History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

Chapter 134 Huangfu Jing's Death
Except for one person!
This refers to Erzhu Rong, who was thrown from the Huwu House and fell into the fishpond.

To be honest, the pitiful state of "Miss Hu" as she stumbled and tried to help her mother up but couldn't, stirred pity in the group of powerful and wealthy men who came seeking revenge. Even the reckless Lu Jiashan and Yuan Heng, as well as Xi Jiao, Yuan Jingrong, and others who had been injured in the brawl, all began to hesitate... Was it enough to frighten Miss Hu to this extent and teach her a lesson?
They did not pity Hu Wuwu; they pitied Hu's mother, Huangfu.

Wei Mao, of course, was unwilling to let the matter rest! He raised a question: "Huangfu Nvniang, where is your husband, Hu Guozhen? Why is the head of the household not here?"

At this moment, Erzhu Rong stepped forward and said, "She must have run away with the real Hu girl. She is not Hu Wuwu from the Poetry Club at all!"

These words startled and shocked those around them!

Hu Wuwu was young but thoughtful. She was prepared for any eventuality. Before leaving the city, she described to her mother and Zhi'er which powerful and wealthy children she had clashed with, as well as their ages and appearances.

Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Zhi'er mustered her courage and looked at the young man: "Young Master Erzhu? You threw me into the fishpond for no reason that day, and now you want to kick me while I'm down?" The young lady had warned her that the more she said, the more mistakes she would make. Zhi'er slumped back down with her mistress and wept pitifully.

Erzhu Rong had no doubt about himself. He pointed at Zhi'er and said definitively, "She is definitely not the Hu girl from the Cui Academy's Poetry Club!"

Zhi'er nestled closer to the weakened Huangfu Jing, continuing to sob, offering no futile rebuttal.

Iron cavalry galloped towards this direction.

Yuan Heng exclaimed, "Oh no! It's the government troops!"

Huangfu Jing felt much more at ease. With the government's intervention, at least some time could be delayed, allowing her husband and daughter to travel further.

The group consisted of more than twenty soldiers, all wearing low-brimmed hats and gray face coverings. They were led by Zhao Zhi and Huli Yelang.

Huli Yelang informed Wei Mao and Xi Jiao: "You are not allowed to block the carriages and horses of the noble families. The governor orders you to return to the city immediately!"

Wei Mao argued, "That girl from her family instigated this trouble, causing us all to get hurt like this. Do you think we're just going to suffer for nothing? Besides, the real Miss Hu ran away and sent a fake one to fool us. If the Hu family weren't in the wrong, would they do something like this?"

Zhao Zhi glanced at the little brat and thought, "He speaks quite well, I must say."

Erzhu Rong: "I testify that this Miss Hu is a fake."

Huangfu Jing and her daughter were still one sickly and the other weak and weeping.

Zhao Zhi knew what was going on. She stepped forward to help Huangfu Jing up and scolded her in a hoarse voice, "You let your daughter cause trouble. You can't just leave the city without giving an explanation. The governor has ordered the Hu family to go to the government office to mediate the conflict between you two before you leave the city."

Huangfu Jing understood that these words were both advice and an order. She bowed and said, "Since it is the governor's order, I shall obey." Then she ordered her troops to turn the carriages around.

Zhao Zhi approached the main vehicle and reached out her hand.

Forced by circumstances, Huangfu Jing endured the humiliation and handed her hand to the rude soldier.

Zhao Zhi helped Huangfu Jing sit down, then lightly tapped Huangfu Jing's chest with her hand. She then helped Zhi'er into the carriage and lightly tapped her chest as well.

Close the car door.

Huli Yelang ordered the group of youths and all the Qihu warriors: "We are going to find the head of the Hu family. You and the others should quickly return to the city with the women of the Hu family. There will be guards at the city gate to meet you. Do not disobey the governor's orders!" After saying this, they mounted their horses and continued to gallop south.

Xi Jiao, Yuan Zizhi, Erzhu Rong—all those who had been saved by Zhao Zhi during the grand hunting exercise, or who had come into close contact with her, watched her departing figure with suspicion. Who exactly was this formidable military officer in the governor's mansion?

Let's set aside how Zhao Zhi searched for the Hu family father and daughter.

After the matriarch of the Hu family and the "young lady" entered the carriage, they remained silent. Since the master of the house did not give any instructions, the servants and retainers naturally followed the sons of the powerful and wealthy families of Pingcheng back to the city gate.

As Huli Canjun had said, a military officer indeed came to meet them. The officer conveyed the governor's order: only Wei Mao, Xi Jiao, and Yuan Zizhi, along with the entire Hu family, were to go to the prefectural government office; the rest were to disperse and not leave the city to cause trouble that day. By this time, Wei Mao, Xi Jiao, and Yuan Zizhi were already suspicious. Why was the Huangfu mother and daughter not making any moves? After entering the governor's mansion and separating the carriage from the Hu family servants, and with Gou Zhubu personally opening the carriage door, Wei Mao and the other two were dumbfounded when they saw the bizarre deaths of Huangfu Jing and the fake Hu woman.

Their first reaction was to quickly deny it: "We didn't do it!"

Clerk Gou asked, "Who did it?"

"Yes……"

Were they soldiers from the prefectural government encountered outside the city? Then they must have been ordered by the governor.

Oh no, what if they kill all three of them to silence them?

"What, are you scared now? Or are you planning to kidnap me and leave the governor's mansion? Do you three gentlemen think I'm only good at literature and not martial arts?" With a wave of his hand, the guards on duty around him all gathered around him.

Immediately afterwards, Clerk Gou said angrily, "What you think is right, but what a pity, you've missed a golden opportunity to kidnap me."

Xi Jiao had visited the government office many times, so she lowered her posture and bowed respectfully: "Sir, please don't tease us. Just tell us what you need us to do." If they really wanted to kill them, they would already be dead.

Wei Mao and Yuan Zizhi followed suit and bowed.

Chief Clerk Gou nodded: "The Hu and Huangfu families are prominent clans in Anding. Their relocation to Luoyang must mean they have a solid foundation there. Your elders are all officials in the court. Each of you should write a letter to your family, clearly stating Huangfu's death. This is not for any other reason than to remind your family members to guard against retaliation from the Hu family's influence in Luoyang."

The three boys understood that Governor Yuan wanted to destroy the Hu family for some unknown reason, but the consequences would be severe, and they would have to share the risk of retaliation.

night.

On the banks of the Sanggan River.

Hu Guozhen and his daughter will spend the night here. At today's pace, they should reach Bailangdui by noon tomorrow, and then they will be out of Hengzhou if they continue south.

“Father, I’m worried about Mother. I regret it. I shouldn’t have acted recklessly and caused trouble, making you suffer because of me. We can’t even stay at the inn.”

Hu Guozhen instructed his daughter, "Don't regret what you've already done. Staying at inns or guesthouses isn't necessarily dangerous, but it's always good to be cautious. If the Yi and Wei families want to hold you accountable for your mistakes, they will definitely use the government's power to thoroughly investigate the inns. Sleeping outdoors is tough, but it gives us peace of mind."

"Well, I see."

"Don't worry, we will reunite with your mother after we enter Sizhou."

Suddenly, from afar, countless water birds took flight as if startled, chirping and calling out, making Hu Guozhen and his daughter feel uneasy.

Hu Guozhen ordered two of his men to scout the situation. As soon as the men disappeared into the bushes, Hu Guozhen decided not to wait any longer to investigate.

"Wuwu, mount your horse, let's go!"

The voice of Huli Wild Wolf rang out amidst the swirling wings of birds: "Wu Shibo, please wait."

Hu Guozhen inherited the title of Marquis of Wushi in the fifteenth year of the Taihe era, but in the sixteenth year, according to the reform of the nobility system, he was demoted to Earl of Wushi.

"Who are you?" Hu Guozhen feigned composure, helped his daughter onto the horse, and gestured for her to hurry up and go first.

(End of this chapter)