Song in the Peach Blossoms - Chapter 23.1

After adding oil and vinegar to his words for effect, Xiao Xuan painted the picture in a way that made the lands south of Xiyao City sound Like a minefield, while to the north lurked cannibal tribes. The whole region, in his telling, resembled a Middle Eastern war zone, thick with gunpowder smoke, where a moment’s carelessness could land you in the midst of a terrorist’s attack.

I wasn’t particularly convinced until less than three days later, an incident proved that Xiao Xuan hadn’t been bluffing.

According to Yunxiang, a spy had slipped into the Yan army camp, intending to poison the grain supply. Fortunately, he was caught in time, averting disaster.

Yunxiang’s storytelling skills had apparently skyrocketed without my noticing, like prices shooting straight up in wartime:
“They say it happened just before sunrise, when the soldiers on watch were at their most exhausted. The land was as black as ink, the darkness threatening to swallow even the light of the torches. Out of the gloom, a shadow darted past a corner of the wall, yet no one noticed. Taking full advantage, the spy flew towards the grain depot, his feet barely touching the ground. In an instant, he leapt onto the rooftop, lifted a tile, and raised his hand to scatter poison powder. But in the blink of an eye—so fast the words can barely keep up—a silver gleam flashed through the air. A snow-feather arrow whistled and struck him right in the chest, knocking him off the roof. The soldiers, now fully awake, turned to see His Highness Prince Yan walking towards them, steps steady, expression calm and unhurried, a mighty eagle-hunting bow in his hand…”

“Stop!” I interrupted.

Everyone looked at me in puzzlement.

I asked, “When even the chickens are still sleeping, what was Xiao Xuan doing in that godforsaken place?”

Yunxiang scratched her head and guessed, “Maybe the Prince was out on an inspection tour?”

“Inspection?” I gave a wicked smile. “Maybe he was playing Zhou Bapi!”

Little Jue Ming, ever eager to learn, asked, “What’s Zhou Bapi?”

I told the children a story: “Once, there was an evil landlord who constantly abused his hired labourers. He made them get up to work the moment the rooster crowed. But to squeeze more work out of them, every day he would sneak into the chicken coop and imitate a rooster’s crow himself.”

Jue Ming touched his short-haired head and asked, “So you mean the Prince went to crow like a rooster to make the soldiers wake up early for drills?”

I doubled over laughing. “Possible! Entirely possible!”

But clever and quick-witted little girl Pinlan objected, “He’s the Prince. Whatever he says, the soldiers have to do. Why would he need to be so roundabout in making them work?”

I nearly collapsed from laughter. “Little sister, you’re too young and inexperienced. Everyone has sides they don’t want others to know. Many people have a few… shall we say, unshareable hobbies…”

“Then tell me,” she challenged, “what could be my shameful hobby?”

“In the dead of night, under a dark sky with high winds, you slip away without returning… The range of possibilities is as vast as this grassland.”

“Be more specific?”

“Squatting in a corner and drawing circles is also a form of performance art…”

A sudden bad feeling struck me, and I turned my head, only to see the handsome and majestic Prince Yan himself, Comrade Xiao Xuan, leaning gracefully against the courtyard gate, smiling at me in a way that was both charming and sinister. The smile made goosebumps rain down my arms like a sudden shower.

“Second Brother,” I forced a smile, “what brings you, a noble person, to my humble grounds? Do you have any words for me?”

Xiao Xuan’s smile became even more kind and affable. “I dare not offer you any words of advice. I simply invite my dear sister to take a walk with me.”

When someone approaches you for no reason, it’s most likely either treachery or theft. A cold wind seemed to sweep down my back. “I need to… visit the washroom,” I said.

Xiao Xuan grabbed my arm. “Please, hold it in for now.”

He took me to the army camp.

I’d been in Xiyao City for nearly a month, but this was the first time I had entered the Yan army camp. The words “army camp” almost carried the same weight as the slogan “No women or enemies allowed inside.” I had dutifully followed the expected propriety, kept my distance from weapons, and never pried into military affairs.

I’d long heard that Xiao Xuan ran a strict army, forbidding the presence of women in the camp during wartime. Now, since this was only a period of covert preparation for war, my entry was still reasonable. Even so, as I walked in, I couldn’t help feeling that his army was somehow different from others.

Not only were the grounds levelled and the roads wide, but the barracks themselves were neatly lined up. Even the chopped firewood in the kitchen camp was cut to identical lengths and stacked with perfect precision. Xiao Xuan walked with me openly, not bothering to avoid watchful eyes, yet the soldiers passing by all carried out their duties without a single sideways glance in my direction.

How on earth had he trained them like this…?

Suddenly, my nose bumped into Xiao Xuan’s back. I stumbled and nearly fell, but he reacted quickly, grabbing me and scolding,  “You’ve got eyes in front of your head and don’t even use them to look at the road!”

I shot back, “And what, some people have eyes in the back of their head?”

A soldier nearby failed to stifle a laugh, and a snort escaped him. Xiao Xuan’s eyes shot over like twin laser beams. The young man flinched violently, his face draining of colour.

I tugged at Xiao Xuan’s sleeve. “What’s the point? If you don’t make a fool of yourself, no one else can laugh at you.”

His brows shot up. “Are you saying I was the one making a fool of myself?”

Mister Sun emerged just in time from a large, hemp-coloured tent, preventing the argument from further undermining Xiao Xuan’s image as a leader.

“Your Highness, Miss Min! You’ve arrived at last!” Mister Sun exclaimed, visibly relieved.

I saw Mister Sun dressed in pristine white clothes, wearing white gloves, both of which I had prepared for him as work attire. Unable to hold back, I asked, “Mister Sun, who’s fallen ill?”

Mister Sun replied, “Come in and I’ll tell you.”

I was about to step forward when Xiao Xuan suddenly pulled me back. “There’s a patient inside. Just talk here.”

I was caught between laughter and exasperation. “I’m a doctor. How can I treat someone without seeing the patient? Do you think I can just talk treat well with my mouth?”

“This illness… is fatal.”

“Physicians deal with death and disease every single day, don’t they?”

I shook off Xiao Xuan’s hand decisively, ignored him, and ducked into the tent with Mister Sun. Xiao Xuan, helpless, had no choice but to follow.

The large tent was easily the size of a basketball court, partitioned into several sections. In each one lay seven or eight soldiers. Their faces were flushed red, sweat streaming down; some lay in a stupor, some clutched their stomachs, groaning faintly. Several physicians were moving about, tending to them with hurried hands.

“This is…” I was stunned. “I thought the poisoning attempt had failed?”

Xiao Xuan said, “We did catch the infiltrator at the granary, but there were oversights elsewhere. These soldiers only fell ill this morning after drinking water.”

I went over to take the pulse of one soldier while asking, “Have there been any new cases since then?”

Mister Sun said, “None for the moment. The first onset happened before breakfast, so we caught it in time, and all the water and food were discarded. A few physicians are still investigating the source.”

After examining the soldier carefully, I thought for a moment and said to Mister Sun, “The patient’s tongue coating is a vivid orange-red. I wonder if you’ve noticed that, sir.”

Mister Sun nodded. “I noticed first thing this morning. It reminded me of a flower from the State of Qin called Xiyan. This flower is orange-red in colour and grows in geothermal areas. It is extremely poisonous. Those who ingest it suffer orange-red tongue coating, abdominal cramps, and a high fever, leading to death from exhaustion.”

“You’re right,” I said. “But Xiyan flower is extremely toxic, and symptoms strike immediately, with unbearable pain as soon as one is poisoned. From what I see, these soldiers are ill, but their condition is not so severe. My guess is that the poisoner must have added another drug to suppress the toxic effects of Xiyan, hoping to delay the onset of the poison. It’s just that they must’ve miscalculated the dosage, so the poison acted earlier than planned.”

Mister Sun said, “There are no fewer than a dozen medicines that can counter Xiyan. I’ve tried many with the other physicians, but we haven’t found a complete solution. So, I invited you to help, Miss Min.”

He introduced me to the other physicians. After brief greetings, we began discussing the patients’ conditions. Xiao Xuan watched me for a while before turning away to talk with his subordinates.