Chapter 108 The Heart-Protecting Talisman is Truly Miraculous
As dawn broke, Pei Zhi entered the room. He was dressed in armor, his posture upright, and when he saw Ye Wanning, his eyes softened instantly: "Didn't sleep all night?"
"I slept for a while." Ye Wanning walked over and handed him the brocade bag. "Here you go, it's a heart-protecting amulet. Keep it with you."
Pei Zhi took the brocade pouch and took out the protective amulet inside—it was tiger-shaped, with fine and neat stitches, clearly indicating that a lot of effort had been put into it. As he ran his fingers over the amulet, he suddenly felt something was amiss. Upon closer inspection, he discovered a strand of black hair tucked inside.
“This is…” Pei Zhi looked at Ye Wanning, his eyes filled with shock.
"It's my hair." Ye Wanning's ears turned red, and her voice was a little shy. "My mother said that mixing her own hair into the silk thread would protect you and keep you safe."
Pei Zhi's heart pounded, and he gripped the protective amulet tightly against his chest: "I will wear it close to my body and never take it off." He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, "With your hair here, even swords and arrows cannot hurt me."
Ye Wanning nodded and helped him straighten his armor: "Be careful when you get to the border, remember to take your medicine on time, and don't overwork yourself."
"Don't worry, I will." Pei Zhi hugged her tightly. "When I come back, I'll take you to Begonia Valley."
The bugle call to battle sounded, and Pei Zhi turned and left. The protective talisman was pressed against his chest; even through his armor, he could feel its warmth. Ye Wanning stood at the doorway, watching his figure disappear into the morning mist, silently praying: He must return safely.
It turned out that while Pei Zhi was fighting the main force of the Turks, a stray arrow suddenly shot towards him, heading straight for his chest. Pei Zhi couldn't dodge it; he felt a tightness in his chest, and then with a "clang," the arrow bounced back.
After the battle, Pei Zhi removed his armor and took out a breastplate from his breastplate—embedded in a shrapnel fragment, the very same one from the arrow. The breastplate's stitches were slightly loosened by the impact, but the inner silk threads were still perfectly wrapped around the silver thread.
"That was close!" Lieutenant General Zhang Yong patted Pei Zhi on the shoulder. "General, your protective talisman is truly miraculous!"
Pei Zhi clutched the protective talisman, his heart filled with tenderness and relief. He recalled Ye Wanning meticulously embroidering the talisman, and the black hair depicted in it; a warmth spread through his heart. He immediately sent someone to deliver a letter to Ye Wanning, containing only one sentence: "The protective talisman is very effective. I am well. Do not worry."
When Ye Wanning received the letter, she was seeing patients at the women's clinic. Seeing the words on the letter, her heart finally settled, and tears streamed down her face.
Chuntao smiled and said, "Miss, you see, the general is alright. Your protective talisman really worked."
"Yes." Ye Wanning wiped away her tears and nodded with a smile. "He will definitely come back safe and sound."
Several months later, Pei Zhi returned in triumph. As soon as he entered the general's mansion, he pulled Ye Wanning into his arms, the protective talisman still attached to his chest, carrying his body heat.
"Wanning, I'm back."
"Welcome home." Ye Wanning leaned against him, stroking the protective amulet. "Is the amulet still intact?"
"It's not broken, and it even blocked some shrapnel for me." Pei Zhi took out the protective talisman and showed it to her. "Look, the hair inside is still there."
Ye Wanning looked at the bullet marks on the protective talisman, and then at Pei Zhi who was unharmed. Tears streamed down her face, but she smiled with extraordinary joy: "That's great, that's great."
Pei Zhi wiped away her tears and put the amulet back around her neck: "From now on, I will carry it with me wherever I go. With it, it's like you're by my side."
...
When the guards, covered in blood, rushed into the general's mansion, Ye Wanning was brewing medicine.
"Madam! Something terrible has happened! The General has been assassinated!"
The medicine bowl clattered to the ground, scalding hot liquid splashing onto her feet, but she felt no pain. Ye Wanning stumbled after the guards as they ran towards the study, and from afar she saw Pei Zhi lying on the ground, a dagger protruding from his chest, his robes stained crimson with blood.
"Pei Zhi!" She rushed over and knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she reached out, but dared not touch his wound. Tears welled up instantly. "Where is the imperial physician? Why hasn't the imperial physician arrived yet?"
"Madam, the imperial physician is on his way!" the guard said urgently. "The general was assassinated on his way back to the manor. The assassin was one of the First Prince's men, and he has been apprehended by me!"
Ignoring the assassin, Ye Wanning gripped Pei Zhi's hand tightly. His hand was icy cold, and his breath was weak: "Pei Zhi, don't sleep, the imperial physician will be here soon!"
She choked back tears, took a handkerchief and pressed it against her wound, but blood dripped from between her fingers. Memories of her past life suddenly became clear—it was on a night like this that she received news of Pei Zhi's death in the Cold Palace, never even seeing his body. Back then, she was utterly helpless, only able to hug the wall and weep silently. Now, Pei Zhi was right before her eyes, covered in blood, barely breathing, yet she could only watch, unable to do anything.
"Wan Ning..." Pei Zhi opened his eyes with difficulty. Seeing her crying, he struggled to raise his hand to wipe her tears, but he didn't have the strength to do so. "Don't cry... I'm fine..."
"I'm alright? You're in this state!" Ye Wanning sobbed. "It's all my fault. If I had come back with you, this wouldn't have happened!"
"It's not your fault..." Pei Zhi's voice trailed off, "It was my... carelessness..."
The imperial physician finally arrived. He quickly examined Pei Zhi, removed the dagger, applied hemostatic medicine, and inserted several acupuncture needles before Pei Zhi's breathing gradually stabilized.
"The general has lost too much blood and needs to rest well. He must not get angry," the imperial physician instructed. "Madam, you must take good care of him and change his dressings on time."
Ye Wanning nodded. After seeing the imperial physician off, she immediately stayed by Pei Zhi's bedside, wiping the blood and cold sweat from his face. Chun Tao brought over warm water, and she carefully moistened a cotton swab with it, wiping his mouth with the gentleness of a fragile treasure.
Night had fallen, the children were asleep, and the general's mansion was quiet except for Pei Zhi's even breathing. Ye Wanning sat by the bed, holding his hand, her eyes fixed on his face—she was afraid, afraid that he might suffer even the slightest mishap.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating Pei Zhi's pale face. Ye Wanning recalled her past life, the despair she felt when the news of his death in battle arrived, as if the sky had fallen. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, dripping onto the back of Pei Zhi's hand.
Pei Zhi groggily opened his eyes, felt her tears, and quickly grasped her hand tightly: "Don't cry... I haven't gone to Begonia Valley with you yet... I haven't... married you..."
Ye Wanning's heart clenched, and she choked out, "I won't cry. You rest well. This time, I will definitely protect you and never let anything happen to you again."
"Hmm..." Pei Zhi nodded and fell asleep again, but he still held her hand tightly, as if she would leave if he let go.
Ye Wanning didn't sleep all night, changing Pei Zhi's fever-reducing cloths and checking his wounds every three hours. As dawn approached, Pei Zhi's temperature finally dropped, and his breathing became steady. She leaned against the bed, watching him sleep soundly, her heart filled with relief—thankfully, she had protected him; thankfully, the tragedy of her past life hadn't repeated itself.
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