RMACAUH Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Living a Mediocre Life in Peaceful Times, While in Chaotic Times…

Chapter 38: Chapter 38 Living a Mediocre Life in Peaceful Times, While in Chaotic Times…

Feng Yue’s expression was solemn as he slowly said, “Commander of the Imperial Guards, Xiao Xuanyi.”

Mu Yunhua momentarily thought he misheard, “Who?”

“Xiao Xuanyi.”

“He’s a confidant of the Emperor!” Mu Yunhua stared wide-eyed for a long while, unsure of what to say.

He didn’t know what his lord was feeling right now, but it probably wasn’t good.

At the same time, he felt indignant for the old general, who had spent most of his life guarding the northwest, a place with extremely scarce resources, for the sake of the country and its people. Now, nearing the end of his life, he couldn’t even enjoy his retirement and they wanted him to die an unclear death.

Feng Yue lost his appetite and tossed the half-eaten deer leg to Mu Yunhua.

Mu Yunhua turned it around and started gnawing on it.

Feng Yue picked up his cloak and draped it over himself, silently jumping out of the carriage.

“You’re still injured, where are you going?”

“To find the old general.”

Mu Yunhua took a few more bites of the venison, reluctantly put it back on the carriage, and closely followed behind Feng Yue.

“Why are you following me?”

“With such serious injuries, you can’t afford to have any more mishaps.”

Feng Yue, feeling helpless, let him follow.

After searching around, they found the Duke of Zhenguo digging through the snow to clear a path with the soldiers. He wasn’t sure if they could dig their way out, but it was better than doing nothing.

The sound of animal hide boots crunching on the thick snow, rang out with a crisp ‘creak’ “Grandfather!”

Hearing the sound, Chen Taipeng turned around and handed the tools in his hand to a nearby soldier, with a solemn face, “You’re still injured, it’s freezing cold, why aren’t you resting in the carriage?”

“Grandson’s injuries are not serious, and we haven’t seen each other in a long time, grandson has many things to say to you.”

Chen Taipeng was stunned for a moment, this child used to be not so thoughtful before, every time he wanted to chat with him, he would impatiently run away after saying less than ten sentences.

“Alright! It’s rare that you have something to say to grandfather.”

Feng Yue instructed Mu Yunhua, “You don’t have to follow, just stay here and dig through the snow to clear the path with them.”

“Oh…” Mu Yunhua looked curious.

The grandfather and grandson slowly walked forward in this vast white forest. After walking away a bit, Feng Yue slowly opened his mouth and began to talk about his recent situation.

“Grandfather, I got married a few days ago.”

“What?” Chen Taipeng glared, unable to believe it. The news was too sudden, and with his understanding of his grandson’s temperament, he wasn’t one to fall in love easily.

After a moment of silence, Chen Taipeng seemed to accept the fact, “Who is the lady?”

Feng Yue: “He’s not a lady, he’s a male wife (ge’er).”

Upon hearing this, Chen Taipeng couldn’t help but scold, “You’re simply messing around! How can you marry a ge’er for the sake of the throne? You… you’re really confused!!”

Chen Taipeng was heartbroken, “Grandfather knows what you’re thinking, you don’t want to compete for the position of crown prince, you value your brotherly relationship with your second brother, but whether you fight for it or not is not up to you, Yue’er! You’re still young, you don’t understand the stakes involved. It’s not that grandfather wants to force you, but when you’re in the game, you can’t help yourself!”

“Grandfather…” Feng Yue’s eyes instantly reddened, “I understand now, I understand! Don’t worry.”

If he had listened to just one piece of advice, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a situation, and he wouldn’t have allowed the Chen family army to fall apart like this.

“The matter of my marriage is a bit complicated…”

Feng Yue told Chen Taipeng the whole story, and Chen Taipeng’s face grew paler as he listened. By the end, his eyes were barely suppressing his grief and anger, and his lips trembled slightly uncontrollably.

“I don’t understand why the Empress Dowager would do this, why she would treat me like this, so I want to ask grandfather, why?”

Chen Taipeng finally sighed and shook his head helplessly, unable to say it.

Feng Yue then knew that there must be an unspeakable past, that couldn’t be told to anyone, or let him know.

“If you can’t say it, then don’t say it. Actually, for grandson, it’s not that important anymore. My Empress Dowager, in my heart, died after that night.”

“Do you hate her?”

“If there is no expectation, where does hatred come from?” Feng Yue was exhausted and weary, “I have to accept the fact that she doesn’t love me. Besides, there is no such thing as unprovoked love in this world.”

“She has an irreconcilable hatred in her heart, which has implicated you.” Chen Taipeng didn’t know whether the decision he made back then was right or wrong, or whether it was time to tell the truth?

“Grandfather doesn’t have to explain, I really don’t care anymore.” Feng Yue smiled in relief, “Whether it’s the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, or my brothers, the royal family is inherently unfeeling, full of intrigue and mutual calculation, nothing is real. What I want now is very simple, the position that everyone covets, I must sit on it! So please, grandfather, help me!”

Feng Yue bowed deeply to him, his words sincere.

Chen Taipeng was shocked on the spot and helped him up.

He only felt that the person in front of him was him, but he was no longer him. Most people would have their defenses collapsed after encountering such a thing, but Feng Yue became more resilient and powerful. Such a mentality didn’t seem like something a child in his early twenties should have.

It could only be said that suffering can destroy people, but it can also make people grow rapidly. This may not be a bad thing.

Chen Taipeng sighed with relief: “You’ve grown up.”

“Now we have to prepare for the worst.”

“Tell me.”

“If we can’t escape from Yanshan, then we will face the worst outcome. If Father fails this assassination, he will never give up. I left Beijing without an edict, and I have five hundred soldiers with me who came out of the city to meet you here. If a charge of treason is placed, there’s no need to be so passive. Instead, it’s better to…”

“That’s the worst plan!” Chen Taipeng said in a deep voice, “The directly subordinate Imperial Guards have more than five thousand people, plus the jurisdictional guard posts that can be mobilized near the capital, there are about two or three thousand soldiers. If that happens, I’m afraid we won’t be able to retreat completely!”

“Grandson knows, so naturally we can’t fight a stone with an egg. We only have three thousand soldiers in our hands, it is not difficult to evacuate, and the flexibility is also very high.”

Chen Taipeng thought about it, nodded, “That’s also a way, as long as we can escape from the capital and return to the northwest, we can find an opportunity to counterattack. What is the other plan?”

Feng Yue didn’t know what he was thinking of, his expression softened a lot, “It’s to wait for reinforcements to come.”

“Where else can we have reinforcements?”

“We can only wait.”

The soldiers who cleared the road were divided into two groups, digging for two days and one night.

But God didn’t show any mercy, the snow kept falling and stopping!

If this continues, the soldiers will be exhausted and the effect will be minimal.

On the eve of the New Year’s Day, everyone had given up and simply lay down on the spot to rest. Everyone was prepared for the worst.

Near dusk, a sharp-eared soldier heard a noise.

“Listen, what’s that sound?”

Everyone instantly became alert and picked up their weapons.

“It is, it’s a dog! Many dogs are barking!”

“Damn, have the court’s henchmen sent people to encircle us again?”

“Hurry up and report to the old general!”

…

The old general and Feng Yue, who came after hearing the news, ordered the soldiers to retreat five hundred meters and quickly set up a formation. The sound was getting closer and closer, and the snow wall was getting thinner and thinner.

As night fell, suddenly the snow wall let in light. A wolfhound broke out of the snow wall, and then the last layer of weak barrier collapsed, and thousands of people behind the snow wall raised torches high, illuminating the snowy night as bright as day.

Sounds of surprise rose one after another: “It’s open, it’s open!! Hey, go and call that Young Master Wei over, the mountain road has been completely dug through, where is the rest of our reward money!?”

Looking at these people, they looked like nearby villagers, all with hunting dogs and special snow-digging tools, a black mass of heads, with no end in sight.

Roughly estimated, there must be tens of thousands of people!

“This, this is the reinforcement Yue’er said?”

Feng Yue was overjoyed and had no time to explain anything to the old general, he just said: “Grandfather, I’ll go find someone first, and I’ll come back to explain to you later.”

After saying that, he quickly pushed through the crowd and ran down the mountain.

At this time, Wei Xiaofeng, who received the news, didn’t care about the slippery mountain road. At this time, he just wanted to see him urgently to make sure he was safe and sound.

“Xiaofeng!” Feng Yue saw him at first glance in the crowd.

Hearing Feng Yue’s voice, Wei Xiaofeng anxiously searched for his figure. He was walking too hastily and fell.

Feng Yue rushed to him as quickly as possible and hugged him tightly in his arms.

The familiar lavender scent and body temperature made Wei Xiaofeng’s empty and floating heart stabilize at once. Feng Yue helped him up and took him to a safe corner. The whole process was eye to eye and never moved away.

At this moment, their feelings were indescribable, and Feng Yue could only seal them with a kiss.

The two were briefly intimate, without having time to tell each other their longing and joy of reunion. Wei Xiaofeng shouted happily to the crowd: “Thank you for your help, everyone, please go down the mountain quickly. My grandfather has already sent the reward money over, everyone has some!”

The villagers went down the mountain one after another, leaving behind some accompanying soldiers who seemed to be listening to instructions.

At this time, a military leader wearing black armor stepped forward and bowed to the two of them, “Your Highness, Young Master Wei, now that the mission has been completed, let’s retreat.”

“Thank you.”

This person blew the bird whistle in front of his chest. Nearly two thousand soldiers disappeared silently into the night, as if they had never been there.

*

In Weiyang Palace, Feng Chao was leaning on a soft couch reading a book, and he was sleeping later than usual tonight.

At this time, there was a noise outside the palace, and after a while, Linhuai walked in with his waist bent.

“Your Highness, there’s news.”

“Oh? It’s done? So fast?”

Linhuai walked to Feng Chao’s side, picked up the hot tea warming on the stove, poured it into Feng Chao’s empty teacup, and then slowly told the story.

“Your Highness has done his best for Guangling Prince, this time we lent them all the troops that could be mobilized, but the heavy snow closed the mountain, which is really beyond the reach of ordinary people.”

“Didn’t they do it? Two thousand people, how did they do it?” Feng Chao couldn’t help but be curious.

“You said that Wei Fifth Young Master is also evil, he looks like a useless crybaby, I heard that he cried all the way…”

Feng Chao couldn’t help but laugh after hearing this, “Is that so? What happened later?”

“They first took more than two thousand people to the mountain to open the road, that must be useless, they are not very familiar with the mountain road, when will this have to be dug? The Wei Young Master became anxious and ran to the foot of the mountain by himself while crying, borrowed a gong, and alarmed all the villagers at the foot of the mountain.”

“Those villagers were so angry that they couldn’t wait to beat him to death on the spot.”

“Interesting.”

“Seeing that he is usually cautious, he is also not afraid of death. He opened his throat and said that if he went up the mountain with him tonight to remove snow and open the road, everyone would get ten taels of silver. When the villagers heard that there was silver, they picked up snow shoveling tools and went up the mountain with hunting dogs.”

“After that, it was spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred. In less than an hour, all the villagers in a town went up the mountain overnight, men, women, old and young, adding up to more than ten thousand people! The mountain has been leveled!”

“After all, they are local villagers who live off the mountain. They hunt in the mountains all day long with hunting dogs. Naturally, they are more familiar with the road than we people in the capital. There is no bend at all. With hunting dogs leading the way, you shovel and I shovel, the digging is very rapid and extremely fast.”

Feng Chao listened with great interest: “That’s natural, ten taels of silver, finish digging early and go home to sleep early.”

“Isn’t that right? Before dawn, they dug through this mountain! It’s really amazing! This man is amazing!”

Feng Chao couldn’t help but sigh: “How can golden carp be things in ponds? Once they encounter wind and clouds, they will turn into dragons.”

“You said, how come some people really can’t see anything at all, but when it comes to a real critical moment, one is worth a hundred!”

“Some people are like this, there is a fierceness and keen intuition in their bones that ordinary people can’t match. Their talents can only be forced out in desperate situations. They are often mediocre in peaceful times, and they are called heroes in chaotic times.”

Linhuai: “This Guangling Prince really picked up a treasure.”

“Now that the matter has been resolved, the favor has been repaid, and there will be no debt in the future.”

Linhuai nodded: “However, in this way, there is one more formidable enemy.”

“You go to rest too, I’m tired.” Saying that, he put down the book, got up and walked to the bedroom.

Linhuai stepped forward to help him, served Feng Chao to sleep, left two maids to keep watch at night, and then retreated.

Wan Chuyi brought twenty boxes of silver overnight and distributed it all morning. The village households with many children were given an extra tael. Everyone went home happily to make up for sleep, and prepared to go to the market to buy a few more catties of meat to go home and have a lively New Year.

Feng Yue didn’t delay for a second. He went down the mountain, rode the black horse, and took Wei Xiaofeng back to the capital first.

Fortunately, it went smoothly along the way, and they arrived at the palace before the evening meal.

Butler Zhao, who was anxiously waiting, welcomed them in through the back door, asked people to serve hot water, and then explained the situation in the three days he had left the capital.

“The first two days were still peaceful, but today the Emperor has sent someone to invite you into the palace. I only said that you were unwell and suffered some cold, and were resting at home.”

Feng Yue’s lips were pale, “Go and find Doctor Chu from Hui Chun Hall.” He was afraid that it would be useless to find ordinary doctors for this injury.

“I’ll go right away!” Butler Zhao responded immediately and went to invite him in person.

“A-Yue…” Wei Xiaofeng’s eyes were red with worry, “Are you in a lot of pain? Where are you hurt?”

Feng Yue closed his eyes and squeezed out a smile: “It’s okay, it’s just a minor injury. I was too anxious when I was on the road before, and the wound is a bit painful.”

His right shoulder had been stained red with blood, a large area quickly soaked open, it must be bleeding non-stop now.

Wei Xiaofeng choked with heartache, not daring to touch his wound, fearing it would hurt him more.

But Feng Yue felt happy in his heart, he had changed the ending of his grandfather dying outside the pass, and he had also changed his own ending.

There was nothing better than this.

“Xiaofeng, don’t cry, let me lean on you for a while.”

“Hmm.”

Wei Xiaofeng sat down beside him, Feng Yue rested his head on his shoulder, closed his eyes tightly and waited quietly for the doctor to come.

“A-Yue,” Wei Xiaofeng wanted to divert his attention, which might reduce his pain, “Do you think I did well this time?”

“Yes, you did so well. It’s good that I have you, you saved me, grandfather, and the lives of many soldiers.”

“I, I didn’t do that well, I’m not sure in my heart.”

Feng Yue interlocked his fingers with him: “You little fool, you don’t know how amazing you are.”

Wei Xiaofeng’s handsome face flushed red with praise, and his heart was sweet. He was very happy to be able to help Feng Yue.

Doctor Chu was soon brought over by Butler Zhao. He glanced at Feng Yue and had a very familiar feeling, but he quickly took back his mind and didn’t dare to think too much.

“May I see the wound, Your Highness?”

Feng Yue sat up and said to Wei Xiaofeng, “You go out with Butler Zhao first.”

“I want to stay with you,” Wei Xiaofeng stubbornly refused to leave: “Let me stay, let me see your wound.”

Originally, Feng Yue didn’t want him to see it, lest he would be sad after seeing it.

But facing Wei Xiaofeng’s worried eyes, he couldn’t bear to refuse, so he sighed softly: “Okay.”

He took off his top, revealing the wound on his right shoulder, causing everyone present to gasp.

It was simply bloody and completely torn apart.

Chu Lingqiao could tell at a glance that it was injured by arrows, penetrated the scapula, and it was very difficult.

“Please bear with the pain first, Your Highness.” Chu Lingqiao stretched out his hand to explore his scapula for a while. Feng Yue just closed his eyes tightly, and a layer of thin sweat seeped from his back and forehead.

After a while, Chu Lingfeng withdrew his hand and said with a solemn face: “The scapula is broken. Although it is a bit difficult to treat, it is not impossible to recover.”

Hearing this, Feng Yue looked at him in surprise: “Can you restore it?”

“It’s not difficult, I’m just afraid that Your Highness doesn’t dare.”

“There is nothing I dare not do.”

“I have to use a cicada-wing knife to cut open the wound from your back to facilitate the adhesion and fixation of the broken bones, and then use medicine to promote healing. If you recuperate well, you can recover to 70-80%.”

Butler Zhao’s face turned pale after hearing this: “Cut open the flesh? Then, wouldn’t that be bleeding to death?”

“Stopping the bleeding will do. If I can’t cure this injury, no other doctor can.”

Feng Yue looked fearless: “Now you help me stop the bleeding first, and I have to enter the palace later.”

Chu Lingqiao frowned deeply: “Can you bear it?”

Feng Yue: “Is there any Mafeisan (anesthetic)?”

Chu Lingqiao shook his head helplessly. It turned out that the people in this royal family were not as happy as ordinary people. Generally, if they suffered such a serious injury, they would have cried out loudly and couldn’t wait to find a doctor to treat it first.

He had endured it for so long, and he still had to endure it. He admired this endurance a little bit.

“Alright, I’ll use Mafeisan to stop the bleeding and apply some medicine to Your Highness first.”

“Thank you.”

Chu Lingqiao moved very quickly. After using Mafeisan, he didn’t feel any pain, and Feng Yue’s entire expression relaxed a lot.

Chu Lingqiao quickly stopped the blood that had not been stopped well.

“Doctor Chu, do you have anything else to do tonight?”

He asked that, and Chu Lingqiao naturally understood that he wanted to keep him to wait for him to come back from the palace.

“I don’t have anything else to do. I’ll trouble Your Highness to prepare a room for me to take a nap.”

“Butler Zhao, take Doctor Chu down to rest first.”

“Yes.”

After they left, Wei Xiaofeng helped Feng Yue up, “I want to go to the palace with you.”

“Okay, let’s go together.” Since they have been married for so long, the two have not yet entered the palace to serve tea. It is just right to take advantage of this as an excuse to blur the action this time.

It depends on whether the Emperor wants to pursue it or not.

“Come on, change clothes!”

The two changed their clothes and took a carriage to the palace.

At this time, it had just passed dinner time, and the Emperor was processing government affairs in the imperial study. A little eunuch came to report that Feng Yue had brought his little male wife into the palace to pay his respects.

The Emperor was expressionless, but the hand holding the pen was exerting force until the joints turned white.

“Take them to Ganlu Hall, I’ll go over later.”

“Yes.”

Wei Xiaofeng had been to the palace fewer times, not to mention being so close to the current Emperor, so he was uneasy.

“A-Yue, can I not speak later?”

“Yes, I’ll do the talking.”

“What if Father asks me some questions and I don’t answer well, what should I do?”

“It’s okay, I’ll answer. If you really can’t answer, just pretend to be stupid.”

“Will Father be angry?”

“What’s there to be angry about? In his eyes, we are both fools.”

“…”

Wei Xiaofeng relaxed and ate and drank with Feng Yue in the hall, waiting for the Emperor to come over.

After waiting for about half an hour, the Emperor came late. Seeing Feng Yue, his eyes darkened a bit, his face was expressionless, and the sense of oppression was very strong. Although he couldn’t tell whether he was angry, he was definitely not happy.

Wei Xiaofeng followed Feng Yue to stand up, saluted the Emperor, and called him Father.

The Emperor walked to Feng Yue, patted his right shoulder forcefully with his wide palm, and then pinched it without letting go. It seemed to be encouraging, but it was actually competing for strength.

“Good, very good, really my good son.”

Wei Xiaofeng’s heart was aching. Why did he have to hold Feng Yue’s right shoulder? The blood had just been stopped there.

Feng Yue had finally had some color on his face, but at this moment, it all faded away again, “Your son and Xiaofeng should have come into the palace to pay their respects to Father earlier, but they didn’t expect to catch a cold. I was also sleeping during the day today, and I came into the palace when I woke up. I hope Father doesn’t blame his son and Xiaofeng.”

After hearing this, the Emperor smiled gloomily: “You and I are father and son, so naturally we won’t be angry about this kind of trivial matter.”

Feng Yue: “Thank you, Father.”

“I summoned you into the palace because of your grandfather’s entry into the capital. After all, he is a pillar of the country, and the ceremony of entering the capital cannot be too shabby. Considering your relationship as grandfather and grandson, it is most appropriate to hand this matter over to you.”

Feng Yue pretended to be excited: “Yes, your son will definitely bring the old general into the capital in a grand manner and bring him to Father.”

“You haven’t been to the palace for several days. I think your Empress Dowager misses you very much. You can take your husband to pay your respects to your Empress Dowager. I still have some official duties to deal with, go!”

Feng Yue made a bow, and took Xiaofeng out of Ganlu Hall as if nothing had happened.

After he left, the Emperor spread out his palm, lowered his eyes and stared at the blood in his palm coldly for a long time.

The grand eunuch on the side took a handkerchief and was about to wipe it for him, but the Emperor raised his hand to block it, took the handkerchief and wiped the blood on his hand with disgust and ferocity.

It wasn’t until he walked far away from Ganlu Hall that Feng Yue finally relaxed his body and leaned against the pillar in the corridor for a while.

Wei Xiaofeng took a handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead, his voice hoarse: “We’re not going to see the Empress Dowager, let’s go back to the palace, okay? A-Yue, A-Yue, are you in a lot of pain? What can I do to make you less painful?”

Feng Yue squeezed out a pale smile at Wei Xiaofeng: “I’m fine, it’s just that I’ve lost too much blood these past few days, I haven’t slept well or eaten well, and my physical strength is a little weak. Let’s listen to you, we won’t go to see the Empress Dowager, let’s go back to the mansion.”