LF Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Hasty Return to the Capital

Jiang Yinghua rode on horseback with Yan Wanzhi, closely guarded by her personal soldiers, and they galloped all the way until they finally settled in a small county town about twenty miles north of the capital, where she sent someone to fetch a physician.

This physician was specifically for Yan Wanzhi.

Among Jiang Yinghua’s entourage were female guards skilled in medicine, dispatched from the palace by Your Majesty, making an outside physician unnecessary. The military doctors in the army were rough, and Jiang Yinghua worried that Yan Wanzhi, with her delicate skin, accustomed to comfort, would not be able to bear it, so she thought of finding a folk doctor to treat her.

Jiang Yinghua’s knife wound stretched from her shoulder, across her shoulder blade, and pointed directly at the center of her left back. The hideous gash tore open the flesh, making it a shocking sight.

The female doctor, with utmost gentleness, carefully removed Jiang Yinghua’s armor. Even so, the small figure lying on the bed could not help but let out muffled groans of pain from between clenched teeth, sweat mingling with tears as it streamed down her face.

It hurt so much!

On the perilous battlefield, Jiang Yinghua had not felt such pain. Perhaps now that she was temporarily safe, she had regained the normal person’s sense of pain.

The female doctor’s hands moved without pause, meticulously cleaning the wound and skillfully applying the medicine, her eyes full of pity. She couldn’t help but say, “This wound of Your Highness will definitely leave a scar. What is to be done?”

Jiang Yinghua tried to divert her attention to alleviate the pain, so she chatted with her, “A scar is nothing, it’s not like I’ve lost an arm or a leg, no need to worry.”

“How can Your Highness say that? What is your station, to suffer such an ordeal for no reason? If Your Majesty knew, how distressed she would be.” The female doctor said, her voice trembling slightly.

Jiang Yinghua suddenly realized that this person originally served beside her elder sister, and she must not let her be gossipy and spread the word, “Don’t be nosy. You are not allowed to tell Your Majesty, do you hear? If I find out any of you has leaked the news, I will not let you off lightly.”

The female doctor looked back at Jiang Yinghua, somewhat puzzled. Seeing that the ninth princess was stubbornly staring at her, waiting for a response, the female doctor finally timidly nodded, “Your subordinate has remembered.”

Only then did Jiang Yinghua rest assured and lie back down, allowing the other to bandage the wound.

By the time these two had finished fussing, an hour had passed.

Once the pain had subsided, Jiang Yinghua changed her clothes and walked out into the courtyard, wanting to check on Yan Wanzhi, who had saved her.

But as soon as she opened the door, she saw the physician waiting in the courtyard with a helpless expression. Seeing her come out, he hurried forward, complaining with a bitter face:

“Your Highness, your subordinate refuses to let me treat him! Why don’t you try to persuade him? Metal in the flesh, how can he not clean the wound?”

Jiang Yinghua thought that their arrow wounds should have been dealt with long ago. Who knew that Yan Wanzhi would be so stubborn as to refuse treatment?

Jiang Yinghua immediately became angry. Even if the wound was not vital, there was no reason to be willful in such a chaotic situation. Once the wound swelled and festered, it could worsen at any time if not treated properly, and even lead to death.

Jiang Yinghua stormed towards the room where Yan Wanzhi was resting, kicking the door open. Just as she was about to explode with anger, she saw Yan Wanzhi, startled, painfully grabbing the blanket next to her to cover her body.

It turned out that this coward was being bold, taking a dagger and enduring the pain to try to cut out the broken arrow from her body.

Jiang Yinghua turned her face away in embarrassment, her anger dissipating. “One should not look at what is improper.” Yan Wanzhi was, after all, a man, and Jiang Yinghua regretted her impulsiveness.

With her back to Yan Wanzhi, she apologized in a voice as soft as a mosquito’s buzz, “I, I didn’t mean to, please forgive me.”

Yan Wanzhi, still in shock, tentatively asked, “Could, could Your Highness please leave first?”

Jiang Yinghua turned her body ninety degrees, her eyes facing the courtyard, and asked suspiciously, “Is your life more important, or is your prudishness more important? It is only natural for a physician to treat wounds. Why did you refuse? I did not ask a clumsy military doctor, yet you refuse even a proper physician? There are no imperial physicians here.”

After a moment of silence, Yan Wanzhi said hesitantly, “This subject knows some methods for treating arrow wounds and can manage on my own.”

Jiang Yinghua did not believe her. Looking at her earlier appearance, she guessed that she must have hesitated for a long time and did not dare to actually cut into the wound. She scoffed, “If Scholar Yan doesn’t want a crude man to see her, I have a female doctor who can be of assistance. Don’t try to act tough, just wait here.”

With that, Jiang Yinghua lifted her foot and walked away, heading towards the back of the courtyard to find the female doctor who had been washing her clothes.

Yan Wanzhi wanted to refuse, but Jiang Yinghua walked too quickly. She struggled to get up and blocked the door from the inside, afraid that someone would unexpectedly barge in again.

Inside the room, she endured the pain and straightened her clothes, only revealing half of her shoulder where she had been shot by the arrow. After looking around for a while, she finally dared to move the bolt and carefully settled back onto the bed.

Therefore, when the female doctor entered, Yan Wanzhi was lying prone, with only her right shoulder, with the broken arrow still in it, exposed.

The female doctor found it inconvenient to treat the wound and tried several times to pull down Yan Wanzhi’s clothes, but was sternly stopped each time. As soon as the arrowhead was removed and the bleeding stopped, Yan Wanzhi was in a hurry to speak, sending the female doctor away and refusing to let her help bandage the wound.

The female doctor was very puzzled to be chased out and complained to Jiang Yinghua, “Scholar Yan is so strange. When I tried to treat her, she refused in every way, not even willing to take off a bit more of her clothes. She was so shy and particular, insisting on bandaging the wound herself.”

Jiang Yinghua, hearing this, although she didn’t understand, still laughed, “This person really has a lot of quirks. Men are not allowed, and women are not allowed. I wonder who spoiled her this way.”

The female doctor batted her eyes mischievously, “But, Scholar Yan is not only good-looking, but her skin is also so smooth and glossy, better than mine, like a young maiden.”

Jiang Yinghua savored these words, feeling that something was strange.

She pretended to be serious and scolded, “She is an important official in the court, how can you be so disrespectful?”

The female doctor was rebuffed and stopped talking, obediently leaving.

Late at night, Jiang Yinghua leaned against the window alone, pondering. It was only natural for a man from a noble family, who had been pampered since childhood, to have delicate skin.

What was Yan Wanzhi’s background that could have nurtured such praiseworthy talent and such a fastidious temper, with a meticulousness that far surpassed that of women?

Unconsciously, the strange storybooks in Yan Wanzhi’s study that Jiang Yinghua had seen on her first visit to the residence popped up in her mind again. Jiang Yinghua couldn’t help but shudder, goosebumps rising all over her body. She hurriedly rubbed her head and stopped thinking about it.

Lying on the soft couch, Jiang Yinghua suddenly had a strange idea: what if Yan Wanzhi was actually a woman?

The continuous battles had made her very tired, and before Jiang Yinghua could figure it out, she had already been summoned by the Duke of Zhou. The next morning, this ridiculous idea had been thrown to the winds.

The Jiedushi rebel army that had returned to defend its garrison was surrounded by two waves of reinforcements from the front and rear, and after a day and night of bloody battle, they either died or surrendered.

Jiang Yinghua breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the report, the huge weight in her heart finally lifted.

In this way, the Jiedushi’s retreat was completely cut off, and they could not return even if they wanted to.

The soldiers who had fought hard were very tired. Taking advantage of the fact that military supplies were still relatively abundant, Jiang Yinghua organized a celebration banquet for everyone in the camp.

The army was stationed on the spot, and after everyone had their fill of food and drink, Jiang Yinghua entered the main tent, staring at the map and planning the route to Fanyang.

Even though the rebel army had suffered a defeat in the prefecture, their strength was still not to be underestimated. How to make good use of all the troops in the prefecture was of utmost importance to when the counter-offensive and final battle could begin.

While Jiang Yinghua was pondering deeply, Yan Wanzhi requested an audience outside the tent. Upon hearing this, Jiang Yinghua ordered her to enter.

“It’s late, and Scholar Yan is injured. What brings you here?” Jiang Yinghua looked at the person who came in and spoke softly.

“Your Highness is also injured, how can you stay in the camp for long? When do you plan to return to the capital? I will travel with you,” Yan Wanzhi cupped her hands in a salute and said with a serious expression.

Jiang Yinghua put away her smile, lowered her eyes and returned her gaze to the map, responding faintly, “I do not plan to go back. Right now, the opportunity for battle is ripe, and I want to lead troops to the east to participate in the final battle.”

Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi tightened her clasped hands and asked tentatively, “Your Highness, this is Your Majesty’s decree, do you really not obey?”

Jiang Yinghua’s face turned displeased, and she turned around and asked coldly, “Are you going to use my elder sister to pressure me? You should know why my elder sister ordered me to return. But now that I have escaped danger, the apparent commander returning to the capital will affect the morale of those below.”

“With Your Highness’s status, you can simply issue an order to settle the soldiers. Since you are returning to the capital under imperial decree, no one would dare to object,” Yan Wanzhi stubbornly retorted.

Seeing her stubbornly arguing with her, Jiang Yinghua knew that if she annoyed these civil officials, a torrent of great principles would sweep over her in a moment. Even if Jiang Yinghua herself had not been lectured by Yan Wanzhi, everyone in the court knew how eloquent the person in front of her was.

In short, except for Your Majesty, this person would not give face to anyone and could make people speechless in court.

Perhaps, she had always been restrained and polite to Jiang Yinghua.

“Forget it, let me think about it and give you an answer tomorrow. Scholar Yan, go back and rest early,” Jiang Yinghua’s tone softened, but she helplessly issued an order for her to leave.

Seeing this, Yan Wanzhi thought to herself that this person was stubborn and headstrong and could not be rushed, so she wisely retreated.

Jiang Yinghua’s response to Yan Wanzhi was to enthusiastically prepare for war the next afternoon, and a passionate speech ignited the soldiers once again.

Yan Wanzhi covered her forehead at the side. This grandmother’s ability to bewitch people was also rare in the heavens and hard to find on earth. She tricked me last night and lobbied the soldiers today. You’re something else.

Jiang Yinghua ordered that they would advance eastward according to the plan starting tomorrow.

Yan Wanzhi was racking her brains on how to prevent this little ancestor from entering Fanyang when help arrived.

Your Majesty sent a team of nearly a hundred imperial guards, carrying a personal edict.

The messenger failed to find Jiang Yinghua, who was out on patrol, so he went straight to Yan Wanzhi.

It was not until dusk that Jiang Yinghua dragged her tired body back to the camp on horseback.

As soon as she entered the camp, she was surprised to find that the atmosphere in the camp was strange, and there were many more imperial guards.

She was shocked and thought to herself that something was wrong.

Her heart was pounding like a deer, but her face still stubbornly wore a cold expression. She dismounted and entered the tent, only to see Yan Wanzhi and the deputy general already waiting there. In addition, there were two imperial guards, whom Jiang Yinghua recognized very well. She feigned composure and asked, “What’s going on?”

The two guards knelt on one knee, cupped their hands in a salute, “We are here under orders to escort Your Highness back to the capital.”

Yan Wanzhi then stepped forward and handed Jiang Yinghua a silk scroll, “Your Highness, Your Majesty’s edict, please read it yourself.”

Jiang Yinghua coldly swept her gaze over the three people, reached out and took the edict, and unfolded it:

“Defying imperial orders, privately executing appointed officials, do you plan to rebel? You have seven days to roll back to Tai Zhang Palace, or you will be punished by national law without leniency.”

Seeing this order, Jiang Yinghua was shocked. She had angered Your Majesty, but that was not the most important thing. The problem was that Your Majesty knew about her private massacre of the prefectural officials.

Jiang Yinghua forcefully squeezed the silk scroll in her hand, lowered her eyes and glanced at Yan Wanzhi, who was slightly bowing, with a nervous expression.

Looking at the two guards again, they were serious. Your Majesty had sent dozens of imperial guards, so she had to leave whether she wanted to or not. Nicely put, they were escorting her; harshly put, they were arresting her.

Suppressing the dissatisfaction and fear in her heart, Jiang Yinghua asked the guards, “When do you two plan to depart?”

“The carriages and horses are ready. Your Highness can depart at any time. Your Majesty must have set a deadline, and we dare not delay, lest there be any mishaps,” the guard replied respectfully.

“Understood. You two go wait outside. This Prince has something to say to my subordinates,” Jiang Yinghua stood with her hands behind her back, walked to the desk in the main tent, and ordered coldly.

The two of them left upon hearing this, and Yan Wanzhi made a gesture to leave as well.

Jiang Yinghua stopped her, “Scholar Yan, please stay.” Turning to the deputy general, she urgently transferred the military affairs and said to him, “You go take care of it. I have something to tell Scholar Yan privately.”

The deputy general also obeyed and left, leaving only Jiang Yinghua and Yan Wanzhi in the tent. For a moment, the silence was so clear that even their breathing could be heard.

After a long silence, Jiang Yinghua sat wearily in the main seat, lowered her eyes and stared at the ground beneath her feet, and asked somewhat forlornly, “Since you have no intention of protecting me, why did you travel thousands of miles to pick me up?”

Hearing this, Yan Wanzhi was stunned for a moment in surprise, but the words she spoke were truly disheartening, “This subject is only acting under orders. Your Majesty has decreed, and I must obey.”

Jiang Yinghua suddenly sneered and got up dejectedly from the main seat, walked to Yan Wanzhi’s side, barely shifting the two’s lines of sight, “Very well, Scholar Yan is loyal and upright. Your Majesty must be very pleased.” With that, she lifted her foot and walked out of the tent. At the door, she added in disappointment, “I thought you would understand me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Yinghua left without waiting for a response, stepping onto the road back to the capital with the imperial guards.