16. The war began
◎You Have Me in Your Heart◎
In the blink of an eye, it was February.
Occasionally, an early-blooming forsythia will adorn the top of the wall, its tender yellow blossoms resembling tiny suns.
When Hua Yao proposed opening a clinic in Kyoto, Hua Yanbo and the old lady were astonished.
They had heard about her saving the man who was knocked down by a horse and the boy who was poisoned in Luozhou. When asked, Hua Yao only said that she had nothing to do in the courtyard, so she read some medical books. But that was hardly enough to open a clinic. Besides, she was of marriageable age, and they thought she should shift her focus to choosing a husband.
But in the end, I couldn't go against her wishes.
The clinic was located on East Street; it wasn't large, just two rooms and a backyard. The plaque, "Qing'an Hall," was written by her own hand, the characters slender yet powerful.
During the first month after opening, the occasional person who peeked in saw that the person sitting in the office was a young woman, whispered a few words, and then shook their head and walked away.
Pianzhu was so angry that her face turned red and her neck bulged. "They underestimated you too much. If they knew that you cured my long-standing ailment, they would have worn this door down."
She presented Hua Yao with a stack of papers inscribed with the names of the medicines. The handwriting was a bit crooked; it was written by Hua Yao herself. Earlier, the young lady had asked her if she wanted to learn to write, and then immediately summoned a tutor to the manor to teach her.
Qing'an Hall was deserted all day long, with hardly anyone coming in. Hua Yao was also busy inside, grinding herbs and writing prescriptions, while Pian Zhu stood by her side, learning to identify medicinal herbs from her.
The turning point came from a peddler suffering from severe abdominal pain, who was also the man who had been knocked down by a horse earlier.
Hua Yao performed acupuncture and prescribed medicine. Three days later, the peddler and his family came to express their gratitude, their voices booming like bells. The capital city then learned of this Qing'an Hall.
Later, it was the wife of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who suffered from a chronic illness, and then, it was a secret imperial edict.
When Hua Yao saw Li Shiyi, his face was ashen, his body was severely weakened by the deadly poison.
She used an extremely risky method of bloodletting and medicine preparation, and stayed in the Eastern Palace for more than a month, examining his pulse and adjusting his prescriptions every day. When the poison was cleared and his body recovered, the Crown Prince was not only able to get out of bed and walk normally, but even his previously ashen complexion regained some rosiness.
The reputation of "Qing'an Hall" soared overnight.
As the carriage that came out of the palace reached the corner of East Street, Hua Yao lifted the curtain and looked out, but she didn't see the little girl who used to squat there and write words.
She got out of the car and stopped an old man who had a stall nearby to ask him a question. The old man clicked his tongue twice and said that the girl had been sold to Yingchun Pavilion by her parents a couple of days ago. She was learning how to serve people now, and she would be able to enjoy a life of leisure in a couple of years.
Hua Yao found these words absurd and laughable, so she turned around and had someone prepare silver to go to Yingchun Pavilion and redeem the girl.
She took her to the clinic and named her "A Zhao". From then on, A Zhao followed Hua Yao to learn medicine and herbs, along with Pian Zhu.
--
That day, Hua Yao was treating a woman with back pain, her fingertips still covered in medicine powder, when a servant from the manor urged her to return home, saying there was an urgent matter.
Stepping into the main hall, she realized something was amiss. Her grandmother was silently fiddling with her prayer beads, Hua Yanbo had a somber face, and Aunt Fang, Hua Yin, and Hua Ling sat to the side, their heads hanging low.
With a quick glance, I noticed that Cui Xun was also sitting upright in the guest seat.
Hua Yao's heart skipped a beat. Even if something happened at home, why would it alarm him?
After a long while, Hua Yanbo sighed. It turned out that Hua Ling had been reckless and caused trouble, which had also implicated the Duke's mansion.
Cui Xun didn't say much, only glanced at Hua Yao, offered a few words of advice, and then got up to take his leave.
As soon as the person left, Hua Yanbo pointed at Hua Ling and said in a deep voice, "This unruly boy doesn't like to study and is disobedient. Why not send him to the clinic to learn medicine from you?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Ling's eyes lit up. "Great! I'll go to the clinic with my second sister then." He had always liked his second sister.
Hua Yao showed no smile. She only looked at Hua Ling and said, "If you are willing to learn, I will teach you. If you are just happy for a moment, then don't disturb my peace."
Aunt Fang, standing to the side, looked rather displeased, disappointed in her son but helpless.
Several months passed in the blink of an eye, and Hua Ling actually calmed down and became quite adept at recognizing medicinal herbs and memorizing prescriptions.
The family members all noticed this, and Aunt Fang's attitude towards Hua Yao gradually softened. From time to time, she would bring several food boxes and snacks to the clinic in person.
--
Under the eaves of the teahouse opposite Qing'an Hall, Cui Xun stood quietly, his gaze never leaving the open door.
Qin Feng sighed softly and said in a low voice, "My lord, how many times have you gone through this detour to come here? Every time you come, you just look and do nothing. If others don't know the situation, they'll think we're trying to peek at someone's prescription."
"Standing this far away spying, are your eyes two miles long?" Qin Yan said expressionlessly.
"Will you die if you don't argue with me?" Qin Feng said, making a move to hit Qin Yan, but saw that his master had already taken a step and walked to the other side.
When Cui Xun stepped into Qing'an Hall, Hua Yao was bent over wrapping medicinal herbs. Hearing the noise, she looked up at the door and her fingers suddenly stopped moving when she saw who it was.
The sunlight from the eaves fell right behind him, outlining a tall and straight silhouette. Why was he here?
They hadn't seen each other for a long time since their last meeting at the Prime Minister's residence.
The first time she saw him was at Linyun Tower. He had a cold and hard aura, and his eyes seemed to see right through people. He looked like someone who was not to be trifled with. At that time, she only wanted to get away as soon as possible.
Later, Pianzhu told her that this Duke was ruthless and a notorious cold-faced devil in the court, so she deliberately avoided him. But after several encounters, she felt that he was not as terrifying as the rumors suggested, just a bit too reserved.
She composed herself and continued wrapping the medicine, speaking calmly, "Why would the Duke come here?"
Cui Xun's gaze fell on her face without any attempt to conceal it, and his voice deepened, "Urgent report from the border: I must depart in three days."
Hua Yao stopped wrapping the medicine, looked up at him, and said, "The war is dangerous, Duke, please be careful in everything you do." She had heard about the border situation a few days ago.
Cui Xun's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze lingered on her face for a long while. "You have nothing to say?"
"The thing people who go to the battlefield want to hear most is the word 'safe return'." She didn't have much interaction with him to begin with. In modern times, Hua Yao only thought of him as a soldier stationed on the frontier to protect the country, and only hoped that he would return safely.
The words he wanted to say remained unspoken. Cui Xun looked at her and said slowly, "Don't worry, you won't die."
After saying that, he didn't say anything more and turned to leave.
Hua Yao looked up, her gaze shifting from the medicine bag to his back...
--
Three days later.
The dark, imposing army stretched from the city gate all the way to the official road outside the city. Their armor gleamed coldly, and their banners fluttered in the north wind. The commander's banner, emblazoned with the character "Cui," was particularly eye-catching.
Cui Xun stood atop a tall horse, the beast-face hilts on his armor gleaming coldly.
His gaze couldn't help but drift towards the city gate again and again.
From the first light of the morning star to the sun piercing through the clouds, the figure he longed to see never appeared.
Qin Yan urged his horse forward a few steps, his voice hushed, "My lord, the auspicious time has arrived."
Cui Xun's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingers loosened and clenched again. He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the mountain-like army formation before him, and the hint of desolation that had been hidden in his eyes just now completely disappeared.
"Set off!"
The commander's flag moved first, and then tens of thousands of cavalrymen moved.
...
Inside Qing'an Hall, Pianzhu looked at Hua Yao, who had gotten up before dawn and was now sitting in front of her medical desk, lost in thought.
"Miss, Duke Jin's army will depart at the end of Mao hour (5-7 AM). Aren't you going to see them off?"
During this time, she often saw Duke Jin at the teahouse across the street. At first, she didn't understand, but later she realized that Duke Jin had probably taken a liking to her daughter back in Luozhou.
Moreover, ever since Duke Jin entered Qing'an Hall three days ago, the young lady has been distracted these past few days.
"I won't go." Hua Yao didn't move, just casually replied.
But the next second, she said, "Pianzhu, tell me, if you go on a long trip and no one sees you off, is it considered impolite? Are there any customs or rules?"
Pianzhu paused for a moment, then nodded knowingly without saying anything, "Of course it counts. No matter how far a person goes, their family will see them off at the city gate, hoping for a safe and smooth journey."
"Family?" Hua Yao muttered softly, "He lost all his relatives when he was young, is there no one to see him off?"
She was already getting up, but her words were curt: "Then let's go see him off, so as not to give anyone something to talk about."
Before Pianzhu could react, she quickly walked towards the door.
Pianzhu watched her retreating figure. Even if the girl didn't see her off, she wouldn't get the blame.
She chuckled, "The old lady just a few days ago said she'd be looking for a husband for the young lady, but there's no need to look anymore."
...
The streets were nearly deserted.
Hua Yao tightened the reins, spurred the horse, and its hooves thundered as it galloped towards the city gate. Luckily, she had learned to ride a horse before, otherwise it would have been quite inconvenient.
By the time she reined in the horses, the city gates were already wide open.
She looked up, panting, and saw a dark, imposing army slowly moving along the official road. She looked at the people at the very front of the column.
It was still too late.
As she watched the group walk further and further away, she felt a slight tightness in her chest, a dull feeling, but not exactly disappointment.
After all, I did see it, so I guess I gave it to him.
She watched quietly until the figure gradually became a blurry dot.
Cui Xun sat on horseback, the sounds of soldiers' footsteps and horses' hooves filling his ears. For some reason, his heart suddenly skipped a beat, as if pulled by something, and he abruptly turned around.
My gaze passed over the layers of soldiers and armor, landing on the direction of the city gate.
The first thing you see is a simply decorated carriage, which is driving out of the city gate.
Without seeing her, his gaze darkened, and his brows furrowed slightly.
A moment later, he slowly turned around and waved his hand behind him.
The army's marching speed increased.
The carriage gradually drove away from the city gate and headed towards another fork in the road.
Beneath the empty city gate, Hua Yao stood alone, leading her horse, her gaze still fixed on the direction the army had gone. A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs at her temples, lightly brushing her cheek…
--
In the afternoon, sunlight slanted into the clinic. Hua Yao treated patients as usual, but when she had a moment to spare, she grabbed her medicine bag and dropped the medicine without even noticing.
Hua Ling picked up the angelica root from where she had just passed. "Second sister, did you not rest well? This is the third time you've been distracted today."
Hua Yao snapped out of her thoughts, still holding the medicine she had only half-grabbed in her hand.
Over the past two months, news of the battle in Tuozhou had been coming in intermittently, weighing increasingly heavily on her heart.
"I'm going back to the manor." She suddenly realized and took off her apron. "Keep an eye on the clinic. If there's an emergency, go and fetch Doctor Zhang." Doctor Zhang was someone she had hired when she was too busy to handle everything.
The sound of hooves echoed on the bluestone road. Hua Yao gripped the reins tightly, and as soon as the horse came to a stop, she dismounted.
Inside the study, Hua Yanbo frowned deeply.
"Father, Tuozhou..."
Hua Yanbo looked up at her and sighed, "The Crown Prince of Ningzhao personally led the expedition. This man's actions are unpredictable and his advance is fierce. The Duke has captured three cities in succession, and Tuozhou is short of food supplies, and an epidemic has broken out again. Two days ago, His Majesty sent Prince Fu to escort the food supplies, but... I'm afraid it will be too late."
Hua Yao frowned; these words felt like stones crashing into her heart.
“I want to go!” Hua Yao blurted out.
Hua Yanbo suddenly stood up. "Nonsense! That's a battlefield!"
"I am a doctor!" she said firmly. "Diseases kill people just as quickly as swords."
...
An hour later, a fast horse galloped out of the north gate of the capital. Hua Yao lay on the horse's back, the wind stinging her cheeks.
She dared not think about the worst possible outcome, and kept telling herself that someone like Cui Xun was incredibly resilient.
She traveled day and night for half a month, managing to shorten the journey to nine days.
Approaching Tuozhou, the smell of scorched earth mixed with an indescribable stench of decay assaulted the senses, impossible to ignore even with a cloth wrapped around one's face.
The city wall was riddled with arrow marks, and the guards had cloth curtains covering their faces, their eyes sunken.
"Who goes there!" the soldier shouted.
She tightened the reins, the horse reared up, and then came to a steady stop at the foot of the city wall. She pulled down a cloth with one hand and raised the token that Hua Yanbo had given her with the other, and said loudly, "Hua Yao, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family in the capital, requests an audience with the Duke of Jin."
The soldier stared at the token, then at her dusty clothes, and turned to run off to report.
Not long after, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from inside the city gate, and at the same time, the city gate opened to both sides.
Through the crack in the door, she saw Cui Xun, clad in light armor, galloping towards her on horseback. She dismounted, and knew he would be alright.
Amidst the swirling dust, Cui Xun's gaze locked onto that slender figure in the distance. His heart skipped a beat; she had actually come.
He was just about to change out of his armor when the soldier came to report, and he couldn't believe it.
She was very delicate and couldn't get used to eating this or that. He had to coax her before she could barely eat a few bites.
She endured so much hardship on this long journey alone.
Before the horse had even come to a complete stop, he had already leaped off, rushed to her in a few steps, and pulled her into his arms.
Qin Feng and Qin Yan behind them: Are they not going to act anymore?
The surrounding soldiers were all so shocked that they forgot to move; they had never seen their commander so disoriented.
Cui Xun held her arm so tightly, as if he feared she was an illusion.
"You..." Hua Yao was choking him, struggling to breathe. She pushed against his chest with her hands, "Let go!"
He didn't let go, his voice trembling in her ear, "You came all this way to find me... Hua Yao, you have me in your heart."
"Don't flatter yourself!" Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she struggled forcefully.
Cui Xun gasped, his arm loosening slightly.
Hua Yao immediately sensed something was wrong. Looking down, she saw blood seeping through the light armor on his left arm. "You're injured." All her resistance instantly turned into panic.
Qin Feng, standing to the side: I didn't hear a groan when the knife came down, but now I'm groaning?
...
Inside the official residence.
Cui Xun sat at the table, his upper body bare. A knife wound slanted across his left arm, not deep, but the skin was turned outwards, and the surrounding area was red and swollen. Old and new scars crisscrossed his back, like etched lines, and Hua Yao felt a tightness in her chest when she saw them.
After washing her hands, she gently cleaned the wound with a boiled soft cloth.
When the powder was sprinkled, Cui Xun's muscles tensed slightly, but he didn't say anything. He just smiled and looked down at her as she carefully applied the medicine to his body.
Her long eyelashes fluttered gently, and her warm fingertips and soft breaths occasionally brushed against his skin, causing a tingling sensation.
Cui Xun clenched his fists lightly, the restlessness in his heart rising uncontrollably...
Qin Feng, standing to the side, had a very interesting expression. If outsiders saw his lord looking so worthless, wouldn't it damage his lifelong reputation?
--
The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through Ning Zhao's sprawling camp, casting long, blurry shadows on everything inside the central command tent.
A lieutenant lifted the curtain of the central command tent and knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, a scout has reported..."
Inside the tent, a man stood with his back to the wall, wearing a dark red brocade robe embroidered with dragon patterns. He slowly turned around, and the candlelight illuminated an extremely handsome face with deep-set eyes and brows.
"explain."
"A woman arrived alone on horseback at the foot of Tuozhou City today, and Cui Xun personally went out of the city to greet her," the deputy general paused, lowering his voice, "and in full view of everyone, he embraced the woman. This matter is likely a trap."
There was a moment of silence inside the tent.
Crown Prince Gu Chi of Ningzhao chuckled softly, his fingertips caressing a pendant.
"Is Cui Xun having an unexpected charm?" he said slowly, then his voice turned ruthless, "Even on the verge of death, he still can't forget his romantic ways."
"Find out who that woman is."
Suddenly, he looked at the deputy general kneeling below him, his eyes sharp, "How's the investigation of the person I asked you to look for going?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Bing straightened his back and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. The person the Crown Prince wanted to investigate was extremely important.
He spoke rapidly but dared not lose his composure, “Your Highness, I had already grasped some clues, but who knew... who knew that Princess Zhaoyi’s entourage suddenly blocked the way and took me to the princess’s residence for questioning, and that’s how the connection was broken.”
Gu Chi abruptly stopped the movement of his fingers twirling the pendant, his eyes darkening inch by inch.
He didn't speak, but only glanced at Sun Bing with a very indifferent look. Sun Bing's heart tightened, and he hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to breathe.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, his tone devoid of emotion, "I will handle things at the Princess's residence."
He paused, his fingertips slowly twisting the jade pendant again. "Continue investigating the person, keep the noise as low as possible, and don't alert anyone else."
"Yes," Sun Bing replied, and hurriedly left the tent.
Gu Chi looked down at the pendant in his hand. The candlelight flickered, reflecting in his eyes, but it couldn't penetrate the deep shadows.
Sister, how could you hide so well? How could you leave me behind?
A faint smile played on his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes at all; instead, it revealed a hint of obsessive madness.
But it doesn't matter, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will find you.
I'll find you and lock you by my side forever, so you'll never leave me.
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