Chapter 288: Going Ahead

Chapter 288: Going Ahead

In recent years, although Annam and Yu had constant friction, wars on this scale were still rare. Because what Annam wanted was never a real fight with Yu, but rather to show Yu that their country also had strength.

Annam was bordered by other countries as well. Using their entire national army to fight against a single province of Yu would be madness unless they had lost their minds.

After failing to gain an advantage in the second major battle, the King of Annan had already begun to regret it—not just a little regret, but regret so deep he was sick with it.

"What that young man from Yu said before turned out to be true!" The King of Annan flew into a rage in his palace, smashing golden plates and jade bowls into pieces. Not a single palace attendant dared to stand up and counsel him; they all knelt trembling on the ground.

This was because the last palace attendant who had tried to counsel the King of Annan had already been dragged out by the guards and beaten to death.

Outside the hall, a guard led an elderly man with white hair to the palace gates. "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is here to see you."

The King of Annan was actually quite young, appearing to be under thirty, but his brows were filled with ferocity. Having just lost his temper, he looked even more menacing. He said gruffly, "Invite the Prime Minister in, and... drag these worthless slaves kneeling on the ground out and beat them to death!"

When the old Prime Minister stepped into the vast palace, what he heard was the King's furious roar and the chaotic, desperate pleas of the palace attendants.

He let his wrinkled eyelids droop and let out a soft sigh. "Your Majesty, we must not send troops against Yu again."

The King of Annan knew perfectly well that they could no longer afford to keep fighting. There was only one true sovereign under heaven, and that was the Emperor of Yu. Rulers of small countries like theirs could only style themselves kings on their own turf, never emperors.

But if they just caved like this, what would the neighboring countries think of Annam? Moreover, the reason they had gone to such lengths to provoke Yu was because Annam had suffered consecutive heavy rains in recent years—crops got flooded season after season, the people could barely scrape by, and the court could not collect taxes.

The King of Annan wanted to win a glorious battle to prove his country's strength, ideally seizing Qinzhou, looting it clean, and then suing for peace with Yu. The crown prince sent by one of Yu's imperial princes was a bonus on top of that, giving them more leverage to squeeze out money and goods.

But nobody had expected the crown prince to actually die!

He died right on their soil!

Now they were fighting with their backs against the wall, and the high officials in the know were all panicking, scared stiff that their country might get wiped off the map at any moment.

But the current emperor of Yu was very kind... surely he wouldn't, right?

"It's exactly as that young man from Yu said back then—that person truly went back on his word!" The King of Annan wasn't stupid—in fact, he was the sharpest of the old king's sons. When Prince Lian had sent someone to find him back then, he'd already figured out who the other party was.

The King of Annan had also just clawed his way to the throne over his brothers. The ones in Yu who most wanted their crown prince dead were bound to be the other imperial princes. The Yu ruler only had a few grown princes. He couldn't say exactly which one, but he was sure it was someone from the royal family.

But what did that matter? They were now pinned at their own doorstep, getting beaten, too scared to offend anyone—a truly awkward spot.

"Your Majesty." The old Prime Minister, who'd only said one thing since coming in, suddenly spoke up. "A man from Yu wants to come into the palace to see you."

The King of Annan got a headache just hearing about Yu people. He barked, "Is it another envoy from one of Yu's imperial princes?"

The old Prime Minister spoke carefully. "Not just any prince... it's the Crown Prince of Yu."

The King of Annan's eyes bugged out. "Who? Which crown prince?"

—

After getting out of Annam's capital safe and sound, the Crown Prince tucked the letter Meng Wan had failed to get back into his robes, looking pleased. Ge Quan and Qin Xiaoyun rode on either side of him. The three of them mounted up and, instead of going by water, crossed back into Yu from Ningming County on Annam's northwest border. They left Qin Jiao behind—he was still at the border, itching to charge into Annam for revenge—and headed straight for Xiwu Prefecture.

By then, Song Tingzhou had already gotten his transfer order from the Ministry of Personnel. He was keeping his cool better than Meng Wan and Lin Congrong. After making sure the order really came from the ministry and wasn't a fake, he first wrote to Meng Wan, who still hadn't come back from Yangzhou, and then to Teacher Nie in Heshan County and a few close friends.

After the letters, he also made a point of telling his mother they might be leaving—heading out from Xiwu Prefecture to Shengjing.

Chang Jinhua had just come home in a great mood. Lately, business at both shops had been picking up more and more. Some of her staff had suggested she open another location, but after mulling it over all night, Chang Jinhua dropped the idea.

She didn't have Meng Wan's knack for things, and as she got older, her bookkeeping wasn't all that sharp either. Hanging on to these two shops and making a little money was already the best she could ask for.

She'd figured she'd retire in Lingnan, but her son's words hit her like a ton of bricks.

Go to Shengjing? Had Da Lang gotten promoted again? What about her shops? And Wan Geer wasn't even home—who could she turn to for advice?

With Meng Wan gone, the Song household was in a real tizzy for a while. Huang Ye, who usually stuck close to Meng Wan, was sharp and organized, acting as the household's steward. But the house had way too much stuff. If they hauled it all back to Shengjing, it'd take at least thirty or forty carts, and that wasn't even counting the big furniture they used every day.

What to take, what to leave—and anything left in the house would rot in Lingnan's humidity. So figuring out what to do with it all was another headache, and there was no way they'd finish packing anytime soon.

The imperial order was urgent, and Song Tingzhou couldn't hold off leaving with the whole family. He could only wrap up things in Xiwu Prefecture, pack two carts of stuff, and head to the capital to take up his post.

Meng Wan's standard arrangement was that when the two of them traveled far, they needed at least one physician and one martial artist by their side. Xue Sheng was definitely going to accompany Song Tingzhou to the capital. The Three Tao brothers and Qiao Xingyuan also said they would follow Song Tingzhou, and they were all busy packing their belongings to move the entire family to the capital.

The remaining physician was A Xun, which was also an agreement Meng Wan had made with the Miao people in the early days.

"A Xun, when you get to Shengjing, you must behave yourself. The waters there run too deep. Don't act rashly without orders from Meng Fulang." Qing Xing admonished A Xun. She herself had fallen without any reason back then, and looking back now, she realized that in the eyes of those nobles, she wasn't even worth an ant.

A Xun had grown up, his temperament very similar to Qing Xing's. Years of practicing medicine and witnessing the many facets of human nature had made him far more steady than when he was young. He packed his belongings with his hands missing two fingers, his tone carrying both curiosity about the unknown life ahead and reluctance to leave his family.

"Don't worry, Sister. I won't run around anywhere. Wherever Meng Fulang goes, I go. Is that alright?"

Qing Xing patted his head and smiled gently. "When you were little and Grandpa first picked you up, you were already pitiful enough. Then you suffered so much with us afterward. Fortunately, you met Meng Fulang."

Ren Dong and Xiaoji were also inside the room helping A Xun pack. Bai Wei sat on a small wooden stool by the bed, saying with childish innocence, "Meng Fulang is the best, the most beautiful, and the most capable person in the whole world!"

Everyone in the room couldn't help but laugh.

"A Xun, it's already this late—why hasn't Chu Ci come to our house to propose yet?" Xiaoji asked out of nowhere.

A Xun's face flushed crimson in an instant—not from shyness but from anger. He stood up and grabbed Xiaoji's ear. "What 'A Xun'? Call me Second Brother! You're getting more and more disrespectful."

"Ow, ow, ow! Second Brother, am I wrong?" Xiaoji asked, somewhat unconvinced.

Even Qing Xing chimed in, "A Xun, although it's true that we're reaching above our station, you and Xiao Ci have been together day after day for so many years. If you were to marry him, Grandpa and I would both be at ease."

A Xun was seventeen this year—no longer a child who knew nothing. The only people around him besides Chu Ci were patients seeking treatment. As for Chu Ci, he could say he liked him, yet he always felt something was missing, though he couldn't quite articulate what.

"Sister, it's not like I'm the one who decides to marry and Chu Ci will just agree. Besides, I'm the second child—shouldn't you be the one to marry first before worrying about my matters?"

A Xun had been talkative since childhood, and Qing Xing was left speechless by his retort.

Xiaoji carried an armful of clothes from the trunk to the bed to fold them, interjecting, "Sister is about to get married! Brother Jin's second brother came to the prefectural city to find Sister a few days ago."

"Xiaoji, I think you really are asking for a beating." Qing Xing frowned and scolded her younger brother.

Turning to see the curious looks from her younger siblings, Qing Xing had no choice but to explain, "If I had wanted to marry, I would have done so back in Heshan County. Brother Jin's second brother came to deliver wedding invitations—he's getting married."

Hearing this explanation, no one was particularly surprised. A Xun hesitated for a moment before asking again, "Sister, what about Mr. Xu? It's been a long time since he last came to Xiwu Prefecture."

Qing Xing froze for a moment. She lowered her head and picked out a few thicker garments, folding them neatly. "I don't know. Maybe he won't come again."

Though the climate in Lingnan was still uncomfortably hot, September in Shengjing already required thicker clothing. The Miao people were accustomed to a frugal life, and even though the medical clinic was doing good business, they never squandered money recklessly.

Every year when the Song family had new clothes made, Meng Wan would also have a set made for each member of the Miao family. They never lacked for food or clothing and had managed to save up some silver.

Qing Xing figured A Xun would be accompanying Meng Wan to Shengjing, and it wouldn't look good for him to dress too shabbily—it'd embarrass Meng Wan. The family still had a few bolts of fine fabric Meng Wan had given them, which Qing Xing had been saving. Her sewing wasn't great anyway, so it was better to take the fabric to a cloth shop and have new clothes made for A Xun to take with him.

Song Tingzhou was leaving in a hurry this time, with only a few days to get ready. So early the next morning, Qing Xing headed out the door with the fabric. Summer in Xiwu Prefecture was unpredictable—sunny one minute, pouring rain the next. She hadn't expected to get caught in a downpour halfway to her destination.

Afraid the fabric would get soaked, Qing Xing clutched the bolts and dashed toward the Yu family cloth shop on the main street.

"Why didn't you bring an umbrella before going out?"

The sudden downpour overhead was blocked by an oil-paper umbrella. Qing Xing ducked under it, flustered, and looked up at the sound of that gentle voice—it was indeed Xu Wenjun.

"Mr. Xu? Why are you back in Xiwu Prefecture?"

Xu Wenjun smiled, though there was a hint of bitterness in the smile. "What, you don't want to see me anymore?"

"That's not what I meant..." Qing Xing didn't know how to explain.

He took the fabric from her arms and held it himself, using the umbrella to walk her to the cloth shop. Their shoes tapped against the wet gray pavement with crisp sounds, their conversation slightly muffled by the rain as it drifted out from under the umbrella.

"What are you going to the cloth shop for?"

"A Xun's going on a long trip. I wanted to get two new outfits made for him."

"A long trip? Are you... going too?"

"I'm not. Grandfather's too old. I'll probably stay in Xiwu Prefecture for the rest of my life. Maybe I'll go to the countryside now and then, treating patients who can't afford care."

"You're a good woman with your own dreams and convictions. Compared to you, I'm just a merchant without much of a conscience."

"That's not true. You told me about your family. The fact that you've gotten this far is already amazing."

"Even after all the ruthless scheming I did in the Xu family, you still think I'm remarkable?"

"That was your choice. As long as you feel you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Huh... nothing to be ashamed of?"

"Qing Xing, I could never be someone like you."

"I'm just a really ordinary person."

"I've left the Xu family."

"Ah? Why?"

"Fighting and scheming with those people doesn't seem to mean much anymore. I wasn't even as happy as I am here in Xiwu Prefecture."

"Xiwu Prefecture is a good place."

"Then... can I still come visit you at the Miao family's place?"

"If Mr. Xu wants to come, of course you can..."

A Xun moved into the Song residence early. The Miao family, along with Xu Wenjun, helped carry over several trunks of clothes, his medicine chest, and other stuff. They arrived right in the middle of the Song household's chaos, with Huang Ye running around like crazy, barely touching the ground.

"A Xun, you can stay in Xiao Ci's courtyard for now," Chang Jinhua said, frowning as she packed. "Everywhere else in the house is piled with luggage, so there's nowhere to put you up right now. And whatever of Xiao Ci's things you think might be useful, take them along for him—we don't dare touch his stuff." She'd never felt so reluctant to leave a place, not even when they'd moved from Changping Prefecture to Lingnan.

The shop had been left to Lai Xi and Aunt Qin, and the steward of the Shi Jian post station had also promised to keep an eye on her store. From now on, the monthly profits would be tallied up and sent along with the station's mail to Shengjing.

"Yeah, the eldest young master's courtyard is full of poisons. You're the only one who can go in and tidy up for him," Huang Ye said, dark circles under his eyes, walking past A Xun weakly, sounding like he might fall asleep any second.

A Xun quickly helped him sit down. "Ye Geer, you should rest for a bit. How many days have you gone without sleep?"

"Even if I lie down, I can't sleep. Gui Cheng! That one isn't supposed to go—move it back to the storeroom!" Huang Ye was off again in a whirlwind.

A Yan, looking like a little grown-up, surveyed the chaos in the courtyard and let out a heavy sigh. "Ugh, when's Dad coming back!"

No matter how hard Huang Ye worked overtime, the household couldn't be packed up in time. Song Tingzhou couldn't afford to wait for them, so he set out ahead with the Tao brothers, Xue Sheng, and A Xun.

The Song household's commotion was hard to miss, with all the frantic preparations for the journey and hiring carriages. So news of Song Tingzhou's departure couldn't be kept secret. Before he'd even left, people were already waiting at the Song family's doorstep, and on the day of his departure, the entire city turned out to see him off.

Xiwu Prefecture was now thriving and prosperous, with a total population exceeding even Changping Prefecture, rivaling top-tier prefectures like Fengtian and Lin'an.

Add in the surrounding villages and townships—and had the other four counties not been too far to make it in time, the crowd would likely have been twice as large.

The Zhuang, Yao, and Miao villages, dressed in their three ethnic costumes, served as musicians, playing bamboo flutes, night flutes, reed pipes, and bronze drums.

The rhythm of the bamboo tube zither was chaotic yet orderly, and the fruit bells rang out in crisp bursts. The tianqin's tone was ethereal and bright, while the solo of the ox horn was deep and melodious.

Farewell mountain songs echoed through the valley, waves of sound surging and reverberating throughout the entire city.

The officials in the prefectural office, who were barred from seeing him off due to Song Tingzhou's imposing authority, also heard the mountain songs. They gazed in unison at the two walls filled with books and records personally written by Song Tingzhou, all deeply moved.

What Lord Song had left for the people of Lingnan was far more than just six years of his life.

Song Tingzhou, mounted on his horse, stepped down from the stirrups and bowed deeply to the crowd seeing him off.

In his life, he had knelt once in Changping Prefecture, and that had earned him the chance to benefit the people today. He had never regretted facing the crowd's mocking gazes that day.

He had not read the sages' books in vain, and he had nothing to be ashamed of before the people under his governance.