Chapter 5: The Lu Family of Zhuojun

Zu Ji responded and then, together with Lu Huan, allocated the five Hu horses to the women and several injured subordinates

Nevertheless, he can be considered somewhat affiliated with the disciples of Lu Zhi; however, during that period of study, he did not encounter the two prominent figures, Gongsun Zan and Liu Bei, who also came from Lu Zhi's tutelage

Lu Huan naturally brought a horse before the young lady, inviting her to mount first. However, the young lady stood beside the horse, remaining motionless, seemingly lost in thought as she stared intently at the horse. Lu Huan assumed that the horse was too tall for her to mount, so he quickly called over several strong servants and maidservants to assist her. Yet, when they gathered around, the young lady still stood there, unresponsive and silent. Lu Huan thought the horse was too tall for her to mount, so he quickly called over several strong servants and maidservants to assist her. Yet, when they gathered around, the young lady still stood there, unresponsive and silent.

Although Zu Zhao did not allow the crowd to shout, at this moment, a mere team of over twenty people fearlessly charged directly at the thrice larger group of Hu cavalry. An invisible courage spoke louder than words. It seemed they had no intention of scaring off the Hu people with their momentum; rather, they were eager for a direct confrontation, much like a hunter who does not wish to startle their prey.

The followers in the rear, who were eagerly anticipating, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They were genuinely moved by the heartfelt roar of the eldest son, as his bold couplet of poetry carried a momentum that seemed capable of swallowing mountains and rivers, striking at the most passionate part of each person's heart

After resting for about fifteen minutes, Zuji finally led back five Hu horses. He jumped off the horse and quickly approached Zu Zhao, saying: "We only caught these few; the others have all disappeared without a trace."

The sound, like a great bell, swiftly swept across this vast plain, even faintly echoing in the distant foothills.

Upon uttering these words, Zu Zhaofang finally released the remaining fervor in his heart, feeling a profound sense of exhilaration. It must be acknowledged that combat and slaughter are the most stimulating to one's nerves; once the excitement reaches its peak, it is not so easy to regain composure.

The eldest son is truly a flying general in this world

During the waiting period, Zu Zhao instructed his attendants to allocate half of the water bags to the Lu family relatives. He dismounted and took a short rest, engaging in casual conversation with the accountant, who was named Lu Huan. Lu Huan was originally the steward of the Lu family's trading caravan, but due to the decline of the family business, the caravan was disbanded, and he could only perform menial tasks at home. The reason the Changli Lu family decided to align with the Zhuojun clan was precisely due to their financial difficulties. Lu Huan's master is still in Changli managing the aftermath, allowing the family members to migrate to Zhuojun in batches.

Upon hearing this from Zuzhao, the accountant's previous hesitation vanished entirely, and he joyfully exclaimed: "So it turns out that you have such a connection with Lord Lu, how fortunate, how fortunate indeed"

Zu Zhao took a slow breath, thought for a moment, and ultimately said nothing more. He turned and mounted his Hu horse, signaling the team to set off.

Under the furious wrath of the leader M. Hetushucomcom, more than forty individuals gradually assembled and prepared for confrontation. However, it was unfortunate that over ten individuals, previously injured by arrows in battle, had no intention of continuing the fight and retreated to the rear. Among them, a few took advantage of the others regrouping to begin privately dividing and plundering the spoils, intending to escape quickly if the situation turned dire. This led to immediate dissatisfaction among those who were regrouping, fearing that these individuals would become overly greedy, resulting in a dispute that escalated into chaos. Unfortunately, the over ten individuals, previously injured by arrows in battle, had no intention of continuing the fight and retreated to the rear. Among them, a few took advantage of the others regrouping to begin privately dividing and plundering the spoils, intending to escape quickly if the situation turned dire. This led to immediate dissatisfaction among those who were regrouping, fearing that these individuals would become overly greedy, resulting in a dispute that escalated into chaos.

Zhu Zhaoyang raised his eyebrows, faintly guessing some of the underlying circumstances. Lu Huan, standing nearby, suddenly understood and quickly bent down to apologize to Zhu Zhao: "Young hero, please do not take offense, please do not take offense. The border of Changli has always been restless, often disturbed by the Hu people and the Goguryeo. Three years ago, the lady of the house unfortunately died in a raid by the Hu people, which has led the young lady to harbor a deep-seated hatred towards foreign tribes. I hope the young hero can forgive us"

The three characters "Lu Zigan" caught the attention of Zu Zhao, who couldn't help but glance at the several female relatives again. His originally stern expression gradually softened, revealing a smile as he said: "So it turns out to be a relative of Master Lu, what a coincidence. I once studied the classics under Master Lu for six years, but unfortunately had to abandon it midway to avoid the suspicion of political persecution, which I still regret immensely to this day"

Zuzhao smiled and said: "My family is located in Xuwu County, which is about twenty li to the south. You may consider moving to my place to take a short rest and relax. After you have rested, we can set off again at a later time."

Despite the current numerical advantage of the Hu people and their slightly superior geographical position, coupled with the continuous riding that has left the Han people's arrows depleted, there remains a possibility for a counterattack. However, no matter how the leading Hu person shouts or reprimands, the other herdsmen cannot muster any desire to continue fighting. Even the thirty or so strong men responsible for guarding the captives are only thinking about retreating quickly to share the spoils of war. No matter how the leading Hu person shouts or reprimands, the other herdsmen cannot muster any desire to continue fighting. Even the thirty or so strong men responsible for guarding the captives are only thinking about retreating quickly to share the spoils of war

In such a fervent atmosphere, even those hostages who had regained their freedom were quite moved. Several young men hurried to Zuzhao, bowing deeply and expressing their profound gratitude, saying: "Thank you, young hero, for saving our lives; thank you, young master, for saving our lives"

It is extreme, it is extreme

Zu Zhao waited for a while, feeling a bit impatient, but he noticed that the young girl did not seem to be throwing a "young lady's tantrum," so he tried to maintain his patience. Just as he was about to ask again, the girl suddenly spoke: "I... I... cannot... ride a horse." Her voice was weak like a spider's silk, as if even a gust of wind could disperse it.

Zu Zhao squinted and glanced at the young girl. The look of determination on her face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of panic as she hurriedly lowered her head to avoid his gaze, a faint blush appearing on her delicate face. Without revealing any emotion, Zu Zhao asked, "Is there something troubling you?"

Zu Zhao led the crowd to this place, briefly glancing over these compatriots who had regained their freedom. He turned to the side and instructed, "You all stay here to take care of them. Zu Ji, give me an arrow, quickly"

Including those hostages, everyone was at a loss.

Lu Huan was immensely grateful, hurriedly leading the horse before the young lady and urging everyone to assist her in mounting.

As the group led by Zu Zhao approached, they saw the fleeing Hu cavalry gradually gathering on a low mound. A sense of tension gripped everyone's hearts to varying degrees. Zu Zhao tightened his grip on the spear in his hand, fully aware that at this moment, the battle hinged on the momentum of both sides. As long as they could surpass the Hu people in terms of morale, even if the Hu outnumbered them, they would be disinclined to continue the fight.

Lu Huan wore an awkward expression, glancing at Zu Zhao and then at the young lady, who was in a fit of unexplained anger

Having just suffered a calamity, the travelers were in a state of panic, naturally hoping for a place to take refuge. Since the gentleman before them was a student of Lu Zhi, he provided some assurance. However, it was evident that the accountant was of low status and spoke lightly; he personally appeared pleased, yet still felt he had made a mistake. He then turned to the area where the womenfolk were located to seek instructions from the "young lady" regarding their stay.

Seizing this opportunity, Zu Zhao finally caught a glimpse of the true appearance of the "young lady." She was one of the girls among the female relatives, not yet in her teens, dressed in white garments with a hint of embellishment, and her delicate, youthful eyes bore traces of tears. Compared to the maidservants around her, this young lady was not particularly striking in beauty, yet she possessed an inexplicable aura. Although the earlier calamity had left her with a lingering look of terror, behind that fear lay an unwavering hatred, which not only set her apart from other young girls who had suffered similarly but also seemed incongruous with her age of thirteen or fourteen.

A delicate blush appeared on the young lady's flawless face, and just at the moment of mounting the horse, something suddenly fell from her hand

Whether cycling or archery, both are demanding physical activities. The continuous rushing and drawing of the bow caused beads of sweat to roll down Zuzhao's forehead, soaking through both layers of clothing. Under the blazing sun hanging high in the sky, he suddenly felt a sense of greasiness. At this moment, he did not hastily turn his horse back; his gaze, sharp as that of a hawk, remained fixed on the north, where the last few figures of the Hu people were slowly disappearing beyond the horizon. A surge of emotions from the heat of battle rolled within him, and the boiling blood evoked a strong desire.

Zu Zhao looked at Zu Ji arranging the remaining horses, then walked back to his own mount and nimbly leaped onto it. Just as he was about to lead the team to set off, he noticed that there were still seven or eight people gathered around Lu Huan. He lightly kicked the horse's belly and walked over, asking in a clear voice: "Manager Lu, what is the matter?"

Zhu Ji and the other attendants were astonished, having successfully rescued the hostages who had been kidnapped, which was truly a cause for celebration and excitement, a significant victory. However, the eldest son, surprisingly, was not yet satisfied and exaggeratedly boasted that he would pursue the fleeing enemy alone. The previously wise and formidable image was suddenly shrouded in a layer of doubt, making him even more unpredictable, and it inevitably caused concern. What if the Hu people, in a moment of desperation, returned to harm the eldest son?

The accountant's face flashed with a hint of hesitation, as he looked around for a moment before responding: "I am originally from Changli County, but due to my family's difficulties, I wish to go to Zhuo County to pay a visit to my relatives. My family's young lady is the grandniece of the current councilor, Lu Zigan, and this trip is indeed to go to the hometown of Councilor Lu."

The man resembling a steward sighed deeply with a pained expression, his voice still slightly trembling as he replied: "In our group, there were a total of twenty-seven people, including the master and servants. When the bandits attacked, five of our guests fought valiantly against the enemy, but unfortunately, they were outnumbered and tragically killed on the spot. In the chaos, many became separated, and the remaining eighteen of us were all captured by the bandits. We are immensely grateful for the young hero's assistance; otherwise, we would likely never see the Han territory again."

Zhu Zhaofeng nodded gracefully and said, "I fear that some among you may have difficulty walking, so I have sent someone to find some mounts." After saying this, he turned to the back to inspect several corpses of the Hu people and instructed his subordinate, Zu Ji, to take two men back to the previous battlefield to bring over all the steeds of the Hu people that had been shot.

Meanwhile, the young girl also looked over, her eyes filled with panic and tension. She dared not meet Zu Zhao's gaze, yet she had to retrieve the silver hairpin. After a moment of urgency and anxiety, she stammered, "Still... still give it back to me..."

After listening to these words, the accountant let out a long sigh of relief and joyfully said: "If there are no mistakes, the person the young hero encountered in the forest is our family's chief steward, Hu Bo. Thank heaven and earth, he was able to meet a noble person in time, not only turning his own misfortune into good fortune but also saving the life of our young lady." As he spoke, he turned his head to glance at the group of women huddled together not far behind.

The girl turned her head away, her brows furrowed with an enduring anxiety.

"Charge at the Hu people, and once we get close, shoot out all the remaining arrows." When they were about one hundred and fifty paces away, Zu Zhao raised his horse spear and commanded the attendants on both sides.

After hearing this explanation, Zu Zhao finally felt relieved, not expecting that a little girl would have such emotional knots. It seems that the other party is simply shy by nature and not good with words, only able to express her feelings through actions. Considering this, it is not too excessive. Nodding his head, he dismounted again, handed the reins to Lu Huan, and said: "I understand, then please ride my horse first"

If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, he would not allow the Hu cavalry to cross the Yin Mountains, which would become a timeless declaration of grandeur

Zhu Zhao slightly nodded and said hetushu.com: "Let’s make do. Allow the women and the injured to board the horse first"

Seeing this, the leader of the Hu people had no strategy to employ. As the troops of Zu Zhao approached and began to shoot arrows, he was the first to turn and flee. The others, in a state of panic, could not even attend to the hostages they had previously captured; they merely grabbed a few easily portable valuables and scattered in a rush. The hostages left behind initially did not dare to move, but once the Hu people had completely distanced themselves, they gradually regained some awareness. They huddled together in small groups, trembling with fear, either comforting one another or covering their faces and weeping.

Zu Ji swiftly handed over the last arrow from his quiver, asking with concern: "Young Master, what do you intend to do?"

Before the words had settled, Zu Zhao had already spurred his horse and rushed ahead, relentlessly pursuing the direction in which the Hu people were fleeing.

Zu Zhao followed the gaze of the other person and glanced over. Not far away, there were five women, all dressed in white. At a glance, it was impossible to distinguish who was the mistress and who was the servant. However, he did notice that these women all possessed a certain beauty, with well-proportioned figures and a hint of classical elegance. Of course, this was not the time to admire beautiful women, so he quickly withdrew his gaze and continued to ask: "Where do you come from, and where do you intend to go?"

Zhu Zhao glanced at these individuals; they were mostly dressed in narrow-sleeved cloth garments, with the one in the center wearing a dark, wide-sleeved straight-cut robe. He appeared to be in his early thirties, refined and scholarly, resembling a steward. In a calm tone, he inquired: "You have encountered misfortune, yet have fortunately escaped. Are all of you safe?"

The young girl still kept her head down, gradually showing signs of delicate panting, and for a moment, there were no words to say

Zu Zhao never intended to keep this silver hairpin for himself; he silently raised his hand and returned the hairpin. Just as the young girl reclaimed the hairpin and held it protectively against her heart, he suddenly experienced a sense of regretful realization: could it be that since her capture, she had been hiding the hairpin, preparing to seize the opportunity to preserve her integrity at all costs?

The arrow struck directly into the shoulder of a Hu man, causing his figure to sway violently, yet he did not fall from his horse

The Lu Master he mentioned is indeed the renowned Confucian scholar Lu Zhi, and Zigan is Lu Zhi's courtesy name. The Lu family and the Zu family are both prominent clans that emerged after Emperor Wu relocated to the northern frontier. The two families have had longstanding interactions, and it is precisely because of this connection that six years ago I was able to take Lu Zhi as my teacher

Zu Zhao Le reined in his horse and turned it sideways. He had not considered shooting down another enemy in this final moment; rather, he hoped that the Hu people would flee with his arrows, as this would have a more intimidating effect.

Just as Zu Ji was eager to spur his horse and chase after, he noticed that Zu Zhao had not pursued too far. When he was about a hundred paces from the retreating Hu troops, he first wedged the spear he held against the side of the saddle, then stood up straight by pushing hard against the stirrups, lifting his entire body off the saddle. He then took out his longbow and nocked the last feathered arrow, pulling the bowstring to its limit, the bow limbs creaking under the immense tension. Gathering all his strength, he let out a loud shout, and the feathered arrow flew from the bowstring with a sharp whistle, heading straight for the nearest Hu soldier. The bowstring was pulled to its limit, the bow limbs creaking under the immense tension. Gathering all his strength, he let out a loud shout, and the feathered arrow flew from the bowstring with a sharp whistle, heading straight for the nearest Hu soldier

As he passed by the place where the right flank of the Hu people had been defeated, Zu Zhao saw a long weapon resembling a lance stuck diagonally in the ground. He bent down and casually picked it up. With only a few arrows left in his quiver, having a long weapon in hand at least provided him with an additional means of defense

Zu Zhao was tidying the reins of the horse on one side when he caught sight of something that had fallen to the ground—a silver hairpin. Without a moment's hesitation, he bent down to pick up the hairpin, only to discover a recent stain of dried blood at the tip. Raising his head to look at the girl, he immediately noticed a small patch of blood seeping from her left sleeve

As everyone took a deep breath, none were without a resolute expression, quickly preparing their longbows. Even the few injured individuals gritted their teeth, transforming their pain into anger

The ancestor did not show any neglect; after calling two people, he quickly mounted his horse and departed

He suddenly picked up the captured spear, pointed it straight at the northern horizon, and with a fierce burning energy let out a roar: "If only the Flying General of Longcheng were here, I would not allow the Hu cavalry to cross the Yin Mountains"

Zu Zhao will encounter a middle-aged injured person in the woods, as well as briefly mention four survivors hiding near the horse team

Pulling on the reins, Zu Zhao let his mount take small steps back to the place where the attendants and hostages had gathered. Although he had previously instructed his attendants to take care of the hostages, everyone was preoccupied with their own safety concerns, so they all focused on themselves. Even when they came to their senses, they only gathered around to cheer and celebrate.

After the young lady listened to the accountant's report, she lowered her head and quietly glanced at Zuzhao on horseback. Just as she met Zuzhao's gaze, she quickly averted her eyes and then responded in a whisper, barely audible.

The accountant hurried back to Zuzhao and cheerfully said: "Young Master, your kindness is greatly appreciated by us. My family's young lady will also remember this favor, so it would be better to comply with your wishes."

Directly ahead, the right flank of the Hu cavalry was scattered and disorganized, as they recklessly fled towards the northeast. During this chaos, one severely injured Hu man fell from his horse due to exhaustion. Further ahead, the left flank, which had initially been defeated, had nearly regrouped with the vanguard escorting the captives, with the leading Hu man attempting to reorganize the troops. However, witnessing the more severe defeat of the right flank only deepened the psychological shadow of invincibility surrounding the Han cavalry in everyone's minds.

At the time when Governor Cao Luan of Yongchang submitted a petition on behalf of the party-constrained scholars, it provoked Emperor Ling of Han to issue an edict dismissing officials, including the students, former subordinates, acquaintances, and family members of the party-constrained scholars, leading to lifelong imprisonment for many. This incident triggered the second disaster of party constraint in history. The families of Zu and Lu found themselves at the center of the storm and had no choice but to sever their connections to avoid suspicion

Twenty cavalrymen turned their direction and pursued towards the route taken by the fleeing Hu people on the right flank