When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

Chen Xing pattered up to her. "Mother, what is it?"

Tan You said, "Go get the Clan Leader and the elders. Tell them to meet at the medical hall. I have important business to discuss with everyone."

Chen Xing chirped an affirmative and quickly scampered off with a few of the younger children. Zhu Rong, who had been reading a medical text, couldn’t help but lower her book. "Has something major happened?"

Tan You nodded slightly. "Let’s wait for the elders to arrive before we talk."

’And it was a major event, indeed. The world outside was falling into chaos. They had laid low for so long; it was time to stretch their legs. The only pity was that seven years had passed, and they still had no idea where Chen Cui was. Finding her amidst the turmoil of a chaotic era would be even more difficult.’

Chen Xing was incredibly fast on his feet—or rather, all the children were. As the clan’s standard of living improved, the younger generation of children was clearly much healthier.

Furthermore, they had been practicing martial arts since they were young, and every one of them was in excellent physical condition. Thus, in less than a quarter of an hour, Chen Tianshui, a few clan elders, and over a dozen of the clan’s women had all assembled at Zhu Rong’s medical hall.

Naturally, the Guard team couldn’t be absent from such an important meeting. Yang Youchang sat on the other side, flanked by several of the Guard’s squad leaders. By now, the members of the Guard had a vague guess as to what was happening, and they all looked at Tan You with expectant eyes.

But Tan You wasn’t in a hurry to announce her decision. She first relayed the news she had received. "The Beirong are invading. They have already breached the passes, and the imperial court is suffering one defeat after another."

Chen Tianshui immediately sucked in a sharp breath. Lost in the moment, the hand stroking his beard pulled out two hairs, causing him to wince in pain.

But that wasn’t all. Tan You continued, "Prince Yong in the northwest has rebelled, and so has Zhou Li, the military commissioner of Lingnan."

"The imperial court’s control over the regions is growing weaker and weaker. An age of chaos has begun."

Everyone’s heart suddenly felt heavy. The only exceptions were the men of the Guard, whose eyes were all gleaming brightly. ’A man’s purpose is to make his mark upon the world. Who wouldn’t want to achieve great things and be granted a title?’

Tan You glanced at them, and the Guard’s squad leaders immediately composed themselves, looking down in embarrassment.

The third grand-uncle took a puff from his dry pipe, not caring at that moment that there were women present. After a long silence, he asked softly, "Lady Tan... what’s your plan?"

"Wait," Tan You’s voice was quiet, but her tone was solemn. "We’re in the eastern region, which is still relatively peaceful for now. If we make a move at this time, we’ll just be branded as rebels and eliminated first."

Chen Tianshui’s brow furrowed deeply. "I’m just afraid that when the chaos reaches us, they’ll enforce conscription. When that time comes..."

"That will be our opportunity," Tan You said, her tone icy. "The Guard we have trained so painstakingly was not raised to pave the way for others."

"Rather than follow a bunch of incompetents to certain death, we should fight for our own future."

Although they had their suspicions over the past few years, hearing Tan You say it so plainly still made everyone gasp. The Clan Leader and the elders were hesitant, but the women of the clan were especially supportive of Tan You.

"Whatever Lady Tan says, goes. Following a smart person is the only way to ensure we eat."

"Lady Tan, just tell us what to do next."

"We’ll all listen to you."

Tan You remained calm. "Everyone is to continue training as usual. Don’t halt production at the soap workshop. The Guard’s daily patrols need to be more thorough; don’t let anyone slip through the cracks."

"Also, unless it’s absolutely necessary, it’s best if no one leaves the village."

"Also, our walls... let’s raise them by a few meters. And the watchtowers must be fully manned at all times."

The elders nodded in agreement. "The walls must be strengthened. That’s the most important thing."

"And the food supplies and escape tunnels," Tan You added as a reminder. "Send someone into the mountains to check on our stored grain. Also, make sure everyone remains alert regarding the escape tunnels, so they aren’t useless when we need them most."

As these plans were laid out one by one, everyone’s troubled minds began to settle. What did they have to fear? As long as they resolutely followed the smartest person among them, they were making the right choice.

In their eyes, Tan You was the most intelligent person in the entire clan. They could never go wrong by following her.

The clan meeting lasted for nearly two hours. Toward the end, Tan You said, "From now on, everyone should produce more alcohol and flatbreads, just in case."

"As for Zhu Rong, anyone with free time should go to her and learn how to treat wounds. It will give our clan members an extra layer of protection."

Listening to Tan You’s comprehensive arrangements, Chen Tianshui nodded in satisfaction. "We will do as Lady Tan says."

’For the past few years, his attention had been focused on the clan’s various workshops; Tan You handled most of the clan’s general affairs. Chen Tianshui asked himself, ’If I had known this age of chaos was coming, could I have been as calm and composed as Tan You?’’

’He couldn’t. He might hold the title of Clan Leader, but the Chen Clan had always been a small one. The most accomplished among them was only an elementary scholar, while the rest were farmers who scraped a living from the earth.’

’In the past, they had trouble just feeding themselves, let alone raising a banner of their own as they were considering now.’

Aunt Liu Ying sighed. "We finally had a few peaceful years. Just when everyone’s lives were getting better and better... it comes to this."

Tan You said softly, "Don’t worry. Things will get better. We won’t let anyone destroy the life we have now."

"Thank goodness we have Lady Tan," Aunt Hua said, wiping away a tear. "Without her, we probably would have had to flee from famine years ago. How could we possibly be living the lives we have today?"

Tan You just chuckled. "All right, no more long faces. There’s always a way forward. Are we really going to let these people be the death of us? Fortunately, we’ve already wiped out all the surrounding mountain bandits, so no one should dare to make trouble for our village."

Yue Shu added, "If they dare to come, we’ll finish them. It’s been over a year since we’ve had a chance to get our hands dirty."

Tan You said, "Alright. I’m entrusting the clan’s safety to the Guard. Meeting adjourned."

After the meeting broke up, Chen Xi asked worriedly, "Mother, will the chaos spread to us here?"

"In a chaotic era, where can you find true peace?" Tan You said coolly. "If we don’t want to be carved up by others, we must become strong ourselves. Only when we have power will others not dare to attack us at our doorstep."

Chen Xi gritted her teeth. "Yes, we have to become strong, so others won’t dare to bully us."

Tan You patted her on the head. "That’s the right way to think. You and An Wen keep a close eye on the workshops, and don’t forget your training in the meantime."

Chen Yue sidled up to her. "Mother, you’re not going to ask me anything?"

Tan You glanced at her. "Do you think I don’t know what you and those little rascals have been up to? You can do whatever you want within the village, but you are forbidden from going outside the walls."

Chen Yue made a face. "I know, Mother. We kids will be useful too."