Chapter 99 The Plague

"It is indeed a young lady surnamed Cui. She has brought a large quantity of fine medicinal herbs. She does not accept payment, but has only one request to make of Your Majesty."

"..." Cui Shenxiu opened Xichuntang, knew medical books, and had a whole cartload of medicinal herbs.

He's practically a lucky star sent from heaven.

However, the Cui and Wang families are allies. Although Cui Xun is said to have died suddenly in Cangqian, Cui Shenxiu's identity is obvious. He may very well be the vanguard sent by Wang Du to investigate.

Xiao Yuanshu disagreed: "There's no way it could be such a coincidence. There must be something fishy going on!"

However, that same day, another body was carried out. Qingqing immediately decided, "Please let her in!"

Outside the city, Cui Shenxiu, upon hearing the news, understood. He said to the man dressed as a steward in the carriage, "Uncle, Shenxiu will go in and investigate first."

The man's face, still retaining a hint of its former color, twitched slightly. Anyone who recognized him would be astonished to find that this was Cui Xun, who had been poisoned.

He was completely unharmed, appearing here as if he had shed his skin like a cicada emerging from its shell. He now gripped his knees with both hands and nodded earnestly.

"I'll wait."

-

"Your Majesty."

Before there was even time for pleasantries, Cui Shenxiu was taken to a secluded tent the moment he secretly entered the city. He put down his medicine chest and swiftly took her pulse, wrote a prescription, and administered acupuncture.

"It is indeed an acute case of diarrhea caused by excessive damp heat. Although the condition is urgent, it was fortunately discovered early and is not incurable."

Cui Shenxiu removed the towel soaked in the medicine, took out his pen and ink, and while writing the prescription, gave the instructions:

"This condition should be treated primarily by clearing heat and drying dampness. Use a modified Ge Gen Qin Lian Tang formula, first take Ge Gen and Huang Lian... decoct over high heat and give it to the patient immediately."

Her actions were fluid and seamless. Several critically ill patients who had been declared beyond saving were actually stabilized under her care, and no one died.

Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief. She'll have time to talk to Cui Shenxiu.

Instead of telling her what she wanted to say, she listed the causes of her illness as she walked.

"To be honest, Your Majesty, it's not just within Liangzhou City. On the way here, I saw many people in riverside villages suffering from high fever and vomiting. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the sick all rely on the tributaries of the West River outside the city for sustenance. And many of the patients in the city are also near the wells on West Street. The problem may be that the water source there is not very clean, and the contamination of the water has led to this widespread acute diarrhea."

"Your Majesty, the most urgent task in dealing with this disease is to immediately seal off and clean up the well that is the source of the infection, and to post notices throughout the city ordering the people not to drink raw water anymore, and that all water must be boiled."

Choi Shin-soo was composed and had the demeanor of someone in charge of the overall situation.

Qingqing nodded: "I notified the people to drink boiled water a couple of days ago. There shouldn't be any problems now. Seventeen is indeed very thoughtful."

Choi Shin-soo had expected her to be horrified, but he was taken aback by what she said.

"What's wrong?"

Cui Shenxiu quickly recovered and said, "Your Majesty is very astute. I am ashamed of my own incompetence. I wonder which physician discovered the problem with the water source?"

“No.” Qingqing said dismissively, leading the way. “I saw the people vomiting suddenly after drinking water, and that’s when I made the connection.”

Cui Shenxiu's smile softened. "Your Majesty has keen observation skills."

...

After taking the medicine, Wang Shu felt much better. She was surprised to see Qingqing arrive with Cui Shenxiu. Through the door and window, the two held hands and looked at each other, whispering to each other for a long time. Wang Shu even shed tears on her pillow, saying many intimate things that only her closest female friends would know.

Everyone then learned that Wang Shu had informed Cui Shenxiu before going to Liangzhou. If she didn't reply soon, Cui Shenxiu would go to the Wang family to inform them. Her trip was to ensure Wang Shu's safety.

Xiao Yuanshu stood to the side with his arms crossed, "Since everyone is alright, Miss Cui, you can leave now, right? It wouldn't be right for Her Majesty to disobey His Majesty's orders and bring you here. It would be inappropriate for you to stay any longer."

"..."

"You and Zhao Xu should live a good life together." Cui Shenxiu touched Wang Shu's hand, then got up and left under Xiao Yuanshu's direct gaze.

The epidemic in the city has finally stabilized, and much of its vitality has been restored. In the evening, after sorting the day's medicinal herbs, Cui Shenxiu took advantage of the time while everyone was out for dinner to have a private conversation with Qingqing.

Qingqing put down the bamboo basket in her hand. "Seventeenth Sister, just say what you have to say."

In the flickering candlelight, Choi Shin-soo quietly watched her.

Compared to six months ago in Jiangzuo, the young woman before me had grown taller. Her face bore the slight marks of the harsh north wind, but this did not diminish her beauty; instead, it made her appear even more vibrant and resolute. With her increasing training, even in simple attire, she exuded an undeniable air of regal bearing. She spoke with ease and composure, radiating a bright light.

In just six months, he seemed to have undergone a complete transformation.

Cui Shenxiu suddenly bowed deeply.

“Your Majesty, Shenxiu has deceived you.” Cui Shenxiu’s voice choked with emotion. “I entered the city under the name of Shuniang, but in reality, I had nowhere else to go and came here for help.”

“That old scoundrel Wang Du suspected Xiangdong Garden and sent someone to poison my uncle. I…could not bear to see my only relative die unjustly, so I bribed the executioner to switch his body and save him.”

She spoke with heartfelt sincerity. Qingqing was deeply shocked. Cui Xun wasn't dead?! Wasn't that tantamount to defection?!

Shenxiu knew that empty words were unreliable and could not convince people.

After wiping away his tears, Choi Shin-soo handed over the account books and seals that had been prepared beforehand.

"This is the general seal of my Cui family business, along with the medicinal herb distribution channels of Xichuntang and Huichuntang throughout the Nine Provinces. Shenxiu is willing to offer up all his wealth, manpower, and channels, only begging Your Majesty and Your Majesty to grant us, uncle and nephew, a way to survive!"

Qingqing's eyelids twitched.

What she held in her hand were precisely the items that Liangzhou urgently needed.

Looking into Cui Shenxiu's sorrowful eyes, Qingqing shifted her gaze to the heavy seal, but shook her head.

"I can't make that decision."

Cui Shenxiu cried out urgently, "Your Majesty—"

"Seventeenth Sister, His Majesty is not here, and I bear the responsibility for the entire Liangzhou. It is already an extraordinary exception for me to risk inviting you into the city."

Qingqing helped her up. "I will have someone keep an eye on Mr. Cui outside."

"Seventeenth Sister should stay at the Bei Hospital for now, and we will discuss this seriously when His Majesty returns."

-

The thunderous hooves thundered across the sand. After three days of relentless pursuit, Xiao Yuanjing's troops and horses were exhausted. Until the last line of defense was breached by Helan Rong's long spear, he surveyed the walls forged by the iron cavalry of the three sides. At that moment, he suddenly found himself unable to lift his sword.

The cavalry parted to make way, and Yan Dibai spurred his horse forward, looking down arrogantly at the young man who had dismounted and abandoned his sword.

"Traitor Xiao Yuanjing, will you surrender?"

His voice was like the striking of jade, yet also possessed a deep, masculine quality.

Xiao Yuanjing gazed intently at the young man on horseback. He had removed his armor, and even though his hair was disheveled by the wind and sand, it couldn't conceal his striking nose, sword-like eyebrows, and elegant bearing.

After several days of pursuit, Xiao Yuanjing witnessed almost the entire process of its transformation firsthand.

That beautiful, androgynous, foolish young man transformed in the blink of an eye into someone who could rival him.

He no longer sat high on the imperial platform drinking and indulging in pleasure. Instead, he brandished his sword and spear, effortlessly steering his spirited steeds across the vast grasslands. He easily flanked the enemy, making it seem as if he were in a state of chaos, chasing and tossing the Xiao clan's light cavalry like tigers playing with mice.

Despite his reluctance, for the sake of his remaining brothers and for the uncertain fate of Yuan Shu, Xiao Yuanjing had no choice but to surrender.

With his back to the dense, heavy gazes behind him, the young man knelt heavily on the ground.

"I beg Your Majesty to spare my brothers. Whether Xiao Yuanjing lives or dies is entirely up to Your Majesty."

On the left, Wu Yinluo immediately waved his hand, "Capture Xiao Yuanjing and return to the city immediately!"

"Wait!"

A sharp, urgent shout rang out, and a man dressed as a strategist rushed towards Xiao Yuanjing from afar.

Yan Dibai pondered for a moment, then recognized the person: "Chen Mian?"

Yan Dibai had been wondering why he hadn't seen Xiao Yuanjing's strategist after days of pursuit. Now that Xiao Yuanjing had been captured, the strategist had suddenly appeared.

Yan Dibai had his own plans; there was another deal to be made.

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time."

Chen Mian hurriedly straightened his gauze hat, and facing the several spears, he staggered with each step, finally kneeling a zhang away from Yan Di's white horse, and kowtowed three times.

"Your Majesty, please spare the emperor! Chen Mian is willing to atone for his crimes by offering up Wild Horse Valley!"

Xiao Yuanjing stared intently at Chen Mian, and upon hearing the news of Wild Horse Valley, his shoulders finally slumped.

"Wild Horse Valley?" Helan Rongwu and Chiluo on both sides exclaimed in unison. Yan Dibai glanced sideways, "You know about it?"

The two nodded at the same time. "Your Majesty, Liangzhou is full of fine horses. The best place for horses is Wild Horse Valley. However, this place has been occupied by Zhu Rong for more than 20 years, and we have never heard of it."

Chen Mian raised his head: "Indeed, both generals are knowledgeable. Zhu Rong never yielded to Wild Horse Valley, and it was only after seven months of exploration by my men that we obtained it. Among them are over a thousand Ferghana horses, five hundred Red Hare horses, six hundred Black Steed horses, and seven hundred Ferghana horses! Worth several cities! If His Majesty spares us and does not treat us as slaves, I, Chen, will lead His Majesty there!"

His gaze was fixed on Yan Dibai without wavering. He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

The young emperor is ruthless and cruel. The Xiao clan, in alliance with the false emperor Feng An, intends to usurp the throne. Anyone can imagine that the young emperor must hate them to the core. Once captured by the young emperor, Xiao Yuanjing and Chen Mian will have no chance of survival.

The young man's phoenix-shaped eyes swept contemptuously across the two of them.

Chen Mian thought Yan Dibai was disapproving, and cold sweat poured down his back, tears welling in his eyes as he said:

“A true man should not fear life and death. I know Your Majesty harbors hatred, and I know that blood debts must be avenged in blood. This matter was entirely orchestrated by me, and I willingly accept the punishment of being slowly sliced ​​to death. Your Majesty, spare our lord, spare these ten thousand soldiers—”

Yan Dibai narrowed his eyes slightly, abruptly interrupting Chen Mian's heartfelt confession:

"When did I ever say I would kill you and make you my slaves?"

Everyone present was stunned.

Chen Mian and Xiao Yuanjing were especially astonished, "Your Majesty?"

Yan Dibai glanced to the left and said, "Wu Yin, you take your men and follow Chen Mian into Wild Horse Valley to investigate the situation."

"……yes!"

Then, glancing to the right, I saw "He Lanrong".

"His Majesty!"

"Set up camp on the spot, check Xiao Yuanjing's 10,000 light cavalry one by one, and incorporate them into our army."

Helan Rong left. He then signaled the soldiers behind him to retreat, and in just a few breaths, only Yan Di, Bai Xiao, and Yuan Jing remained on the vast territory.

Xiao Yuanjing was puzzled. "What does Your Majesty mean?"

Yan Dibai dismounted, slowly circled him, and let out a cold snort.

"Why do you think I haven't killed you?"

Xiao Yuanjing's eyes trembled.

He certainly wanted to know why.

The crime of betraying one's ruler warrants the execution of one's entire family. Xiao Yuanjing, confident in his abilities as a general, had previously believed that someone would spare his life out of respect for his talent. However, he became increasingly discouraged after facing the young emperor head-on.

The young emperor is exceptionally talented and has profound insights into military strategy. He is also extremely young. No matter how humiliating it may seem, after being chased time and time again, Xiao Yuanjing has to admit that Yan Dibai will definitely be much stronger than him in the future.

With such abilities, why would he need to tolerate having an enemy by his side just to be granted amnesty?

...Is he doing this in an attempt to emulate his predecessors and gain a reputation for being magnanimous, kind, and good at recognizing and employing people?

Yan Dibai kicked away the grass rolling off the edge of his boot, glanced at the still stubborn young man, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Xiao Yuanjing, do you think I'm going to follow Liu Bei's example, disregard past grievances, help you up, and invite you to join the army!"

Startled by having his thoughts exposed, Xiao Yuanjing lowered his head in a moment of bewilderment.

"This sinful subject... dares not."

"Hmph." Yan Dibai fiddled with the riding whip in his hand.

For days, he had been playing tricks on Xiao Yuanjing like gambling, winning repeatedly despite the odds. He had vented his anger enough and was too lazy to tease him anymore.

The boy stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at the city that was completely out of sight.

"I'm sparing your life for the sake of the Empress."

Empress? Everyone knows that the young emperor suddenly made a maid his empress. Xiao Yuanjing was not surprised, but he was astonished by the sudden softening of the young man's tone.

That... cautious yet possessing an inexplicable courage, a palace maid.

Did he actually speak up for him?

Xiao Yuanjing's mind was in a daze, and in his confusion, he suddenly remembered the autumn hunt of that year.

The little girl was left behind in the hunting grounds, and she said something when she gave him directions... I don't quite remember.

All I remember is her last question to him, "The people of Longnan must really like you, sir, right?"

A tremendous storm raged within Xiao Yuanjing's heart. At that moment... he seemed to proudly say, "Yes."

But now, Longnan is no longer his. How can the people of Longnan be suffering so much?

Xiao Yuanjing's heart pounded, and he suddenly didn't know where to put his hands and feet.

"Your Majesty, I am a sinful subject, I—"

He was rambling incoherently. Yan Dibai wrapped the riding whip around his waist and said calmly:

"Get up."

Xiao Yuanjing, however, seemed to have been deprived of his mental strength and acted as if he hadn't heard anything.

Yan Di glanced sideways at the still-snowy north, "Regarding that false emperor Feng An, I still have something to ask you."

Xiao Yuanjing snapped back to reality, looked up, and met Yan Dibai's cold, sharp gaze.

Xiao Yuanjing had just gotten up, not even brushing the dust off his clothes. He remained silent for a long time before asking:

How did Your Majesty know?

Yan Dibai snorted: "If you didn't have an inside man, how could you have entered the palace during the palace coup that day?"

Xiao Yuanjing was stunned, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and then said solemnly, "This concerns powerful clans, Your Majesty, do you really want to hear it?"

Yan Di pursed her white and red lips tightly, "Tell me everything."

“Your Majesty, two months ago, we did indeed find out his background near Qingyun Temple in Qinzhou.”

With unwavering determination, Xiao Yuanjing finally found one of the surviving Daoist nuns. According to her, there was an underground chamber beneath the statues of the Three Pure Ones. That day, she had been slacking off in the chamber when she heard a strange noise coming from above. In a panic, she covered her mouth and didn't dare to climb out until two days and nights later.

The ground was littered with corpses, their eyes wide open in dismay, but Feng An was nowhere to be seen.

However, two years ago, when this young man first came to Qingyun Temple, he carefully wrote down his secular name.

Xiao Yuanjing's eyebrows were solemn.

“That Feng An, whose original surname was Cui and given name was Yan, came from Dingzhou, Boling. The imperial seal on his body was obtained through murder and robbery.”

Yan Di raised his white eyebrows high, and at that moment, a group of spirited horses followed the returning iron cavalry and swarmed in.

The horse's mane flew, and it looked very spirited.

Xiao Yuanjing's last sentence was buried in the dust.

"My men have secretly investigated and found that the prince was entrusted by Emperor Chengde. He has been living with Cui Yansheng, the eldest son of Cui Xun of the Cui family. The Cui family has long been plotting rebellion."

Yan Dibai stared at the herd of galloping horses, then suddenly turned his head.

"General Xiao."

Xiao Yuanjing cupped his hands in greeting, "Your Majesty."

"Choose one of these spirited horses. Atone for your sins by following me to reclaim the lands of Yan and Jin and cleanse the world."

Xiao Yuanjing was shocked: "Your Majesty?"

The boy had his back to him, yet he seemed to understand his thoughts perfectly. He was arrogant and confident.

"All soldiers, listen to my command—"

More than 10,000 soldiers responded in unison.

Yan Dibai turned her head and looked at Xiao Yuanjing, who was filled with astonishment.

"Greetings, General Xiao!"

Upon their return, Helan Rongwu and Chiluo exchanged glances, then laughed and raised their arms in a gesture of respect.

"General Xiao!"

"—General Xiao!"

The shouts were like a tidal wave, shaking the heavens and the earth.

The young emperor disregarded past grievances and treated him with respect.

Seeing this, how could Xiao Yuanjing remain unmoved? He immediately knelt down and cried out.

"Thank you... Your Majesty. Thank you, Empress!"

-

Late at night, in the camp.

"Your Majesty, all the Buddhist and Taoist ritual implements you requested are here."

Yan Dibai glanced at them; they were all exquisitely crafted Buddha statues, bells, and wooden fish.

"Are these things even useful?"

"Several Taoist priests and abbots I consulted said that the ritual can only be performed if both parties' birth dates and times are complete. If only your birth date and time are available, the effect may not be strong."

He Lanrong felt uneasy.

His Majesty has gone mad for some reason. Ever since he led his troops, he has been secretly sending people to find powerful cultivators in order to build a magic array to suppress people.

Although she dared not offend Buddhism or Taoism, Helan Rong still found this action inexplicable.

The other incomplete birth chart does not specify whose it is, but based on the year of birth, it is undoubtedly the Empress.

Why would the Empress want to suppress something when she's perfectly fine?

But His Majesty was determined to do things his own way. Not content with ordering them to search in the north, he also sent a message to Li Si and his two companions who were helping the Lu family build the dikes in Jiangzuo, instructing them to search with all their might. They finally managed to get the magical artifacts north, only to encounter a storm that swallowed the entire ship of goods.

Isn't it also a matter of fate not allowing it?

But seeing Yan Dibai carefully touching each of the magical artifacts, how could Helan Rong dare to speak?

"Have these cultivators been invited to Liangzhou?"

"They're all on their way and should arrive within about a month."

“Too slow,” Yan Dibai carefully put the magic artifact back, his face gloomy. “Ten days faster.”

"……yes."

Helan Rong accepted the order, leaving only Yan Dibai in the tent.

He glanced at the box full of objects, then flicked two fingers at the corner of his eye. The heavy, melancholy look in his eyes wouldn't fade.

With the example of the founding emperor as a precedent, every subsequent imperial edict proclaimed the same fact.

His relationship with Yang Liuqing was... extremely difficult.

Yan Dibai closed her eyes tightly. "Absolutely impossible."

"Helan Rong, pass down the order: we shall depart tomorrow!"

Summer winds swept across Liangzhou, carrying dust from the grass beneath the horses' hooves, and the epidemic was finally eradicated thanks to Cui Shenxiu's medical treatment.

The vast city began to recover. There were no more corpses being carried out in the streets; instead, soldiers and civilians were busy chopping wood and repairing wells, their faces bearing a lingering weariness and relief.

Qingqing held on until she saw the first recovered child running in the street again. Her heart, which had been taut for more than a month, suddenly relaxed, and she developed a high fever that night.

I've been in this world for two and a half years. I didn't get sick from getting rained on, I didn't get sick from being frozen, and I didn't get sick from high-intensity evacuation.

He fell ill because he was too lazy to wipe his sweat off while cutting medicine, and a gust of cold wind caught his breath. He was very ill, running a fever for three days straight. He couldn't move or eat anything until the fifth day. This terrified Xiao Yuanshu.

"I don't think she's someone to be trifled with. Are you really just going to let her go around winning people over?"

Cui Shenxiu gained widespread fame for her effective healing, her beauty, kindness, and generosity—she never charged for her medical services. She became known as the "Goddess Doctor" and the "Female Bodhisattva."

Xiao Yuanshu, however, disliked her and recently kept speaking ill of Cui Shenxiu.

Qingqing lay on the bed, coughed a few times, and helplessly glanced at Xiao Yuanshu sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Why are you saying that about them? They even gave you scar removal cream."

"Isn't she just trying to win me over?" Xiao Yuanshu snorted, poured Qingqing a bowl of warm water to soothe her throat, and touched the scar on her face with annoyance. The wound was indeed much smoother now.

"It's a great thing that the people can take this opportunity to cure their difficult and complicated diseases." Qingqing blew her nose with difficulty. "Has any news come?"

After Yan Dibai left this time, she suddenly seemed to disappear without a trace. If it weren't for the system notification yesterday [Wild Horse Valley +1, Emperor's Aura value 65], she would have thought that something had happened to Yan Dibai.

"No!"

Qingqing smiled, but unable to bear the fatigue, she closed her eyes again.

Xiao Yuanshu glared at her with disappointment, but then quietly walked out.

As soon as she stepped off the city wall, several children dressed in colorful clothes, each carrying a delicate paper kite, skipped and laughed past her.

Xiao Yuanshu frowned. "Wait, where did you get those things from?"

The children glanced at her, grinned, and raised their kites high, making a flying motion.

"Given by the Bodhisattva!"

"...It's her again."

Xiao Yuanshu, his face tense, was about to speak with Sister You when, just as they approached the Bei Hospital, they saw Cui Shenxiu appear in a flowing dress, smiling gently as she gave several lion-shaped candies to the children gathered outside the hospital.

The children, delighted to receive such a rare treat, gathered around her, squealing with joy. They treated her as if she were a fairy.

Xiao Yuanshu's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Yang Liuqing was suffering from severe typhoid fever, but instead of people bringing their own food and utensils to visit her, they all flocked to Cui Shenxiu, hoping she would take their pulse and share some of their food.

"Get out of the way! You blind fool!" she said coldly, shooing away a cunning-looking woman. She stepped over the threshold and slammed her hand on the door.

Before Cui Shenxiu could even hand over the perfume, he saw Xiao Yuanshu arrive aggressively, but his smile remained unchanged.

"Miss Yuan Shu, how is Her Majesty? Would you like me to prepare more medicine?"

"I'm afraid your medicine will only make my illness worse!"

Choi Sin-soo's beautiful eyes narrowed: "Does the young lady know what she's saying?"

Xiao Yuanshu bolted the door shut and stared intently into her eyes.

"Choi Shenxiu, you're really something. Is it a blessing or a curse for that idiot Wang Shu to have a good friend like you?"

"Don't call me Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu is not a name you can use!" Before Cui Shenxiu could speak, Xiao Yuan Shu glanced around the courtyard, made sure no one was there, and then sneered as she ripped off the white veil covering her face.

"Don't try to play those tricks on me. I've seen plenty of those things since I was a child in the inner quarters!"

"The water source in Liangzhou City has always been clear and sweet. How come it has become polluted as soon as you arrived?"

She approached step by step, making no attempt to conceal her intentions.

"Don't ask me to produce evidence. Of course I can't. This source of water is long and the investigation will never end. Of course you can deny it. But do you know that you're not the only one who came up with this trick?"

Cui Shenxiu's hand clenched into a fist under his sleeve as he stared intently at Wang Shu, then suddenly smiled: "Miss Xiao. You've said everything. No matter how I try to prove myself, you'll blame it on me."

Seeing that she was not afraid at all, Xiao Yuanshu remained cold for a moment, then suddenly smashed the box of scar removal cream.

"Qingqing is foolish; she always sees the good in people. Sister You is shrewd and doesn't like to offend anyone. But I have no scruples. You people of the Cui family are all ruthless and malicious, harming others without benefiting yourselves. Do you really think you can keep hiding and acting recklessly forever?"

Her words were sharp and harsh, and Choi Shin-soo's composed mask finally began to crack.

"What does Miss Xiao mean by that?"

Xiao Yuanshu raised her eyebrows: "Don't you, a member of the Cui family, know more than I do?"

Seeing that Cui Shenxiu was still pretending to be stupid, Xiao Yuanshu couldn't help but mock him.

"That false emperor Feng An claims to be from Qinzhou, but he is actually from Dingzhou, Boling. Everyone in Dingzhou has the surname Cui, so what else could it be but your Cui family?"

Choi Sin-soo was taken aback. Before she could ask any further questions, a dull tremor suddenly came from the ground.

The clanging of hooves against the metal armor of the horses was powerful and imposing. The entire city of Liangzhou seemed to be infused with boiling water, instantly igniting a frenzy of activity!

On the watchtower atop the city wall, a sentry shouted wildly, "His Majesty has returned in triumph!"

Xiao Yuanshu and Cui Shenxiu both turned their heads.

Yan Dibai raised his hand, and the army stood at attention outside the city gate.

He spurred his horse forward a few steps, his gaze sweeping over the cheering crowd, but he couldn't find that familiar figure anywhere.

His expression returned to calm. "Open the city gates."

The onlookers shouted, "Your Majesty is mighty! Your Majesty is mighty!"

[Ding ding ding—Recapture of the rebel general & morale greatly increased. Emperor's Aura +5, now 70.]

With a joyful howl from Little Gray, Qingqing was startled from her dream. She struggled to get up and heard hurried footsteps outside.

The door was wide open, letting in fresh air.

Yan Dibai was clad in full armor, and his figure seemed even more imposing. His hair was unkempt and a bit messy.

But he moved nimbly, and even gave Little Gray a feint kick. Everything seems fine.

Qingqing let Yan Dibai push her back into bed, and touched her forehead. The temperature was still manageable, and his usually stern face relaxed slightly.

Why didn't you tell me about this?

Her face, which had thinned out, was all smiles.

"I do hold the title of Empress, after all. I can't rely on you for everything. Isn't this handled quite well?"

Yan Dibai frowned even more.

Qingqing coughed a few times, "You really caught Xiao Yuanjing?"

"Yes. They've been granted amnesty. Now their army is strong and well-equipped, just waiting to pacify the world."

Not only that, on the way back, they also killed a small team sent by Wang Du to test them.

He was still a young man after all. After being tempered by the wind and sand for so many days, Yan Dibai was completely relaxed as soon as he returned to Qingqing's side, and his tone became much lighter.

Qingqing said with feigned seriousness, "I found Xiao Yuanshu. I originally planned to have her persuade Xiao Yuanjing to surrender. Who would have thought..."

Xiao Yuanjing wasn't as unyielding as Xiao Yuanshu claimed.

"Are you really that concerned about Xiao Yuanjing?" Yan Dibai suddenly asked coldly.

Qingqing: "You again..."

"Don't mention him in front of me." He pulled the blanket up for her, but still couldn't bear to look at her like that, so he pulled out a thick fox fur coat and put it on to keep her sweaty.

"It's too heavy..."

Yan Di paused for a moment, then took away the fox fur coat and replaced it with a thinner quilt.

Still not reassured, he turned around and took out the bottle of calming incense pills he had kept at the bottom of his trunk. "Take one."

"Why eat this?" She remembered that Li Si and the others had taken this thing to investigate, but there were still no definite results.

Yan Dibai removed the plug and fed her by hand, saying, "This is a good thing for prolonging life; it will help you recover quickly."

Having confirmed his relationship with Cui Xun, Yan Dibai could now determine the efficacy of this item.

But I've been busy with campaigns these past few months, and my whereabouts are uncertain, so I haven't had time to say anything.

Seeing her face gradually regain its color, he was about to make a move when suddenly, as if remembering something, he unusually distanced himself from her, unlike his usual intimate behavior.

"I had Helan Rong thoroughly investigate the epidemic in the city. He also took the opportunity to eliminate a few spies planted by Wang Du."

Then, in a less than pleasant tone, he said, "But you, what happened to you that you suddenly got sick?"

Yang Liuqing had always been healthy, but Yan Di suddenly felt uneasy on the way back, though he didn't connect it to her illness. He simply assumed that Wang Du had left a backup plan for him.

Qingqing didn't notice his little gesture and smiled, "It's nothing. Um... I have something to tell you, please don't get angry."

Yan Dibai glanced sideways, her expression mysterious, "Cui Xun has arrived, and I've arranged for him to wait for you outside the city."

He thought this news would upset him, but to his surprise, Yan Dibai showed no surprise at all.

“Cui Xun will never be willing to die without seeing me.”

Wasn't he also waiting for him? To settle all this score.

The sound of guards carrying boxes came from outside. Yan Dibai snapped out of her daze, took out the items, and held them in her bosom for Qingqing to see.

A strange collection of oddities: a lotus lamp carved entirely from white jade, a jade Buddha statue, a red agate necklace, yellow talismans, crystal bells...

It is indeed very beautiful, and it is obviously very valuable.

"These are all worthless things, you can keep them for fun."

Qingqing looked on in confusion as he pulled out an especially thick bone and tossed it to Little Gray, who had been eyeing it eagerly for a long time.

"If you need anything, just call Helan Rong. I'll be right back. If you're sleepy, don't wait up for me."