Chapter 9.1

The Capital.

In the wake of Xiao Youning leaving the capital, the topic about her and the Li Family not only didn’t calm down but because the second branch of the Xiao Family went to ask for the dowry, the discussion only became more intense.

Assistant Minister Li was sitting in the sedan chair as he strolled through the streets and couldn’t help but listen to the rumors. The Xiao Family’s Second Master over there was just the same, being thrown a lot of dirty water.

Moreover, Xiao Family’s Second Master was a minor official in the Department of Military and Horses, a position given by the emperor for the sake of the old marquis, who had never moved higher for years. Others were somewhat afraid of Assistant Minister Li, but not so much by him.

In the past few days, when he went to the courthouse, the people who were talking about him didn’t even try to avoid him or hush themselves. These were all due to that stupid woman in his family, who thought herself clever and dared to conceal from him that she wanted to throw Xiao Youning on the road!

Such a development was something Second Master Xiao had never expected. He had prepared to safely deliver Xiao Youning to Da Tong, but in the end, everything was messed up. He had to swallow his anger and send someone to get Xiao Youning back. If he didn’t bring her back, perhaps his reputation for murdering his niece will hang over his head, just like the Li Family, and he’ll be reminded of it for the rest of his life.

It was during the torment of waiting that Second Master Xiao finally received the news, but it was bad news. It was the bodyguard surnamed Xie who thought he had succeeded and drove back without sleep or rest for two days to report, saying that Xiao Youning would definitely not be able to leave the village.

The village they passed by was already scouted, and they knew that it had been taken over by the neighboring mountain bandits, who took advantage of the refugee chaos, which was why they left Xiao Youning there four days after they came. Mountain bandits were all desperate criminals and Xiao Youning was a young girl. How could she have escaped?

When the bodyguard surnamed Xie was full of confidence that he would receive praise, Second master Xiao kicked him in the chest, leaving him dumbfounded on the spot, and ordered him to take another group of people to that village to look for her.

While the Xiao Family and the Li Family were waiting for Xiao Youning to return to the capital to wash clean their bad reputation, Xiao Youning finally made it to the prefecture’s capital after journeying through the night.

The fever did not go down for a day, she was no longer even talking in her sleep, the entire person breathing weakly. Jian Yin asked around about the best local medical shop and parked the carriage right in front of the door, Ye Shen carried the person off the carriage and, with a gloomy face, asked the doctor on the spot to look at the patient.

The doctor was frightened into a big jump by the entrance of several people being rowdy and later his hands were shaking as he took the pulse and prepared an acupuncture needle.

The person was burned to unconsciousness, and at close proximity was like a stove. He did not dare to say whether or not they could be cured, just asked about the journey and they said they used wine on the road to try and bring down the fever but it was useless. Immediately the doctor yelled for someone to go fetch ice chunks.

Fortunately, it was the middle of summer and there was some ice stored in the medicine shop, so the doctor had someone wrap the ice in bundles and place it on Xiao Youning’s forehead. After pulling the needle out, he instructed Yuan Guo to replace many times the wrapped ice chunks and put them on the back of Xiao Youning’s neck and on the joints of her four limbs.

After asking Ye Shen, he started using fiercer methods. Xiao Youning vomited several times after being dosed with the drug and finally opened her eyes. The doctor heard the person come around and let out a long breath. “She is lucky she survived. The medicine has herbs to stimulate vomiting. Her body is full of evil heat, if she doesn’t puke some of it out, it’ll be very hard for her to recover. It’s good that she’s awake, it’s good that she’s awake…”

Xiao Youning truly woke up on the second half of the night when the fever decreased a little and Yuan Guo cried at her side as she fed her master some porridge. “Miss, you’re scaring me to death. If it weren’t for the decisiveness of the Daoist Master Wu Ye, who brought you here to find a doctor, this hurdle would have been difficult for you.”

Yuan Guo muffled a sob and Xiao Youning, who didn’t even have the strength to speak, could only pull the corners of her mouth into a smile, thinking that when she saw Ye Shen, she had to properly thank him.

On the next day, Xiao Youning was in better spirits again but started coughing until she burst into tears. Ye Shen came at this time with a cold face, saw her eyes red like a rabbit’s, and left without saying anything.

Xiao Youning suppressed her coughs with great difficulty, supported herself by holding onto Yuan Guo’s shoulder, and said, “I also wanted to thank the Daoist priest, but he left.”

Yuan Guo helped her to lie down, revealing a relaxed look that had been rare these past few days. “Jian Yin, who accompanies the Daoist priest said that he would send us back to the capital, so Miss could wait until you get better to go find the Daoist priest to give thanks, it won’t be too late then.”

“I understand.” Xiao Youning nodded her head, but in her heart, the Daoist Master seemed more unapproachable than before, and not at all as merciful as Yuan Guo said he was.

How strange.

But as soon as the thought formed, Xiao Youning threw it to the back of her mind. How could she casually guess her benefactor’s mind? She was nevertheless worried about her father and elder brother’s matter and, after lying down properly, she immediately commanded Yuan Guo. “You go and ask around, see if there’s any new information.”

In the meantime, Ye Shen received a message from the capital, delivered to his hand by a Brocade Clad Guard dressed up in disguise.

Unrolling the letter, he saw it was penned in the Emperor’s handwriting, and what had been sent back to the capital earlier was verified by the Emperor as authentic. There had been progress on what the emperor had been looking into, and the emperor’s happiness could be felt between the words and the lines, with the end of the letter urging him to return to the capital as soon as possible and the rest not being mentioned.

Ye Shen read the letter and, in front of the Brocade Clad Guard’s face, held it up to be burned.

That Brocade Clad Guard, famous for being tough and having a stocky build, wanted to ask for permission to leave. His eyes shook and he called the person to stop, saying, “What about the Ningyuan Marquis from before, who will take over Da Tong?”

The Brocade Clad Guard heard what he said and his complexion remained normal. “Da Tong was taken command by the Marquis of Ningyuan’s former deputy general. It was good news until I arrived here and prevented their attack. The Ningyuan Marquis there… His Majesty still hasn’t convicted him, and yet the cabinet and the imperial censor had people present a memorial to the emperor, wanting His Majesty to promptly give an explanation to those soldiers who died fighting and the common people of Da Tong.”

Still hadn’t been convicted yet.

Ye Shen muttered to himself for a moment and said, “I will rush back to the capital in three days.”

The Brocade Clad Guard left and he sat on the chair, removed the string on his wrist, and twirled one bead after another lightly in his fingertips.

So many soldiers died in the war report, yet the emperor delayed to convict.

A memory suddenly jumped out and he recalled the emperor who, on that day, let him go to the Li Family to attend the wedding. Brows furrowed tightly, but very quickly his face resumed its indifferent expression, except for his extremely bright eyes.