Chapter 93093 A sudden change
Qi Heming stayed outside the city for an hour and returned to the Second Prince's Mansion to report after sunset.
"Your Highness, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to win over Du Qingtang."
The Second Prince had just returned from the palace and hadn't had time to change out of his court robes. Hearing this, he was confused: "Why do you say that, He Ming?"
Qi Heming lowered his eyes: "I had someone damage the carriage and waited for Du Qingtang on the road he must pass by, so I took the opportunity to talk to him."
"I tried to probe him repeatedly, but Du Qingtang was tight-lipped, his attitude was cold, and his words were perfunctory. I couldn't get anything out of him."
The second prince didn't care. On the contrary, he would be worried if he could be won over so easily.
What if they were sent by his brothers? Wouldn't that mean he was inviting a wolf into the house?
The Second Prince skimmed off the foam with the lid of his teacup and took a sip. "Why rush? If it doesn't work once, try a few more times."
"My father has entrusted Du Qingtang with an important task. We must show more sincerity to impress her and make her serve me."
Qi Heming coughed twice and said, "Your Highness is wise. I will do as you say."
Seeing Qi Heming's pale face and constant coughing, the Second Prince offered a token of concern: "It's freezing cold outside. Heming, you're not feeling well. You need to take good care of yourself."
"A while ago, I got a century-old ginseng. Please take it back with you. I hope you can take good care of yourself and do things for me."
Qi Heming bowed and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I would be grateful if you could accept it."
The second prince just smiled and said nothing, and ordered someone to get ginseng.
The direct line of the Qi family has died out, and apart from his grandfather, Qi Heming is the only one left who can be used.
Although Qi Heming held a low official position and had no real power, he helped him a lot.
He almost fell into the trap of his half-brother several times, but thanks to Qi Heming's reminder, he was able to avoid the trap and remain safe until now.
Qi Heming cannot die.
At least he can't die before he accomplishes something great.
The eunuch brought ginseng and Qi Heming stood up to say goodbye.
The second prince was the only one left in the study. As he was sipping this year's new tea, he suddenly thought of his cousin Qi Hezhou who was living away from home.
Earlier, the second prince was worried about Qi Hezhou's revenge, so he sent people to investigate and monitor Qi Hezhou. He accidentally learned that Qi Hezhou and Du Qingtang were uncle and nephew, and their relationship was very close.
Later, seeing that Qi Hezhou was working honestly in the Hanlin Academy, the Second Prince withdrew the people who were monitoring him and soon forgot about him.
"Maybe we can win over Du Qingtang through him."
The second prince rubbed the rim of the cup and smiled slowly.
These are all old grudges, not as important as future and power.
Qi Hezhou is a smart man and he knows what to choose.
......
Not only the second prince, but the eldest prince and the third prince also sent people to investigate and test Du Qingtang.
The results were all without exception, all failed.
"A bunch of idiots, they really think that the emperor doesn't know about their private actions."
The fourth prince saw what his three brothers did and sneered at them, his eyes full of disdain.
The Fifth Prince crossed his legs and threw a candied fruit into his mouth: "Fourth Brother, aren't you curious about what our father is secretly planning?"
The Fourth Prince glanced at him.
The Fifth Prince raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Brother, I have crossed paths with Du Qingtang several times. Why don't you let me ask her?"
I met him by chance outside the imperial study that day, and never saw Du Qingtang again.
Although the Fifth Prince's Mansion has several people with similar appearances, none of them can match Du Qingtang's charm.
After all, fakes are not as good as the real thing.
Unfortunately, Du Qingtang is a third-rank official and is deeply favored by his father. Now is a critical period in the struggle for the throne, and he cannot move easily.
Recalling the dream last night, he broke Du Qingtang's fingers one by one. The beauty was trembling with pain, but she gritted her teeth and didn't shed a single tear. Her red eyes were so adorable.
The Fifth Prince clicked his tongue in delight. "Brother, I have a feeling there must be some incredible treasure hidden in the Tiger Guard Camp. We must act first."
Having said that, I believe no one can resist this huge temptation.
The Fourth Prince fell into deep thought.
Wu Guangwu and Feng Shu committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Although his father did not make a big move and lightly exposed the corruption cases of the Ministry of Revenue and Runing Prefecture, his attitude towards him was much worse than before.
Thinking of the scrutiny and cold gaze of Emperor Qingyuan, the Fourth Prince shook his head: "For now, we must not act rashly. Let's see how Father reacts to those people."
If the emperor could cut off their tentative claws, he would be able to reap the benefits.
If not, it would not be too late for him to take action.
Du Qingtang is indeed a rare and capable minister. If he can make him switch sides, it will be worth it for him to persuade his grandfather to give up the decision of sending people to kill Du Qingtang.
The fifth prince sighed regretfully and had to give up.
-
The tenth day of the twelfth lunar month is a day of rest.
The matter at the Huben Camp came to an end, and Du Qingtang slept until he woke up naturally.
As he was dressing in front of the mirror, a maid came to report, "Master, Master Yao is here to visit."
Du Qingtang glanced at the sun. It was just past noon. Logically, Yao Jingzhou would not come to visit at this time.
Unless there is something important to tell you.
Du Qingtang quickly tidied up his appearance and walked quickly towards the courtyard.
In the flower hall, Yao Jingzhou held a cup of warm tea in his hand, his eyes looking into the void, his eyes empty, as if he was thinking about something.
"Wen Jing."
Du Qingtang's voice brought Yao Jingzhou back to reality. He quickly stood up and saluted: "Uncle Master."
Du Qingtang asked straight to the point, "Why are you here so early?"
Yao Jingzhou pulled out an invitation from his sleeve: "The steward of the Second Prince's Mansion delivered it yesterday."
He originally wanted to come and find Du Qingtang, but considering that Du Qingtang had been going out early and coming back late every day recently, he probably hadn't returned yet, so he waited until now to come.
Du Qingtang opened the invitation and saw that it stated that the Second Prince's concubine had given birth to a son. The Second Prince did not want to hold a grand ceremony, but considering that Yao Jingzhou was his cousin, he specially invited him to attend the wedding banquet at the Second Prince's residence today.
"What's there to celebrate about a concubine giving birth to a child?" Du Qingtang threw the invitation back on the table. "I'm afraid the real culprit is someone else."
Yao Jingzhou thought the same thing as her and said solemnly, "Nine out of ten, he wants to use me to get closer to his uncle."
Last month, Du Qingtang's transfer caused a stir in various ministries and departments, and the curiosity of all officials was aroused by this decree.
However, spying on the emperor's mind is a capital crime, so they did not dare to act rashly and set their sights on Du Qingtang.
Unexpectedly, Du Qingtang was more talkative than a river clam. He knew nothing when asked and got angry when asked again. He was as difficult to deal with as the stubborn donkey, the Minister of Works.
Since it doesn't work with Du Qingtang, we can only settle for the next best thing and start with the people around her.
Yao Jingzhou didn't know what was going on with Fu Ci. Just for him, many officials had been trying to establish relationships with him in the past two days, asking him indirectly about Du Qingtang during the conversations.
These officials included those from the Hanlin Academy and those serving in other places. Most of them came on orders, and only a very small number came out of genuine curiosity.
Du Qingtang remained silent. These days, except for the second prince, the other princes had also made some moves, including but not limited to beauty traps and money offensives.
Thinking of the woman who sold herself to bury her father yesterday evening, dressed in a coarse cloth dress, yet her hands were white and delicate, without even a callus, Du Qingtang was silent for a while, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. "Is Wen Jing going?"
Yao Jingzhou shook his head without hesitation: "No."
He has been an official in the court for more than a year, and has never forgotten the revenge for his father's murder. He has been secretly collecting evidence of the second prince's crimes.
Although it was difficult, fortunately we gained some small benefits.
Yao Jingzhou was worried that if he went to the Second Prince's mansion in the afternoon, he would not be able to help but pick up a wine jug and smash the Second Prince's head.
Du Qingtang was not surprised. He smoothed the loose hair on his temples. He had come in a hurry just now and his hair was not tied up properly, so it was a little loose.
"The Second Prince is narrow-minded and vindictive. You rejected his invitation, so he will definitely bear a grudge. You must be careful for the next period of time."
Du Qingtang poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip to moisten his throat. "It's a pity I'm not going to the Ministry of Industry. Otherwise, you could go in and out with me, at least it would be safer."
Yao Jingzhou felt warm in his heart and said softly, "Uncle Master, don't worry. I will bring guards with me when I go out, and I will think twice before doing anything in the Hanlin Academy."
Du Qingtang nodded, gave Yao Jingzhou a few more instructions, and finally extended an invitation: "When I was returning to the city yesterday, I ran into some villagers selling fish. They were all fresh and lively. I asked Du Wu to buy a few pounds and come over for lunch."
Yao Jingzhou bowed, a smile in his eyes: "Wen Jing, it would be disrespectful to refuse."
Du Qingtang said slowly, "Master is far away in Baoding Prefecture, and I am the only elder by your side. Naturally, I have to take good care of you on Master's behalf."
Yao Jingzhou left with a smile. Du Qingtang glanced at the invitation he had forgotten on the table and handed it to the maid: "Deal with it."
"yes."
At noon, Yao Jingzhou came on time to have a free meal.
The three of them sat around the table and ate heartily. Half an hour later, they put down their chopsticks contentedly.
After strolling around the yard twice, Yao Jingzhou suggested playing chess. Fu Ci readily agreed, and the two went straight to the study.
Du Qingtang was originally planning to watch, but when Du Ba came over, she had to give up the idea.
"Sir, Du Jiu and I have been keeping an eye on Liu Gui these days as per your instructions."
"Liu Gui is a very cautious person. After leaving his post, he stays indoors except for gatherings with his colleagues. He has never seen anyone other than his colleagues."
Du Qingtang frowned. Could it be that her sixth sense was wrong?
Just as he was full of suspicion, he heard Du Ba change the subject: "Until around the hour of Yin today, Liu Gui disguised himself as a servant and gave a letter to Ye Xianglang while pouring night incense."
"Du Jiu followed him secretly and found that after collecting the night fragrance, Ye Xianglang went to a private house in the west of the city."
"He didn't dare get too close for fear of alerting the enemy. He's keeping an eye on Liu Gui and asked his subordinates to come back and report to you."
Du Qingtang pressed his fingertips lightly on the well-manicured nails and rubbed them slowly: "I know, keep staring."
"Yes." Du Ba took the order and left.
Du Qingtang walked towards the study, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Facts have proved that Liu Gui does have problems, but his exact identity remains to be determined.
However, Du Qingtang did not intend to get to the bottom of the matter.
The Huben Camp was the private army of Emperor Qingyuan, and Liu Gui was the deputy commander. Her private investigation was an act of usurpation, and she just wanted to cause Emperor Qingyuan a headache.
This can also be considered a merit.
In the study, Yao Jingzhou and Fu Ci were playing chess while discussing tomorrow's polo match.
Emperor Qingyuan's uncle, Prince Wen, was very fond of polo. He held polo matches every autumn, inviting dignitaries and officials in the capital to participate and preparing generous rewards for them.
Unfortunately, Prince Wen fell ill a while ago and was bedridden for two months before recovering, so the ceremony has been postponed until now.
Logically speaking, today is a day off, and tomorrow all officials should be on duty, so how could they have time to participate in the polo match?
But who can blame Prince Wen, as he is already very old, is one of the only two surviving uncles of Emperor Qingyuan, and is also an idle prince who does not like to take power.
Prince Wen came to the imperial court for help, and Emperor Qingyuan granted him this honor, allowing all officials to skip work tomorrow afternoon and go to the polo match to relax.
Yao Jingzhou and Fu Ci both received invitations. Fu Ci had never seen a polo match and wanted to join in the fun.
Du Qingtang pushed the door open and walked in. Fu Ci asked her, "Xianyu, are you going tomorrow?"
"No." Du Qingtang sat down calmly. Of course, she had received the invitation. "I have to go to the Tiger Camp tomorrow."
Fu Ci was a little disappointed: "Well, official business is more important, I'll go with Wen Jing."
Yao Jingzhou glanced at her and said with a smile, "I'm a very good polo player. When I go on the court, Zizhan, please cheer for me."
Fu Ci cheered up and agreed immediately.
After the two of them finished talking, they calmed down and focused on the game.
Du Qingtang held the teacup, and the rippling mist blurred her comfortable eyes.
......
The next day, Du Qingtang set out from home at the hour of Yin as usual, galloped on horseback for half an hour, and arrived at the Huben Camp before dawn.
But at this moment, the lights in the Huben Camp were bright, and the Huben soldiers were all up for training, making a lot of noise.
Du Qingtang dismounted from his horse, and his neighing attracted the attention of the Tiger Guards. After seeing who was coming, they all greeted him loudly.
"Mr. Du, greetings."
One after another, showing utmost respect.
Du Qingtang nodded, tied his horse to the post, passed through the soldiers who were training shirtless in the cold wind, and headed straight for the depths of the Huben Camp.
On the way, they met Yang Zhen, the commander of the Huben Camp, who was practicing boxing on a wooden man and was sweating profusely.
Seeing Du Qingtang, Commander Yang stopped to wipe his sweat and said loudly, "The Taoist priest just reported that he had refined another batch. I am not proficient in this art, so I would like to trouble Master Du to go and check it out."
Du Qingtang nodded in agreement: "It's my duty. Commander Yang asked you to continue. I'll go over and take a look."
Commander Yang watched Du Qingtang go away and continued to practice with the wooden dummy.
After finishing a set of boxing, Commander Yang stopped and drank water in big gulps.
"boom--"
Accompanied by a loud bang, thick smoke rose up, blocking out the sky.
If it were ten days ago, the Hu Ben Army would have thought the sky was opening and the earth was splitting apart when they heard this noise, and would have fled in panic.
But now—
Commander Yang calmly drank a bowl of water and continued practicing boxing.
The Tiger Guards let the sweat run down their resolute faces and strong chests. They stood calmly in horse stance, as still as a mountain.
Deputy Commander Liu Gui strolled over to Commander Yang with his hands behind his back and asked, "Aren't you curious about what the Tiger Guards chosen by Lord Du have done?"
Commander Yang had a blank expression on his face. He struck the wooden man with a knife and said, "Not curious."
Liu Gui choked heavily, his face twitching, but he continued unwillingly, "Regardless of what that thing is, it can cause such a big commotion, so it must be powerful. Aren't you afraid that they will make a mistake..."
"Deputy Commander Liu, be careful with your words!" Commander Yang shouted, his tone serious yet warning. "Lord Du is carrying out his mission under the Emperor's orders. It's not for you and me to pry into his affairs. You just need to do your job well and don't worry about anything else."
Liu Gui was spitted all over by Commander Yang, and his face turned green with anger. He said angrily: "Commander Yang really has great authority. Liu is just giving a good warning. When something really goes wrong..."
Liu Gui snorted and walked away.
Commander Yang's expression didn't change at all, and he didn't listen to his instigation at all. He picked out two capable subordinates and trained them one-on-one.
Three hours passed in a flash.
At noon, Liu Gui rode his horse out of the Huben Camp, went back to have a meal, and then went to watch the polo match.
"Commander Liu."
A middle-aged man with a pale face and no beard was waiting on the road that Liu Gui had to pass. He had a shrill voice and a gentle smile.
Liu Gui recognized at a glance that this person was a eunuch from the palace. His eyes flashed slightly, and he tightened the reins to slow down.
"Commander Liu, my master invites you to a chat."
......
Du Qingtang had a big pot meal in the Huben Camp.
The cook controlled the heat very well, and the rice crust was crispy and delicious. After finishing a bowl of rice, Du Qingtang soaked half a bowl of rice crust in the broth from the braised pork and radish, and felt very satisfied.
Everything that needed to be checked had been checked, and there was nothing important to do in the afternoon. Du Qingtang planned to return to the city and report to Emperor Qingyuan.
Passing by the polo field on the outskirts of the city, the field was packed with people, and the cheers and applause were so loud that just listening to them made people's hearts beat fast.
Du Qingtang galloped past on his horse and headed straight for the palace after entering the city.
When they reached the palace gate, a young man led a royal physician with white hair out of the palace in a hurry.
Du Qingtang took a closer look: "Mo Yu?"
The young man looked over and saw the man on the horse. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Master Du, my son's leg was broken by the horse!"
Du Qingtang's pupils shook violently. He immediately turned his horse around, picked up the imperial physician and mounted his horse, galloping towards Yao's residence.
Mo Yu wiped away his tears and hurried to catch up.
The horse stopped at the gate of Yao's house. The imperial physician, who was over forty and thought he was still in good health, hugged the horse's neck, his beard trembling and his hands and feet shaking.
Du Qingtang helped him get off the horse. The poor imperial physician vomited violently towards the corner, almost vomiting bile.
Du Qingtang: "...I'm so sorry, it's an emergency, please forgive me."
The imperial physician took out a handkerchief with trembling hands, wiped his mouth and put it back in, then he carried the medicine box and walked into Yao's house timidly.
As soon as he stepped into the second courtyard, Du Qingtang smelled a strong smell of blood.
Yao Bo and Fu Ci stood in the yard, the former in tears, the latter with bloodstained robes, his face as pale as paper, his eyes staring blankly, as if his soul had flown away to the sky.
Suppressed groans were heard from the room. The imperial physician bowed hastily, opened the door and walked in.
Du Qingtang frowned, his heart beating faster, and asked in a deep voice, "What's going on?"
Fu Ci woke up as if from a dream. Seeing Du Qingtang coming, his nose felt sore and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Wen Jing's polo team defeated the Second Prince's polo team. During the second game, Wen Jing's horse suddenly went crazy and threw him off his horse. And... and..."
Du Qingtang said calmly: "Did the Second Prince do it?"
Fu Ci wiped his eyes with his sleeve and choked up, "I thought it was an accident at first. Prince Wen sent someone to bring Wen Jing back, and also asked Mo Yu to take his badge to the palace to invite the imperial physician."
"Until Prince Wen's guards carried Wen Jing onto the carriage, I went to get the clothes Wen Jing had left on the stands, and unexpectedly heard the Second Prince talking to Qi Hezhang."
"The Second Prince said that Wen Jing rejected his invitation, and now that he has defeated him, let someone teach Wen Jing a lesson."
At this point, Fu Ci sniffed, tears welling up in his eyes as he couldn't hold them back. "The doctor just said that Wen Jing's injuries were very serious and he might have difficulty walking in the future."
Yao Bo's face was filled with sorrow as he said bitterly, "Young Master is only 25 years old, in the prime of life. How dare he... Heaven is so blind! Why did he let Young Master suffer this calamity?!"
With a creak, the imperial physician opened the door and walked out.
The three of them stepped forward quickly and said in unison: "Imperial Physician, Wen Jing/How is our young master?"
This imperial physician is an expert in orthopedics and will definitely help Yao Jingzhou recover and walk freely.
The imperial physician met three pairs of hopeful eyes and sighed silently, "I have just examined Lord Yao carefully. The fractured bone in his right leg is very serious and has penetrated the skin. I suspect there are also broken bones beneath the skin. The situation is very troublesome."
Fu Cixin's voice rose to her throat and she screamed, "Broken bones?!"
The imperial physician's expression was solemn: "Even if I endure the pain and reset the leg bone and fix it with a splint, I cannot guarantee that it will heal properly. In addition, the broken bones..."
Yao Bo held onto hope: "Maybe there aren't any broken bones? If I take good care of myself after the bone is repositioned, will it be possible to recover as before?"
The imperial physician shook his head. "I've been practicing medicine for decades and have seen more than one similar patient. Without exception, the outcome is that they all fail to recover. Most are unable to walk, and the pain is even more unbearable in rainy weather."
Yao Bo's eyes went dark and he almost fainted on the spot.
Fu Ci quickly supported him.
The old man beat his chest and stamped his feet: "It's my fault for not taking good care of the young master. I really deserve to die!"
Fu Ci's nose felt sore and he wanted to cry again. He tried to calm the old man down and whispered to him, "With Xianyu here, Wen Jing will be safe."
Du Qingtang exhaled, closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and made a decision: "Doctor Liu, have you ever tried to cut open the wound, remove the broken bones, and reset them at the same time?"
Doctor Liu opened his eyes wide in astonishment: "Master Du, what did you say?"
Du Qingtang repeated it patiently.
Doctor Liu was finally convinced that he had heard correctly. He was silent for a while. "I have never done this before. Besides, my body and hair are given by my parents. Is it too much to cut the skin?..."
"In ancient times, Guan Gong scraped his bones to cure poison. Why can't Wen Jing remove the flesh and bones? His legs are almost gone, so why should he care about his body and hair, which are given by his parents!"
Du Qingtang sneered, his tone firm and unyielding: "I will immediately send someone to prepare things, and I will personally assist Imperial Physician Liu later to remove the broken bones from Wen Jing's skin as soon as possible."
Doctor Liu swallowed his saliva, gritted his teeth and closed his eyes under Du Qingtang's cold gaze: "Then let's try it!"
Try your best to save the situation. Even if it fails, the situation will not be worse than it is now.
At most you will feel some pain, but at least there is a possibility of recovery.
......
At Du Qingtang's command, Yao Boqiang braced himself and ordered his servants to prepare the things needed to remove the flesh and bones.
Daxia had Ma Fei San, which Yao Jingzhou took with wine and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Du Qingtang asked Fu Ci to stay with Uncle Yao at all times to prevent the old man from doing anything extreme. He changed into clean clothes and went into the house with Doctor Liu and two other doctors.
An hour and a half passed in a flash.
Doctor Liu sewed the last stitch and tied a knot. Du Qingtang took out a pair of scissors and cut the excess sewing thread.
As the matter was urgent, there was no time to prepare catgut, so ordinary sewing thread was used instead.
Boil it in boiling water. Apart from leaving scars, there will be no other major problems.
There was a slight "crack" sound, and Doctor Liu looked at the white broken bones beside him, his eyes dazed for a moment: "Success?"
Du Qingtang wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Yes, it worked."
The three doctors breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at the same time.
"I can't believe this method actually works."
"Next time we encounter a similar patient, maybe we can give it a try."
"It's better not to encounter such a serious injury. I almost died."
Du Qingtang thought of the scrapes and bruises on Yao Jingzhou's body, and his eyes dimmed slightly. "Thank you for your hard work, you three can go to the next room to rest for a while. I'll ask Uncle Yao to prepare a meal, and then send someone to see you off after dinner."
"Thank you, Master Du."
The three doctors were now sore all over, but extremely excited, and left with their six eyes flashing with a burning light.
Du Qingtang went to the third courtyard to wash up, and then returned to the second courtyard. Fu Ci came running to greet him: "Xianyu, is Wen Jing really okay?"
Although she had asked Doctor Liu, who had repeatedly assured her that as long as she took good care of herself, she might be able to walk freely again, she was still worried and asked again.
Du Qingtang nodded: "As long as you take good care of yourself, recovery will not be a problem."
Fu Ci cheered softly, his eyes moist. "Great! I was so scared today! I'm never going to that stupid polo match again."
There was nothing wrong with the polo match, but the one who was wrong was the culprit who caused Yao Jingzhou to break his leg.
Du Qingtang patted Fu Ci's shoulder and soothed him softly, "Don't be afraid, everything will be fine. Now you need to go back and have a good sleep. Don't think about anything. Leave it to me, okay?"
Fu Ci pursed his lips and whispered, "He is the Second Prince, the son of the Emperor, you..."
Du Qingtang pinched her mouth, not giving her a chance to speak: "Go back, I know what I'm doing and I won't act rashly."
Fu Ci and Du Qingtang looked at each other and found that no matter when and where, she was always in control of the overall situation and was the most calm and composed one.
Just like many years ago, she was locked up in a nunnery by her parents, living in fear of her own death, and was on the verge of death in despair.
It was Du Qingtang who came all the way from the academy with a boning knife in hand to save her from the dire straits.
Fu Ci took a step forward and gently hugged Du Qingtang: "Well, I believe you."
Du Qingtang was stunned for a moment, then patted Fu Ci on the back and said, "Go."
Fu Ci left, looking back every few steps. Du Qingtang looked at Du Jiu who had been waiting for a long time.
Du Jiu said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Sir, the Second Prince's men have come to find Liu Gui."
"I understand. Keep watching." After giving the order, Du Qingtang turned and went into Yao Jingzhou's room.
After staying by the bed for half an hour, the effect of Ma Fei San gradually wore off and Yao Jingzhou slowly woke up.
There was complete silence all around him and he could only hear his own heavy breathing.
Is he dead?
Did he die tragically under the horse's hooves?
He hadn't avenged his parents yet, nor had he seen his grandfather and uncle for the last time...
"Are you awake? Are you feeling unwell?"
A clear voice interrupted Yao Jingzhou's wandering thoughts. He was startled and saw the person who spoke from the corner of his eye.
It’s my uncle.
Yao Jingzhou opened his eyes wide: "I'm not dead?"
"With me here, the King of Hell won't dare take you." Du Qingtang leaned over and repeated, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Yao Jingzhou thought for a moment and said, "My legs hurt."
It hurts a lot.
It hurts so much.
Du Qingtang sat back down. "The bone is broken, and the broken bones are left in the flesh. I asked Doctor Liu to cut through the flesh and remove the bones. The wound is so long, of course it hurts."
As she spoke, she gestured a length with her hand.
Yao Jingzhou took a deep breath, feeling relieved for having survived the ordeal: "Thank you, Uncle Master, for saving my life."
If he breaks his leg, he will be unable to walk from now on and his career will be completely over.
"It was the Second Prince who had it done." Du Qingtang repeated what Fu Ci had heard. He ignored Yao Jingzhou's expression, which had turned from shock to anger. He straightened the corner of his quilt for him and said slowly, "Wen Jing, your sin will not be in vain."
Yao Jingzhou heard the hidden meaning in her words and his eyelids twitched wildly: "Master..."
Du Qingtang interrupted him: "Relax, I'll be fine."
"Master entrusted you to me, but I failed to protect you and caused you to be seriously injured."
"This is my fault. Please give me a chance to make amends."
Du Qingtang finished speaking and smiled slightly: "You should have a good rest. If you need anything, just tell Uncle Yao. It's getting late. I'll go back first. I have to go to the Huben Camp tomorrow to do some work."
Yao Jingzhou keenly sensed the undercurrent beneath his uncle's calm exterior and said urgently, "Uncle, this isn't your fault. The Second Prince and I already have an old grudge. I don't need you to do anything for me!"
Du Qingtang turned a deaf ear and left Yao's house.
Originally, Du Qingtang planned to inform Emperor Qingyuan about Liu Gui's affairs and let Emperor Qingyuan investigate Liu Gui, but now she has given up this decision.
The second prince is a bastard and doesn't behave like a human being, so she will give him a ride.
It's just a matter of temporarily changing the plan to kill three birds with one stone instead of two.
It was a bit troublesome, but Yao Xuan had taught her, taught her everything he knew, treated her like his own child, and cared for her in every way. She should return the favor and give something back.
-
The next day, Prince Wen's legitimate son came to visit Yao Jingzhou with generous gifts.
Yao Jingzhou did not mention the second prince at all, which made the legitimate son of Prince Wen feel relieved.
Prince Wen's Mansion had no power and influence and could not afford to offend the Second Prince, so they could only play deaf and dumb and attribute the incident on the polo field to an accident.
"My father has already explained the situation to His Majesty and requested two months' leave for Lord Yao. Lord Yao, please don't worry. Just rest and recuperate. It won't be too late to return once you've recovered."
After Prince Wen's legitimate son left, Fu Ci came to visit Yao Jingzhou while he was on duty.
Yao Jingzhou was worried and asked her, "Where's my uncle?"
Fu Ci scratched his head: "Xianyu is busy with official business and hasn't come back yet."
Yao Jingzhou opened his mouth but said nothing, planning to wait for his uncle to come over and try to persuade her.
The Second Prince must not be offended easily. Temporary grievances may not matter, but one day he will repay you tenfold or a hundredfold.
But for two consecutive days, Du Qingtang did not show up.
After asking Yao Bo, the answer he got was that Master Du was busy with official duties and stayed directly in the Huben Camp.
......
The fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, at midnight.
Darkness enveloped the Huben Camp. The Huben soldiers on duty were standing in the cold wind, holding their spears, drowsy.
“Whoa—”
A neighing sound suddenly rang out, startling the Tiger Guards and pointing their spears forward.
“Who is it?!”
"It's me."
In the dim light of the torches, the Tiger Guards saw who was coming and immediately retracted their spears, clasping their fists and saluting: "Greetings, Deputy Commander!"
Liu Gui held the reins in his hand and said slowly, "This general left something very important in the camp, so I came here to retrieve it."
The Hu Ben army had no suspicion and let them go immediately.
Liu Gui shook the reins and rode his horse into the Huben camp.
At this hour, except for those on night duty, the rest of the Tiger Guards were asleep.
The surroundings were silent, with only the crisp sound of horse hooves remaining.
Liu Gui dismounted, tied the horse to the horse post, and relying on his black clothes, ran nakedly into the depths of the Huben camp.
Liu Gui arrived at the destination in advance, bypassed the Tiger Guards on duty and walked into a tent.
Dozens of wooden racks were neatly arranged in the tent, on which were placed square objects wrapped in oil paper, emitting a faint pungent smell.
In addition to the unidentified objects wrapped in oil paper, there are also tube-shaped objects made of metal.
Liu Gui picked it up and weighed it in his hand twice. It was heavy.
"That should be it."
Liu Gui muttered as he put ten square oil-paper bags and five tubular objects into a pocket he had prepared in advance, and then moved the oil-paper bags and tubular objects on both sides to the middle.
After doing all this, Liu Gui took two steps back to make sure that there was nothing unusual before leaving in the night.
He tied the bag to the horse's back, then jumped on the horse and shook the reins: "Go!"
The Huben soldiers on duty at the entrance of Huben Camp saw Liu Gui riding towards them and saluted him with their fists, "Deputy Commander."
Liu Gui was not at all wrong. There were thousands of oil-paper packages and hundreds of tubular objects in the tent, but he only took away a dozen or so, and no one noticed.
"Everyone, be alert! If this general discovers anyone deserting their post, they will be dealt with according to military regulations!"
The Tiger Guards took a deep breath, their eyes widened, and they stood straighter.
Liu Gui rode away on his neighing horse, and the Tiger Guards finally relaxed a little.
"By the way, what did the deputy commander bring back? I saw the pockets on his horse's back were bulging, like they were filled with quite a lot of stuff."
"You're being too nosy! Be careful! The deputy commander will find out and punish you according to military regulations!"
The gossiping Tiger Guards were so frightened that they dared not say another word. They opened their eyes wide and looked around and listened attentively.
In the Huben Camp, two men walked out of an inconspicuous tent, one thin and the other strong.
The thin young man stood with his hands behind his back, his tone calm, "Does this prove that what Mr. Du said is true?"
Commander Yang looked in the direction Liu Gui left. His face, so dark that it almost blended into the night, had an extremely complicated expression, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
A moment later, the emergency assembly horn sounded throughout the Huben Camp.
The Tiger Guards, who were soundly asleep, suddenly jumped up, put on their clothes as quickly as possible, and rushed to the old place to gather.
Commander Yang, wearing armor and holding a sword, stood on a high place and selected five hundred Tiger Guards.
"Thieves have infiltrated the Tiger Guards and stolen military secrets. Follow me immediately to capture the thieves and recover the stolen secrets!"
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