Chapter 136: Return journey, Dong Yi's worry!

The night was deep.

But sitting by the campfire, draped in a white fox fur coat, and holding a pottery bowl, Zhen Jiang had no sleepiness at all.

The surrounding air was still mixed with the smell of blood.

The experiences of the past two days made Zhen Jiang feel as if she were in a dream.

Originally, she didn't need to manage these businesses of the Zhen family.

But her father passed away suddenly from illness, and her mother was also bedridden with grief.

The family seemed to be in chaos all of a sudden.

Although there were two older brothers in the family, both brothers were studying the classics of the sages, waiting to be recommended as filial and incorrupt to enter the court as officials, so how could they manage such lowly businesses?

Besides that, there was only her younger sister.

Therefore, this time she took the initiative to shoulder the heavy burden of the family and volunteered to come to Bingzhou.

But she didn't expect that before she even entered Jinyang, she would be plundered by bandits.

Most of the family guards died in battle, and the rest were female servants.

She thought she might die in these wild mountains and forests.

Didn't expect...

Zhen Jiang, holding a pottery bowl filled with meat porridge, turned to look at Duan Yu, who was bandaging the wounds of the soldiers.

Under the reflection of the firelight, Duan Yu's back looked very broad and powerful.

He was so cold and stern when he killed people.

But his movements were so gentle when he bandaged the wounds of his subordinates.

Duan Yu tore off a corner of his black robe and then wrapped it around the arm of Tie Shitou.

Tie Shitou winced in pain.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Duan Yu smiled slightly and then tied a butterfly knot.

Then he stood up.

Wang Hunu and the surrounding village youths all looked at the butterfly knot on Tie Shitou's arm with envious eyes.

"Brother Shitou, next time I get hurt, you tie one like this for me too."

"I'm not as greedy as you; if Big Brother Duan could bandage me once, I guarantee I wouldn't take it off for the rest of my life."

"Haha, wait until your wedding night, you can wear it then."

"I'll wear it if I wear it, what's there to be afraid of."

Tie Shitou looked at the knot on his arm that he couldn't name, and grinned.

By the campfire, Duan Yu held a bowl of meat porridge and sat not far from Zhen Jiang.

"Those... those people seem to respect you very much." Zhen Jiang looked at Tie Shitou, Wang Hunu, and the others who were playing and joking: "Are they all your subordinates?"

Duan Yu slurped the porridge and then shook his head with a smile: "They... are all my fellow villagers, my... younger brothers."

Younger brothers?

Zhen Jiang's beautiful eyes were filled with confusion and incomprehension.

"Is Jizhou good, how does it compare to Bingzhou?" Duan Yu asked while drinking porridge.

Zhen Jiang thought for a moment and then nodded: "Jizhou doesn't have as many mountains as Bingzhou."

"And there are many more people than in Bingzhou."

"The people there are also a bit wealthier than in Bingzhou."

Duan Yu nodded slightly.

Jizhou was one of the most prosperous states in the Eastern Han Dynasty, with a population of more than six million.

Of course, this was only those registered, not counting the population hidden by powerful families and clans.

If counted, it would probably be seven or eight million.

The population of Yecheng alone was as high as six hundred thousand.

You must know that the entire Bingzhou only had a population of six or seven hundred thousand.

And Jizhou was flat, rich in products, with a large planting area, and people's incomes were also higher.

Bingzhou was mountainous, and both population and land were extremely scarce.

And it also had to face harassment from the Xiongnu and Xianbei on the border.

Places like Yunzhong, Shuofang, Jiuyuan, and Yanmen only had tens of thousands of people.

But every commandery in Jizhou had hundreds of thousands of people.

If it weren't for the initial Yellow Turban Rebellion, perhaps what Yuan Shao inherited from Han Fu would have been an even more powerful Jizhou, with huge war potential.

"If you have the chance to go to Jizhou, you can go to Wuji County in Zhongshan Kingdom; my home is there." Zhen Jiang said.

Duan Yu nodded.

If he had the chance, he would definitely go there.

From here to Zhongshan Kingdom, it was actually not far, with only Changshan Kingdom in between.

If riding a horse, it might only take a few days.

After chatting for a while, Duan Yu stood up and walked towards a huge blue stone nearby.

"Rest early, we have to return to Jinyang early tomorrow morning."

After giving instructions, Duan Yu also went to rest.

The next morning.

When the morning light penetrated the dense branches of the forest and sprinkled on the ground, Zhen Jiang slowly opened her eyes.

The campfire in front of her still had faint flames.

She looked at the maid who was still sleeping beside her.

Zhen Jiang raised her eyes and looked for that familiar figure.

In her half-dreaming and half-waking state last night, Zhen Jiang saw Duan Yu get up from the giant stone not far away several times to help add firewood to the campfire in front of her and the sleeping soldiers.

Facing the sunlight, Zhen Jiang raised her palm to block the dazzling light, and only then did she see the figure of Duan Yu standing on the blue stone, practicing his saber movements quickly. ===== CHAPTER 138 =====