Daughter of the Jianghu (VIII)

The two groups had no chance to engage in close combat.

The new prefect of Lanling was there to suppress bandits, not simply to chop off heads and achieve political achievements. Halfway up the mountain, he saw the headmaster Sun running in a hurry, his pants drooping, and knew something was afoot. His anger and impatience were blown away by the night breeze during the second half of the ascent. Then, seeing the unusual firelight, he immediately guessed what Lao Ju and his group were up to.

He waved to the officers and soldiers behind him, took out his official seal and prefectural token, and brought Sun Dajia and the deputy prefect to him. Without further ado, he stated his identity and purpose. "...You all suffer because of the incompetence of the court and myself. The bandits on Menghu Ridge have been running rampant for nearly twenty years. The situation is complicated, and I'm afraid they've become cunning. I've sent troops to surround the foot of the mountain. I guarantee not even a fly can escape. Please wait for me to verify their identities, so that no one who slips through the net can continue to cause trouble in the village."

Most of those captured were innocent civilians. Even after decades of chaos in Dayu, they had lost trust in the imperial court and the provincial government. Seeing the polished, snow-white blade unsheathed, they dared not disobey. The prefect's words were polite but firm. His officers and soldiers didn't take action, but they were all on guard.

On the other side, only Lao Ju held a knife, his arms clutching a fainting "water beauty" who could die at any moment. He pondered for a moment, lowered his knife, and stepped aside to clear a path. The other men, women, and children who had followed him down the mountain followed his lead, cautiously guarding both sides of the mountain path.

The prefect bowed and called over the two coroners who had come to the prefecture to make up the numbers. Regardless of their identities - even if they were members of the bandits, they had to be treated for their injuries before being thrown into prison.

Zhuang Ji and a dozen escorts were left behind. Several large hyenas were dead, and a bite from small cats and bugs would be enough to tear them apart. Despite the internal strife in Tiger Ridge, there were still over a hundred people. Fence-sitters, eager to become good, were still observing the situation, taking advantage of the situation and using tricks to cause trouble for Zhuang Ji and his men. Zhuang Ji was caught between a rock and a hard place. Just as he was thinking of fighting and retreating, the road ahead was suddenly blocked.

Her heart skipped a beat: This is bad! They say a centipede is a dangerous thing. That day, during their exploration, they were discovered before they had even made it halfway up the mountain. Perhaps there was a hidden secret she didn't know about. Yet, she'd been so impulsive, she'd come here with several lives at her fingertips.

Thinking of her grandmother, who had fought tooth and nail to support the family business in Gusu City, and the wives and children of the escorts, she nearly dropped her knife, yet she still had to continue to face the bandits with a timid air. Just when she thought she was going to die, the road behind her, which had been blocked for a quarter of an hour, slowly opened up.

Before she could pick up her knife and run, well-trained officers and soldiers came charging down the mountain road and immediately dispersed the desperate mob on the mountain.

Zhuang Ji tried desperately to steady her heartbeat. Beside her, a thirty-year-old escort captain breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at her with respect and admiration. "As expected of the young master, you've been in close contact with the provincial government for a long time. You're incredibly thoughtful and even more impressive than the old lady was back then."

This is a compliment that sounds like it could make a young man ten times braver.

Zhuang Ji didn't respond. Her frantic heartbeat hadn't yet subsided, and she was covered in a sweat of regret. She only managed a forced smile, which she felt must have been quite forced. Even in the eyes of these people, she seemed unfathomable and unfazed by praise or criticism.

But she knew that what she was doing was not a good thing.

There were many captives on the mountain, but all those who had suffered were in the betting pits - that was the bloody entertainment of the hyenas, and occasionally there would be bets on whose prey would survive the longest. Those who survived were mentally numb and did not suffer much physical pain.

Including the escorts and the bandits who had surrendered, only Bian Hongqiu was the most seriously injured.

Lao Ju held him horizontally, not daring to move. The two coroners whispered to each other, counting the herbs on the mountain. Thinking Lao Ju was a relative, they asked, "...Now we have no choice but to use strong medicine. Our medical skills are not very good, so we only have a 30% chance of success."

Thirty percent is almost nothing, but Bian Hongqiu will definitely not last until Lao Ju sends him down the mountain.

He closed his eyes, unable to faint from the pain, but after gathering his strength for a while, blood sporadically flowed out of his mouth. He breathed weakly, his voice as thin as a mosquito: "Use it."

He wanted to say that life and death are determined by fate, and that he would die anyway if he didn't take the medicine, but as the words were on his lips, he felt Lao Ju's arms trembling. He remembered that every time Lao Ju mentioned "Ashi", whom he had never met, his eyes were filled with pride and guilt. Was Lao Ju taking him with him because he was thinking of "Ashi", who was also adrift with strangers?

He had been pulled out of the brink of life and death and ignorance time and time again by Lao Ju. Was he going to add another helpless wound to the heart of this old man covered in wounds?

Bian Hongqiu took a deep breath, avoiding choking on his own blood, and spoke a complete sentence.

He said, "Use it. I can handle it."

There is no other way for Lao Ju.

Most of his meridians were destroyed when he wanted to take Meng Shizhuang down from Sujian Mountain decades ago. At this moment, a little bit of internal energy flowed from Bian Hongqiu's chest to his limbs and bones.

But Bian Hongqiu could not feel the warmth that Lao Ju brought with him with all his strength.

His internal organs burned with pain, his skin scorched with unbearable heat. The blood gradually stopped seeping out, replaced by beads of cold sweat. He had bitten his lip so hard that it was ripped apart. Combined with the long period of dehydration and the long-unhealed wounds on his face, he looked horrible.

Lao Ju half-knelt and supported his head.

When Bian Hongqiu first drifted from Xiliuhai, his cheeks were plump and rosy, but now he's thin, his cheekbones visible, his neck a thin line with a few fragile veins. This has whittled him from a gorgeous flower to a mere stem. There's something to be said about the heart reflecting the appearance. This face is no longer enveloped in delicate, beautiful petals, but only in stark, sharp edges.

Lao Ju's eyes were fixed on his face, and his first thought was: Why can't he raise his children well?

Every child he raised was a pitiful, skinny child, rarely smiling or happy. It was only natural that he thought of another child he had raised since infancy.

On a rainy night after Meng Shizhuang returned wounded from Fanli Village, Lao Hu, with great effort, finally summoned a doctor from the foot of the mountain. Lao Ju wondered how he'd managed it. Luo Shun was still watching from outside Ke Ju, and the twelve gates leading down the mountain wouldn't be unobstructed for Lao Hu. As the pouring rain streamed down behind him into the fields, he simply lifted his bamboo hat with a carefree movement.

Then invite in the doctor who had not been exposed to the rain.

Lao Ju asked him to go into the inner room. He twisted his sleeves, hiding most of his body in the darkness outside the courtyard. The water droplets he wrung out were the wrong color, but the smell was washed away by the rain. He said, "I won't go in. I'm all wet, and the cold will invade him."

At that time, Lao Ju's mind was mostly on Meng Shizhuang. He was anxious to go in and see the doctor for a consultation, so he didn't investigate further.

After entering, the doctor, who was said to be the best doctor in the area, shook his head and said, "This child won't live long. He will have a short life when he grows up."

Lao Ju had thought about this situation a long time ago.

He also knew very well that a person's energy in life is limited. If he overdraws too much when he is young, how can he have the chance to save it for the future?

But Meng Shizhuang is only thirteen years old.

When his biological father was thirteen years old, he was calling the wind and rain on Sujian Mountain and was very happy.

Lao Ju couldn't accept this. He finally put aside his conscience and spoke to Lao Hu, who was about to escort the doctor down the mountain, asking him to fight for Meng Shizhuang. He almost didn't dare to look at Lao Hu's face when he spoke. Asking others to risk their lives was really absurd.

Lao Hu didn't agree either, and only said absentmindedly: "...The gate mechanism hasn't been repaired for a long time. I'm busy now, so I will make arrangements."

As the night of Menghuling faded, the innocent civilians whose identities had been verified burst into tears. Lao Ju was awakened from his memories by the cries. He felt Bian Hongqiu's gradually subsiding pulse and cast a questioning look at the two coroners. They whispered something, nodded, and then advised, "After we get down the mountain, we'll need to use some mild medicine to slowly recuperate."

Bian Hongqiu had made many promises in his earlier life that he never fulfilled, so he stopped making promises later on. This time, he kept his word and promised to hold on, and he did, until Lao Ju took him down the mountain.

They were now poor, struggling to even get a bite to eat. Fortunately, Zhuang Ji came to their aid, exchanging all the gold, silver, and jewelry he had gathered to make it to the mountains for copper coins, which he distributed to everyone in need. When he took Grandma away, he carried two baskets of the treasures and hid them in the kitchen of the peasant woman's house. He then invited the three of them, Lao Ju, to their escort agency in Lanling City.

Zhuang Ji was terrified by the death she had brought upon herself. She just wanted to grow wings and fly back to her grandmother. However, it was a rare trip to the branch escort agency, and she had many shopkeepers and escorts to meet, deal with many important and unimportant matters, and also have to attend to social interactions, so she was as busy as a butterfly.

She specifically instructed the people in the escort agency to treat Lao Ju and others politely and to meet all their requests as much as possible. During this period, she rarely saw anyone again. Half a month later, when she finally had a chance to catch her breath, she immediately went to see Lao Ju again and told him her request, hoping that Lao Ju would join the Ping An Escort Agency.

Lao Ju sat down beside Bian Hongqiu's couch with his arms folded and straight away rejected the offer: "I have a very important person to look for."

Zhuang Ji truly admired him and immediately said, "There's strength in numbers. Our Ping An Escort Agency has traveled extensively across the country transporting countless darts. I think we can help you achieve twice the result with half the effort. Could you please tell me what kind of person you're looking for? Are there any characteristics on their body or face?"

Lao Ju still shook his head. He had no intention of owing anyone a favor, and he was confident in his feelings. He felt that finding Meng Shizhuang wouldn't be that difficult. Seeing that Zhuang Ji was still trying to persuade him, he spoke frankly, "I'm looking for this person. Once I find him, I can go wherever he decides to go. I'll follow him in whatever he wants to do. I'm sorry, I can't accept your escort agency's kindness."

Zhuang Ji saw his determination and could only sigh, but he still said: "Sir, if you need anything one day, my Ping An Escort Agency will definitely do its best to help you!"

Their whispers awakened Bian Hongqiu, who had been drowsy for days. He opened his eyes to the bright sunlight and the fluttering curtains outside his bed. He thought he was back in the upscale Prince Liang's mansion, and that the thrilling events of the past few days had been just a dream. But when he tried to sit up from the couch, he realized that all this had actually happened.

He covered his unhealed ribs and smiled bitterly.

Lao Ju heard the noise and leaned over to see, "Does it hurt a lot?"

Seeing the unprecedented gentleness on his face, Bian Hongqiu thought that she was benefiting from "Ashi".

He thought about the "Ah Shi" described by Lao Ju, so he swallowed the pain and shook his head, and simply replied: "Much better."

Lao Ju wasn't careless, but he didn't know how to express himself—he rarely spoke, and it had always been like this. Even when he saw that Bian Hongqiu was trying to be stubborn, he only said, "You should take a rest."

After he left, Bian Hongqiu saw the begonias outside the window stretching freely, and the petals fluttered in the breeze.

It’s September already.

Bian Hongqiu counted the days. If Song Jingyan hadn't delayed, she should have arrived in the capital soon.

He had previously been obsessed with escape, completely oblivious to the future of the Liang Palace. Now, at his most helpless, his emotions returned to their full potential. With the princess missing, how could Song Jingyan conceal the truth? What happened on the Xiliu Sea was no accident. Song Jingyan was short on resources, and whether to whitewash the situation or deal with it immediately would be difficult for her.

There are also unpredictable situations in the capital.

He could no longer slouch behind everyone he could rely on.