Chapter 78 Drinking Snow (18) I saw the Fourth Sister. ...
Their eyes met, and the dim candlelight cast a shadow on Zhi Rou's cheek.
At first, she tricked Su Du with the jade pendant to get him to untie her. Since he knew the jade pendant didn't belong to Wu Rentuya, why was he so persistent?
Does he have a past relationship with his mother, or is there a grudge?
Zhi Rou wasn't sure, so she hesitated for a while before saying, "My mother's surname is Lin."
Su was taken aback by the answer and stared blankly at Zhirou.
She should be about the same age as Xiao Jun; back then, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the head of the Ministry of Justice broke into the Chang residence and dragged everyone to the front yard, he did not see his mother and Xiao Jun at that time.
Su Du struggled to control his breathing, his hands clenched into fists, his voice hoarse: "Which word?"
"I don't know," Zhi Rou said, half-jokingly. "I've never asked my mother."
Is Su not killing her because of her mother's jade pendant?
Zhi Rou observed his expression; his brows were furrowed, making it difficult to discern any unusual emotions, so she fell silent.
The room fell silent again, and the aroma of herbs between the two was intensified by the candlelight, becoming even more pungent.
Su turned his face toward the door, about to leave, when he threw the dagger to Zhi Rou, saying for reasons unknown, "Don't try to kill yourself," before pushing open the door and leaving.
Inside Changxuan City.
Xu Rong emerged from his residence, not yet having arranged for the messenger's whereabouts, when he caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar figure mounting a horse. He recognized Wei Yuanzhan. A sense of foreboding washed over him, and he quickly ordered his men to stop him: "Quick! Stop him!"
Upon arriving in Changxuan City, Wei Yuanzhan never mentioned his identity, but Xu Rong could tell from his demeanor that he was from a noble family.
Upon hearing the news, Lan Ye's heart skipped a beat, and his throat went dry, as if it were blocked.
His heart was with Changhuai, but he couldn't go with Wei Yuanzhan right now, so he mustered all his strength to stop Xu Rong's men and cover Wei Yuanzhan's retreat.
As the figure galloped away into the distance, Xu Rong gritted his teeth in anger and ordered his personal guards to give chase, declaring that they must bring the man back. A moment later, he added, "Do not harm him."
Wei Yuanzhan had been skilled in riding and archery since childhood, and was truly proficient in both. Although the northwestern border troops were fierce, not everyone was skilled in horsemanship, and they were far inferior to him, unable to catch up at all.
When they reached the vicinity of Suyuan City, it was nearly dark. Wei Yuanzhan abandoned his horse, removed all the heavy items from his body, and threw them into the woods.
The long drive hadn't brought him back to his senses; all he wanted was to see Chang Huai, to see Chang Huai alive. Fear gripped him, pervasive and inescapable.
He couldn't wait.
At this time, the Beili army should have had its men stationed at the city wall, but unexpectedly, a young Yan man committed a crime in the city. Several men conspired to kill a lone Beili soldier, so everyone gathered there, leaving only a few men to guard the city gate, not even allowing a fly to fly out of Suyuan.
As a result, the Beili Army became increasingly dissatisfied with Zhi Rou's existence. When they learned that Su Du was even seeking medical treatment for her from outside, they all wanted to get rid of her to prevent future troubles.
The moonlight shone brightly, and corpses lay strewn across the city gates—all of them Yan soldiers.
It had just rained in the evening, and the smell of blood from the corpses and the burnt smell of the fire clung to the rainwater, washing everything away.
Wei Yuanzhan stood amidst the sea of corpses, his mind churning.
Although there was no sound at all, he felt the killing resume, as if knives and guns were hitting his ears. His hands clenched involuntarily, his steps were heavy, and his gaze swept over the corpses. When he saw a similar figure, he would squat down and turn the person over.
Neither of them is Changhuai.
He was anxious and afraid, and his searching became more and more frantic. Every time he saw a pale face, his mind was consumed. If it weren't for his strong desire to find Changhuai, he would have been unable to continue.
Perhaps heaven heard his prayers, for something blocked Chang Huai's right chest, preventing the arrow from embedding itself deeply. However, he was exhausted at the time, and with numerous wounds on his back, the sudden impact caused him to fall down.
He is currently only suffering from excessive blood loss and is still breathing.
When Wei Yuanzhan reached him, his hands were covered in blood, his eyes were filled with fear, and his hands trembled as he slapped him, his voice also trembling: "Changhuai... Changhuai..."
A warm, sticky sensation patted against his cheek, everything felt ethereal. Chang Huai struggled to open his eyelids, and through his blurry vision, he saw a familiar half-face. Without needing to see the whole thing, he knew it was Wei Yuanzhan.
Thinking he was dreaming, he slightly curved the corners of his mouth: "Master..."
He managed to utter just two words before coughing up blood again. His eyes were so heavy; all he wanted to do was collapse somewhere and get a good night's sleep.
Wei Yuanzhan suppressed the sobs in his heart, grabbed his hand without saying a word, put it on his back, and stood up to take him away.
Changhuai then realized that this was not a dream, but real, and that his master had come back to find him.
He was somewhat happy to see Wei Yuanzhan again, and he had no regrets. However, along with his happiness, he also felt a deep sadness in his heart.
The elite troops who accompanied the master to Lincheng are not around. It seems that the master returned on his own... for his sake.
Having been together for many years, the two know that they each hold a significant place in each other's hearts.
Changhuai knew his days were numbered and didn't want to cause Wei Yuanzhan grief, nor did he want to be a burden to him. He tried to struggle, but had no strength left. He could only plead on Wei Yuanzhan's shoulder, "Master... go, don't worry about me..."
This is a battlefield, and there must be enemy soldiers guarding the city walls, watching with predatory eyes. How can Wei Yuanzhan carry him without being discovered by the enemy?
As night deepened, Wei Yuanzhan remained silent, carrying Changhuai on his back towards the village entrance below the city. On the way there, he had spotted several farmhouses; if there were any people there, they would surely be able to find a way to treat Changhuai.
The roads in the Northwest are mostly like this: difficult, with loose stones constantly hidden in the grass.
Wei Yuanzhan had been riding his horse all the way without rest, and now he was carrying Changhuai on his back, so his strength was inevitably running low. But he was anxious and dared not let Changhuai get injured again, so he walked very steadily, his movements carrying a profound force.
When did he grow up to look like this? Changhuai wondered silently.
Changhuai was the same age as Lanye, but seven years older than Wei Yuanzhan. In their eyes, their master was always their master, but also that child who would ignore everyone when he lost his temper.
He must be angry again.
Changhuai knew him well and stopped trying to persuade him, only saying intermittently, "Lan Ye... he has always wanted... the brocade robe that the Marquis bestowed upon me. When we return to the capital, please... give it to him for me..."
"He's slow-witted, so I suppose... he won't be sad for me..."
At this point, Changhuai seemed to laugh, but the laughter was so light that it was dispersed by the cold wind before anyone could react.
He paused for a long time before saying, "Sir, promise me... don't be sad..."
Wei Yuanzhan's eyes suddenly reddened. In the chilly night, he felt a burning sensation in his throat and said fiercely to the person behind him, "Shut up!"
Changhuai indeed stopped speaking, and apart from the sound of the wind and his own panting, there was no other sound around him.
Wei Yuanzhan was immediately flustered. He wanted to stop and check on him, but he didn't dare, for fear of being a step too slow.
Raindrops fell and splashed on my body.
Upon reaching an open space, he put Changhuai down and reached inside the blood-stained armor to search for two leather medicine bottles inside the battle robe.
Wei Yuanzhan carefully removed it and could feel that Changhuai's pulse was still beating, but it was getting weaker and weaker.
He hurriedly removed his armor, sprinkled medicine powder on the slash wound on his back, then tore off his own inner robe and, following the way Chang Huai had bandaged him in his memory, wrapped it tightly and bound it.
Scenes from the past flooded back; before him stood Changhuai tending to his wounds, grumbling, "At this rate you're getting injured, ten bodies wouldn't be enough. I'm telling you, young master, you'd better be careful..."
Wei Yuanzhan suddenly broke down; he couldn't accept death, couldn't accept that someone important to him had abandoned him.
She cupped Changhuai's face in her hands, gently shaking him, her voice pleading: "Changhuai, look at me... Changhuai... Changhuai..."
He frowned slightly, and Wei Yuanzhan knew he had heard him, so he picked him up again and walked step by step toward the village entrance, turning his head to say to him, "Hang in there a little longer, don't fall asleep, we'll be there soon..."
Changhuai's consciousness gradually blurred, and he only felt himself being weighed down on a pair of strong and broad shoulders. When he woke up, it was already dawn.
A doctor saved them.
After the defeat at Suyuan, the Beili generals strictly forbade the massacre of the city, while ignoring the surrounding villages.
As fellow citizens of the same dynasty, the village was filled with sorrow upon hearing the news of the city's fall. Li, a physician, was returning late from gathering herbs in the forest when he saw a wounded soldier of our dynasty approaching. He took the soldier into his home.
As the morning sun shone through the door, Chang Huai lay on a wooden bed, with two layers of bedding beneath him. His blood-stained clothes had been changed; he was now wearing the owner's clothes, which were clean and smelled of sunshine.
Changhuai suddenly felt like crying and turned his head inward.
Even such a slight movement was enough to wake Wei Yuanzhan. He straightened up and called out softly, "Changhuai?"
She straightened her clothes and got up to look at him. When their eyes met, Wei Yuanzhan smiled, a smile more radiant than any she had ever seen before.
"You're awake, that's great."
Fearing he might be thirsty, Wei Yuanzhan went out to find him some water, and returned to the room shortly afterward. He helped him sit up against the headboard and fed him half a bowl of water.
Wei Yuanzhan was not hasty in serving others. His hands were washed, and presumably they were soaked in his blood last night, with a faint fishy smell still lingering on his fingertips.
Chang Huai's voice was hoarse: "I have caused you so much suffering, I deserve to die."
"Nonsense." Wei Yuanzhan frowned and glanced at him. Seeing that he was not feeling well, he calmed down and got up to sit down to the side.
Wei Yuanzhan remained silent, and Changhuai was at a loss for words to find a way to smooth things over. His mind was in a daze, and he felt a sense of relief, guilt, and confusion.
Recalling the entire battle, he suddenly thought of the Fourth Sister, his gaze lingering on the table for a moment, he hesitated whether to tell Wei Yuanzhan.
Will saying it make any difference?
Fourth Miss came with the Northern Li army. Judging from the situation, there must be a reason for her journey south. Now that Suyuan City has fallen into enemy hands, even if Master knew Fourth Miss was here, what could he do?
He did not want to see Wei Yuanzhan put himself in danger again.
But... that's the Fourth Sister.
After much hesitation, Chang Huai finally changed his mind. As Wei Yuanzhan poured tea, he lowered his eyes and said, "Yesterday... I saw the Fourth Miss."
Wei Yuanzhan paused, his heartbeat, which had calmed down as Chang Huai woke up, suddenly pounded violently again.
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