Chapter 44

The sky was dark and the earth dim. A sea of chill air poured into the forest.

Gu Jun's chest was both tight and painful. With reddened eyes, he stuck the three branches he was holding into the soil and fell asleep.

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The landlord's residence, a warm room partitioned off on the left side of the main hall.

As it wasn't yet the cold season, the warm room had no braziers set up. Drawing back the rolled-up cloth curtain, it was a small, enclosed space of moderate size.

Inside, there was a square table and two stools, intended for a child to focus on studying.

This place hadn't been piled with miscellaneous items and had a surface where things could be placed. For safety and convenience, Chao Yan borrowed this spot from the landlord, lit a bean-oil lamp, and indicated for the doctor to treat his wounds here.

Ning Fu had sent someone to fetch the best doctor in the county seat, along with his apprentice, bringing them together.

Chao Yan took off his clothes. The wounds on his body had already stuck to the cloth strips used for bandaging. As soon as it was opened, the doctor ordered his apprentice to remove those strips.

The attendant Ning Fu kept behind was surnamed Huang; everyone called him Huang Da. He found clean water and a soft cloth.

The apprentice picked up the soft cloth, soaked it in water until thoroughly wet, then scooped it out and wrung it half-dry. He pressed it onto the cloth strips, aiming to soften the dried blood and other substances between the wound and the strips. Gently and carefully, he immediately tore the strips off.

The skin surrounding the wounds was a different color from normal skin. The exposed flesh was vividly red, but because of dried blood and other matter, the texture couldn't be seen clearly.

The area where the arrowhead had entered was already festering and swollen. Fortunately, poison was expensive and volatile; the enemy had considered cost-effectiveness and not smeared poison on the arrowheads. Otherwise, he would have already died from poisoning by now.

The doctor let the apprentice wipe away the dried blood and other substances that could be wiped. Observing, smelling, listening, and feeling the pulse, he confirmed that Chao Yan's internal organs had not been injured and let out a long breath of relief.

If the other party had injured his internal organs, then there would be nothing he could do; after all, his medical skills were limited.

The doctor picked up a knife that had been heated over fire and cut open the skin beside the arrowhead...

Chao Yan's brow furrowed deeply, clenching the fists hanging at his sides. Although Seven-Li Powder had the effects of stopping bleeding and relieving pain, it was no miracle drug; it couldn't perfectly stop the blood and pain—barely half effective at most.

The landlord and his wife, along with a few others, stood at the doorway looking in.

Huang Da walked to the front of the warm room, blocking their line of sight. Politely but without allowing refusal, he said, "The scene is somewhat bloody; I fear it might frighten the children. Ladies and gentlemen, please go and rest."

The landlord, hearing this, forced a smile and led his family away.

"Clang!" The arrowhead was taken out and tossed into a basket on the table.

As the arrowhead was removed, blood that was so red it was almost black gushed out. Chao Yan groaned out loud, his forehead drenched in cold sweat.

The doctor said to the apprentice: "Wipe my sweat."

The apprentice hurriedly wiped it for him.

The doctor took out Mafei Powder from the medical box and sprinkled it onto the wound. The apprentice immediately handed him a fine needle boiled in boiling water and supple, thin mulberry bark thread. The doctor lowered his head, sewed the wound shut, used tweezers to tie a knot, snipped it, made a dead knot, and ordered the apprentice to apply medicine and bandage it. He himself then went to treat the wounds caused by the large blade's slashes and cuts.

Once all wounds were treated, the doctor slumped tiredly into a chair.

The apprentice put the remaining unused high-quality fine gauze back into the medical box and also slumped tiredly into a chair.

With Huang Da's help, Chao Yan put on clean clothes and thanked the doctor and his apprentice.

The doctor waved his hand, taking the fees Huang Da handed over, and asked, "How did the young sir get injured so severely? Where has your wife gone?"

This doctor was precisely the one who had previously treated Gu Jun. He didn't know Chao Yan's identity, but seeing that Chao Yan was unlike ordinary people and had attendants serving him, he addressed him as "young sir." This wouldn't go wrong.

Chao Yan said lightly, "Knowing too much brings no benefit."

The doctor's mind turned, and he understood. Quickly saying "pardon the intrusion," he left with his apprentice.

Chao Yan leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

Huang Da cleaned up the mess. Seeing this, he moved the oil lamp a bit farther away. The young man then fell into the hazy, indistinct light and shadow.

Huang Da tiptoed out of the warm room, came to the window of the main hall facing the courtyard, and looked towards the courtyard gate.

A sliver of crescent moon hung in the night sky.

Time passed quietly. When anxiety was at its peak, urgent knocking sounded. Huang Da leaped to the front of the courtyard gate in a few steps and opened it.

The attendant who had originally gone to fetch the doctor, after doing so, had turned back to the county office to act according to the situation.

"How is it?" Huang Da asked.

The other man's face did not look good. Huang Da fell silent. The two quickly stepped into the warm room.

The young man had actually already heard the commotion, opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as still water, looking towards them. The two knelt. Before they could report, the other guessed the result.

"Alive, no person seen; dead, no corpse found?" Chao Yan opened his mouth.

"Reporting to you, Young Sir, yes."

The attendant's forehead touched the cold floor as he continued:

"When I arrived at the county office, Sir Ning had already taken men and forcefully entered the county office. But they didn't find the lady inside. The fire is too great; many places are already impossible to search. They found the county magistrate. The magistrate is still breathing.

..., he couldn't get away.

"Additionally, a... person nearby said that just as Sir Ning was leading men to forcefully break into the county office, a figure... from within the county office... within a blink of an eye, disappeared."

Chao Yan stood up.

Huang Da moved to support him but, seeing him wave his hand, had to retreat back to his original position.

..., the evening breeze brushed past his cheeks, slightly cool. Inside, it was quiet. No one dared to disturb.

...

Huang Da answered.

Xuan paper was spread on the table. Using the north gate of the county seat as a point, Chao Yan drew a route. The ink was thin and dried quickly. He rolled up the Xuan paper and handed it to Huang Da, saying, "Run along this route and check if there is anyone under the bridge arch."

Huang Da took it, turned to the attendant, and said, "Protect the Young Sir." He immediately galloped off on horseback. Chao Yan watched him leave, still standing in place without moving. The attendant said quietly, "Young Sir, do not worry. Please go and rest. Do not harm your body."

Chao Yan did not answer. After a moment, he sat back down, but not to rest, rather to entertain a guest. Meng Zhao had arrived. "Ask the homeowner if there is any hot soup, and borrow some. Third Sir has been running for such a time; his mouth and tongue must be parched," Chao Yan said.

Meng Zhao, accompanied by two minor soldiers sent by the express delivery station to escort him, walked in and said, "Young Sir, there is no need for that trouble." As he spoke, he looked Chao Yan over, revealed a smile, and respectfully gave a simple bow. "Seeing you unharmed today is a joy beyond measure."

Chao Yan said, "There's no need for excessive ceremony. You've come at just the right time; there is something I need you to do."

The attendant stepped forward and explained the situation here to him. After hearing, Meng Zhao said, "Young Sir, please speak. I would go through fire and boiling water without refusal!"

Chao Yan said, "After the gentry have assembled their men, go and announce one thing: namely, that the enemy bandit leader has been captured by the court. The prefectural troops sent by the Tongzhi of Nanling Prefecture will arrive in the county shortly. The enemy bandits are no match for them. Please have them use their full strength to kill the enemy bandits.

"They are all fighting for the life and death of their homeland. If they die in battle, they will surely receive a proper burial, and their parents, wives, and children will certainly be treated favorably by the court."

Meng Zhao said, "What is this for?"

Chao Yan said, "After handling this matter, assemble personnel and close the county office's north, east, and west gates.

"The city gates cannot be completely closed. Otherwise, these people, driven to desperation, will do anything within the county seat. Inside the county seat are only unarmed commoners.

"By then, the prefectural troops should have already arrived in the county. A portion will support the gentry; the remaining portion will set up an ambush at the south gate. If they see enemy bandits, directly execute them. Resolve the enemy bandits as quickly as possible. This has already dragged on long enough."

Meng Zhao assented, then said, "Do the reinforcements sent by the border garrison need to be sent back?"

Chao Yan said, "They made this trip; does Magistrate Wang not give them some benefits?"

Meng Zhao was puzzled: "Is the matter of the enemy bandits related to Magistrate Wang?"

He cursed under his breath, cupped his hands, and withdrew.

He also did not ask about the lady. He had known His Highness for a long time and understood him. If His Highness had a need, he would speak plainly; there was no need for him to inquire.

.

By the time Meng Zhao returned, the gentry had already assembled their men—about one hundred and fifty—intending to go to the county office for rescue.

Meng Zhao did not rush to step forward and announce the matter immediately. He ordered someone to ride fast to the market where the young man had been ambushed midway, drag out an enemy bandit corpse, chop off its head, and tattoo the character for 'thief' on its face.

When setting out, the young man had revealed his midway ambush and told him the market's location; the reason was self-evident.

Carrying the bloody head, just as the gentry were arriving at the county seat, he appeared in a flash, raised his voice, and said, "I am a court-appointed official, the Right Court Assistant of the Court of Judicial Review. By order of the Prime Minister, I have come to quell the rebellion."

To gain the trust of the group he was facing, the first thing was to declare his identity.

"My subordinates have already taken the dog life of the enemy bandit leader. Here is his head! His Excellency the Tongzhi of Nanling Prefecture has dispatched troops, who will arrive in the county shortly to lend everyone a hand.

"Zhuyang County is everyone's hometown. This gang of thieves, besieging the county office and killing the county magistrate, want to seize Zhuyang County, plunder everyone's family property, and force everyone to become slaves, driven to labor for them!

"Think of yourselves, think of your relatives... the enemy bandits are no match for you all. Please use your full strength to kill the enemy bandits... rewards will be given according to merit!"

With this speech, he successfully stirred everyone's emotions. Shouting "Thieves, pay with your lives!", they charged forward.

The archers and others on the other side had already heard Meng Zhao's words. Their morale wavered, especially the bandits.

The man in black raised his voice: "Don't listen to his nonsense! This is a deception tactic, bluffing! Whether this person is a court official is not yet known! Most of the gentry's men are just paper tigers—where have they ever been on a battlefield? They break at the slightest poke! We kill them, take the gentry and this so-called court official hostage, and we will surely be able to withdraw safely!"

Meng Zhao lifted his head higher and shouted: "The leader's head is here! Surrender quickly!"

Meng Zhao gambled that most of them had never seen the leader.

Clearly, he gambled correctly.

Both sides clashed together, our side's morale overpowering the enemy's morale.

Meng Zhao ordered one minor soldier to remain here while he himself, with another minor soldier, assembled office staff and brave warriors to go and close the three city gates.

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By the time Chao Yan saw Huang Da, it was already the latter half of the third watch of the night. The other party indicated he had not seen Gu Jun there. Having spoken, he carefully observed Chao Yan's expression.

Chao Yan took the route map, lit it with the flame of the lamp, and tossed it onto the courtyard floor, watching it quickly burn to ashes. He said, "Understood."

"Then..."

Chao Yan said, "Go and rest."

Once the enemy bandits were dealt with tonight, if Gu Jun was alive, upon hearing the news, sooner or later, he would appear at the rented house.

He didn't know if he himself was dead or alive; perhaps this matter wasn't even important to him. But he needed to make a living and didn't have much money on him. Knowing the matter was resolved, even if he was still timid, he would gather his courage and sneak back. There was a house to live in here, food to eat, and also money and medicine.

Chao Yan thought: No rush, hurry cannot be afforded.

No news is good news.

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Just before dawn, Gu Jun heard a sharp sound of metal colliding. In his dazed and confused state, he broke out in a cold sweat of fright. His head was dizzy and painful, his eyelids heavy. With effort, he opened his eyes and looked as far as he could see.

In the dim morning light, there was nothing unusual.

Still uneasy, he poked half his body out of the gully and looked outside the woods.

A few black silhouettes were moving about.

The cold sweat Gu Jun had broken out in stuck wetly and stickily to his skin, making the wound on his back sting painfully. He squinted his eyes and looked carefully. He realized the few silhouettes were fighting; the sound had come from them.

Gu Jun couldn't figure out the situation, nor did he dare to approach to figure it out. He quietly and stealthily shrank back, pressed against the root of the gully, and walked into the distance. During this time, he knocked over the "incense" for his dead husband, then retreated back, reverently righting it.

The paths in the woods were hard to walk, or rather, there were no paths to walk at all. He felt his way over the dank, muddy ground.

He planned to circle around to the north gate; this was the south gate.

The wounds on his body needed a doctor's treatment. Otherwise, even if the weather wasn't hot, they would worsen.

Stumbling and staggering, he reached the north gate. Before he could rejoice, borrowing the bright daylight, Gu Jun miserably discovered that the north gate was closed! He stood by the roadside, bewildered for a while. Between returning to the south gate and waiting here or finding another gate, after hesitating a few times, he decided to wait here.

He twisted his head, looking for a place to rest.

He was very tired and sleepy. The discomfort in his head and eyes had also worsened considerably. Additionally, he was terribly hungry, his stomach aching with mild cramps.

Knowing his condition was not good, every step he took was exceptionally cautious. However, vigilance could not defeat discomfort. His eyes, just because they were excessively heavy, closed briefly. He then stepped on a patch of decaying leaves and fell to the ground.

This was a slightly sloped area. After falling, he rolled twice, his back hitting a clump of bushes before stopping.

The daylight, without any obstruction, shone straight down, falling on his face. He couldn't feel any warmth. With a slight movement, he fainted.

Before fainting, he heard a burst of chaotic sounds.

But he couldn't discern what those sounds were.

.

"Young Sir, this is the list of people rescued from the county office, sent to various medical clinics according to the severity of their injuries, with orders to treat them with full effort."

Meng Zhao handed over the list and continued, "We captured two bandits alive, but one bandit escaped. The opponent's martial arts were truly formidable; no one could stop them. Now the prefectural troops are stationed inside the county seat, starting to clear up the county office. The county office burned all night; although parts weren't completely burned, it is also unusable. The border garrison, as per your instructions, has set up camp outside the city, awaiting your command at any time."

Once the enemy bandits were dealt with, Chao Yan returned to the rented house.

He unfolded it and looked it over, casually put it down, and said, "What reaction has come from Magistrate Wang's side?"

"The scouts we sent out say that Magistrate Wang is secretly packing up his family wealth. It seems he realizes he has provoked an existence he shouldn't have and is preparing to flee. However, his close family members show no abnormalities."

Chao Yan said, "Keep a close watch on him. If he tries to leave, report to me immediately. As for those two captured bandits, Third Sir, I trouble you to interrogate them. You are from the Court of Judicial Review; in matters of interrogation, you are naturally stronger than a layman like me."

"Yes." Meng Zhao left. Ning Fu arrived next. Upon meeting, he immediately begged forgiveness, saying he had failed to complete the mission.

Chao Yan said, "You did your best; I do not blame you. Go and rest well. You are also injured."

Ning Fu said, "My minor injuries are nothing..."

As they were speaking, two soldiers walked in. They were from the border garrison. Performing a salute, they said, "Young Sir, our general discovered a fainted person at the north gate. By appearance, somewhat resembles the lady. The general ordered us to bring them to you."

After the enemy bandit matter was settled, Chao Yan was unwilling to wait; for him, this was too passive. He ordered idle prefectural troops to search for the person inside the county seat, and also sent word to the border garrison to search the surrounding area.

Hearing this, with steady steps, he came into the courtyard.

The two soldiers had found a horse-drawn carriage and brought them back. The carriage was now parked in the courtyard. Chao Yan walked to the front of the carriage and lifted the blue cloth curtain.

The windows on both sides were open. The person inside tilted their body, leaning against the carriage wall, eyes closed. Smoke had blackened their entire face; they must have cried, for the black soot was uneven—thicker in some places, thinner in others, and around the eyes, even clean, looking just like a calico cat.

Their hair and clothes were exceptionally disheveled, stained with dust, mud, leaves, and blood.

Seen from a slight distance, they looked extraordinarily bedraggled.

Chao Yan climbed into the carriage. His slender fingers gently brushed past the other's brow and eye. He scooped them up, bringing his calico cat into his embrace, minding the wound on the back, and carried them inside the house.

"Go get a doctor," he said to Huang Da and the others staying by his side.