The Journey Home (Part 3)

Jiangmen Village?!

I was taken aback: "Isn't that behind enemy lines?"

“Exactly.” Zheng Shao nodded. “The scouts reported the night before that the Renhuai Army stationed in Zizhou had moved to the Yongning River, facing Jiangmen Village across the water. As a result, the Luo Clan Kingdom will not dare to make any rash moves. The military commander has decided to join forces with Jiangmen Village to launch a surprise attack on Yan Yi’s rear defenses.”

"What are the chances of success if we do this?"

"Four six."

Judging from his expression, I knew that the Changning Army was number four, and I couldn't help but sigh: "Why did the military commander take such a risk?"

"The military envoy said that the Shimen barbarians are coming with great force. If Nanguang falls, the southwestern half of the country will be in danger. This is an opportunity for a quick victory, and we must not give it up." As he spoke, he took a small jar from his attendant and handed it to me. "The military envoy also said that he owes Qingniangzi a cup of wine. He guessed that you and the people from the inn should have arrived at Yanziping, so he asked me to bring it to you on the way."

I quickly took the wine jar and held it to my chest, saying, "Thank you for your trouble."

The arrival of the archer battalion not only strengthened the defense line, but also united the soldiers and civilians of Nanguang, boosting their morale.

The offensive launched by the Shimen Fan was repeatedly thwarted by the defending army; the leader of the Rao Gang led his brothers to sneak to the lower reaches of the Niu Guang River under cover of night and punctured the grain transport ships passing through the Luo Clan Kingdom; the number of wounded treated at Yanziping stabilized and did not continue to increase, and some of the physically strong and quick-recovering young men were already clamoring to return to the front line to fight the enemy.

The afternoon was fine, so I called over a few women from the village to help Wang Yunhui. We found an open space and started airing out the wounded soldiers' bedding. Just then, Huai Xu returned from town. She rolled up her sleeves, called out "Godmother," and ran over to help.

Seeing that she was panting heavily, the old woman tried to stop her, but I laughed and said, "Alright, alright, Grandma means well. You left early this morning and haven't had breakfast yet, have you? Go to the kitchen and find something to eat."

Huai Xu replied, "I ate before coming from the kitchen. This morning, when I went to the prefectural government to deliver a letter, Yingmei stuffed a large bag of dried fruit into my hand. She said it was all given to me by the neighbors in town. The clerk didn't dare accept it without Lord Wei's permission, so everyone just threw it in from outside the courtyard wall. Now we can't find anyone to return it. Aunt Zi said she thinks there's too much porridge and asked you all for suggestions on what else we can make."

A young woman laughed and said, "Just eat it dry, it's delicious!"

Another senior colleague's wife said, "Do you think everyone has teeth as good as you? Doctor Liu advised that we should make more warm, nourishing, and soft meals for the wounded so that the children can recover faster."

Wang Yunhui asked, "What kinds of dried fruits are there?"

Huai Xu counted on his fingers and replied, "Dried dates, dried longan, and walnuts."

Wang Yunhui laughed and said, "What a coincidence! I saw a lot of glutinous rice flour in the kitchen last time. With these three kinds of dried fruits, it's perfect for making a cold-relieving cake."

What is "Xiaohan Gao" (消寒糕)?

Wang Yunhui explained, "Mix rice flour and water into a paste, sprinkle with dried fruit, steam for 45 minutes, and let it cool. It's soft, sweet, and warming, perfect for this time of year."

The young woman clicked her tongue in amazement: "Even Lady Wang's words have made me hungry. It's only you Central Plains people who know how to eat."

I gave Wang Yunhui a light nudge: "Alright! Leave things here to us, you go to the kitchen and give Azi some pointers."

When dinner was served, the people of Yanziping enjoyed the winter-warming cakes and praised Azi's excellent cooking skills. Azi was overjoyed and steamed a lot more that evening, saving them for the next day to be taken to the front lines by the patrol officers and soldiers escorting the grain supplies.

As dusk fell, I took a walk around the back mountain and saw that Aunt Xu was taking good care of everyone, big and small, so I returned to my lodgings with peace of mind.

The door was wide open, and Huai Xu was jumping and laughing with his arm around Wang Yunhui's shoulder. When he saw me, he screamed and rushed over: "Godmother, I have some great news to tell you!"

"What?" I chuckled, pinching her waist. "The Shimen Fan were driven away so quickly?"

“No, that’s not it,” Huai Xu grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously, “but it will be soon! The Changning army attacked from both sides, Yan Yi was defeated, and his leader Luo Zhan was captured. Lord Xiong, and General Zhou—they will be able to come to Nan Guang to reinforce us soon!”

Overwhelmed with joy, I gripped it tightly and said in a trembling voice, "Is...is this real?"

"Of course!" Huai Xu stamped his foot. "If you don't believe me, ask Lady Wang!"

"It's true." Wang Yunhui nodded with a smile, raising a hand to wipe the corner of her eye. "Inspector Guo was here just now; he barely left before you arrived—"

Huai Xu hurriedly let go of my hand, pointed to the desk and said, "Godmother, Inspector Guo brought you and Madam Wang a gift—a painting by Mr. Liu; Lord Wei said he is not good at calligraphy and painting, so he thanked you with red plum blossoms. You two enjoy it, I'm going to tell Feng Qiao this good news!" As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared.

What she said—I felt like I understood it, but I also felt like I didn't.

I turned my gaze back to Wang Yunhui.

Wang Yunhui was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed, "This child is so happy he can't even speak properly." She pulled me to the table and said, "In order to express our gratitude for the winter cakes sent from Yanziping, and also to learn of the good news of the restoration of Yanzhou, Old Liu painted a winter cake. Unlike Old Liu, Prefect Wei didn't like to show off, so he picked a branch of red plum blossoms from Linchuan as a return gift and asked Inspector Guo to take it back with him."

On the desk lay a small painting, about two feet wide, titled "Nine-Nine Winter Solstice Picture". On the left was a branch of white plum blossoms with nine petals each, totaling eighty-one. On the right half was a nine-square grid, filled with nine hollow characters: "Willows in front of the pavilion cherish the spring breeze". Each character had nine strokes, also totaling eighty-one.

I covered my mouth and laughed, "Eighty-one strokes, winter ends and spring returns, Mr. Liu is truly a refined gentleman!"

"Sigh." Wang Yunhui waved her hand. "He just likes to mess around with these useless things, he's been doing it for decades."

I picked up the red plum blossom next to the painting and gently sniffed it. A delicate fragrance lingered at the tip of my nose, and I couldn't help but feel happy: "Doctor Liu, do you have any bamboo tubes? I'll go and ask for a section to put the flowers in."

Wang Yunhui said, "Wait!"

Just then, Liu Yu looked out from the doorway and said, "No need, these flower branches can be planted."

I waved to him: "Dr. Liu, come in and let's talk."

Liu Yu entered with a smile: "Just now, Miss Huai Xu told me that Qing Niangzi has acquired a new branch of red plum blossoms, so I came to take a look."

I handed him the flower branch in my hand: "Look!"

After admiring it for a moment, Liu Yu exclaimed in admiration: "The branches are slender and strong, and the fragrance is cool and refreshing. What a fine branch of 'iron bones and a loyal heart'!"

I asked with a smile, "'Iron Bones and Loyal Heart,' what a chivalrous name! I wonder how it got its name?"

“This flower is also known as ‘Bone Red.’ Look—” Liu Yu held the flower branch upside down, revealing the cross-section of the woody stem.

I exclaimed in amazement, "Indeed, it's a case of red flowers and red bones."

Liu Yu was quite enthusiastic about discussing plum blossoms, and then continued, "The late Empress Guo loved plum blossoms, and many red plum blossoms were planted in the inner palace. However, the 'Guli Hong' variety is not cold-resistant. Although the palace gardeners carefully cultivate it, it still lacks some charm and spirit compared to the wild plum blossoms that grow freely in Linchuan."

"Young Lady Qing, you can plant this flower branch in a sunny spot in the garden, water it thoroughly, and cover it with straw ash. It will surely survive the winter." After saying this, she reluctantly handed the flower branch back to me.

I took the flower branch and said with a smile, "Since Doctor Liu knows and loves flowers, then Qingcheng will borrow this flower to present to the Buddha, and plant this 'Iron Bones and Loyal Heart' branch in your courtyard, how about that?"

Liu Yuxi said, "It would be impolite of me to refuse such a kind offer from Lady Qing."

Wang Yunhui, who had been silent all along, suddenly coughed softly.

Liu Yu didn't take it seriously, pointed out the window, and said with anticipation, "Old sister, why don't we plant it next to the bean trellis that old willow built? What do you think? Next year, the branches will be full of flowers and the fragrance will fill the air. We can invite a few friends to sit around the stove in the house, brew tea, and admire the plum blossoms and snow by the window. What a delightful and elegant experience that would be!"

Wang Yunhui sighed, "Whatever."

I didn't notice anything unusual about Wang Yunhui either. I only felt that Liu Yu's idea suited me very well, so I took the flower branch and went into the yard. I stood by the bean trellis, reached out and made a megaphone shape, and asked loudly, "Dr. Liu, is it okay to plant it here?"

Liu Yu walked to the window, looked out, took two steps back, looked out again, and waved to me: "Go a little further to the left."

I moved slightly to the right, and Liu Yu exclaimed, "Wrong, wrong! Your left side!"

I smiled and moved closer: "Are you done yet?"

Liu Yu clapped his hands: "Alright, perfect!"

I picked up the short hoe from under the bean trellis, squatted down, and started planting flowers. I could vaguely hear Wang Yunhui's angry voice: "Liu Yu! What are you doing?"

"I...I was teaching Qingniangzi how to plant flowers, why do you ask that, elder sister?"

Do you know who sent these flowers?

"I know."

"You knew I was right, yet you still accepted it!"

“Ji Zhou is my friend, and Qing Niangzi is also my friend. We are all friends, and Qing Niangzi is generous enough to give me the flower branch. What’s wrong with that? Besides, Wei Ji Zhou isn’t a narrow-minded person, is he?”

"This isn't about being generous or stingy! Prefect Wei sent Red Plum as a return gift through Inspector Guo, specifically asking me to deliver it. Why did you have to jump in and interfere?"

"This...this...I didn't know! Miss Huaixu didn't mention it at all, why didn't you say so earlier? What should I do? Elder sister, you have to help me explain to Prefect Ji...to Prefect Wei."

"I'll explain for you? I don't even know how to explain myself!"

"Older sister, please help me out."

"Alright! Stop calling me 'sister,' I don't have a brainless brother like you."

The addition of the Changning Army was like a heavy iron weight falling from the sky, causing the scales of victory to tip rapidly in favor of Nanguang.

Good news keeps pouring in from the three lines of defense: Shunxi, Qingling, and Linchuan.

Whether in Nanguang or Shimenfan, the people of this land eagerly anticipate the New Year, a New Year after the smoke of war has cleared.

Early that morning, the sky was overcast. An elderly witch doctor approached me and said, "I have been observing the celestial phenomena for days and nights. The constellation of the Dipper in the north is showing unusual movements, indicating that strong winds and a drop in temperature are coming. We must be prepared."

I hurriedly summoned Feng Qiao to find Guo Cheng and instructed him to transport supplies to the front, making sure to bring the stockpiled felt and tarpaulins. Upon learning this, Liu Yu quickly drafted a prescription to dispel cold and dampness, instructing us to cook a large quantity and give it to the elderly and weak in advance.

I took the prescription and went to the kitchen with Wang Yunhui and Huai Xu to brew the medicine. Halfway there, a woman from the back mountain ran up in a panic, saying, "Qing Niangzi, something terrible has happened! Na Nu from Niu Men Dong is threatening to jump off a cliff!"