The advisor pondered for a long time, then nodded and said, "That makes sense, but why did the Imperial Guards come with the Chen family?"

The concubine couldn't understand either. Although she loved to inquire, there were some things that people of her level couldn't know. In recent years, the capital had been in a state of high alert, and the parents of those纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy families who were spoiled and dissolute) kept a close watch on their children. If you wanted to go out and have fun, then go out and have fun, but you couldn't talk nonsense outside, especially in a conspicuous place like a brothel. It's not just a saying that trouble comes from what you say.

The concubine was a little scared. She knew that there were some people who should not be provoked. Once provoked, it would not only bring trouble to her, but also possibly bring death. Now that the assassins had been wiped out, would she be able to escape this calamity if she left now?

The concubine tugged at the advisor's sleeve and whispered, "Husband, why don't we leave? Let's get away from here and go far away. I'm afraid this time will be very troublesome."

The advisor was in a state of turmoil. He naturally wanted to leave, but where to go and how to get there were problems. Now that the Imperial Guards had appeared, did that mean that Yun'an County was completely surrounded? After all, if the plague was not controlled properly, it could spread to even more distant places.

The clerk regretted his decision. He should have gone to Zhoujia Village to assess the situation first. Why had he been so hasty in hiring assassins to commit arson and murder? He thought of Ma Guang, who had been working in the Yun'an County government for over twenty years, rising from a lowly constable to a head constable? Ma Guang knew the realities of Yun'an County better than he did. Yet, he had remained in Zhoujia Village and hadn't returned. Why hadn't he come back? The clerk was startled. There must be someone or something in Zhoujia Village that made him risk contracting the plague to stay.

The advisor gritted his teeth in anger. It seemed that even if he wanted to leave, he might not be able to. His legs went weak, and he slumped into a chair. Looking at his concubine, he saw that she hadn't even had time to put on her clothes before she started packing her belongings.

The advisor sighed and said, "Don't bother packing anymore. Even if we wanted to leave, we don't know if we could. Now that the Imperial Guards have appeared, it's possible that Yun'an County has been surrounded by people from the capital."

The concubine put down what she was holding, came over and took the clerk's hand, saying, "Husband, don't worry, I will help you escape. When I came with you, I saw a boat on the river south of Yun'an County. Let's take advantage of the night and rent a boat to leave from here. As long as we leave here, whether we go to the northern desert or Qiongya, I will accompany you, my husband."

Hearing these words, the clerk was quite moved. He took the concubine's hand and said, "I made a mistake this time. I can't leave now. I've heard about the methods of the Imperial Guards. If you want to leave, then leave. Take your valuables with you. I've made a household registration for you. Take it with you and find a small mountain village. If you can find an honest man, then marry him. You'll still have someone to rely on in the future."

The concubine listened with tears welling up in her eyes, holding the clerk's hand, unable to speak.

The advisor waved his hand and said, "Hurry up and pack, don't dawdle, or someone might already be coming to arrest me."

The concubine wiped away her tears and said to the clerk, "My lord, I am grateful for your rescue and redemption from that hellhole. I am yours in life and in death. Didn't you say you still have an elderly mother back in your hometown? After I escape, I will go to your hometown to serve your mother. I will treat your mother as if she were my own mother."

The clerk waved his hand without saying anything, got up and went to the study in the county government office. There were still some shady accounts there that needed to be dealt with; otherwise, he might be punished three times more severely.

Seeing the clerk walk out of the room and into the courtyard, the concubine frowned, snorted coldly, and packed up all the valuables she could find in the room. She turned around and looked at the room she had lived in for more than half a year. She felt a little reluctant, but she had no choice but to leave. She turned and stepped into the darkest night before dawn, hurrying towards the city gate.

As the clerk placed some papers into the stove, he sneered inwardly. "A prostitute is heartless, an actress is ungrateful," he thought. "It would be a miracle if I believed that prostitute's words." The clerk did indeed have an elderly mother back home, but his wife and children stayed there to care for her. He was rather bored being alone here. He happened to meet this concubine in the capital, and the two hit it off, so he paid to redeem her. He only brought her back as a plaything; he had no intention of showing her any real affection. Her earlier coaxing was merely a ploy to get money from him. The clerk had bought her quite a bit of jewelry in the past six months; if she used it carefully, wouldn't that be enough to support her for a few years?

The clerk's men worked quickly, and soon a thick layer of ash filled the brazier. These were some of the accounts he had recorded. Over the years, he had followed Magistrate Li in Yun'an County, and he had been responsible for handling many accounts, especially those with Prefect Chu Huaigui of Miaozhou. There were several accounts that Magistrate Li was completely unaware of, and they were all handled by the clerk.

Over the years, the clerk had amassed a considerable amount of silver from Yun'an County. Although he always gave some to Magistrate Li, most of it ended up in his own pocket. This time, the incident in Zhoujia Village attracted the Imperial Guards to the county government, which greatly surprised the clerk. He knew that he might have reached the end of his road.

Zhoujia Village is very close to the county seat. Although the city gates were already closed, Magistrate Li sent a clerk from the county government with a letter on horseback back to the county seat to find the clerk and ask him to send grain and supplies to Zhoujia Village. When the clerk arrived at the county government, the clerk had already collected and burned some of the more sensitive letters and accounts. When he heard the clerk say that he needed to prepare grain and supplies, he quickly went to find someone to allocate them.

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