Chapter 35

Fu Tingjun had already found her own bowl among the scattered belongings and prepared water.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Fu Tingjun thought of her moon-white cocoon silk right-lapel garment, hurriedly found it, and tried to tear it into strips.

If they were to claim to be cousins, there were only two types: maternal-cousin relations or paternal-aunt-cousin relations. If she and Ninth Master were maternal cousins, then her maternal uncle would be Ninth Master's "father," her maternal aunt would be Ninth Master's "maternal aunt," and her father would be Ninth Master's "paternal uncle-in-law." If she and Ninth Master were paternal-aunt cousins, then her mother would be Ninth Master's "maternal aunt," her maternal aunt would be Ninth Master's "mother," and her maternal uncle would also be Ninth Master's "maternal uncle." How could it be that she was in mourning while Ninth Master was not?

Her palms were covered in sweat.

Sixteenth Master gave a slight nod and walked toward Fu Tingjun.

He crouched on the ground, his thick, calloused fingers resting on Zhao Jiuye's chi, guan, and cun pulse points, closing his eyes as if feeling Zhao Jiuye's pulse.

Hearing what the burly man said, she felt an ache in her heart.

Fu Tingjun's mind and spirit were shaken, her limbs weak—for a moment she didn't even have the strength to tear the cloth.

Fu Tingjun's attention was drawn by his words; she abandoned the two speakers and looked toward the handsome, clear-eyed man.

Tears blurred her vision, and panic surged in her heart.

The burly man fed Zhao Jiuye the medicine while asking Fu Tingjun, "Do you have any clean old clothes? I need to apply some wound-healing medicine to his injuries."

Fu Tingjun quickly rose and yielded her spot to him.

Fu Tingjun couldn't help but glance in that direction.

Liansheng tiptoed around the corpses in the main hall and brought over two bottles of medicine.

Fu Tingjun grew anxious at once, thinking that since this man could recognize Zhao Jiuye's injuries, he probably knew something of medicine. She looked at him with a pleading gaze: "Then... then what should we do?"

As long as they reached Xi'an Prefecture, with Yucheng and Yuanbao there, Ninth Master would be safe.

"...robbed clean... the authorities have been cracking down hard these days, so they didn't dare linger... before they could, they ran into us."

Then why had they pretended not to recognize each other earlier?

"My husband's family is in Longxi County," which was under the jurisdiction of Gongchang Prefecture, over a thousand li from Xi'an Prefecture. Moreover, the refugees had first fled from that very area, so even if they tried to investigate, they would hardly find anything—this would perfectly explain why Ninth Master was so gaunt. "This young woman is from Pingliang County," she had taken to heart what Ninth Master had said at Li Family Hollow, but Longxi and Pingliang were too far apart—how could the marriage be explained? Her mind raced. "Both families had elders doing business abroad, and they became friends through trade, so the marriage was arranged." That should be enough to pass! "Later, when Gongchang Prefecture suffered a great drought, my betrothed came to seek refuge. But my family, too, was struggling and had gone to Weinan to seek relatives. My betrothed followed all the way, and we finally met in Huayin County, only to be robbed by refugees. My betrothed shielded me as we escaped..." She began to sob softly.

"Troop movements take time—how could they be so quick!" said the man who looked like a shopkeeper, his smile tinged with caution. "There should be some action within the next couple of days."

They were in league with each other?

As she spoke, she could feel Sixteenth Master's gaze fixed on her, making her deeply uncomfortable. She didn't dare examine his expression, but her peripheral vision inadvertently swept across Sixteenth Master's shoes.

Not only were they thoroughly informed of the court's movements, but they even spoke critically of the court's failings from the perspective of those in power!

Fu Tingjun, for one, was too embarrassed, and for another, didn't know how to dress wounds. She had only glanced at Zhao Jiuye from outside his lapels and hadn't noticed he had injuries on his back.

Had she answered incorrectly?

With such excellent skills, they would rather pay money than make an enemy of the square-faced man, and they hadn't saved her when she was hovering between life and death, looking as if they wanted nothing to do with trouble... So why had they changed their minds and saved Ninth Master and her?

She had no idea how Zhao Jiuye had managed to endure these past days... and he had still kept smiling to comfort her.

The burly, fleshy-faced man and the shopkeeper-like man nodded and smiled at each other in greeting, looking quite familiar.

Or perhaps they had a poor impression of her—Fu Tingjun was somewhat annoyed, but remembering that they had, after all, saved Ninth Master and her, she murmured "thank you" and added, "I will never forget your life-saving kindness. I dare not trouble you further!" With that, she turned her face away and lowered her head to support Zhao Jiuye.

She had to find a way to make this Sixteenth Master escort them to Xi'an Prefecture.

The one who entered, however, was the fleshy-faced man who had disappeared midway... He saluted the free-spirited man respectfully: "This humble one..." His voice suddenly dropped, and Fu Tingjun couldn't hear clearly, "...I have not failed the mission!"

The burly man couldn't help but look at her a couple more times, saying, "Let me take his pulse!"

Her mind buzzed; sweat broke out on her forehead, temples, and back. Her voice grew increasingly strained and sluggish without her even noticing.

But she didn't dare delay a single moment.

White Songjiang three-strand cloth, embroidered with rosette flowers, tied with a bright yellow sash.

If they were in an employer-employee relationship, and Sixteenth Master continued to press further, she would certainly give herself away. Without a second thought, she immediately dismissed this line of reasoning.

The burly man quickly stood and bowed, speaking respectfully: "There are two knife wounds, one on the shoulder and one on the back. From the looks of it, they were inflicted no more than two days ago. They're not in vital areas, but they haven't been cleaned or treated with any wound medicine, and some festering has already begun. It would be best to find a doctor to prescribe some cooling and disinfecting remedies. The internal injuries are also severe—he'll need at least one to two months of bed rest to recover..."

A bright yellow sash... and then she thought of Liansheng's voice... official silver...

"What relation are you to him?" Sixteenth Master's voice struck her heart like a drumbeat. "For whom do you wear mourning?"

The free-spirited man sneered coldly: "What if the Tartars invade? Would they dawdle like this as well? The court feeds its soldiers for a thousand days to use them for a single moment..."

Fu Tingjun followed the sound with a glance.

A chill ran down Fu Tingjun's spine. She vaguely felt she had stumbled upon something she ought not to have seen.

With injuries this severe, it would be best to summon a renowned physician from Xi'an Prefecture, but he needed quiet recuperation and couldn't withstand the jostling of travel. If it were ordinary times, she had two thousand taels in silver notes and valuables worth over a thousand taels—she wouldn't think twice about the money. She could rent a house, hire a famous doctor from Xi'an Prefecture, and still have plenty left over. But now that famine had struck, even the wealthy couldn't persuade those famous doctors to leave Xi'an Prefecture, and even if she rented a house, she'd fear roving bandits...

She saw Sixteenth Master's socks.

"Don't move him!" The burly man came toward them, his large, fan-like hands still stained with blood—whether his own or that of the square-faced man's subordinates, she couldn't tell. "He's overexerted himself; there may be internal injuries as well. Be careful not to worsen his condition!"

The free-spirited man's expression was grim as he said to the man who looked like a shopkeeper: "Weren't we supposed to mobilize the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission to suppress the bandits? Why is there still no movement?"

Fu Tingjun suddenly thought of Ninth Master's appearance... and her own... One face weathered by travel, the other accustomed to ease and luxury...

Not yet married, so Ninth Master naturally wouldn't need to observe mourning for his "father-in-law."

The man was momentarily startled, then a relieved smile spread across his face: "Miss, let me do it! You couldn't possibly lift him alone!" His voice was thin and soft, gentle as the spring breeze in March, most pleasant to hear—a stark contrast to the hoarse voice from before.

As for whom she was mourning, let them speculate all they liked!

Fu Tingjun snapped back to her senses, momentarily unsure how to respond.

That person's voice was somewhat rough, sounding hoarse, as if deliberately lowering his voice.

How could she possibly accept a man's handkerchief!

"We came with twenty men in total." The man with the fleshy face spoke at a measured pace, with a steadiness like a mountain. "With me..." He lowered his voice further. "Only I was fortunate enough to encounter Sixteenth Master. He's gone to send word back. He'll arrive shortly."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Fu Tingjun looked up and saw a face with delicate, handsome features.

"Benefactor!" She lowered her head slightly, strong yet with a touch of vulnerability. "Thank you for saving my life. Might I know your name, benefactor? So that I may set up a longevity tablet for you and pray to the Bodhisattva to bless you with peace and safety, fortune and honor, flourishing descendants, and prosperity..."

Fu Tingjun bit her lip and knelt upright before Sixteenth Master.

Her dark eyes glistened with tears, appearing even more crystalline and translucent, like fine jade.

Her hands and feet trembled as she took several deep breaths before the cocoon silk tore with a "rip."

So that was his real voice?

Fu Tingjun's body stiffened.

Who was this person?

Sixteenth Master smiled and nodded at the fleshy-faced man, saying "Good work," then asked: "Are you the only one?"

Someone walked in with light, agile steps: "Sixteenth Master!"

Fu Tingjun suppressed the shock in her heart.

The two of them fell a few steps behind, following Sixteenth Master.

"We can't use the Attack and Disperse Powder," the burly man said. "It moves qi and guides stagnation—good for his internal injuries—but he also has external wounds. Use Salvia Drink first to strengthen the root and nurture the origin. Once he regains consciousness, then the Attack and Disperse Powder won't be too late."

Then there was only one possibility... She steeled herself and said in a low voice: "I am his betrothed, not yet wed!"

It was the voice of the man who looked like a shopkeeper.

The man the burly one called "Liansheng" nodded, then said with some hesitation: "I also brought the Attack and Disperse Powder. What do you think—should I give him two pills as well?"

Fu Tingjun had read some medical texts and knew both remedies; the pharmacological reasoning was sound. She nodded inwardly, gaining more confidence in the man's medical skill.

Were they talking about those two women who had fainted?

"How is it?" Sixteenth Master asked the burly man. "How are his injuries?"

He looked somewhat embarrassed as he crouched down to help Zhao Jiuye up.

Didn't this man understand the principle of maintaining distance between men and women?

Fu Tingjun grew wary and pricked up her ears to listen closely, but what reached them was the burly man's voice: "Liansheng, you should have some Salvia Drink on you, right? Take out two pills to help him out!"

She broke out in a cold sweat.

Fu Tingjun and the handsome, delicate-featured man hardly dared to breathe, so although the two men speaking at the temple entrance kept their voices low, fragments of their conversation still drifted over intermittently.

Fu Tingjun cast a curious glance at him.

Why was he lowering his voice to speak with her?