Chapter 56: Secret Talk in the Mountain Village "You treat Qi Yu much better than an ordinary chef...
Liu Yeshu was tied to the horse's back, her hands painfully constricted by the thick ropes. All she could see was pitch black. Though she couldn't see, she could feel the familiar pace of the Ferghana horse beneath her. The cold wind howled past, bringing a biting chill. She fought to stay awake, silently memorizing every turn the horse made.
The Ferghana horse neighed unwillingly, kicked its hooves hard, and struggled violently. It raised its head high, trying to break free from the restraints. Its powerful hooves slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and sending its mane flying in the wind.
The bandits quickly yanked the reins together, pinning the horse's head down. The Ferghana horse refused to yield, lashing its head again, its hoofprints digging deep into the mud as it let out an angry roar.
Liu Yeshu shouted, "Don't hurt it!" Then she took a deep breath, opened her lips slightly, and blew a clear whistle at the Arabian horse.
At the whistle, the Arabian horse's ears perked up instantly, and the frenzied hooves gradually calmed, as if confirming that its master was all right. It slowly relaxed its body, breathing heavily, and the anger in its eyes gradually dissipated.
After an unknown amount of time, the cavalry stopped. Liu Yeshu was roughly dragged off her horse and shoved forward a few steps. As she stumbled, her feet touched the hard ground and she could smell the scent of old wood. She guessed they were being led into a courtyard.
"Here, put her down." Someone whispered, and then she felt herself being thrown into a room, her body falling heavily to the ground, and the sound of a door closing behind her.
A moment later, the door opened again, and the black cloth covering her eyes was finally yanked roughly away. The light before her stung her eyes for a moment, and she squinted, adjusting for a moment before finally taking in the scene. It was a dilapidated woodshed, piled high with dry firewood. The air was filled with the smell of dampness and sawdust.
Liu Yeshu's hands were tied tightly behind her back, making her unable to move. She quickly glanced around the room. The woodshed was simple, with several cracks on the walls. The wind from outside blew in, bringing a chill.
Liu Yeshu stared calmly at the scarred man in front of her without asking any questions. She noticed that these people didn't have the rough shoes of ordinary farmers, nor did they have the strict military boots like soldiers. Instead, they wore thick-soled shoes with the soles covered in hay and mud, obviously they walked in the mountains all year round.
This is a group of bandits who often roam in the mountains.
The scarred man felt uncomfortable being stared at by Liu Yeshu, and said angrily: "When the leader comes, you will naturally know why you are here." After that, he turned and left, leaving only two guards.
Soon, familiar footsteps approached from afar. The door was pushed open, and a thin figure walked in.
"Yang Qing?" A hint of understanding flashed in Liu Yeshu's eyes. "It's you."
Yang Qing smiled slightly and walked up to her, his eyes showing pride: "Miss Liu, how are you?"
Liu Yeshu said slowly, "You've been wanted by the government for a long time. Now that you've taken refuge with these bandits, you've found a good place."
"Submission?" Yang Qing raised an eyebrow. "How do you know I'm not the leader?"
In the general's mansion, Yang Qing had always been quiet and taciturn, his actions steady and honest. The servants often spoke of him as simply a loyal and honest man. However, the Yang Qing standing before Liu Yeshu was a stark contrast. His usually downcast eyes now gleamed with a shrewd glint, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a hint of amusement, as cunning as a seasoned fox.
Liu Yeshu looked at Yang Qing in front of her, her lips curled slightly, her expression unchanged: "Leader?" Her smile was filled with contempt and sarcasm, "If you were the leader, why did you come alone to capture me last time? How did you fail? This operation went smoothly, I'm afraid you still have people in the general's mansion..."
Yang Qing narrowed his eyes, as if she had hit a soft spot. A flicker of pride flashed across his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He slowly walked to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, and said with a hint of teasing, "Miss Liu, you are still as smart as ever. No wonder Qi Yu thinks so highly of you. Miss Liu, since I once wanted to save your life, please help me."
"Life-saving grace?" Liu Yeshu sneered, "You mean after setting the fire, you pretended to save me?"
Yang Qing blinked at Liu Yeshu. "Shouldn't the fire have spread first to Miss Liu's room? Now that Miss Liu is unharmed, shouldn't she be thanking me, her lifesaver?"
Liu Yeshu was too lazy to waste time talking to him and interrupted, "You want to use me to threaten General Qi? I'm afraid I'm not as important as you think. I'm just a cook in the general's mansion."
Yang Qing slowly approached, lowered his head and whispered in her ear: "You are much more important to Qi Yu than an ordinary cook, aren't you?" He lowered his eyes and looked at Liu Yeshu's white neck, and his smile suddenly became sinister.
"If not, you have to think about what value you have."
*
Qi Yu strode into the general's mansion with a wolfskin cloak draped over his shoulders. The traces of the cold wind still lingered, and a few unmelted snowflakes were still hanging on the corners of the cloak, fluttering off with his steps.
Butler Yang stepped forward and deftly untied his cloak, holding it firmly in his hands before resting it on his arm. Qi Yu looked out the window, watching the snow fall ever heavier. The sky had already darkened, and a thick blanket of snow blanketed the entire courtyard. All around was silence, the only sound being the wind and the gentle rustle of falling snowflakes.
Qi Yu frowned slightly and asked in a low voice: "Hasn't he come back yet?"
"Not yet," Butler Yang bowed his head respectfully and replied, then smiled, "Perhaps I'm just getting used to the new bow and forgot the time."
When Qi Yu heard this, he felt something was wrong. Liu Yeshu has always been cautious, and the snow is getting heavier today. She would never indulge in hunting in such weather.
An attendant hurried over, looking anxious, and knelt on the ground to report: "General, Miss Liu... is missing!"
Before he could ask, another attendant rushed in, looking panicked: "General, a letter was found at the gate of the mansion."
Qi Yu's brows knitted slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He stood straight, walked quickly to the table, took the letter, and with a slight tightening of his fingertips, tore open the seal. Butler Yang stood by, holding his breath, waiting, feeling the air freeze.
There are only a few lines of words on the letter paper, but each word is as sharp as a knife.
"Hand over the defense map, and the Liu family will be safe."
*
The next day, the scarred man brought Liu Yeshu to another wooden house in the mountain stronghold. The furnishings inside were extremely simple, consisting of a wooden bed and a few worn wooden stools. A few pieces of coarse cloth hung on the wall. In the corner, a brazier burned dimly, unable to dispel the chill. A few bandits milled about outside, and occasionally the neighing of horses could be heard in the distance.
Soon, the door opened, and a gust of cold air rushed in. A burly man appeared, wearing a rough fur coat, his face etched with the frost of the weather. Despite his rugged appearance and a fierce expression between his brows, a hint of hidden anxiety flickered beneath his eyes.
"Miss Liu," he said straight to the point, "I know you are an excellent doctor. My wife, Guo, is seriously ill, and I beg you to help her."
"I only have a superficial understanding," Liu Yeshu said softly, "If the leader trusts me, please take me to see Guo's condition first. Perhaps I can help."
The bandit leader nodded. Though his expression remained stern, his brow relaxed slightly. He waved his hand, signaling the men beside him to lead the way. Two bandits immediately led the way, and Liu Yeshu followed them, passing through several small paths in the village and arriving in front of a relatively quiet wooden house.
Entering the wooden house, the environment inside was better than the simple wooden house she had lived in before. The room was filled with a faint herbal scent. Several jars of medicinal herbs were placed in the corner. On the bed lay a beautiful woman with a pale face. She was thin and haggard, obviously suffering from illness for a long time.
Liu Yeshu approached the bedside. Having learned the medical skills from Du Heng in the military camp, taking a pulse was no problem. Guo's qi and blood were weak, her pulse disordered. While it appeared to be overwork and a weak constitution, Liu Yeshu had a feeling that this was more than the truth. She raised her hand and gently placed it on Guo's wrist, her brow furrowed slightly as she gradually formed a judgment.
"The root of her illness isn't complicated, but it's more than just a matter of weak Qi and blood." Liu Yeshu looked up at the bandit leader, her tone calm but with a hint of caution. "Overwork and accumulated cold are just symptoms. The underlying cause is probably unresolved emotional issues. If she can calm down and take some tranquilizing medication, and rest, she may gradually recover."
Upon hearing this, the bandit leader's face lit up with a hint of joy, his brows slightly relaxed, but then quickly faded. He lowered his voice, his tone heavy, "Then I'll trouble you, Miss Liu." He then turned to look at his wife in the bed, his words tinged with concern, "Did you hear that? Listen carefully to Miss Liu's advice, and rest assured that your condition will gradually improve."
However, Guo's reaction was beyond Liu Yeshu's expectations. Her eyes flickered only slightly, but her face remained calm, apathetic, as if she had no concern for her condition or her future. She simply nodded gently, as if perfunctorily, and remained silent.
Liu Yeshu became suspicious, and seeing that the bandit leader was not in a hurry to leave, she said, "I want to talk to Madam Guo alone." Although her tone was light, her eyes were firm.
The bandit leader hesitated, as if worried that Liu Yeshu might harm his wife. But after a moment's thought, he waved his men away. He glanced anxiously at Guo before slowly exiting the room and closing the door behind him.
There were only two people left in the room. The cold wind outside gently lashed the windows, but the room was completely silent. Liu Yeshu walked to the bedside and sat down. She looked at Guo with a gentle gaze and asked softly, "Mrs. Guo, your condition seems much more complicated than it appears. You don't seem to care whether you'll get better. Is there something bothering you?"
Upon hearing this, Guo's eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't respond immediately. She was silent for a moment, as if considering something. Then, she sighed softly and whispered, "You're a smart person. Sooner or later, you'll see the clues. My illness isn't just physical weakness; the pain in my heart... is the real root of my illness."
Liu Yeshu understood a little from Guo's tone, so she continued to ask, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Guo lowered her head, a trace of fatigue and resignation in her eyes. She moved her lips slightly, as if about to say something, but swallowed the words back. After a moment, she suddenly raised her eyes and muttered, "On the surface, they're treating me... but in reality, they saw I was dying and abducted someone new to be their wife?"
Liu Yeshu was slightly stunned, then shook her head: "I am being held hostage by them temporarily."
Guo smiled bitterly and said softly, "You're so lucky. At least you still have a chance to go back. But I... I'm afraid there's no hope for me anymore."
"I'll do my best to help you, but please keep some hope for yourself. Once you recover, no matter how difficult the past was, there will always be a chance to start over."
After hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Guo's eyes, but then dimmed again. She closed her eyes wearily, as if she had exhausted all her strength. After a while, she slowly said, "I am not the wife of this bandit leader."
"That day, my husband came to pick up the bride, but was intercepted by these bandits on the way back."
"My husband was willing to give us all his possessions, but the bandit leader still took us back to the stronghold," Guo continued, her voice growing increasingly low. "At first, I refused food and water and wanted to commit suicide, but the bandit leader said that if I obeyed him, he would let my husband live."
Guo's tears silently fell from the corners of her eyes, and her voice trembled slightly: "It has been more than a year now."
"Mrs. Guo," Liu Yeshu said softly, "I can help you. Maybe there's a chance you can escape."
"Escape? You know the terrain here is treacherous and there's a cliff right next to us." Guo smiled bitterly and shook her head, "I no longer have the courage to run. Even if we do, the bandits won't let my family go easily."
Liu Yeshu looked at Guo's pale face and felt a pang of pity in her heart. But Guo's words did not shake her determination. If she did not take action, Guo would be trapped in this cage forever.
"I can find a chance to take you away," Liu Yeshu said firmly, "but if you really can't get away, I'm willing to help you deliver a message to your husband."
Guo was stunned for a moment, then sighed softly, took out a purse from her bosom, and handed it to Liu Yeshu: "This is my purse, there is a portrait in it. If I can't get out, please give this purse to him and tell him that I am fine."
Liu Yeshu took the purse and gently opened it. Inside, a small portrait was sewn. Guo carefully removed it from the slit and handed it to Liu Yeshu. Liu Yeshu unfolded the portrait and saw a young man with a gentle and elegant demeanor.
"This is the only thing I have left that's related to him."
After Liu Yeshu took it, she stared at the portrait and was suddenly shocked - she had actually seen this person before!
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