Chapter 72 Nightmare
Since April, Yu Mingshu has been targeted by enemies for revenge, and new items have been appearing in his home from time to time.
For example, a bloodstained dagger, a poisonous snake hidden in the bedding, kerosene inexplicably spilled around the study, and flour "accidentally" knocked over under the stove.
Yu Mingshu developed a good habit of checking the whole house as soon as he got home, but this was a waste of time.
Upon learning of this, the Crown Prince generously increased the number of guards, making her two residences in Yongningfang and Chongrenfang as secure as an iron fortress, with a security level comparable to that of the Emperor himself.
Seeing Yu Mingshu's flattered expression, Liang Yuanjun clicked her tongue softly.
"You're really wasting your talents by using my fish-shaped talisman to command three or five people."
Her tone made it sound as if she were a poor girl who only dared to buy Mixue Ice Cream lemonade because she had the domineering CEO's favor card.
Yu Mingshu stopped hesitating, bowed deeply to the other party to express her gratitude, and gladly accepted the domineering crown prince's concern.
She has been suffering from insomnia lately and often cannot sleep soundly.
I have difficulty falling asleep at night, and even when I do fall asleep, I wake up easily. I have nightmares all night long, and the scene of the ambush in February flashes back to me again and again in my dreams, sometimes mixed with some unfamiliar scenes.
In the gray night, she felt as if she were in a boundless wilderness.
The sound of the wind in the wilderness brought not the taste of freedom, but a chilling sense of desolation.
The sound of horses' hooves shattered the sky, and in an instant, a rain of arrows came rushing towards her. The black dots formed by the arrowheads magnified infinitely before her eyes, and she subconsciously closed her eyes.
The sound of rain in my ears was like beans being poured into a plate; after a moment of silence, it was as if weapons were clashing.
Fear of the unknown made her open her eyes a crack, and just as a sliver of light appeared, a long-handled sword came hurtling toward her face!
At the critical moment of life and death, a figure blocked the flash of the blade. He lifted his cloak to shroud her in shadow, but the long sword pierced his back and went through his chest.
She screamed instinctively as a layer of warm liquid splashed in front of her, blurring her vision.
She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could hear her heart pounding rapidly.
Upon hearing the exclamation, the guards standing outside the mansion immediately rushed into the courtyard and cautiously knocked on the door of the bedroom.
"Master Yu, what happened?"
The room was pitch black. Yu Mingshu woke up with a start and sat up abruptly. He opened his eyes wide, took a few deep breaths, and his heart rate gradually returned to normal.
The guards outside the door received no response, only heard disordered breathing, their brows furrowed, and their right hands gripped the door.
"Yu Sheren?"
Yu Mingshu snapped out of her daze and looked towards the door. "It's nothing, just a nightmare."
The guard breathed a sigh of relief and then left the courtyard with his umbrella.
Inside the bed curtains, Yu Mingshu noticed that his back was burning hot and covered with a thin layer of cold sweat.
As soon as she closed her eyes, the last scene in her dream gradually became clear again. Through the armor and arm guards, she could almost recognize the person's figure, but she couldn't make out the face clearly no matter what she did.
I wonder what the situation is like at the front right now.
It's almost dawn; he should be awake by now and practicing martial arts.
Yu Mingshu figured he probably wouldn't be able to sleep, so he got up, washed, dressed, and went out into the courtyard.
The morning breeze, carrying dampness, enveloped her.
This autumn in Chang'an was unusual; it rained for three days straight.
The rain didn't stop all night, and now the ground in the yard is flooded up to ankle-deep, making it difficult to walk.
Below the imperial city, officials on duty, braving the rain, stood blocking the city gate with umbrellas, slowly making their way into the city.
From a high vantage point, the oil-paper umbrellas stretch out in a continuous line, resembling the lush lotus leaves in Qingjiang Pond during the height of summer.
"Ming Shu!" Xie Huaijin easily spotted his friend in the crowd.
He held the umbrella high, weaved through the dense crowd, and approached her.
Yu Mingshu shifted her gaze from the moat under the bridge, turned back to look at him, and greeted him.
"This year's autumn rains are a bit strange. Look at the water level in the moat; it's almost touching the fence. If this continues, the water will overflow and flood the entire capital."
"If things are like this in Chang'an, the villages along the Wei River will likely not escape a flood..."
Before Xie Huaijin could finish speaking, the Vice Minister of Works stepped forward to chime in: "Just last night, the Wei River flooded two counties! His Majesty opened the palace gates overnight and summoned the Crown Prince, Prime Minister Li, and others to discuss matters. The disaster relief officials are already preparing to depart!"
Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.
Such severe flooding has resulted in casualties and property damage comparable to that of a war.
"Speaking of which, Xie Lushi has recently been deeply favored by the Emperor. Why didn't His Majesty summon you for a meeting during this flood?" the Vice Minister of Works asked casually.
Xie Huaijin glanced at him and said frankly, "I am just a sixth-rank clerk, and I am certainly not worthy to discuss politics with Prime Minister Li and others in the same hall."
The Vice Minister of Works was at a loss for words, his mouth choked with embarrassment. He looked left and right, then left dejectedly.
Yu Mingshu silently gave Xie Huaijin a thumbs up.
The two soon went their separate ways. Xie Huaijin was going to the Ministry of Revenue, while Yu Mingshu headed straight for the Zhaohua Hall of the Eastern Palace.
At this moment, the Crown Prince was still in front of the Emperor. In the corridor in front of Zhaohua Hall, there were only two palace maids chatting and laughing with their faces turned to the side. When they were happy, they unconsciously reached out to catch the rainwater falling from the eaves.
Upon seeing Yu Mingshu enter, both men suppressed their smiles and respectfully greeted him, "Lord Yu."
Yu Mingshu turned a blind eye to their slacking off at work, saying, "His Highness will be back soon, so hurry and prepare a bowl of ginger soup."
The two palace maids exchanged a glance, softly agreed, and hurried off to the kitchen.
Sure enough, Liang Yuanjun returned within a quarter of an hour.
Yu Mingshu put down the official documents and stood up to greet him. Upon looking up, he saw that the Crown Prince's lips were pale, and his entire being...
In just a quarter of an hour, the rain outside intensified again. Although palace servants held umbrellas for the Crown Prince on his way back from the Taiji Hall, the strong wind and heavy rain inevitably soaked him.
Yang Leyi rushed forward to greet the Crown Prince and accompanied him into the inner palace to change his clothes.
Yu Mingshu beckoned to the two palace maids, "Is the ginger soup ready?"
The two men nodded emphatically, "We'll fetch it right away!"
When Liang Yuanjun returned after changing her clothes, a bowl of steaming hot brown sugar ginger soup was placed in front of her. She raised her eyelids and looked at Yu Mingshu, her eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.
Yu Mingshu simply said, "Your Highness got caught in the rain when you returned. Have a bowl of ginger soup to warm yourself up."
Liang Yuanjun stirred the soup in the bowl with a spoon, and after a moment, a smile appeared on her lips as she said gently, "You're very thoughtful."
Yang Leyi said with some concern, "Your Highness has been feeling unwell these past two days, and you stayed up all night yesterday. How can you continue like this? You should go back to your inner palace and rest for a while."
Liang Yuanjun waved her hand and said, "I'm fine, there's no need to persuade me."
Yang Leyi had no choice but to fall silent and step aside.
Returning her attention to official business, Yu Mingshu inexplicably recalled last night's nightmare.
My heart started racing again.
Her intuition told her that the figure was He Zheng.
Thinking of this, Yu Mingshu felt a pang of panic and hurriedly searched through the mountain of official documents for frontline battle reports.
As of three days ago, on August 18th, everything was fine in Sangyang. The remnants of the Northern Yan army were holed up in Baishi City and had not made any moves.
No bad news is good news.
However, the two armies have been locked in a stalemate for more than a month. Now that a flood has occurred, the Ministry of Revenue will definitely have to provide relief to the affected areas first, which will cause major problems with the subsequent supply of food and provisions to the front lines.
If He Zheng still intends to attack Northern Yan, then he doesn't have much time left.
A cough brought her back to reality.
Yang Leyi approached Liang Yuanjun with a worried expression and whispered, "Your Highness, why don't you summon the imperial physician to take her pulse?"
Liang Yuanjun waved her hand, "No need. Liang Tianrui fell ill the day before yesterday with a persistent high fever. Physician Zhong is skilled in treating children's colds and was called to watch over him. He probably can't get away right now."
A palace maid said, "The Imperial Medical Bureau has many physicians; I'll go and fetch them right away..."
"Come back!" Yang Leyi called out to her, her face turning cold. "His Highness's medical records have never been handled by anyone else. Don't act on your own!"
The palace maid was stunned for a moment by the reprimand, lowered her head to hide her aggrieved tears, and dared not say another word.
The rain lessened in the afternoon, and Yu Mingshu left the imperial city and returned to Yongningfang, where he met Yuan Yi at his doorstep.
"Didn't you go to the academy today, sir?"
Yuan Yi looked down at the books in his arms, which were soaked by the splashing rain, and smiled helplessly. "Since April, the academy has been scheduling fewer and fewer classes, and I'm now a nobody."
After the implementation of the new imperial examination system, students of Chang'an Academy lost their absolute advantage, so many families chose to send their children back to private schools to avoid unnecessary hardship.
With fewer students, the tenured teachers in the academy become redundant.
I've heard that some prominent families are hiring private tutors at high salaries, ten times higher than the salaries offered by traditional academies...
Yu Mingshu was speechless, too embarrassed to say anything. Had she really tricked Yuan Yi?
Yuan Yi noticed her embarrassment and said frankly, "Fortunately, my ambitions lie elsewhere, so having more free time is good too."
"Alright, alright." Yu Mingshu nodded slightly, tilting the umbrella forward to block his view. "I'll go in first."
The gate of the Yu family opened and closed again, and Yuan Yi's gaze lingered on the door until he heard a creak from not far away, and Zhang Niangzi leaned out to look at him while holding an umbrella.
"You're back, why didn't you come in?"
Yuan Yi suddenly came to his senses, concealing the emotions in his eyes, and said, "I suddenly remembered something. I'm going to the old house. Mother, you don't need to wait for me. Go back quickly."
"Going again?" Madam Zhang asked in surprise. Yuan Yi had been living in Zhang Jinghua's study for the past month. She wondered why the two of them, uncle and nephew, were suddenly talking so much.
Yuan Yi turned and left. Zhang Niangzi felt empty inside. She uttered a soft "Eh" as if she wanted to say something, but the man was already far away before she could say anything.
Because Yu Dan had to retake the exam, Jiang Ru'an's attitude towards Yu Mingshu became cold again.
"It's only past Shenshi (3-5 PM), how come the busy person from the Crown Prince's Palace has time to come back?"
Yu Mingshu walked past her to her mother's side and said calmly, "His Highness the Crown Prince is unwell, so I've been given two hours of leave for nothing. I was thinking that I still owe my family a reunion dinner from the Mid-Autumn Festival a couple of days ago, so I'll make up for it tonight."
"His Highness the Crown Prince is ill again?" Jiang Ruan asked in surprise. "Our Crown Prince is so young, yet he falls ill every month. Is it a congenital weakness, or is it because the imperial physicians in the palace are incompetent?"
Yu Mingshu glanced at her coldly, "If you don't value your life, don't drag the Yu family down with you."
Jiang Ruan realized she had spoken her mind, patted her cheeks, and said, "Pretend I didn't say anything, elder sister, you didn't hear anything."
Seeing that Wu Qiuniang seemed to have taken his words to heart, with a hint of worry in her eyes, Yu Mingshu quickly said, "The torrential rains of the past few days have caused flooding in two counties in the Wei River last night. The Crown Prince was discussing state affairs in front of the Emperor and didn't sleep all night. Anyone who is busy with state affairs all day long and can't even rest during the New Year and holidays will inevitably fall ill from exhaustion."
“That’s true.” Wu Qiuniang sighed, then took her hand. “The Crown Prince is diligent in his duties, and you are inevitably busy as well. You should take good care of your health and eat on time when you are alone.”
Yu Mingshu smiled and said, "I know, Mother, don't worry."
…
After the flood, the imperial court sent an urgent secret report to pressure He Zheng's frontline troops, ordering them to take Baishi City as soon as possible and escort the traitor Liang Feng to the capital, regardless of his life or death.
He Zheng immediately summoned his deputy general Fan Qing and strategist Fu Nian for a meeting.
Fan Qing was two years older than him and was a second-generation descendant of the former Youzhou army. Fu Nian was already over fifty years old and had been advising the Earl of Anyuan for more than twenty years.
Both of them were trusted confidants of the He family, and He Zheng directly exposed the superstitions of the imperial court to them.
Upon reading the contents of the letter, both Fan Qing and Fu Nian looked somewhat grave.
In front of the two of them, He Zheng dipped the letter into the candle flame, and the thin letter quickly turned into dust as it was consumed by the flames.
"Any news from the Huyan clan?"
"Yesterday, a scout reported that three thousand elite troops under the command of the Huyan clan are marching eastward." Fu Qing waved his feather fan.
He Zheng's brow relaxed slightly. "Good."
Fan Qing said with deep concern, "General, you are pinning your hopes on the Northern Yan splitting apart from within so that you can reap the benefits. Have you ever considered what will happen to our army if the Huyan clan remains inactive and watches the tigers fight from the sidelines?"
“He had no choice but to act,” He Zheng said.
Seeing Fan Qing's confusion, Fu Nian explained, "Once the new King of Yan defeats Daliang and establishes a foothold in the north, the Huyan clan will be powerless to resist him. Taking advantage of the war between Liang and Yan to send troops eastward is his last chance."
He Zheng said, "What we need to do is to entice the Huyan clan to take action and incite internal strife in Northern Yan."
Fan Qing watched as he drew a circle on the map with a thin stick, marking the location of the Northern Yan royal court. After a moment's thought, she nodded emphatically. "General, just tell me, where do you want me to attack?"
He Zheng glanced at him and laughed loudly, "I like your personality; you're much more straightforward than Cheng Changde!"
Fan Qing was displeased. "Comparing me to him? General, you're insulting me!"
Fu Nian quickly patted his shoulder with his fan, "General Fan, what are you saying? Prince Cheng has not offended you."
Fan Qing awkwardly met He Zheng's gaze, and neither of them said anything more.
To be honest, they didn't have any real conflict with Cheng Changde; they just couldn't stand his behavior.
A year ago, Cheng Changde led his troops to Taozhou. Within three days of entering the city, he had already attended two welcoming banquets. It was reasonable for him to want to discuss the war with the Taozhou general, but why did he visit the retired former prime minister Xie Cheng?
It's unclear what the Duke of Ying's family is thinking. They are clearly of military background, their ancestors earned their descendants a hereditary title through their meritorious service in supporting the new emperor, and they enjoy the title of Duke, yet they still have to flirt with aristocratic families...
They still think this is the way things were a hundred years ago, where emperors took turns ruling, but powerful families remained standing.
"Let's get back to the main topic."
He Zheng tapped the city on the map and said seriously, "Tomorrow morning, I will lead men to Baishi City to confront the Yan army head-on. Fan Qing, you will lead another 8,000 elite troops north. The march must be covert, and we will catch them off guard."
A slender stick traced a route on the map. Fan Qing, with sharp eyes, cupped his hands in agreement: "I will not fail in my mission."
The soldiers in Sangyang City, who had been doing odd jobs for a month, suddenly became busy overnight.
Outside the county government office, Yunying waited for a full half hour. Once Fan Qing and Fu Nian left, he couldn't wait to rush into the courtyard.
Jinghong reacted quickly, grabbing his stick-like arm to stop him. "Young Master Yun! Didn't you go to Youzhou?"
The He family originally came from Youzhou. The Earl of Anyuan had a decent relationship with the governor of Youzhou. With a few more connections, they could also get in touch with the Youzhou Academy.
He Zheng, showing great kindness, contacted the academy teacher for Yunying and sent a carriage to take him out of Sangyang City this morning. Logically speaking, he should have already completed his enrollment at Youzhou Academy by now!
"I don't want to go to Youzhou! You tied me to the carriage while I was asleep!" Yunying shouted angrily. "Call He Zheng out! What right does he have to make decisions for me? Do you know how badly my legs are worn out from jumping off the carriage and running back to Sangyang!"
Jing Hong was instantly filled with respect, his gaze shifting downwards, "You, your leg..."
Yunying gritted her teeth and said, "It's not broken, it's not crippled, don't worry."
He Zheng heard the two arguing from inside the house, or more accurately, Yun Ying's angry howls. After coming out, he gestured for Jing Hong to let go of him and said, "At your age, all alone, not going to school, and unwilling to learn a trade, what else do you want to do?"
Yunying glared at Jinghong, stretched her arm that had been pulled so hard, and then looked up to meet He Zheng's gaze.
“I’m not cut out for studying, nor do I need to learn a trade.”
He glanced at He Zheng up and down. He was dressed in full military uniform, even wearing a helmet. So he quickly changed the subject: "General He, are you going to send troops to attack Baishi City?"
He Zheng gripped the hilt of his sword, looked away, and walked towards the door. "If you keep spying on military matters, I might start to suspect you're a spy from Northern Yan."
Yunying ignored his warning, turned around and chased after him, anxiously saying, "General He! Let me follow you! I'm very useful. I know medicine, I can treat your wounded!"
"Speaking off the cuff."
“I’m not lying to you! My maternal grandfather was a famous doctor in Youzhou and also served as a military doctor for the Youzhou army. He was later killed by an arrow shot by the Yan people, but he passed on most of his skills to my mother, and my mother passed them on to me!”
Seeing that He Zheng seemed hesitant and slowed down, Yun Ying seemed to see a glimmer of hope and suddenly rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his.
"If you don't believe me, you can have someone investigate! My maternal grandfather's surname was Hua, and his given name was Ci, Hua as in Hua Tuo, and Ci as in benevolence! My maternal grandfather's medical skills are known to everyone in Youzhou!"
He Zheng was startled, abruptly shaking him off and pulling his arm back two steps. Seeing Yun Ying clinging to him like a leech, he immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Don't move!"
Yunying was indeed stunned, her gaze fixed on the blade that was half-drawn from its sheath.
When he came to his senses, he stared at He Zheng incredulously, his voice filled with grievance: "If you're not going to move, then don't move! Why are you yelling at me!"
“This is the military. There are quotas for military doctors. You can’t just come here whenever you want.” He Zheng maintained his impartial attitude.
Yunying remained undeterred. "I won't take up your spot. Can't I just help with decocting and changing the medicine? I have a small appetite and can't eat many grains of rice. If it really comes down to it, I'll bring my own food!"
Helpless, He Zheng finally relented: "If you insist on coming, then you must obediently follow your superior's orders. If you dare to act without authorization, you will be dealt with according to military law."
Yunying was overjoyed, "I promise to obey your orders!"
Before long, the sound of thunderous drums and horns could be heard from afar.
"All soldiers, heed my command! Follow me into battle!"
"Break through White Stone City!"
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