Xianyu Fu fell silent upon hearing this.
After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "The Xianyu clan is willing to contribute one thousand shi of grain."
"A thousand shi?" Zhang Xin shook his head with a faint smile. "That's only enough to feed a thousand people for a month. It's far from sufficient. Don't worry—I'll purchase it at market price. If you don't want money, cattle and sheep will do."
In the Eastern Han, one shi was roughly equivalent to thirty kilograms. With limited side dishes, grain consumption was high—an adult male could consume nearly one shi per month.
"My Zhang family is willing to contribute ten thousand shi of grain," another official stepped forward and declared.
Xianyu Fu's expression immediately changed.
Zhang Xin turned to look—it was Zhang Fang, the Southern Inspector.
Inspectors were responsible for supervising counties, delivering documents, monitoring officials, and apprehending criminals. Their rank was below that of the Five Officials. Depending on the size of a commandery, there were usually two to five inspectors.
Yuyang Commandery was narrow and not very large, so it had only two inspectors—one in the north and one in the south. With the northern post vacant, Zhang Fang, the Southern Inspector, was the highest-ranking member of the Zhang clan in the prefecture.
"Is the Zhang family being so generous because they want to rise further in the administration?" Zhang Xin wondered.
Ten thousand shi of grain was no small amount, even for a powerful clan. Of course, they only made such an offer because Zhang Xin had promised to pay for it—otherwise, they would never have been so forthcoming.
Still, this clearly demonstrated that the Zhang clan's strength surpassed that of the Xianyu clan.
The reason was simple: in this generation, the Zhang clan had produced two high-ranking officials with salaries of two thousand shi.
One was Zhang Ju, former Chancellor of Zhongshan.The other was Zhang Chun, former Governor of Mount Tai.
These were the very same Zhang Ju—who would later proclaim himself emperor—and Zhang Chun, who would style himself General Mitian and Prince of Anding.
Though they had not yet rebelled, their influence was already formidable.
Zhang Xin suspected that the previous governor had promoted the Xianyu brothers precisely to counterbalance the Zhang clan's power.
But now the situation had changed. The Xianyu brothers already controlled much of the prefectural personnel. Once Zhang Xin formally took office, he would certainly elevate others to keep them in check.
Zhang Fang was a good candidate.
Since the Zhang family clearly sought advancement, Zhang Xin had no reason to refuse. He nodded in agreement, subtly signaling that he would remember their support.
Politics was not about brute force—overturning the table was always the last resort. The true art lay in balancing competing interests.
Seeing this, Xianyu Fu hurriedly added, "The Xianyu family is willing to contribute three thousand shi of grain."
"Good, good," Zhang Xin replied with a smile, before asking, "And what about the remaining shortfall?"
Even thirteen thousand shi would only last about twenty days—it was still insufficient.
"We can exchange cattle with the governor," Xianyu Fu suggested. "I believe he will not refuse."
"That will work."
Zhang Xin nodded. Wei You would return in a few days; he could raise the matter then.
This was one of the advantages of operating within the system.
After issuing a few more instructions, Zhang Xin dismissed the officials and returned to the inner courtyard.
Under a tree, Wang Meng sat quietly reading a scroll of bamboo slips.
Nearby, Zhang Ning was playing with several young girls while Wang Rou watched over them. These girls had been rescued by Zhang Xin from Wang Meng's village and were now raised in his residence as companions for Zhang Ning.
The peaceful scene brought a smile to Zhang Xin's face.
Wang Rou was the first to notice him and quickly bowed. "Greetings, my lord."
The others followed suit.
"Brother! Why are you only coming back now? Ning'er missed you so much!" Zhang Ning ran forward joyfully and threw herself into his arms.
"No need for formalities."
Zhang Xin picked her up, set her down, and gently pinched her nose. "If you missed me, why didn't you come out to greet me? I sent word I'd be back today."
"I wanted to," Zhang Ning replied, "but Sister Liu wasn't feeling well, so Aunt Wang told us to stay home."
Zhang Xin's expression changed. "Liu Hua is unwell?"
He turned to Wang Rou. "What happened? Has a doctor seen her?"
"We've already called one," Wang Rou replied, her expression somewhat strange. "But… the physician couldn't determine the cause. My lord, you should go see for yourself."
Even after seeing a doctor, the illness was unclear?
Zhang Xin frowned—but then dismissed the thought. If it were something serious, the household would not be so calm.
Could it be…?
A thought crossed his mind.
"I'll go check on her first," he said to Zhang Ning. "I'll play with you later."
"Okay!" she nodded obediently.
Zhang Xin quickly made his way to Liu Hua's room and pushed the door open.
She lay resting on the couch, eyes closed, as if napping.
He approached quietly and reached out to touch her forehead.
Liu Hua suddenly opened her eyes, startled. Seeing him, she sat up and let out a breath.
"What are you doing? You scared me!"
"I didn't want to wake you," Zhang Xin said, sitting beside her and pulling her into his arms. His hand slipped mischievously into her collar.
"Hiss… that's cold!" Liu Hua grabbed his hand. "Didn't you even take off your armor?"
"I heard you weren't feeling well," Zhang Xin said, withdrawing his hand with a grin. "Arou said you're sick—what's wrong?"
Liu Hua sighed, leaning against him. "I don't know… I've been dizzy, sleepy, no appetite. I keep vomiting. Even the doctor couldn't figure it out."
She looked worried. "General… am I going to die?"
"Don't talk nonsense." Zhang Xin cupped her face. "Tell me honestly—are you pregnant?"
Liu Hua's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
Zhang Xin rolled his eyes.
The symptoms were obvious.
"If it were something serious, the entire household would be in chaos," he said. "You hid it from me on purpose, didn't you?"
"I wanted to surprise you," Liu Hua giggled.
"You really are pregnant?"
"Mhm."
"How long?"
"More than three months."
Zhang Xin froze for a moment—then joy flooded his heart, followed quickly by worry.
After two lifetimes, he was finally going to have a child.
But with chaos looming across the land… could he truly provide a safe future?
Seeing his expression, Liu Hua gently asked, "Are you unhappy?"
"Of course not," he said softly. "I'm just worried… about the world we're bringing this child into."
"It will be fine," she reassured him, stroking his face. "You've already pacified the Wuhuan and earned great merit. The court's amnesty should arrive soon."
"Once you are officially recognized, who would dare harm our child?"
"Ah—right!"
Zhang Xin suddenly recalled Wei You's visit and quickly told her everything.
"Really?" Liu Hua beamed with joy, eagerly asking questions.
To amuse her, Zhang Xin exaggerated his own exploits, making her laugh.
Soon, Wang Meng arrived to report that the victory banquet was ready and the generals had assembled.
Reluctantly, Zhang Xin took his leave under Liu Hua's urging.
"I'm going to be a father…"
After he left, Liu Hua watched his departing figure.
"The Prefect of Yuyang… and Protector-General of the Wuhuan…"
She rose, walked to the table, and took out a bamboo scroll.
Grinding the ink, she picked up her brush and began writing.
When she finished, she called Wang Rou over.
"Arou, find someone to deliver this letter to Hejian for me…"