This night, everyone slept particularly soundly, especially He Shen's family. The thought of arriving in a prosperous prefectural city, free from floods, plagues, and wars, and with the mother possessing a considerable sum of money, filled them with joy and contentment at the prospect of settling down. Wu Caiwei did not disturb them, allowing everyone to wake up naturally.
After breakfast, an expected visitor arrived. Seeing Yang Hanye, who had already changed into new attire, Wu Caiwei inwardly sighed. Indeed, clothes made the man. He was no longer the simply dressed refugee who had fled with her, but a young master from a wealthy family, adorned in sorrow-breaking robes, accompanied by several attendants.
"Madam, what are your plans next?" Having interacted for a while, Yang Hanye felt the other party was unfathomably profound. He unconsciously felt a sense of awe when facing her and, without beating around the bush, directly stated the purpose of his visit.
"You know we fled here. I've never been to the Northwest in my life and plan to go there to see for myself. If possible, I'd like to settle down there," Wu Caiwei stated frankly.
"The Northwest? Why does Madam wish to go there? As far as I know, it's all desolate and the people are struggling to survive. Many from there flee south to the capital seeking a better life. Madam is going against the tide; is there a reason for this?" Yang Hanye had initially expected her destination to be the capital. In his eyes, Madam was a person of great ability, and only a larger stage could accommodate her intelligence and talent. He hadn't anticipated her wanting to go to a place everyone avoided and, raising his eyebrows, respectfully inquired.
"The Northwest belongs to King Jin. It is said that life there has improved in the past two years. After King Jin took over, he not only developed water conservancy projects but also guided the people to cultivate high-yield crops. The current Northwest is nothing like it used to be. Let's be frank; with the state of the imperial court as it is, I cannot rest assured for my family to live here." Since the other party managed to retreat unscathed in her past life, her choice must have been correct. It was just that due to the original host's past experiences, she had learned some information, allowing her to offer him a favor in advance.
"Does Madam have high hopes for King Jin?" Yang Hanye appeared outwardly calm, but inwardly his emotions surged. He hadn't expected the Madam before him to be even more astute than he imagined, capable of discerning the state of the realm. He had barely rested upon arriving here last night before gathering a group of advisors to discuss state affairs. After much deliberation, they all felt that the current dynasty was nearing its end, and constant warfare was inevitable. Heroes emerge in troubled times, but no one could guess who would ultimately overthrow the court and establish a new dynasty.
Everyone felt the situation was unclear and couldn't predict the outcome. Today's meeting with her brought an unexpected gain. She actually favored the King Jin, whom everyone else had forgotten. This startled him. At this moment, he recalled his impression of King Jin. He had met him twice before and each time found the man to be very low-key, never interfering in matters beyond his own, making him easily overlooked.
He realized he must quickly dispatch people to the Northwest to investigate thoroughly. If the situation there was as Madam described, then he would need to carefully consider his relationship with King Jin.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Wu Caiwei knew her words had had an effect. Though she hadn't interacted with him much, she deeply admired him. At such a young age, he possessed the ability to assess the situation and remained remarkably composed, free from the vices of a wealthy young master.
"Although this place may not be your ideal destination, our interactions along the way have earned my great respect. Would you consider working for me? As you said, the outside world is in turmoil. Without a strong backing, not only common people but also those of higher standing will suffer the ravages of war. If you follow me, I can guarantee, at the very least, your safety and sustenance," Yang Hanye said, looking at her earnestly.
Indeed, he had been carefully observing Yang Hanye along the way. He hadn't known him well at first, but his observations had been satisfactory. It was false to say he didn't want to bring his family to wander. Although they now had horses and things seemed easier, who knew what accidents might occur on the road? He also doubted the horses could accompany them all the way, as there were places horses couldn't pass. Even if they reached the Northwest, settling down and obtaining household registration wouldn't be an issue, but being assigned to a village and starting from scratch was something Wu Caiwei would find unaccustomed to. Their family appeared easy to bully, and in rural areas, lineage and clan were paramount. It would be incredibly difficult for an outsider to establish themselves there.
If they encountered any injustice, and she were to reveal her martial arts, she would be ostracized by the locals and live a life of suffocation. If she followed Yang Hanye directly, her martial arts and artistic skills had already been exposed to him. If she acted out of line, he would find ways to cover for her and be accommodating. Crucially, her son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters would be well taken care of, alleviating her worries.
Moreover, only by having power herself could she properly deal with Zhang Dashan when she encountered him again. If she were to hide in a remote village like that, with few people to interact with, how many years would it take to find him?
Therefore, after a moment of hesitation, she nodded. Although Yang Hanye tried to maintain his composure, the corners of his mouth betrayed his inner joy.
He had come prepared. With a clap of his hands, several people entered to help move things. Wu Caiwei waved them away, indicating she had little to move. Since she had decided to follow him, his family background and wealth meant that these worn clothes, grains, and some dried meat could be distributed to others. They could travel light, only taking gold and silver.
He Sheng and Xia He followed their mother to the small courtyard of the Yang family, still finding it hard to believe that someone of such noble status would treat commoners like them with such courtesy. Their mother had told them that their family would now work for Yang Hanye. It felt like a dream. Along the way, knowing Yang Hanye's identity, He Shen had always been cautious in his dealings with him. He had thought that after arriving here, they would have no further connection, but suddenly they were told that their family would be managing some affairs. Knowing they were coming because of their mother, he felt no sense of loss. After all, when they fled their hometown, they had prepared themselves for hardship, and even for the possibility of dying on the road. Had they known such an opportunity awaited, why would they have been so glum?
As for Xia He, she had initially thought her mother-in-law's thousand taels of silver would allow them to buy a house somewhere and live a peaceful life. She hadn't expected the surprise to be even greater: the steward of this manor treated her with utmost respect. What did this signify? It meant their Zhang family was on the rise. Indeed, capable people are welcomed everywhere.