not help but chuckle. “Ziqiao, what is the ultimate purpose of our action?”

Zhang Song, being a clever man after all, sobered almost instantly: “Whether stabbing a man or stabbing a state, the ultimate goal is to spare the millions of soldiers and commoners across a thousand li of Shu from the calamity of war, and to hasten Lord Gongsun’s great army’s entry into Shu.”

“Then may I ask Ziqiao, now that Mianzhu is in hand, what is still lacking to bring about the great army’s entry into Shu?” Xu Yuanzhi continued to press, relaxed.

Zhang Song also suddenly found it laughable: “Only Fushui and Jiange remain… I have been muddled. Just as Lord Xu said earlier, unless necessary, do nothing superfluous. If we stabilize things here in Mianzhu, the overall situation is essentially secured!”

Xu Shu laughed along with him.

In short, what Xu Shu and Zhang Song meant was very simple.

One must understand that although Mianzhu was a famous city, it was only because it served as the northern entrance to the Chengdu Plain, and thus had always been prosperous. In truth, since ancient times, the core great cities of Shu were, first, Chengdu, and second, Luoxian, the seat of Guanghan Commandery. These two places were the traditional centers of rule in Shu.

However, because Liu Yan entered Shu just as Shu was in turmoil, and because he needed to rely on the Eastern Province Troops faction, he moved the center of rule to Mianzhu.

And in fact, further north from Mianzhu was Fushui; on the northern bank of Fushui lay Fushui Pass, or Fuxian; and further north from Fushui Pass was the route through Jiange, Jiameng, and Baishui Pass.

In other words, Mianzhu was essentially the end of the passage into Shu. Given the current military situation — with Yan Yan at Fushui and Zhang Ren at Jiange — as long as Xu Yuanzhi stabilized Mianzhu, even if he sat still and did nothing, then no matter what intentions Yan Yan or Zhang Ren harbored, they could not hold out for long… Neither their provisions nor their morale could sustain them for a month.

Unless Yan Yan made a decisive move, immediately leading his main army back to attack Mianzhu — then, given his prestige in the Shu military, success would still be quite possible.

The only problem was that Yan Yan was, after all, a soldier and a man widely acknowledged as straightforward. Without political justification, what reason would he have to attack Mianzhu, which held Liu Yan and his two sons?

“So…” Xu Shu spoke with slightly more seriousness. “Regarding Liu Fan’s whereabouts that Ziqiao mentioned, I have also given it some thought. If he has not come by now, he must be preparing to leave… And once he flees, in my view, the worst-case scenario is that Liu Fan decisively escapes directly to Fushui, finds Yan Yan, and then uses his political rallying power to persuade Yan Yan to come here immediately!”

“If that happens,” Zhang Song mused, “we should then rally hearts, reinforce the city defenses, and as long as we hold Mianzhu — given that many officers’ families are inside the city — their army will collapse on its own, and Lord Gongsun’s great army to the north will naturally be able to enter.”

“Correct,” Xu Shu admitted frankly. “And that is the worst-case scenario. I have already had Wu Ziyuan write to Yan Yan explaining the situation and urging him to surrender. I have also had him locate the families of the frontline soldiers… Ziqiao, you must work hard these next few days. On one hand, restore order in the city; on the other, open the government storehouses and provide relief to the families of the frontline Shu soldiers and officers. Ensure that, whether Eastern Province Troops or native Shu people, all receive fair treatment and favor.”

“I understand,” Zhang Song said, his admiration for the other man growing.

“As for the second-worst scenario, that would be Liu Fan going to Chengdu.” At this point, Xu Yuanzhi could not help but relax and sneer. “But that move will depend on his ability. If he can promptly bring a large army out of Chengdu and turn back to besiege Mianzhu, there might still be hope. I just fear he won’t make it in time.”

Zhang Song also sneered along: “He has been in Shu for barely over a year. He absolutely lacks such prestige.”

“There is another possibility,” Xu Shu continued from his couch, raising an eyebrow slightly. “That is, he goes directly to seek Zhao Wei…”

“Zhao Wei indeed has a large army in hand,” Zhang Song’s heart stirred. “And it is certainly not in as difficult a position as Yan Yan’s forces on the front line…”

“But if Liu Fan goes there, we, on the contrary, will be completely free of worry!” Xu Yuanzhi interjected, then lay straight down, clearly intending to catch up on sleep.

Zhang Song’s heart stirred slightly, and he too suddenly saw the light. He then ceased to care at all about Liu Fan’s whereabouts, and without disturbing the other man, turned and walked out — only to run straight into Wu Yi.

When the two met again, there was none of that teeth-baring, snarling hostility between Eastern Province Troops and Yizhou curs. Instead, they were exceptionally cordial… To put it plainly, before, the space was small, and two groups were fighting over one bowl of noodles — there weren’t even enough chopsticks, so they had to grab with their hands. But now that a great road lay ahead and the world was open before them, in the future, once the two of them left Shu, this shared experience would make them friends instead.

Of course, Zhang Song did not let Wu Yi disturb Xu Yuanzhi’s sleep. After exchanging pleasantries, he simply recounted Xu Yuanzhi’s analysis from just now. At the end, he could not help but sigh with emotion:

“Lord Xu is truly a man like an immortal! A thousand li of Shu, countless tangled threads — yet he, a newcomer, sees through it all as clearly as watching a fire, and speaks on every point with perfect clarity!”

“It’s just having a bit more courage, and everything else is merely learning from the past wisdom of others!” From inside the room, Xu Yuanzhi, perhaps annoyed by the chatter, could not help but call back from a distance. “Have you two stayed up all night and not need to sleep?”

The two men outside the dwelling were instantly struck speechless.

“Father, you have been up all night. Please sleep for a while.” At the same time, in the Provincial Governor’s residence, which Wu Ban had personally led troops to seal off, in a certain pavilion, Liu Yan’s second son, Liu Dan, was carefully comforting his haggard-looking father. “Third Brother has just received Xu Yuanzhi’s guarantee that he will absolutely not harm our lives, father and son… Things have come to this; it is useless for Father to dwell on it.”

“I am not worrying about myself.” Liu Yan’s eyes were nearly bloodshot, his hair graying and disheveled, as if he were mad. Coupled with having wept for half the night, he was truly worrying to behold. Yet as soon as he spoke, he still displayed great rationality and intelligence. “The Eastern Province Troops have already turned, and the Yan Army is right there at Jiange. Things have come to this; there is nothing more for you and me to think about. I am only worried about your elder brother…”

Liu Dan’s heart immediately soured… His father was truly biased. The fourth brother had been thrown to Hebei and ignored; the third brother had been confined at home by him; and he himself had accompanied his father to this state. Yet at this moment, his father was still thinking about his elder brother.

They say the bond between father and son is deep, but why was such favoritism shown only to the eldest brother?

Liu Yan seemed to see through his second son’s thoughts and explained helplessly: “You do not understand… For you three other brothers and me, since we no longer hold power, our lives are actually in no danger in the short term. Only your elder brother is outside and still has options. I just fear that he might make one misstep, misjudge the situation, and in the end, he alone will die without a burial place. Having lived to this old age, must I instead suffer the pain of losing a son first?!”

By the end of his words, Liu Junlang could not help but reveal his aged frailty, gasping for breath, tears streaming down his face again as he beat his chest and stamped his feet.

Liu Dan grew even more helpless, assuming his father’s madness from last night had returned. He simply turned and asked the guard beside him — clearly from the north — to fetch a pot of hot water and a face cloth, and that was all.

Leaving aside the Liu father and son for the moment, that night, Xu Yuanzhi, having succeeded in his covert seizure of the city, simply lay down to rest at ease. At the same time, he had Wu Yi reorganize the Mianzhu garrison, and had Zhang Song open the storehouses to reassure the families of the frontline Shu army officers and soldiers. Finally, he did not forget to have documents widely issued in Liu Mao's name, calling on Yan Yan at the Fushui Pass on the front line and the surrounding county towns to surrender.

What was somewhat unexpected, however, was that Liu Fan had almost completely vanished... The man made no counterattack, did not cross the Fushui River northward to seek Yan Yan, nor did he appear in Chengdu to the southwest. He had simply disappeared.

The only trace left behind was the dozen or so imperial carriages abandoned beside the sacrificial site to the north.

After a full seven or eight days, just when Yan Yan was utterly overwhelmed and at a complete loss, and while Xu Shu was resting completely at ease and without a care in Mianzhu, word of Liu Fan finally arrived... It was a squad of armored soldiers from Pang Xi's command who voluntarily returned to Mianzhu that brought the news.

These men were also so-called Dongzhou Shi, with their families all living near Mianzhu. They claimed they were unwilling to follow Liu Fan and Pang Xi to the region of Qianwei to seek out Zhao Wei.

That Liu Fan went to seek Zhao Wei did not surprise many, because Mianzhu's position was too critical and had to be retaken as quickly as possible. Otherwise, once the Yan army entered the heartland of Shu, all would be lost. Thus, when Liu Fan discovered the Dongzhou Shi had mutinied and Mianzhu had changed hands, he could only go to one of three places—Chengdu, Fushui Pass, or Qianwei—to mobilize troops; it was simply a choice of three.

Among these, although Chengdu had a large population, it had always been the very foundation of the native Shu power. Liu Fan had no base of support there whatsoever. If he truly went there, by the time he gathered an army, the opportunity would have long since slipped away... In reality, the only places with ready-made large armies at that moment were none other than Yan Yan's force at Fushui and Zhao Wei's force, which was currently besieging Yang Hong at Qianwei.

These two, however, were different:

First, compared to Yan Yan, the military pressure Zhao Wei faced was far less. The Fushui Pass where Yan Yan was stationed was merely the territory of a single county, offering no room to maneuver. Moreover, directly facing him was the main Yan army with an absolute numerical advantage of tens of thousands. If he withdrew troops to turn back and failed, the defense of the Shu roads would naturally collapse, leading inevitably to a situation where all was lost. Zhao Wei, on the other hand, was on the offensive, besieging Yang Hong in a single city, with the surrounding regions of Qianwei, Shu Commandery, the dependencies of Shu Commandery, and Ba Commandery offering vast territory, and even the several commanderies of Nanzhong to fall back on. He possessed immense strategic space and strategic initiative.

Second, in the context of the joint rebellion of the Dongzhou Shi and some Shu natives, Zhao Wei, as the largest and most senior leader of the Dongzhou Shi, and also a native of western Ba Commandery with a certain Shu character (which was one reason he was so heavily relied upon), had a far greater rallying power over the rebels than Yan Yan.

Third, Zhao Wei's troops also outnumbered Yan Yan's, because before the war began, Zhao Wei was the Grand Administrator of Shu Commandery and Yan Yan was the Grand Administrator of Ba Commandery. Zhao Wei himself was the originally designated frontline Regional Commander of the Shu army. It was only because of the trouble with Yang Hong that he led the main Shu Commandery army south first, forcing them to send Yan Yan up to take his place.

Fourth, Zhao Wei had a closer relationship with Liu Yan and held a higher political status in Shu. The man had already been the Grand Granary Minister of the Great Han before Liu Yan entered Shu, and had essentially always been Liu Yan's trusted second-in-command. Yan Yan, by contrast, inevitably lacked some of that political leadership aura.

In a word, compared to Yan Yan, Zhao Wei had stronger troops and sturdier horses, a broader territory, and a vastly superior political status. Choosing him was the safest bet.

In fact, it was with these very arguments that Pang Xi had persuaded Liu Fan.

Calculating the time, Liu Fan's party, which had bypassed Mianzhu via mountain paths and then hurried south along the Jian River by small trails toward Han'an (where Yang Hong had rebelled, later known as Neijiang), should have nearly reached Zhao Wei's military camp by now.

Once the news was confirmed, the various civil and military officials in Mianzhu City were each thrown into a panic. Only Xu Shu, Zhang, and Wu were completely relieved. The former even made a special trip to visit Liu Yan because of this.

As expected, on that very day, in the afternoon, hundreds of li from Mianzhu, thirty li north of Han'an City, within a gorge, a party of three to five hundred had just emerged from the forest when they were suddenly dazed and dizzy from the scorching sun overhead. It was none other than Liu Fan's group, arriving in such a wretched state.

"Lord Liu," a local guide officer, panting heavily, wiped the sweat from his face and then spoke seriously, "The weather is sweltering, and it's impossible to reach the camp today. Why don't you set up camp here and rest for now? I will go contact the camp; it would be best to send more carts and horses to fetch you tomorrow."

Liu Fan did not take issue with the disrespect in the man's words but instinctively looked to Pang Xi. The latter understood and, gritting his teeth, rose: "I will go with you to see Lord Zhao!"

The junior officer thought nothing of it. Immediately, the two of them, heedless of the heat, rode south together.

Thus, the night passed without incident, filled with the constant croaking of frogs and chirping of cicadas. Liu Fan, Grand Administrator of Guanghan, tossed and turned, unable to sleep—not because of the noise in his ears, but because of the extreme anguish in his heart... One moment he regretted his folly that day, falling for the ruse and leaving the city; the next he regretted not gritting his teeth and racing back into the city that night to take control of the situation; he also regretted not raising troops to attack the city at first light the next morning... In short, as a filial son, with his father's fate unknown, not sharing life and death with his father always gave him ten thousand reasons to berate himself for his cowardice over these past few days.

Of course, Liu Fan also possessed a certain rationality. He understood the logic in Pang Xi's words: since the rebels could seize control of the entire city in a single night, it must have been a joint revolt of both the Dongzhou Shi and the Shu natives. Under such circumstances, no one but Zhao Wei could calmly handle the situation. And Yan Yan's side, compared to Zhao Wei's, truly fell short in every aspect.

It was amidst such intense thoughts that Liu Fan finally managed to drift into a fitful sleep. He then actually dreamed of the days in his youth when he followed his father into seclusion on Mount Yangcheng... Though life was austere then, though father and son held no rank or title whatsoever, they had lived with a clear conscience. How had they come to this state today?

Was it because his father had harbored overreaching ambitions that should not have been entertained? Those thousand-plus carts were clear proof.

But as a filial son, even in his dream, he instinctively rejected the act of shifting blame onto his own father... It must be that he, the son, was too incompetent! If he had possessed the abilities of Duke Yan, a mere region like Shu would have been managed as tightly as an iron barrel within a year, and perhaps he could have even fulfilled his father's wish within his lifetime!

How could they have fallen into today's predicament?

At dawn the next day, without waiting for Pang Xi to come fetch him, the anxious Liu Fan urged his entourage to set out early, before the summer heat became unbearable... Though exhausted, everyone knew this was the right time to travel and voiced no complaints.

Moreover, after traveling barely a few li, just as they were about to exit the gorge, they spotted in the distance a contingent of troops with banners waiting at the valley mouth, and for a moment, a cheer went up.

Liu Fan was equally overjoyed at the sight. Rallying his spirits, he rode forward with an imposing air. But as he approached within a few dozen paces and saw the other party standing completely motionless, he grew puzzled and could not help but slow his horse as he advanced, calling out:

"Where is General of the Household Pang? Why does he not come to see me? Where is Lord Zhao? Why do you not come forward to pay respects?"

The officers opposite looked at each other wordlessly. Then, as one of them gave a slight pout, a single rider burst forth from the rear—it was unmistakably the guide officer from the day before. The man came before the formation and immediately answered in a stern voice:

"Pang Xi is here!"

With these words, the man took an object from behind his horse, hurled it forward with all his might, and then hastily retreated back into the formation.

Liu Fan looked down and felt his entire body turn ice-cold. The object was none other than Pang Xi's severed head!

In a flash of lightning, this young man, who had experienced the relocation of the capital and witnessed many things, instantly gained clarity of mind—yes, the reason Zhao Wei was employed was because of his own father, Liu Yan. Within the political system of Shu, Zhao Wei was directly tied to his father alone, positioned beneath his father, and connected to no one else.

And the same was true for himself; everything he had came from his father, Liu Yan!

Now that his own father's life or death was unknown, on what grounds could he command Zhao Wei, who was of the same level in the power structure? He simply did not possess the political authority or the ability to redeem political promises!

Even further, even if the other party did join forces with him, not to mention the possibility of failure, even if they succeeded, he would sooner or later have to replace Zhao Wei with Pang Xi. He might even try to eliminate Zhao Wei early out of fear of his dual status as leader of both the Shu natives and the Dongzhou Shi... If he were in Zhao Wei's shoes, he would also be unwilling to serve a Liu Fan who had nothing, right?

On the contrary, by eliminating him, this Lord Zhao might even believe he could achieve something relying on his dual prestige among the Dongzhou Shi and the Shu people!

So it turned out that without his father, he was nothing at all!

Of course, they were all pitiable and laughable wretches! Whatever purity remained in the hearts of the Shu people had long been worn away by internal strife!

Though these thoughts were complex, they flashed through his mind in an instant. At the same moment, Liu Fan had already instinctively wheeled his horse around, attempting to flee.

However, how could Zhao Wei's well-prepared troops let him escape?

With a single command from behind, ten thousand arrows were loosed at once, and the dignified heir of Yizhou died beneath the volley of the Shu Commandery troops.

Who knows whether, in the moment between life and death, he was able to recall once more those days on Mount Yangcheng.

————I am a divider where only one son died————

"After Xu Shu secured Mianzhu, he searched everywhere for Liu Fan but could not find him. Fearing Liu Fan would return with troops, he focused his efforts on the city's defenses, not daring to slacken for a moment. When soldiers from Liu Fan's command fled back to Mianzhu and clearly reported that Liu Fan was about to join Zhao Wei's army in Qianwei, the whole city was alarmed because of Zhao Wei's large force. Only Xu Shu was relieved, and he went to visit Liu Yan, offering condolences with humble words. Liu Yan, learning that his son had sought refuge with Zhao Wei, sighed deeply and wept as he accepted the condolences: 'My son is dead!' Thereafter, his hair turned white overnight. Later, Zhao Wei indeed killed Liu Fan and established himself independently, holding Qianwei and Shu Commandery." — *A New Account of the Tales of the World*, Chapter on Mourning the Departed

PS: I tried to go watch the ceremony this morning, though of course not actually watch it—I definitely couldn't get in. I ended up stuck at the north end of Wangfujing, watching the livestream on my phone in some shop... I should have just stayed home.

(End of Chapter)