Chapter 423 : A Life Is On The Line (1)

Shang Da’s group fled with the unconscious Huo Changqing to the gates of Yu City, and by this time, it was already midnight. But the walls were always guarded, and there was no shortage of men for thirty hundred and sixty-five days.

Shang Da called out towards the walls, “I am Shang Da of the Dingbei Army. Open the gate. We want to get in.” Huo Changqing was unconscious, and the twenty or so of them were all wounded. They would have been down if they hadn’t been holding dear to their lives. It was a battle that they had fought in a freaking stupid and cowardly way.

There was no response from the city walls even after Shang Da had shouted for a long time. He was beginning to get angry. “Didn’t you guys hear me telling you to open the gate?” Seeing that there was still not a single sound as a response, Shang Da was so irritated that he wanted to rip someone apart. “Are all the freaking people here deaf or dead?”

After a short while, someone finally spoke up. “How do we know you are not northern barbarians’ spies?” The man who spoke was surnamed Deng, a battalion chief, and his mother came from a side branch of the Xu family. With this connection, he naturally disliked the Dingbei Army.

When Shang Da heard this, he was so angry that he almost spat blood. “Open your freaking eyes to see if we are northern barbarians’ spies!” Seeing that silence came from above again, Shang Da shouted, “Darn it, these men are all wounded, and Huo Changqing Daren1 is unconscious. If we delay Huo Daren1’s treatment and something happens to him, we’ll see if you’re still alive when that time comes.”

Although Huo Changqing had no confirmed official position in the army, his reputation in Yu City was still resounding. Apart from the fact that he was Yun Qing’s master, he had taken about a dozen adopted sons, each as ferocious as wolves and tigers2.

Despite the stars in the sky, the walls were seven or eight metres high, and it was impossible to see the specific situation below. It was reasonable for a battalion chief to be worried, and others could not raise any objections to this reaction.

At this time, an old soldier surnamed Qian, whom everyone called Old Man Qian, stepped forward. He looked momentarily at Battalion Chief Deng before saying, “Battalion Chief Daren1, if they are really from the Dingbei Army, we can’t let them die without even trying to save them. If you are unsure, let me down with a rope, and I’ll check them out. If they are northern barbarians’ spies, they cannot hide from my eyes.” Old Man Qian was honestly not very old, only in his early forties. But in a military camp, very few people could reach forty and still be in good condition.

Battalion Chief Luo questioned him with an unpleasant look on his face, “You’re going to take a look at them? How can you even tell?” It would be better if Huo Changqing died outside the city, but he couldn’t say what he thought in his heart. Otherwise, he would commit public anger.T

/C

Old Man Qian answered, “I’ve seen Huo Changqing. He is always by General Yun’s side. If Huo Changqing is really in that group, then the people down there are not northern barbarians’ spies. If I don’t see him there, then they must be spies.” Old Man Qian didn’t believe that the people below were spies, but he could already tell that Battalion Chief Luo did not want to let anyone from the group get in, so he could only use this method.

With that being said, if he still wouldn’t agree to this suggestion, he would have to bear the reputation of not saving fellow comrades from death. The ones being loathed the most in the military camp were those they deemed as breaking their faith and abandoning their right4 by not saving their dying comrades. So, Battalion Chief Luo could only agree. “Since you want to go down, then go!”

Having his body tied with the rope, Old Man Qian slowly slid down the city wall holding the torch. When he landed on the ground and raised the torch, he saw more than twenty men covered in blood. Four of them were still prostrate on their horses, unconscious. When Old Man Qian looked at them, it was clear that these men were fortunate even to survive.

Old Man Qian asked Shang Da, who was straightening his back, “Where is Huo Changqing Daren1?”

Shang Da was not a person who could not differentiate the good from the bad5. In the barracks, all soldiers had a deep respect for a veteran like Old Leader Qian. Shang Da then took Old Leader Qian to see Huo Changqing, who was prostrate on his horse. Old Leader Qian raised his torch and took a look, but by this time, he could not see Huo Changqing’s face clearly since blood had covered his whole body.

Old Leader Qian noticed something in Huo Changqing’s mouth and asked, “What’s that in his mouth? Why don’t you pick it out?” With something in his mouth like that, he would be dead if he swallowed it and choked.

Shang Da shook his head. “What Huo Daren1 has in his mouth is ginseng. If it weren’t for that slice of ginseng, Huo Daren1 wouldn’t be able to survive until now.”

Huo Changqing was still alive thanks to the medicine bottle that stopped his bleeding and the slices of ginseng that Yuxi had given him. Huo Changqing would not have made it outside the city gate without these two items.

Seeing this, Old Man Qian shouted upwards, “Battalion Chief Daren1, they are the Dingbei army, and all of them are wounded. Battalion Chief Daren1, please open the gate quickly!”

Once the soldiers opened the gate, the hanging hearts of the waiting group finally fell as soon as they walked through it. They only felt safe once they entered Yu City.

At this time, Battalion Chief Luo came down from the city wall and instructed, “I will send you back to the barracks.” If they were wounded, they had to return to the barracks as soon as possible to seek medical treatment.

However, Shang Da shook his head. “Let’s send Huo Daren1 to Yun Residence first.” Shang Da was also a man with some thoughts. Huo Daren1 was too severely injured. If they had sent him to the barracks in this condition, and since the military physician was busy with the war situation, they would not be able to save Huo Daren1. Instead of that, it would be better to send him to the Yun Residence. He had heard Huo Daren1 say that the ginseng he used was given to him by Madam, so it would be better to send him to the Yu Residence than to the military camp. At least there was still hope that he could be saved.

Yuxi had a very light sleep these past few days. Even though she had been telling herself that Yun Qing would be fine, she was still distraught. Hence, she hadn’t been in the best of spirits these days. She hadn’t closed her eyes for long when she heard a rush of footsteps. In the middle of the night, the slightest sound would be loud, let alone such heavy footsteps.

Zijin reacted faster than Yuxi. She went to Yuxi’s side and helped her up. Now that Yuxi’s pregnancy had reached eight months old, it was not easy for her to get up.

Yuxi turned towards Mama Qu and said, “Can Mama quickly go and take a look?” Inwardly, Yuxi hoped that Yun Qing had returned so she could sigh in relief.

Mama Qu went out for a while and soon returned, informing Yuxi, “Madam, Xu Wu said that Huo Daren1 has been sent back here and is now in the front yard.” She had been shocked when she first heard the news!

When Yuxi heard this, she knew Huo Changqing was probably severely injured. “Ask Xu Wu to come in.” At this time, she couldn’t care less about the rules of how it was inappropriate to see outside men in the middle of the night.

Looking at the anxious expression on Xu Wu’s face, Yuxi knew that Uncle Huo’s injury was grave and his life was probably in danger too. “How is Uncle Huo now?”

Xu Wu said sadly, “Madam, Yifu6 is currently unconscious, and I have asked someone to get a physician to check on him.” But Huo Changqing’s appearance made Xu Wu nervous. Uncle Huo could survive such a severe injury until now because he relied entirely on ginseng to prolong his life.

Hearing this report, Yuxi said, “I’ll go and take a look.”

Xu Wu hurriedly stopped Yuxi. “Madam, you can’t go.” His yifu6’s body was covered in blood, without even a piece of good flesh visible to the eyes. Madam would be shocked when she saw his yifu6’s condition.

Yuxi said, “I am not as fragile as you think. If Uncle Huo can return to Yun Residence alive, I can’t let anything happen to him.” What Yuxi had decided, no one could change.

Before Yuxi went out, she told Zijin, “Go into the room and get the ginseng. We might need it later.” If this ginseng could save Huo Changqing’s life, it would be worth it.

Xu Wu had actually come over to ask for more ginseng. When he saw that Yuxi had taken the initiative to bring it out without waiting for him to ask, he felt both grateful and touched.

When Yuxi arrived at the front yard and saw Huo Changqing lying unconscious on the bed, covered in blood and unable to see even his face, tears came to her eyes.

Seeing this scene, Zijin hastily said, “Madam, don’t be sad. Uncle Huo will be fine.”

Yuxi wiped her tears and said, “The physicians’ standard in Yu City is not good. They may not be able to heal such a serious injury.” After stating this statement, Yuxi called out towards Zijin, “Go and invite Master Yang here.” Master Yang was more experienced and knowledgeable. Since he could configure such a miraculous medicine, he might have a solution.

When Xu Wu heard this, he asked anxiously, “Madam, Master Yang doesn’t know how to heal. Will it be useful to invite him?” He had spent so much time with Master Yang and knew little about him. He had never heard that Master Yang knew the art of healing.

Yuxi said, “I don’t know if Master Yang has any medical skills, but I can’t trust the physicians in Yu City.” Yuxi had asked Zijin to find Master Yang because he could make medicine with a remarkable effect, so she wanted to take her chance with him.

Master Yang was not a nosy person. His duty was to protect Yuxi’s safety, and he did not care about anything else. But now that Zijin had come to invite him, that was another matter. Putting on his clothes, he followed Zijin over. Seeing Huo Changqing’s appearance, Master Yang asked, “Did you use that ginseng on him?”

Yuxi nodded. “Before they went on their war expedition, I cut a small portion for them to take with them, just in case.”

Master Yang exclaimed, “No wonder! Even with my bleeding-stopping medicine, he could not have survived until now with such a serious injury. But it’s different with your ginseng, which has become a refined essence.”

Yuxi pleaded anxiously, “Master Yang, please save Uncle Huo. As long as you can, I will grant everything you ask, as long as I can do it.”

Master Yang glanced at Yuxi and responded, “It’s not like it’s impossible to do.” Only Master Yang knew that many precious and rare medicinal herbs were in Yuxi’s hands. Otherwise, he could do nothing, even if he intended to help.

Yuxi was even willing to give up the nearly four-hundred-year-old ginseng. What else could she not give up? She said, “If Master Yang needs anything, just make a list, and I will get them all right away.” Even if the things weren’t available inside the residence, she would even beg people to get them.

It was essential to save a life, so Master Yang did not have much to say and immediately wrote down the things he needed. Then he told Yuxi, “Just get the things ready and have them delivered so you don’t have to come over again.” Master Yang also felt distressed for Yuxi. It was fortunate that this girl could still hold up. If it were any other woman, she would have collapsed long ago.

Yuxi also knew that she could not help with the healing and that staying here would only be inconvenient for everyone. So she said to Master Yang, “He Rui and I will always remember this kindness.”

Master Yang urged, “Hurry up and get out. This place is not for a pregnant woman like you to stay.” How could a pregnant woman stay in a room full of the smell of blood?

Yuxi stayed briefly. She took the list and returned to the inner courtyard’s herbs room, stocked with medicinal herbs. All the things that Master Yang wanted were inside, so there was no need to beg anyone. Of course, this time, Yuxi actually bled a lot7 because Master Yang’s list required not only a lot of precious and rare herbs but also a lot of them.

After Yuxi found all the requested herbs, she wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and said to Zijin, “Quickly send these medicines over.” She had done all that she could do. The rest was up to Master Yang.