Chapter 79 Heartfelt Words: "I miss you."

Since he had noticed, Mingying simply pushed open the door, and a smell of blood mixed with the aroma of herbs rushed out.

She slowly walked towards the bed curtains, and saw that the bright yellow curtains were lifted, and he was lying on the couch, his face haggard and dejected, even his once sharp and piercing eyebrows had lost their fierceness.

Pei Xiaoyun turned her head to the side, her figure magnified inch by inch in her pupils, and a surge of heat rushed from her lungs to her throat.

“Ah Ying, you’re back.”

Mingying glanced at him briefly, and seeing how badly he was injured, she knew something serious must have happened the day she left. Ignoring his words, she asked succinctly, "What happened? Where is my brother?"

Pei Xiaoyun had used this method to coax her back, so it wasn't surprising that she asked about Shen Mingshu as soon as she opened her mouth.

He didn't care; all he wanted was for her to come back to him.

Only when he sees her does his heart come alive a little. Perhaps, only now does he realize that his heart beats for her.

Kong Qing answered her first: "Miss Ming, the remnants of the enemy are hiding in Yunwu Mountain, poisoning the village's wells and harming the people. His Majesty and General Shen went deep into the mountains to wipe them out. The enemy occupied the high ground and tried to attack General Shen with stones. His Majesty blocked the attack for General Shen, and his injuries were serious. General Shen's life is out of danger and he can get out of bed now."

Mingying frowned, half believing and half doubting this side of the story.

"Kong Qing, get out." Pei Xiaoyun said, her face showing displeasure, as she tried to shoo him away.

"But Your Majesty, you are still injured..." Kong Qing was not at ease, implying that if Ming Ying had any more intentions to harm him, they would be caught off guard.

Upon hearing this, Mingying couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

She had already taken advantage of his unpreparedness to injure Pei Xiaoyun with a knife, so he would definitely be on guard. If she tried to harm him again this time, she would probably be chopped into mincemeat by his men.

"Get out." Pei Xiaoyun glared at Kong Qing, then her voice softened. "She won't harm me. I trust her."

The door opened and closed, cutting off a sliver of light and shadow, and silence spread throughout the room, leaving only the two of them.

Mingying stood still, her eyes as indifferent as ever, and asked him, "Is it true?"

If it were true, she wouldn't feel any guilt or gratitude towards him. Besides, he was still the same as before, using despicable methods to exploit her worries about her brother and force her to return to Langzhou.

Pei Xiaoyun did not answer her. Although she was only a few steps away from him, he felt as if there was an insurmountable chasm between them.

His gaze seemed to linger on her face. After so many days apart, he noticed that she had lost a lot of weight and her skin had become tanned. Her clothes and hair were covered with mud and grass. What kind of suffering had she endured in Xuzhou to avoid his people?

"I miss you."

These three words were the belief that sustained him through his serious injuries.

Mingying looked at him with a sarcastic expression, unmoved.

"Where have you been all this time?" Pei Xiaoyun wanted to reach out and pluck a withered blade of grass from her hair, but his hand hung in mid-air, and she took a step back in response.

He lowered his hand, gave a bitter smile, and could only exchange pleasantries with her.

It would be wonderful if she could talk to him.

"It's none of your business."

His pleasantries, to Mingying's ears, sounded like the countless interrogations he had given her before, asking about her whereabouts, what she had done, and who was with her, before forcing her to cut off everything and binding her in a cage.

A streak of gray on her face added a touch of stubbornness to her serene, fair complexion: "I'm only asking you, are those things true?"

Pei Xiaoyun remained silent for a few moments before finally answering, "It's true."

Mingying nodded with a cold laugh, glaring at him and cursing, "Despicable and shameless."

She almost ended up staying at Jinghui Temple forever, but it was him who interfered again.

It wasn't his brother who was seriously injured, but him. He deliberately spread the news to make her come back on her own so that he could put on an act in front of her and beg for her forgiveness.

She will never forgive him.

Pei Xiaoyun had long expected her to scold him like that. He closed his eyes slightly, his chest rose and fell gently, his throat was hoarse, and he couldn't laugh out loud.

The fact that she still curses at him shows that she still has feelings for him, even if it's hatred.

All she could do was curse him.

His hand slowly moved down to his abdomen, touching the stab wound she had made. He pressed hard, and the intense pain made his temples throb: "When you weren't here, I looked at the wound you left me. I didn't use any medicine to completely scab over the wound."

"It is in pain, and it is as if I see you."

It was as if by guarding this scar, he could be with her at all times.

"You're crazy!" Mingying cursed at him, her eyes red.

“I did want to see you, which is why I used your brother as a pretext.” Pei Xiaoyun looked at her and said softly, “But I wasn’t acting. I do owe you and your brother too much, and this is far from enough to repay you.”

Mingying froze, momentarily surprised by his words.

But then I thought, who knows if he wasn't acting? Even if he wasn't acting, he really would never be able to pay it back.

Where is my brother?

Even though Pei Xiaoyun had anticipated her words, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. Looking at her, she replied calmly, "At the four clinics in the city, I visited the recovered patients."

Mingying took a few steps back without the slightest hesitation, then turned and opened the door to leave.

After the person had gone far away, Pei Xiaoyun lifted the brocade quilt, struggled to get up, and a shadowy figure in her eyes swayed with the fluttering hem of her skirt as she left.

She's back, and he'll never let her out of his sight again.

In his entire life, she was the only obsession he could never let go of.

The four clinics were filled with people queuing up to see a doctor.

Mingying didn't have time to change her clothes before she ran all the way here. Even if her brother's injury was fake, she had to see him in person before she could feel at ease.

Shen Mingshu came out of the Fourth Clinic and bumped into her as she came in.

His pupils dilated in surprise: "Ah Ying, why are you back?"

—

The story is a long one, and the brother and sister returned to their old residence.

Looking at the silver frost covering the ground, Mingying suddenly realized that everything was absurd and powerless. She had originally planned to shave her head and become a nun, but now she had returned here.

When Shen Mingshu heard that Pei Xiaoyun had used such a shameless tactic to force her to return, she was indignant, but her expression became slightly serious: "He shielded me from injury, which doesn't necessarily mean he didn't intend to die. This person is completely insane, he doesn't care about his life."

That day was indeed extremely dangerous; many imperial physicians said he might not survive. He was taking a gamble, betting that if he survived, he could devise a plan to get Aying to return to Langzhou and present this favor to them.

But as he wished, he won.

Mingying was frustrated and conflicted. She drank two cups of cold tea and slammed the cup down: "Just a shameless scoundrel. What is this?"

Pei Xiaoyun's ruthlessness and madness were beyond her imagination; he was even willing to gamble with his life.

At the same time, she also knew that once she returned to Langzhou, she would never be able to shake him off.

She had nowhere to go.

During the day, Shen Mingshu went to the Fourth Clinic to comfort the people again, and she went with him. This time she met He Lianqing.

This was their first meeting in Long Island since they parted ways two years ago.

He Lianqing was still the same as before, dressed in a dark blue plain dress, her figure moving back and forth between the medicine furnace and the medicine cabinet.

"Long time no see." Mingying took the initiative to sit down, picked up the cup on the table, poured herself a cup of tea and drank it.

When He Lianqing saw her this time, he also noticed that she had changed a lot. Perhaps it was because she had been nourished by the folk customs of the Northwest, her skin had a light tan, and she had become more capable and decisive than before.

"It really has been a long time." He smiled, as if they were just ordinary friends meeting, without mentioning her current situation at all.

Everyone knows the truth.

Pei Xiaoyun refused to let go; the Northwest might be full of his spies.

He suddenly asked, "Do you want to know about someone you've met before?"

He knew her; she wasn't stubborn at heart. Even if she wanted to know about someone from the past, she wouldn't ask Pei Xiaoyun.

She had originally intended to talk to her about the changes in Pei Yu'an over the past two years, but she was blunt: "I don't want to know. What happens in the capital has nothing to do with me anymore."

Many things have already been done, so what's wrong with admitting that you were heartless?

All she wanted in her life was to live a few more years for herself.

He Lianqing nodded and smiled it off.

“I have created a new medicine for wounds, using rare herbs from the Wuhuan region. I will take it back to General Shen. It can improve blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and heal old wounds.”

Mingying's gaze fell on the small blue bottle he had given her. After a long, lingering look, she said, "Then I will thank you on behalf of my brother."

After the two chatted about a few more past events, Mingying got up and left.

After she left, Xingwei came in, looked at He Lianqing who was weighing herbs, and asked him, "What did you give her?"

Perhaps it was the inherent vigilance of a secret guard, but she became suspicious when she heard the conversation inside.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" He Lianqing didn't even look up. "It's a medicine for sprains and bruises, passed down from the Wuhuan. It's very precious. I only got this one bottle. Rather than offering it to Pei Xiaoyun, it's better to give it to General Shen."

Xingwei didn't know what to say.

He Lianqing suddenly looked up: "Compared to being the head of the Imperial Medical Academy and enjoying the glory of following Pei Xiaoyun, I would rather be a small doctor in one of the many medical clinics in the world."

He gestured with his chin in the direction Mingying had left, saying, "She's a close friend of mine."

This feeling has nothing to do with romance.

He understood her repeated resistance and her life-risking actions, so he couldn't help but help her in the most dangerous situations, hoping she could escape her predicament.

In the following days, Mingying did not try to leave the city again. She knew that she might be being watched, and even if she went out, she would not have true freedom no matter where she went.

After the Battle of Langzhou, the imperial court was also reorganizing its forces in preparation for attacking the Wuhuan. The troops were to depart from Langzhou, so Langzhou became the first camp, and all the generals temporarily resided in the city.

Mingying went to the Fourth Clinic and helped prepare medicine for several days. She listened to the patients thanking the court for its kindness and asking the doctors to treat them without charging a penny.

She was fanning the fire under the medicine stove with a palm-leaf fan when she looked up and loudly echoed, "Your Majesty is magnanimous and benevolent, and cares deeply for the people. He is a blessing to all the people under heaven."

The people in the four clinics all agreed.

Her words were quickly overheard by others.

A few days later, the number of patients at the four clinics gradually decreased, so she went to a sachet shop in the city to find a job. In reality, the shop owner paid her a lot of money to teach her some of the processes of making sachet.

Langzhou had just returned to peace after the war, and the people needed to make a living, whether by reopening shops or farming, all in an effort to survive.

Mingying did not accept any money. Apart from not being able to teach her own signature Jade Complexion Powder, she wrote down several other incense recipes for her employer.

Soon, the incense chips and powders made from these incense recipes sold very well in Langzhou.

She went to various incense shops every day to teach incense-making techniques, and became a popular figure in several incense shops in Langzhou.

Thanks to the timely post-war relief efforts of the imperial court, Pei Xiaoyun instructed his soldiers to help the people build houses and cultivate fertile fields. Several counties in Langzhou that were least affected by the war have now restored normal life and order.

A new music hall opened in the city, and the owner was scammed by several musicians who claimed to be from Yangzhou.

On the opening day, the owner intended to hire the musicians to play the pipa and yueqin to attract customers, but the fake musicians who had taken the money ran away overnight, leaving the owner in a state of panic.

Mingying happened to be making incense at Yingxiang Pavilion, which was opposite Lelou. Yingxiang Pavilion had a partnership with Lelou and wanted to use Lelou to attract customers and sell incense there.

The musician from the Coca-Cola restaurant had disappeared without a trace, and both owners were anxious.

Upon hearing this, Mingying left Yingxiang Pavilion and went to the music pavilion across the street.

"Oh, isn't this Master Shen? What brings you here?" The shopkeeper, surnamed Huang, was so polite to her not only because she made excellent incense, but also because she was General Shen's sister.

"I can give it a try, play a tune for you, and attract customers."

Mr. Huang's eyes widened: "Master Shen is not only proficient in the art of incense, but also knows music?"

Once inside the building, Mingying picked up the pipa that was placed on the table, touched the strings, and realized that it was a fine pipa. She then casually plucked a few notes, and with just a light pluck, it was as if a pool of clear, cool water was flowing out.

She smiled at Mr. Huang and said, "I haven't played for many years, so my skills have become rusty. If I play well, I won't charge you. If I don't play well, don't blame me for making a fool of myself and ruining your performance."

Mr. Huang recognized her expertise just from hearing her test a few notes, and quickly gestured, "Please, please!"

Mingying didn't need to recall anything; as soon as her fingers touched the strings, it was as if she were guided, and she plucked them smoothly and effortlessly.

The music lingered in the empty music hall, slipping past people's ears, circling the beams and pillars three times, before bursting out through the doors and windows...

Mr. Huang, being an expert himself, was deeply moved and, not wanting to disturb her, whispered to his assistant, "It's done! Quick! Open the door and welcome the guests!"

Mingying played with such rapt attention that she unconsciously closed her eyes, as if she were having a familiar conversation with the music she hadn't heard in two years, using the pipa as the medium.

When she first met it, she thought it was only for flattering and pleasing people. Therefore, she was very careful, afraid of playing a wrong note and incurring the disgust and punishment of others.

Later, after entering a larger music hall, she realized that what she had previously thought was wrong, and that there were other paths she could take, just as the pipa was not only for playing to please people.

So she once stood in the largest music hall and truly used it, and the things she liked, to make a living with dignity.

When someone says that pipa music is for servants, she can raise her head, straighten her back, and say no.

This sound is so beautiful, everyone deserves to hear it, let's all enjoy it together.

The piece seemed to have been played for a very long time, until the sun rose and set outside, and the lights inside the building illuminated the room, leaving only her figure on the stage.

When she opened her eyes again, the audience below the stage was huge, as if she had just woken up from a dream.

—

Pei Xiaoyun feared that she would leave Langzhou sooner or later, so he sent even more people than before to secretly follow her.

She can leave, but he must know where she goes.

Only by keeping track of her whereabouts could he avoid feeling empty and lonely all day long, and prevent her from flying away like a bird.

To his surprise, after she returned this time, she did not leave the city again.

His spies reported again: "Your Majesty, Miss Ming helped prepare medicine at the Four Clinics Hall a few days ago, and also went to various incense shops in the city to teach people how to make incense. The newly opened Jinyun Tower was short of a zither player, so Miss Ming also went to the tower to play the pipa."

Pei Xiaoyun leaned against the openwork bamboo-carved pomegranate screen at the head of the bed. Upon hearing this, her expression softened and became gentle, as if she had just heard some interesting stories.

If she doesn't leave and is willing to stay and live in Langzhou, does it mean she doesn't hate or reject him as much anymore?

The subordinate continued, "Your Majesty, when Miss Ming was preparing medicine in the Four Clinics Hall, she said something to the people."

"What did you say?" Pei Xiaoyun's eyes flickered.

She said that Your Majesty's magnanimity and benevolence, and your concern for the people, are a blessing to all the people under heaven.

A glint of light flashed in Pei Xiaoyun's dark pupils. His heartbeat became erratic for a few moments, but his facial features slowly relaxed. It was summer, yet he felt as if he were bathed in a spring breeze.

I couldn't help but ask again, "Did she really say that?"

“It’s absolutely true. I heard it with my own ears, and Miss Ming said it twice.”

Pei Xiaoyun felt a tingling and hot sensation in his palms. He didn't even notice that his lips were slightly upturned, curving into a deep, twisted arc.

She's willing to stay in Langzhou and said those things, what does she really mean?

She no longer hated him as much; she would acknowledge his achievements and stop talking about life and death.

It seems that all those injuries he suffered were not in vain.

He was unwilling to remain in this stalemate with her.

But after thinking it over, he was still afraid that he couldn't figure out her thoughts, so he summoned someone: "Send someone to ask her if she is willing to come and see me. Tell her that if she is not willing, it doesn't matter."

After issuing the order, he waited for three days.

He hadn't closed his eyes for the past three days, fearing that if she came, he wouldn't be the first to see her.

Three days passed, but she still didn't come.

She must have received the message, but she didn't want to come.

Pei Xiaoyun's hopes were gradually stripped away by reality, and he began to doubt whether her staying in Langzhou and the things she said were all irrelevant to him.

She stayed in Langzhou, perhaps out of concern for her brother. The things she said to the people were just empty words exchanged in large groups.

On the morning of the fifth day, he suppressed his agonizing thoughts, closed his eyes for a moment, and after a short while, he heard someone report: "Your Majesty, Miss Ming has come to see you."

-----------------------

Author's note: I've come to visit you!

Just wait and see [doge][doge] Don't get too excited yet.