The General Says She Won't Marry - Chapter 17

Lin Aoxue had sustained an injury on her shoulder. Due to delays on the road, she hadn’t received timely treatment, and the wound had already begun to show signs of inflammation. Her forehead was growing hot, her legs felt weak, and even walking made her tremble.

Beichen Ji wanted to support her, but she refused. Watching her stubbornly endure her injury while leading the scattered remnants of their group toward the village, Beichen Ji frowned in confusion.

Liu Meng, the qianhu, took the initiative to ask for directions in the village. When the village chief learned that Lin Aoxue and the others were wounded soldiers returning from the battlefield, he informed Liu Meng that they were in the outskirts of Poyan. Unfortunately, there was no doctor in the village, and to find one, they would need to travel to Yong’an Town.
(T/N: a qianhu is a fifth-rank official, commanding 1,120 soldiers. It literally translates as “thousand-household”)

The village chief offered to send someone to Yong’an to fetch a doctor. Liu Meng was both relieved and grateful. After discussing it with Lin Aoxue, they decided to stay in the village for the night and wait for the doctor’s arrival.

The soldiers took out the medicine they carried with them to ease their pain for the time being. Under the village chief’s arrangements, they crowded into an empty courtyard.

Lin Aoxue’s shoulder wound had already festered. The bamboo arrow was lodged between the bones of her shoulder, causing sharp pain and limiting the movement of her arm. If she left the arrow in overnight, she risked sustaining lasting damage to her left arm.

After some deliberation, she gritted her teeth and asked Beichen Ji to cut off the arrowhead that had pierced through her shoulder. Beichen Ji immediately realized what she intended—she wanted to pull the arrow out herself.

Beichen Ji was momentarily surprised but understood her decision. Such situations were not uncommon on the battlefield, so he volunteered, “You only have one usable hand. How about I help you bandage it?”

It was an ordinary statement, yet it caused a brief, subtle silence. Lin Aoxue lifted her gaze and replied politely but distantly, “There’s no need to trouble you for such a small injury. You should go check on the others.”

Beichen Ji scratched his head. Fortunately, he was already used to Lin Aoxue’s naturally cold and indifferent demeanor, so he didn’t dwell on the awkwardness. Remembering that Shang Wu had also been wounded, he said, “I’ll go check on Shang-xiong, then.”

Once Beichen Ji left, Lin Aoxue picked up her medicine and slipped out of the courtyard under the cover of darkness.

After making sure no one was following her, she walked along a narrow path to the village’s small river, finding a secluded spot to hide. Only then did she let out a quiet sigh, placing the bandages and medicine on a smooth rock before using her one free hand to undo her robes.

The moonlight was dim that night, casting shadows over the riverside. From a distance, Lin Aoxue’s figure was barely visible.

She crouched beside the stone bridge, her collar loosened, revealing skin that was noticeably fairer than that of most men. The contrast between her pale shoulders and the sun-darkened skin of her exposed arms—bronzed from training under the open sky—was stark. But she couldn’t remove her clothing to tend to her wound until the arrow was out.

She only had this one set of clothes; she couldn’t afford to cut them apart. Unlike the burly men around her, she couldn’t simply strip down without a second thought.

Biting down, she gripped the arrow shaft with her right hand and yanked it out in one swift motion.

A searing pain, like a dull blade hacking into her skull, nearly overwhelmed her. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant.

She clenched her teeth so hard that the metallic taste of blood seeped between them. A gush of crimson spilled from the wound, quickly soaking into her robes. Tossing the bloodied arrow aside, she endured the suffocating pain, hastily pulling open her collar and pressing a medicine-soaked cloth against the wound.

Only after a long while did she gradually adjust to the pain. Slowly, she moved her weak left arm to assist her right hand. Holding one end of the bandage between her teeth, she painstakingly wrapped her wound with slow, deliberate movements.

By the time she finished, Lin Aoxue was drenched in sweat.

She gasped for breath, dizziness washing over her in waves, making her feel unbearably miserable. Yet, her rational mind kept her alert—she absolutely could not collapse here. She had to go back, return to the courtyard, and do her best to keep Beichen Ji and the others from noticing anything unusual.

She leaned against a rock for a while, waiting until her breathing steadied before gathering her things and standing up. Swaying unsteadily, she made her way back to the courtyard.

Inside, the soldiers had already settled down for the night. Beichen Ji and Shang Wu were resting against the wall, dozing lightly. Lin Aoxue walked over and sat down two or three steps away from them. But even as she rested, she dared not close her eyes, fearing that if she did, exhaustion would immediately pull her into a deep sleep.

For the wounded soldiers, the night felt especially long. Lin Aoxue forced herself to stay awake, her body alternating between feverish heat and chilling cold. Cold sweat soaked her back. At long last, the sky outside began to brighten with the first pale light of dawn.

Beichen Ji was the first to wake up. This time, he had been lucky—he hadn’t suffered any injuries—so after a night’s rest, he was feeling quite refreshed. Liu Meng woke up soon after. Seeing that Lin Aoxue, Shang Wu, and the other baihu officers were already awake, he roused the remaining soldiers from their deep sleep.
(T/N: a baihu is a sixth-rank official. It is subordinate to qianhu, and literally translates as “hundred-household”)

Liu Meng went to the village chief’s house to express his gratitude for taking them in the previous night and to check on the doctor from Yong’an Town. However, instead of finding any good news, he was met with a troubled expression on the village chief’s face. With a heavy sigh, the old man said, “You might as well take a detour straight to Poyan! We just received news this morning—there’s an epidemic in Yong’an! The doctor can’t leave at all!”

Hearing this, Liu Meng frowned deeply. He thanked the village chief once more and hurried back to the courtyard to deliver the news.

Upon learning of the situation, Lin Aoxue’s expression darkened. Her condition was worsening, and when she looked back at the wounded soldiers behind her, she knew that their medical supplies were running dangerously low. They were already too weak to push forward on a longer route to Poyan.

But with an epidemic spreading in Yong’an, would going there bring even greater trouble?

As both Lin Aoxue and Liu Meng hesitated, Shang Wu suddenly spoke up, “In our current state, heading to Poyan is too much of a stretch. We might as well take our chances in Yong’an. Even if the plague is severe, we can at least find some food and medicine there!”

Beichen Ji agreed with Shang Wu’s reasoning, and the other three baihu officers also refused to take a detour to Poyan. In the end, the group unanimously decided to head toward Yong’an.

Lin Aoxue had her reservations, but she couldn’t find a compelling argument to dissuade them. Besides, her wound was already inflamed—she had no idea how much longer she could endure. With a quiet sigh, she relented to Liu Meng and the others’ decision.

Dragging their exhausted bodies forward, the ragged group of soldiers finally arrived at Yong’an Town, only to be stopped by the gate guards.

The guards refused to let them enter the town, explaining that the epidemic had originated from the Poyan battlefield months ago. Too many people had died in the war, and the corpses had not been properly buried in time. As a result, infected soldiers had continuously been sent to small towns for treatment, which had led to the outbreak.

Lin Aoxue and her nearly one hundred wounded soldiers looked like a group of sickly, half-dead men. The guards were firm in their refusal, declaring that they would not allow any injured soldiers into Yong’an. They wouldn’t even offer them a place to stay and insisted that they leave immediately.

Liu Meng, Beichen Ji, and the others were furious. Beichen Ji, the son of a grand general, had never suffered such humiliation before. Enraged, he lost his temper and erupted into a furious outburst, “We went to war! We risked our lives, one wrong step and we’d be dead! And all to protect you ungrateful bastards! You sons of bitches! What the hell is this?!”

They had defended the border, enduring harsh winds, scorching sun, and the constant risk of never returning, all to protect these common folk. The moment the war horn sounded, no matter what awaited them ahead, they had no choice but to charge forward.

Now that they had lost the battle, wounded and retreating, all they wanted was a place to rest and recover—yet these cowards, who had spent their days in the safety of the town, were now looking down on them with disdain. No one could swallow such humiliation!

Regardless of whether the epidemic had truly originated from the Poyan Battle months ago, the attitude of this guard was simply unacceptable!

Beichen Ji’s furious outburst left the guard in an awkward position. His expression darkened, and he was about to force them away when, suddenly, a gentle female voice came from inside the town gates, making Lin Aoxue freeze in place.

“Brother guard, what is causing such a commotion outside?”

Hearing the voice, the guard turned his head. A woman dressed in plain robes approached with slow, measured steps. She carried a small medicine box on her back, her delicate features serene and composed, her demeanor graceful and dignified, with a warm and gentle smile—it was Yun Yan.

“Ah! Doctor Yun!” The guard flinched in surprise and quickly responded, eager to explain himself. “A few wounded soldiers from the battlefield have arrived. I fear they might worsen the epidemic in town, so I was sending them away.” He chose his words carefully, as if trying to avoid displeasing the woman before him.

However, Yun Yan still furrowed her brows, looking puzzled. “If they have come from the battlefield, why are you driving them away?”

She lifted her gaze and glanced outside the gate. At that moment, her eyes landed on Lin Aoxue. The latter’s complexion was terribly pale, and her shoulder was stained dark red—clearly suffering from a severe external injury. Shifting her gaze, Yun Yan immediately recognized Beichen Ji as well. Turning to the guard beside her, she spoke calmly, “There are people I know among these soldiers. Let them in for now. I will examine them shortly. If any of them are infected with the plague, I will personally ensure they do not endanger the townspeople.”

The guard, already flustered by Yun Yan’s words, became even more embarrassed upon hearing that she personally knew someone in the group. Unable to argue further, he reluctantly stepped aside and allowed Lin Aoxue and the others to enter the town.

“Young Master Lin. Young Master Ji,” Yun Yan greeted them as she approached.

Beichen Ji was utterly stunned, his previous anger completely forgotten. Staring at Yun Yan in shock and delight, he blurted out in disbelief, “Miss Yun Yan, why are you here?”

At his question, Yun Yan merely smiled, offering no detailed explanation.

Lin Aoxue, however, lifted her gaze and gave Yun Yan a thoughtful look. She recalled how Yueqin from Yanyu Tower had once mentioned that Yun Yan was skilled in medicine and frequently traveled to towns and villages near Xingbei Pass to offer free medical treatment.

Just the other day at Yanyu Tower, the welcoming girl had told her that Yun Yan had left on urgent business and had been gone for several days. Meeting her here today, it was clear that Yun Yan must have come upon hearing about the epidemic in Yong’an, rushing over to treat the sick.

Seeing Yun Yan here stirred complicated emotions in Lin Aoxue’s heart. Hearing about someone was always different from seeing them with her own eyes. She had never expected Yun Yan to willingly enter a plague-ridden town, knowingly risking infection, just to help its people.

Beyond that, Yun Yan’s identity now seemed even more mysterious in Lin Aoxue’s mind.

She had always felt that Yun Yan was different from ordinary courtesans, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Now, after seeing this unexpected side of her, it felt like some pieces were starting to fall into place—yet at the same time, everything seemed even more complex and intriguing.

(T/N: Well, as they say, curiosity is the beginning of love~)