The room suddenly fell silent.
Jiang Jiang confirmed that no one was outside before closing the door and collapsing weakly onto the bed.
The book had only mentioned three years of great drought, with many people fleeing famine and countless deaths, but it never explained why. So it was connected to the Imperial Observatory.
Jiang Jiang never underestimated anyone, especially the wisdom of the ancients.
The fact that they could discern from celestial signs that the northern drought would last three years was truly remarkable, and what the book recorded confirmed this.
But fleeing famine meant chaos—how could the Imperial Observatory be so careless as to let this information out?
Right, the book also mentioned that the current emperor was in poor health, and the princes were locked in fierce struggles.
Their birthrights were already noble enough, yet they still fought tooth and nail over the seat beneath them, while the common people were the ones who suffered in the end.
What a damn mess!
Jiang Jiang also made a show of packing a few things before heading to the courtyard.
The Xu family was wealthy—they had three carriages alone, all loaded with valuables and grain.
Aside from Xu Wangcai, his most favored concubine, and the twins born to his legitimate wife, everyone else had to walk on foot.
Xu Wangcai swept his gaze across the crowd. "We set out now—any later and the city gates will be closed. The sooner we reach the prefectural seat, the sooner we can settle down. Let's go!"
"Whoa!"
One carriage after another rolled out of the Xu family compound.
Jiang Jiang followed behind with the other concubines and servants.
"Honestly, why won't they let us ride in the carriage? Even an oxcart would do."
"Didn't you see? Everything inside is loaded with the young master's belongings and grain, plus the water they stored earlier. There's no room for us."
"Hmph, once we reach the prefectural seat, I'm going to pester the young master into compensating me with two hairpins."
Seeing that Jiang Jiang had few belongings, one of the concubines named Lianhua shoved her bundle over. "Carry this for me. And let me tell you, the young master is up ahead—if you dare disobey me, he'll deal with you soon enough."
"No."
Seeing that Lianhua was about to raise a fuss, Jiang Jiang simply tilted her body and collapsed onto a maidservant.
The maidservant shrieked in fright. "Young master! Your seventh concubine has fainted!"
Xu Wangcai lifted the curtain. "What's going on?"
Jiang Jiang wore a look of utter panic, her voice frail as if she might breathe her last at any moment. "Young master, it's not Sister Lianhua's fault. It's all because I'm useless—my body just won't hold up. I can't help Sister Lianhua carry her bundle."
Lianhua stared at her, so furious she could barely speak, and stomped her foot hard. "Stop putting on an act! You just don't want to carry it for me!"
What a fool—this only confirmed what Jiang Jiang had just said.
Jiang Jiang extended her arm, trembling slightly, and slowly reached toward Lianhua's bundle.
Just as she was about to touch it, Xu Wangcai spoke up impatiently. "Enough. It's such a small thing—can't you carry it yourself? Besides, look how much thinner she is than you."
Lianhua opened her mouth, stammered for a long moment, and finally had to back down. "Yes, young master. Fine, I'll carry it myself!"
The moment Xu Wangcai dropped the curtain, Jiang Jiang instantly regained her strength.
Lianhua's eyes went wide, and she was so furious she nearly toppled over backward. "Fine! You little vixen—there's nothing wrong with you at all! Young master, she's just deceiving you!"
Jiang Jiang shot her a look of disdain and walked over to the other side.
Spending too much time with fools tends to drag down your own intelligence.
Lianhua was about to say something else when another concubine pulled her back and shook her head. The two whispered to each other, occasionally glancing at Jiang Jiang. There was no need to guess—they certainly weren't saying anything good.
The procession kept moving forward and soon reached the city gate.
There were far more refugees than Jiang Jiang had imagined, nearly all of them crowding the road ahead.
Unlike the Xu family, they looked utterly exhausted, their faces etched with deep lines, written all over with hardship and suffering.
A Xu family servant brandished his whip and barked sharply, "Move aside now! Can't you see the young master of the Xu family is coming?"
"Anyone who doesn't move, watch out—I'll whip you! A bunch of worthless beggars. Dying would be a mercy, saves us the grain!"
The people ahead scrambled out of the way at once.
Jiang Jiang frowned. The Xu family's ways truly left a bad taste in her mouth.
The carriage passed smoothly through the crowd and reached the city gate. Only then did Xu Wangcai personally lift the curtain and hand a silver ingot to the guard—at least ten taels by the look of it.
The soldier's expression changed instantly, his face breaking into a smile. "So it's Young Master Xu! No need for such courtesy. Come, I'll have my men help you through—this way you'll get out of the city faster."
Lowering his voice, he added, "Young Master Xu, my elder brother, who's a squad leader, told me this famine is sweeping the entire north—and there are two more years to come!"
"Harvests have been poor for the past few years already. With this drought, lasting one year would be a miracle. For the next two years, even the prefectural cities in the north won't hold out long. So to be safe, you'd best head for the capital or the south—they get more rain there."
Xu Wangcai nodded. "Thanks, brother. Let's move out!"
The carriage left the city and reached the main road.
To his surprise, even out here refugees were packed together, crowding the way.
Jiang Jiang averted her gaze. She had seen scenes like this many times in the post-apocalypse; she was already somewhat numb to it.
"Young Master Xu, have mercy! Give us something to eat!"
"Please, we beg you—just a little grain!"
A group of people blocked the carriage, kneeling on the ground and pleading endlessly.
Xu Wangcai didn't even show his face. "Drive them off."
"Yes, young master!" The servant swung his whip. "All of you, get the hell out of the way!"
Crack!
The whip lashed heavily across a woman's body.
Already frail and thin, she let out a wail and collapsed to the ground. The child on her back tumbled down with her, crying like a kitten.
This act immediately sparked outrage.
"You won't give us grain, fine—but why do you have to hit people!"
"That's right! What right do you have to strike someone? Pay compensation!"
"You're treating us like we're not even human! You've got three carts full of grain—what harm would it do to share a little?!"
Jiang Jiang noticed a few among the crowd stirring restlessly, egging the others on—clearly intent on seizing the grain by force.
She stepped back, distancing herself from the mob, so she wouldn't get caught in the crossfire.
"What's going on here? Causing trouble at the city gate—are you looking for death?" The guard from earlier strode out. "Everyone, back off! Anyone who speaks another word, I'll throw you in jail myself!"
The agitated refugees fell silent at once.
The carriage finally managed to move on. Jiang Jiang followed behind and glanced back. Those people's eyes were fixed on the carriage, dripping with greed.
It seemed Xu Wangcai's wealth had already caught someone's eye.
The Xu family was far too ostentatious—so much grain, and servants who acted with such cruelty. It was bound to stir all kinds of schemes.
It seemed that from now on, she would have to find a way to protect herself on the road.
The carriage continued forward, and after passing this stretch of road, there were almost no people to be seen.
Xu Wangcai's concubines were dizzy from the sun overhead. "Young master, let's rest for a while."
"Yes, it's too hot. Young master, if we keep going, this servant will faint!"
Hearing the chattering voices behind him, Xu Wangcai finally agreed to stop and rest for a bit.
The group gathered under the shade of a tree, which was better than nothing.
This was the first time Jiang Jiang saw all of Xu's family.
Seven concubines—the most favored one had a big chest and a perky rear, looking like a mature woman, while the rest were as delicate as willow branches, more like bean sprouts.
Jiang Jiang couldn't help but glance down at herself. Well, she was one of the bean sprouts too.
Beside Xu Wangcai were two children, about four or five years old, a boy and a girl, who looked very similar—clearly twins.
"Young master, have some water."
"Young master, have some pastries. I made these myself earlier."
The remaining six concubines all crowded around him.
It was so hot, and after walking just this short while, everyone was covered in sweat. Jiang Jiang had no intention of smelling those people's body odor.
She quietly stepped back a little and simply sat behind the tree.
Turning her head, she saw two little potatoes staring at her.
"Hmph!" They both turned their heads away at the same time.
Oh, they had quite the attitude.
Jiang Jiang didn't bother with them. She pulled some water from her spatial dimension and poured it into the water pouch she carried, then ate a piece of chocolate to replenish her energy.
After resting for about twenty minutes, the group continued on.
The ancient official road was just a dirt path, not at all smooth, far inferior to modern highways.
The sun was scorching, and after walking only five or six minutes, Jiang Jiang felt like all her strength was nearly gone.
Unlike the others, she didn't need to conserve water. She would use her wide sleeves as cover to take a sip now and then. Even though the weather was hot, it wasn't so unbearable.
After another hour of walking, the convoy stopped to rest again.
This time, Xu Wangcai handed out dried rations to everyone.
Hearing the chattering over there, Jiang Jiang had no interest in joining them. She carefully climbed up the tree, took out her telescope, and looked behind them.
Sure enough, just as she had expected, someone had been following them all along!