Song in the Peach Blossoms - Chapter 23.2

The old doctors, their hair and beards completely white, still persisted in serving the miLitary camp, contributing their remaining strength for the sake of societal harmony. When faced with a research problem, each clung stubbornly to their own opinion, arguing until their faces flushed red and their beards seemed to bristle.

I, a young woman, could only watch helplessly. Then, I noticed a young soldier carrying out a spittoon and quickly called out, “Is that… excrement from the patients?”

“Yes,” the soldier said. “It’s filthy. I’m going to dump it.”

“Wait.” I stepped forward and bent down.

“Miss Min!” Mister Sun cried out in alarm. Somehow, Xiao Xuan appeared instantly, grabbing me by the arm.

But I had already straightened and flashed him a smile. “I was only smelling it.”

Xiao Xuan’s face turned the colour of soy paste. “Why smell that?” he demanded.

I answered with utter seriousness. “It has the scent of blue pine nuts.”

Xiao Xuan pulled me sharply toward him. “I can’t believe you’d actually do that.”

Mister Sun, visibly shaken, trembled in his white beard as he exclaimed, “Miss Min, you are truly… truly…”

I perked up, waiting for his praise, but he clearly couldn’t find the words and ended lamely, “…I never would have guessed it was blue pine nuts.”

I chuckled dryly, “Blue pine nuts are native to the northern lands, very rare. Isn’t there even that story in Liao about someone paying a thousand in gold for it?”

One of the old doctors nearby nodded, “The nobility of Liao have long used blue pine nuts to make incense. It drives away insects.”

I scratched my ear. “Seems all clues point north.”

Mister Sun turned to Xiao Xuan. “Your Highness, what do you think?”

“The Three Northern Kings fell a year ago. If we’re talking timing, it fits. But would he really use such a crude method?” Xiao Xuan bared a sharp, cold smile. “Or perhaps… this is meant as a signal.”

“A provocation?” I guessed. “Deliberately using too little of blue pine nuts, just to warn you that defeating Yan’s army would be as easy as turning a hand?”

A storm gathered on Xiao Xuan’s face, clouds thick and thunder crackling. I stuck my tongue out and hunched my shoulders.

A man’s pride had been provoked, and his political authority was challenged. What could be more serious than this?

Xiao Xuan turned to leave, calling for me to follow. “Come back with me.”

I shook my head. “I’m staying to help Mister Sun.”

Xiao Xuan frowned. “This environment here…”

I cut him off. “I can’t just eat and do nothing.”

Xiao Xuan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m almost touched.”

Mr. Sun stepped forward and said, “Your Highness, rest assured, I will take good care of Miss Min.”

The way he said it, it sounded as if I were the patient here.

Only then did Xiao Xuan reluctantly agree. After giving me a few words of advice, he finally left.

Truth be told, there wasn’t much to do here. The rough and tiring work was all handled by the other soldiers. I worked with Dr. Sun to write prescriptions and perform acupuncture to relieve pain. It wasn’t exhausting in the least.

In a room full of people, I was the only woman. The doctors were fine, but the soldiers were certainly not refined gentlemen. Their tempers, already close to boiling, flared into sudden explosions once pain was added to the mix. The slightly better-off ones, whose stomachs no longer hurt, began cursing “Liao dogs” and the Zhao faction, dragging every female relative of their enemies for eighteen generations into the tirade.

I finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “Are you done yet? What sort of man curses women?”

The burly man in the middle of his swearing fit froze. Having been under my care for several days, they all respected me to some degree. My sudden bucket of cold water annoyed him, but not enough for him to talk back. Instead, he said, “Miss Min, you have a kind heart, so you wouldn’t understand. Those people… there’s nothing cruel or inhumane they wouldn’t do. Take Ruanjia Village, for example, thirty-two families, over two hundred people in total, all because they made weapons to sell to us, Zhao, the old traitor, found a pretext and had the entire village executed. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Brother Ruan Xing. He’s the only one who survived.”

I stared in shock.

Ruan Xing was a capable, quiet, and shy young man with whom I’d barely crossed paths; we weren’t familiar. I hadn’t expected that behind his silence lay such a heavy burden of blood debt.

The big man lowered his voice. “Let’s not even talk about those far away. General Li, you must know him, Miss. His younger sister entered the palace as an imperial concubine but was murdered by Empress Zhao. Then the Zhao faction deliberately brought his daughter into the palace to serve as a maid, only to have her killed as well. That was what finally drove him to join our Prince Yan.”

I exclaimed, “That’s tragic.”

“Not just tragic, there’s more!” The man continued, “Physician Sun, you know him best. He may always seem cheerful, smiling all the time, but his own son was beaten to death with a whip by the son of Prime Minister Zhou.”

A chill spread down my back. “This… big brother…”

The man laughed. “No need to be so formal, Miss. Just call me Old Ma.”

“All right then, Brother Ma, tell me, is there anyone in this army without a story?”

Brother Ma said, “Of course, there are many without tragic tales. Many soldiers were originally from Xiyao City, and only joined the Yan army after he was granted the title of Prince Yan. But His Highness runs the army with strict discipline, rewards and punishes fairly, and commands deep respect. The men truly follow him with their hearts.”

I looked up at the tent’s ceiling, unable to reconcile the image of Xiao Xuan’s roguish, unserious grin with the phrase “commands deep respect.”

Although the poison of the Xiyan flower was fierce, it had been discovered in time, so this batch of poisoned soldiers all pulled through safely. The young men, originally in robust health, recovered their vigour after seven or eight days and were now full of life and energy again.

Xiao Xuan kept the incident quiet, so outsiders knew nothing about the poisoning. Whatever he told the soldiers, they too kept silent about seeking revenge.

My work came to a satisfactory close. Xiao Xuan sent me a box of pearls and two chests of precious medicinal herbs as a token of thanks. Since he was being so polite, I was naturally delighted to accept them, and then went to thank him in person.

But when I arrived at Prince Yan’s residence, the guards stopped me. With a face of iron impartiality, one said, “Apologies, Miss Min, but His Highness has an important guest today, and won’t see anyone today.”

I took out one of the pearls Xiao Xuan had given me and tipped the guard with it. At once, his expression brightened. “You still can’t see him, but I can tell you that it’s a guest from the capital. That’s all I know.”

“All right,” I said. “Then I’ll head back. When you see your prince, tell him I thank him for the gifts.”

A guest from the capital, yet so secretive? Could something major have happened in the capital?

Pondering this, I returned to my courtyard, where Yunxiang was kneading dough with Jue Ming and Pinlan.

Yunxiang explained, “Today is our Qianqiu Festival.”

“What is that?”

“It’s the day the whole family gathers to eat peach cakes,” Pinlan answered quickly.

I understood; it was just like the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Feeling a burst of enthusiasm, I joined the children in making mooncakes, which we disguised as our own “original” peach cakes.

Naturally, Jue Ming busied himself showing off in front of Pinlan. At first, I’d thought this boy was well-behaved and honest, but after these days of observation, I’d discovered that he was sly at heart. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. His outer appearance of simplicity and innocence concealed a calculating mind. In this, he was rather like Xiao Xuan.

The two of them looked alike, shared similar temperaments, and whether father and son or not, they were certainly related. There was no escaping this connection.

The first batch of mooncakes came out of the oven, looking golden, glistening, and irresistibly fragrant.

Feeling smug, I announced, “I suppose I can be considered one of the top ten modern women, both fit to appear in the reception hall and to work in the kitchen.”

“What top in what ten ways?” A familiar voice suddenly rang out.