Chapter Three: Turmoil

Originally, there were far more slaves on the estate than guards or hired laborers; once the slaves decided to revolt, there was no way the others could contain them. Soon, some slaves broke into the manor, shouting for the death of the slave owner, Zheng Pi, killing any hired laborers they encountered, seizing valuables and money, and some even setting fires. In no time, much of the estate was ablaze. The winter chill and snow could not withstand the spreading fire, and melted snow mingled with the blood of the fallen.

At first, Zheng Pi, the slave owner, was furious and ordered his men to fight back, but as the situation grew dire, he could only flee in anger and fright, guarded by his retinue. By the time he ran a dozen miles to the military camp, his clothes and hair were disheveled, his appearance wretched.

General Cheng, upon hearing the news, immediately led his troops back to the camp, only to be fiercely berated by the enraged Zheng Pi. After inquiring about the cause, the surviving guards and laborers recalled that the initial shouts sounded like children.

General Cheng, despite the scolding, did not protest. Instead, he frowned and said, "Young Master Zheng, don’t be so upset. If those lowly slaves are allowed to continue rioting, your family’s legacy will be in jeopardy. I’ll take my troops and suppress the rebellion at once!"

Having vented his anger, Zheng Pi calmed somewhat and saw the sense in Cheng’s words, immediately entrusting the matter to him.

By the time General Cheng arrived at Zheng Pi’s estate with two thousand soldiers, the flames were already dying down. Many slaves had not escaped; some were even fighting each other over loot. Most of the laborers had been slaughtered, with only a handful of women left alive—though they had been so violated by the slaves that few had the strength to cry.

As soon as the troops arrived, the remaining slaves panicked and tried to flee. Most were killed by arrows, and the rest surrendered.

After taking stock, the steward who had escaped with Zheng Pi expressed relief that the losses were not too great, only to be kicked to the ground by Zheng Pi.

"The house is burned to ashes and you dare say the losses are minor!"

Realizing his mistake, the steward hung his head, limp and silent, not daring to rise.

Zheng Pi ignored him and demanded to know if the culprit had been found.

"My family’s estate has never seen such disaster in decades! Someone must be behind this in secret."

Before long, a soldier came to report that the slaves claimed it all began with some children setting fires and causing chaos.

General Cheng immediately glared and demanded, "Did someone unlock the shackles on the boy I sent here?"

Zheng Pi had never met Bu Jingxian, and both his aides and the steward shook their heads, saying they knew nothing. General Cheng promptly ordered the surviving laborers to be interrogated.

Miss Feng, standing nearby, was alarmed. She remembered the laborer she had ordered beaten to death had said the shackles were specially instructed by General Cheng. Fearing her involvement would come to light, she knew Zheng Pi would neither let her live nor die. Without hesitation, she quietly slipped out of the main tent, hurriedly leaving the camp under the pretense of running an errand for Zheng Pi.

The soldiers, knowing the close relationship between General Cheng and Zheng Pi, dared not stop her, allowing Miss Feng to escape unchallenged. By the time the interrogations concluded, she was long gone.

General Cheng, realizing the truth, slapped his thigh in frustration and scolded, "Miss Feng has ruined everything! That boy has been unruly since he was captured—caught with a torch in hand, which is why I ordered him shackled! I’m convinced he’s behind today’s disaster!"

Zheng Pi scoffed, "What could one brat possibly do?"

"You don’t understand, Young Master! That boy was captured alive by General Han Feng of Zheng during the destruction of the Soul Sect. He escaped en route, was chased to our border by Zheng soldiers, and then caught by us. When Zheng demanded his return, we refused. You surely know the kind of people in the Soul Sect—every one of them mad, raving, and reckless."

"Hmph…" Zheng Pi’s face darkened, and General Cheng hurried to explain, "That's exactly why I thought this boy would survive under your hands. I only sent him here for your benefit, and I specifically instructed that his shackles were never to be removed. Who would have thought your people would disregard my warning—hmph!"

By the end, General Cheng himself looked displeased.

Seeing this, Zheng Pi held his temper. General Cheng had grown up with him, the son of the family’s old steward, and had helped Zheng Pi’s father greatly. Treated as a peer since childhood, Cheng had later earned titles and, with Zheng family support, enjoyed a successful career. The two were sworn brothers, and so Cheng took no offense at Zheng Pi’s outbursts. Naturally, Zheng Pi never truly regarded him as a subordinate.

"There’s no need for such words between brothers. How was I to know the truth about a lowly slave? It was all that wretch Feng’er’s doing—just wait till I get my hands on her!"

Soldiers were immediately sent to find her, but soon returned to report that she had fled as soon as things went wrong.

Infuriated, Zheng Pi lost his temper once again. Not only had they failed to capture the rebellious slaves, but now even his own people were fleeing in fear. General Cheng tried to calm him, saying, "Come with me, Young Master. I suspect they’ll try to flee to Zheng, mingling with the refugees!"

Earlier, Bu Jingxian had instructed a group of children to set fires and incite chaos. Once the estate was in turmoil, the children regrouped in the kitchen as planned.

At Bu Jingxian’s command, each packed rations and cooked meat.

As they were busy, another young slave rushed in.

"Wang Ka went to the manor to grab silver! Let’s go too!"

The others were tempted, but Bu Jingxian sharply rebuked them.

"Foolishness! If everyone goes for the money, we’ll only be killed by the other slaves. A lucky few might escape, but the rest will die here! What we need most for the journey to Zheng is food—silver will only make us targets for robbery and murder! No one is to go. Wang Ka has chosen his path; he’s no longer our concern, alive or dead! Move quickly and don’t take too much. If we don’t leave now, we may not have a single grain of rice left!"

The children obeyed, each packing rice, some steamed buns, and whatever scraps they could find, then followed Bu Jingxian out.

On the road, Bu Jingxian led from the front, encouraging those who tired, and arranging help for those who faltered. Though the journey was not long, they were young and strong from years of slavery. Not one collapsed before reaching the border.

Seeing the road to the border filled with fleeing refugees, some children cheered in delight.

"Han fears an attack from Chu, so their army is massed on the southern border. They dare not reinforce elsewhere for fear of provoking Zheng. As long as we blend in with the refugees and reach Zheng, they won’t be able to touch us!"

Bu Jingxian urged them onward, saying only once they reached Zheng could they rest. He knew General Cheng would first suppress the riot at the estate before giving chase, so they had time to escape the Han border. Zheng was powerful, its king proud and unyielding—once they crossed into Zheng, no official would hand them over for the sake of a mere Han landowner.

Once the children melted into the refugees, they could move no faster than the crowd.

As they neared the border, a cloud of dust rose behind them—cavalry in pursuit. But the foolish commander bellowed threats from afar, demanding the refugees halt. If he had searched quietly, he might have succeeded, but his shouting only spurred the refugees to flee faster. Chaos erupted as everyone surged toward the border, scattering the group of children.

No one knew where the others had been swept. Bu Jingxian struggled to stay with the flow of people, terrified of falling and being trampled. Amid the chaos, he felt a hand clutch his own. Without caring who it was, he gripped back tightly, whispering to hold on and not let go.

Crushed by the crowd, barely able to breathe, suddenly the masses thinned and someone cried out that they had crossed the border. Only then did Bu Jingxian see that it was Qiyue who had held onto him. Both drenched in sweat, they burst out laughing at their narrow escape.

They had finally made it.

At the Zheng border, the soldiers offered no resistance. Once across, the two children waited by the roadside, hoping to find their companions. But after a long wait, no one else appeared.

There was no way of knowing where the others had gone after crossing. The border defense stretched beyond sight; searching for anyone would be almost impossible.

"All we can do is trust to fate. I’m sure they made it into Zheng as well. They’ll be safe now."