The Eighth Year of Shenchu
The Journey Home (Part 1)
Upon entering the inner room, Xiaohua served them tea and snacks. The translucent jujube cakes and steaming bean powder cakes made Zhen Wenjun’s stomach growl, as she had not eaten anything since early morning. Wei Tingxu picked up a piece of jujube cake and brought it to Zhen Wenjun’s mouth. The dark brown jujube cake made Wei Tingxu’s fingers appear exceptionally white.
Zhen Wenjun opened her mouth to take a bite of the jujube cake and mumbled a thank you, only to hear Ah Liao clicking her tongue beside them. “Tingxu really dotes on Sister Wenjun, it seems I have no chance to win her favor from you.”
Wei Tingxu wiped the oil off her fingertips with a handkerchief and said, “Stop teasing her with such nonsense and continue what you were saying earlier. How is Suichuan now?”
Ah Liao straightened her expression and said, “The war between the Jixi Kingdom and Yuanqiu has been going on for a year. The King of Ji Xi was captured by the Yuanqiu army, and the Crown Prince, disguised as a refugee, originally intended to escape to Da Yu for help to restore the kingdom. However, he was intercepted midway by a Yuanqiu general and killed on the spot. The Crown Prince didn’t make it across the border, but a large number of Jixi citizens have all come to Suichuan. Now, Suichuan has practically become a second Jixi Kingdom. The Jixi barbarians are incorrigible and have been committing all sorts of atrocities since entering the border. The people of Qixian, which is closest to the Jixi Kingdom, have suffered greatly. Yet, the prefect of the county, Xie Taihang, actually packed up his belongings and fled with his family! Isn’t that laughable? The Xie family must have been reincarnated from turtles, all of them are cowards!”
Ah Liao spoke with great enthusiasm, like telling a story, and laughed heartily after finishing.
Zhen Wenjun lost her appetite upon hearing such important news, leaving the piece of jujube cake unfinished. She had anticipated the chaos brought by refugees, but not to this extent. From Ah Liao’s words, it seemed that the entire Qixian was now occupied by refugees. What about the central government? Could they really just sit and do nothing? And as for the Xie family, Xie Taihang was indeed a useless drunkard and a rotten piece of wood. In the face of national crisis, he actually led the way in fleeing. She had not misjudged him. But where was her mother? Could Xie Taihang really escape without thinking it through? The only place he could go was probably the main Xie family clan in Dongchun. Zhen Wenjun speculated that such an important leverage as her mother would not be handled rashly by Xie Taihang, but she couldn’t be at ease without contacting the Xie family. Recalling the suspicious cough of Uncle Xu yesterday, Zhen Wenjun decided to find an opportunity to meet Uncle Xu alone.
“Even if they managed to come, dying halfway would save Li Ju the trouble of perfunctory efforts. If the court had troops to deploy, they would have done so long ago. Would Jixi have fallen otherwise?” Wei Tingxu chuckled, handing the used handkerchief to Xiaohua. Xiaohua folded it neatly and placed it in a pile for washing later. “With Xie Taihang’s flight, Suichuan is practically handed over to others. Once Suichuan falls, the refugees will swarm into Dongchun. Dongchun is a neighboring county to the capital. If Yuanqui attacks Dongchun next and it falls, the Yuanqui army will surely strike at the heart of Da Yu. The northern main forces will have to split their troops and return to the capital. The already difficult-to-defend northern passes might be destroyed in no time. By then, the two armies will converge and attack Da Yu, and Li Ju will be at his wit’s end.”
Ah Liao laughed heartily, “In the current situation, although Li Ju has the support of senior ministers like the state pillar Xie Fuchen, the Grand Princess also has the support of the Empress Dowager and the reformist faction. In the end, whoever wins the hearts of the people will hold the power. The northern region has been harassed by the Four Great Hu Tribes for years. The generals under Li Ju have fallen in battle, their bodies piling up like mountains, yet they have not managed to clear the barbarians. Instead, they have lost eight counties to them. Not only the civilians in the war-torn north but also the people in the Central Plains are already fearful and full of grievances. The incompetence of Da Yu is the result of Li Ju’s muddle-headedness. If the Grand Princess can quell the chaos in Suichuan and relieve the people, the hearts of the people will tilt even more towards her.”
Wei Tingxu’s words made Zhen Wenjun realize that the Xie family Wei Tingxu had been referring to was not the Xie Taihang family in Suichuan, but the main branch in Dongchun, with Xie Fuchen as the head of the Dongchun Xie family. This explained their apprehension. The name Li Ju also seemed familiar. Where had she heard it before… Zhen Wenjun suddenly remembered, Li Ju was none other than the current emperor! These people were indeed bold, daring to call the emperor by his name, confirming their allegiance to the Grand Princess.
Wei Tingxu smiled meaningfully, “Ziyun is already on the way to Suichuan. We will depart tomorrow and meet up with him next month.”
“Oh? Li Ju actually allowed Ziyun to go to Suichuan?”
“Naturally, he was unwilling, but thanks to that old thief Xie Taihang fleeing, Xie Fuchen was so angry that he feigned illness and did not attend court. Coupled with the strong recommendation of the ministers, Li Ju, with his clumsy tongue, had no way to refuse. Once Ziyun enters Suichuan, it shouldn’t take more than two months to eliminate the threat of the Jixi refugees.”
Zhen Wenjun silently ate more than half of the bean powder cake, which made Xiaohua keep giving her sideways glances.
The name Ziyun bore a striking resemblance to Zizhuo. Since Wei Zizhuo was the youngest child of the Wei family, it was likely that there were many older brothers and sisters above her. This Ziyun might indeed be her older brother.
“Sister Wenjun.” Wei Tingxu suddenly called her out, causing Zhen Wenjun to hurriedly wipe the crumbs from the corner of her mouth and quickly swallow the half-mouthful of cake she had in her mouth, responding:
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“Present!”
“Now that my identity has been exposed, I no longer need to hide and can be free of constraints. On this trip to Suichuan, you will be my right-hand man, and many important tasks will be entrusted to you. Do not let your elder sister down.”
Zhen Wenjun then made a solemn oath, raising her head to see Ah Liao propping her head with one hand, her eyelids drooping and a knowing smile playing at the corners of her mouth. This sight sent a chill through Zhen Wenjun’s heart, and her eyes darted around as she hurriedly recalled if she had been too engrossed in listening earlier, inadvertently revealing a contemplative expression that might have alerted Ah Liao.
“Beautiful.” Ah Liao shook her head, sighing, “Sister Wenjun’s beauty is all seen by my eyes.”
Zhen Wenjun rolled her eyes upward in a large circle, secretly giving her a sidelong glance, “Thank you for the excessive praise, Young Master Liao.”
After staying in Taojun City for a year, she was finally about to leave. Even when Lingbi had packed all the luggage and called for three carriages, Zhen Wenjun still hadn’t received any news from the Xie family; even Uncle Xu hadn’t visited. Perhaps Xie Taihang was truly busy fleeing for his life and had no time to contact her… Thinking of this, Zhen Wenjun felt a bit confused. She hated the Xie family when they sent news, but their complete silence also made her anxious.
The three carriages were basically not loaded with valuables, only some clothes, furs, food ingredients, and kitchen utensils. Although Wei Tingxu did not eat much, she liked Xiaohua to set up a beautifully arranged table of dishes for her, so a whole carriage was filled just with food ingredients and kitchen utensils. Lingbi, Xiaohua, Wei Tingxu, and Zhen Wenjun all sat in a spacious double-horse carriage, while the other maidservants sat in another carriage.
Just as everyone was about to get on the carriage, Xiaohua was about to carry Wei Tingxu into the carriage when Wei Tingxu said, “Wait a while longer.”
“Wait for whom?” Lingbi asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Wait for Uncle Xu Zhongji.”
Lingbi and Zhen Wenjun exchanged a glance. The three-day period had passed, and Zhongji still had not shown up. It seemed he had the self-awareness to fear that if he couldn’t cure her, he would have his eyes gouged out and his hands chopped off, so he didn’t dare to come.
The three carriages were basically not loaded with valuables, only some clothes, furs, food ingredients, and kitchen utensils. Although Wei Tingxu did not eat much, she liked Xiaohua to set up a beautifully arranged table of dishes for her, so a whole carriage was filled just with food ingredients and kitchen utensils. Lingbi, Xiaohua, Wei Tingxu, and Zhen Wenjun all sat in a spacious double-horse carriage, while the other maidservants sat in another carriage.
Just as everyone was about to get on the carriage, Xiaohua was about to carry Wei Tingxu into the carriage when Wei Tingxu said, “Wait a while longer.”
“Wait for whom?” Lingbi asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Wait for Uncle Xu and Zhong Ji.”
Lingbi and Zhen Wenjun exchanged a glance. The three-day period had passed, and Zhong Ji still had not shown up. It seemed she had the self-awareness to fear that if she couldn’t cure her, she would have her eyes gouged out and her hands chopped off, so she didn’t dare to come.
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However, hearing Wei Tingxu’s confident tone, it seemed she was certain that the master and disciple duo would definitely come.
After waiting for the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense (an hour), Uncle Xu and Zhong Ji indeed hurried over on an ox cart.
Zhong Ji saluted Wei Tingxu and said, “I have thought it over. Although the poison of the Ghost Dove is difficult to cure, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a physician. This poison has long disappeared from the world, and I have only seen it in medical books. Scholars read ten thousand volumes, warriors take dangerous peaks, and what physicians pursue all their lives is the ability to save people and cure rare poisons. There may not be a second person who has survived the poison of the Ghost Dove until now, and it is truly my fortune to encounter it. Even if it costs me my eyes and hands, I still want to try. Please, my lady, grant me this opportunity.”
For once, Xiaohua’s face showed a moved expression, and Wei Tingxu allowed her to stand.
“We are going to Suichuan. Would you and your master be willing to go with us?”
Zhong Ji looked at Uncle Xu, waiting for his decision. Uncle Xu sighed and said, “Go, go. At my old age, I am already half-buried in the ground. It’s rare for my disciple to have such high and lofty ambitions, so I can only follow her and wander the world.”
Uncle Xu and Zhong Ji followed them in their ox cart as they headed to Suichuan. Zhong Ji said that Xiaohua needed to fast and abstain from water for an entire day, and starting tomorrow, she would use silver needles to probe the acupuncture points. Xiaohua paid her no mind and only looked at Wei Tingxu. Wei Tingxu nodded slightly, and Xiaohua had no more to say.
Xiaohua carried Wei Tingxu into the carriage, and the four-wheeled cart was also brought in. Inside the carriage were two soft couches covered with soft fur. Lingbi hung drapes between the couches to separate them. Xiaohua and Wei Tingxu slept on the east side, while Lingbi and Zhen Wenjun slept on the west side.
The three carriages slowly set off. Zhen Wenjun recognized that the coachman was one of the shadow guards from the earliest attack by Jiang Daochang and A Jiao. Looking at the other carriages, she saw that the coachmen and attendants were all shadow guards. Each of them had eyes like swords, constantly scanning their surroundings. It wasn’t just Zhen Wenjun’s keen memory; even an ordinary person would find it hard to forget these fierce-looking individuals.
The journey to Suichuan would take more than a month. Although there was a direct official road, the chaotic times were rife with bandits. Even though the carriages were deliberately low-key and looked quite plain, they would inevitably catch the eyes of robbers. With these guards by their side and others protecting from the shadows, bandits were not a concern. However, if political enemies laid a heavy ambush, there would likely be many difficulties.
Seeing that Wei Tingxu and Lingbi had not discussed the dangers of the journey at all, Zhen Wenjun wondered… She looked around the carriage. Could it be that this carriage was also equipped with various hidden weapons and mechanisms?
Wei Tingxu’s actions and style were always unpredictable, and Zhen Wenjun only knew that she was confident and well-prepared. At this moment, Xie Taihang was in no position to protect himself, let alone attempt another assassination on her. Now, Zhen Wenjun truly did not want the Xie family to interfere. She had finally gained Wei Tingxu’s trust, and Wei Tingxu had high hopes for her on this trip to Suichuan. She was counting on making significant achievements. If one day she could leverage Wei Tingxu’s or even the Wei family’s power to rescue her mother, that would be the best outcome.
Wei Tingxu’s frail body could not withstand jolts and bumps, so the carriage traveled very slowly. Only after leaving the city did Zhen Wenjun remember and ask Lingbi, “Isn’t Ah Liao coming with us?”
Lingbi smiled and said, “Ah Liao is too conspicuous when traveling. The lady has always agreed to meet her at a designated location and then travel separately.”
“I see.” Zhen Wenjun looked at Wei Tingxu, who was just behind the hanging drapes, and suddenly realized that she would have to stay close to the unpredictable Wei Tingxu in this carriage for over a month. The thought made her scalp tingle. Luckily, Ah Liao was not here; otherwise, it would be even more unbearable.
After five days on the carriage, they finally stopped at a relay station in a small county town. As the group got off the carriage, Wei Tingxu’s complexion did not look good. When Xiaohua carried her down, Zhen Wenjun noticed that she was frowning slightly and leaning on Xiaohua’s shoulder, her lips also slightly pale, clearly suffering from the fatigue of the journey.
Zhen Wenjun unloaded the four-wheeled cart from the carriage and looked at Wei Tingxu with concern. “Sister, you don’t look well. Should we ask Uncle Xu to take a look at you?”
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Wei Tingxu weakly smiled and said, “Thank you for worrying about me, sister. I’ll be fine after a day’s rest. The journey to Suichuan is long, so you should also rest well tonight.”
Zhen Wenjun replied, “Yes, sister, you should rest early too.”
Xiaohua carried Wei Tingxu into the room, and Lingbi brought some clean clothes, asking Zhen Wenjun whether she would like to bathe first or have a meal. Zhen Wenjun glanced at the sky and said, “It’s still early. I’ll take a bath first to freshen up.”
Lingbi acknowledged and went to prepare hot water. In the past few days, Zhen Wenjun had been jolted around in the carriage so much that her bones felt like they were falling apart. Her waist and legs were aching, and she only wanted to practice some martial arts to stretch her muscles and bones. However, with so many shadow guards around, she didn’t dare to openly train, so she could only stretch her waist and legs in the courtyard of the relay station.
Just as she was about to return to her room, an elderly man with a white beard walked towards her from the opposite direction. Zhen Wenjun hadn’t paid attention to the old man initially, but the word he uttered as they passed by each other left her utterly shocked.
The old man called out, “Alai!”
Zhen Wenjun abruptly looked up and saw Xiaohua and Wei Tingxu standing on the overhead corridor, coldly watching her.
