Chapter 3: His Majesty Is Furious

Chapter 3: His Majesty is Fuming

Within the borders of Danyang, a brown horse galloped swiftly along the main road.

The carriage sped along but moved exceptionally smoothly, with the fields on either side of the window flying past as they receded behind. Xu Jiao put down the support rod and turned back, looking at the intricately carved sandalwood treasure box on the table, which was filled with treasures and fine jade.

She sighed, "These items are worth a fortune in gold. They're demanding a king's ransom."

Lan Xi sighed in resignation, having no way to dissuade Xu Jiao from her plan.

"My lady, you said you were going to the Phoenix Terrace to offer prayers for the past empresses, but you slipped out quietly instead. If the palace finds out, you will surely be disciplined. Moreover, we have no idea who those people are. How could you dare to splurge a fortune to deal with them? And with just a few of us."

Xu Jiao replied, "Who said it's just a few of us? Aren't we heading to the Xiaoyong Battalion?"

Lan Xi was surprised, "Are you going to find the young lord?"

After these words, Zhong Lu, who was sitting to the side, couldn't help but speak up, "Young Lord Xu, the one who was in the service of Crown Prince Gonghuai as a cavalry commander? I remember the young lord was serving as the Prefect of Ruyin concurrently, wasn't he?"

Xu Jiao pouted, "My brother couldn't continue as the Prefect, so he had to pack up and return to fight bandits."

Zhong Lu was puzzled, "How could that be? The young lord has always been renowned for his integrity..."

Neither Xu Jiao nor Zhong Lu continued the conversation. Xu Lin had always been principled and aloof, refusing to associate with others. However, the key territorial positions in Nanyuzhou were now the main battleground between the Gonghuai Faction and the Jiangxia Faction. Without the support of his cousin, Crown Prince Gonghuai, he was quite unhappy and simply led his retinue to join the Xiaoyong Battalion to suppress bandits.

When the carriage arrived at the Xiaoyong Battalion, a line of silver-clad soldiers stood in formation, and Xu Lin's deputy, Wei Shao, was already waiting on the side.

Xu Jiao looked at him and asked, "Where is my brother?"

"Reporting to my lady, bandits appeared yesterday, and the general went to suppress them. Please follow me to the tent to rest first."

Xu Jiao nodded, "General Wei, this trip is confidential. There's no need to address me by my official rank in the army."

Wei Shao cupped his hands, "As you command, Second Madam."

The tent was indeed prepared with bathing supplies. After wiping off her sweat, Xu Jiao waited in the tent for a while before hearing the deep sound of a horn.

Like low, layered clouds on the horizon, vast and prolonged.

"The general has returned—"

"The general has returned—"

The iron hooves trampled the ground, shaking the tent's mast, and the water in the wooden cup on the table rippled in circles.

Xu Jiao waited for a while but didn't see her brother. Unable to sit still, she simply took off her outer robe and went out of the tent herself.

She asked, "Where is Xu Lin?"

The guarding soldier replied, "Military Advisor Zhang and others were severely injured. General Xu is now at the field hospital."

Military Advisor Zhang was Xu Lin's childhood playmate and had once followed Xu Jiao around, calling her "sister" with a runny nose.

Xu Jiao's heart darkened instantly, and she unconsciously walked towards the field hospital.

Pulling open the tent, a strong smell of blood and sweat hit her face, mingling with the cries of pain from the naked wounded.

Xu Jiao frowned tightly. Xu Lin, still in armor, quickly stepped forward and pulled her out of the tent.

"Sister, why did you come here?"

Xu Jiao grabbed his hand and quickly scanned him up and down, "Are you hurt?"

Xu Lin shook his head, "No. But many of my soldiers are badly wounded."

Before he could finish, a skinny messenger, nimble as a monkey, suddenly appeared from nowhere.

He knelt on one knee, "Report! Commanders Fang and Xu are also requesting military physicians."

Xu Lin nodded, "Send them over."

The messenger hurried away, and a medical officer came out of the tent, bowing to Xu Lin, "Military Advisor Zhang has broken ribs and is in critical danger. He needs bone setting and careful care. Please assign some personnel, General."

Xu Lin clenched his fists, troubled, "We are short on medical personnel. Where can we find so many people skilled in medicine?"

Xu Jiao, listening to their conversation, asked suspiciously, "Isn't the military adequately staffed?"

Xu Lin said coldly, "During the epidemic, most were drafted to combat the disease, and many were lost. Those remaining are mostly stationed at the northern front. We were allocated very few resources here."

"Have you not trained new personnel?"

Xu Lin snorted through his nose, "Learning medical texts and skills isn't that fast..."

His words reminded Xu Jiao.

"I've brought a few experienced female physicians with me. Why not assign them to help out?"

Xu Lin was taken aback, raising an eyebrow, "Female physicians?"

He seemed to find it amusing, "Apart from camp followers, how can women enter the military camp?"

Xu Jiao glared at him coldly, "Then what am I?"

Xu Lin realized his mistake and apologized, "You are visitors. I mean, there is no such thing as female physicians in the military."

The wailing inside the tent seemed about to lift the tent's roof, and Xu Lin's face turned pale.

Xu Jiao pointed at the tent, "Those are your comrades' men!"

Xu Lin hesitated for a moment, then finally made a decision.

"Very well, let them come."

Zhong Lu and the others rolled up their sleeves and stepped into the tent full of men. The soldiers' eyes instantly focused on the female physicians like torches.

However, these female physicians had weathered many storms and worked methodically with the military physicians to set bones, fumigate with mugwort, and prepare medicines.

A few highly skilled ones even surpassed the military physicians, diagnosing and prescribing for the wounded.

In just two or three nights, most of the patients in the infirmary had their fevers subside, much faster than before.

Xu Lin was somewhat astonished and invited Zhong Lu to inquire in detail, asking if they had any secret formulas.

Zhong Lu smiled, "The soldiers are naturally robust, but the previous caretakers were all men, unfamiliar with medical care, and their methods were rough. We just provided diligent care, there's no secret formula."

Zhong Lu gracefully retreated.

Xu Lin pondered, and Xu Jiao said beside him, "I opened a female physician's clinic at my elder sister's estate. Why not transfer some personnel here to alleviate the urgent need?"

Xu Lin pressed his long fingers to his forehead, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of the matter.

Xu Jiao tapped his head, "Many in the Xiaoyong Battalion are our family's retainers; we can't let them be wasted like this. It's fine if I seek fame, but how have you gone backward? This isn't like you. When you outmaneuvered the Qi army back then, you didn't think so much."

Xu Lin pulled his head away from Xu Jiao's hand and sighed, "Alright. But once in the army, they must follow military orders."

Xu Jiao hummed in agreement, then frowned again, "How is the discipline in your army? You need to protect them; you can't let anyone..."

Xu Lin's expression remained unchanged, "There are no camp prostitutes in my army. If there are any who dare to disrespect, I will not forgive."

Only then did the siblings calm down and discuss another matter.

Xu Jiao explained the origins of the aconite clearly, and finally, she looked at the flickering candle on the table.

She whispered, "Brother, this is dangerous. If you're unwilling, actually—"

But before she could finish, Xu Lin slammed his fist on the table, spilling the tea.

"Don't say anymore. The plot against Crown Prince Gonghuai and the injury to my sister, I will surely avenge this."

Xu Lin was personally trained and nurtured by Crown Prince Gonghuai, their relationship was that of teacher, friend, and brother, different from others.

He stood up, took the tally token from under the commander's seat in the tent, and said coldly, "What time did you arrange with sister?"

Xu Jiao looked past the candlelight and slowly said, "At the hour of Hai, at the Jinshan Temple on Golden Ox Mountain."

"Good, I will secretly deploy troops to set an ambush."

Xu Jiao lowered her voice, the candlelight reflecting in her eyes like stars.

"Be careful in everything."

***

Danyang, Golden Ox Mountain.

This place is full of mountain ridges. After the epidemic, many scattered bandits hid here. The court organized several encirclements and suppressions, and now the mountains are much quieter.

At the hour of Hai, at Jinshan Temple. The mountain is peaceful, the garden quiet, under the cover of stars.

The temple has long been dilapidated, the threshold of the mountain gate half damp and half rotten, the Vajra Buddha half peeled to reveal a rust-black interior, the lotus seat with stone marks overgrown with moss, fallen leaves scattered in the courtyard, a scene of decay and desolation.

Without lighting lamps or torches, under the starlight and moonlight, Xu Jiao, Zhong Lu, and six skilled retainers arrived together.

They wore masks, their robes lined with soft armor, cautiously stepping into the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard in the woods, Xu Lin and a group of strong men hid their horses, waiting for the movements inside the courtyard.

The west wind howled, blowing the fallen leaves.

Zhong Lu was the first to speak, lowering her voice, "Since you've come, why not come out and meet."

A sinister laugh floated from the courtyard, "Did you bring enough money?"

"We did."

Zhong Lu opened a wooden box, inside which pearls and jade emitted a delicate luster, clear and bright under the moonlight.

From inside came another voice, "Didn't you say you would bring gold ingots?"

Zhong Lu gripped the edge of the box and replied, "This box is worth more than gold ingots."

There seemed to be a slight commotion inside the courtyard, then it settled down, and only then did he say, "The deal is over, we only want gold ingots."

Zhong Lu hesitated, her gaze lingering on Xu Jiao.

Xu Jiao paused for a moment behind her mask before speaking, "These days, gold ingots are only made by the state treasury—clunky and hard to carry around. If you try to use them, you’d have to break them down, and the authorities would catch on quick."

"What I’ve got is small, varied, and easy to get rid of."

After she spoke, the courtyard went dead silent. After an unknown period, a voice from within the courtyard spoke again, "What do you need the Aconite for?"

Xu Jiao clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms, "What do you think Aconite is for? You know, don’t you?"

After a while, the voice inside asked, "Who’s the target for the poison?"

Xu Jiao thought, Why are you prying? This isn’t how business works.

Xu Jiao cleared her throat and said, "Since we’re here to do business, let’s cut to the chase. Why not come out and talk face-to-face? If we hit it off, we can keep doing business."

There was another silence. Li Tao looked at Xiao Wei, who tightly gripped the note in his hand, resisting the urge to tear off Xu Jiao's mask.

He motioned to Li Tao to fire the arrow.

An arrow, carrying a pouch of Aconite, thudded to the ground in front of Xu Jiao.

Xu Jiao flinched, then swiftly grabbed the pouch from the arrow, then threw the box on the ground, and called everyone to run out. Xu Lin quickly called for horses to get them out of there.

A gust of wind rushed through the trees as they galloped away, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief, "That nearly scared me to death."

Xu Lin rode up to her, looking at the bag in her hand, "You’re okay—did you get it?"

Xu Jiao nodded, then looked towards the direction of Jingshan Temple.

"Let’s wait a little longer. Once they’re gone, we’ll go back and see if we can find anything."

Before she finished speaking, a red light soared into the sky from the direction of the temple, birds cried out miserably, fluttering into the night sky, the forest began to stir restlessly.

They actually burned the place down to cover their tracks.

Just as Xu Jiao was about to burst out in anger, several riders with flags galloped towards them, their faces anxious.

"General Xu, where have you been? Two hours ago, the Emperor sent orders to mobilize the Xiaoyong Battalion. Deputy Commander Wei sent me to find you and hurry back."

Xu Lin’s face darkened, "At this hour, such urgency—could there be a war?"

The soldier shook his head, "I don’t know the specifics, but you better hurry down the mountain."

Xu Lin tightened the reins and quickly led everyone down the mountain.

As they neared the camp gate, they saw torches lit everywhere, the flames illuminating the dark sky.

From afar, they saw a row of neatly dressed Imperial Guards in red and gold armor sitting on dark purple steeds outside the camp gate.

The captain spotted the group, stumbled forward, his face twisted with worry.

"General, where have you been! Half an hour ago, the Emperor arrived with the Imperial Guards—they’re now mobilizing troops in the main tent. They’ve already sent two golden tokens to find you!"

The camp gates swung open in the distance, gaping like a beast’s maw, ready to swallow them whole.