Chapter 215

Chapter 215

Han Dong did not want to implicate Zhang Ye, but Zhang Ye was dead set on sticking by him, and in the end even went so far as to have himself locked up in the jail cell—leaving Han Dong genuinely touched and worried.

"I already told you I don't like you, so why are you so dead set on this? Do you think I'll be moved by what you're doing? No, I'll only find it annoying!"

"You're only touching your own heart with this. Others will call you devoted, but they'll call me a temptress—they'll say I bewitched someone into abandoning his parents and forsaking filial piety!"

"I don't need your love! You can't force love—don't you understand that?"

Seeing how stubborn Zhang Ye was, Han Dong grew frantic with worry.

Why was this guy so bullheaded!

Unfortunately, no matter what Han Dong said, Zhang Ye didn't take a single word to heart—in fact, he even chuckled at Han Dong's harsh words.

No matter how harshly Dong Geer spoke, the look in his eyes gave away his feelings—you can't hide that kind of thing.

"You can't force love, but sometimes you take what you can get. Alright, it's settled then—from now on, I'm your husband!"

With that, Zhang Ye didn't give Han Dong a chance to argue further. He quickly turned around with a grin and greeted the Han family members with a bow.

"Grandfather, grandmother, father-in-law, mother-in-law, eldest brother and sister-in-law, second brother and second sister-in-law, third brother and third sister-in-law... and all you younger ones—Zhang Ye greets you all. From today on, we're all family now."

"Zhang Ye! What nonsense are you talking!"

Han Dong was both embarrassed and furious, his face flushing red and pale by turns, wishing he could rush over and cover that reckless mouth of his.

The Han family watched the two of them interact, their feelings a complicated mix of helplessness and emotion—moved by Zhang Ye's refusal to leave, concerned about what lay ahead for Han Dong, and resigned to the absurd yet heartfelt scene before them.

In the end, everyone could only turn their gaze to Han Zhang.

And Han Zhang was secretly pleased, though he still heaved a sigh and said, "Very well, if you're willing to stay, then stay. Just don't regret it later."

Given how sharp his younger brother was, no matter what kind of man he married, he probably wouldn't come out on the losing end.

But if he could have a husband who truly cared for him, that would naturally be even better.

After all, it's in critical moments that you really see what someone's made of.

Aside from Zhang Ye, the remaining Han clan members who hadn't been implicated were also working behind the scenes on Han Zhang's behalf. That included Great-Granduncle Han the Ninth and Great-Aunts Han the Seventh and Eighth.

And the people of Yunyang Prefecture, upon learning that Han Zhang had been imprisoned for opening the granaries to feed the starving people, were outraged.

They didn't understand the laws about "military grain reserves." All they remembered was that it was Lord Han who had opened the official granaries when bodies lined the streets, and it was Lord Han who had distributed medicine to save their lives when the plague was spreading!

So the people organized themselves and wrote a mass petition for Han Zhang, hoping the court would show leniency.

"I'm a rough man, don't know nothing about military grain—all I know is Lord Han gave us a way to live, gave our kids something to eat, so they didn't freeze or starve! How's a good official like that guilty of anything?!"

"Without Lord Han, we'd all be dead in the streets! The court doesn't reward him, and now they want to punish him? What kind of logic is that?!"

"Heavens above, open your eyes! A righteous official who saved lives is going to be beheaded—is there no justice or law left in this world?!"

"Lord Han, don't be afraid! All of us—hundreds of thousands in Yunyang—remember your kindness! We'll stand with you! We'll follow the prisoner cart all the way to the capital, and we'll deliver this petition right to the emperor's doorstep, so His Majesty can hear the voice of his people!"

The common folk had always been the most straightforward. They didn't understand grand principles—they only knew that whoever fed them and saved their lives was a good person.

Many people truly packed simple bundles, tucked away their meager rations, and quietly gathered outside the government prison, determined to follow the prisoner escort all the way to the capital to clear Han Zhang's name!

When the eunuch who had come to deliver the imperial decree saw this scene, his face turned pale. He immediately summoned his attendant guards: "Quick—send word back to the capital and report this to His Majesty..."

Zhao Yongchang, however, was delighted. He grabbed Han Zhang and Jiang Wencheng by the sleeves excitedly:

"Brother Han! Brother Jiang! Look—the people of Yunyang have written us a mass petition! There's definitely a chance this can be turned around!"

Having been doted on by his imperial uncle, Emperor Taixuan, for so many years, Zhao Yongchang had never truly suffered hardship, and even now he still held onto a sliver of hope in Emperor Taixuan.

Han Zhang and Jiang Wencheng knew he couldn't accept reality just yet, so they didn't dampen his spirits. Once they reached the capital, reality would set him straight soon enough.

Seeing the impassioned common folk rallying on their behalf, the Han family felt somewhat comforted—though the thought of their impending exile still left them dejected.

They had only enjoyed a few years of good living, and now they were about to be thrown back to square one.

Oh no—worse than square one. They were being exiled!

Seeing the whole family looking dispirited, Grandfather Han once again played his role as the steadying pillar, speaking earnestly to comfort and instruct them:

"Perk up, all of you! Why are you hanging your heads? We haven't even set out on the road yet, and you're already falling apart?"

"Your eldest brother did the right thing this time. He made no mistake. Military grain is dead, but people are alive! If your eldest brother had followed the rules out of cowardice and watched hundreds of thousands of people starve to death, that would be the true shame of the Han family!"

"Back when your grandfather was fleeing disaster, if there had been an official like Dalang who stepped forward, would your grandfather's brothers have died until only your grandfather and your clan grandfather remained?"

"Never abandon, never give up—no matter what happens, we must stay united. That is the very foundation of the Han family's survival!"

Grandfather Han walked over to Han Zhang with a pained expression and reached out to pat his grandson's shoulder. Though his hand was withered, the force behind it was not light.

"Dalang, you did well. Your grandfather is proud of you! So what if you've been stripped of your title? So what if you're exiled? What hardships hasn't the Han family endured before?"

"The court's law can declare you guilty, but the mouths of hundreds of thousands in Yunyang cannot be sealed! Where the people's hearts turn, your grandfather believes that with my grandson's talent, the Han family will surely rise again one day."

Grandfather Han wanted to steady the family's spirits, and Han Zhang naturally cooperated.

He immediately knelt on both knees and declared with impassioned fervor:

"Grandfather's teachings are etched into this grandson's heart. Please rest assured, Grandfather—as long as Qinzhang still has breath in him, I will never let the Han family perish. I swear to ensure that my younger siblings and uncles and aunts survive the journey into exile!"

"Good! Good! Good!"

Grandfather Han exclaimed three times in succession, pulling his grandson up in one motion. His voice trembled but was firm as he nodded: "With those words, your grandfather can close his eyes and rest easy."

He then turned to Second Uncle Han, Third Uncle, and the others, admonishing them: "Second, Third—did you all hear that? Dalang said he'll keep you safe, and he will! Do you... hold resentment toward Dalang in your hearts?"

Resentment? Naturally, there was some.

After all, for over a decade, they had toiled and scrimped to support their nephew through his studies and the imperial examinations, watching him win the top scholar title and gradually lead the whole family out of the mud, step by step, into a life of dignity they had never dared to dream of before.

They had only enjoyed a few years of wealth and ease—and now, in the blink of an eye, the tall building had come crashing down, and they were to be stripped of their property and exiled, worse off than when they had lived in the countryside.

How could Second Uncle Han, Third Uncle, and their wives not have some thoughts about that?

However, they were not short-sighted people.

Dalang's downfall this time was for a righteous cause. They could harbor resentment, but they could never go against their conscience and say that Dalang had done wrong.

Moreover, since they had enjoyed the wealth and honor Dalang had brought them, it was only right that they share in his hardships now that he had fallen.

There is nothing in this world that lets you enjoy only the benefits without bearing the consequences!

Father is right—as long as we're alive, there's still a chance to turn things around.

Big Brother is so smart, and so many common folks have petitioned on the Han family's behalf. What we need to do now is stay united and survive, not point fingers or start infighting.

Many hands make light work. Thanks to Grandfather Han's teachings, everyone in the Han family knows deep down that only by sticking together can they survive the dangers ahead.

Hearing this, Second Uncle Han, Third Uncle Han, and their wives immediately spoke up:

"Father, what are you saying! We rise together, we fall together. If Big Brother is in trouble, how could we, his uncles and aunts, ever turn our backs on him? We've got to stick together no matter what!"

"Big Brother saved hundreds of thousands of lives in Yunyang—that's real righteousness! How could we possibly resent him? Even if we lose our heads, we'll be remembered in history!"

"Father, we're not afraid of death, nor of exile. Rich or poor, high or low, we're a family, and we stick together!"

No matter what private thoughts anyone had, when it counted, no one in the Han family backed down.

After all, even if they avoided exile, without Han Zhang holding up the family's name, going back to being ordinary commoners wouldn't be much better either.

Might as well go all in!

Big Brother is so smart and still so young—he's got decades ahead of him. Who can say for sure how things will go?

"Good, good, good... When we're of one mind, we can put all our strength into one push. Only then can this family go far and stay steady..."

Grandfather Han nodded in relief, letting out a quiet sigh.

He'd been afraid the second and third branches might do something foolish and blow their shot at wealth and honor. They were all his flesh and blood—he prized Big Brother most, but he cared about the rest too.

Shen Huaizhi, Pan Taining, Wu Xuelin, Jiang Wencheng... sat in the corner, watching the Han family's incredible unity, and couldn't help but admire them.

Their own families weren't exactly hostile, but there was always some infighting—they could never match the Hans' solidarity.

With that kind of unity, as long as Han Zhang lived, the Han family was bound to rise again!

Meanwhile.

In the capital, news of Han Zhang's situation got very different reactions from each household.

Kang Zhanxun of Dingbei Earl Manor and his wife Xiang Lian naturally pulled every string they could find to plead Han Zhang's case.

The Pan and Wu families, though they didn't dare make any obvious moves, secretly made things a lot easier for Kang Zhanxun's efforts—because of their kids' connection to Han Zhang and the gratitude they owed him for tutoring their sons.

The Jiang family was tied to the Crown Prince's camp; even though Jiang's father was grieving over Jiang Wencheng's sacrifice, he didn't dare make a move.

The Shen household, though, was a whole different story.

Shen's father, of course, immediately played his part and submitted a memorial to the throne, cutting all ties with Han Zhang.

But when Concubine Mei and Concubine Song in the back courtyard saw this, scared stiff of being dragged into it, they quickly rounded up their kids and proposed kicking Shen Qinglan out of the clan!

It was cold-hearted, sure, but you could see why.

After all, this was confiscation and exile—not a picnic. People died on the road to exile, you know. They didn't get along with Shen Qinglan anyway—why should they suffer with him?

But this time, Shen Qingquan and Shen HuaiRen, who were just as selfish, refused to take their side.

The two brothers held their ground against their wailing sister-in-law, who was all for it.

"Sister-in-law, we absolutely can't agree to this! Back then, grabbing the marriage arrangement was just a fight over interests—working with Concubine Song and the others was one thing."

"But this is life and death! What Concubine Song and the others are doing isn't just kicking Lan Geer out—it's cutting off the main branch's lifeline!"

"If they get away with this, today it's Lan Geer, tomorrow it's us!"

"No matter what, Lan Geer is our blood brother. We can fight over anything—the house, the shops, Dad's favor—but we can never go after each other's lives. That would be destroying our own defenses!"

If Lan Geer really got kicked out of the clan, would he even have a chance to survive?

They were selfish, sure—they'd schemed against their own brother for gain before—but they also understood that when the lips are gone, the teeth get cold.

They absolutely couldn't let this become a precedent.