Chen Xi looked at Zang Huatian, who had become as round as a ball: ......

There was nothing to say for a moment. She had noticed the "low wall" when she first came in, but seeing that he was standing at the back and did not want to speak first, she did not go to ask him anything.

Zang Huatian remained calm, as if nothing was on his mind.

Seeing that he was the only one left, he had no choice but to step forward: "Zang Huatian, a merchant."

Merchants in this era may have money, but their social status is really low. Among the four classes of people—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants are ranked last.

Chenxi asked, "Now that you've come here, are you truly following me?"

Zang Huatian replied calmly, "Of course it's sincere. If it weren't, I wouldn't have come with Instructor Zhao to see you."

"Alright, since you're willing to follow me, tell me, how did you end up here instead of being a proper merchant?"

Zang Huatian's lips twitched slightly: "If I said I was harmed by Song Zhen, would you believe me?"

As he spoke, he glanced at Song Zhen with a hint of resentment.

Song Zhen chuckled, feeling both guilty and somewhat gloating.

Interesting! The subtle exchange between the two piqued Chen Xi's interest: "How did Magistrate Song Zhen harm you?"

Zang Huatian was still extremely aggrieved: "For the sake of his family's magistrate, he lobbied all the wealthy households in the county. I was his good friend and donated the most. He even gave me a plaque that said I was a good citizen who served the country and the people. But it was precisely because I donated the most and the plaque was the most conspicuous that I was hit the hardest by the refugees!"

"I was able to escape with my life because when the refugees started their attack, Song Zhen led his men in and rescued me."

Song Zhen smiled and said, "I didn't hang that plaque for you; you asked the adults to give it to you so you could show off."

Zang Huatian frowned and huffed, "So you ran away. I said I was going to Zhonggui Mansion to find my uncle, but you meddled and saved a young master, which implicated us and forced us to flee into the deep mountains?"

Song Zhen tugged at his tattered silk clothes, chuckling, "A six or seven-year-old boy, can you really bear to let him die at someone's hands?"

"Whether you can bear it or not, you can't sacrifice my men to save him!" Zang Huatian said angrily. "My guards are all top-notch, and you're sending more than twenty of them to their deaths for a child."

Song Zhen exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Zang, don't be angry. Even if we don't help, since a conflict has already broken out, the other side won't let us go."

"Hmph!" Zang Huatian snorted and stopped arguing.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time they'd argued!

Shenxi was overjoyed to hear about their love-hate relationship. They were in such a predicament, yet they still had the leisure to argue!

Song Zhen bowed to Chen Xi with his hands clasped, saying, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Commander."

Shenxi smiled and said, "Since we're here, we're all family. No need to be so polite!"

Then he asked, "Brother Zang said he was going to find his clan uncle, why didn't he go?"

Even if you saved someone, there was no need to run into the deep mountains!

Song Zhen replied, "Brother Zang's guards have suffered too many casualties. Half of them have died and more than ten are injured. There are very few left who can protect us."

“All of my own guards, not one of them, were put in.”

"Hmph!" Zang Huatian snorted again: "You only have two guards with you, and they're all busy protecting you. How could they possibly save anyone!"

Song Zhen was startled again: "Brother Zang, you shouldn't speak ill of someone..."

Zang Huatian, with his nostrils flared, ignored Song Zhen.

Chen Xi was a little thirsty, so he picked up his cup and took a sip. Then he looked at the five people and emphasized, "Since you all want to follow me, let's get this straight: no wavering. If you follow me, you can only listen to me!"

All five bowed to her solemnly and said, "We will follow you wholeheartedly!"

Shen Xi nodded in satisfaction, finally having more capable candidates!

"You all go down with Zhao Rong first and have him arrange your accommodations. I will call a meeting tonight and introduce you all to everyone!"

The five of them happily followed Zhao Rong out. The leader's words meant he accepted them and intended to give them important positions!

Zhao Rong chuckled as he assigned them lodgings. Qi Xiuwen and Qi Xiuwu were willing to share a tent, so Zhao Rong went with them.

Song Zhen wanted to live with Zang Huatian, but Zang Huatian snorted and went straight into the tent, hanging up the curtain with a snap, his refusal very clear.

Song Zhen touched his nose, somewhat embarrassed: "Brother Zang is still the same, still the same..."

He didn't say what it meant, but Zhao Rong guessed it was something like being stingy or willful—anything but a compliment.

Zhao Rong smiled but didn't reply. The relationship between the two wasn't bad; they had just had a minor argument, and he didn't want to meddle.

He led Zhang Feng and Zang Huatian to their respective tents, which were neat and clean, with a wooden bed, a small table, and a chair.

It's obvious that it was rushed out of production and the workmanship is rough, but it's still excellent for this wilderness.

Seeing their satisfied expressions, Zhao Rong was about to leave when Song Zhen approached him: "Instructor Zhao, thank you so much. If you hadn't called for someone to treat Brother Zang's guards, those injured guards would probably be dead too!"

Zhao Rong returned the greeting, saying, "We're all family now, no need to be so polite. Besides, it's all thanks to Doctor Fang."

"Of course I also want to thank Dr. Fang." Song Zhen hadn't expected that such a young child would have such excellent medical skills.

Talented people emerge in every generation, each leading the way for hundreds of years. Could it be that they are already old?

Dr. Fang is young, and the leader is also young, even young.

They are all ambitious people!

"Brother Zang told the commander that his guards are all top-notch. Is that true?"

"Of course it's true. The Zang family is a large and powerful family with a deep foundation, which I can't compare to."

Zhao Rong frowned. A powerful family, huh? Could a powerful family really trust their leader? He regretted not asking beforehand.

Song Zhen could naturally understand Zhao Rong's expression. He smiled and said, "Instructor Zhao, don't worry. Although Brother Zang comes from a large family, his family is not highly regarded. His father was once the head of a branch of the clan here, but unfortunately he died young, leaving him and his mother to depend on each other. The new clan head marginalized the mother and son, which is why they ended up in that remote corner of Bian'ai County."

"Even if we go to our uncle's place this time, we probably won't get any benefits. Many of the guards who stayed behind have died, and our family fortune has been looted by the refugees."

“His uncle will definitely make things difficult for us in every way. Besides, the road is so chaotic, and given the current situation, we can’t go.”

Zhao Rong put down his snacks: "Since you have sworn to follow the leader, then you naturally cannot go and rely on any of those clan uncles."

Song Zhen nodded: "Of course, I admire the leader's magnanimity!"

"I admire the leader too!" Zhao Rong laughed out loud, for he had admired the leader from the very beginning!