Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Chengdu has been a prosperous city since ancient times. For four hundred years since the Han Dynasty, there have been many wealthy and powerful families scattered throughout the city.

On the contrary, in the twenty years since Liu Bei entered Shu, due to the construction of the palace on the north side of Chengdu and the increasing number of government offices in the city, the political center has mostly been in the north, which has led to a pattern of "north nobility and south wealth".

Chen Zhi lived in the Xu residence, which was less than half a mile east of the Ministry of Personnel.

The imposition of martial law in the capital is something that any official family should be extremely wary of.

Chen Zhi rushed home, knocked on the door, and entered. In the main hall of the courtyard, he saw his cousin Xu You, who had hurriedly come to greet him. Xu You was dressed neatly and had arrived quickly, clearly indicating that he had not slept all night.

Xu You was nineteen years old, less than eight feet tall, and looked like a young master from a wealthy family. Rubbing his eyes, Xu You walked towards Chen Zhi, looking puzzled: "Why did you return home in the middle of the night, brother? You went to the palace early yesterday morning, and we haven't heard from you since?"

Chen Zhi leaned against the wooden railing, panting softly. His advice to Liu Shan in the palace had been risky, leaving him tense and exhausted from the previous day's events and lack of rest. Only upon returning home could he relax and show his weariness. He could only manage a mumbled reply:

"I've been given a temporary assignment to go to Hanzhong. I'll go home and make some preparations, and I'll leave in half an hour."

Xu You approached and was startled when he saw Chen Zhi's face: "Going to Hanzhong? So soon?"

"We'll talk about it later." Chen Zhi waved his hand weakly. "Ayou, I have a few things to tell you, listen carefully."

Xu You nodded, seemingly puzzled. He was not yet twenty and had come of age, so Chen Zhi always called him by his childhood nickname, "A-You."

"Go and fetch my usual saddle, padding, bridle, sword, and bow, and hang them all on the horse I just rode here. Also, bring the leather pouch, water pouch, and quiver. Fill them with some salt and dried meat, a small bag of horse feed, and fifty gold coins into the leather pouch for the journey. Fill the water pouch with water, and the quiver with ten... no, twenty arrows, yes, and the leather armor..."

Chen Zhi patiently gave Xu You instructions one by one, and Xu You silently took notes, but his worry became increasingly evident. He stamped his foot and asked, "Brother, what exactly happened?"

Chen Zhi turned sideways and walked inside, calling out as he went, "I'm a little tired. I'm going to sleep for three-quarters of an hour. Remember to wake me up after three-quarters of an hour. I'll talk to you again later."

Xu You stood there, staring at Chen Zhi's back. It took him a while to come back to his senses. He hurriedly instructed the steward to prepare the items Chen Zhi had mentioned, while he himself stood guard outside Chen Zhi's bedroom, nervously calculating the time.

The Xu family had been a prominent clan for many years. Although Xu You was young and had not yet entered officialdom, he understood that the death of a great figure like Prime Minister Zhuge Liang would inevitably lead to some turmoil. And his cousin, Chen Zhi, seemed to have been caught up in such a storm.

When a person is extremely tired, even a short nap can be very helpful.

After being woken up by Xu You, Chen Zhi had recovered considerably. After checking his horse tack and equipment, he finally spoke to Xu You:

"Ayou, a major incident has occurred in the court. The Prime Minister has just passed away, and Yang Yi, the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office, has killed General Wei Yan, the General Who Conquers the West, and also exterminated his entire clan. His Majesty sent me to Hanzhong to investigate this matter."

"ah??"

Xu You was filled with confusion, frowning: "Yang Yi killed Wei Yan? You must be joking. Could it be that these two weren't loyal ministers?"

Chen Zhi nodded: "It's true."

Xu You asked in bewilderment, "Has Yang Yi gone mad? He's probably planning a rebellion. My brother is representing the emperor in the army; this trip must be dangerous."

Chen Zhi patted Xu You on the shoulder: "Whether he's crazy or not, nobody in Chengdu knows now, which is why I'm going to Hanzhong to check on him. That's why His Majesty sent me. Don't worry too much, I have ways to protect myself, nothing serious will happen."

"That's good." Xu You didn't think much of Chen Zhi's words, but instead stammered out a question: "Brother, there's something I've been worried about since yesterday, and besides you, I have no one else to ask."

Chen Zhi put on his leather armor, and with the help of the steward, mounted his horse. After arranging his leather pouch, sword, and bow, he looked down at Xu You and said, "Ayou, tell me."

Xu You waved away the steward and servants, his face filled with worry: "Brother, tell me, Emperor Zhaolie is gone first, then Prime Minister Zhuge is gone, is the Shu Han dynasty doomed too? The army is dangerous, brother, don't be reckless when you go north. If you encounter trouble, hide if necessary, safety first. Even if the Shu Han dynasty falls, if Yizhou falls to Wei in the future, my family still has connections in Wei, and we can return to our ancestral home in Runan to live, so we won't lose our wealth and status..."

Hahaha……

Chen Zhi didn't get angry; instead, he laughed for a while before speaking: "Ayou, with a family as prestigious as ours, do you really think the Ji Han dynasty won't last?"

Xu You innocently spread his hands: "Wei has so many prefectures and counties, how can we possibly conquer them? Even Prime Minister Zhuge Liang couldn't manage it, so who can? Isn't it obvious?"

Chen Zhi scoffed, "You're not wrong, and I imagine the generals and officers in the Northern Expeditionary Army think the same way. It's precisely because so many people are wavering and filled with fear and trepidation that I'm going to Hanzhong, to the Northern Expeditionary Army!"

Xu You pressed further, "But why was it your elder brother who went?"

Chen Zhi reined in his horse, urging it to circle Xu once. He raised his whip, his laughter filled with confidence: "Heaven has ordained that I, Chen Zhi, will restore the Han Dynasty, therefore I am going to Hanzhong!"

……

Chen Zhi rode swiftly, arriving at the north gate of the palace at the appointed time. The north gate of the palace was named Ji Gate, presumably representing Ji County in Youzhou.

Thirty cavalrymen and over a hundred horses were already lined up and waiting, their neighing and the sound of the wind mingling together. About half a mile further away, the troops of Liu Yong, the Left General of the Household, could be seen deployed here, adding a touch of grimness to the scene. Chen Zhi did not see Huang Liu here, but instead saw Guo Youzhi, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, holding an eight-foot staff with both hands flat.

There were two palace attendants, one named Dong Yun and the other Guo Youzhi. Compared to Dong Yun's strict control over Liu Shan, Guo Youzhi was more lenient and unwilling to argue with the emperor over trivial matters. Therefore, Liu Shan personally preferred Guo Youzhi more.

"Imperial Censor Chen." Attendant Guo Youzhi solemnly handed the imperial staff to Chen Zhi: "His Majesty has ordered me to see Imperial Censor Chen off. Please remember, as an envoy of the Emperor, one may die for the cause, but one must not lose one's integrity."

Chen Zhi and Guo Youzhi exchanged glances for a few moments before Chen Zhi dismounted, accepted the staff, and nodded in response, "Thank you for your trouble, Attendant-in-Ordinary. Please convey to His Majesty that Chen Zhi will not die, nor will he lose his integrity."

Guo Youzhi was deep in thought, his expression somewhat complicated. After nodding in agreement, he pointed to a tall, imposing man in full armor beside him: "This is Commander Liu Yin. Commander Liu will be responsible for escorting you north."

"Greetings, Commander Liu." Chen Zhi bowed respectfully, saying, "I am grateful for Commander Liu's protection on this journey to Hanzhong. Thank you in advance."

"I am acting on imperial orders; there is no need for the Imperial Censor to offer his respects." Liu Yin's expression was rather arrogant. He raised his chin, squinted at Chen Zhi for a few moments, and without returning the greeting, he snorted lightly, turned around, mounted his horse, and lashed his left arm guard with the whip. He then looked back at Liu Yin: "Isn't Imperial Censor Chen in a hurry to leave? You should set off immediately!"

"Alright." Chen Zhi didn't take it to heart, smiled lightly, said goodbye to Guo Youzhi, and then rode off on horseback. The group gradually sped up, and the sound of hooves thundered.

Chen Zhi's trip served two purposes: first, to resolve the predicament of the Shu Han state, and second, to gain political capital for himself.

How can one manage national affairs well if one cannot even fight for power?

Heading north to Hanzhong!