Chapter 73
The military doctor had come into contact with Fan Changyu before and knew that she was looking for someone. When he suddenly heard this, he broke out in a cold sweat for Fan Changyu. He thought that the Marquis of Wu'an was also in the tent, and if he heard Fan Changyu instigating her soldiers to run away, he would not know how to punish Fan Changyu.
He was about to rush into the tent to interrupt, but Gongsun Yin stopped him, shook his head at him with an ambiguous smile on his face, made a gesture to keep quiet, and listened carefully to the movements in the tent.
The military doctor was extremely worried, thinking that the woman was unaware of the military rules and had just spoken out of turn. But why did even the military advisor seem to be enjoying the excitement?
He stood outside the tent in fear, fearing that the next moment he would hear Xie Zheng ordering people to enter the tent and drag the man out to be beaten with a stick. However, he only heard the voices of the wounded soldiers inside the tent, and someone said, "Brother, if I were you, it would be worth it to die here if a girl like this traveled thousands of miles to find me!"
"I don't know how many lifetimes you have accumulated to be so lucky. After the battle, we just hope to return home safe and sound. When you are older, you may not even be able to find a matchmaker. But you are so lucky that the girl came to you directly!"
Some people also tried to comfort Fan Changyu: "Sister, we know you feel sorry for your husband, but don't say such things in the barracks. Deserters are beheaded! Don't worry, he didn't die despite being injured like this, he will surely have good fortune in the future."
Fan Changyu knew, of course, that she couldn't let Yan Zheng desert. She just looked at the ugly wounds on his body and thought that he was taken away by the conscription in order not to implicate her family and nine other families. She felt sad and guilty, and said these words in desperation.
She was helping Xie Zheng clean the medicine residue on his wound that had not been changed for several days. The smell of blood and medicine mixed together for many days, forming an unpleasant smell. The new flesh and rotten flesh on the wound were intertwined. If she applied the medicine again, she would probably have to scrape off the layer of rotten flesh.
A tear bean as big as a bean fell directly from her eye socket without even passing through her eyelids. Only then did Fan Changyu realize that she was crying.
She raised her hand and wiped her eyes, trying to calm herself. But when she opened her mouth, her voice was still hoarse: "I didn't want him to be a deserter, I..."
She looked at Xie Zheng, and another tear fell. Finally, she said three words in a hoarse voice: "I'm sorry."
If it hadn't been for the fake gift to her, he wouldn't have been included in the draft roll.
If it weren't for the sake of not implicating her and the neighbors nearby, he would not have let the soldiers take him away obediently.
Seeing him so injured on the battlefield, Fan Changyu felt sad.
Xie Zheng hadn't recovered from her words "go back with her". He looked up and saw the tears in her eyes. He pursed his pale, cracked lips and said, "Don't cry."
He knew why Fan Changyu apologized, and he also knew the guilt in her heart. He wanted to tell Fan Changyu everything, but the timing and the occasion were not right, so he couldn't open his mouth.
This was the first time he saw Fan Changyu cry. His heart felt like it was being strangled by something, or like it was soaking in warm hot spring water. It was a very strange and unfamiliar feeling.
He wanted to wipe her tears and hug her, but maybe the string that had been tied up in his head for the past few days had loosened, and the fatigue and damage in his body surged up again. His hands and feet felt like they were filled with lead, and it was difficult for him to even sit up by half-supporting himself.
Fan Changyu saw that he wanted to move, so he pressed his shoulder and pushed him back, saying with red eyes, "Don't move, wait for the doctor to come and treat your wound."
He turned around and shouted anxiously outside the tent: "Where is the military doctor? Is the military doctor here?"
Xie Zheng looked at her profile, his eyes fell on the hand she placed on the bedside, his fingertips hesitantly grasped it, and said again: "Don't cry."
Fan Changyu suppressed the sadness in her eyes, looked down at his hand that was weakly holding hers, and clasped his hand with all five fingers, her palm pressed tightly against his large hand with a thin veil. Her hand was warm, but his palm was a little cold due to weakness, but being held so tightly by her, it seemed to have a slight warmth as well.
This is the first time they have held hands since they met.
As if a silent understanding was reached during this hand-holding, Fan Changyu looked at him with clear and firm eyes and said, "I'm not crying. Don't be afraid. We brought a lot of medicine up the mountain. The military doctor will definitely be able to cure you."
When Fan Changyu called for help again, the military doctor hurriedly looked at Gongsun Yin. Gongsun Yin seemed not to hear what he wanted to hear and looked quite disappointed. Then he took the military doctor into the tent.
The military doctor felt very unhappy, thinking that this military advisor was really a person with a kind face but a wicked heart. He was disappointed that the marquis did not punish the woman!
Gongsun Yin always wore a white robe and held a fan in his hand, making him very easy to recognize. As soon as he entered the tent, the wounded soldiers became obviously cautious.
Gongsun Yin smiled warmly and said, "All the soldiers should just rest. I came here just to see how serious your injuries are and whether you have enough medicine."
But his eyes turned towards Fan Changyu without any expression.
When Fan Changyu heard the noise, she looked towards the door. It was also her first time meeting Gongsun Yin. She could tell that he was an official. However, Xie Zheng was injured, so she had no time to care about him. She looked directly at the military doctor beside her and called out, "Military doctor, please take a look at him!"
When she raised her head, Gongsun Yin just happened to see her face clearly. His smiling fox eyes raised upwards, and he was obviously very surprised.
The girl was not bad looking, but at first glance she looked simple and honest, like one of those unloved noble girls from a prominent family whose mother had died and whose biological father had disliked her, and who had been bullied by her other sisters since she was a child.
Unlike the delicate flower-like "I feel pity for her", she is more like a docile puppy picked up from the roadside. Just looking at her can inexplicably make people soften their hearts. No one would believe that she is someone who can pick up a knife and kill pigs.
Gongsun Yin thought about what he had heard about her before and felt weird. His eyes fell on Fan Changyu's arms and his eyebrows wrinkled. With such thin arms and legs, how could she pick up a grown man and throw him several feet away?
Could it be that the personal soldier was talking nonsense?
Gongsun Yin glanced at the personal soldier who had moved to the corner. The personal soldier met his eyes, obviously not understanding his question, and his expression was very confused.
Gongsun Yin simply withdrew his gaze, not expecting to get any answer from the stupid look of his personal soldier.
The military doctor had already gone to Fan Changyu with his medicine box. As soon as he entered the room, he looked carefully towards the main seat. Not seeing Xie Zheng, he breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that it was no wonder that he didn't hear the marquis get angry.
At this moment, he put down the medicine box, rolled up his sleeves and was about to take the pulse. When he saw clearly who was lying on the military bed, his calves suddenly felt weak and his head felt like a jar of paste had been overturned. He looked shocked and confused.
Hou... Why is Lord Hou here?
Could it be that what this woman said just now was addressed to the Marquis?
The military doctor took a few deep breaths.
Seeing the military doctor standing there with a horrified expression, Fan Changyu hurriedly urged, "Military doctor?"
The military doctor came to his senses and glanced at Fan Changyu, swallowed hard, and met Xie Zheng's eyes on the military bed. He sat on a simple wooden stool beside him to take the patient's pulse. Not only did his hands tremble so much that he could hardly control the pulse, but his legs also shook.
He has heard so many things he shouldn't have heard, will the Marquis kill him to silence him?
Seeing that the military doctor was shaking all over, Fan Changyu was worried that he had misdiagnosed Xie Zheng, so he asked with a worried look on his face, "Military doctor, are you okay?"
In just a moment, beads of sweat had formed on the military doctor's forehead. He raised his sleeves and wiped them off. When Xie Zheng looked at him, he forced a smile and said, "It's okay...it's okay..."
After finally taking the pulse, Fan Changyu immediately asked about Xie Zheng's condition. The military doctor wiped his sweat and said, "Hou..."
As soon as the word came out, the marquis's personal guard gave him a look of surprise, and the military doctor quickly changed his words: "Young people are formidable. This injury is only a hair's breadth away from the internal organs. It is really dangerous. It is only because of your good physical foundation that you have been able to hold out for so many days. But you still have to take medicine in time and take good care of yourself. You will probably feel dizzy frequently these days due to excessive blood loss. It is best...it is best to eat some meat to replenish your body."
After taking Xie Zheng's pulse, he was about to clean the dead flesh and reapply medicine to Xie Zheng's wound. Seeing that the military doctor's hands were still shaking, Fan Changyu was afraid that he might accidentally hurt Xie Zheng, so he offered to do it himself.
The military doctor's hands were shaking only because he was frightened, and he was now trying to calm down. He did not dare to let Xie Zheng suffer any harm, but he was also worried about letting Fan Changyu, a novice, perform the operation.
Xie Zheng said at this time: "Let my wife do it."
The military doctor was instantly shocked again. It turned out that this woman was the Marquis' wife whom they had never met before!
When Fan Changyu suddenly heard such a title, he was stunned, but didn't say anything.
Even when the military doctor sat on a low stool nearby and instructed Fan Changyu to scrape off the rotten flesh, the beard at the corners of his mouth was still trembling.
Gongsun Yin was obviously also extremely surprised. He stayed behind openly under the pretext of caring for the injured soldiers. He did not move even after being glared at by Xie Zheng several times, and his eyes were always on Fan Changyu and Xie Zheng.
Fan Changyu picked up the dagger and put it on the fire to roast. All his attention was focused on the rotten flesh on Xie Zheng's chest. He didn't even look at the people around him.
The guard brought a clean cotton handkerchief and asked Xie Zheng to bite it, but Xie Zheng refused.
Fan Changyu picked up the dagger, and with his other hand he gently pressed on his chest, and asked him, "Are you afraid?"
Xie Zheng said, "Just do it."
Fan Changyu suddenly felt her eyes welling up. She suppressed all the emotions in her heart at that moment and concentrated on scraping away the rotten flesh on his chest. She cut very steadily and pursed her lips tightly.
Xie Zheng just stared at Fan Changyu without blinking, as if the wound on his chest and his own life were unimportant matters.
Sweat broke out on the foreheads of both men, but neither of them said a word.
When Fan Changyu noticed that his palms were sweaty, he asked someone to bring him a handkerchief and roughly wiped his hands and the handle of the dagger, then he buried his head and continued to cut the rotten flesh on the wound.
Xie Zheng's muscles were tensed as hard as rocks, veins from his arms to his forehead were bulging, sweat was dripping from his eyelids, but he didn't even blink.
No one spoke in the entire military tent; it was eerily quiet.
Gongsun Yin stood aside holding a fan, the mockery in his eyes and the smile on his lips disappeared.
It was a strange feeling. Just a moment ago, he felt that although this woman and Xie Zheng were a good match in appearance, he was not sure whether her family background was a blessing or a curse for her.
At this moment, he suddenly felt that, apart from this woman, there was probably no other person in this world for whom Xie Zheng could safely give his life.
He could even give her his life, so how could he let her suffer any injustice in the capital city where all kinds of people mixed together?
As for whether this woman is worthy of Xie Zheng, she can make Xie Zheng so happy, so why should others have the right to comment on whether she is good or not, or whether she is worthy or not?
He tapped his palm twice with the fan bone, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly again.
After the last piece of rotten flesh on Xie Zheng's chest was scraped off, Fan Changyu's entire back was almost soaked with sweat. She turned to the military doctor and said, "It's done."
The military doctor quickly sprinkled a bottle of golden medicine on the wound, and applied the herbs he had prepared during this period to Xie Zheng's wound. He told him not to get out of bed for the next few days and not to lift any heavy objects until the wound was completely healed.
Fan Changyu stood there silently.
Gongsun Yin had seen enough of the excitement, and when Xie Zheng looked at him coldly again, he slowly said a few comforting words to the wounded soldiers. After giving Xie Zheng a look that promised to keep the secret for him, he stood up leisurely and left with the military doctor.
Everyone had left, and the personal soldiers, fearing that Fan Changyu might notice something unusual, felt embarrassed to stay inside, so they followed him outside.
Fan Changyu then asked Xie Zheng in a low voice: "Does it hurt?"
Xie Zheng shook his head and said, "It doesn't hurt."
Fan Changyu's eyes were still slightly red. The medicine she had boiled before had the effect of inhibiting wound inflammation. Xie Zheng could drink it for this wound.
She brought a bowl and scooped up some food to feed Xie Zheng one spoonful at a time. Seeing how weak he was, she said with some sadness, "You should have signed the divorce agreement earlier."
Xie Zheng swallowed a mouthful of the medicine and it went down his throat. He immediately started coughing heart-wrenchingly.
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