079
"Ji Yunchen is here again, and he's always bringing his eldest son with him." Su Duan nagdredged up a string of complaints to Song Ling, who had just entered the room: "He comes every day without getting tired, as if the entire Ji family has nothing better to do."
Song Ling rubbed her forehead: "Ji Jingsi's resistance to the Ji family isn't just because he's been locked up in the mansion all day, is it?"
Su Duan: "I sent someone to inquire, and it turns out that Madam Ji gave birth to twins back then. A Taoist priest suddenly came to the door from afar, insisting on taking away the younger son."
"What are you saying? Two sons born into the same household are bound to have one die and one injured. My son's fate is unfortunate; this is truly a great calamity..."
"The Ji couple didn't believe it at first and chased the Taoist priest away. But unexpectedly, the next day their eldest son fell critically ill, and no doctor could find out what was wrong with him."
"There was no other way. The head of the Ji family sent many people to search for that Taoist priest, but they could not find him. The Taoist priest left only a note, telling his two sons to raise him separately. Perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope."
"What do you mean, it's really strange!" Su Duan slammed his hand on the table excitedly. "The day after the youngest son, Jing Si, was taken away, the eldest son, Jing Xing, miraculously recovered! Since then, it has been rumored that the youngest son of the Ji family is a cursed star who will not live past the age of fifteen, and that something bad will happen to him every time he leaves the mansion."
"Speaking of which, since this kid started working for you, no one has actually died... You're really something!"
As he spoke, Su Duan slammed his hand on the table again.
Song Ling was startled by his action of slamming the table, and frowned. "Are you telling a story here?!"
"I was just trying to cheer you up by seeing you looked so upset," Su Duan said with concern. "Who upset you this time? General Yu?"
Song Ling: "No..."
Su Duan: "Your face is so pale, and you look very worried."
"I'll be going if there's nothing else." Song Ling stood up, her vision suddenly becoming dizzy. She shook her head, but the scene before her eyes gradually began to double, blur, overlap, and become indistinct again...
Su Duan's incessant chatter filled my ears again:
Are you alright?
"Miss Song, strategist... Song Ling!"
"Grandma, don't, don't, don't fall!"
Su Duan supported Song Ling's body, his back covered in cold sweat.
Without a second thought, he hurriedly carried the person into the nearest room, ordering his men as he ran, "Quickly, go and fetch a doctor!"
"hurry up!"
"Hurry up!"
………
"What's going on?"
When Yu Baizhou arrived after hearing the commotion, Su Duan was pacing outside the room alone, his hands clasped together and muttering something.
Upon seeing Yu Baizhou, Su Duan was speechless with bitterness: "I don't know what happened, she just suddenly collapsed."
If something really happens, he will be held responsible.
Su Duan murmured, "I'll never tell her stories again..."
Yu Baizhou paused: "Storytelling?"
"I noticed the strategist looked unwell when she arrived today, assuming it was because she was angry with those inactive powerful figures. So I told her about what happened at the Ji family today. Then, as soon as the strategist stood up, she suddenly collapsed..."
The moment he slammed his head down on his shoulder, Su Duan was completely stunned.
My head was filled with thoughts like, "The strategist is dizzy, the strategist is dizzy, because he was scared by him slamming the table and telling stories!"
Yu Baizhou hesitated for a moment, patted him on the shoulder without saying anything, and walked to the door.
Just then, the doctor came out, but judging from his complexion... he didn't seem to be doing well.
The doctor shook his head. "I am incompetent. You should ask someone else to take a look."
Su Duan staggered up the steps: "You must know the general situation, right?"
"To be honest, I've never seen a pulse like this in my half-life of practicing medicine. I'm really helpless..." The doctor sighed. "This young lady has woken up, but she wants me to leave before I can examine her more closely."
"Perhaps my medical skills are still lacking. Perhaps... you should find someone else."
As he spoke, the doctor muttered to himself and walked away, "That girl really has quite a temper..."
Song Ling leaned against the couch with her eyes closed to rest. Hearing the approaching footsteps, her ears twitched slightly: "Didn't I tell you, there's no need to waste your time?"
"Don't you want to see a doctor?" Yu Baizhou sat down next to her and took her hand. "A-Ling, can you tell me why?"
Song Ling opened her eyes, avoided his gaze, and then parted her thin lips slightly: "I'm just a little tired, there's no need to call a doctor or prescribe any medicine."
Yu Baizhou stared intently at her: "You're lying."
Just as he was about to press for more information, a loud bang came from outside, accompanied by Wu Sheng's shout.
"I'll go take a look."
When Yu Baizhou opened the door, there were several more people in the courtyard. Wu Sheng, who had been assigned to do some work by Song Ling, suddenly appeared in the courtyard with two other people.
Qi Man, who had arrived early to take care of Song Ling, stood rooted to the spot like a log, staring blankly at the two people behind Wu Sheng, completely unaware that the wooden basin in her hand had shattered on the ground...
Su Duan stood alone in the corner, taking in the expressions of everyone.
“General,” Wu Sheng said, somewhat hesitant to look at Yu Baizhou, “please don’t blame me, I’m just worried about the young lady.”
Just as Yu Baizhou was surprised, one of the white-clad men behind Wu Sheng flipped down his hood, revealing the face that Yu Baizhou found repulsive.
Yu Baizhou's sharp eyes swept over him: "What are you doing here?"
Shi Yuru nodded gently as always: "I've come to check on A Ling's health."
At this moment, another man in white also took off his hood, revealing a somewhat refined face. His black hair was mixed with white, and there were some fine lines at the corners of his eyes, but he did not pay any attention to Yu Baizhou and walked up the steps on his own.
Just as he was about to step through the door, a long sword appeared in front of him, its aura stirring up a slight breeze that caused the man's half-loose hair to flutter. Only then did the man's gaze focus on Yu Baizhou.
His voice was calm and steady: "If you neglect her health, can you take responsibility?"
Yu Baizhou did not sheath his sword, but said, word by word, "I need to ask for her opinion before you can enter."
He had barely finished speaking when a creaking sound came from behind him, and the door opened.
Song Ling, wearing a cloak and with an unreadable expression, stood not far away, her voice slightly hoarse: "A-Zhou, let him in."
"You come in too." She glanced at Yu Baizhou and then went back to her room.
The middle-aged man chuckled, slightly raised his hand to push aside the sword, and walked inside.
Shi Yu, however, was not so lucky. Yu Baizhou placed his sword against Shi Yu's neck and leaned in, his voice filled with murderous intent: "The injury that A Ling suffered that day was related to you, wasn't it?"
The sword drew near for a moment, slicing through Shi Yu's neck and staining the white trim of his collar red.
Shi Yu scoffed, "Are you sure you want to kill me here?"
"In front of her friends, in front of her...master?"
Yu Baizhou's eyes narrowed slightly. "What nonsense are you spouting!"
He sheathed his sword and pushed him down the steps. Just then, Su Duan, who was in the corner, ran over and caught Shi Yu.
Just as Shi Yu was about to express her gratitude gently, Su Duan's expression changed and she suddenly pushed Shi Yu to the ground.
He himself sat on Shi Yu's back and nodded to Yu Baizhou: "General, you go in. I'll keep an eye on this man and make sure he doesn't run away."
He'd heard Qi Man ramble on about this man a long time ago—that he was a traitor within their sect. He deserved to die.
It seems she's one of their general's rivals in love. She should be arrested.
Wu Sheng, who was standing to the side, watched this scene but ultimately said nothing. But when he tried to grab Qi Man's arm, he was suddenly shaken off.
"Isn't he dead?" Qi Man looked at him, her eyes filled with distrust and resentment for the first time. "You knew he was still alive all along, didn't you? Yet you took it upon yourself to keep it from the girl and me..."
Wu Sheng: "I didn't know beforehand... I just wanted to ask Shi Yu to help the young lady..."
Yu Baizhou's head throbbed even more as he watched the chaotic scene. Even after entering the room and sensing the tense atmosphere, it didn't ease at all; in fact, it seemed to worsen.
After the middle-aged man finished taking Song Ling's pulse, he slowly looked at the person who had entered the room with interest: "Ah Ling, won't you introduce me?"
Song Ling withdrew her hand. "No need."
The man refused to give up. He straightened his back, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked Yu Baizhou up and down.
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
"General Yu, I have long admired your name."
"My name is Song Shiliu, and I am A Ling's master."
Those few words struck Yu Baizhou's heart like a thunderbolt, leaving him momentarily dazed.
*
When Chen Hejun saw that familiar face on the city wall, he was not just in a daze, but felt as if he were being roasted over a fire.
The Azure Dragon Army moved swiftly, reaching the main city gate at an extremely fast pace.
If the Second Prince hadn't appeared, if the Second Prince hadn't appeared with the Fourth Princess hostage, today would surely have been the day Luoyang fell!
What a pity... Lu Shangwen ground his back teeth, as if he was thinking about how to grind Zhou Chengyu's neck.
The one-eyed man cursed angrily, "You shameless scoundrel, you're worse than a dog! ...What kind of skill is it to hold a woman hostage!"
"Keep cursing! Keep cursing!" Zhou Chengyu, almost delirious, thrust the dagger in his hand closer to the woman's neck. "Chen Hejun, are you still going to hit me?! Look who this is!"
"What, are you planning to trample over your wife's corpse to storm into the city and endure the scorn of the people?! Huh?"
Will you have a clear conscience?
As he spoke, Zhou Chengyu loudly urged him to surrender: "Have you forgotten what you promised my father? To protect the land and people of my Great Jin? How come you are now betraying your own people and rebelling?"
Chen Hejun stood on his horse, the reins almost snapping in his hand. "She's your sister!"
"Of course I know," Zhou Chengyu smiled enigmatically, "but if you take another step forward today, I wouldn't mind letting my delicate imperial sister accompany me on my journey to the Yellow Springs!"
"It'll be good to have someone to keep you company, won't it?"
Chen Hejun closed his eyes briefly: "We'll retreat."
"Are you crazy! No way!" Lü Shangwen gritted his teeth: "We brothers fought our way here with great difficulty, how can we just retreat! Is it worth it for a woman, my lord?"
"Once we've succeeded, what kind of woman can't you marry?"
The situation was deadlocked on one side, and the same was true on Song Ling's side.
Yu Baizhou subconsciously looked at Song Ling, hoping for a reply.
“It used to be.” Song Ling stood up. “I’m tired. You can all leave.”
After saying that, she went to the inner room alone.
It seems like he doesn't want to see anyone again.
Song Shiliu walked slowly to Yu Baizhou and said in a heavy tone, "Let her be alone for a while. You come with me."
But Yu Baizhou didn't move. He didn't trust the person in front of him; instead, he was more worried about Song Ling's health.
"Don't you want to know about Ah Ling's condition?"
"And all the things she kept from you."
Yu Baizhou slowly followed.
Inside the room, Song Ling heard every word Song Shiliu said and silently hugged herself.
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