Chapter 414
The imperial guard rode back and ran into the guard Zhao Ger had sent out halfway there.
Zhao Ger waited about half an hour. The imperial guard finally returned and said the Third Young Master and Fourth Young Master were with the Second Young Master, but the two little masters refused to come back. Uncle Tang said he would take good care of the children and told the Lord and Zhujun not to worry.
There was no other way now. Going after them would delay things considerably.
With Uncle Tang there, food, clothing, shelter, and travel wouldn't be a problem. But the two children had never been away from him and Fang Zichen. Zhao Ger was afraid they'd make a fuss and come back halfway.
Fang Zichen wasn't worried: "With our eldest son there, rest easy."
Even if those two little brats really made a fuss, once they were bribed with buns, they'd probably forget Daddy and Father the moment they saw food.
Besides, Fang Zichen had specifically instructed Zhang Quan that if anything seemed off, he was to escort the three children back immediately.
So he wasn't particularly worried.
Zhao Ger thought about it and agreed. He stopped worrying immediately.
The main group set off on the return journey.
One group headed south, one group headed north.
---
Everyone knew that the Hezhou merchant caravan's goods sold like hotcakes when they were put out for sale in Shangyang. Fang Zichen was carrying a huge sum of money and didn't dare let the imperial guards escort Guaizai over, for fear that someone might try to rob them on the road.
If it were just him and Zhao Ger, it would be fine—if they couldn't win a fight, he could still carry Zhao Ger and run. But there were several women and gers traveling with them, so he had to be cautious.
The officials all knew who he was and didn't dare touch him, but the common folk had no idea.
---
The southern border.
In the main tent, Old Madam Qin wiped her tears. Only after the physician had finished changing Old General Qin's medicine did she speak up: "Lao Jiang, is your Brother Qin alright?"
Lao Jiang sighed: "Let's talk outside."
"Alright."
Only once they were outside the tent did Lao Jiang say: "Brother Qin is badly wounded this time. His shoulder blade was completely pierced through, and on top of his other injuries..."
"Will his life be in danger?" Old Madam Qin asked.
"Hard to say." Lao Jiang's voice was heavy: "Brother Qin is running a high fever now, and there's pus forming inside his chest wound."
He hadn't finished speaking, but Old Madam Qin understood. Her face went pale in an instant.
The wound had begun to fester. Though it had already been cleaned out, the fever had set in. If he could pull through, there was still a sliver of hope. If he couldn't...
Old Madam Qin didn't dare think further.
Lao Jiang said that Old General Qin was brought back a little too late. If he had returned sooner, it wouldn't have turned out like this.
But there was no helping it. The canyon ridge was two days' journey from the border. After Qin Hengyi rescued Old General Qin, he gave him simple bandaging to stop the bleeding, then rode hard without rest, pushing the horses to the limit to get back as fast as possible. But two days and one night was still too long—the wound had become infected.
Old General Qin hadn't woken since he was brought back. Besides his chest, there were over a dozen other wounds, large and small, all over his body.
This was the worst injury Old General Qin had ever suffered. He hadn't woken up once since he was brought back. After hearing Lao Jiang's words, Old Madam Qin was overcome with dread.
Lao Jiang left. Old Madam Qin stood outside for a long time without moving, like a statue, until a fine rain began to fall from the sky again.
Zhong Momo came over with soup. Seeing that Old Madam Qin hadn't gone into the tent and was just standing there with her head bowed, lost in thought, her whole demeanor heavy and low, the tips of her hair already damp — Zhong Momo had never seen her like this. She couldn't help but come forward and gently urge, "Old Madam, please go inside."
Old Madam Qin said nothing.
Zhong Momo said: "I've made you some soup. Please drink it while it's hot."
"Take it to Qing Ger and the others. I can't drink it." Old Madam Qin said.
"Old Madam, you haven't eaten all day. Your body won't hold up like this. The Old General still needs you to care for him. This old servant knows you have no appetite, but at least take a few sips. I've already sent some over to the Young Master and the Zhujun."
Qin Hengxuan and Meng Ruqing were busy settling the wounded and dealing with the Lu family. The troops the Lu family had brought also needed to be thoroughly investigated. Pulled in two directions, they had no time to sit by the bedside.
As for Qin Hengyi, he had already led troops out to fight the enemy.
The Chao Kingdom was pressing hard, seemingly thinking that without Old General Qin, the Qin Family Army were no longer a threat. They wanted to wipe them out while Old General Qin was injured, launching seven attacks in just a few days.
The Chao Kingdom's relentless pressure left them no time even to fulfill their filial duties or grieve.
Old General Qin finally woke up the day after Lao Jiang changed his bandages. That morning, Old Madam Qin was wiping his face when his eyelashes fluttered a few times and he opened his eyes. He turned his head, saw Old Madam Qin's red, swollen eyes, and was silent for a long while. "You... cried?"
"You're finally awake." Old Madam Qin held his hand and found it burning hot, his lips also sickly pale. The joy that had just risen in her heart scattered immediately.
"Don't cry." Old General Qin's voice was terribly hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in a very long time: "It's not... the first, first time I've been hurt. Aren't you... used to it by now? Besides, I feel... I feel fine. I'll be... better in a few days. Qin Qi is here... where's Qin Qi?"
Just those few sentences, yet he spoke haltingly, breathing heavily, as if exhausted. He could clearly feel that with every word he uttered, his wounds seemed to bleed. Old Madam Qin lowered her head and choked out: "He... didn't make it back."
"...Is that so." This time Old General Qin was silent for a long time before saying: "That boy... served at my side... for many years. He was only twenty-seven, and now he's gone before this old man."
"My lord..."
"It's fine. I can accept it. War is... like this. No one knows when they leave... whether they'll... come back. I'm used to it too. You've probably been watching over me for... several days now." Old General Qin said: "Go, go rest for a while."
He said his body was strong, that he was fine.
But Old Madam Qin didn't dare leave. He used to be strong, but now he was over fifty—he was simply not what he used to be.
Old Madam Qin didn't leave. When Qin Hengxuan and Meng Ruqing learned Old General Qin had woken, they came to visit.
Old General Qin was still weak. The two didn't dare stay long. They exchanged only a few brief words, told Old General Qin to rest well, and went back out to work.
After all, there was truly a lot to do right now.
The south was rainy. Most of the time it was drizzly and overcast, the sky dark and gloomy. It had already rained for three whole days straight.
They were busy at the time. Meng Ruqing was writing up documents when he suddenly heard a very familiar voice from outside.
"Pretty Uncle, Handsome Grandpa."
The voice was small and faint, as if coming from very far away.
Only ninety thousand troops remained stationed along the border now, layered in defense. In the training grounds, soldiers were drilling formations and the noise was loud. But behind the main camp, it was dead quiet — so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. No one dared make a sound around here, especially these past few days.
The main tent area seemed cut off from the world, so quiet that no clamor could be heard. So the voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and distinct.
Meng Ruqing's hand froze. His whole back went rigid. He shook his head. His mental state hadn't been good these past few days — he was probably hallucinating again. He bit down hard on his lip, using the pain to clear his head a little.
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